2013-05-10 Phil Muldoon <pmuldoon@redhat.com>
[deliverable/binutils-gdb.git] / gdb / doc / gdb.texinfo
1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
2 @c Copyright (C) 1988-2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
3 @c
4 @c %**start of header
5 @c makeinfo ignores cmds prev to setfilename, so its arg cannot make use
6 @c of @set vars. However, you can override filename with makeinfo -o.
7 @setfilename gdb.info
8 @c
9 @c man begin INCLUDE
10 @include gdb-cfg.texi
11 @c man end
12 @c
13 @settitle Debugging with @value{GDBN}
14 @setchapternewpage odd
15 @c %**end of header
16
17 @iftex
18 @c @smallbook
19 @c @cropmarks
20 @end iftex
21
22 @finalout
23 @c To avoid file-name clashes between index.html and Index.html, when
24 @c the manual is produced on a Posix host and then moved to a
25 @c case-insensitive filesystem (e.g., MS-Windows), we separate the
26 @c indices into two: Concept Index and all the rest.
27 @syncodeindex ky fn
28 @syncodeindex tp fn
29
30 @c readline appendices use @vindex, @findex and @ftable,
31 @c annotate.texi and gdbmi use @findex.
32 @syncodeindex vr fn
33
34 @c !!set GDB manual's edition---not the same as GDB version!
35 @c This is updated by GNU Press.
36 @set EDITION Tenth
37
38 @c !!set GDB edit command default editor
39 @set EDITOR /bin/ex
40
41 @c THIS MANUAL REQUIRES TEXINFO 4.0 OR LATER.
42
43 @c This is a dir.info fragment to support semi-automated addition of
44 @c manuals to an info tree.
45 @dircategory Software development
46 @direntry
47 * Gdb: (gdb). The GNU debugger.
48 @end direntry
49
50 @copying
51 @c man begin COPYRIGHT
52 Copyright @copyright{} 1988-2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
53
54 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
55 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
56 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
57 Invariant Sections being ``Free Software'' and ``Free Software Needs
58 Free Documentation'', with the Front-Cover Texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
59 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below.
60
61 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You are free to copy and modify
62 this GNU Manual. Buying copies from GNU Press supports the FSF in
63 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
64 @c man end
65 @end copying
66
67 @ifnottex
68 This file documents the @sc{gnu} debugger @value{GDBN}.
69
70 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, of @cite{Debugging with
71 @value{GDBN}: the @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger} for @value{GDBN}
72 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
73 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
74 @end ifset
75 Version @value{GDBVN}.
76
77 @insertcopying
78 @end ifnottex
79
80 @titlepage
81 @title Debugging with @value{GDBN}
82 @subtitle The @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger
83 @sp 1
84 @subtitle @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN}
85 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
86 @sp 1
87 @subtitle @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
88 @end ifset
89 @author Richard Stallman, Roland Pesch, Stan Shebs, et al.
90 @page
91 @tex
92 {\parskip=0pt
93 \hfill (Send bugs and comments on @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.)\par
94 \hfill {\it Debugging with @value{GDBN}}\par
95 \hfill \TeX{}info \texinfoversion\par
96 }
97 @end tex
98
99 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
100 Published by the Free Software Foundation @*
101 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
102 Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA@*
103 ISBN 978-0-9831592-3-0 @*
104
105 @insertcopying
106 @end titlepage
107 @page
108
109 @ifnottex
110 @node Top, Summary, (dir), (dir)
111
112 @top Debugging with @value{GDBN}
113
114 This file describes @value{GDBN}, the @sc{gnu} symbolic debugger.
115
116 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN}
117 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
118 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
119 @end ifset
120 Version @value{GDBVN}.
121
122 Copyright (C) 1988-2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
123
124 This edition of the GDB manual is dedicated to the memory of Fred
125 Fish. Fred was a long-standing contributor to GDB and to Free
126 software in general. We will miss him.
127
128 @menu
129 * Summary:: Summary of @value{GDBN}
130 * Sample Session:: A sample @value{GDBN} session
131
132 * Invocation:: Getting in and out of @value{GDBN}
133 * Commands:: @value{GDBN} commands
134 * Running:: Running programs under @value{GDBN}
135 * Stopping:: Stopping and continuing
136 * Reverse Execution:: Running programs backward
137 * Process Record and Replay:: Recording inferior's execution and replaying it
138 * Stack:: Examining the stack
139 * Source:: Examining source files
140 * Data:: Examining data
141 * Optimized Code:: Debugging optimized code
142 * Macros:: Preprocessor Macros
143 * Tracepoints:: Debugging remote targets non-intrusively
144 * Overlays:: Debugging programs that use overlays
145
146 * Languages:: Using @value{GDBN} with different languages
147
148 * Symbols:: Examining the symbol table
149 * Altering:: Altering execution
150 * GDB Files:: @value{GDBN} files
151 * Targets:: Specifying a debugging target
152 * Remote Debugging:: Debugging remote programs
153 * Configurations:: Configuration-specific information
154 * Controlling GDB:: Controlling @value{GDBN}
155 * Extending GDB:: Extending @value{GDBN}
156 * Interpreters:: Command Interpreters
157 * TUI:: @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
158 * Emacs:: Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
159 * GDB/MI:: @value{GDBN}'s Machine Interface.
160 * Annotations:: @value{GDBN}'s annotation interface.
161 * JIT Interface:: Using the JIT debugging interface.
162 * In-Process Agent:: In-Process Agent
163
164 * GDB Bugs:: Reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
165
166 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
167 * Command Line Editing: (rluserman). Command Line Editing
168 * Using History Interactively: (history). Using History Interactively
169 @end ifset
170 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
171 * Command Line Editing:: Command Line Editing
172 * Using History Interactively:: Using History Interactively
173 @end ifclear
174 * In Memoriam:: In Memoriam
175 * Formatting Documentation:: How to format and print @value{GDBN} documentation
176 * Installing GDB:: Installing GDB
177 * Maintenance Commands:: Maintenance Commands
178 * Remote Protocol:: GDB Remote Serial Protocol
179 * Agent Expressions:: The GDB Agent Expression Mechanism
180 * Target Descriptions:: How targets can describe themselves to
181 @value{GDBN}
182 * Operating System Information:: Getting additional information from
183 the operating system
184 * Trace File Format:: GDB trace file format
185 * Index Section Format:: .gdb_index section format
186 * Man Pages:: Manual pages
187 * Copying:: GNU General Public License says
188 how you can copy and share GDB
189 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation
190 * Concept Index:: Index of @value{GDBN} concepts
191 * Command and Variable Index:: Index of @value{GDBN} commands, variables,
192 functions, and Python data types
193 @end menu
194
195 @end ifnottex
196
197 @contents
198
199 @node Summary
200 @unnumbered Summary of @value{GDBN}
201
202 The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
203 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes---or what another
204 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
205
206 @value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
207 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
208
209 @itemize @bullet
210 @item
211 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
212
213 @item
214 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
215
216 @item
217 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
218
219 @item
220 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
221 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
222 @end itemize
223
224 You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C and C@t{++}.
225 For more information, see @ref{Supported Languages,,Supported Languages}.
226 For more information, see @ref{C,,C and C++}.
227
228 Support for D is partial. For information on D, see
229 @ref{D,,D}.
230
231 @cindex Modula-2
232 Support for Modula-2 is partial. For information on Modula-2, see
233 @ref{Modula-2,,Modula-2}.
234
235 Support for OpenCL C is partial. For information on OpenCL C, see
236 @ref{OpenCL C,,OpenCL C}.
237
238 @cindex Pascal
239 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
240 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
241 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
242 syntax.
243
244 @cindex Fortran
245 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, although
246 it may be necessary to refer to some variables with a trailing
247 underscore.
248
249 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Objective-C,
250 using either the Apple/NeXT or the GNU Objective-C runtime.
251
252 @menu
253 * Free Software:: Freely redistributable software
254 * Free Documentation:: Free Software Needs Free Documentation
255 * Contributors:: Contributors to GDB
256 @end menu
257
258 @node Free Software
259 @unnumberedsec Free Software
260
261 @value{GDBN} is @dfn{free software}, protected by the @sc{gnu}
262 General Public License
263 (GPL). The GPL gives you the freedom to copy or adapt a licensed
264 program---but every person getting a copy also gets with it the
265 freedom to modify that copy (which means that they must get access to
266 the source code), and the freedom to distribute further copies.
267 Typical software companies use copyrights to limit your freedoms; the
268 Free Software Foundation uses the GPL to preserve these freedoms.
269
270 Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which says that
271 you have these freedoms and that you cannot take these freedoms away
272 from anyone else.
273
274 @node Free Documentation
275 @unnumberedsec Free Software Needs Free Documentation
276
277 The biggest deficiency in the free software community today is not in
278 the software---it is the lack of good free documentation that we can
279 include with the free software. Many of our most important
280 programs do not come with free reference manuals and free introductory
281 texts. Documentation is an essential part of any software package;
282 when an important free software package does not come with a free
283 manual and a free tutorial, that is a major gap. We have many such
284 gaps today.
285
286 Consider Perl, for instance. The tutorial manuals that people
287 normally use are non-free. How did this come about? Because the
288 authors of those manuals published them with restrictive terms---no
289 copying, no modification, source files not available---which exclude
290 them from the free software world.
291
292 That wasn't the first time this sort of thing happened, and it was far
293 from the last. Many times we have heard a GNU user eagerly describe a
294 manual that he is writing, his intended contribution to the community,
295 only to learn that he had ruined everything by signing a publication
296 contract to make it non-free.
297
298 Free documentation, like free software, is a matter of freedom, not
299 price. The problem with the non-free manual is not that publishers
300 charge a price for printed copies---that in itself is fine. (The Free
301 Software Foundation sells printed copies of manuals, too.) The
302 problem is the restrictions on the use of the manual. Free manuals
303 are available in source code form, and give you permission to copy and
304 modify. Non-free manuals do not allow this.
305
306 The criteria of freedom for a free manual are roughly the same as for
307 free software. Redistribution (including the normal kinds of
308 commercial redistribution) must be permitted, so that the manual can
309 accompany every copy of the program, both on-line and on paper.
310
311 Permission for modification of the technical content is crucial too.
312 When people modify the software, adding or changing features, if they
313 are conscientious they will change the manual too---so they can
314 provide accurate and clear documentation for the modified program. A
315 manual that leaves you no choice but to write a new manual to document
316 a changed version of the program is not really available to our
317 community.
318
319 Some kinds of limits on the way modification is handled are
320 acceptable. For example, requirements to preserve the original
321 author's copyright notice, the distribution terms, or the list of
322 authors, are ok. It is also no problem to require modified versions
323 to include notice that they were modified. Even entire sections that
324 may not be deleted or changed are acceptable, as long as they deal
325 with nontechnical topics (like this one). These kinds of restrictions
326 are acceptable because they don't obstruct the community's normal use
327 of the manual.
328
329 However, it must be possible to modify all the @emph{technical}
330 content of the manual, and then distribute the result in all the usual
331 media, through all the usual channels. Otherwise, the restrictions
332 obstruct the use of the manual, it is not free, and we need another
333 manual to replace it.
334
335 Please spread the word about this issue. Our community continues to
336 lose manuals to proprietary publishing. If we spread the word that
337 free software needs free reference manuals and free tutorials, perhaps
338 the next person who wants to contribute by writing documentation will
339 realize, before it is too late, that only free manuals contribute to
340 the free software community.
341
342 If you are writing documentation, please insist on publishing it under
343 the GNU Free Documentation License or another free documentation
344 license. Remember that this decision requires your approval---you
345 don't have to let the publisher decide. Some commercial publishers
346 will use a free license if you insist, but they will not propose the
347 option; it is up to you to raise the issue and say firmly that this is
348 what you want. If the publisher you are dealing with refuses, please
349 try other publishers. If you're not sure whether a proposed license
350 is free, write to @email{licensing@@gnu.org}.
351
352 You can encourage commercial publishers to sell more free, copylefted
353 manuals and tutorials by buying them, and particularly by buying
354 copies from the publishers that paid for their writing or for major
355 improvements. Meanwhile, try to avoid buying non-free documentation
356 at all. Check the distribution terms of a manual before you buy it,
357 and insist that whoever seeks your business must respect your freedom.
358 Check the history of the book, and try to reward the publishers that
359 have paid or pay the authors to work on it.
360
361 The Free Software Foundation maintains a list of free documentation
362 published by other publishers, at
363 @url{http://www.fsf.org/doc/other-free-books.html}.
364
365 @node Contributors
366 @unnumberedsec Contributors to @value{GDBN}
367
368 Richard Stallman was the original author of @value{GDBN}, and of many
369 other @sc{gnu} programs. Many others have contributed to its
370 development. This section attempts to credit major contributors. One
371 of the virtues of free software is that everyone is free to contribute
372 to it; with regret, we cannot actually acknowledge everyone here. The
373 file @file{ChangeLog} in the @value{GDBN} distribution approximates a
374 blow-by-blow account.
375
376 Changes much prior to version 2.0 are lost in the mists of time.
377
378 @quotation
379 @emph{Plea:} Additions to this section are particularly welcome. If you
380 or your friends (or enemies, to be evenhanded) have been unfairly
381 omitted from this list, we would like to add your names!
382 @end quotation
383
384 So that they may not regard their many labors as thankless, we
385 particularly thank those who shepherded @value{GDBN} through major
386 releases:
387 Andrew Cagney (releases 6.3, 6.2, 6.1, 6.0, 5.3, 5.2, 5.1 and 5.0);
388 Jim Blandy (release 4.18);
389 Jason Molenda (release 4.17);
390 Stan Shebs (release 4.14);
391 Fred Fish (releases 4.16, 4.15, 4.13, 4.12, 4.11, 4.10, and 4.9);
392 Stu Grossman and John Gilmore (releases 4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, and 4.4);
393 John Gilmore (releases 4.3, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, and 3.9);
394 Jim Kingdon (releases 3.5, 3.4, and 3.3);
395 and Randy Smith (releases 3.2, 3.1, and 3.0).
396
397 Richard Stallman, assisted at various times by Peter TerMaat, Chris
398 Hanson, and Richard Mlynarik, handled releases through 2.8.
399
400 Michael Tiemann is the author of most of the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} support
401 in @value{GDBN}, with significant additional contributions from Per
402 Bothner and Daniel Berlin. James Clark wrote the @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
403 demangler. Early work on C@t{++} was by Peter TerMaat (who also did
404 much general update work leading to release 3.0).
405
406 @value{GDBN} uses the BFD subroutine library to examine multiple
407 object-file formats; BFD was a joint project of David V.
408 Henkel-Wallace, Rich Pixley, Steve Chamberlain, and John Gilmore.
409
410 David Johnson wrote the original COFF support; Pace Willison did
411 the original support for encapsulated COFF.
412
413 Brent Benson of Harris Computer Systems contributed DWARF 2 support.
414
415 Adam de Boor and Bradley Davis contributed the ISI Optimum V support.
416 Per Bothner, Noboyuki Hikichi, and Alessandro Forin contributed MIPS
417 support.
418 Jean-Daniel Fekete contributed Sun 386i support.
419 Chris Hanson improved the HP9000 support.
420 Noboyuki Hikichi and Tomoyuki Hasei contributed Sony/News OS 3 support.
421 David Johnson contributed Encore Umax support.
422 Jyrki Kuoppala contributed Altos 3068 support.
423 Jeff Law contributed HP PA and SOM support.
424 Keith Packard contributed NS32K support.
425 Doug Rabson contributed Acorn Risc Machine support.
426 Bob Rusk contributed Harris Nighthawk CX-UX support.
427 Chris Smith contributed Convex support (and Fortran debugging).
428 Jonathan Stone contributed Pyramid support.
429 Michael Tiemann contributed SPARC support.
430 Tim Tucker contributed support for the Gould NP1 and Gould Powernode.
431 Pace Willison contributed Intel 386 support.
432 Jay Vosburgh contributed Symmetry support.
433 Marko Mlinar contributed OpenRISC 1000 support.
434
435 Andreas Schwab contributed M68K @sc{gnu}/Linux support.
436
437 Rich Schaefer and Peter Schauer helped with support of SunOS shared
438 libraries.
439
440 Jay Fenlason and Roland McGrath ensured that @value{GDBN} and GAS agree
441 about several machine instruction sets.
442
443 Patrick Duval, Ted Goldstein, Vikram Koka and Glenn Engel helped develop
444 remote debugging. Intel Corporation, Wind River Systems, AMD, and ARM
445 contributed remote debugging modules for the i960, VxWorks, A29K UDI,
446 and RDI targets, respectively.
447
448 Brian Fox is the author of the readline libraries providing
449 command-line editing and command history.
450
451 Andrew Beers of SUNY Buffalo wrote the language-switching code, the
452 Modula-2 support, and contributed the Languages chapter of this manual.
453
454 Fred Fish wrote most of the support for Unix System Vr4.
455 He also enhanced the command-completion support to cover C@t{++} overloaded
456 symbols.
457
458 Hitachi America (now Renesas America), Ltd. sponsored the support for
459 H8/300, H8/500, and Super-H processors.
460
461 NEC sponsored the support for the v850, Vr4xxx, and Vr5xxx processors.
462
463 Mitsubishi (now Renesas) sponsored the support for D10V, D30V, and M32R/D
464 processors.
465
466 Toshiba sponsored the support for the TX39 Mips processor.
467
468 Matsushita sponsored the support for the MN10200 and MN10300 processors.
469
470 Fujitsu sponsored the support for SPARClite and FR30 processors.
471
472 Kung Hsu, Jeff Law, and Rick Sladkey added support for hardware
473 watchpoints.
474
475 Michael Snyder added support for tracepoints.
476
477 Stu Grossman wrote gdbserver.
478
479 Jim Kingdon, Peter Schauer, Ian Taylor, and Stu Grossman made
480 nearly innumerable bug fixes and cleanups throughout @value{GDBN}.
481
482 The following people at the Hewlett-Packard Company contributed
483 support for the PA-RISC 2.0 architecture, HP-UX 10.20, 10.30, and 11.0
484 (narrow mode), HP's implementation of kernel threads, HP's aC@t{++}
485 compiler, and the Text User Interface (nee Terminal User Interface):
486 Ben Krepp, Richard Title, John Bishop, Susan Macchia, Kathy Mann,
487 Satish Pai, India Paul, Steve Rehrauer, and Elena Zannoni. Kim Haase
488 provided HP-specific information in this manual.
489
490 DJ Delorie ported @value{GDBN} to MS-DOS, for the DJGPP project.
491 Robert Hoehne made significant contributions to the DJGPP port.
492
493 Cygnus Solutions has sponsored @value{GDBN} maintenance and much of its
494 development since 1991. Cygnus engineers who have worked on @value{GDBN}
495 fulltime include Mark Alexander, Jim Blandy, Per Bothner, Kevin
496 Buettner, Edith Epstein, Chris Faylor, Fred Fish, Martin Hunt, Jim
497 Ingham, John Gilmore, Stu Grossman, Kung Hsu, Jim Kingdon, John Metzler,
498 Fernando Nasser, Geoffrey Noer, Dawn Perchik, Rich Pixley, Zdenek
499 Radouch, Keith Seitz, Stan Shebs, David Taylor, and Elena Zannoni. In
500 addition, Dave Brolley, Ian Carmichael, Steve Chamberlain, Nick Clifton,
501 JT Conklin, Stan Cox, DJ Delorie, Ulrich Drepper, Frank Eigler, Doug
502 Evans, Sean Fagan, David Henkel-Wallace, Richard Henderson, Jeff
503 Holcomb, Jeff Law, Jim Lemke, Tom Lord, Bob Manson, Michael Meissner,
504 Jason Merrill, Catherine Moore, Drew Moseley, Ken Raeburn, Gavin
505 Romig-Koch, Rob Savoye, Jamie Smith, Mike Stump, Ian Taylor, Angela
506 Thomas, Michael Tiemann, Tom Tromey, Ron Unrau, Jim Wilson, and David
507 Zuhn have made contributions both large and small.
508
509 Andrew Cagney, Fernando Nasser, and Elena Zannoni, while working for
510 Cygnus Solutions, implemented the original @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
511
512 Jim Blandy added support for preprocessor macros, while working for Red
513 Hat.
514
515 Andrew Cagney designed @value{GDBN}'s architecture vector. Many
516 people including Andrew Cagney, Stephane Carrez, Randolph Chung, Nick
517 Duffek, Richard Henderson, Mark Kettenis, Grace Sainsbury, Kei
518 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Andreas Schwab, Jason
519 Thorpe, Corinna Vinschen, Ulrich Weigand, and Elena Zannoni, helped
520 with the migration of old architectures to this new framework.
521
522 Andrew Cagney completely re-designed and re-implemented @value{GDBN}'s
523 unwinder framework, this consisting of a fresh new design featuring
524 frame IDs, independent frame sniffers, and the sentinel frame. Mark
525 Kettenis implemented the @sc{dwarf 2} unwinder, Jeff Johnston the
526 libunwind unwinder, and Andrew Cagney the dummy, sentinel, tramp, and
527 trad unwinders. The architecture-specific changes, each involving a
528 complete rewrite of the architecture's frame code, were carried out by
529 Jim Blandy, Joel Brobecker, Kevin Buettner, Andrew Cagney, Stephane
530 Carrez, Randolph Chung, Orjan Friberg, Richard Henderson, Daniel
531 Jacobowitz, Jeff Johnston, Mark Kettenis, Theodore A. Roth, Kei
532 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Corinna Vinschen, and Ulrich
533 Weigand.
534
535 Christian Zankel, Ross Morley, Bob Wilson, and Maxim Grigoriev from
536 Tensilica, Inc.@: contributed support for Xtensa processors. Others
537 who have worked on the Xtensa port of @value{GDBN} in the past include
538 Steve Tjiang, John Newlin, and Scott Foehner.
539
540 Michael Eager and staff of Xilinx, Inc., contributed support for the
541 Xilinx MicroBlaze architecture.
542
543 @node Sample Session
544 @chapter A Sample @value{GDBN} Session
545
546 You can use this manual at your leisure to read all about @value{GDBN}.
547 However, a handful of commands are enough to get started using the
548 debugger. This chapter illustrates those commands.
549
550 @iftex
551 In this sample session, we emphasize user input like this: @b{input},
552 to make it easier to pick out from the surrounding output.
553 @end iftex
554
555 @c FIXME: this example may not be appropriate for some configs, where
556 @c FIXME...primary interest is in remote use.
557
558 One of the preliminary versions of @sc{gnu} @code{m4} (a generic macro
559 processor) exhibits the following bug: sometimes, when we change its
560 quote strings from the default, the commands used to capture one macro
561 definition within another stop working. In the following short @code{m4}
562 session, we define a macro @code{foo} which expands to @code{0000}; we
563 then use the @code{m4} built-in @code{defn} to define @code{bar} as the
564 same thing. However, when we change the open quote string to
565 @code{<QUOTE>} and the close quote string to @code{<UNQUOTE>}, the same
566 procedure fails to define a new synonym @code{baz}:
567
568 @smallexample
569 $ @b{cd gnu/m4}
570 $ @b{./m4}
571 @b{define(foo,0000)}
572
573 @b{foo}
574 0000
575 @b{define(bar,defn(`foo'))}
576
577 @b{bar}
578 0000
579 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
580
581 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
582 @b{baz}
583 @b{Ctrl-d}
584 m4: End of input: 0: fatal error: EOF in string
585 @end smallexample
586
587 @noindent
588 Let us use @value{GDBN} to try to see what is going on.
589
590 @smallexample
591 $ @b{@value{GDBP} m4}
592 @c FIXME: this falsifies the exact text played out, to permit smallbook
593 @c FIXME... format to come out better.
594 @value{GDBN} is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
595 of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
596 the conditions.
597 There is absolutely no warranty for @value{GDBN}; type "show warranty"
598 for details.
599
600 @value{GDBN} @value{GDBVN}, Copyright 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
601 (@value{GDBP})
602 @end smallexample
603
604 @noindent
605 @value{GDBN} reads only enough symbol data to know where to find the
606 rest when needed; as a result, the first prompt comes up very quickly.
607 We now tell @value{GDBN} to use a narrower display width than usual, so
608 that examples fit in this manual.
609
610 @smallexample
611 (@value{GDBP}) @b{set width 70}
612 @end smallexample
613
614 @noindent
615 We need to see how the @code{m4} built-in @code{changequote} works.
616 Having looked at the source, we know the relevant subroutine is
617 @code{m4_changequote}, so we set a breakpoint there with the @value{GDBN}
618 @code{break} command.
619
620 @smallexample
621 (@value{GDBP}) @b{break m4_changequote}
622 Breakpoint 1 at 0x62f4: file builtin.c, line 879.
623 @end smallexample
624
625 @noindent
626 Using the @code{run} command, we start @code{m4} running under @value{GDBN}
627 control; as long as control does not reach the @code{m4_changequote}
628 subroutine, the program runs as usual:
629
630 @smallexample
631 (@value{GDBP}) @b{run}
632 Starting program: /work/Editorial/gdb/gnu/m4/m4
633 @b{define(foo,0000)}
634
635 @b{foo}
636 0000
637 @end smallexample
638
639 @noindent
640 To trigger the breakpoint, we call @code{changequote}. @value{GDBN}
641 suspends execution of @code{m4}, displaying information about the
642 context where it stops.
643
644 @smallexample
645 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
646
647 Breakpoint 1, m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
648 at builtin.c:879
649 879 if (bad_argc(TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[0]),argc,1,3))
650 @end smallexample
651
652 @noindent
653 Now we use the command @code{n} (@code{next}) to advance execution to
654 the next line of the current function.
655
656 @smallexample
657 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
658 882 set_quotes((argc >= 2) ? TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[1])\
659 : nil,
660 @end smallexample
661
662 @noindent
663 @code{set_quotes} looks like a promising subroutine. We can go into it
664 by using the command @code{s} (@code{step}) instead of @code{next}.
665 @code{step} goes to the next line to be executed in @emph{any}
666 subroutine, so it steps into @code{set_quotes}.
667
668 @smallexample
669 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
670 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
671 at input.c:530
672 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
673 @end smallexample
674
675 @noindent
676 The display that shows the subroutine where @code{m4} is now
677 suspended (and its arguments) is called a stack frame display. It
678 shows a summary of the stack. We can use the @code{backtrace}
679 command (which can also be spelled @code{bt}), to see where we are
680 in the stack as a whole: the @code{backtrace} command displays a
681 stack frame for each active subroutine.
682
683 @smallexample
684 (@value{GDBP}) @b{bt}
685 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
686 at input.c:530
687 #1 0x6344 in m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
688 at builtin.c:882
689 #2 0x8174 in expand_macro (sym=0x33320) at macro.c:242
690 #3 0x7a88 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=209696, td=0xf7fffa30)
691 at macro.c:71
692 #4 0x79dc in expand_input () at macro.c:40
693 #5 0x2930 in main (argc=0, argv=0xf7fffb20) at m4.c:195
694 @end smallexample
695
696 @noindent
697 We step through a few more lines to see what happens. The first two
698 times, we can use @samp{s}; the next two times we use @code{n} to avoid
699 falling into the @code{xstrdup} subroutine.
700
701 @smallexample
702 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
703 0x3b5c 532 if (rquote != def_rquote)
704 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
705 0x3b80 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? \
706 def_lquote : xstrdup(lq);
707 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
708 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
709 : xstrdup(rq);
710 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
711 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
712 @end smallexample
713
714 @noindent
715 The last line displayed looks a little odd; we can examine the variables
716 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} to see if they are in fact the new left
717 and right quotes we specified. We use the command @code{p}
718 (@code{print}) to see their values.
719
720 @smallexample
721 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p lquote}
722 $1 = 0x35d40 "<QUOTE>"
723 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p rquote}
724 $2 = 0x35d50 "<UNQUOTE>"
725 @end smallexample
726
727 @noindent
728 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} are indeed the new left and right quotes.
729 To look at some context, we can display ten lines of source
730 surrounding the current line with the @code{l} (@code{list}) command.
731
732 @smallexample
733 (@value{GDBP}) @b{l}
734 533 xfree(rquote);
735 534
736 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? def_lquote\
737 : xstrdup (lq);
738 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
739 : xstrdup (rq);
740 537
741 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
742 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
743 540 @}
744 541
745 542 void
746 @end smallexample
747
748 @noindent
749 Let us step past the two lines that set @code{len_lquote} and
750 @code{len_rquote}, and then examine the values of those variables.
751
752 @smallexample
753 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
754 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
755 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
756 540 @}
757 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote}
758 $3 = 9
759 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote}
760 $4 = 7
761 @end smallexample
762
763 @noindent
764 That certainly looks wrong, assuming @code{len_lquote} and
765 @code{len_rquote} are meant to be the lengths of @code{lquote} and
766 @code{rquote} respectively. We can set them to better values using
767 the @code{p} command, since it can print the value of
768 any expression---and that expression can include subroutine calls and
769 assignments.
770
771 @smallexample
772 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote=strlen(lquote)}
773 $5 = 7
774 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote=strlen(rquote)}
775 $6 = 9
776 @end smallexample
777
778 @noindent
779 Is that enough to fix the problem of using the new quotes with the
780 @code{m4} built-in @code{defn}? We can allow @code{m4} to continue
781 executing with the @code{c} (@code{continue}) command, and then try the
782 example that caused trouble initially:
783
784 @smallexample
785 (@value{GDBP}) @b{c}
786 Continuing.
787
788 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
789
790 baz
791 0000
792 @end smallexample
793
794 @noindent
795 Success! The new quotes now work just as well as the default ones. The
796 problem seems to have been just the two typos defining the wrong
797 lengths. We allow @code{m4} exit by giving it an EOF as input:
798
799 @smallexample
800 @b{Ctrl-d}
801 Program exited normally.
802 @end smallexample
803
804 @noindent
805 The message @samp{Program exited normally.} is from @value{GDBN}; it
806 indicates @code{m4} has finished executing. We can end our @value{GDBN}
807 session with the @value{GDBN} @code{quit} command.
808
809 @smallexample
810 (@value{GDBP}) @b{quit}
811 @end smallexample
812
813 @node Invocation
814 @chapter Getting In and Out of @value{GDBN}
815
816 This chapter discusses how to start @value{GDBN}, and how to get out of it.
817 The essentials are:
818 @itemize @bullet
819 @item
820 type @samp{@value{GDBP}} to start @value{GDBN}.
821 @item
822 type @kbd{quit} or @kbd{Ctrl-d} to exit.
823 @end itemize
824
825 @menu
826 * Invoking GDB:: How to start @value{GDBN}
827 * Quitting GDB:: How to quit @value{GDBN}
828 * Shell Commands:: How to use shell commands inside @value{GDBN}
829 * Logging Output:: How to log @value{GDBN}'s output to a file
830 @end menu
831
832 @node Invoking GDB
833 @section Invoking @value{GDBN}
834
835 Invoke @value{GDBN} by running the program @code{@value{GDBP}}. Once started,
836 @value{GDBN} reads commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit.
837
838 You can also run @code{@value{GDBP}} with a variety of arguments and options,
839 to specify more of your debugging environment at the outset.
840
841 The command-line options described here are designed
842 to cover a variety of situations; in some environments, some of these
843 options may effectively be unavailable.
844
845 The most usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument,
846 specifying an executable program:
847
848 @smallexample
849 @value{GDBP} @var{program}
850 @end smallexample
851
852 @noindent
853 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file
854 specified:
855
856 @smallexample
857 @value{GDBP} @var{program} @var{core}
858 @end smallexample
859
860 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
861 to debug a running process:
862
863 @smallexample
864 @value{GDBP} @var{program} 1234
865 @end smallexample
866
867 @noindent
868 would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
869 named @file{1234}; @value{GDBN} does check for a core file first).
870
871 Taking advantage of the second command-line argument requires a fairly
872 complete operating system; when you use @value{GDBN} as a remote
873 debugger attached to a bare board, there may not be any notion of
874 ``process'', and there is often no way to get a core dump. @value{GDBN}
875 will warn you if it is unable to attach or to read core dumps.
876
877 You can optionally have @code{@value{GDBP}} pass any arguments after the
878 executable file to the inferior using @code{--args}. This option stops
879 option processing.
880 @smallexample
881 @value{GDBP} --args gcc -O2 -c foo.c
882 @end smallexample
883 This will cause @code{@value{GDBP}} to debug @code{gcc}, and to set
884 @code{gcc}'s command-line arguments (@pxref{Arguments}) to @samp{-O2 -c foo.c}.
885
886 You can run @code{@value{GDBP}} without printing the front material, which describes
887 @value{GDBN}'s non-warranty, by specifying @code{-silent}:
888
889 @smallexample
890 @value{GDBP} -silent
891 @end smallexample
892
893 @noindent
894 You can further control how @value{GDBN} starts up by using command-line
895 options. @value{GDBN} itself can remind you of the options available.
896
897 @noindent
898 Type
899
900 @smallexample
901 @value{GDBP} -help
902 @end smallexample
903
904 @noindent
905 to display all available options and briefly describe their use
906 (@samp{@value{GDBP} -h} is a shorter equivalent).
907
908 All options and command line arguments you give are processed
909 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the
910 @samp{-x} option is used.
911
912
913 @menu
914 * File Options:: Choosing files
915 * Mode Options:: Choosing modes
916 * Startup:: What @value{GDBN} does during startup
917 @end menu
918
919 @node File Options
920 @subsection Choosing Files
921
922 When @value{GDBN} starts, it reads any arguments other than options as
923 specifying an executable file and core file (or process ID). This is
924 the same as if the arguments were specified by the @samp{-se} and
925 @samp{-c} (or @samp{-p}) options respectively. (@value{GDBN} reads the
926 first argument that does not have an associated option flag as
927 equivalent to the @samp{-se} option followed by that argument; and the
928 second argument that does not have an associated option flag, if any, as
929 equivalent to the @samp{-c}/@samp{-p} option followed by that argument.)
930 If the second argument begins with a decimal digit, @value{GDBN} will
931 first attempt to attach to it as a process, and if that fails, attempt
932 to open it as a corefile. If you have a corefile whose name begins with
933 a digit, you can prevent @value{GDBN} from treating it as a pid by
934 prefixing it with @file{./}, e.g.@: @file{./12345}.
935
936 If @value{GDBN} has not been configured to included core file support,
937 such as for most embedded targets, then it will complain about a second
938 argument and ignore it.
939
940 Many options have both long and short forms; both are shown in the
941 following list. @value{GDBN} also recognizes the long forms if you truncate
942 them, so long as enough of the option is present to be unambiguous.
943 (If you prefer, you can flag option arguments with @samp{--} rather
944 than @samp{-}, though we illustrate the more usual convention.)
945
946 @c NOTE: the @cindex entries here use double dashes ON PURPOSE. This
947 @c way, both those who look for -foo and --foo in the index, will find
948 @c it.
949
950 @table @code
951 @item -symbols @var{file}
952 @itemx -s @var{file}
953 @cindex @code{--symbols}
954 @cindex @code{-s}
955 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
956
957 @item -exec @var{file}
958 @itemx -e @var{file}
959 @cindex @code{--exec}
960 @cindex @code{-e}
961 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when appropriate,
962 and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core dump.
963
964 @item -se @var{file}
965 @cindex @code{--se}
966 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
967 file.
968
969 @item -core @var{file}
970 @itemx -c @var{file}
971 @cindex @code{--core}
972 @cindex @code{-c}
973 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
974
975 @item -pid @var{number}
976 @itemx -p @var{number}
977 @cindex @code{--pid}
978 @cindex @code{-p}
979 Connect to process ID @var{number}, as with the @code{attach} command.
980
981 @item -command @var{file}
982 @itemx -x @var{file}
983 @cindex @code{--command}
984 @cindex @code{-x}
985 Execute commands from file @var{file}. The contents of this file is
986 evaluated exactly as the @code{source} command would.
987 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
988
989 @item -eval-command @var{command}
990 @itemx -ex @var{command}
991 @cindex @code{--eval-command}
992 @cindex @code{-ex}
993 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command.
994
995 This option may be used multiple times to call multiple commands. It may
996 also be interleaved with @samp{-command} as required.
997
998 @smallexample
999 @value{GDBP} -ex 'target sim' -ex 'load' \
1000 -x setbreakpoints -ex 'run' a.out
1001 @end smallexample
1002
1003 @item -init-command @var{file}
1004 @itemx -ix @var{file}
1005 @cindex @code{--init-command}
1006 @cindex @code{-ix}
1007 Execute commands from file @var{file} before loading the inferior (but
1008 after loading gdbinit files).
1009 @xref{Startup}.
1010
1011 @item -init-eval-command @var{command}
1012 @itemx -iex @var{command}
1013 @cindex @code{--init-eval-command}
1014 @cindex @code{-iex}
1015 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command before loading the inferior (but
1016 after loading gdbinit files).
1017 @xref{Startup}.
1018
1019 @item -directory @var{directory}
1020 @itemx -d @var{directory}
1021 @cindex @code{--directory}
1022 @cindex @code{-d}
1023 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source and script files.
1024
1025 @item -r
1026 @itemx -readnow
1027 @cindex @code{--readnow}
1028 @cindex @code{-r}
1029 Read each symbol file's entire symbol table immediately, rather than
1030 the default, which is to read it incrementally as it is needed.
1031 This makes startup slower, but makes future operations faster.
1032
1033 @end table
1034
1035 @node Mode Options
1036 @subsection Choosing Modes
1037
1038 You can run @value{GDBN} in various alternative modes---for example, in
1039 batch mode or quiet mode.
1040
1041 @table @code
1042 @anchor{-nx}
1043 @item -nx
1044 @itemx -n
1045 @cindex @code{--nx}
1046 @cindex @code{-n}
1047 Do not execute commands found in any initialization file.
1048 There are three init files, loaded in the following order:
1049
1050 @table @code
1051 @item @file{system.gdbinit}
1052 This is the system-wide init file.
1053 Its location is specified with the @code{--with-system-gdbinit}
1054 configure option (@pxref{System-wide configuration}).
1055 It is loaded first when @value{GDBN} starts, before command line options
1056 have been processed.
1057 @item @file{~/.gdbinit}
1058 This is the init file in your home directory.
1059 It is loaded next, after @file{system.gdbinit}, and before
1060 command options have been processed.
1061 @item @file{./.gdbinit}
1062 This is the init file in the current directory.
1063 It is loaded last, after command line options other than @code{-x} and
1064 @code{-ex} have been processed. Command line options @code{-x} and
1065 @code{-ex} are processed last, after @file{./.gdbinit} has been loaded.
1066 @end table
1067
1068 For further documentation on startup processing, @xref{Startup}.
1069 For documentation on how to write command files,
1070 @xref{Command Files,,Command Files}.
1071
1072 @anchor{-nh}
1073 @item -nh
1074 @cindex @code{--nh}
1075 Do not execute commands found in @file{~/.gdbinit}, the init file
1076 in your home directory.
1077 @xref{Startup}.
1078
1079 @item -quiet
1080 @itemx -silent
1081 @itemx -q
1082 @cindex @code{--quiet}
1083 @cindex @code{--silent}
1084 @cindex @code{-q}
1085 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
1086 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
1087
1088 @item -batch
1089 @cindex @code{--batch}
1090 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the
1091 command files specified with @samp{-x} (and all commands from
1092 initialization files, if not inhibited with @samp{-n}). Exit with
1093 nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN} commands
1094 in the command files. Batch mode also disables pagination, sets unlimited
1095 terminal width and height @pxref{Screen Size}, and acts as if @kbd{set confirm
1096 off} were in effect (@pxref{Messages/Warnings}).
1097
1098 Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for
1099 example to download and run a program on another computer; in order to
1100 make this more useful, the message
1101
1102 @smallexample
1103 Program exited normally.
1104 @end smallexample
1105
1106 @noindent
1107 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under
1108 @value{GDBN} control terminates) is not issued when running in batch
1109 mode.
1110
1111 @item -batch-silent
1112 @cindex @code{--batch-silent}
1113 Run in batch mode exactly like @samp{-batch}, but totally silently. All
1114 @value{GDBN} output to @code{stdout} is prevented (@code{stderr} is
1115 unaffected). This is much quieter than @samp{-silent} and would be useless
1116 for an interactive session.
1117
1118 This is particularly useful when using targets that give @samp{Loading section}
1119 messages, for example.
1120
1121 Note that targets that give their output via @value{GDBN}, as opposed to
1122 writing directly to @code{stdout}, will also be made silent.
1123
1124 @item -return-child-result
1125 @cindex @code{--return-child-result}
1126 The return code from @value{GDBN} will be the return code from the child
1127 process (the process being debugged), with the following exceptions:
1128
1129 @itemize @bullet
1130 @item
1131 @value{GDBN} exits abnormally. E.g., due to an incorrect argument or an
1132 internal error. In this case the exit code is the same as it would have been
1133 without @samp{-return-child-result}.
1134 @item
1135 The user quits with an explicit value. E.g., @samp{quit 1}.
1136 @item
1137 The child process never runs, or is not allowed to terminate, in which case
1138 the exit code will be -1.
1139 @end itemize
1140
1141 This option is useful in conjunction with @samp{-batch} or @samp{-batch-silent},
1142 when @value{GDBN} is being used as a remote program loader or simulator
1143 interface.
1144
1145 @item -nowindows
1146 @itemx -nw
1147 @cindex @code{--nowindows}
1148 @cindex @code{-nw}
1149 ``No windows''. If @value{GDBN} comes with a graphical user interface
1150 (GUI) built in, then this option tells @value{GDBN} to only use the command-line
1151 interface. If no GUI is available, this option has no effect.
1152
1153 @item -windows
1154 @itemx -w
1155 @cindex @code{--windows}
1156 @cindex @code{-w}
1157 If @value{GDBN} includes a GUI, then this option requires it to be
1158 used if possible.
1159
1160 @item -cd @var{directory}
1161 @cindex @code{--cd}
1162 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
1163 instead of the current directory.
1164
1165 @item -data-directory @var{directory}
1166 @cindex @code{--data-directory}
1167 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its data directory.
1168 The data directory is where @value{GDBN} searches for its
1169 auxiliary files. @xref{Data Files}.
1170
1171 @item -fullname
1172 @itemx -f
1173 @cindex @code{--fullname}
1174 @cindex @code{-f}
1175 @sc{gnu} Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a
1176 subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line
1177 number in a standard, recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is
1178 displayed (which includes each time your program stops). This
1179 recognizable format looks like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by
1180 the file name, line number and character position separated by colons,
1181 and a newline. The Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two
1182 @samp{\032} characters as a signal to display the source code for the
1183 frame.
1184
1185 @item -annotate @var{level}
1186 @cindex @code{--annotate}
1187 This option sets the @dfn{annotation level} inside @value{GDBN}. Its
1188 effect is identical to using @samp{set annotate @var{level}}
1189 (@pxref{Annotations}). The annotation @var{level} controls how much
1190 information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt, values of
1191 expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0 is the
1192 normal, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a subprocess of
1193 @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable for programs
1194 that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 has been deprecated.
1195
1196 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
1197 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
1198
1199 @item --args
1200 @cindex @code{--args}
1201 Change interpretation of command line so that arguments following the
1202 executable file are passed as command line arguments to the inferior.
1203 This option stops option processing.
1204
1205 @item -baud @var{bps}
1206 @itemx -b @var{bps}
1207 @cindex @code{--baud}
1208 @cindex @code{-b}
1209 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
1210 interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
1211
1212 @item -l @var{timeout}
1213 @cindex @code{-l}
1214 Set the timeout (in seconds) of any communication used by @value{GDBN}
1215 for remote debugging.
1216
1217 @item -tty @var{device}
1218 @itemx -t @var{device}
1219 @cindex @code{--tty}
1220 @cindex @code{-t}
1221 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
1222 @c FIXME: kingdon thinks there is more to -tty. Investigate.
1223
1224 @c resolve the situation of these eventually
1225 @item -tui
1226 @cindex @code{--tui}
1227 Activate the @dfn{Text User Interface} when starting. The Text User
1228 Interface manages several text windows on the terminal, showing
1229 source, assembly, registers and @value{GDBN} command outputs
1230 (@pxref{TUI, ,@value{GDBN} Text User Interface}). Do not use this
1231 option if you run @value{GDBN} from Emacs (@pxref{Emacs, ,
1232 Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}).
1233
1234 @c @item -xdb
1235 @c @cindex @code{--xdb}
1236 @c Run in XDB compatibility mode, allowing the use of certain XDB commands.
1237 @c For information, see the file @file{xdb_trans.html}, which is usually
1238 @c installed in the directory @code{/opt/langtools/wdb/doc} on HP-UX
1239 @c systems.
1240
1241 @item -interpreter @var{interp}
1242 @cindex @code{--interpreter}
1243 Use the interpreter @var{interp} for interface with the controlling
1244 program or device. This option is meant to be set by programs which
1245 communicate with @value{GDBN} using it as a back end.
1246 @xref{Interpreters, , Command Interpreters}.
1247
1248 @samp{--interpreter=mi} (or @samp{--interpreter=mi2}) causes
1249 @value{GDBN} to use the @dfn{@sc{gdb/mi} interface} (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,
1250 The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}) included since @value{GDBN} version 6.0. The
1251 previous @sc{gdb/mi} interface, included in @value{GDBN} version 5.3 and
1252 selected with @samp{--interpreter=mi1}, is deprecated. Earlier
1253 @sc{gdb/mi} interfaces are no longer supported.
1254
1255 @item -write
1256 @cindex @code{--write}
1257 Open the executable and core files for both reading and writing. This
1258 is equivalent to the @samp{set write on} command inside @value{GDBN}
1259 (@pxref{Patching}).
1260
1261 @item -statistics
1262 @cindex @code{--statistics}
1263 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print statistics about time and
1264 memory usage after it completes each command and returns to the prompt.
1265
1266 @item -version
1267 @cindex @code{--version}
1268 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print its version number and
1269 no-warranty blurb, and exit.
1270
1271 @item -configuration
1272 @cindex @code{--configuration}
1273 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print details about its build-time
1274 configuration parameters, and then exit. These details can be
1275 important when reporting @value{GDBN} bugs (@pxref{GDB Bugs}).
1276
1277 @end table
1278
1279 @node Startup
1280 @subsection What @value{GDBN} Does During Startup
1281 @cindex @value{GDBN} startup
1282
1283 Here's the description of what @value{GDBN} does during session startup:
1284
1285 @enumerate
1286 @item
1287 Sets up the command interpreter as specified by the command line
1288 (@pxref{Mode Options, interpreter}).
1289
1290 @item
1291 @cindex init file
1292 Reads the system-wide @dfn{init file} (if @option{--with-system-gdbinit} was
1293 used when building @value{GDBN}; @pxref{System-wide configuration,
1294 ,System-wide configuration and settings}) and executes all the commands in
1295 that file.
1296
1297 @anchor{Home Directory Init File}
1298 @item
1299 Reads the init file (if any) in your home directory@footnote{On
1300 DOS/Windows systems, the home directory is the one pointed to by the
1301 @code{HOME} environment variable.} and executes all the commands in
1302 that file.
1303
1304 @anchor{Option -init-eval-command}
1305 @item
1306 Executes commands and command files specified by the @samp{-iex} and
1307 @samp{-ix} options in their specified order. Usually you should use the
1308 @samp{-ex} and @samp{-x} options instead, but this way you can apply
1309 settings before @value{GDBN} init files get executed and before inferior
1310 gets loaded.
1311
1312 @item
1313 Processes command line options and operands.
1314
1315 @anchor{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}
1316 @item
1317 Reads and executes the commands from init file (if any) in the current
1318 working directory as long as @samp{set auto-load local-gdbinit} is set to
1319 @samp{on} (@pxref{Init File in the Current Directory}).
1320 This is only done if the current directory is
1321 different from your home directory. Thus, you can have more than one
1322 init file, one generic in your home directory, and another, specific
1323 to the program you are debugging, in the directory where you invoke
1324 @value{GDBN}.
1325
1326 @item
1327 If the command line specified a program to debug, or a process to
1328 attach to, or a core file, @value{GDBN} loads any auto-loaded
1329 scripts provided for the program or for its loaded shared libraries.
1330 @xref{Auto-loading}.
1331
1332 If you wish to disable the auto-loading during startup,
1333 you must do something like the following:
1334
1335 @smallexample
1336 $ gdb -iex "set auto-load python-scripts off" myprogram
1337 @end smallexample
1338
1339 Option @samp{-ex} does not work because the auto-loading is then turned
1340 off too late.
1341
1342 @item
1343 Executes commands and command files specified by the @samp{-ex} and
1344 @samp{-x} options in their specified order. @xref{Command Files}, for
1345 more details about @value{GDBN} command files.
1346
1347 @item
1348 Reads the command history recorded in the @dfn{history file}.
1349 @xref{Command History}, for more details about the command history and the
1350 files where @value{GDBN} records it.
1351 @end enumerate
1352
1353 Init files use the same syntax as @dfn{command files} (@pxref{Command
1354 Files}) and are processed by @value{GDBN} in the same way. The init
1355 file in your home directory can set options (such as @samp{set
1356 complaints}) that affect subsequent processing of command line options
1357 and operands. Init files are not executed if you use the @samp{-nx}
1358 option (@pxref{Mode Options, ,Choosing Modes}).
1359
1360 To display the list of init files loaded by gdb at startup, you
1361 can use @kbd{gdb --help}.
1362
1363 @cindex init file name
1364 @cindex @file{.gdbinit}
1365 @cindex @file{gdb.ini}
1366 The @value{GDBN} init files are normally called @file{.gdbinit}.
1367 The DJGPP port of @value{GDBN} uses the name @file{gdb.ini}, due to
1368 the limitations of file names imposed by DOS filesystems. The Windows
1369 port of @value{GDBN} uses the standard name, but if it finds a
1370 @file{gdb.ini} file in your home directory, it warns you about that
1371 and suggests to rename the file to the standard name.
1372
1373
1374 @node Quitting GDB
1375 @section Quitting @value{GDBN}
1376 @cindex exiting @value{GDBN}
1377 @cindex leaving @value{GDBN}
1378
1379 @table @code
1380 @kindex quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1381 @kindex q @r{(@code{quit})}
1382 @item quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1383 @itemx q
1384 To exit @value{GDBN}, use the @code{quit} command (abbreviated
1385 @code{q}), or type an end-of-file character (usually @kbd{Ctrl-d}). If you
1386 do not supply @var{expression}, @value{GDBN} will terminate normally;
1387 otherwise it will terminate using the result of @var{expression} as the
1388 error code.
1389 @end table
1390
1391 @cindex interrupt
1392 An interrupt (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}) does not exit from @value{GDBN}, but rather
1393 terminates the action of any @value{GDBN} command that is in progress and
1394 returns to @value{GDBN} command level. It is safe to type the interrupt
1395 character at any time because @value{GDBN} does not allow it to take effect
1396 until a time when it is safe.
1397
1398 If you have been using @value{GDBN} to control an attached process or
1399 device, you can release it with the @code{detach} command
1400 (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
1401
1402 @node Shell Commands
1403 @section Shell Commands
1404
1405 If you need to execute occasional shell commands during your
1406 debugging session, there is no need to leave or suspend @value{GDBN}; you can
1407 just use the @code{shell} command.
1408
1409 @table @code
1410 @kindex shell
1411 @kindex !
1412 @cindex shell escape
1413 @item shell @var{command-string}
1414 @itemx !@var{command-string}
1415 Invoke a standard shell to execute @var{command-string}.
1416 Note that no space is needed between @code{!} and @var{command-string}.
1417 If it exists, the environment variable @code{SHELL} determines which
1418 shell to run. Otherwise @value{GDBN} uses the default shell
1419 (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix systems, @file{COMMAND.COM} on MS-DOS, etc.).
1420 @end table
1421
1422 The utility @code{make} is often needed in development environments.
1423 You do not have to use the @code{shell} command for this purpose in
1424 @value{GDBN}:
1425
1426 @table @code
1427 @kindex make
1428 @cindex calling make
1429 @item make @var{make-args}
1430 Execute the @code{make} program with the specified
1431 arguments. This is equivalent to @samp{shell make @var{make-args}}.
1432 @end table
1433
1434 @node Logging Output
1435 @section Logging Output
1436 @cindex logging @value{GDBN} output
1437 @cindex save @value{GDBN} output to a file
1438
1439 You may want to save the output of @value{GDBN} commands to a file.
1440 There are several commands to control @value{GDBN}'s logging.
1441
1442 @table @code
1443 @kindex set logging
1444 @item set logging on
1445 Enable logging.
1446 @item set logging off
1447 Disable logging.
1448 @cindex logging file name
1449 @item set logging file @var{file}
1450 Change the name of the current logfile. The default logfile is @file{gdb.txt}.
1451 @item set logging overwrite [on|off]
1452 By default, @value{GDBN} will append to the logfile. Set @code{overwrite} if
1453 you want @code{set logging on} to overwrite the logfile instead.
1454 @item set logging redirect [on|off]
1455 By default, @value{GDBN} output will go to both the terminal and the logfile.
1456 Set @code{redirect} if you want output to go only to the log file.
1457 @kindex show logging
1458 @item show logging
1459 Show the current values of the logging settings.
1460 @end table
1461
1462 @node Commands
1463 @chapter @value{GDBN} Commands
1464
1465 You can abbreviate a @value{GDBN} command to the first few letters of the command
1466 name, if that abbreviation is unambiguous; and you can repeat certain
1467 @value{GDBN} commands by typing just @key{RET}. You can also use the @key{TAB}
1468 key to get @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest of a word in a command (or to
1469 show you the alternatives available, if there is more than one possibility).
1470
1471 @menu
1472 * Command Syntax:: How to give commands to @value{GDBN}
1473 * Completion:: Command completion
1474 * Help:: How to ask @value{GDBN} for help
1475 @end menu
1476
1477 @node Command Syntax
1478 @section Command Syntax
1479
1480 A @value{GDBN} command is a single line of input. There is no limit on
1481 how long it can be. It starts with a command name, which is followed by
1482 arguments whose meaning depends on the command name. For example, the
1483 command @code{step} accepts an argument which is the number of times to
1484 step, as in @samp{step 5}. You can also use the @code{step} command
1485 with no arguments. Some commands do not allow any arguments.
1486
1487 @cindex abbreviation
1488 @value{GDBN} command names may always be truncated if that abbreviation is
1489 unambiguous. Other possible command abbreviations are listed in the
1490 documentation for individual commands. In some cases, even ambiguous
1491 abbreviations are allowed; for example, @code{s} is specially defined as
1492 equivalent to @code{step} even though there are other commands whose
1493 names start with @code{s}. You can test abbreviations by using them as
1494 arguments to the @code{help} command.
1495
1496 @cindex repeating commands
1497 @kindex RET @r{(repeat last command)}
1498 A blank line as input to @value{GDBN} (typing just @key{RET}) means to
1499 repeat the previous command. Certain commands (for example, @code{run})
1500 will not repeat this way; these are commands whose unintentional
1501 repetition might cause trouble and which you are unlikely to want to
1502 repeat. User-defined commands can disable this feature; see
1503 @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
1504
1505 The @code{list} and @code{x} commands, when you repeat them with
1506 @key{RET}, construct new arguments rather than repeating
1507 exactly as typed. This permits easy scanning of source or memory.
1508
1509 @value{GDBN} can also use @key{RET} in another way: to partition lengthy
1510 output, in a way similar to the common utility @code{more}
1511 (@pxref{Screen Size,,Screen Size}). Since it is easy to press one
1512 @key{RET} too many in this situation, @value{GDBN} disables command
1513 repetition after any command that generates this sort of display.
1514
1515 @kindex # @r{(a comment)}
1516 @cindex comment
1517 Any text from a @kbd{#} to the end of the line is a comment; it does
1518 nothing. This is useful mainly in command files (@pxref{Command
1519 Files,,Command Files}).
1520
1521 @cindex repeating command sequences
1522 @kindex Ctrl-o @r{(operate-and-get-next)}
1523 The @kbd{Ctrl-o} binding is useful for repeating a complex sequence of
1524 commands. This command accepts the current line, like @key{RET}, and
1525 then fetches the next line relative to the current line from the history
1526 for editing.
1527
1528 @node Completion
1529 @section Command Completion
1530
1531 @cindex completion
1532 @cindex word completion
1533 @value{GDBN} can fill in the rest of a word in a command for you, if there is
1534 only one possibility; it can also show you what the valid possibilities
1535 are for the next word in a command, at any time. This works for @value{GDBN}
1536 commands, @value{GDBN} subcommands, and the names of symbols in your program.
1537
1538 Press the @key{TAB} key whenever you want @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest
1539 of a word. If there is only one possibility, @value{GDBN} fills in the
1540 word, and waits for you to finish the command (or press @key{RET} to
1541 enter it). For example, if you type
1542
1543 @c FIXME "@key" does not distinguish its argument sufficiently to permit
1544 @c complete accuracy in these examples; space introduced for clarity.
1545 @c If texinfo enhancements make it unnecessary, it would be nice to
1546 @c replace " @key" by "@key" in the following...
1547 @smallexample
1548 (@value{GDBP}) info bre @key{TAB}
1549 @end smallexample
1550
1551 @noindent
1552 @value{GDBN} fills in the rest of the word @samp{breakpoints}, since that is
1553 the only @code{info} subcommand beginning with @samp{bre}:
1554
1555 @smallexample
1556 (@value{GDBP}) info breakpoints
1557 @end smallexample
1558
1559 @noindent
1560 You can either press @key{RET} at this point, to run the @code{info
1561 breakpoints} command, or backspace and enter something else, if
1562 @samp{breakpoints} does not look like the command you expected. (If you
1563 were sure you wanted @code{info breakpoints} in the first place, you
1564 might as well just type @key{RET} immediately after @samp{info bre},
1565 to exploit command abbreviations rather than command completion).
1566
1567 If there is more than one possibility for the next word when you press
1568 @key{TAB}, @value{GDBN} sounds a bell. You can either supply more
1569 characters and try again, or just press @key{TAB} a second time;
1570 @value{GDBN} displays all the possible completions for that word. For
1571 example, you might want to set a breakpoint on a subroutine whose name
1572 begins with @samp{make_}, but when you type @kbd{b make_@key{TAB}} @value{GDBN}
1573 just sounds the bell. Typing @key{TAB} again displays all the
1574 function names in your program that begin with those characters, for
1575 example:
1576
1577 @smallexample
1578 (@value{GDBP}) b make_ @key{TAB}
1579 @exdent @value{GDBN} sounds bell; press @key{TAB} again, to see:
1580 make_a_section_from_file make_environ
1581 make_abs_section make_function_type
1582 make_blockvector make_pointer_type
1583 make_cleanup make_reference_type
1584 make_command make_symbol_completion_list
1585 (@value{GDBP}) b make_
1586 @end smallexample
1587
1588 @noindent
1589 After displaying the available possibilities, @value{GDBN} copies your
1590 partial input (@samp{b make_} in the example) so you can finish the
1591 command.
1592
1593 If you just want to see the list of alternatives in the first place, you
1594 can press @kbd{M-?} rather than pressing @key{TAB} twice. @kbd{M-?}
1595 means @kbd{@key{META} ?}. You can type this either by holding down a
1596 key designated as the @key{META} shift on your keyboard (if there is
1597 one) while typing @kbd{?}, or as @key{ESC} followed by @kbd{?}.
1598
1599 @cindex quotes in commands
1600 @cindex completion of quoted strings
1601 Sometimes the string you need, while logically a ``word'', may contain
1602 parentheses or other characters that @value{GDBN} normally excludes from
1603 its notion of a word. To permit word completion to work in this
1604 situation, you may enclose words in @code{'} (single quote marks) in
1605 @value{GDBN} commands.
1606
1607 The most likely situation where you might need this is in typing the
1608 name of a C@t{++} function. This is because C@t{++} allows function
1609 overloading (multiple definitions of the same function, distinguished
1610 by argument type). For example, when you want to set a breakpoint you
1611 may need to distinguish whether you mean the version of @code{name}
1612 that takes an @code{int} parameter, @code{name(int)}, or the version
1613 that takes a @code{float} parameter, @code{name(float)}. To use the
1614 word-completion facilities in this situation, type a single quote
1615 @code{'} at the beginning of the function name. This alerts
1616 @value{GDBN} that it may need to consider more information than usual
1617 when you press @key{TAB} or @kbd{M-?} to request word completion:
1618
1619 @smallexample
1620 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble( @kbd{M-?}
1621 bubble(double,double) bubble(int,int)
1622 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1623 @end smallexample
1624
1625 In some cases, @value{GDBN} can tell that completing a name requires using
1626 quotes. When this happens, @value{GDBN} inserts the quote for you (while
1627 completing as much as it can) if you do not type the quote in the first
1628 place:
1629
1630 @smallexample
1631 (@value{GDBP}) b bub @key{TAB}
1632 @exdent @value{GDBN} alters your input line to the following, and rings a bell:
1633 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1634 @end smallexample
1635
1636 @noindent
1637 In general, @value{GDBN} can tell that a quote is needed (and inserts it) if
1638 you have not yet started typing the argument list when you ask for
1639 completion on an overloaded symbol.
1640
1641 For more information about overloaded functions, see @ref{C Plus Plus
1642 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}. You can use the command @code{set
1643 overload-resolution off} to disable overload resolution;
1644 see @ref{Debugging C Plus Plus, ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
1645
1646 @cindex completion of structure field names
1647 @cindex structure field name completion
1648 @cindex completion of union field names
1649 @cindex union field name completion
1650 When completing in an expression which looks up a field in a
1651 structure, @value{GDBN} also tries@footnote{The completer can be
1652 confused by certain kinds of invalid expressions. Also, it only
1653 examines the static type of the expression, not the dynamic type.} to
1654 limit completions to the field names available in the type of the
1655 left-hand-side:
1656
1657 @smallexample
1658 (@value{GDBP}) p gdb_stdout.@kbd{M-?}
1659 magic to_fputs to_rewind
1660 to_data to_isatty to_write
1661 to_delete to_put to_write_async_safe
1662 to_flush to_read
1663 @end smallexample
1664
1665 @noindent
1666 This is because the @code{gdb_stdout} is a variable of the type
1667 @code{struct ui_file} that is defined in @value{GDBN} sources as
1668 follows:
1669
1670 @smallexample
1671 struct ui_file
1672 @{
1673 int *magic;
1674 ui_file_flush_ftype *to_flush;
1675 ui_file_write_ftype *to_write;
1676 ui_file_write_async_safe_ftype *to_write_async_safe;
1677 ui_file_fputs_ftype *to_fputs;
1678 ui_file_read_ftype *to_read;
1679 ui_file_delete_ftype *to_delete;
1680 ui_file_isatty_ftype *to_isatty;
1681 ui_file_rewind_ftype *to_rewind;
1682 ui_file_put_ftype *to_put;
1683 void *to_data;
1684 @}
1685 @end smallexample
1686
1687
1688 @node Help
1689 @section Getting Help
1690 @cindex online documentation
1691 @kindex help
1692
1693 You can always ask @value{GDBN} itself for information on its commands,
1694 using the command @code{help}.
1695
1696 @table @code
1697 @kindex h @r{(@code{help})}
1698 @item help
1699 @itemx h
1700 You can use @code{help} (abbreviated @code{h}) with no arguments to
1701 display a short list of named classes of commands:
1702
1703 @smallexample
1704 (@value{GDBP}) help
1705 List of classes of commands:
1706
1707 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1708 breakpoints -- Making program stop at certain points
1709 data -- Examining data
1710 files -- Specifying and examining files
1711 internals -- Maintenance commands
1712 obscure -- Obscure features
1713 running -- Running the program
1714 stack -- Examining the stack
1715 status -- Status inquiries
1716 support -- Support facilities
1717 tracepoints -- Tracing of program execution without
1718 stopping the program
1719 user-defined -- User-defined commands
1720
1721 Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of
1722 commands in that class.
1723 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1724 documentation.
1725 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1726 (@value{GDBP})
1727 @end smallexample
1728 @c the above line break eliminates huge line overfull...
1729
1730 @item help @var{class}
1731 Using one of the general help classes as an argument, you can get a
1732 list of the individual commands in that class. For example, here is the
1733 help display for the class @code{status}:
1734
1735 @smallexample
1736 (@value{GDBP}) help status
1737 Status inquiries.
1738
1739 List of commands:
1740
1741 @c Line break in "show" line falsifies real output, but needed
1742 @c to fit in smallbook page size.
1743 info -- Generic command for showing things
1744 about the program being debugged
1745 show -- Generic command for showing things
1746 about the debugger
1747
1748 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1749 documentation.
1750 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1751 (@value{GDBP})
1752 @end smallexample
1753
1754 @item help @var{command}
1755 With a command name as @code{help} argument, @value{GDBN} displays a
1756 short paragraph on how to use that command.
1757
1758 @kindex apropos
1759 @item apropos @var{args}
1760 The @code{apropos} command searches through all of the @value{GDBN}
1761 commands, and their documentation, for the regular expression specified in
1762 @var{args}. It prints out all matches found. For example:
1763
1764 @smallexample
1765 apropos alias
1766 @end smallexample
1767
1768 @noindent
1769 results in:
1770
1771 @smallexample
1772 @c @group
1773 alias -- Define a new command that is an alias of an existing command
1774 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1775 d -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1776 del -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1777 delete -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1778 @c @end group
1779 @end smallexample
1780
1781 @kindex complete
1782 @item complete @var{args}
1783 The @code{complete @var{args}} command lists all the possible completions
1784 for the beginning of a command. Use @var{args} to specify the beginning of the
1785 command you want completed. For example:
1786
1787 @smallexample
1788 complete i
1789 @end smallexample
1790
1791 @noindent results in:
1792
1793 @smallexample
1794 @group
1795 if
1796 ignore
1797 info
1798 inspect
1799 @end group
1800 @end smallexample
1801
1802 @noindent This is intended for use by @sc{gnu} Emacs.
1803 @end table
1804
1805 In addition to @code{help}, you can use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{info}
1806 and @code{show} to inquire about the state of your program, or the state
1807 of @value{GDBN} itself. Each command supports many topics of inquiry; this
1808 manual introduces each of them in the appropriate context. The listings
1809 under @code{info} and under @code{show} in the Command, Variable, and
1810 Function Index point to all the sub-commands. @xref{Command and Variable
1811 Index}.
1812
1813 @c @group
1814 @table @code
1815 @kindex info
1816 @kindex i @r{(@code{info})}
1817 @item info
1818 This command (abbreviated @code{i}) is for describing the state of your
1819 program. For example, you can show the arguments passed to a function
1820 with @code{info args}, list the registers currently in use with @code{info
1821 registers}, or list the breakpoints you have set with @code{info breakpoints}.
1822 You can get a complete list of the @code{info} sub-commands with
1823 @w{@code{help info}}.
1824
1825 @kindex set
1826 @item set
1827 You can assign the result of an expression to an environment variable with
1828 @code{set}. For example, you can set the @value{GDBN} prompt to a $-sign with
1829 @code{set prompt $}.
1830
1831 @kindex show
1832 @item show
1833 In contrast to @code{info}, @code{show} is for describing the state of
1834 @value{GDBN} itself.
1835 You can change most of the things you can @code{show}, by using the
1836 related command @code{set}; for example, you can control what number
1837 system is used for displays with @code{set radix}, or simply inquire
1838 which is currently in use with @code{show radix}.
1839
1840 @kindex info set
1841 To display all the settable parameters and their current
1842 values, you can use @code{show} with no arguments; you may also use
1843 @code{info set}. Both commands produce the same display.
1844 @c FIXME: "info set" violates the rule that "info" is for state of
1845 @c FIXME...program. Ck w/ GNU: "info set" to be called something else,
1846 @c FIXME...or change desc of rule---eg "state of prog and debugging session"?
1847 @end table
1848 @c @end group
1849
1850 Here are several miscellaneous @code{show} subcommands, all of which are
1851 exceptional in lacking corresponding @code{set} commands:
1852
1853 @table @code
1854 @kindex show version
1855 @cindex @value{GDBN} version number
1856 @item show version
1857 Show what version of @value{GDBN} is running. You should include this
1858 information in @value{GDBN} bug-reports. If multiple versions of
1859 @value{GDBN} are in use at your site, you may need to determine which
1860 version of @value{GDBN} you are running; as @value{GDBN} evolves, new
1861 commands are introduced, and old ones may wither away. Also, many
1862 system vendors ship variant versions of @value{GDBN}, and there are
1863 variant versions of @value{GDBN} in @sc{gnu}/Linux distributions as well.
1864 The version number is the same as the one announced when you start
1865 @value{GDBN}.
1866
1867 @kindex show copying
1868 @kindex info copying
1869 @cindex display @value{GDBN} copyright
1870 @item show copying
1871 @itemx info copying
1872 Display information about permission for copying @value{GDBN}.
1873
1874 @kindex show warranty
1875 @kindex info warranty
1876 @item show warranty
1877 @itemx info warranty
1878 Display the @sc{gnu} ``NO WARRANTY'' statement, or a warranty,
1879 if your version of @value{GDBN} comes with one.
1880
1881 @kindex show configuration
1882 @item show configuration
1883 Display detailed information about the way @value{GDBN} was configured
1884 when it was built. This displays the optional arguments passed to the
1885 @file{configure} script and also configuration parameters detected
1886 automatically by @command{configure}. When reporting a @value{GDBN}
1887 bug (@pxref{GDB Bugs}), it is important to include this information in
1888 your report.
1889
1890 @end table
1891
1892 @node Running
1893 @chapter Running Programs Under @value{GDBN}
1894
1895 When you run a program under @value{GDBN}, you must first generate
1896 debugging information when you compile it.
1897
1898 You may start @value{GDBN} with its arguments, if any, in an environment
1899 of your choice. If you are doing native debugging, you may redirect
1900 your program's input and output, debug an already running process, or
1901 kill a child process.
1902
1903 @menu
1904 * Compilation:: Compiling for debugging
1905 * Starting:: Starting your program
1906 * Arguments:: Your program's arguments
1907 * Environment:: Your program's environment
1908
1909 * Working Directory:: Your program's working directory
1910 * Input/Output:: Your program's input and output
1911 * Attach:: Debugging an already-running process
1912 * Kill Process:: Killing the child process
1913
1914 * Inferiors and Programs:: Debugging multiple inferiors and programs
1915 * Threads:: Debugging programs with multiple threads
1916 * Forks:: Debugging forks
1917 * Checkpoint/Restart:: Setting a @emph{bookmark} to return to later
1918 @end menu
1919
1920 @node Compilation
1921 @section Compiling for Debugging
1922
1923 In order to debug a program effectively, you need to generate
1924 debugging information when you compile it. This debugging information
1925 is stored in the object file; it describes the data type of each
1926 variable or function and the correspondence between source line numbers
1927 and addresses in the executable code.
1928
1929 To request debugging information, specify the @samp{-g} option when you run
1930 the compiler.
1931
1932 Programs that are to be shipped to your customers are compiled with
1933 optimizations, using the @samp{-O} compiler option. However, some
1934 compilers are unable to handle the @samp{-g} and @samp{-O} options
1935 together. Using those compilers, you cannot generate optimized
1936 executables containing debugging information.
1937
1938 @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler, supports @samp{-g} with or
1939 without @samp{-O}, making it possible to debug optimized code. We
1940 recommend that you @emph{always} use @samp{-g} whenever you compile a
1941 program. You may think your program is correct, but there is no sense
1942 in pushing your luck. For more information, see @ref{Optimized Code}.
1943
1944 Older versions of the @sc{gnu} C compiler permitted a variant option
1945 @w{@samp{-gg}} for debugging information. @value{GDBN} no longer supports this
1946 format; if your @sc{gnu} C compiler has this option, do not use it.
1947
1948 @value{GDBN} knows about preprocessor macros and can show you their
1949 expansion (@pxref{Macros}). Most compilers do not include information
1950 about preprocessor macros in the debugging information if you specify
1951 the @option{-g} flag alone. Version 3.1 and later of @value{NGCC},
1952 the @sc{gnu} C compiler, provides macro information if you are using
1953 the DWARF debugging format, and specify the option @option{-g3}.
1954
1955 @xref{Debugging Options,,Options for Debugging Your Program or GCC,
1956 gcc.info, Using the @sc{gnu} Compiler Collection (GCC)}, for more
1957 information on @value{NGCC} options affecting debug information.
1958
1959 You will have the best debugging experience if you use the latest
1960 version of the DWARF debugging format that your compiler supports.
1961 DWARF is currently the most expressive and best supported debugging
1962 format in @value{GDBN}.
1963
1964 @need 2000
1965 @node Starting
1966 @section Starting your Program
1967 @cindex starting
1968 @cindex running
1969
1970 @table @code
1971 @kindex run
1972 @kindex r @r{(@code{run})}
1973 @item run
1974 @itemx r
1975 Use the @code{run} command to start your program under @value{GDBN}.
1976 You must first specify the program name (except on VxWorks) with an
1977 argument to @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Invocation, ,Getting In and Out of
1978 @value{GDBN}}), or by using the @code{file} or @code{exec-file} command
1979 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
1980
1981 @end table
1982
1983 If you are running your program in an execution environment that
1984 supports processes, @code{run} creates an inferior process and makes
1985 that process run your program. In some environments without processes,
1986 @code{run} jumps to the start of your program. Other targets,
1987 like @samp{remote}, are always running. If you get an error
1988 message like this one:
1989
1990 @smallexample
1991 The "remote" target does not support "run".
1992 Try "help target" or "continue".
1993 @end smallexample
1994
1995 @noindent
1996 then use @code{continue} to run your program. You may need @code{load}
1997 first (@pxref{load}).
1998
1999 The execution of a program is affected by certain information it
2000 receives from its superior. @value{GDBN} provides ways to specify this
2001 information, which you must do @emph{before} starting your program. (You
2002 can change it after starting your program, but such changes only affect
2003 your program the next time you start it.) This information may be
2004 divided into four categories:
2005
2006 @table @asis
2007 @item The @emph{arguments.}
2008 Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the
2009 @code{run} command. If a shell is available on your target, the shell
2010 is used to pass the arguments, so that you may use normal conventions
2011 (such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution) in describing
2012 the arguments.
2013 In Unix systems, you can control which shell is used with the
2014 @code{SHELL} environment variable.
2015 @xref{Arguments, ,Your Program's Arguments}.
2016
2017 @item The @emph{environment.}
2018 Your program normally inherits its environment from @value{GDBN}, but you can
2019 use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{set environment} and @code{unset
2020 environment} to change parts of the environment that affect
2021 your program. @xref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}.
2022
2023 @item The @emph{working directory.}
2024 Your program inherits its working directory from @value{GDBN}. You can set
2025 the @value{GDBN} working directory with the @code{cd} command in @value{GDBN}.
2026 @xref{Working Directory, ,Your Program's Working Directory}.
2027
2028 @item The @emph{standard input and output.}
2029 Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and
2030 standard output as @value{GDBN} is using. You can redirect input and output
2031 in the @code{run} command line, or you can use the @code{tty} command to
2032 set a different device for your program.
2033 @xref{Input/Output, ,Your Program's Input and Output}.
2034
2035 @cindex pipes
2036 @emph{Warning:} While input and output redirection work, you cannot use
2037 pipes to pass the output of the program you are debugging to another
2038 program; if you attempt this, @value{GDBN} is likely to wind up debugging the
2039 wrong program.
2040 @end table
2041
2042 When you issue the @code{run} command, your program begins to execute
2043 immediately. @xref{Stopping, ,Stopping and Continuing}, for discussion
2044 of how to arrange for your program to stop. Once your program has
2045 stopped, you may call functions in your program, using the @code{print}
2046 or @code{call} commands. @xref{Data, ,Examining Data}.
2047
2048 If the modification time of your symbol file has changed since the last
2049 time @value{GDBN} read its symbols, @value{GDBN} discards its symbol
2050 table, and reads it again. When it does this, @value{GDBN} tries to retain
2051 your current breakpoints.
2052
2053 @table @code
2054 @kindex start
2055 @item start
2056 @cindex run to main procedure
2057 The name of the main procedure can vary from language to language.
2058 With C or C@t{++}, the main procedure name is always @code{main}, but
2059 other languages such as Ada do not require a specific name for their
2060 main procedure. The debugger provides a convenient way to start the
2061 execution of the program and to stop at the beginning of the main
2062 procedure, depending on the language used.
2063
2064 The @samp{start} command does the equivalent of setting a temporary
2065 breakpoint at the beginning of the main procedure and then invoking
2066 the @samp{run} command.
2067
2068 @cindex elaboration phase
2069 Some programs contain an @dfn{elaboration} phase where some startup code is
2070 executed before the main procedure is called. This depends on the
2071 languages used to write your program. In C@t{++}, for instance,
2072 constructors for static and global objects are executed before
2073 @code{main} is called. It is therefore possible that the debugger stops
2074 before reaching the main procedure. However, the temporary breakpoint
2075 will remain to halt execution.
2076
2077 Specify the arguments to give to your program as arguments to the
2078 @samp{start} command. These arguments will be given verbatim to the
2079 underlying @samp{run} command. Note that the same arguments will be
2080 reused if no argument is provided during subsequent calls to
2081 @samp{start} or @samp{run}.
2082
2083 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration. In
2084 these cases, using the @code{start} command would stop the execution of
2085 your program too late, as the program would have already completed the
2086 elaboration phase. Under these circumstances, insert breakpoints in your
2087 elaboration code before running your program.
2088
2089 @kindex set exec-wrapper
2090 @item set exec-wrapper @var{wrapper}
2091 @itemx show exec-wrapper
2092 @itemx unset exec-wrapper
2093 When @samp{exec-wrapper} is set, the specified wrapper is used to
2094 launch programs for debugging. @value{GDBN} starts your program
2095 with a shell command of the form @kbd{exec @var{wrapper}
2096 @var{program}}. Quoting is added to @var{program} and its
2097 arguments, but not to @var{wrapper}, so you should add quotes if
2098 appropriate for your shell. The wrapper runs until it executes
2099 your program, and then @value{GDBN} takes control.
2100
2101 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
2102 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
2103 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
2104 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
2105
2106 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
2107 the debugged program, without setting the variable in your shell's
2108 environment:
2109
2110 @smallexample
2111 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper env 'LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so'
2112 (@value{GDBP}) run
2113 @end smallexample
2114
2115 This command is available when debugging locally on most targets, excluding
2116 @sc{djgpp}, Cygwin, MS Windows, and QNX Neutrino.
2117
2118 @kindex set disable-randomization
2119 @item set disable-randomization
2120 @itemx set disable-randomization on
2121 This option (enabled by default in @value{GDBN}) will turn off the native
2122 randomization of the virtual address space of the started program. This option
2123 is useful for multiple debugging sessions to make the execution better
2124 reproducible and memory addresses reusable across debugging sessions.
2125
2126 This feature is implemented only on certain targets, including @sc{gnu}/Linux.
2127 On @sc{gnu}/Linux you can get the same behavior using
2128
2129 @smallexample
2130 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper setarch `uname -m` -R
2131 @end smallexample
2132
2133 @item set disable-randomization off
2134 Leave the behavior of the started executable unchanged. Some bugs rear their
2135 ugly heads only when the program is loaded at certain addresses. If your bug
2136 disappears when you run the program under @value{GDBN}, that might be because
2137 @value{GDBN} by default disables the address randomization on platforms, such
2138 as @sc{gnu}/Linux, which do that for stand-alone programs. Use @kbd{set
2139 disable-randomization off} to try to reproduce such elusive bugs.
2140
2141 On targets where it is available, virtual address space randomization
2142 protects the programs against certain kinds of security attacks. In these
2143 cases the attacker needs to know the exact location of a concrete executable
2144 code. Randomizing its location makes it impossible to inject jumps misusing
2145 a code at its expected addresses.
2146
2147 Prelinking shared libraries provides a startup performance advantage but it
2148 makes addresses in these libraries predictable for privileged processes by
2149 having just unprivileged access at the target system. Reading the shared
2150 library binary gives enough information for assembling the malicious code
2151 misusing it. Still even a prelinked shared library can get loaded at a new
2152 random address just requiring the regular relocation process during the
2153 startup. Shared libraries not already prelinked are always loaded at
2154 a randomly chosen address.
2155
2156 Position independent executables (PIE) contain position independent code
2157 similar to the shared libraries and therefore such executables get loaded at
2158 a randomly chosen address upon startup. PIE executables always load even
2159 already prelinked shared libraries at a random address. You can build such
2160 executable using @command{gcc -fPIE -pie}.
2161
2162 Heap (malloc storage), stack and custom mmap areas are always placed randomly
2163 (as long as the randomization is enabled).
2164
2165 @item show disable-randomization
2166 Show the current setting of the explicit disable of the native randomization of
2167 the virtual address space of the started program.
2168
2169 @end table
2170
2171 @node Arguments
2172 @section Your Program's Arguments
2173
2174 @cindex arguments (to your program)
2175 The arguments to your program can be specified by the arguments of the
2176 @code{run} command.
2177 They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard characters and
2178 performs redirection of I/O, and thence to your program. Your
2179 @code{SHELL} environment variable (if it exists) specifies what shell
2180 @value{GDBN} uses. If you do not define @code{SHELL}, @value{GDBN} uses
2181 the default shell (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix).
2182
2183 On non-Unix systems, the program is usually invoked directly by
2184 @value{GDBN}, which emulates I/O redirection via the appropriate system
2185 calls, and the wildcard characters are expanded by the startup code of
2186 the program, not by the shell.
2187
2188 @code{run} with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
2189 @code{run}, or those set by the @code{set args} command.
2190
2191 @table @code
2192 @kindex set args
2193 @item set args
2194 Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is run. If
2195 @code{set args} has no arguments, @code{run} executes your program
2196 with no arguments. Once you have run your program with arguments,
2197 using @code{set args} before the next @code{run} is the only way to run
2198 it again without arguments.
2199
2200 @kindex show args
2201 @item show args
2202 Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
2203 @end table
2204
2205 @node Environment
2206 @section Your Program's Environment
2207
2208 @cindex environment (of your program)
2209 The @dfn{environment} consists of a set of environment variables and
2210 their values. Environment variables conventionally record such things as
2211 your user name, your home directory, your terminal type, and your search
2212 path for programs to run. Usually you set up environment variables with
2213 the shell and they are inherited by all the other programs you run. When
2214 debugging, it can be useful to try running your program with a modified
2215 environment without having to start @value{GDBN} over again.
2216
2217 @table @code
2218 @kindex path
2219 @item path @var{directory}
2220 Add @var{directory} to the front of the @code{PATH} environment variable
2221 (the search path for executables) that will be passed to your program.
2222 The value of @code{PATH} used by @value{GDBN} does not change.
2223 You may specify several directory names, separated by whitespace or by a
2224 system-dependent separator character (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on
2225 MS-DOS and MS-Windows). If @var{directory} is already in the path, it
2226 is moved to the front, so it is searched sooner.
2227
2228 You can use the string @samp{$cwd} to refer to whatever is the current
2229 working directory at the time @value{GDBN} searches the path. If you
2230 use @samp{.} instead, it refers to the directory where you executed the
2231 @code{path} command. @value{GDBN} replaces @samp{.} in the
2232 @var{directory} argument (with the current path) before adding
2233 @var{directory} to the search path.
2234 @c 'path' is explicitly nonrepeatable, but RMS points out it is silly to
2235 @c document that, since repeating it would be a no-op.
2236
2237 @kindex show paths
2238 @item show paths
2239 Display the list of search paths for executables (the @code{PATH}
2240 environment variable).
2241
2242 @kindex show environment
2243 @item show environment @r{[}@var{varname}@r{]}
2244 Print the value of environment variable @var{varname} to be given to
2245 your program when it starts. If you do not supply @var{varname},
2246 print the names and values of all environment variables to be given to
2247 your program. You can abbreviate @code{environment} as @code{env}.
2248
2249 @kindex set environment
2250 @item set environment @var{varname} @r{[}=@var{value}@r{]}
2251 Set environment variable @var{varname} to @var{value}. The value
2252 changes for your program only, not for @value{GDBN} itself. @var{value} may
2253 be any string; the values of environment variables are just strings, and
2254 any interpretation is supplied by your program itself. The @var{value}
2255 parameter is optional; if it is eliminated, the variable is set to a
2256 null value.
2257 @c "any string" here does not include leading, trailing
2258 @c blanks. Gnu asks: does anyone care?
2259
2260 For example, this command:
2261
2262 @smallexample
2263 set env USER = foo
2264 @end smallexample
2265
2266 @noindent
2267 tells the debugged program, when subsequently run, that its user is named
2268 @samp{foo}. (The spaces around @samp{=} are used for clarity here; they
2269 are not actually required.)
2270
2271 @kindex unset environment
2272 @item unset environment @var{varname}
2273 Remove variable @var{varname} from the environment to be passed to your
2274 program. This is different from @samp{set env @var{varname} =};
2275 @code{unset environment} removes the variable from the environment,
2276 rather than assigning it an empty value.
2277 @end table
2278
2279 @emph{Warning:} On Unix systems, @value{GDBN} runs your program using
2280 the shell indicated
2281 by your @code{SHELL} environment variable if it exists (or
2282 @code{/bin/sh} if not). If your @code{SHELL} variable names a shell
2283 that runs an initialization file---such as @file{.cshrc} for C-shell, or
2284 @file{.bashrc} for BASH---any variables you set in that file affect
2285 your program. You may wish to move setting of environment variables to
2286 files that are only run when you sign on, such as @file{.login} or
2287 @file{.profile}.
2288
2289 @node Working Directory
2290 @section Your Program's Working Directory
2291
2292 @cindex working directory (of your program)
2293 Each time you start your program with @code{run}, it inherits its
2294 working directory from the current working directory of @value{GDBN}.
2295 The @value{GDBN} working directory is initially whatever it inherited
2296 from its parent process (typically the shell), but you can specify a new
2297 working directory in @value{GDBN} with the @code{cd} command.
2298
2299 The @value{GDBN} working directory also serves as a default for the commands
2300 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2301 Specify Files}.
2302
2303 @table @code
2304 @kindex cd
2305 @cindex change working directory
2306 @item cd @r{[}@var{directory}@r{]}
2307 Set the @value{GDBN} working directory to @var{directory}. If not
2308 given, @var{directory} uses @file{'~'}.
2309
2310 @kindex pwd
2311 @item pwd
2312 Print the @value{GDBN} working directory.
2313 @end table
2314
2315 It is generally impossible to find the current working directory of
2316 the process being debugged (since a program can change its directory
2317 during its run). If you work on a system where @value{GDBN} is
2318 configured with the @file{/proc} support, you can use the @code{info
2319 proc} command (@pxref{SVR4 Process Information}) to find out the
2320 current working directory of the debuggee.
2321
2322 @node Input/Output
2323 @section Your Program's Input and Output
2324
2325 @cindex redirection
2326 @cindex i/o
2327 @cindex terminal
2328 By default, the program you run under @value{GDBN} does input and output to
2329 the same terminal that @value{GDBN} uses. @value{GDBN} switches the terminal
2330 to its own terminal modes to interact with you, but it records the terminal
2331 modes your program was using and switches back to them when you continue
2332 running your program.
2333
2334 @table @code
2335 @kindex info terminal
2336 @item info terminal
2337 Displays information recorded by @value{GDBN} about the terminal modes your
2338 program is using.
2339 @end table
2340
2341 You can redirect your program's input and/or output using shell
2342 redirection with the @code{run} command. For example,
2343
2344 @smallexample
2345 run > outfile
2346 @end smallexample
2347
2348 @noindent
2349 starts your program, diverting its output to the file @file{outfile}.
2350
2351 @kindex tty
2352 @cindex controlling terminal
2353 Another way to specify where your program should do input and output is
2354 with the @code{tty} command. This command accepts a file name as
2355 argument, and causes this file to be the default for future @code{run}
2356 commands. It also resets the controlling terminal for the child
2357 process, for future @code{run} commands. For example,
2358
2359 @smallexample
2360 tty /dev/ttyb
2361 @end smallexample
2362
2363 @noindent
2364 directs that processes started with subsequent @code{run} commands
2365 default to do input and output on the terminal @file{/dev/ttyb} and have
2366 that as their controlling terminal.
2367
2368 An explicit redirection in @code{run} overrides the @code{tty} command's
2369 effect on the input/output device, but not its effect on the controlling
2370 terminal.
2371
2372 When you use the @code{tty} command or redirect input in the @code{run}
2373 command, only the input @emph{for your program} is affected. The input
2374 for @value{GDBN} still comes from your terminal. @code{tty} is an alias
2375 for @code{set inferior-tty}.
2376
2377 @cindex inferior tty
2378 @cindex set inferior controlling terminal
2379 You can use the @code{show inferior-tty} command to tell @value{GDBN} to
2380 display the name of the terminal that will be used for future runs of your
2381 program.
2382
2383 @table @code
2384 @item set inferior-tty /dev/ttyb
2385 @kindex set inferior-tty
2386 Set the tty for the program being debugged to /dev/ttyb.
2387
2388 @item show inferior-tty
2389 @kindex show inferior-tty
2390 Show the current tty for the program being debugged.
2391 @end table
2392
2393 @node Attach
2394 @section Debugging an Already-running Process
2395 @kindex attach
2396 @cindex attach
2397
2398 @table @code
2399 @item attach @var{process-id}
2400 This command attaches to a running process---one that was started
2401 outside @value{GDBN}. (@code{info files} shows your active
2402 targets.) The command takes as argument a process ID. The usual way to
2403 find out the @var{process-id} of a Unix process is with the @code{ps} utility,
2404 or with the @samp{jobs -l} shell command.
2405
2406 @code{attach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} a second time after
2407 executing the command.
2408 @end table
2409
2410 To use @code{attach}, your program must be running in an environment
2411 which supports processes; for example, @code{attach} does not work for
2412 programs on bare-board targets that lack an operating system. You must
2413 also have permission to send the process a signal.
2414
2415 When you use @code{attach}, the debugger finds the program running in
2416 the process first by looking in the current working directory, then (if
2417 the program is not found) by using the source file search path
2418 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}). You can also use
2419 the @code{file} command to load the program. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2420 Specify Files}.
2421
2422 The first thing @value{GDBN} does after arranging to debug the specified
2423 process is to stop it. You can examine and modify an attached process
2424 with all the @value{GDBN} commands that are ordinarily available when
2425 you start processes with @code{run}. You can insert breakpoints; you
2426 can step and continue; you can modify storage. If you would rather the
2427 process continue running, you may use the @code{continue} command after
2428 attaching @value{GDBN} to the process.
2429
2430 @table @code
2431 @kindex detach
2432 @item detach
2433 When you have finished debugging the attached process, you can use the
2434 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control. Detaching
2435 the process continues its execution. After the @code{detach} command,
2436 that process and @value{GDBN} become completely independent once more, and you
2437 are ready to @code{attach} another process or start one with @code{run}.
2438 @code{detach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
2439 executing the command.
2440 @end table
2441
2442 If you exit @value{GDBN} while you have an attached process, you detach
2443 that process. If you use the @code{run} command, you kill that process.
2444 By default, @value{GDBN} asks for confirmation if you try to do either of these
2445 things; you can control whether or not you need to confirm by using the
2446 @code{set confirm} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
2447 Messages}).
2448
2449 @node Kill Process
2450 @section Killing the Child Process
2451
2452 @table @code
2453 @kindex kill
2454 @item kill
2455 Kill the child process in which your program is running under @value{GDBN}.
2456 @end table
2457
2458 This command is useful if you wish to debug a core dump instead of a
2459 running process. @value{GDBN} ignores any core dump file while your program
2460 is running.
2461
2462 On some operating systems, a program cannot be executed outside @value{GDBN}
2463 while you have breakpoints set on it inside @value{GDBN}. You can use the
2464 @code{kill} command in this situation to permit running your program
2465 outside the debugger.
2466
2467 The @code{kill} command is also useful if you wish to recompile and
2468 relink your program, since on many systems it is impossible to modify an
2469 executable file while it is running in a process. In this case, when you
2470 next type @code{run}, @value{GDBN} notices that the file has changed, and
2471 reads the symbol table again (while trying to preserve your current
2472 breakpoint settings).
2473
2474 @node Inferiors and Programs
2475 @section Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs
2476
2477 @value{GDBN} lets you run and debug multiple programs in a single
2478 session. In addition, @value{GDBN} on some systems may let you run
2479 several programs simultaneously (otherwise you have to exit from one
2480 before starting another). In the most general case, you can have
2481 multiple threads of execution in each of multiple processes, launched
2482 from multiple executables.
2483
2484 @cindex inferior
2485 @value{GDBN} represents the state of each program execution with an
2486 object called an @dfn{inferior}. An inferior typically corresponds to
2487 a process, but is more general and applies also to targets that do not
2488 have processes. Inferiors may be created before a process runs, and
2489 may be retained after a process exits. Inferiors have unique
2490 identifiers that are different from process ids. Usually each
2491 inferior will also have its own distinct address space, although some
2492 embedded targets may have several inferiors running in different parts
2493 of a single address space. Each inferior may in turn have multiple
2494 threads running in it.
2495
2496 To find out what inferiors exist at any moment, use @w{@code{info
2497 inferiors}}:
2498
2499 @table @code
2500 @kindex info inferiors
2501 @item info inferiors
2502 Print a list of all inferiors currently being managed by @value{GDBN}.
2503
2504 @value{GDBN} displays for each inferior (in this order):
2505
2506 @enumerate
2507 @item
2508 the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2509
2510 @item
2511 the target system's inferior identifier
2512
2513 @item
2514 the name of the executable the inferior is running.
2515
2516 @end enumerate
2517
2518 @noindent
2519 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} inferior number
2520 indicates the current inferior.
2521
2522 For example,
2523 @end table
2524 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2525
2526 @smallexample
2527 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2528 Num Description Executable
2529 2 process 2307 hello
2530 * 1 process 3401 goodbye
2531 @end smallexample
2532
2533 To switch focus between inferiors, use the @code{inferior} command:
2534
2535 @table @code
2536 @kindex inferior @var{infno}
2537 @item inferior @var{infno}
2538 Make inferior number @var{infno} the current inferior. The argument
2539 @var{infno} is the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}, as shown
2540 in the first field of the @samp{info inferiors} display.
2541 @end table
2542
2543
2544 You can get multiple executables into a debugging session via the
2545 @code{add-inferior} and @w{@code{clone-inferior}} commands. On some
2546 systems @value{GDBN} can add inferiors to the debug session
2547 automatically by following calls to @code{fork} and @code{exec}. To
2548 remove inferiors from the debugging session use the
2549 @w{@code{remove-inferiors}} command.
2550
2551 @table @code
2552 @kindex add-inferior
2553 @item add-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ -exec @var{executable} ]
2554 Adds @var{n} inferiors to be run using @var{executable} as the
2555 executable. @var{n} defaults to 1. If no executable is specified,
2556 the inferiors begins empty, with no program. You can still assign or
2557 change the program assigned to the inferior at any time by using the
2558 @code{file} command with the executable name as its argument.
2559
2560 @kindex clone-inferior
2561 @item clone-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ @var{infno} ]
2562 Adds @var{n} inferiors ready to execute the same program as inferior
2563 @var{infno}. @var{n} defaults to 1. @var{infno} defaults to the
2564 number of the current inferior. This is a convenient command when you
2565 want to run another instance of the inferior you are debugging.
2566
2567 @smallexample
2568 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2569 Num Description Executable
2570 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2571 (@value{GDBP}) clone-inferior
2572 Added inferior 2.
2573 1 inferiors added.
2574 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2575 Num Description Executable
2576 2 <null> helloworld
2577 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2578 @end smallexample
2579
2580 You can now simply switch focus to inferior 2 and run it.
2581
2582 @kindex remove-inferiors
2583 @item remove-inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2584 Removes the inferior or inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}. It is not
2585 possible to remove an inferior that is running with this command. For
2586 those, use the @code{kill} or @code{detach} command first.
2587
2588 @end table
2589
2590 To quit debugging one of the running inferiors that is not the current
2591 inferior, you can either detach from it by using the @w{@code{detach
2592 inferior}} command (allowing it to run independently), or kill it
2593 using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}} command:
2594
2595 @table @code
2596 @kindex detach inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2597 @item detach inferior @var{infno}@dots{}
2598 Detach from the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN}
2599 inferior number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry
2600 still stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors},
2601 but its Description will show @samp{<null>}.
2602
2603 @kindex kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2604 @item kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2605 Kill the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN} inferior
2606 number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry still
2607 stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors}, but its
2608 Description will show @samp{<null>}.
2609 @end table
2610
2611 After the successful completion of a command such as @code{detach},
2612 @code{detach inferiors}, @code{kill} or @code{kill inferiors}, or after
2613 a normal process exit, the inferior is still valid and listed with
2614 @code{info inferiors}, ready to be restarted.
2615
2616
2617 To be notified when inferiors are started or exit under @value{GDBN}'s
2618 control use @w{@code{set print inferior-events}}:
2619
2620 @table @code
2621 @kindex set print inferior-events
2622 @cindex print messages on inferior start and exit
2623 @item set print inferior-events
2624 @itemx set print inferior-events on
2625 @itemx set print inferior-events off
2626 The @code{set print inferior-events} command allows you to enable or
2627 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new
2628 inferiors have started or that inferiors have exited or have been
2629 detached. By default, these messages will not be printed.
2630
2631 @kindex show print inferior-events
2632 @item show print inferior-events
2633 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that
2634 inferiors have started, exited or have been detached.
2635 @end table
2636
2637 Many commands will work the same with multiple programs as with a
2638 single program: e.g., @code{print myglobal} will simply display the
2639 value of @code{myglobal} in the current inferior.
2640
2641
2642 Occasionaly, when debugging @value{GDBN} itself, it may be useful to
2643 get more info about the relationship of inferiors, programs, address
2644 spaces in a debug session. You can do that with the @w{@code{maint
2645 info program-spaces}} command.
2646
2647 @table @code
2648 @kindex maint info program-spaces
2649 @item maint info program-spaces
2650 Print a list of all program spaces currently being managed by
2651 @value{GDBN}.
2652
2653 @value{GDBN} displays for each program space (in this order):
2654
2655 @enumerate
2656 @item
2657 the program space number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2658
2659 @item
2660 the name of the executable loaded into the program space, with e.g.,
2661 the @code{file} command.
2662
2663 @end enumerate
2664
2665 @noindent
2666 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} program space number
2667 indicates the current program space.
2668
2669 In addition, below each program space line, @value{GDBN} prints extra
2670 information that isn't suitable to display in tabular form. For
2671 example, the list of inferiors bound to the program space.
2672
2673 @smallexample
2674 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2675 Id Executable
2676 2 goodbye
2677 Bound inferiors: ID 1 (process 21561)
2678 * 1 hello
2679 @end smallexample
2680
2681 Here we can see that no inferior is running the program @code{hello},
2682 while @code{process 21561} is running the program @code{goodbye}. On
2683 some targets, it is possible that multiple inferiors are bound to the
2684 same program space. The most common example is that of debugging both
2685 the parent and child processes of a @code{vfork} call. For example,
2686
2687 @smallexample
2688 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2689 Id Executable
2690 * 1 vfork-test
2691 Bound inferiors: ID 2 (process 18050), ID 1 (process 18045)
2692 @end smallexample
2693
2694 Here, both inferior 2 and inferior 1 are running in the same program
2695 space as a result of inferior 1 having executed a @code{vfork} call.
2696 @end table
2697
2698 @node Threads
2699 @section Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads
2700
2701 @cindex threads of execution
2702 @cindex multiple threads
2703 @cindex switching threads
2704 In some operating systems, such as HP-UX and Solaris, a single program
2705 may have more than one @dfn{thread} of execution. The precise semantics
2706 of threads differ from one operating system to another, but in general
2707 the threads of a single program are akin to multiple processes---except
2708 that they share one address space (that is, they can all examine and
2709 modify the same variables). On the other hand, each thread has its own
2710 registers and execution stack, and perhaps private memory.
2711
2712 @value{GDBN} provides these facilities for debugging multi-thread
2713 programs:
2714
2715 @itemize @bullet
2716 @item automatic notification of new threads
2717 @item @samp{thread @var{threadno}}, a command to switch among threads
2718 @item @samp{info threads}, a command to inquire about existing threads
2719 @item @samp{thread apply [@var{threadno}] [@var{all}] @var{args}},
2720 a command to apply a command to a list of threads
2721 @item thread-specific breakpoints
2722 @item @samp{set print thread-events}, which controls printing of
2723 messages on thread start and exit.
2724 @item @samp{set libthread-db-search-path @var{path}}, which lets
2725 the user specify which @code{libthread_db} to use if the default choice
2726 isn't compatible with the program.
2727 @end itemize
2728
2729 @quotation
2730 @emph{Warning:} These facilities are not yet available on every
2731 @value{GDBN} configuration where the operating system supports threads.
2732 If your @value{GDBN} does not support threads, these commands have no
2733 effect. For example, a system without thread support shows no output
2734 from @samp{info threads}, and always rejects the @code{thread} command,
2735 like this:
2736
2737 @smallexample
2738 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2739 (@value{GDBP}) thread 1
2740 Thread ID 1 not known. Use the "info threads" command to
2741 see the IDs of currently known threads.
2742 @end smallexample
2743 @c FIXME to implementors: how hard would it be to say "sorry, this GDB
2744 @c doesn't support threads"?
2745 @end quotation
2746
2747 @cindex focus of debugging
2748 @cindex current thread
2749 The @value{GDBN} thread debugging facility allows you to observe all
2750 threads while your program runs---but whenever @value{GDBN} takes
2751 control, one thread in particular is always the focus of debugging.
2752 This thread is called the @dfn{current thread}. Debugging commands show
2753 program information from the perspective of the current thread.
2754
2755 @cindex @code{New} @var{systag} message
2756 @cindex thread identifier (system)
2757 @c FIXME-implementors!! It would be more helpful if the [New...] message
2758 @c included GDB's numeric thread handle, so you could just go to that
2759 @c thread without first checking `info threads'.
2760 Whenever @value{GDBN} detects a new thread in your program, it displays
2761 the target system's identification for the thread with a message in the
2762 form @samp{[New @var{systag}]}. @var{systag} is a thread identifier
2763 whose form varies depending on the particular system. For example, on
2764 @sc{gnu}/Linux, you might see
2765
2766 @smallexample
2767 [New Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 25582)]
2768 @end smallexample
2769
2770 @noindent
2771 when @value{GDBN} notices a new thread. In contrast, on an SGI system,
2772 the @var{systag} is simply something like @samp{process 368}, with no
2773 further qualifier.
2774
2775 @c FIXME!! (1) Does the [New...] message appear even for the very first
2776 @c thread of a program, or does it only appear for the
2777 @c second---i.e.@: when it becomes obvious we have a multithread
2778 @c program?
2779 @c (2) *Is* there necessarily a first thread always? Or do some
2780 @c multithread systems permit starting a program with multiple
2781 @c threads ab initio?
2782
2783 @cindex thread number
2784 @cindex thread identifier (GDB)
2785 For debugging purposes, @value{GDBN} associates its own thread
2786 number---always a single integer---with each thread in your program.
2787
2788 @table @code
2789 @kindex info threads
2790 @item info threads @r{[}@var{id}@dots{}@r{]}
2791 Display a summary of all threads currently in your program. Optional
2792 argument @var{id}@dots{} is one or more thread ids separated by spaces, and
2793 means to print information only about the specified thread or threads.
2794 @value{GDBN} displays for each thread (in this order):
2795
2796 @enumerate
2797 @item
2798 the thread number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2799
2800 @item
2801 the target system's thread identifier (@var{systag})
2802
2803 @item
2804 the thread's name, if one is known. A thread can either be named by
2805 the user (see @code{thread name}, below), or, in some cases, by the
2806 program itself.
2807
2808 @item
2809 the current stack frame summary for that thread
2810 @end enumerate
2811
2812 @noindent
2813 An asterisk @samp{*} to the left of the @value{GDBN} thread number
2814 indicates the current thread.
2815
2816 For example,
2817 @end table
2818 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2819
2820 @smallexample
2821 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2822 Id Target Id Frame
2823 3 process 35 thread 27 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2824 2 process 35 thread 23 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2825 * 1 process 35 thread 13 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
2826 at threadtest.c:68
2827 @end smallexample
2828
2829 On Solaris, you can display more information about user threads with a
2830 Solaris-specific command:
2831
2832 @table @code
2833 @item maint info sol-threads
2834 @kindex maint info sol-threads
2835 @cindex thread info (Solaris)
2836 Display info on Solaris user threads.
2837 @end table
2838
2839 @table @code
2840 @kindex thread @var{threadno}
2841 @item thread @var{threadno}
2842 Make thread number @var{threadno} the current thread. The command
2843 argument @var{threadno} is the internal @value{GDBN} thread number, as
2844 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display.
2845 @value{GDBN} responds by displaying the system identifier of the thread
2846 you selected, and its current stack frame summary:
2847
2848 @smallexample
2849 (@value{GDBP}) thread 2
2850 [Switching to thread 2 (Thread 0xb7fdab70 (LWP 12747))]
2851 #0 some_function (ignore=0x0) at example.c:8
2852 8 printf ("hello\n");
2853 @end smallexample
2854
2855 @noindent
2856 As with the @samp{[New @dots{}]} message, the form of the text after
2857 @samp{Switching to} depends on your system's conventions for identifying
2858 threads.
2859
2860 @vindex $_thread@r{, convenience variable}
2861 The debugger convenience variable @samp{$_thread} contains the number
2862 of the current thread. You may find this useful in writing breakpoint
2863 conditional expressions, command scripts, and so forth. See
2864 @xref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for general
2865 information on convenience variables.
2866
2867 @kindex thread apply
2868 @cindex apply command to several threads
2869 @item thread apply [@var{threadno} | all] @var{command}
2870 The @code{thread apply} command allows you to apply the named
2871 @var{command} to one or more threads. Specify the numbers of the
2872 threads that you want affected with the command argument
2873 @var{threadno}. It can be a single thread number, one of the numbers
2874 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display; or it
2875 could be a range of thread numbers, as in @code{2-4}. To apply a
2876 command to all threads, type @kbd{thread apply all @var{command}}.
2877
2878 @kindex thread name
2879 @cindex name a thread
2880 @item thread name [@var{name}]
2881 This command assigns a name to the current thread. If no argument is
2882 given, any existing user-specified name is removed. The thread name
2883 appears in the @samp{info threads} display.
2884
2885 On some systems, such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, @value{GDBN} is able to
2886 determine the name of the thread as given by the OS. On these
2887 systems, a name specified with @samp{thread name} will override the
2888 system-give name, and removing the user-specified name will cause
2889 @value{GDBN} to once again display the system-specified name.
2890
2891 @kindex thread find
2892 @cindex search for a thread
2893 @item thread find [@var{regexp}]
2894 Search for and display thread ids whose name or @var{systag}
2895 matches the supplied regular expression.
2896
2897 As well as being the complement to the @samp{thread name} command,
2898 this command also allows you to identify a thread by its target
2899 @var{systag}. For instance, on @sc{gnu}/Linux, the target @var{systag}
2900 is the LWP id.
2901
2902 @smallexample
2903 (@value{GDBN}) thread find 26688
2904 Thread 4 has target id 'Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688)'
2905 (@value{GDBN}) info thread 4
2906 Id Target Id Frame
2907 4 Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688) 0x00000031ca6cd372 in select ()
2908 @end smallexample
2909
2910 @kindex set print thread-events
2911 @cindex print messages on thread start and exit
2912 @item set print thread-events
2913 @itemx set print thread-events on
2914 @itemx set print thread-events off
2915 The @code{set print thread-events} command allows you to enable or
2916 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new threads have
2917 started or that threads have exited. By default, these messages will
2918 be printed if detection of these events is supported by the target.
2919 Note that these messages cannot be disabled on all targets.
2920
2921 @kindex show print thread-events
2922 @item show print thread-events
2923 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that threads
2924 have started and exited.
2925 @end table
2926
2927 @xref{Thread Stops,,Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs}, for
2928 more information about how @value{GDBN} behaves when you stop and start
2929 programs with multiple threads.
2930
2931 @xref{Set Watchpoints,,Setting Watchpoints}, for information about
2932 watchpoints in programs with multiple threads.
2933
2934 @anchor{set libthread-db-search-path}
2935 @table @code
2936 @kindex set libthread-db-search-path
2937 @cindex search path for @code{libthread_db}
2938 @item set libthread-db-search-path @r{[}@var{path}@r{]}
2939 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
2940 directories @value{GDBN} will use to search for @code{libthread_db}.
2941 If you omit @var{path}, @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to
2942 its default value (@code{$sdir:$pdir} on @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems).
2943 Internally, the default value comes from the @code{LIBTHREAD_DB_SEARCH_PATH}
2944 macro.
2945
2946 On @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems, @value{GDBN} uses a ``helper''
2947 @code{libthread_db} library to obtain information about threads in the
2948 inferior process. @value{GDBN} will use @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2949 to find @code{libthread_db}. @value{GDBN} also consults first if inferior
2950 specific thread debugging library loading is enabled
2951 by @samp{set auto-load libthread-db} (@pxref{libthread_db.so.1 file}).
2952
2953 A special entry @samp{$sdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2954 refers to the default system directories that are
2955 normally searched for loading shared libraries. The @samp{$sdir} entry
2956 is the only kind not needing to be enabled by @samp{set auto-load libthread-db}
2957 (@pxref{libthread_db.so.1 file}).
2958
2959 A special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2960 refers to the directory from which @code{libpthread}
2961 was loaded in the inferior process.
2962
2963 For any @code{libthread_db} library @value{GDBN} finds in above directories,
2964 @value{GDBN} attempts to initialize it with the current inferior process.
2965 If this initialization fails (which could happen because of a version
2966 mismatch between @code{libthread_db} and @code{libpthread}), @value{GDBN}
2967 will unload @code{libthread_db}, and continue with the next directory.
2968 If none of @code{libthread_db} libraries initialize successfully,
2969 @value{GDBN} will issue a warning and thread debugging will be disabled.
2970
2971 Setting @code{libthread-db-search-path} is currently implemented
2972 only on some platforms.
2973
2974 @kindex show libthread-db-search-path
2975 @item show libthread-db-search-path
2976 Display current libthread_db search path.
2977
2978 @kindex set debug libthread-db
2979 @kindex show debug libthread-db
2980 @cindex debugging @code{libthread_db}
2981 @item set debug libthread-db
2982 @itemx show debug libthread-db
2983 Turns on or off display of @code{libthread_db}-related events.
2984 Use @code{1} to enable, @code{0} to disable.
2985 @end table
2986
2987 @node Forks
2988 @section Debugging Forks
2989
2990 @cindex fork, debugging programs which call
2991 @cindex multiple processes
2992 @cindex processes, multiple
2993 On most systems, @value{GDBN} has no special support for debugging
2994 programs which create additional processes using the @code{fork}
2995 function. When a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug the
2996 parent process and the child process will run unimpeded. If you have
2997 set a breakpoint in any code which the child then executes, the child
2998 will get a @code{SIGTRAP} signal which (unless it catches the signal)
2999 will cause it to terminate.
3000
3001 However, if you want to debug the child process there is a workaround
3002 which isn't too painful. Put a call to @code{sleep} in the code which
3003 the child process executes after the fork. It may be useful to sleep
3004 only if a certain environment variable is set, or a certain file exists,
3005 so that the delay need not occur when you don't want to run @value{GDBN}
3006 on the child. While the child is sleeping, use the @code{ps} program to
3007 get its process ID. Then tell @value{GDBN} (a new invocation of
3008 @value{GDBN} if you are also debugging the parent process) to attach to
3009 the child process (@pxref{Attach}). From that point on you can debug
3010 the child process just like any other process which you attached to.
3011
3012 On some systems, @value{GDBN} provides support for debugging programs that
3013 create additional processes using the @code{fork} or @code{vfork} functions.
3014 Currently, the only platforms with this feature are HP-UX (11.x and later
3015 only?) and @sc{gnu}/Linux (kernel version 2.5.60 and later).
3016
3017 By default, when a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug
3018 the parent process and the child process will run unimpeded.
3019
3020 If you want to follow the child process instead of the parent process,
3021 use the command @w{@code{set follow-fork-mode}}.
3022
3023 @table @code
3024 @kindex set follow-fork-mode
3025 @item set follow-fork-mode @var{mode}
3026 Set the debugger response to a program call of @code{fork} or
3027 @code{vfork}. A call to @code{fork} or @code{vfork} creates a new
3028 process. The @var{mode} argument can be:
3029
3030 @table @code
3031 @item parent
3032 The original process is debugged after a fork. The child process runs
3033 unimpeded. This is the default.
3034
3035 @item child
3036 The new process is debugged after a fork. The parent process runs
3037 unimpeded.
3038
3039 @end table
3040
3041 @kindex show follow-fork-mode
3042 @item show follow-fork-mode
3043 Display the current debugger response to a @code{fork} or @code{vfork} call.
3044 @end table
3045
3046 @cindex debugging multiple processes
3047 On Linux, if you want to debug both the parent and child processes, use the
3048 command @w{@code{set detach-on-fork}}.
3049
3050 @table @code
3051 @kindex set detach-on-fork
3052 @item set detach-on-fork @var{mode}
3053 Tells gdb whether to detach one of the processes after a fork, or
3054 retain debugger control over them both.
3055
3056 @table @code
3057 @item on
3058 The child process (or parent process, depending on the value of
3059 @code{follow-fork-mode}) will be detached and allowed to run
3060 independently. This is the default.
3061
3062 @item off
3063 Both processes will be held under the control of @value{GDBN}.
3064 One process (child or parent, depending on the value of
3065 @code{follow-fork-mode}) is debugged as usual, while the other
3066 is held suspended.
3067
3068 @end table
3069
3070 @kindex show detach-on-fork
3071 @item show detach-on-fork
3072 Show whether detach-on-fork mode is on/off.
3073 @end table
3074
3075 If you choose to set @samp{detach-on-fork} mode off, then @value{GDBN}
3076 will retain control of all forked processes (including nested forks).
3077 You can list the forked processes under the control of @value{GDBN} by
3078 using the @w{@code{info inferiors}} command, and switch from one fork
3079 to another by using the @code{inferior} command (@pxref{Inferiors and
3080 Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs}).
3081
3082 To quit debugging one of the forked processes, you can either detach
3083 from it by using the @w{@code{detach inferiors}} command (allowing it
3084 to run independently), or kill it using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}}
3085 command. @xref{Inferiors and Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors
3086 and Programs}.
3087
3088 If you ask to debug a child process and a @code{vfork} is followed by an
3089 @code{exec}, @value{GDBN} executes the new target up to the first
3090 breakpoint in the new target. If you have a breakpoint set on
3091 @code{main} in your original program, the breakpoint will also be set on
3092 the child process's @code{main}.
3093
3094 On some systems, when a child process is spawned by @code{vfork}, you
3095 cannot debug the child or parent until an @code{exec} call completes.
3096
3097 If you issue a @code{run} command to @value{GDBN} after an @code{exec}
3098 call executes, the new target restarts. To restart the parent
3099 process, use the @code{file} command with the parent executable name
3100 as its argument. By default, after an @code{exec} call executes,
3101 @value{GDBN} discards the symbols of the previous executable image.
3102 You can change this behaviour with the @w{@code{set follow-exec-mode}}
3103 command.
3104
3105 @table @code
3106 @kindex set follow-exec-mode
3107 @item set follow-exec-mode @var{mode}
3108
3109 Set debugger response to a program call of @code{exec}. An
3110 @code{exec} call replaces the program image of a process.
3111
3112 @code{follow-exec-mode} can be:
3113
3114 @table @code
3115 @item new
3116 @value{GDBN} creates a new inferior and rebinds the process to this
3117 new inferior. The program the process was running before the
3118 @code{exec} call can be restarted afterwards by restarting the
3119 original inferior.
3120
3121 For example:
3122
3123 @smallexample
3124 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3125 (gdb) info inferior
3126 Id Description Executable
3127 * 1 <null> prog1
3128 (@value{GDBP}) run
3129 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3130 Program exited normally.
3131 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3132 Id Description Executable
3133 * 2 <null> prog2
3134 1 <null> prog1
3135 @end smallexample
3136
3137 @item same
3138 @value{GDBN} keeps the process bound to the same inferior. The new
3139 executable image replaces the previous executable loaded in the
3140 inferior. Restarting the inferior after the @code{exec} call, with
3141 e.g., the @code{run} command, restarts the executable the process was
3142 running after the @code{exec} call. This is the default mode.
3143
3144 For example:
3145
3146 @smallexample
3147 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3148 Id Description Executable
3149 * 1 <null> prog1
3150 (@value{GDBP}) run
3151 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3152 Program exited normally.
3153 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3154 Id Description Executable
3155 * 1 <null> prog2
3156 @end smallexample
3157
3158 @end table
3159 @end table
3160
3161 You can use the @code{catch} command to make @value{GDBN} stop whenever
3162 a @code{fork}, @code{vfork}, or @code{exec} call is made. @xref{Set
3163 Catchpoints, ,Setting Catchpoints}.
3164
3165 @node Checkpoint/Restart
3166 @section Setting a @emph{Bookmark} to Return to Later
3167
3168 @cindex checkpoint
3169 @cindex restart
3170 @cindex bookmark
3171 @cindex snapshot of a process
3172 @cindex rewind program state
3173
3174 On certain operating systems@footnote{Currently, only
3175 @sc{gnu}/Linux.}, @value{GDBN} is able to save a @dfn{snapshot} of a
3176 program's state, called a @dfn{checkpoint}, and come back to it
3177 later.
3178
3179 Returning to a checkpoint effectively undoes everything that has
3180 happened in the program since the @code{checkpoint} was saved. This
3181 includes changes in memory, registers, and even (within some limits)
3182 system state. Effectively, it is like going back in time to the
3183 moment when the checkpoint was saved.
3184
3185 Thus, if you're stepping thru a program and you think you're
3186 getting close to the point where things go wrong, you can save
3187 a checkpoint. Then, if you accidentally go too far and miss
3188 the critical statement, instead of having to restart your program
3189 from the beginning, you can just go back to the checkpoint and
3190 start again from there.
3191
3192 This can be especially useful if it takes a lot of time or
3193 steps to reach the point where you think the bug occurs.
3194
3195 To use the @code{checkpoint}/@code{restart} method of debugging:
3196
3197 @table @code
3198 @kindex checkpoint
3199 @item checkpoint
3200 Save a snapshot of the debugged program's current execution state.
3201 The @code{checkpoint} command takes no arguments, but each checkpoint
3202 is assigned a small integer id, similar to a breakpoint id.
3203
3204 @kindex info checkpoints
3205 @item info checkpoints
3206 List the checkpoints that have been saved in the current debugging
3207 session. For each checkpoint, the following information will be
3208 listed:
3209
3210 @table @code
3211 @item Checkpoint ID
3212 @item Process ID
3213 @item Code Address
3214 @item Source line, or label
3215 @end table
3216
3217 @kindex restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3218 @item restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3219 Restore the program state that was saved as checkpoint number
3220 @var{checkpoint-id}. All program variables, registers, stack frames
3221 etc.@: will be returned to the values that they had when the checkpoint
3222 was saved. In essence, gdb will ``wind back the clock'' to the point
3223 in time when the checkpoint was saved.
3224
3225 Note that breakpoints, @value{GDBN} variables, command history etc.
3226 are not affected by restoring a checkpoint. In general, a checkpoint
3227 only restores things that reside in the program being debugged, not in
3228 the debugger.
3229
3230 @kindex delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3231 @item delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3232 Delete the previously-saved checkpoint identified by @var{checkpoint-id}.
3233
3234 @end table
3235
3236 Returning to a previously saved checkpoint will restore the user state
3237 of the program being debugged, plus a significant subset of the system
3238 (OS) state, including file pointers. It won't ``un-write'' data from
3239 a file, but it will rewind the file pointer to the previous location,
3240 so that the previously written data can be overwritten. For files
3241 opened in read mode, the pointer will also be restored so that the
3242 previously read data can be read again.
3243
3244 Of course, characters that have been sent to a printer (or other
3245 external device) cannot be ``snatched back'', and characters received
3246 from eg.@: a serial device can be removed from internal program buffers,
3247 but they cannot be ``pushed back'' into the serial pipeline, ready to
3248 be received again. Similarly, the actual contents of files that have
3249 been changed cannot be restored (at this time).
3250
3251 However, within those constraints, you actually can ``rewind'' your
3252 program to a previously saved point in time, and begin debugging it
3253 again --- and you can change the course of events so as to debug a
3254 different execution path this time.
3255
3256 @cindex checkpoints and process id
3257 Finally, there is one bit of internal program state that will be
3258 different when you return to a checkpoint --- the program's process
3259 id. Each checkpoint will have a unique process id (or @var{pid}),
3260 and each will be different from the program's original @var{pid}.
3261 If your program has saved a local copy of its process id, this could
3262 potentially pose a problem.
3263
3264 @subsection A Non-obvious Benefit of Using Checkpoints
3265
3266 On some systems such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, address space randomization
3267 is performed on new processes for security reasons. This makes it
3268 difficult or impossible to set a breakpoint, or watchpoint, on an
3269 absolute address if you have to restart the program, since the
3270 absolute location of a symbol will change from one execution to the
3271 next.
3272
3273 A checkpoint, however, is an @emph{identical} copy of a process.
3274 Therefore if you create a checkpoint at (eg.@:) the start of main,
3275 and simply return to that checkpoint instead of restarting the
3276 process, you can avoid the effects of address randomization and
3277 your symbols will all stay in the same place.
3278
3279 @node Stopping
3280 @chapter Stopping and Continuing
3281
3282 The principal purposes of using a debugger are so that you can stop your
3283 program before it terminates; or so that, if your program runs into
3284 trouble, you can investigate and find out why.
3285
3286 Inside @value{GDBN}, your program may stop for any of several reasons,
3287 such as a signal, a breakpoint, or reaching a new line after a
3288 @value{GDBN} command such as @code{step}. You may then examine and
3289 change variables, set new breakpoints or remove old ones, and then
3290 continue execution. Usually, the messages shown by @value{GDBN} provide
3291 ample explanation of the status of your program---but you can also
3292 explicitly request this information at any time.
3293
3294 @table @code
3295 @kindex info program
3296 @item info program
3297 Display information about the status of your program: whether it is
3298 running or not, what process it is, and why it stopped.
3299 @end table
3300
3301 @menu
3302 * Breakpoints:: Breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints
3303 * Continuing and Stepping:: Resuming execution
3304 * Skipping Over Functions and Files::
3305 Skipping over functions and files
3306 * Signals:: Signals
3307 * Thread Stops:: Stopping and starting multi-thread programs
3308 @end menu
3309
3310 @node Breakpoints
3311 @section Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Catchpoints
3312
3313 @cindex breakpoints
3314 A @dfn{breakpoint} makes your program stop whenever a certain point in
3315 the program is reached. For each breakpoint, you can add conditions to
3316 control in finer detail whether your program stops. You can set
3317 breakpoints with the @code{break} command and its variants (@pxref{Set
3318 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}), to specify the place where your program
3319 should stop by line number, function name or exact address in the
3320 program.
3321
3322 On some systems, you can set breakpoints in shared libraries before
3323 the executable is run. There is a minor limitation on HP-UX systems:
3324 you must wait until the executable is run in order to set breakpoints
3325 in shared library routines that are not called directly by the program
3326 (for example, routines that are arguments in a @code{pthread_create}
3327 call).
3328
3329 @cindex watchpoints
3330 @cindex data breakpoints
3331 @cindex memory tracing
3332 @cindex breakpoint on memory address
3333 @cindex breakpoint on variable modification
3334 A @dfn{watchpoint} is a special breakpoint that stops your program
3335 when the value of an expression changes. The expression may be a value
3336 of a variable, or it could involve values of one or more variables
3337 combined by operators, such as @samp{a + b}. This is sometimes called
3338 @dfn{data breakpoints}. You must use a different command to set
3339 watchpoints (@pxref{Set Watchpoints, ,Setting Watchpoints}), but aside
3340 from that, you can manage a watchpoint like any other breakpoint: you
3341 enable, disable, and delete both breakpoints and watchpoints using the
3342 same commands.
3343
3344 You can arrange to have values from your program displayed automatically
3345 whenever @value{GDBN} stops at a breakpoint. @xref{Auto Display,,
3346 Automatic Display}.
3347
3348 @cindex catchpoints
3349 @cindex breakpoint on events
3350 A @dfn{catchpoint} is another special breakpoint that stops your program
3351 when a certain kind of event occurs, such as the throwing of a C@t{++}
3352 exception or the loading of a library. As with watchpoints, you use a
3353 different command to set a catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints, ,Setting
3354 Catchpoints}), but aside from that, you can manage a catchpoint like any
3355 other breakpoint. (To stop when your program receives a signal, use the
3356 @code{handle} command; see @ref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
3357
3358 @cindex breakpoint numbers
3359 @cindex numbers for breakpoints
3360 @value{GDBN} assigns a number to each breakpoint, watchpoint, or
3361 catchpoint when you create it; these numbers are successive integers
3362 starting with one. In many of the commands for controlling various
3363 features of breakpoints you use the breakpoint number to say which
3364 breakpoint you want to change. Each breakpoint may be @dfn{enabled} or
3365 @dfn{disabled}; if disabled, it has no effect on your program until you
3366 enable it again.
3367
3368 @cindex breakpoint ranges
3369 @cindex ranges of breakpoints
3370 Some @value{GDBN} commands accept a range of breakpoints on which to
3371 operate. A breakpoint range is either a single breakpoint number, like
3372 @samp{5}, or two such numbers, in increasing order, separated by a
3373 hyphen, like @samp{5-7}. When a breakpoint range is given to a command,
3374 all breakpoints in that range are operated on.
3375
3376 @menu
3377 * Set Breaks:: Setting breakpoints
3378 * Set Watchpoints:: Setting watchpoints
3379 * Set Catchpoints:: Setting catchpoints
3380 * Delete Breaks:: Deleting breakpoints
3381 * Disabling:: Disabling breakpoints
3382 * Conditions:: Break conditions
3383 * Break Commands:: Breakpoint command lists
3384 * Dynamic Printf:: Dynamic printf
3385 * Save Breakpoints:: How to save breakpoints in a file
3386 * Static Probe Points:: Listing static probe points
3387 * Error in Breakpoints:: ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
3388 * Breakpoint-related Warnings:: ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
3389 @end menu
3390
3391 @node Set Breaks
3392 @subsection Setting Breakpoints
3393
3394 @c FIXME LMB what does GDB do if no code on line of breakpt?
3395 @c consider in particular declaration with/without initialization.
3396 @c
3397 @c FIXME 2 is there stuff on this already? break at fun start, already init?
3398
3399 @kindex break
3400 @kindex b @r{(@code{break})}
3401 @vindex $bpnum@r{, convenience variable}
3402 @cindex latest breakpoint
3403 Breakpoints are set with the @code{break} command (abbreviated
3404 @code{b}). The debugger convenience variable @samp{$bpnum} records the
3405 number of the breakpoint you've set most recently; see @ref{Convenience
3406 Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for a discussion of what you can do with
3407 convenience variables.
3408
3409 @table @code
3410 @item break @var{location}
3411 Set a breakpoint at the given @var{location}, which can specify a
3412 function name, a line number, or an address of an instruction.
3413 (@xref{Specify Location}, for a list of all the possible ways to
3414 specify a @var{location}.) The breakpoint will stop your program just
3415 before it executes any of the code in the specified @var{location}.
3416
3417 When using source languages that permit overloading of symbols, such as
3418 C@t{++}, a function name may refer to more than one possible place to break.
3419 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}, for a discussion of
3420 that situation.
3421
3422 It is also possible to insert a breakpoint that will stop the program
3423 only if a specific thread (@pxref{Thread-Specific Breakpoints})
3424 or a specific task (@pxref{Ada Tasks}) hits that breakpoint.
3425
3426 @item break
3427 When called without any arguments, @code{break} sets a breakpoint at
3428 the next instruction to be executed in the selected stack frame
3429 (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}). In any selected frame but the
3430 innermost, this makes your program stop as soon as control
3431 returns to that frame. This is similar to the effect of a
3432 @code{finish} command in the frame inside the selected frame---except
3433 that @code{finish} does not leave an active breakpoint. If you use
3434 @code{break} without an argument in the innermost frame, @value{GDBN} stops
3435 the next time it reaches the current location; this may be useful
3436 inside loops.
3437
3438 @value{GDBN} normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until at
3439 least one instruction has been executed. If it did not do this, you
3440 would be unable to proceed past a breakpoint without first disabling the
3441 breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not the breakpoint already
3442 existed when your program stopped.
3443
3444 @item break @dots{} if @var{cond}
3445 Set a breakpoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
3446 @var{cond} each time the breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the
3447 value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
3448 @samp{@dots{}} stands for one of the possible arguments described
3449 above (or no argument) specifying where to break. @xref{Conditions,
3450 ,Break Conditions}, for more information on breakpoint conditions.
3451
3452 @kindex tbreak
3453 @item tbreak @var{args}
3454 Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args} are the
3455 same as for the @code{break} command, and the breakpoint is set in the same
3456 way, but the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the first time your
3457 program stops there. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3458
3459 @kindex hbreak
3460 @cindex hardware breakpoints
3461 @item hbreak @var{args}
3462 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint. @var{args} are the same as for the
3463 @code{break} command and the breakpoint is set in the same way, but the
3464 breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware may not
3465 have this support. The main purpose of this is EPROM/ROM code
3466 debugging, so you can set a breakpoint at an instruction without
3467 changing the instruction. This can be used with the new trap-generation
3468 provided by SPARClite DSU and most x86-based targets. These targets
3469 will generate traps when a program accesses some data or instruction
3470 address that is assigned to the debug registers. However the hardware
3471 breakpoint registers can take a limited number of breakpoints. For
3472 example, on the DSU, only two data breakpoints can be set at a time, and
3473 @value{GDBN} will reject this command if more than two are used. Delete
3474 or disable unused hardware breakpoints before setting new ones
3475 (@pxref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}).
3476 @xref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3477 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3478 breakpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3479 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3480
3481 @kindex thbreak
3482 @item thbreak @var{args}
3483 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args}
3484 are the same as for the @code{hbreak} command and the breakpoint is set in
3485 the same way. However, like the @code{tbreak} command,
3486 the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the
3487 first time your program stops there. Also, like the @code{hbreak}
3488 command, the breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware
3489 may not have this support. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3490 See also @ref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3491
3492 @kindex rbreak
3493 @cindex regular expression
3494 @cindex breakpoints at functions matching a regexp
3495 @cindex set breakpoints in many functions
3496 @item rbreak @var{regex}
3497 Set breakpoints on all functions matching the regular expression
3498 @var{regex}. This command sets an unconditional breakpoint on all
3499 matches, printing a list of all breakpoints it set. Once these
3500 breakpoints are set, they are treated just like the breakpoints set with
3501 the @code{break} command. You can delete them, disable them, or make
3502 them conditional the same way as any other breakpoint.
3503
3504 The syntax of the regular expression is the standard one used with tools
3505 like @file{grep}. Note that this is different from the syntax used by
3506 shells, so for instance @code{foo*} matches all functions that include
3507 an @code{fo} followed by zero or more @code{o}s. There is an implicit
3508 @code{.*} leading and trailing the regular expression you supply, so to
3509 match only functions that begin with @code{foo}, use @code{^foo}.
3510
3511 @cindex non-member C@t{++} functions, set breakpoint in
3512 When debugging C@t{++} programs, @code{rbreak} is useful for setting
3513 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
3514 classes.
3515
3516 @cindex set breakpoints on all functions
3517 The @code{rbreak} command can be used to set breakpoints in
3518 @strong{all} the functions in a program, like this:
3519
3520 @smallexample
3521 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak .
3522 @end smallexample
3523
3524 @item rbreak @var{file}:@var{regex}
3525 If @code{rbreak} is called with a filename qualification, it limits
3526 the search for functions matching the given regular expression to the
3527 specified @var{file}. This can be used, for example, to set breakpoints on
3528 every function in a given file:
3529
3530 @smallexample
3531 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak file.c:.
3532 @end smallexample
3533
3534 The colon separating the filename qualifier from the regex may
3535 optionally be surrounded by spaces.
3536
3537 @kindex info breakpoints
3538 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info breakpoints}
3539 @item info breakpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3540 @itemx info break @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3541 Print a table of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints set and
3542 not deleted. Optional argument @var{n} means print information only
3543 about the specified breakpoint(s) (or watchpoint(s) or catchpoint(s)).
3544 For each breakpoint, following columns are printed:
3545
3546 @table @emph
3547 @item Breakpoint Numbers
3548 @item Type
3549 Breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint.
3550 @item Disposition
3551 Whether the breakpoint is marked to be disabled or deleted when hit.
3552 @item Enabled or Disabled
3553 Enabled breakpoints are marked with @samp{y}. @samp{n} marks breakpoints
3554 that are not enabled.
3555 @item Address
3556 Where the breakpoint is in your program, as a memory address. For a
3557 pending breakpoint whose address is not yet known, this field will
3558 contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Such breakpoint won't fire until a shared
3559 library that has the symbol or line referred by breakpoint is loaded.
3560 See below for details. A breakpoint with several locations will
3561 have @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in this field---see below for details.
3562 @item What
3563 Where the breakpoint is in the source for your program, as a file and
3564 line number. For a pending breakpoint, the original string passed to
3565 the breakpoint command will be listed as it cannot be resolved until
3566 the appropriate shared library is loaded in the future.
3567 @end table
3568
3569 @noindent
3570 If a breakpoint is conditional, there are two evaluation modes: ``host'' and
3571 ``target''. If mode is ``host'', breakpoint condition evaluation is done by
3572 @value{GDBN} on the host's side. If it is ``target'', then the condition
3573 is evaluated by the target. The @code{info break} command shows
3574 the condition on the line following the affected breakpoint, together with
3575 its condition evaluation mode in between parentheses.
3576
3577 Breakpoint commands, if any, are listed after that. A pending breakpoint is
3578 allowed to have a condition specified for it. The condition is not parsed for
3579 validity until a shared library is loaded that allows the pending
3580 breakpoint to resolve to a valid location.
3581
3582 @noindent
3583 @code{info break} with a breakpoint
3584 number @var{n} as argument lists only that breakpoint. The
3585 convenience variable @code{$_} and the default examining-address for
3586 the @code{x} command are set to the address of the last breakpoint
3587 listed (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}).
3588
3589 @noindent
3590 @code{info break} displays a count of the number of times the breakpoint
3591 has been hit. This is especially useful in conjunction with the
3592 @code{ignore} command. You can ignore a large number of breakpoint
3593 hits, look at the breakpoint info to see how many times the breakpoint
3594 was hit, and then run again, ignoring one less than that number. This
3595 will get you quickly to the last hit of that breakpoint.
3596
3597 @noindent
3598 For a breakpoints with an enable count (xref) greater than 1,
3599 @code{info break} also displays that count.
3600
3601 @end table
3602
3603 @value{GDBN} allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in
3604 your program. There is nothing silly or meaningless about this. When
3605 the breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful
3606 (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
3607
3608 @cindex multiple locations, breakpoints
3609 @cindex breakpoints, multiple locations
3610 It is possible that a breakpoint corresponds to several locations
3611 in your program. Examples of this situation are:
3612
3613 @itemize @bullet
3614 @item
3615 Multiple functions in the program may have the same name.
3616
3617 @item
3618 For a C@t{++} constructor, the @value{NGCC} compiler generates several
3619 instances of the function body, used in different cases.
3620
3621 @item
3622 For a C@t{++} template function, a given line in the function can
3623 correspond to any number of instantiations.
3624
3625 @item
3626 For an inlined function, a given source line can correspond to
3627 several places where that function is inlined.
3628 @end itemize
3629
3630 In all those cases, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at all
3631 the relevant locations.
3632
3633 A breakpoint with multiple locations is displayed in the breakpoint
3634 table using several rows---one header row, followed by one row for
3635 each breakpoint location. The header row has @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in the
3636 address column. The rows for individual locations contain the actual
3637 addresses for locations, and show the functions to which those
3638 locations belong. The number column for a location is of the form
3639 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number}.
3640
3641 For example:
3642
3643 @smallexample
3644 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
3645 1 breakpoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
3646 stop only if i==1
3647 breakpoint already hit 1 time
3648 1.1 y 0x080486a2 in void foo<int>() at t.cc:8
3649 1.2 y 0x080486ca in void foo<double>() at t.cc:8
3650 @end smallexample
3651
3652 Each location can be individually enabled or disabled by passing
3653 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number} as argument to the
3654 @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands. Note that you cannot
3655 delete the individual locations from the list, you can only delete the
3656 entire list of locations that belong to their parent breakpoint (with
3657 the @kbd{delete @var{num}} command, where @var{num} is the number of
3658 the parent breakpoint, 1 in the above example). Disabling or enabling
3659 the parent breakpoint (@pxref{Disabling}) affects all of the locations
3660 that belong to that breakpoint.
3661
3662 @cindex pending breakpoints
3663 It's quite common to have a breakpoint inside a shared library.
3664 Shared libraries can be loaded and unloaded explicitly,
3665 and possibly repeatedly, as the program is executed. To support
3666 this use case, @value{GDBN} updates breakpoint locations whenever
3667 any shared library is loaded or unloaded. Typically, you would
3668 set a breakpoint in a shared library at the beginning of your
3669 debugging session, when the library is not loaded, and when the
3670 symbols from the library are not available. When you try to set
3671 breakpoint, @value{GDBN} will ask you if you want to set
3672 a so called @dfn{pending breakpoint}---breakpoint whose address
3673 is not yet resolved.
3674
3675 After the program is run, whenever a new shared library is loaded,
3676 @value{GDBN} reevaluates all the breakpoints. When a newly loaded
3677 shared library contains the symbol or line referred to by some
3678 pending breakpoint, that breakpoint is resolved and becomes an
3679 ordinary breakpoint. When a library is unloaded, all breakpoints
3680 that refer to its symbols or source lines become pending again.
3681
3682 This logic works for breakpoints with multiple locations, too. For
3683 example, if you have a breakpoint in a C@t{++} template function, and
3684 a newly loaded shared library has an instantiation of that template,
3685 a new location is added to the list of locations for the breakpoint.
3686
3687 Except for having unresolved address, pending breakpoints do not
3688 differ from regular breakpoints. You can set conditions or commands,
3689 enable and disable them and perform other breakpoint operations.
3690
3691 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling what
3692 happens when the @samp{break} command cannot resolve breakpoint
3693 address specification to an address:
3694
3695 @kindex set breakpoint pending
3696 @kindex show breakpoint pending
3697 @table @code
3698 @item set breakpoint pending auto
3699 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} cannot find the breakpoint
3700 location, it queries you whether a pending breakpoint should be created.
3701
3702 @item set breakpoint pending on
3703 This indicates that an unrecognized breakpoint location should automatically
3704 result in a pending breakpoint being created.
3705
3706 @item set breakpoint pending off
3707 This indicates that pending breakpoints are not to be created. Any
3708 unrecognized breakpoint location results in an error. This setting does
3709 not affect any pending breakpoints previously created.
3710
3711 @item show breakpoint pending
3712 Show the current behavior setting for creating pending breakpoints.
3713 @end table
3714
3715 The settings above only affect the @code{break} command and its
3716 variants. Once breakpoint is set, it will be automatically updated
3717 as shared libraries are loaded and unloaded.
3718
3719 @cindex automatic hardware breakpoints
3720 For some targets, @value{GDBN} can automatically decide if hardware or
3721 software breakpoints should be used, depending on whether the
3722 breakpoint address is read-only or read-write. This applies to
3723 breakpoints set with the @code{break} command as well as to internal
3724 breakpoints set by commands like @code{next} and @code{finish}. For
3725 breakpoints set with @code{hbreak}, @value{GDBN} will always use hardware
3726 breakpoints.
3727
3728 You can control this automatic behaviour with the following commands::
3729
3730 @kindex set breakpoint auto-hw
3731 @kindex show breakpoint auto-hw
3732 @table @code
3733 @item set breakpoint auto-hw on
3734 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} sets a breakpoint, it
3735 will try to use the target memory map to decide if software or hardware
3736 breakpoint must be used.
3737
3738 @item set breakpoint auto-hw off
3739 This indicates @value{GDBN} should not automatically select breakpoint
3740 type. If the target provides a memory map, @value{GDBN} will warn when
3741 trying to set software breakpoint at a read-only address.
3742 @end table
3743
3744 @value{GDBN} normally implements breakpoints by replacing the program code
3745 at the breakpoint address with a special instruction, which, when
3746 executed, given control to the debugger. By default, the program
3747 code is so modified only when the program is resumed. As soon as
3748 the program stops, @value{GDBN} restores the original instructions. This
3749 behaviour guards against leaving breakpoints inserted in the
3750 target should gdb abrubptly disconnect. However, with slow remote
3751 targets, inserting and removing breakpoint can reduce the performance.
3752 This behavior can be controlled with the following commands::
3753
3754 @kindex set breakpoint always-inserted
3755 @kindex show breakpoint always-inserted
3756 @table @code
3757 @item set breakpoint always-inserted off
3758 All breakpoints, including newly added by the user, are inserted in
3759 the target only when the target is resumed. All breakpoints are
3760 removed from the target when it stops.
3761
3762 @item set breakpoint always-inserted on
3763 Causes all breakpoints to be inserted in the target at all times. If
3764 the user adds a new breakpoint, or changes an existing breakpoint, the
3765 breakpoints in the target are updated immediately. A breakpoint is
3766 removed from the target only when breakpoint itself is removed.
3767
3768 @cindex non-stop mode, and @code{breakpoint always-inserted}
3769 @item set breakpoint always-inserted auto
3770 This is the default mode. If @value{GDBN} is controlling the inferior
3771 in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}), gdb behaves as if
3772 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is on. If @value{GDBN} is
3773 controlling the inferior in all-stop mode, @value{GDBN} behaves as if
3774 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is off.
3775 @end table
3776
3777 @value{GDBN} handles conditional breakpoints by evaluating these conditions
3778 when a breakpoint breaks. If the condition is true, then the process being
3779 debugged stops, otherwise the process is resumed.
3780
3781 If the target supports evaluating conditions on its end, @value{GDBN} may
3782 download the breakpoint, together with its conditions, to it.
3783
3784 This feature can be controlled via the following commands:
3785
3786 @kindex set breakpoint condition-evaluation
3787 @kindex show breakpoint condition-evaluation
3788 @table @code
3789 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation host
3790 This option commands @value{GDBN} to evaluate the breakpoint
3791 conditions on the host's side. Unconditional breakpoints are sent to
3792 the target which in turn receives the triggers and reports them back to GDB
3793 for condition evaluation. This is the standard evaluation mode.
3794
3795 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation target
3796 This option commands @value{GDBN} to download breakpoint conditions
3797 to the target at the moment of their insertion. The target
3798 is responsible for evaluating the conditional expression and reporting
3799 breakpoint stop events back to @value{GDBN} whenever the condition
3800 is true. Due to limitations of target-side evaluation, some conditions
3801 cannot be evaluated there, e.g., conditions that depend on local data
3802 that is only known to the host. Examples include
3803 conditional expressions involving convenience variables, complex types
3804 that cannot be handled by the agent expression parser and expressions
3805 that are too long to be sent over to the target, specially when the
3806 target is a remote system. In these cases, the conditions will be
3807 evaluated by @value{GDBN}.
3808
3809 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation auto
3810 This is the default mode. If the target supports evaluating breakpoint
3811 conditions on its end, @value{GDBN} will download breakpoint conditions to
3812 the target (limitations mentioned previously apply). If the target does
3813 not support breakpoint condition evaluation, then @value{GDBN} will fallback
3814 to evaluating all these conditions on the host's side.
3815 @end table
3816
3817
3818 @cindex negative breakpoint numbers
3819 @cindex internal @value{GDBN} breakpoints
3820 @value{GDBN} itself sometimes sets breakpoints in your program for
3821 special purposes, such as proper handling of @code{longjmp} (in C
3822 programs). These internal breakpoints are assigned negative numbers,
3823 starting with @code{-1}; @samp{info breakpoints} does not display them.
3824 You can see these breakpoints with the @value{GDBN} maintenance command
3825 @samp{maint info breakpoints} (@pxref{maint info breakpoints}).
3826
3827
3828 @node Set Watchpoints
3829 @subsection Setting Watchpoints
3830
3831 @cindex setting watchpoints
3832 You can use a watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an
3833 expression changes, without having to predict a particular place where
3834 this may happen. (This is sometimes called a @dfn{data breakpoint}.)
3835 The expression may be as simple as the value of a single variable, or
3836 as complex as many variables combined by operators. Examples include:
3837
3838 @itemize @bullet
3839 @item
3840 A reference to the value of a single variable.
3841
3842 @item
3843 An address cast to an appropriate data type. For example,
3844 @samp{*(int *)0x12345678} will watch a 4-byte region at the specified
3845 address (assuming an @code{int} occupies 4 bytes).
3846
3847 @item
3848 An arbitrarily complex expression, such as @samp{a*b + c/d}. The
3849 expression can use any operators valid in the program's native
3850 language (@pxref{Languages}).
3851 @end itemize
3852
3853 You can set a watchpoint on an expression even if the expression can
3854 not be evaluated yet. For instance, you can set a watchpoint on
3855 @samp{*global_ptr} before @samp{global_ptr} is initialized.
3856 @value{GDBN} will stop when your program sets @samp{global_ptr} and
3857 the expression produces a valid value. If the expression becomes
3858 valid in some other way than changing a variable (e.g.@: if the memory
3859 pointed to by @samp{*global_ptr} becomes readable as the result of a
3860 @code{malloc} call), @value{GDBN} may not stop until the next time
3861 the expression changes.
3862
3863 @cindex software watchpoints
3864 @cindex hardware watchpoints
3865 Depending on your system, watchpoints may be implemented in software or
3866 hardware. @value{GDBN} does software watchpointing by single-stepping your
3867 program and testing the variable's value each time, which is hundreds of
3868 times slower than normal execution. (But this may still be worth it, to
3869 catch errors where you have no clue what part of your program is the
3870 culprit.)
3871
3872 On some systems, such as HP-UX, PowerPC, @sc{gnu}/Linux and most other
3873 x86-based targets, @value{GDBN} includes support for hardware
3874 watchpoints, which do not slow down the running of your program.
3875
3876 @table @code
3877 @kindex watch
3878 @item watch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3879 Set a watchpoint for an expression. @value{GDBN} will break when the
3880 expression @var{expr} is written into by the program and its value
3881 changes. The simplest (and the most popular) use of this command is
3882 to watch the value of a single variable:
3883
3884 @smallexample
3885 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo
3886 @end smallexample
3887
3888 If the command includes a @code{@r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}}
3889 argument, @value{GDBN} breaks only when the thread identified by
3890 @var{threadnum} changes the value of @var{expr}. If any other threads
3891 change the value of @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} will not break. Note
3892 that watchpoints restricted to a single thread in this way only work
3893 with Hardware Watchpoints.
3894
3895 Ordinarily a watchpoint respects the scope of variables in @var{expr}
3896 (see below). The @code{-location} argument tells @value{GDBN} to
3897 instead watch the memory referred to by @var{expr}. In this case,
3898 @value{GDBN} will evaluate @var{expr}, take the address of the result,
3899 and watch the memory at that address. The type of the result is used
3900 to determine the size of the watched memory. If the expression's
3901 result does not have an address, then @value{GDBN} will print an
3902 error.
3903
3904 The @code{@r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}} argument allows creation
3905 of masked watchpoints, if the current architecture supports this
3906 feature (e.g., PowerPC Embedded architecture, see @ref{PowerPC
3907 Embedded}.) A @dfn{masked watchpoint} specifies a mask in addition
3908 to an address to watch. The mask specifies that some bits of an address
3909 (the bits which are reset in the mask) should be ignored when matching
3910 the address accessed by the inferior against the watchpoint address.
3911 Thus, a masked watchpoint watches many addresses simultaneously---those
3912 addresses whose unmasked bits are identical to the unmasked bits in the
3913 watchpoint address. The @code{mask} argument implies @code{-location}.
3914 Examples:
3915
3916 @smallexample
3917 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo mask 0xffff00ff
3918 (@value{GDBP}) watch *0xdeadbeef mask 0xffffff00
3919 @end smallexample
3920
3921 @kindex rwatch
3922 @item rwatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3923 Set a watchpoint that will break when the value of @var{expr} is read
3924 by the program.
3925
3926 @kindex awatch
3927 @item awatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3928 Set a watchpoint that will break when @var{expr} is either read from
3929 or written into by the program.
3930
3931 @kindex info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3932 @item info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3933 This command prints a list of watchpoints, using the same format as
3934 @code{info break} (@pxref{Set Breaks}).
3935 @end table
3936
3937 If you watch for a change in a numerically entered address you need to
3938 dereference it, as the address itself is just a constant number which will
3939 never change. @value{GDBN} refuses to create a watchpoint that watches
3940 a never-changing value:
3941
3942 @smallexample
3943 (@value{GDBP}) watch 0x600850
3944 Cannot watch constant value 0x600850.
3945 (@value{GDBP}) watch *(int *) 0x600850
3946 Watchpoint 1: *(int *) 6293584
3947 @end smallexample
3948
3949 @value{GDBN} sets a @dfn{hardware watchpoint} if possible. Hardware
3950 watchpoints execute very quickly, and the debugger reports a change in
3951 value at the exact instruction where the change occurs. If @value{GDBN}
3952 cannot set a hardware watchpoint, it sets a software watchpoint, which
3953 executes more slowly and reports the change in value at the next
3954 @emph{statement}, not the instruction, after the change occurs.
3955
3956 @cindex use only software watchpoints
3957 You can force @value{GDBN} to use only software watchpoints with the
3958 @kbd{set can-use-hw-watchpoints 0} command. With this variable set to
3959 zero, @value{GDBN} will never try to use hardware watchpoints, even if
3960 the underlying system supports them. (Note that hardware-assisted
3961 watchpoints that were set @emph{before} setting
3962 @code{can-use-hw-watchpoints} to zero will still use the hardware
3963 mechanism of watching expression values.)
3964
3965 @table @code
3966 @item set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3967 @kindex set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3968 Set whether or not to use hardware watchpoints.
3969
3970 @item show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3971 @kindex show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3972 Show the current mode of using hardware watchpoints.
3973 @end table
3974
3975 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3976 watchpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3977 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3978
3979 When you issue the @code{watch} command, @value{GDBN} reports
3980
3981 @smallexample
3982 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: @var{expr}
3983 @end smallexample
3984
3985 @noindent
3986 if it was able to set a hardware watchpoint.
3987
3988 Currently, the @code{awatch} and @code{rwatch} commands can only set
3989 hardware watchpoints, because accesses to data that don't change the
3990 value of the watched expression cannot be detected without examining
3991 every instruction as it is being executed, and @value{GDBN} does not do
3992 that currently. If @value{GDBN} finds that it is unable to set a
3993 hardware breakpoint with the @code{awatch} or @code{rwatch} command, it
3994 will print a message like this:
3995
3996 @smallexample
3997 Expression cannot be implemented with read/access watchpoint.
3998 @end smallexample
3999
4000 Sometimes, @value{GDBN} cannot set a hardware watchpoint because the
4001 data type of the watched expression is wider than what a hardware
4002 watchpoint on the target machine can handle. For example, some systems
4003 can only watch regions that are up to 4 bytes wide; on such systems you
4004 cannot set hardware watchpoints for an expression that yields a
4005 double-precision floating-point number (which is typically 8 bytes
4006 wide). As a work-around, it might be possible to break the large region
4007 into a series of smaller ones and watch them with separate watchpoints.
4008
4009 If you set too many hardware watchpoints, @value{GDBN} might be unable
4010 to insert all of them when you resume the execution of your program.
4011 Since the precise number of active watchpoints is unknown until such
4012 time as the program is about to be resumed, @value{GDBN} might not be
4013 able to warn you about this when you set the watchpoints, and the
4014 warning will be printed only when the program is resumed:
4015
4016 @smallexample
4017 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: Could not insert watchpoint
4018 @end smallexample
4019
4020 @noindent
4021 If this happens, delete or disable some of the watchpoints.
4022
4023 Watching complex expressions that reference many variables can also
4024 exhaust the resources available for hardware-assisted watchpoints.
4025 That's because @value{GDBN} needs to watch every variable in the
4026 expression with separately allocated resources.
4027
4028 If you call a function interactively using @code{print} or @code{call},
4029 any watchpoints you have set will be inactive until @value{GDBN} reaches another
4030 kind of breakpoint or the call completes.
4031
4032 @value{GDBN} automatically deletes watchpoints that watch local
4033 (automatic) variables, or expressions that involve such variables, when
4034 they go out of scope, that is, when the execution leaves the block in
4035 which these variables were defined. In particular, when the program
4036 being debugged terminates, @emph{all} local variables go out of scope,
4037 and so only watchpoints that watch global variables remain set. If you
4038 rerun the program, you will need to set all such watchpoints again. One
4039 way of doing that would be to set a code breakpoint at the entry to the
4040 @code{main} function and when it breaks, set all the watchpoints.
4041
4042 @cindex watchpoints and threads
4043 @cindex threads and watchpoints
4044 In multi-threaded programs, watchpoints will detect changes to the
4045 watched expression from every thread.
4046
4047 @quotation
4048 @emph{Warning:} In multi-threaded programs, software watchpoints
4049 have only limited usefulness. If @value{GDBN} creates a software
4050 watchpoint, it can only watch the value of an expression @emph{in a
4051 single thread}. If you are confident that the expression can only
4052 change due to the current thread's activity (and if you are also
4053 confident that no other thread can become current), then you can use
4054 software watchpoints as usual. However, @value{GDBN} may not notice
4055 when a non-current thread's activity changes the expression. (Hardware
4056 watchpoints, in contrast, watch an expression in all threads.)
4057 @end quotation
4058
4059 @xref{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}.
4060
4061 @node Set Catchpoints
4062 @subsection Setting Catchpoints
4063 @cindex catchpoints, setting
4064 @cindex exception handlers
4065 @cindex event handling
4066
4067 You can use @dfn{catchpoints} to cause the debugger to stop for certain
4068 kinds of program events, such as C@t{++} exceptions or the loading of a
4069 shared library. Use the @code{catch} command to set a catchpoint.
4070
4071 @table @code
4072 @kindex catch
4073 @item catch @var{event}
4074 Stop when @var{event} occurs. @var{event} can be any of the following:
4075
4076 @table @code
4077 @item throw @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4078 @itemx rethrow @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4079 @itemx catch @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4080 @cindex stop on C@t{++} exceptions
4081 The throwing, re-throwing, or catching of a C@t{++} exception.
4082
4083 If @var{regexp} is given, then only exceptions whose type matches the
4084 regular expression will be caught.
4085
4086 @vindex $_exception@r{, convenience variable}
4087 The convenience variable @code{$_exception} is available at an
4088 exception-related catchpoint, on some systems. This holds the
4089 exception being thrown.
4090
4091 There are currently some limitations to C@t{++} exception handling in
4092 @value{GDBN}:
4093
4094 @itemize @bullet
4095 @item
4096 The support for these commands is system-dependent. Currently, only
4097 systems using the @samp{gnu-v3} C@t{++} ABI (@pxref{ABI}) are
4098 supported.
4099
4100 @item
4101 The regular expression feature and the @code{$_exception} convenience
4102 variable rely on the presence of some SDT probes in @code{libstdc++}.
4103 If these probes are not present, then these features cannot be used.
4104 These probes were first available in the GCC 4.8 release, but whether
4105 or not they are available in your GCC also depends on how it was
4106 built.
4107
4108 @item
4109 The @code{$_exception} convenience variable is only valid at the
4110 instruction at which an exception-related catchpoint is set.
4111
4112 @item
4113 When an exception-related catchpoint is hit, @value{GDBN} stops at a
4114 location in the system library which implements runtime exception
4115 support for C@t{++}, usually @code{libstdc++}. You can use @code{up}
4116 (@pxref{Selection}) to get to your code.
4117
4118 @item
4119 If you call a function interactively, @value{GDBN} normally returns
4120 control to you when the function has finished executing. If the call
4121 raises an exception, however, the call may bypass the mechanism that
4122 returns control to you and cause your program either to abort or to
4123 simply continue running until it hits a breakpoint, catches a signal
4124 that @value{GDBN} is listening for, or exits. This is the case even if
4125 you set a catchpoint for the exception; catchpoints on exceptions are
4126 disabled within interactive calls. @xref{Calling}, for information on
4127 controlling this with @code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception}.
4128
4129 @item
4130 You cannot raise an exception interactively.
4131
4132 @item
4133 You cannot install an exception handler interactively.
4134 @end itemize
4135
4136 @item exception
4137 @cindex Ada exception catching
4138 @cindex catch Ada exceptions
4139 An Ada exception being raised. If an exception name is specified
4140 at the end of the command (eg @code{catch exception Program_Error}),
4141 the debugger will stop only when this specific exception is raised.
4142 Otherwise, the debugger stops execution when any Ada exception is raised.
4143
4144 When inserting an exception catchpoint on a user-defined exception whose
4145 name is identical to one of the exceptions defined by the language, the
4146 fully qualified name must be used as the exception name. Otherwise,
4147 @value{GDBN} will assume that it should stop on the pre-defined exception
4148 rather than the user-defined one. For instance, assuming an exception
4149 called @code{Constraint_Error} is defined in package @code{Pck}, then
4150 the command to use to catch such exceptions is @kbd{catch exception
4151 Pck.Constraint_Error}.
4152
4153 @item exception unhandled
4154 An exception that was raised but is not handled by the program.
4155
4156 @item assert
4157 A failed Ada assertion.
4158
4159 @item exec
4160 @cindex break on fork/exec
4161 A call to @code{exec}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4162 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4163
4164 @item syscall
4165 @itemx syscall @r{[}@var{name} @r{|} @var{number}@r{]} @dots{}
4166 @cindex break on a system call.
4167 A call to or return from a system call, a.k.a.@: @dfn{syscall}. A
4168 syscall is a mechanism for application programs to request a service
4169 from the operating system (OS) or one of the OS system services.
4170 @value{GDBN} can catch some or all of the syscalls issued by the
4171 debuggee, and show the related information for each syscall. If no
4172 argument is specified, calls to and returns from all system calls
4173 will be caught.
4174
4175 @var{name} can be any system call name that is valid for the
4176 underlying OS. Just what syscalls are valid depends on the OS. On
4177 GNU and Unix systems, you can find the full list of valid syscall
4178 names on @file{/usr/include/asm/unistd.h}.
4179
4180 @c For MS-Windows, the syscall names and the corresponding numbers
4181 @c can be found, e.g., on this URL:
4182 @c http://www.metasploit.com/users/opcode/syscalls.html
4183 @c but we don't support Windows syscalls yet.
4184
4185 Normally, @value{GDBN} knows in advance which syscalls are valid for
4186 each OS, so you can use the @value{GDBN} command-line completion
4187 facilities (@pxref{Completion,, command completion}) to list the
4188 available choices.
4189
4190 You may also specify the system call numerically. A syscall's
4191 number is the value passed to the OS's syscall dispatcher to
4192 identify the requested service. When you specify the syscall by its
4193 name, @value{GDBN} uses its database of syscalls to convert the name
4194 into the corresponding numeric code, but using the number directly
4195 may be useful if @value{GDBN}'s database does not have the complete
4196 list of syscalls on your system (e.g., because @value{GDBN} lags
4197 behind the OS upgrades).
4198
4199 The example below illustrates how this command works if you don't provide
4200 arguments to it:
4201
4202 @smallexample
4203 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4204 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4205 (@value{GDBP}) r
4206 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4207
4208 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'close'), \
4209 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4210 (@value{GDBP}) c
4211 Continuing.
4212
4213 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'close'), \
4214 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4215 (@value{GDBP})
4216 @end smallexample
4217
4218 Here is an example of catching a system call by name:
4219
4220 @smallexample
4221 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall chroot
4222 Catchpoint 1 (syscall 'chroot' [61])
4223 (@value{GDBP}) r
4224 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4225
4226 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'chroot'), \
4227 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4228 (@value{GDBP}) c
4229 Continuing.
4230
4231 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'chroot'), \
4232 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4233 (@value{GDBP})
4234 @end smallexample
4235
4236 An example of specifying a system call numerically. In the case
4237 below, the syscall number has a corresponding entry in the XML
4238 file, so @value{GDBN} finds its name and prints it:
4239
4240 @smallexample
4241 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4242 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 'exit_group')
4243 (@value{GDBP}) r
4244 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4245
4246 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'exit_group'), \
4247 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4248 (@value{GDBP}) c
4249 Continuing.
4250
4251 Program exited normally.
4252 (@value{GDBP})
4253 @end smallexample
4254
4255 However, there can be situations when there is no corresponding name
4256 in XML file for that syscall number. In this case, @value{GDBN} prints
4257 a warning message saying that it was not able to find the syscall name,
4258 but the catchpoint will be set anyway. See the example below:
4259
4260 @smallexample
4261 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 764
4262 warning: The number '764' does not represent a known syscall.
4263 Catchpoint 2 (syscall 764)
4264 (@value{GDBP})
4265 @end smallexample
4266
4267 If you configure @value{GDBN} using the @samp{--without-expat} option,
4268 it will not be able to display syscall names. Also, if your
4269 architecture does not have an XML file describing its system calls,
4270 you will not be able to see the syscall names. It is important to
4271 notice that these two features are used for accessing the syscall
4272 name database. In either case, you will see a warning like this:
4273
4274 @smallexample
4275 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4276 warning: Could not open "syscalls/i386-linux.xml"
4277 warning: Could not load the syscall XML file 'syscalls/i386-linux.xml'.
4278 GDB will not be able to display syscall names.
4279 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4280 (@value{GDBP})
4281 @end smallexample
4282
4283 Of course, the file name will change depending on your architecture and system.
4284
4285 Still using the example above, you can also try to catch a syscall by its
4286 number. In this case, you would see something like:
4287
4288 @smallexample
4289 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4290 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 252)
4291 @end smallexample
4292
4293 Again, in this case @value{GDBN} would not be able to display syscall's names.
4294
4295 @item fork
4296 A call to @code{fork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4297 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4298
4299 @item vfork
4300 A call to @code{vfork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4301 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4302
4303 @item load @r{[}regexp@r{]}
4304 @itemx unload @r{[}regexp@r{]}
4305 The loading or unloading of a shared library. If @var{regexp} is
4306 given, then the catchpoint will stop only if the regular expression
4307 matches one of the affected libraries.
4308
4309 @item signal @r{[}@var{signal}@dots{} @r{|} @samp{all}@r{]}
4310 The delivery of a signal.
4311
4312 With no arguments, this catchpoint will catch any signal that is not
4313 used internally by @value{GDBN}, specifically, all signals except
4314 @samp{SIGTRAP} and @samp{SIGINT}.
4315
4316 With the argument @samp{all}, all signals, including those used by
4317 @value{GDBN}, will be caught. This argument cannot be used with other
4318 signal names.
4319
4320 Otherwise, the arguments are a list of signal names as given to
4321 @code{handle} (@pxref{Signals}). Only signals specified in this list
4322 will be caught.
4323
4324 One reason that @code{catch signal} can be more useful than
4325 @code{handle} is that you can attach commands and conditions to the
4326 catchpoint.
4327
4328 When a signal is caught by a catchpoint, the signal's @code{stop} and
4329 @code{print} settings, as specified by @code{handle}, are ignored.
4330 However, whether the signal is still delivered to the inferior depends
4331 on the @code{pass} setting; this can be changed in the catchpoint's
4332 commands.
4333
4334 @end table
4335
4336 @item tcatch @var{event}
4337 Set a catchpoint that is enabled only for one stop. The catchpoint is
4338 automatically deleted after the first time the event is caught.
4339
4340 @end table
4341
4342 Use the @code{info break} command to list the current catchpoints.
4343
4344
4345 @node Delete Breaks
4346 @subsection Deleting Breakpoints
4347
4348 @cindex clearing breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4349 @cindex deleting breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4350 It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint, watchpoint, or
4351 catchpoint once it has done its job and you no longer want your program
4352 to stop there. This is called @dfn{deleting} the breakpoint. A
4353 breakpoint that has been deleted no longer exists; it is forgotten.
4354
4355 With the @code{clear} command you can delete breakpoints according to
4356 where they are in your program. With the @code{delete} command you can
4357 delete individual breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints by specifying
4358 their breakpoint numbers.
4359
4360 It is not necessary to delete a breakpoint to proceed past it. @value{GDBN}
4361 automatically ignores breakpoints on the first instruction to be executed
4362 when you continue execution without changing the execution address.
4363
4364 @table @code
4365 @kindex clear
4366 @item clear
4367 Delete any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in the
4368 selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). When
4369 the innermost frame is selected, this is a good way to delete a
4370 breakpoint where your program just stopped.
4371
4372 @item clear @var{location}
4373 Delete any breakpoints set at the specified @var{location}.
4374 @xref{Specify Location}, for the various forms of @var{location}; the
4375 most useful ones are listed below:
4376
4377 @table @code
4378 @item clear @var{function}
4379 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{function}
4380 Delete any breakpoints set at entry to the named @var{function}.
4381
4382 @item clear @var{linenum}
4383 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
4384 Delete any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specified
4385 @var{linenum} of the specified @var{filename}.
4386 @end table
4387
4388 @cindex delete breakpoints
4389 @kindex delete
4390 @kindex d @r{(@code{delete})}
4391 @item delete @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4392 Delete the breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints of the breakpoint
4393 ranges specified as arguments. If no argument is specified, delete all
4394 breakpoints (@value{GDBN} asks confirmation, unless you have @code{set
4395 confirm off}). You can abbreviate this command as @code{d}.
4396 @end table
4397
4398 @node Disabling
4399 @subsection Disabling Breakpoints
4400
4401 @cindex enable/disable a breakpoint
4402 Rather than deleting a breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint, you might
4403 prefer to @dfn{disable} it. This makes the breakpoint inoperative as if
4404 it had been deleted, but remembers the information on the breakpoint so
4405 that you can @dfn{enable} it again later.
4406
4407 You disable and enable breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints with
4408 the @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands, optionally specifying
4409 one or more breakpoint numbers as arguments. Use @code{info break} to
4410 print a list of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints if you
4411 do not know which numbers to use.
4412
4413 Disabling and enabling a breakpoint that has multiple locations
4414 affects all of its locations.
4415
4416 A breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint can have any of several
4417 different states of enablement:
4418
4419 @itemize @bullet
4420 @item
4421 Enabled. The breakpoint stops your program. A breakpoint set
4422 with the @code{break} command starts out in this state.
4423 @item
4424 Disabled. The breakpoint has no effect on your program.
4425 @item
4426 Enabled once. The breakpoint stops your program, but then becomes
4427 disabled.
4428 @item
4429 Enabled for a count. The breakpoint stops your program for the next
4430 N times, then becomes disabled.
4431 @item
4432 Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint stops your program, but
4433 immediately after it does so it is deleted permanently. A breakpoint
4434 set with the @code{tbreak} command starts out in this state.
4435 @end itemize
4436
4437 You can use the following commands to enable or disable breakpoints,
4438 watchpoints, and catchpoints:
4439
4440 @table @code
4441 @kindex disable
4442 @kindex dis @r{(@code{disable})}
4443 @item disable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4444 Disable the specified breakpoints---or all breakpoints, if none are
4445 listed. A disabled breakpoint has no effect but is not forgotten. All
4446 options such as ignore-counts, conditions and commands are remembered in
4447 case the breakpoint is enabled again later. You may abbreviate
4448 @code{disable} as @code{dis}.
4449
4450 @kindex enable
4451 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4452 Enable the specified breakpoints (or all defined breakpoints). They
4453 become effective once again in stopping your program.
4454
4455 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} once @var{range}@dots{}
4456 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} disables any
4457 of these breakpoints immediately after stopping your program.
4458
4459 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} count @var{count} @var{range}@dots{}
4460 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} records
4461 @var{count} with each of the specified breakpoints, and decrements a
4462 breakpoint's count when it is hit. When any count reaches 0,
4463 @value{GDBN} disables that breakpoint. If a breakpoint has an ignore
4464 count (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}), that will be
4465 decremented to 0 before @var{count} is affected.
4466
4467 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} delete @var{range}@dots{}
4468 Enable the specified breakpoints to work once, then die. @value{GDBN}
4469 deletes any of these breakpoints as soon as your program stops there.
4470 Breakpoints set by the @code{tbreak} command start out in this state.
4471 @end table
4472
4473 @c FIXME: I think the following ``Except for [...] @code{tbreak}'' is
4474 @c confusing: tbreak is also initially enabled.
4475 Except for a breakpoint set with @code{tbreak} (@pxref{Set Breaks,
4476 ,Setting Breakpoints}), breakpoints that you set are initially enabled;
4477 subsequently, they become disabled or enabled only when you use one of
4478 the commands above. (The command @code{until} can set and delete a
4479 breakpoint of its own, but it does not change the state of your other
4480 breakpoints; see @ref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and
4481 Stepping}.)
4482
4483 @node Conditions
4484 @subsection Break Conditions
4485 @cindex conditional breakpoints
4486 @cindex breakpoint conditions
4487
4488 @c FIXME what is scope of break condition expr? Context where wanted?
4489 @c in particular for a watchpoint?
4490 The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time your program reaches a
4491 specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for a
4492 breakpoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
4493 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A breakpoint with
4494 a condition evaluates the expression each time your program reaches it,
4495 and your program stops only if the condition is @emph{true}.
4496
4497 This is the converse of using assertions for program validation; in that
4498 situation, you want to stop when the assertion is violated---that is,
4499 when the condition is false. In C, if you want to test an assertion expressed
4500 by the condition @var{assert}, you should set the condition
4501 @samp{! @var{assert}} on the appropriate breakpoint.
4502
4503 Conditions are also accepted for watchpoints; you may not need them,
4504 since a watchpoint is inspecting the value of an expression anyhow---but
4505 it might be simpler, say, to just set a watchpoint on a variable name,
4506 and specify a condition that tests whether the new value is an interesting
4507 one.
4508
4509 Break conditions can have side effects, and may even call functions in
4510 your program. This can be useful, for example, to activate functions
4511 that log program progress, or to use your own print functions to
4512 format special data structures. The effects are completely predictable
4513 unless there is another enabled breakpoint at the same address. (In
4514 that case, @value{GDBN} might see the other breakpoint first and stop your
4515 program without checking the condition of this one.) Note that
4516 breakpoint commands are usually more convenient and flexible than break
4517 conditions for the
4518 purpose of performing side effects when a breakpoint is reached
4519 (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}).
4520
4521 Breakpoint conditions can also be evaluated on the target's side if
4522 the target supports it. Instead of evaluating the conditions locally,
4523 @value{GDBN} encodes the expression into an agent expression
4524 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}) suitable for execution on the target,
4525 independently of @value{GDBN}. Global variables become raw memory
4526 locations, locals become stack accesses, and so forth.
4527
4528 In this case, @value{GDBN} will only be notified of a breakpoint trigger
4529 when its condition evaluates to true. This mechanism may provide faster
4530 response times depending on the performance characteristics of the target
4531 since it does not need to keep @value{GDBN} informed about
4532 every breakpoint trigger, even those with false conditions.
4533
4534 Break conditions can be specified when a breakpoint is set, by using
4535 @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{break} command. @xref{Set
4536 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}. They can also be changed at any time
4537 with the @code{condition} command.
4538
4539 You can also use the @code{if} keyword with the @code{watch} command.
4540 The @code{catch} command does not recognize the @code{if} keyword;
4541 @code{condition} is the only way to impose a further condition on a
4542 catchpoint.
4543
4544 @table @code
4545 @kindex condition
4546 @item condition @var{bnum} @var{expression}
4547 Specify @var{expression} as the break condition for breakpoint,
4548 watchpoint, or catchpoint number @var{bnum}. After you set a condition,
4549 breakpoint @var{bnum} stops your program only if the value of
4550 @var{expression} is true (nonzero, in C). When you use
4551 @code{condition}, @value{GDBN} checks @var{expression} immediately for
4552 syntactic correctness, and to determine whether symbols in it have
4553 referents in the context of your breakpoint. If @var{expression} uses
4554 symbols not referenced in the context of the breakpoint, @value{GDBN}
4555 prints an error message:
4556
4557 @smallexample
4558 No symbol "foo" in current context.
4559 @end smallexample
4560
4561 @noindent
4562 @value{GDBN} does
4563 not actually evaluate @var{expression} at the time the @code{condition}
4564 command (or a command that sets a breakpoint with a condition, like
4565 @code{break if @dots{}}) is given, however. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
4566
4567 @item condition @var{bnum}
4568 Remove the condition from breakpoint number @var{bnum}. It becomes
4569 an ordinary unconditional breakpoint.
4570 @end table
4571
4572 @cindex ignore count (of breakpoint)
4573 A special case of a breakpoint condition is to stop only when the
4574 breakpoint has been reached a certain number of times. This is so
4575 useful that there is a special way to do it, using the @dfn{ignore
4576 count} of the breakpoint. Every breakpoint has an ignore count, which
4577 is an integer. Most of the time, the ignore count is zero, and
4578 therefore has no effect. But if your program reaches a breakpoint whose
4579 ignore count is positive, then instead of stopping, it just decrements
4580 the ignore count by one and continues. As a result, if the ignore count
4581 value is @var{n}, the breakpoint does not stop the next @var{n} times
4582 your program reaches it.
4583
4584 @table @code
4585 @kindex ignore
4586 @item ignore @var{bnum} @var{count}
4587 Set the ignore count of breakpoint number @var{bnum} to @var{count}.
4588 The next @var{count} times the breakpoint is reached, your program's
4589 execution does not stop; other than to decrement the ignore count, @value{GDBN}
4590 takes no action.
4591
4592 To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify
4593 a count of zero.
4594
4595 When you use @code{continue} to resume execution of your program from a
4596 breakpoint, you can specify an ignore count directly as an argument to
4597 @code{continue}, rather than using @code{ignore}. @xref{Continuing and
4598 Stepping,,Continuing and Stepping}.
4599
4600 If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the
4601 condition is not checked. Once the ignore count reaches zero,
4602 @value{GDBN} resumes checking the condition.
4603
4604 You could achieve the effect of the ignore count with a condition such
4605 as @w{@samp{$foo-- <= 0}} using a debugger convenience variable that
4606 is decremented each time. @xref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
4607 Variables}.
4608 @end table
4609
4610 Ignore counts apply to breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints.
4611
4612
4613 @node Break Commands
4614 @subsection Breakpoint Command Lists
4615
4616 @cindex breakpoint commands
4617 You can give any breakpoint (or watchpoint or catchpoint) a series of
4618 commands to execute when your program stops due to that breakpoint. For
4619 example, you might want to print the values of certain expressions, or
4620 enable other breakpoints.
4621
4622 @table @code
4623 @kindex commands
4624 @kindex end@r{ (breakpoint commands)}
4625 @item commands @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4626 @itemx @dots{} @var{command-list} @dots{}
4627 @itemx end
4628 Specify a list of commands for the given breakpoints. The commands
4629 themselves appear on the following lines. Type a line containing just
4630 @code{end} to terminate the commands.
4631
4632 To remove all commands from a breakpoint, type @code{commands} and
4633 follow it immediately with @code{end}; that is, give no commands.
4634
4635 With no argument, @code{commands} refers to the last breakpoint,
4636 watchpoint, or catchpoint set (not to the breakpoint most recently
4637 encountered). If the most recent breakpoints were set with a single
4638 command, then the @code{commands} will apply to all the breakpoints
4639 set by that command. This applies to breakpoints set by
4640 @code{rbreak}, and also applies when a single @code{break} command
4641 creates multiple breakpoints (@pxref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous
4642 Expressions}).
4643 @end table
4644
4645 Pressing @key{RET} as a means of repeating the last @value{GDBN} command is
4646 disabled within a @var{command-list}.
4647
4648 You can use breakpoint commands to start your program up again. Simply
4649 use the @code{continue} command, or @code{step}, or any other command
4650 that resumes execution.
4651
4652 Any other commands in the command list, after a command that resumes
4653 execution, are ignored. This is because any time you resume execution
4654 (even with a simple @code{next} or @code{step}), you may encounter
4655 another breakpoint---which could have its own command list, leading to
4656 ambiguities about which list to execute.
4657
4658 @kindex silent
4659 If the first command you specify in a command list is @code{silent}, the
4660 usual message about stopping at a breakpoint is not printed. This may
4661 be desirable for breakpoints that are to print a specific message and
4662 then continue. If none of the remaining commands print anything, you
4663 see no sign that the breakpoint was reached. @code{silent} is
4664 meaningful only at the beginning of a breakpoint command list.
4665
4666 The commands @code{echo}, @code{output}, and @code{printf} allow you to
4667 print precisely controlled output, and are often useful in silent
4668 breakpoints. @xref{Output, ,Commands for Controlled Output}.
4669
4670 For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print the
4671 value of @code{x} at entry to @code{foo} whenever @code{x} is positive.
4672
4673 @smallexample
4674 break foo if x>0
4675 commands
4676 silent
4677 printf "x is %d\n",x
4678 cont
4679 end
4680 @end smallexample
4681
4682 One application for breakpoint commands is to compensate for one bug so
4683 you can test for another. Put a breakpoint just after the erroneous line
4684 of code, give it a condition to detect the case in which something
4685 erroneous has been done, and give it commands to assign correct values
4686 to any variables that need them. End with the @code{continue} command
4687 so that your program does not stop, and start with the @code{silent}
4688 command so that no output is produced. Here is an example:
4689
4690 @smallexample
4691 break 403
4692 commands
4693 silent
4694 set x = y + 4
4695 cont
4696 end
4697 @end smallexample
4698
4699 @node Dynamic Printf
4700 @subsection Dynamic Printf
4701
4702 @cindex dynamic printf
4703 @cindex dprintf
4704 The dynamic printf command @code{dprintf} combines a breakpoint with
4705 formatted printing of your program's data to give you the effect of
4706 inserting @code{printf} calls into your program on-the-fly, without
4707 having to recompile it.
4708
4709 In its most basic form, the output goes to the GDB console. However,
4710 you can set the variable @code{dprintf-style} for alternate handling.
4711 For instance, you can ask to format the output by calling your
4712 program's @code{printf} function. This has the advantage that the
4713 characters go to the program's output device, so they can recorded in
4714 redirects to files and so forth.
4715
4716 If you are doing remote debugging with a stub or agent, you can also
4717 ask to have the printf handled by the remote agent. In addition to
4718 ensuring that the output goes to the remote program's device along
4719 with any other output the program might produce, you can also ask that
4720 the dprintf remain active even after disconnecting from the remote
4721 target. Using the stub/agent is also more efficient, as it can do
4722 everything without needing to communicate with @value{GDBN}.
4723
4724 @table @code
4725 @kindex dprintf
4726 @item dprintf @var{location},@var{template},@var{expression}[,@var{expression}@dots{}]
4727 Whenever execution reaches @var{location}, print the values of one or
4728 more @var{expressions} under the control of the string @var{template}.
4729 To print several values, separate them with commas.
4730
4731 @item set dprintf-style @var{style}
4732 Set the dprintf output to be handled in one of several different
4733 styles enumerated below. A change of style affects all existing
4734 dynamic printfs immediately. (If you need individual control over the
4735 print commands, simply define normal breakpoints with
4736 explicitly-supplied command lists.)
4737
4738 @item gdb
4739 @kindex dprintf-style gdb
4740 Handle the output using the @value{GDBN} @code{printf} command.
4741
4742 @item call
4743 @kindex dprintf-style call
4744 Handle the output by calling a function in your program (normally
4745 @code{printf}).
4746
4747 @item agent
4748 @kindex dprintf-style agent
4749 Have the remote debugging agent (such as @code{gdbserver}) handle
4750 the output itself. This style is only available for agents that
4751 support running commands on the target.
4752
4753 @item set dprintf-function @var{function}
4754 Set the function to call if the dprintf style is @code{call}. By
4755 default its value is @code{printf}. You may set it to any expression.
4756 that @value{GDBN} can evaluate to a function, as per the @code{call}
4757 command.
4758
4759 @item set dprintf-channel @var{channel}
4760 Set a ``channel'' for dprintf. If set to a non-empty value,
4761 @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as an expression and pass the result as
4762 a first argument to the @code{dprintf-function}, in the manner of
4763 @code{fprintf} and similar functions. Otherwise, the dprintf format
4764 string will be the first argument, in the manner of @code{printf}.
4765
4766 As an example, if you wanted @code{dprintf} output to go to a logfile
4767 that is a standard I/O stream assigned to the variable @code{mylog},
4768 you could do the following:
4769
4770 @example
4771 (gdb) set dprintf-style call
4772 (gdb) set dprintf-function fprintf
4773 (gdb) set dprintf-channel mylog
4774 (gdb) dprintf 25,"at line 25, glob=%d\n",glob
4775 Dprintf 1 at 0x123456: file main.c, line 25.
4776 (gdb) info break
4777 1 dprintf keep y 0x00123456 in main at main.c:25
4778 call (void) fprintf (mylog,"at line 25, glob=%d\n",glob)
4779 continue
4780 (gdb)
4781 @end example
4782
4783 Note that the @code{info break} displays the dynamic printf commands
4784 as normal breakpoint commands; you can thus easily see the effect of
4785 the variable settings.
4786
4787 @item set disconnected-dprintf on
4788 @itemx set disconnected-dprintf off
4789 @kindex set disconnected-dprintf
4790 Choose whether @code{dprintf} commands should continue to run if
4791 @value{GDBN} has disconnected from the target. This only applies
4792 if the @code{dprintf-style} is @code{agent}.
4793
4794 @item show disconnected-dprintf off
4795 @kindex show disconnected-dprintf
4796 Show the current choice for disconnected @code{dprintf}.
4797
4798 @end table
4799
4800 @value{GDBN} does not check the validity of function and channel,
4801 relying on you to supply values that are meaningful for the contexts
4802 in which they are being used. For instance, the function and channel
4803 may be the values of local variables, but if that is the case, then
4804 all enabled dynamic prints must be at locations within the scope of
4805 those locals. If evaluation fails, @value{GDBN} will report an error.
4806
4807 @node Save Breakpoints
4808 @subsection How to save breakpoints to a file
4809
4810 To save breakpoint definitions to a file use the @w{@code{save
4811 breakpoints}} command.
4812
4813 @table @code
4814 @kindex save breakpoints
4815 @cindex save breakpoints to a file for future sessions
4816 @item save breakpoints [@var{filename}]
4817 This command saves all current breakpoint definitions together with
4818 their commands and ignore counts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
4819 suitable for use in a later debugging session. This includes all
4820 types of breakpoints (breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints,
4821 tracepoints). To read the saved breakpoint definitions, use the
4822 @code{source} command (@pxref{Command Files}). Note that watchpoints
4823 with expressions involving local variables may fail to be recreated
4824 because it may not be possible to access the context where the
4825 watchpoint is valid anymore. Because the saved breakpoint definitions
4826 are simply a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands that recreate the
4827 breakpoints, you can edit the file in your favorite editing program,
4828 and remove the breakpoint definitions you're not interested in, or
4829 that can no longer be recreated.
4830 @end table
4831
4832 @node Static Probe Points
4833 @subsection Static Probe Points
4834
4835 @cindex static probe point, SystemTap
4836 @value{GDBN} supports @dfn{SDT} probes in the code. @acronym{SDT} stands
4837 for Statically Defined Tracing, and the probes are designed to have a tiny
4838 runtime code and data footprint, and no dynamic relocations. They are
4839 usable from assembly, C and C@t{++} languages. See
4840 @uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/wiki/UserSpaceProbeImplementation}
4841 for a good reference on how the @acronym{SDT} probes are implemented.
4842
4843 Currently, @code{SystemTap} (@uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/})
4844 @acronym{SDT} probes are supported on ELF-compatible systems. See
4845 @uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/wiki/AddingUserSpaceProbingToApps}
4846 for more information on how to add @code{SystemTap} @acronym{SDT} probes
4847 in your applications.
4848
4849 @cindex semaphores on static probe points
4850 Some probes have an associated semaphore variable; for instance, this
4851 happens automatically if you defined your probe using a DTrace-style
4852 @file{.d} file. If your probe has a semaphore, @value{GDBN} will
4853 automatically enable it when you specify a breakpoint using the
4854 @samp{-probe-stap} notation. But, if you put a breakpoint at a probe's
4855 location by some other method (e.g., @code{break file:line}), then
4856 @value{GDBN} will not automatically set the semaphore.
4857
4858 You can examine the available static static probes using @code{info
4859 probes}, with optional arguments:
4860
4861 @table @code
4862 @kindex info probes
4863 @item info probes stap @r{[}@var{provider} @r{[}@var{name} @r{[}@var{objfile}@r{]}@r{]}@r{]}
4864 If given, @var{provider} is a regular expression used to match against provider
4865 names when selecting which probes to list. If omitted, probes by all
4866 probes from all providers are listed.
4867
4868 If given, @var{name} is a regular expression to match against probe names
4869 when selecting which probes to list. If omitted, probe names are not
4870 considered when deciding whether to display them.
4871
4872 If given, @var{objfile} is a regular expression used to select which
4873 object files (executable or shared libraries) to examine. If not
4874 given, all object files are considered.
4875
4876 @item info probes all
4877 List the available static probes, from all types.
4878 @end table
4879
4880 @vindex $_probe_arg@r{, convenience variable}
4881 A probe may specify up to twelve arguments. These are available at the
4882 point at which the probe is defined---that is, when the current PC is
4883 at the probe's location. The arguments are available using the
4884 convenience variables (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
4885 @code{$_probe_arg0}@dots{}@code{$_probe_arg11}. Each probe argument is
4886 an integer of the appropriate size; types are not preserved. The
4887 convenience variable @code{$_probe_argc} holds the number of arguments
4888 at the current probe point.
4889
4890 These variables are always available, but attempts to access them at
4891 any location other than a probe point will cause @value{GDBN} to give
4892 an error message.
4893
4894
4895 @c @ifclear BARETARGET
4896 @node Error in Breakpoints
4897 @subsection ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
4898
4899 If you request too many active hardware-assisted breakpoints and
4900 watchpoints, you will see this error message:
4901
4902 @c FIXME: the precise wording of this message may change; the relevant
4903 @c source change is not committed yet (Sep 3, 1999).
4904 @smallexample
4905 Stopped; cannot insert breakpoints.
4906 You may have requested too many hardware breakpoints and watchpoints.
4907 @end smallexample
4908
4909 @noindent
4910 This message is printed when you attempt to resume the program, since
4911 only then @value{GDBN} knows exactly how many hardware breakpoints and
4912 watchpoints it needs to insert.
4913
4914 When this message is printed, you need to disable or remove some of the
4915 hardware-assisted breakpoints and watchpoints, and then continue.
4916
4917 @node Breakpoint-related Warnings
4918 @subsection ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
4919 @cindex breakpoint address adjusted
4920
4921 Some processor architectures place constraints on the addresses at
4922 which breakpoints may be placed. For architectures thus constrained,
4923 @value{GDBN} will attempt to adjust the breakpoint's address to comply
4924 with the constraints dictated by the architecture.
4925
4926 One example of such an architecture is the Fujitsu FR-V. The FR-V is
4927 a VLIW architecture in which a number of RISC-like instructions may be
4928 bundled together for parallel execution. The FR-V architecture
4929 constrains the location of a breakpoint instruction within such a
4930 bundle to the instruction with the lowest address. @value{GDBN}
4931 honors this constraint by adjusting a breakpoint's address to the
4932 first in the bundle.
4933
4934 It is not uncommon for optimized code to have bundles which contain
4935 instructions from different source statements, thus it may happen that
4936 a breakpoint's address will be adjusted from one source statement to
4937 another. Since this adjustment may significantly alter @value{GDBN}'s
4938 breakpoint related behavior from what the user expects, a warning is
4939 printed when the breakpoint is first set and also when the breakpoint
4940 is hit.
4941
4942 A warning like the one below is printed when setting a breakpoint
4943 that's been subject to address adjustment:
4944
4945 @smallexample
4946 warning: Breakpoint address adjusted from 0x00010414 to 0x00010410.
4947 @end smallexample
4948
4949 Such warnings are printed both for user settable and @value{GDBN}'s
4950 internal breakpoints. If you see one of these warnings, you should
4951 verify that a breakpoint set at the adjusted address will have the
4952 desired affect. If not, the breakpoint in question may be removed and
4953 other breakpoints may be set which will have the desired behavior.
4954 E.g., it may be sufficient to place the breakpoint at a later
4955 instruction. A conditional breakpoint may also be useful in some
4956 cases to prevent the breakpoint from triggering too often.
4957
4958 @value{GDBN} will also issue a warning when stopping at one of these
4959 adjusted breakpoints:
4960
4961 @smallexample
4962 warning: Breakpoint 1 address previously adjusted from 0x00010414
4963 to 0x00010410.
4964 @end smallexample
4965
4966 When this warning is encountered, it may be too late to take remedial
4967 action except in cases where the breakpoint is hit earlier or more
4968 frequently than expected.
4969
4970 @node Continuing and Stepping
4971 @section Continuing and Stepping
4972
4973 @cindex stepping
4974 @cindex continuing
4975 @cindex resuming execution
4976 @dfn{Continuing} means resuming program execution until your program
4977 completes normally. In contrast, @dfn{stepping} means executing just
4978 one more ``step'' of your program, where ``step'' may mean either one
4979 line of source code, or one machine instruction (depending on what
4980 particular command you use). Either when continuing or when stepping,
4981 your program may stop even sooner, due to a breakpoint or a signal. (If
4982 it stops due to a signal, you may want to use @code{handle}, or use
4983 @samp{signal 0} to resume execution. @xref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
4984
4985 @table @code
4986 @kindex continue
4987 @kindex c @r{(@code{continue})}
4988 @kindex fg @r{(resume foreground execution)}
4989 @item continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4990 @itemx c @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4991 @itemx fg @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4992 Resume program execution, at the address where your program last stopped;
4993 any breakpoints set at that address are bypassed. The optional argument
4994 @var{ignore-count} allows you to specify a further number of times to
4995 ignore a breakpoint at this location; its effect is like that of
4996 @code{ignore} (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
4997
4998 The argument @var{ignore-count} is meaningful only when your program
4999 stopped due to a breakpoint. At other times, the argument to
5000 @code{continue} is ignored.
5001
5002 The synonyms @code{c} and @code{fg} (for @dfn{foreground}, as the
5003 debugged program is deemed to be the foreground program) are provided
5004 purely for convenience, and have exactly the same behavior as
5005 @code{continue}.
5006 @end table
5007
5008 To resume execution at a different place, you can use @code{return}
5009 (@pxref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}) to go back to the
5010 calling function; or @code{jump} (@pxref{Jumping, ,Continuing at a
5011 Different Address}) to go to an arbitrary location in your program.
5012
5013 A typical technique for using stepping is to set a breakpoint
5014 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Catchpoints}) at the
5015 beginning of the function or the section of your program where a problem
5016 is believed to lie, run your program until it stops at that breakpoint,
5017 and then step through the suspect area, examining the variables that are
5018 interesting, until you see the problem happen.
5019
5020 @table @code
5021 @kindex step
5022 @kindex s @r{(@code{step})}
5023 @item step
5024 Continue running your program until control reaches a different source
5025 line, then stop it and return control to @value{GDBN}. This command is
5026 abbreviated @code{s}.
5027
5028 @quotation
5029 @c "without debugging information" is imprecise; actually "without line
5030 @c numbers in the debugging information". (gcc -g1 has debugging info but
5031 @c not line numbers). But it seems complex to try to make that
5032 @c distinction here.
5033 @emph{Warning:} If you use the @code{step} command while control is
5034 within a function that was compiled without debugging information,
5035 execution proceeds until control reaches a function that does have
5036 debugging information. Likewise, it will not step into a function which
5037 is compiled without debugging information. To step through functions
5038 without debugging information, use the @code{stepi} command, described
5039 below.
5040 @end quotation
5041
5042 The @code{step} command only stops at the first instruction of a source
5043 line. This prevents the multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
5044 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc. @code{step} continues
5045 to stop if a function that has debugging information is called within
5046 the line. In other words, @code{step} @emph{steps inside} any functions
5047 called within the line.
5048
5049 Also, the @code{step} command only enters a function if there is line
5050 number information for the function. Otherwise it acts like the
5051 @code{next} command. This avoids problems when using @code{cc -gl}
5052 on @acronym{MIPS} machines. Previously, @code{step} entered subroutines if there
5053 was any debugging information about the routine.
5054
5055 @item step @var{count}
5056 Continue running as in @code{step}, but do so @var{count} times. If a
5057 breakpoint is reached, or a signal not related to stepping occurs before
5058 @var{count} steps, stepping stops right away.
5059
5060 @kindex next
5061 @kindex n @r{(@code{next})}
5062 @item next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5063 Continue to the next source line in the current (innermost) stack frame.
5064 This is similar to @code{step}, but function calls that appear within
5065 the line of code are executed without stopping. Execution stops when
5066 control reaches a different line of code at the original stack level
5067 that was executing when you gave the @code{next} command. This command
5068 is abbreviated @code{n}.
5069
5070 An argument @var{count} is a repeat count, as for @code{step}.
5071
5072
5073 @c FIX ME!! Do we delete this, or is there a way it fits in with
5074 @c the following paragraph? --- Vctoria
5075 @c
5076 @c @code{next} within a function that lacks debugging information acts like
5077 @c @code{step}, but any function calls appearing within the code of the
5078 @c function are executed without stopping.
5079
5080 The @code{next} command only stops at the first instruction of a
5081 source line. This prevents multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
5082 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc.
5083
5084 @kindex set step-mode
5085 @item set step-mode
5086 @cindex functions without line info, and stepping
5087 @cindex stepping into functions with no line info
5088 @itemx set step-mode on
5089 The @code{set step-mode on} command causes the @code{step} command to
5090 stop at the first instruction of a function which contains no debug line
5091 information rather than stepping over it.
5092
5093 This is useful in cases where you may be interested in inspecting the
5094 machine instructions of a function which has no symbolic info and do not
5095 want @value{GDBN} to automatically skip over this function.
5096
5097 @item set step-mode off
5098 Causes the @code{step} command to step over any functions which contains no
5099 debug information. This is the default.
5100
5101 @item show step-mode
5102 Show whether @value{GDBN} will stop in or step over functions without
5103 source line debug information.
5104
5105 @kindex finish
5106 @kindex fin @r{(@code{finish})}
5107 @item finish
5108 Continue running until just after function in the selected stack frame
5109 returns. Print the returned value (if any). This command can be
5110 abbreviated as @code{fin}.
5111
5112 Contrast this with the @code{return} command (@pxref{Returning,
5113 ,Returning from a Function}).
5114
5115 @kindex until
5116 @kindex u @r{(@code{until})}
5117 @cindex run until specified location
5118 @item until
5119 @itemx u
5120 Continue running until a source line past the current line, in the
5121 current stack frame, is reached. This command is used to avoid single
5122 stepping through a loop more than once. It is like the @code{next}
5123 command, except that when @code{until} encounters a jump, it
5124 automatically continues execution until the program counter is greater
5125 than the address of the jump.
5126
5127 This means that when you reach the end of a loop after single stepping
5128 though it, @code{until} makes your program continue execution until it
5129 exits the loop. In contrast, a @code{next} command at the end of a loop
5130 simply steps back to the beginning of the loop, which forces you to step
5131 through the next iteration.
5132
5133 @code{until} always stops your program if it attempts to exit the current
5134 stack frame.
5135
5136 @code{until} may produce somewhat counterintuitive results if the order
5137 of machine code does not match the order of the source lines. For
5138 example, in the following excerpt from a debugging session, the @code{f}
5139 (@code{frame}) command shows that execution is stopped at line
5140 @code{206}; yet when we use @code{until}, we get to line @code{195}:
5141
5142 @smallexample
5143 (@value{GDBP}) f
5144 #0 main (argc=4, argv=0xf7fffae8) at m4.c:206
5145 206 expand_input();
5146 (@value{GDBP}) until
5147 195 for ( ; argc > 0; NEXTARG) @{
5148 @end smallexample
5149
5150 This happened because, for execution efficiency, the compiler had
5151 generated code for the loop closure test at the end, rather than the
5152 start, of the loop---even though the test in a C @code{for}-loop is
5153 written before the body of the loop. The @code{until} command appeared
5154 to step back to the beginning of the loop when it advanced to this
5155 expression; however, it has not really gone to an earlier
5156 statement---not in terms of the actual machine code.
5157
5158 @code{until} with no argument works by means of single
5159 instruction stepping, and hence is slower than @code{until} with an
5160 argument.
5161
5162 @item until @var{location}
5163 @itemx u @var{location}
5164 Continue running your program until either the specified location is
5165 reached, or the current stack frame returns. @var{location} is any of
5166 the forms described in @ref{Specify Location}.
5167 This form of the command uses temporary breakpoints, and
5168 hence is quicker than @code{until} without an argument. The specified
5169 location is actually reached only if it is in the current frame. This
5170 implies that @code{until} can be used to skip over recursive function
5171 invocations. For instance in the code below, if the current location is
5172 line @code{96}, issuing @code{until 99} will execute the program up to
5173 line @code{99} in the same invocation of factorial, i.e., after the inner
5174 invocations have returned.
5175
5176 @smallexample
5177 94 int factorial (int value)
5178 95 @{
5179 96 if (value > 1) @{
5180 97 value *= factorial (value - 1);
5181 98 @}
5182 99 return (value);
5183 100 @}
5184 @end smallexample
5185
5186
5187 @kindex advance @var{location}
5188 @item advance @var{location}
5189 Continue running the program up to the given @var{location}. An argument is
5190 required, which should be of one of the forms described in
5191 @ref{Specify Location}.
5192 Execution will also stop upon exit from the current stack
5193 frame. This command is similar to @code{until}, but @code{advance} will
5194 not skip over recursive function calls, and the target location doesn't
5195 have to be in the same frame as the current one.
5196
5197
5198 @kindex stepi
5199 @kindex si @r{(@code{stepi})}
5200 @item stepi
5201 @itemx stepi @var{arg}
5202 @itemx si
5203 Execute one machine instruction, then stop and return to the debugger.
5204
5205 It is often useful to do @samp{display/i $pc} when stepping by machine
5206 instructions. This makes @value{GDBN} automatically display the next
5207 instruction to be executed, each time your program stops. @xref{Auto
5208 Display,, Automatic Display}.
5209
5210 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{step}.
5211
5212 @need 750
5213 @kindex nexti
5214 @kindex ni @r{(@code{nexti})}
5215 @item nexti
5216 @itemx nexti @var{arg}
5217 @itemx ni
5218 Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call,
5219 proceed until the function returns.
5220
5221 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{next}.
5222 @end table
5223
5224 @node Skipping Over Functions and Files
5225 @section Skipping Over Functions and Files
5226 @cindex skipping over functions and files
5227
5228 The program you are debugging may contain some functions which are
5229 uninteresting to debug. The @code{skip} comand lets you tell @value{GDBN} to
5230 skip a function or all functions in a file when stepping.
5231
5232 For example, consider the following C function:
5233
5234 @smallexample
5235 101 int func()
5236 102 @{
5237 103 foo(boring());
5238 104 bar(boring());
5239 105 @}
5240 @end smallexample
5241
5242 @noindent
5243 Suppose you wish to step into the functions @code{foo} and @code{bar}, but you
5244 are not interested in stepping through @code{boring}. If you run @code{step}
5245 at line 103, you'll enter @code{boring()}, but if you run @code{next}, you'll
5246 step over both @code{foo} and @code{boring}!
5247
5248 One solution is to @code{step} into @code{boring} and use the @code{finish}
5249 command to immediately exit it. But this can become tedious if @code{boring}
5250 is called from many places.
5251
5252 A more flexible solution is to execute @kbd{skip boring}. This instructs
5253 @value{GDBN} never to step into @code{boring}. Now when you execute
5254 @code{step} at line 103, you'll step over @code{boring} and directly into
5255 @code{foo}.
5256
5257 You can also instruct @value{GDBN} to skip all functions in a file, with, for
5258 example, @code{skip file boring.c}.
5259
5260 @table @code
5261 @kindex skip function
5262 @item skip @r{[}@var{linespec}@r{]}
5263 @itemx skip function @r{[}@var{linespec}@r{]}
5264 After running this command, the function named by @var{linespec} or the
5265 function containing the line named by @var{linespec} will be skipped over when
5266 stepping. @xref{Specify Location}.
5267
5268 If you do not specify @var{linespec}, the function you're currently debugging
5269 will be skipped.
5270
5271 (If you have a function called @code{file} that you want to skip, use
5272 @kbd{skip function file}.)
5273
5274 @kindex skip file
5275 @item skip file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
5276 After running this command, any function whose source lives in @var{filename}
5277 will be skipped over when stepping.
5278
5279 If you do not specify @var{filename}, functions whose source lives in the file
5280 you're currently debugging will be skipped.
5281 @end table
5282
5283 Skips can be listed, deleted, disabled, and enabled, much like breakpoints.
5284 These are the commands for managing your list of skips:
5285
5286 @table @code
5287 @kindex info skip
5288 @item info skip @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5289 Print details about the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified,
5290 print a table with details about all functions and files marked for skipping.
5291 @code{info skip} prints the following information about each skip:
5292
5293 @table @emph
5294 @item Identifier
5295 A number identifying this skip.
5296 @item Type
5297 The type of this skip, either @samp{function} or @samp{file}.
5298 @item Enabled or Disabled
5299 Enabled skips are marked with @samp{y}. Disabled skips are marked with @samp{n}.
5300 @item Address
5301 For function skips, this column indicates the address in memory of the function
5302 being skipped. If you've set a function skip on a function which has not yet
5303 been loaded, this field will contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Once a shared library
5304 which has the function is loaded, @code{info skip} will show the function's
5305 address here.
5306 @item What
5307 For file skips, this field contains the filename being skipped. For functions
5308 skips, this field contains the function name and its line number in the file
5309 where it is defined.
5310 @end table
5311
5312 @kindex skip delete
5313 @item skip delete @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5314 Delete the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, delete all
5315 skips.
5316
5317 @kindex skip enable
5318 @item skip enable @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5319 Enable the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, enable all
5320 skips.
5321
5322 @kindex skip disable
5323 @item skip disable @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5324 Disable the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, disable all
5325 skips.
5326
5327 @end table
5328
5329 @node Signals
5330 @section Signals
5331 @cindex signals
5332
5333 A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The
5334 operating system defines the possible kinds of signals, and gives each
5335 kind a name and a number. For example, in Unix @code{SIGINT} is the
5336 signal a program gets when you type an interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c});
5337 @code{SIGSEGV} is the signal a program gets from referencing a place in
5338 memory far away from all the areas in use; @code{SIGALRM} occurs when
5339 the alarm clock timer goes off (which happens only if your program has
5340 requested an alarm).
5341
5342 @cindex fatal signals
5343 Some signals, including @code{SIGALRM}, are a normal part of the
5344 functioning of your program. Others, such as @code{SIGSEGV}, indicate
5345 errors; these signals are @dfn{fatal} (they kill your program immediately) if the
5346 program has not specified in advance some other way to handle the signal.
5347 @code{SIGINT} does not indicate an error in your program, but it is normally
5348 fatal so it can carry out the purpose of the interrupt: to kill the program.
5349
5350 @value{GDBN} has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in your
5351 program. You can tell @value{GDBN} in advance what to do for each kind of
5352 signal.
5353
5354 @cindex handling signals
5355 Normally, @value{GDBN} is set up to let the non-erroneous signals like
5356 @code{SIGALRM} be silently passed to your program
5357 (so as not to interfere with their role in the program's functioning)
5358 but to stop your program immediately whenever an error signal happens.
5359 You can change these settings with the @code{handle} command.
5360
5361 @table @code
5362 @kindex info signals
5363 @kindex info handle
5364 @item info signals
5365 @itemx info handle
5366 Print a table of all the kinds of signals and how @value{GDBN} has been told to
5367 handle each one. You can use this to see the signal numbers of all
5368 the defined types of signals.
5369
5370 @item info signals @var{sig}
5371 Similar, but print information only about the specified signal number.
5372
5373 @code{info handle} is an alias for @code{info signals}.
5374
5375 @item catch signal @r{[}@var{signal}@dots{} @r{|} @samp{all}@r{]}
5376 Set a catchpoint for the indicated signals. @xref{Set Catchpoints},
5377 for details about this command.
5378
5379 @kindex handle
5380 @item handle @var{signal} @r{[}@var{keywords}@dots{}@r{]}
5381 Change the way @value{GDBN} handles signal @var{signal}. @var{signal}
5382 can be the number of a signal or its name (with or without the
5383 @samp{SIG} at the beginning); a list of signal numbers of the form
5384 @samp{@var{low}-@var{high}}; or the word @samp{all}, meaning all the
5385 known signals. Optional arguments @var{keywords}, described below,
5386 say what change to make.
5387 @end table
5388
5389 @c @group
5390 The keywords allowed by the @code{handle} command can be abbreviated.
5391 Their full names are:
5392
5393 @table @code
5394 @item nostop
5395 @value{GDBN} should not stop your program when this signal happens. It may
5396 still print a message telling you that the signal has come in.
5397
5398 @item stop
5399 @value{GDBN} should stop your program when this signal happens. This implies
5400 the @code{print} keyword as well.
5401
5402 @item print
5403 @value{GDBN} should print a message when this signal happens.
5404
5405 @item noprint
5406 @value{GDBN} should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This
5407 implies the @code{nostop} keyword as well.
5408
5409 @item pass
5410 @itemx noignore
5411 @value{GDBN} should allow your program to see this signal; your program
5412 can handle the signal, or else it may terminate if the signal is fatal
5413 and not handled. @code{pass} and @code{noignore} are synonyms.
5414
5415 @item nopass
5416 @itemx ignore
5417 @value{GDBN} should not allow your program to see this signal.
5418 @code{nopass} and @code{ignore} are synonyms.
5419 @end table
5420 @c @end group
5421
5422 When a signal stops your program, the signal is not visible to the
5423 program until you
5424 continue. Your program sees the signal then, if @code{pass} is in
5425 effect for the signal in question @emph{at that time}. In other words,
5426 after @value{GDBN} reports a signal, you can use the @code{handle}
5427 command with @code{pass} or @code{nopass} to control whether your
5428 program sees that signal when you continue.
5429
5430 The default is set to @code{nostop}, @code{noprint}, @code{pass} for
5431 non-erroneous signals such as @code{SIGALRM}, @code{SIGWINCH} and
5432 @code{SIGCHLD}, and to @code{stop}, @code{print}, @code{pass} for the
5433 erroneous signals.
5434
5435 You can also use the @code{signal} command to prevent your program from
5436 seeing a signal, or cause it to see a signal it normally would not see,
5437 or to give it any signal at any time. For example, if your program stopped
5438 due to some sort of memory reference error, you might store correct
5439 values into the erroneous variables and continue, hoping to see more
5440 execution; but your program would probably terminate immediately as
5441 a result of the fatal signal once it saw the signal. To prevent this,
5442 you can continue with @samp{signal 0}. @xref{Signaling, ,Giving your
5443 Program a Signal}.
5444
5445 @cindex extra signal information
5446 @anchor{extra signal information}
5447
5448 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can inspect extra signal information
5449 associated with the intercepted signal, before it is actually
5450 delivered to the program being debugged. This information is exported
5451 by the convenience variable @code{$_siginfo}, and consists of data
5452 that is passed by the kernel to the signal handler at the time of the
5453 receipt of a signal. The data type of the information itself is
5454 target dependent. You can see the data type using the @code{ptype
5455 $_siginfo} command. On Unix systems, it typically corresponds to the
5456 standard @code{siginfo_t} type, as defined in the @file{signal.h}
5457 system header.
5458
5459 Here's an example, on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, printing the stray
5460 referenced address that raised a segmentation fault.
5461
5462 @smallexample
5463 @group
5464 (@value{GDBP}) continue
5465 Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
5466 0x0000000000400766 in main ()
5467 69 *(int *)p = 0;
5468 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo
5469 type = struct @{
5470 int si_signo;
5471 int si_errno;
5472 int si_code;
5473 union @{
5474 int _pad[28];
5475 struct @{...@} _kill;
5476 struct @{...@} _timer;
5477 struct @{...@} _rt;
5478 struct @{...@} _sigchld;
5479 struct @{...@} _sigfault;
5480 struct @{...@} _sigpoll;
5481 @} _sifields;
5482 @}
5483 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault
5484 type = struct @{
5485 void *si_addr;
5486 @}
5487 (@value{GDBP}) p $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault.si_addr
5488 $1 = (void *) 0x7ffff7ff7000
5489 @end group
5490 @end smallexample
5491
5492 Depending on target support, @code{$_siginfo} may also be writable.
5493
5494 @node Thread Stops
5495 @section Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs
5496
5497 @cindex stopped threads
5498 @cindex threads, stopped
5499
5500 @cindex continuing threads
5501 @cindex threads, continuing
5502
5503 @value{GDBN} supports debugging programs with multiple threads
5504 (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads}). There
5505 are two modes of controlling execution of your program within the
5506 debugger. In the default mode, referred to as @dfn{all-stop mode},
5507 when any thread in your program stops (for example, at a breakpoint
5508 or while being stepped), all other threads in the program are also stopped by
5509 @value{GDBN}. On some targets, @value{GDBN} also supports
5510 @dfn{non-stop mode}, in which other threads can continue to run freely while
5511 you examine the stopped thread in the debugger.
5512
5513 @menu
5514 * All-Stop Mode:: All threads stop when GDB takes control
5515 * Non-Stop Mode:: Other threads continue to execute
5516 * Background Execution:: Running your program asynchronously
5517 * Thread-Specific Breakpoints:: Controlling breakpoints
5518 * Interrupted System Calls:: GDB may interfere with system calls
5519 * Observer Mode:: GDB does not alter program behavior
5520 @end menu
5521
5522 @node All-Stop Mode
5523 @subsection All-Stop Mode
5524
5525 @cindex all-stop mode
5526
5527 In all-stop mode, whenever your program stops under @value{GDBN} for any reason,
5528 @emph{all} threads of execution stop, not just the current thread. This
5529 allows you to examine the overall state of the program, including
5530 switching between threads, without worrying that things may change
5531 underfoot.
5532
5533 Conversely, whenever you restart the program, @emph{all} threads start
5534 executing. @emph{This is true even when single-stepping} with commands
5535 like @code{step} or @code{next}.
5536
5537 In particular, @value{GDBN} cannot single-step all threads in lockstep.
5538 Since thread scheduling is up to your debugging target's operating
5539 system (not controlled by @value{GDBN}), other threads may
5540 execute more than one statement while the current thread completes a
5541 single step. Moreover, in general other threads stop in the middle of a
5542 statement, rather than at a clean statement boundary, when the program
5543 stops.
5544
5545 You might even find your program stopped in another thread after
5546 continuing or even single-stepping. This happens whenever some other
5547 thread runs into a breakpoint, a signal, or an exception before the
5548 first thread completes whatever you requested.
5549
5550 @cindex automatic thread selection
5551 @cindex switching threads automatically
5552 @cindex threads, automatic switching
5553 Whenever @value{GDBN} stops your program, due to a breakpoint or a
5554 signal, it automatically selects the thread where that breakpoint or
5555 signal happened. @value{GDBN} alerts you to the context switch with a
5556 message such as @samp{[Switching to Thread @var{n}]} to identify the
5557 thread.
5558
5559 On some OSes, you can modify @value{GDBN}'s default behavior by
5560 locking the OS scheduler to allow only a single thread to run.
5561
5562 @table @code
5563 @item set scheduler-locking @var{mode}
5564 @cindex scheduler locking mode
5565 @cindex lock scheduler
5566 Set the scheduler locking mode. If it is @code{off}, then there is no
5567 locking and any thread may run at any time. If @code{on}, then only the
5568 current thread may run when the inferior is resumed. The @code{step}
5569 mode optimizes for single-stepping; it prevents other threads
5570 from preempting the current thread while you are stepping, so that
5571 the focus of debugging does not change unexpectedly.
5572 Other threads only rarely (or never) get a chance to run
5573 when you step. They are more likely to run when you @samp{next} over a
5574 function call, and they are completely free to run when you use commands
5575 like @samp{continue}, @samp{until}, or @samp{finish}. However, unless another
5576 thread hits a breakpoint during its timeslice, @value{GDBN} does not change
5577 the current thread away from the thread that you are debugging.
5578
5579 @item show scheduler-locking
5580 Display the current scheduler locking mode.
5581 @end table
5582
5583 @cindex resume threads of multiple processes simultaneously
5584 By default, when you issue one of the execution commands such as
5585 @code{continue}, @code{next} or @code{step}, @value{GDBN} allows only
5586 threads of the current inferior to run. For example, if @value{GDBN}
5587 is attached to two inferiors, each with two threads, the
5588 @code{continue} command resumes only the two threads of the current
5589 inferior. This is useful, for example, when you debug a program that
5590 forks and you want to hold the parent stopped (so that, for instance,
5591 it doesn't run to exit), while you debug the child. In other
5592 situations, you may not be interested in inspecting the current state
5593 of any of the processes @value{GDBN} is attached to, and you may want
5594 to resume them all until some breakpoint is hit. In the latter case,
5595 you can instruct @value{GDBN} to allow all threads of all the
5596 inferiors to run with the @w{@code{set schedule-multiple}} command.
5597
5598 @table @code
5599 @kindex set schedule-multiple
5600 @item set schedule-multiple
5601 Set the mode for allowing threads of multiple processes to be resumed
5602 when an execution command is issued. When @code{on}, all threads of
5603 all processes are allowed to run. When @code{off}, only the threads
5604 of the current process are resumed. The default is @code{off}. The
5605 @code{scheduler-locking} mode takes precedence when set to @code{on},
5606 or while you are stepping and set to @code{step}.
5607
5608 @item show schedule-multiple
5609 Display the current mode for resuming the execution of threads of
5610 multiple processes.
5611 @end table
5612
5613 @node Non-Stop Mode
5614 @subsection Non-Stop Mode
5615
5616 @cindex non-stop mode
5617
5618 @c This section is really only a place-holder, and needs to be expanded
5619 @c with more details.
5620
5621 For some multi-threaded targets, @value{GDBN} supports an optional
5622 mode of operation in which you can examine stopped program threads in
5623 the debugger while other threads continue to execute freely. This
5624 minimizes intrusion when debugging live systems, such as programs
5625 where some threads have real-time constraints or must continue to
5626 respond to external events. This is referred to as @dfn{non-stop} mode.
5627
5628 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops to report a debugging event,
5629 @emph{only} that thread is stopped; @value{GDBN} does not stop other
5630 threads as well, in contrast to the all-stop mode behavior. Additionally,
5631 execution commands such as @code{continue} and @code{step} apply by default
5632 only to the current thread in non-stop mode, rather than all threads as
5633 in all-stop mode. This allows you to control threads explicitly in
5634 ways that are not possible in all-stop mode --- for example, stepping
5635 one thread while allowing others to run freely, stepping
5636 one thread while holding all others stopped, or stepping several threads
5637 independently and simultaneously.
5638
5639 To enter non-stop mode, use this sequence of commands before you run
5640 or attach to your program:
5641
5642 @smallexample
5643 # Enable the async interface.
5644 set target-async 1
5645
5646 # If using the CLI, pagination breaks non-stop.
5647 set pagination off
5648
5649 # Finally, turn it on!
5650 set non-stop on
5651 @end smallexample
5652
5653 You can use these commands to manipulate the non-stop mode setting:
5654
5655 @table @code
5656 @kindex set non-stop
5657 @item set non-stop on
5658 Enable selection of non-stop mode.
5659 @item set non-stop off
5660 Disable selection of non-stop mode.
5661 @kindex show non-stop
5662 @item show non-stop
5663 Show the current non-stop enablement setting.
5664 @end table
5665
5666 Note these commands only reflect whether non-stop mode is enabled,
5667 not whether the currently-executing program is being run in non-stop mode.
5668 In particular, the @code{set non-stop} preference is only consulted when
5669 @value{GDBN} starts or connects to the target program, and it is generally
5670 not possible to switch modes once debugging has started. Furthermore,
5671 since not all targets support non-stop mode, even when you have enabled
5672 non-stop mode, @value{GDBN} may still fall back to all-stop operation by
5673 default.
5674
5675 In non-stop mode, all execution commands apply only to the current thread
5676 by default. That is, @code{continue} only continues one thread.
5677 To continue all threads, issue @code{continue -a} or @code{c -a}.
5678
5679 You can use @value{GDBN}'s background execution commands
5680 (@pxref{Background Execution}) to run some threads in the background
5681 while you continue to examine or step others from @value{GDBN}.
5682 The MI execution commands (@pxref{GDB/MI Program Execution}) are
5683 always executed asynchronously in non-stop mode.
5684
5685 Suspending execution is done with the @code{interrupt} command when
5686 running in the background, or @kbd{Ctrl-c} during foreground execution.
5687 In all-stop mode, this stops the whole process;
5688 but in non-stop mode the interrupt applies only to the current thread.
5689 To stop the whole program, use @code{interrupt -a}.
5690
5691 Other execution commands do not currently support the @code{-a} option.
5692
5693 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops, @value{GDBN} doesn't automatically make
5694 that thread current, as it does in all-stop mode. This is because the
5695 thread stop notifications are asynchronous with respect to @value{GDBN}'s
5696 command interpreter, and it would be confusing if @value{GDBN} unexpectedly
5697 changed to a different thread just as you entered a command to operate on the
5698 previously current thread.
5699
5700 @node Background Execution
5701 @subsection Background Execution
5702
5703 @cindex foreground execution
5704 @cindex background execution
5705 @cindex asynchronous execution
5706 @cindex execution, foreground, background and asynchronous
5707
5708 @value{GDBN}'s execution commands have two variants: the normal
5709 foreground (synchronous) behavior, and a background
5710 (asynchronous) behavior. In foreground execution, @value{GDBN} waits for
5711 the program to report that some thread has stopped before prompting for
5712 another command. In background execution, @value{GDBN} immediately gives
5713 a command prompt so that you can issue other commands while your program runs.
5714
5715 You need to explicitly enable asynchronous mode before you can use
5716 background execution commands. You can use these commands to
5717 manipulate the asynchronous mode setting:
5718
5719 @table @code
5720 @kindex set target-async
5721 @item set target-async on
5722 Enable asynchronous mode.
5723 @item set target-async off
5724 Disable asynchronous mode.
5725 @kindex show target-async
5726 @item show target-async
5727 Show the current target-async setting.
5728 @end table
5729
5730 If the target doesn't support async mode, @value{GDBN} issues an error
5731 message if you attempt to use the background execution commands.
5732
5733 To specify background execution, add a @code{&} to the command. For example,
5734 the background form of the @code{continue} command is @code{continue&}, or
5735 just @code{c&}. The execution commands that accept background execution
5736 are:
5737
5738 @table @code
5739 @kindex run&
5740 @item run
5741 @xref{Starting, , Starting your Program}.
5742
5743 @item attach
5744 @kindex attach&
5745 @xref{Attach, , Debugging an Already-running Process}.
5746
5747 @item step
5748 @kindex step&
5749 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, step}.
5750
5751 @item stepi
5752 @kindex stepi&
5753 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, stepi}.
5754
5755 @item next
5756 @kindex next&
5757 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, next}.
5758
5759 @item nexti
5760 @kindex nexti&
5761 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, nexti}.
5762
5763 @item continue
5764 @kindex continue&
5765 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, continue}.
5766
5767 @item finish
5768 @kindex finish&
5769 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, finish}.
5770
5771 @item until
5772 @kindex until&
5773 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, until}.
5774
5775 @end table
5776
5777 Background execution is especially useful in conjunction with non-stop
5778 mode for debugging programs with multiple threads; see @ref{Non-Stop Mode}.
5779 However, you can also use these commands in the normal all-stop mode with
5780 the restriction that you cannot issue another execution command until the
5781 previous one finishes. Examples of commands that are valid in all-stop
5782 mode while the program is running include @code{help} and @code{info break}.
5783
5784 You can interrupt your program while it is running in the background by
5785 using the @code{interrupt} command.
5786
5787 @table @code
5788 @kindex interrupt
5789 @item interrupt
5790 @itemx interrupt -a
5791
5792 Suspend execution of the running program. In all-stop mode,
5793 @code{interrupt} stops the whole process, but in non-stop mode, it stops
5794 only the current thread. To stop the whole program in non-stop mode,
5795 use @code{interrupt -a}.
5796 @end table
5797
5798 @node Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5799 @subsection Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5800
5801 When your program has multiple threads (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging
5802 Programs with Multiple Threads}), you can choose whether to set
5803 breakpoints on all threads, or on a particular thread.
5804
5805 @table @code
5806 @cindex breakpoints and threads
5807 @cindex thread breakpoints
5808 @kindex break @dots{} thread @var{threadno}
5809 @item break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno}
5810 @itemx break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno} if @dots{}
5811 @var{linespec} specifies source lines; there are several ways of
5812 writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always to
5813 specify some source line.
5814
5815 Use the qualifier @samp{thread @var{threadno}} with a breakpoint command
5816 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
5817 particular thread reaches this breakpoint. @var{threadno} is one of the
5818 numeric thread identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
5819 column of the @samp{info threads} display.
5820
5821 If you do not specify @samp{thread @var{threadno}} when you set a
5822 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} threads of your
5823 program.
5824
5825 You can use the @code{thread} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
5826 well; in this case, place @samp{thread @var{threadno}} before or
5827 after the breakpoint condition, like this:
5828
5829 @smallexample
5830 (@value{GDBP}) break frik.c:13 thread 28 if bartab > lim
5831 @end smallexample
5832
5833 @end table
5834
5835 @node Interrupted System Calls
5836 @subsection Interrupted System Calls
5837
5838 @cindex thread breakpoints and system calls
5839 @cindex system calls and thread breakpoints
5840 @cindex premature return from system calls
5841 There is an unfortunate side effect when using @value{GDBN} to debug
5842 multi-threaded programs. If one thread stops for a
5843 breakpoint, or for some other reason, and another thread is blocked in a
5844 system call, then the system call may return prematurely. This is a
5845 consequence of the interaction between multiple threads and the signals
5846 that @value{GDBN} uses to implement breakpoints and other events that
5847 stop execution.
5848
5849 To handle this problem, your program should check the return value of
5850 each system call and react appropriately. This is good programming
5851 style anyways.
5852
5853 For example, do not write code like this:
5854
5855 @smallexample
5856 sleep (10);
5857 @end smallexample
5858
5859 The call to @code{sleep} will return early if a different thread stops
5860 at a breakpoint or for some other reason.
5861
5862 Instead, write this:
5863
5864 @smallexample
5865 int unslept = 10;
5866 while (unslept > 0)
5867 unslept = sleep (unslept);
5868 @end smallexample
5869
5870 A system call is allowed to return early, so the system is still
5871 conforming to its specification. But @value{GDBN} does cause your
5872 multi-threaded program to behave differently than it would without
5873 @value{GDBN}.
5874
5875 Also, @value{GDBN} uses internal breakpoints in the thread library to
5876 monitor certain events such as thread creation and thread destruction.
5877 When such an event happens, a system call in another thread may return
5878 prematurely, even though your program does not appear to stop.
5879
5880 @node Observer Mode
5881 @subsection Observer Mode
5882
5883 If you want to build on non-stop mode and observe program behavior
5884 without any chance of disruption by @value{GDBN}, you can set
5885 variables to disable all of the debugger's attempts to modify state,
5886 whether by writing memory, inserting breakpoints, etc. These operate
5887 at a low level, intercepting operations from all commands.
5888
5889 When all of these are set to @code{off}, then @value{GDBN} is said to
5890 be @dfn{observer mode}. As a convenience, the variable
5891 @code{observer} can be set to disable these, plus enable non-stop
5892 mode.
5893
5894 Note that @value{GDBN} will not prevent you from making nonsensical
5895 combinations of these settings. For instance, if you have enabled
5896 @code{may-insert-breakpoints} but disabled @code{may-write-memory},
5897 then breakpoints that work by writing trap instructions into the code
5898 stream will still not be able to be placed.
5899
5900 @table @code
5901
5902 @kindex observer
5903 @item set observer on
5904 @itemx set observer off
5905 When set to @code{on}, this disables all the permission variables
5906 below (except for @code{insert-fast-tracepoints}), plus enables
5907 non-stop debugging. Setting this to @code{off} switches back to
5908 normal debugging, though remaining in non-stop mode.
5909
5910 @item show observer
5911 Show whether observer mode is on or off.
5912
5913 @kindex may-write-registers
5914 @item set may-write-registers on
5915 @itemx set may-write-registers off
5916 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the values of
5917 registers, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}, or the
5918 @code{jump} command. It defaults to @code{on}.
5919
5920 @item show may-write-registers
5921 Show the current permission to write registers.
5922
5923 @kindex may-write-memory
5924 @item set may-write-memory on
5925 @itemx set may-write-memory off
5926 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the contents
5927 of memory, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}. It
5928 defaults to @code{on}.
5929
5930 @item show may-write-memory
5931 Show the current permission to write memory.
5932
5933 @kindex may-insert-breakpoints
5934 @item set may-insert-breakpoints on
5935 @itemx set may-insert-breakpoints off
5936 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert breakpoints.
5937 This affects all breakpoints, including internal breakpoints defined
5938 by @value{GDBN}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5939
5940 @item show may-insert-breakpoints
5941 Show the current permission to insert breakpoints.
5942
5943 @kindex may-insert-tracepoints
5944 @item set may-insert-tracepoints on
5945 @itemx set may-insert-tracepoints off
5946 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert (regular)
5947 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
5948 non-fast tracepoints, fast tracepoints being under the control of
5949 @code{may-insert-fast-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5950
5951 @item show may-insert-tracepoints
5952 Show the current permission to insert tracepoints.
5953
5954 @kindex may-insert-fast-tracepoints
5955 @item set may-insert-fast-tracepoints on
5956 @itemx set may-insert-fast-tracepoints off
5957 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert fast
5958 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
5959 fast tracepoints, regular (non-fast) tracepoints being under the
5960 control of @code{may-insert-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5961
5962 @item show may-insert-fast-tracepoints
5963 Show the current permission to insert fast tracepoints.
5964
5965 @kindex may-interrupt
5966 @item set may-interrupt on
5967 @itemx set may-interrupt off
5968 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to interrupt or stop
5969 program execution. When this variable is @code{off}, the
5970 @code{interrupt} command will have no effect, nor will
5971 @kbd{Ctrl-c}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5972
5973 @item show may-interrupt
5974 Show the current permission to interrupt or stop the program.
5975
5976 @end table
5977
5978 @node Reverse Execution
5979 @chapter Running programs backward
5980 @cindex reverse execution
5981 @cindex running programs backward
5982
5983 When you are debugging a program, it is not unusual to realize that
5984 you have gone too far, and some event of interest has already happened.
5985 If the target environment supports it, @value{GDBN} can allow you to
5986 ``rewind'' the program by running it backward.
5987
5988 A target environment that supports reverse execution should be able
5989 to ``undo'' the changes in machine state that have taken place as the
5990 program was executing normally. Variables, registers etc.@: should
5991 revert to their previous values. Obviously this requires a great
5992 deal of sophistication on the part of the target environment; not
5993 all target environments can support reverse execution.
5994
5995 When a program is executed in reverse, the instructions that
5996 have most recently been executed are ``un-executed'', in reverse
5997 order. The program counter runs backward, following the previous
5998 thread of execution in reverse. As each instruction is ``un-executed'',
5999 the values of memory and/or registers that were changed by that
6000 instruction are reverted to their previous states. After executing
6001 a piece of source code in reverse, all side effects of that code
6002 should be ``undone'', and all variables should be returned to their
6003 prior values@footnote{
6004 Note that some side effects are easier to undo than others. For instance,
6005 memory and registers are relatively easy, but device I/O is hard. Some
6006 targets may be able undo things like device I/O, and some may not.
6007
6008 The contract between @value{GDBN} and the reverse executing target
6009 requires only that the target do something reasonable when
6010 @value{GDBN} tells it to execute backwards, and then report the
6011 results back to @value{GDBN}. Whatever the target reports back to
6012 @value{GDBN}, @value{GDBN} will report back to the user. @value{GDBN}
6013 assumes that the memory and registers that the target reports are in a
6014 consistant state, but @value{GDBN} accepts whatever it is given.
6015 }.
6016
6017 If you are debugging in a target environment that supports
6018 reverse execution, @value{GDBN} provides the following commands.
6019
6020 @table @code
6021 @kindex reverse-continue
6022 @kindex rc @r{(@code{reverse-continue})}
6023 @item reverse-continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
6024 @itemx rc @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
6025 Beginning at the point where your program last stopped, start executing
6026 in reverse. Reverse execution will stop for breakpoints and synchronous
6027 exceptions (signals), just like normal execution. Behavior of
6028 asynchronous signals depends on the target environment.
6029
6030 @kindex reverse-step
6031 @kindex rs @r{(@code{step})}
6032 @item reverse-step @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6033 Run the program backward until control reaches the start of a
6034 different source line; then stop it, and return control to @value{GDBN}.
6035
6036 Like the @code{step} command, @code{reverse-step} will only stop
6037 at the beginning of a source line. It ``un-executes'' the previously
6038 executed source line. If the previous source line included calls to
6039 debuggable functions, @code{reverse-step} will step (backward) into
6040 the called function, stopping at the beginning of the @emph{last}
6041 statement in the called function (typically a return statement).
6042
6043 Also, as with the @code{step} command, if non-debuggable functions are
6044 called, @code{reverse-step} will run thru them backward without stopping.
6045
6046 @kindex reverse-stepi
6047 @kindex rsi @r{(@code{reverse-stepi})}
6048 @item reverse-stepi @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6049 Reverse-execute one machine instruction. Note that the instruction
6050 to be reverse-executed is @emph{not} the one pointed to by the program
6051 counter, but the instruction executed prior to that one. For instance,
6052 if the last instruction was a jump, @code{reverse-stepi} will take you
6053 back from the destination of the jump to the jump instruction itself.
6054
6055 @kindex reverse-next
6056 @kindex rn @r{(@code{reverse-next})}
6057 @item reverse-next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6058 Run backward to the beginning of the previous line executed in
6059 the current (innermost) stack frame. If the line contains function
6060 calls, they will be ``un-executed'' without stopping. Starting from
6061 the first line of a function, @code{reverse-next} will take you back
6062 to the caller of that function, @emph{before} the function was called,
6063 just as the normal @code{next} command would take you from the last
6064 line of a function back to its return to its caller
6065 @footnote{Unless the code is too heavily optimized.}.
6066
6067 @kindex reverse-nexti
6068 @kindex rni @r{(@code{reverse-nexti})}
6069 @item reverse-nexti @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6070 Like @code{nexti}, @code{reverse-nexti} executes a single instruction
6071 in reverse, except that called functions are ``un-executed'' atomically.
6072 That is, if the previously executed instruction was a return from
6073 another function, @code{reverse-nexti} will continue to execute
6074 in reverse until the call to that function (from the current stack
6075 frame) is reached.
6076
6077 @kindex reverse-finish
6078 @item reverse-finish
6079 Just as the @code{finish} command takes you to the point where the
6080 current function returns, @code{reverse-finish} takes you to the point
6081 where it was called. Instead of ending up at the end of the current
6082 function invocation, you end up at the beginning.
6083
6084 @kindex set exec-direction
6085 @item set exec-direction
6086 Set the direction of target execution.
6087 @item set exec-direction reverse
6088 @cindex execute forward or backward in time
6089 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in reverse, until the
6090 exec-direction mode is changed to ``forward''. Affected commands include
6091 @code{step, stepi, next, nexti, continue, and finish}. The @code{return}
6092 command cannot be used in reverse mode.
6093 @item set exec-direction forward
6094 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in the normal fashion.
6095 This is the default.
6096 @end table
6097
6098
6099 @node Process Record and Replay
6100 @chapter Recording Inferior's Execution and Replaying It
6101 @cindex process record and replay
6102 @cindex recording inferior's execution and replaying it
6103
6104 On some platforms, @value{GDBN} provides a special @dfn{process record
6105 and replay} target that can record a log of the process execution, and
6106 replay it later with both forward and reverse execution commands.
6107
6108 @cindex replay mode
6109 When this target is in use, if the execution log includes the record
6110 for the next instruction, @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{replay
6111 mode}. In the replay mode, the inferior does not really execute code
6112 instructions. Instead, all the events that normally happen during
6113 code execution are taken from the execution log. While code is not
6114 really executed in replay mode, the values of registers (including the
6115 program counter register) and the memory of the inferior are still
6116 changed as they normally would. Their contents are taken from the
6117 execution log.
6118
6119 @cindex record mode
6120 If the record for the next instruction is not in the execution log,
6121 @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{record mode}. In this mode, the
6122 inferior executes normally, and @value{GDBN} records the execution log
6123 for future replay.
6124
6125 The process record and replay target supports reverse execution
6126 (@pxref{Reverse Execution}), even if the platform on which the
6127 inferior runs does not. However, the reverse execution is limited in
6128 this case by the range of the instructions recorded in the execution
6129 log. In other words, reverse execution on platforms that don't
6130 support it directly can only be done in the replay mode.
6131
6132 When debugging in the reverse direction, @value{GDBN} will work in
6133 replay mode as long as the execution log includes the record for the
6134 previous instruction; otherwise, it will work in record mode, if the
6135 platform supports reverse execution, or stop if not.
6136
6137 For architecture environments that support process record and replay,
6138 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands:
6139
6140 @table @code
6141 @kindex target record
6142 @kindex target record-full
6143 @kindex target record-btrace
6144 @kindex record
6145 @kindex record full
6146 @kindex record btrace
6147 @kindex rec
6148 @kindex rec full
6149 @kindex rec btrace
6150 @item record @var{method}
6151 This command starts the process record and replay target. The
6152 recording method can be specified as parameter. Without a parameter
6153 the command uses the @code{full} recording method. The following
6154 recording methods are available:
6155
6156 @table @code
6157 @item full
6158 Full record/replay recording using @value{GDBN}'s software record and
6159 replay implementation. This method allows replaying and reverse
6160 execution.
6161
6162 @item btrace
6163 Hardware-supported instruction recording. This method does not allow
6164 replaying and reverse execution.
6165
6166 This recording method may not be available on all processors.
6167 @end table
6168
6169 The process record and replay target can only debug a process that is
6170 already running. Therefore, you need first to start the process with
6171 the @kbd{run} or @kbd{start} commands, and then start the recording
6172 with the @kbd{record @var{method}} command.
6173
6174 Both @code{record @var{method}} and @code{rec @var{method}} are
6175 aliases of @code{target record-@var{method}}.
6176
6177 @cindex displaced stepping, and process record and replay
6178 Displaced stepping (@pxref{Maintenance Commands,, displaced stepping})
6179 will be automatically disabled when process record and replay target
6180 is started. That's because the process record and replay target
6181 doesn't support displaced stepping.
6182
6183 @cindex non-stop mode, and process record and replay
6184 @cindex asynchronous execution, and process record and replay
6185 If the inferior is in the non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) or in
6186 the asynchronous execution mode (@pxref{Background Execution}), not
6187 all recording methods are available. The @code{full} recording method
6188 does not support these two modes.
6189
6190 @kindex record stop
6191 @kindex rec s
6192 @item record stop
6193 Stop the process record and replay target. When process record and
6194 replay target stops, the entire execution log will be deleted and the
6195 inferior will either be terminated, or will remain in its final state.
6196
6197 When you stop the process record and replay target in record mode (at
6198 the end of the execution log), the inferior will be stopped at the
6199 next instruction that would have been recorded. In other words, if
6200 you record for a while and then stop recording, the inferior process
6201 will be left in the same state as if the recording never happened.
6202
6203 On the other hand, if the process record and replay target is stopped
6204 while in replay mode (that is, not at the end of the execution log,
6205 but at some earlier point), the inferior process will become ``live''
6206 at that earlier state, and it will then be possible to continue the
6207 usual ``live'' debugging of the process from that state.
6208
6209 When the inferior process exits, or @value{GDBN} detaches from it,
6210 process record and replay target will automatically stop itself.
6211
6212 @kindex record save
6213 @item record save @var{filename}
6214 Save the execution log to a file @file{@var{filename}}.
6215 Default filename is @file{gdb_record.@var{process_id}}, where
6216 @var{process_id} is the process ID of the inferior.
6217
6218 This command may not be available for all recording methods.
6219
6220 @kindex record restore
6221 @item record restore @var{filename}
6222 Restore the execution log from a file @file{@var{filename}}.
6223 File must have been created with @code{record save}.
6224
6225 @kindex set record full
6226 @item set record full insn-number-max @var{limit}
6227 @itemx set record full insn-number-max unlimited
6228 Set the limit of instructions to be recorded for the @code{full}
6229 recording method. Default value is 200000.
6230
6231 If @var{limit} is a positive number, then @value{GDBN} will start
6232 deleting instructions from the log once the number of the record
6233 instructions becomes greater than @var{limit}. For every new recorded
6234 instruction, @value{GDBN} will delete the earliest recorded
6235 instruction to keep the number of recorded instructions at the limit.
6236 (Since deleting recorded instructions loses information, @value{GDBN}
6237 lets you control what happens when the limit is reached, by means of
6238 the @code{stop-at-limit} option, described below.)
6239
6240 If @var{limit} is @code{unlimited} or zero, @value{GDBN} will never
6241 delete recorded instructions from the execution log. The number of
6242 recorded instructions is limited only by the available memory.
6243
6244 @kindex show record full
6245 @item show record full insn-number-max
6246 Show the limit of instructions to be recorded with the @code{full}
6247 recording method.
6248
6249 @item set record full stop-at-limit
6250 Control the behavior of the @code{full} recording method when the
6251 number of recorded instructions reaches the limit. If ON (the
6252 default), @value{GDBN} will stop when the limit is reached for the
6253 first time and ask you whether you want to stop the inferior or
6254 continue running it and recording the execution log. If you decide
6255 to continue recording, each new recorded instruction will cause the
6256 oldest one to be deleted.
6257
6258 If this option is OFF, @value{GDBN} will automatically delete the
6259 oldest record to make room for each new one, without asking.
6260
6261 @item show record full stop-at-limit
6262 Show the current setting of @code{stop-at-limit}.
6263
6264 @item set record full memory-query
6265 Control the behavior when @value{GDBN} is unable to record memory
6266 changes caused by an instruction for the @code{full} recording method.
6267 If ON, @value{GDBN} will query whether to stop the inferior in that
6268 case.
6269
6270 If this option is OFF (the default), @value{GDBN} will automatically
6271 ignore the effect of such instructions on memory. Later, when
6272 @value{GDBN} replays this execution log, it will mark the log of this
6273 instruction as not accessible, and it will not affect the replay
6274 results.
6275
6276 @item show record full memory-query
6277 Show the current setting of @code{memory-query}.
6278
6279 @kindex info record
6280 @item info record
6281 Show various statistics about the recording depending on the recording
6282 method:
6283
6284 @table @code
6285 @item full
6286 For the @code{full} recording method, it shows the state of process
6287 record and its in-memory execution log buffer, including:
6288
6289 @itemize @bullet
6290 @item
6291 Whether in record mode or replay mode.
6292 @item
6293 Lowest recorded instruction number (counting from when the current execution log started recording instructions).
6294 @item
6295 Highest recorded instruction number.
6296 @item
6297 Current instruction about to be replayed (if in replay mode).
6298 @item
6299 Number of instructions contained in the execution log.
6300 @item
6301 Maximum number of instructions that may be contained in the execution log.
6302 @end itemize
6303
6304 @item btrace
6305 For the @code{btrace} recording method, it shows the number of
6306 instructions that have been recorded and the number of blocks of
6307 sequential control-flow that is formed by the recorded instructions.
6308 @end table
6309
6310 @kindex record delete
6311 @kindex rec del
6312 @item record delete
6313 When record target runs in replay mode (``in the past''), delete the
6314 subsequent execution log and begin to record a new execution log starting
6315 from the current address. This means you will abandon the previously
6316 recorded ``future'' and begin recording a new ``future''.
6317
6318 @kindex record instruction-history
6319 @kindex rec instruction-history
6320 @item record instruction-history
6321 Disassembles instructions from the recorded execution log. By
6322 default, ten instructions are disassembled. This can be changed using
6323 the @code{set record instruction-history-size} command. Instructions
6324 are printed in execution order. There are several ways to specify
6325 what part of the execution log to disassemble:
6326
6327 @table @code
6328 @item record instruction-history @var{insn}
6329 Disassembles ten instructions starting from instruction number
6330 @var{insn}.
6331
6332 @item record instruction-history @var{insn}, +/-@var{n}
6333 Disassembles @var{n} instructions around instruction number
6334 @var{insn}. If @var{n} is preceded with @code{+}, disassembles
6335 @var{n} instructions after instruction number @var{insn}. If
6336 @var{n} is preceded with @code{-}, disassembles @var{n}
6337 instructions before instruction number @var{insn}.
6338
6339 @item record instruction-history
6340 Disassembles ten more instructions after the last disassembly.
6341
6342 @item record instruction-history -
6343 Disassembles ten more instructions before the last disassembly.
6344
6345 @item record instruction-history @var{begin} @var{end}
6346 Disassembles instructions beginning with instruction number
6347 @var{begin} until instruction number @var{end}. The instruction
6348 number @var{end} is not included.
6349 @end table
6350
6351 This command may not be available for all recording methods.
6352
6353 @kindex set record
6354 @item set record instruction-history-size @var{size}
6355 @itemx set record instruction-history-size unlimited
6356 Define how many instructions to disassemble in the @code{record
6357 instruction-history} command. The default value is 10.
6358 A @var{size} of @code{unlimited} means unlimited instructions.
6359
6360 @kindex show record
6361 @item show record instruction-history-size
6362 Show how many instructions to disassemble in the @code{record
6363 instruction-history} command.
6364
6365 @kindex record function-call-history
6366 @kindex rec function-call-history
6367 @item record function-call-history
6368 Prints the execution history at function granularity. It prints one
6369 line for each sequence of instructions that belong to the same
6370 function giving the name of that function, the source lines
6371 for this instruction sequence (if the @code{/l} modifier is
6372 specified), and the instructions numbers that form the sequence (if
6373 the @code{/i} modifier is specified).
6374
6375 @smallexample
6376 (@value{GDBP}) @b{list 1, 10}
6377 1 void foo (void)
6378 2 @{
6379 3 @}
6380 4
6381 5 void bar (void)
6382 6 @{
6383 7 ...
6384 8 foo ();
6385 9 ...
6386 10 @}
6387 (@value{GDBP}) @b{record function-call-history /l}
6388 1 foo.c:6-8 bar
6389 2 foo.c:2-3 foo
6390 3 foo.c:9-10 bar
6391 @end smallexample
6392
6393 By default, ten lines are printed. This can be changed using the
6394 @code{set record function-call-history-size} command. Functions are
6395 printed in execution order. There are several ways to specify what
6396 to print:
6397
6398 @table @code
6399 @item record function-call-history @var{func}
6400 Prints ten functions starting from function number @var{func}.
6401
6402 @item record function-call-history @var{func}, +/-@var{n}
6403 Prints @var{n} functions around function number @var{func}. If
6404 @var{n} is preceded with @code{+}, prints @var{n} functions after
6405 function number @var{func}. If @var{n} is preceded with @code{-},
6406 prints @var{n} functions before function number @var{func}.
6407
6408 @item record function-call-history
6409 Prints ten more functions after the last ten-line print.
6410
6411 @item record function-call-history -
6412 Prints ten more functions before the last ten-line print.
6413
6414 @item record function-call-history @var{begin} @var{end}
6415 Prints functions beginning with function number @var{begin} until
6416 function number @var{end}. The function number @var{end} is not
6417 included.
6418 @end table
6419
6420 This command may not be available for all recording methods.
6421
6422 @item set record function-call-history-size @var{size}
6423 @itemx set record function-call-history-size unlimited
6424 Define how many lines to print in the
6425 @code{record function-call-history} command. The default value is 10.
6426 A size of @code{unlimited} means unlimited lines.
6427
6428 @item show record function-call-history-size
6429 Show how many lines to print in the
6430 @code{record function-call-history} command.
6431 @end table
6432
6433
6434 @node Stack
6435 @chapter Examining the Stack
6436
6437 When your program has stopped, the first thing you need to know is where it
6438 stopped and how it got there.
6439
6440 @cindex call stack
6441 Each time your program performs a function call, information about the call
6442 is generated.
6443 That information includes the location of the call in your program,
6444 the arguments of the call,
6445 and the local variables of the function being called.
6446 The information is saved in a block of data called a @dfn{stack frame}.
6447 The stack frames are allocated in a region of memory called the @dfn{call
6448 stack}.
6449
6450 When your program stops, the @value{GDBN} commands for examining the
6451 stack allow you to see all of this information.
6452
6453 @cindex selected frame
6454 One of the stack frames is @dfn{selected} by @value{GDBN} and many
6455 @value{GDBN} commands refer implicitly to the selected frame. In
6456 particular, whenever you ask @value{GDBN} for the value of a variable in
6457 your program, the value is found in the selected frame. There are
6458 special @value{GDBN} commands to select whichever frame you are
6459 interested in. @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6460
6461 When your program stops, @value{GDBN} automatically selects the
6462 currently executing frame and describes it briefly, similar to the
6463 @code{frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}).
6464
6465 @menu
6466 * Frames:: Stack frames
6467 * Backtrace:: Backtraces
6468 * Frame Filter Management:: Managing frame filters
6469 * Selection:: Selecting a frame
6470 * Frame Info:: Information on a frame
6471
6472 @end menu
6473
6474 @node Frames
6475 @section Stack Frames
6476
6477 @cindex frame, definition
6478 @cindex stack frame
6479 The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called @dfn{stack
6480 frames}, or @dfn{frames} for short; each frame is the data associated
6481 with one call to one function. The frame contains the arguments given
6482 to the function, the function's local variables, and the address at
6483 which the function is executing.
6484
6485 @cindex initial frame
6486 @cindex outermost frame
6487 @cindex innermost frame
6488 When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of the
6489 function @code{main}. This is called the @dfn{initial} frame or the
6490 @dfn{outermost} frame. Each time a function is called, a new frame is
6491 made. Each time a function returns, the frame for that function invocation
6492 is eliminated. If a function is recursive, there can be many frames for
6493 the same function. The frame for the function in which execution is
6494 actually occurring is called the @dfn{innermost} frame. This is the most
6495 recently created of all the stack frames that still exist.
6496
6497 @cindex frame pointer
6498 Inside your program, stack frames are identified by their addresses. A
6499 stack frame consists of many bytes, each of which has its own address; each
6500 kind of computer has a convention for choosing one byte whose
6501 address serves as the address of the frame. Usually this address is kept
6502 in a register called the @dfn{frame pointer register}
6503 (@pxref{Registers, $fp}) while execution is going on in that frame.
6504
6505 @cindex frame number
6506 @value{GDBN} assigns numbers to all existing stack frames, starting with
6507 zero for the innermost frame, one for the frame that called it,
6508 and so on upward. These numbers do not really exist in your program;
6509 they are assigned by @value{GDBN} to give you a way of designating stack
6510 frames in @value{GDBN} commands.
6511
6512 @c The -fomit-frame-pointer below perennially causes hbox overflow
6513 @c underflow problems.
6514 @cindex frameless execution
6515 Some compilers provide a way to compile functions so that they operate
6516 without stack frames. (For example, the @value{NGCC} option
6517 @smallexample
6518 @samp{-fomit-frame-pointer}
6519 @end smallexample
6520 generates functions without a frame.)
6521 This is occasionally done with heavily used library functions to save
6522 the frame setup time. @value{GDBN} has limited facilities for dealing
6523 with these function invocations. If the innermost function invocation
6524 has no stack frame, @value{GDBN} nevertheless regards it as though
6525 it had a separate frame, which is numbered zero as usual, allowing
6526 correct tracing of the function call chain. However, @value{GDBN} has
6527 no provision for frameless functions elsewhere in the stack.
6528
6529 @table @code
6530 @kindex frame@r{, command}
6531 @cindex current stack frame
6532 @item frame @var{args}
6533 The @code{frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame to another,
6534 and to print the stack frame you select. @var{args} may be either the
6535 address of the frame or the stack frame number. Without an argument,
6536 @code{frame} prints the current stack frame.
6537
6538 @kindex select-frame
6539 @cindex selecting frame silently
6540 @item select-frame
6541 The @code{select-frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame
6542 to another without printing the frame. This is the silent version of
6543 @code{frame}.
6544 @end table
6545
6546 @node Backtrace
6547 @section Backtraces
6548
6549 @cindex traceback
6550 @cindex call stack traces
6551 A backtrace is a summary of how your program got where it is. It shows one
6552 line per frame, for many frames, starting with the currently executing
6553 frame (frame zero), followed by its caller (frame one), and on up the
6554 stack.
6555
6556 @anchor{backtrace-command}
6557 @table @code
6558 @kindex backtrace
6559 @kindex bt @r{(@code{backtrace})}
6560 @item backtrace
6561 @itemx bt
6562 Print a backtrace of the entire stack: one line per frame for all
6563 frames in the stack.
6564
6565 You can stop the backtrace at any time by typing the system interrupt
6566 character, normally @kbd{Ctrl-c}.
6567
6568 @item backtrace @var{n}
6569 @itemx bt @var{n}
6570 Similar, but print only the innermost @var{n} frames.
6571
6572 @item backtrace -@var{n}
6573 @itemx bt -@var{n}
6574 Similar, but print only the outermost @var{n} frames.
6575
6576 @item backtrace full
6577 @itemx bt full
6578 @itemx bt full @var{n}
6579 @itemx bt full -@var{n}
6580 Print the values of the local variables also. @var{n} specifies the
6581 number of frames to print, as described above.
6582
6583 @item backtrace no-filters
6584 @itemx bt no-filters
6585 @itemx bt no-filters @var{n}
6586 @itemx bt no-filters -@var{n}
6587 @itemx bt no-filters full
6588 @itemx bt no-filters full @var{n}
6589 @itemx bt no-filters full -@var{n}
6590 Do not run Python frame filters on this backtrace. @xref{Frame
6591 Filter API}, for more information. Additionally use @ref{disable
6592 frame-filter all} to turn off all frame filters. This is only
6593 relevant when @value{GDBN} has been configured with @code{Python}
6594 support.
6595 @end table
6596
6597 @kindex where
6598 @kindex info stack
6599 The names @code{where} and @code{info stack} (abbreviated @code{info s})
6600 are additional aliases for @code{backtrace}.
6601
6602 @cindex multiple threads, backtrace
6603 In a multi-threaded program, @value{GDBN} by default shows the
6604 backtrace only for the current thread. To display the backtrace for
6605 several or all of the threads, use the command @code{thread apply}
6606 (@pxref{Threads, thread apply}). For example, if you type @kbd{thread
6607 apply all backtrace}, @value{GDBN} will display the backtrace for all
6608 the threads; this is handy when you debug a core dump of a
6609 multi-threaded program.
6610
6611 Each line in the backtrace shows the frame number and the function name.
6612 The program counter value is also shown---unless you use @code{set
6613 print address off}. The backtrace also shows the source file name and
6614 line number, as well as the arguments to the function. The program
6615 counter value is omitted if it is at the beginning of the code for that
6616 line number.
6617
6618 Here is an example of a backtrace. It was made with the command
6619 @samp{bt 3}, so it shows the innermost three frames.
6620
6621 @smallexample
6622 @group
6623 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
6624 at builtin.c:993
6625 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=0x2b600, data=...) at macro.c:242
6626 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=177664, td=0xf7fffb08)
6627 at macro.c:71
6628 (More stack frames follow...)
6629 @end group
6630 @end smallexample
6631
6632 @noindent
6633 The display for frame zero does not begin with a program counter
6634 value, indicating that your program has stopped at the beginning of the
6635 code for line @code{993} of @code{builtin.c}.
6636
6637 @noindent
6638 The value of parameter @code{data} in frame 1 has been replaced by
6639 @code{@dots{}}. By default, @value{GDBN} prints the value of a parameter
6640 only if it is a scalar (integer, pointer, enumeration, etc). See command
6641 @kbd{set print frame-arguments} in @ref{Print Settings} for more details
6642 on how to configure the way function parameter values are printed.
6643
6644 @cindex optimized out, in backtrace
6645 @cindex function call arguments, optimized out
6646 If your program was compiled with optimizations, some compilers will
6647 optimize away arguments passed to functions if those arguments are
6648 never used after the call. Such optimizations generate code that
6649 passes arguments through registers, but doesn't store those arguments
6650 in the stack frame. @value{GDBN} has no way of displaying such
6651 arguments in stack frames other than the innermost one. Here's what
6652 such a backtrace might look like:
6653
6654 @smallexample
6655 @group
6656 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
6657 at builtin.c:993
6658 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=<optimized out>) at macro.c:242
6659 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=<optimized out>, td=0xf7fffb08)
6660 at macro.c:71
6661 (More stack frames follow...)
6662 @end group
6663 @end smallexample
6664
6665 @noindent
6666 The values of arguments that were not saved in their stack frames are
6667 shown as @samp{<optimized out>}.
6668
6669 If you need to display the values of such optimized-out arguments,
6670 either deduce that from other variables whose values depend on the one
6671 you are interested in, or recompile without optimizations.
6672
6673 @cindex backtrace beyond @code{main} function
6674 @cindex program entry point
6675 @cindex startup code, and backtrace
6676 Most programs have a standard user entry point---a place where system
6677 libraries and startup code transition into user code. For C this is
6678 @code{main}@footnote{
6679 Note that embedded programs (the so-called ``free-standing''
6680 environment) are not required to have a @code{main} function as the
6681 entry point. They could even have multiple entry points.}.
6682 When @value{GDBN} finds the entry function in a backtrace
6683 it will terminate the backtrace, to avoid tracing into highly
6684 system-specific (and generally uninteresting) code.
6685
6686 If you need to examine the startup code, or limit the number of levels
6687 in a backtrace, you can change this behavior:
6688
6689 @table @code
6690 @item set backtrace past-main
6691 @itemx set backtrace past-main on
6692 @kindex set backtrace
6693 Backtraces will continue past the user entry point.
6694
6695 @item set backtrace past-main off
6696 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the user entry point. This is the
6697 default.
6698
6699 @item show backtrace past-main
6700 @kindex show backtrace
6701 Display the current user entry point backtrace policy.
6702
6703 @item set backtrace past-entry
6704 @itemx set backtrace past-entry on
6705 Backtraces will continue past the internal entry point of an application.
6706 This entry point is encoded by the linker when the application is built,
6707 and is likely before the user entry point @code{main} (or equivalent) is called.
6708
6709 @item set backtrace past-entry off
6710 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the internal entry point of an
6711 application. This is the default.
6712
6713 @item show backtrace past-entry
6714 Display the current internal entry point backtrace policy.
6715
6716 @item set backtrace limit @var{n}
6717 @itemx set backtrace limit 0
6718 @itemx set backtrace limit unlimited
6719 @cindex backtrace limit
6720 Limit the backtrace to @var{n} levels. A value of @code{unlimited}
6721 or zero means unlimited levels.
6722
6723 @item show backtrace limit
6724 Display the current limit on backtrace levels.
6725 @end table
6726
6727 You can control how file names are displayed.
6728
6729 @table @code
6730 @item set filename-display
6731 @itemx set filename-display relative
6732 @cindex filename-display
6733 Display file names relative to the compilation directory. This is the default.
6734
6735 @item set filename-display basename
6736 Display only basename of a filename.
6737
6738 @item set filename-display absolute
6739 Display an absolute filename.
6740
6741 @item show filename-display
6742 Show the current way to display filenames.
6743 @end table
6744
6745 @node Frame Filter Management
6746 @section Management of Frame Filters.
6747 @cindex managing frame filters
6748
6749 Frame filters are Python based utilities to manage and decorate the
6750 output of frames. @xref{Frame Filter API}, for further information.
6751
6752 Managing frame filters is performed by several commands available
6753 within @value{GDBN}, detailed here.
6754
6755 @table @code
6756 @kindex info frame-filter
6757 @item info frame-filter
6758 Print a list of installed frame filters from all dictionaries, showing
6759 their name, priority and enabled status.
6760
6761 @kindex disable frame-filter
6762 @anchor{disable frame-filter all}
6763 @item disable frame-filter @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
6764 Disable a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6765 @var{filter-dictionary}, or @code{all}, and @var{filter-name}.
6766 @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{all}, @code{global},
6767 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6768 dictionary resides. When @code{all} is specified, all frame filters
6769 across all dictionaries are disabled. @var{filter-name} is the name
6770 of the frame filter and is used when @code{all} is not the option for
6771 @var{filter-dictionary}. A disabled frame-filter is not deleted, it
6772 may be enabled again later.
6773
6774 @kindex enable frame-filter
6775 @item enable frame-filter @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
6776 Enable a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6777 @var{filter-dictionary}, or @code{all}, and @var{filter-name}.
6778 @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{all}, @code{global},
6779 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6780 dictionary resides. When @code{all} is specified, all frame filters across
6781 all dictionaries are enabled. @var{filter-name} is the name of the frame
6782 filter and is used when @code{all} is not the option for
6783 @var{filter-dictionary}.
6784
6785 Example:
6786
6787 @smallexample
6788 (gdb) info frame-filter
6789
6790 global frame-filters:
6791 Priority Enabled Name
6792 1000 No PrimaryFunctionFilter
6793 100 Yes Reverse
6794
6795 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6796 Priority Enabled Name
6797 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6798
6799 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6800 Priority Enabled Name
6801 999 Yes BuildProgra Filter
6802
6803 (gdb) disable frame-filter /build/test BuildProgramFilter
6804 (gdb) info frame-filter
6805
6806 global frame-filters:
6807 Priority Enabled Name
6808 1000 No PrimaryFunctionFilter
6809 100 Yes Reverse
6810
6811 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6812 Priority Enabled Name
6813 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6814
6815 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6816 Priority Enabled Name
6817 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6818
6819 (gdb) enable frame-filter global PrimaryFunctionFilter
6820 (gdb) info frame-filter
6821
6822 global frame-filters:
6823 Priority Enabled Name
6824 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
6825 100 Yes Reverse
6826
6827 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6828 Priority Enabled Name
6829 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6830
6831 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6832 Priority Enabled Name
6833 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6834 @end smallexample
6835
6836 @kindex set frame-filter priority
6837 @item set frame-filter priority @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name} @var{priority}
6838 Set the @var{priority} of a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6839 @var{filter-dictionary}, and the frame filter name matching
6840 @var{filter-name}. @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{global},
6841 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6842 dictionary resides. @var{priority} is an integer.
6843
6844 @kindex show frame-filter priority
6845 @item show frame-filter priority @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
6846 Show the @var{priority} of a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6847 @var{filter-dictionary}, and the frame filter name matching
6848 @var{filter-name}. @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{global},
6849 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6850 dictionary resides.
6851
6852 Example:
6853
6854 @smallexample
6855 (gdb) info frame-filter
6856
6857 global frame-filters:
6858 Priority Enabled Name
6859 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
6860 100 Yes Reverse
6861
6862 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6863 Priority Enabled Name
6864 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6865
6866 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6867 Priority Enabled Name
6868 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6869
6870 (gdb) set frame-filter priority global Reverse 50
6871 (gdb) info frame-filter
6872
6873 global frame-filters:
6874 Priority Enabled Name
6875 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
6876 50 Yes Reverse
6877
6878 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6879 Priority Enabled Name
6880 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6881
6882 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6883 Priority Enabled Name
6884 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6885 @end smallexample
6886 @end table
6887
6888 @node Selection
6889 @section Selecting a Frame
6890
6891 Most commands for examining the stack and other data in your program work on
6892 whichever stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the commands for
6893 selecting a stack frame; all of them finish by printing a brief description
6894 of the stack frame just selected.
6895
6896 @table @code
6897 @kindex frame@r{, selecting}
6898 @kindex f @r{(@code{frame})}
6899 @item frame @var{n}
6900 @itemx f @var{n}
6901 Select frame number @var{n}. Recall that frame zero is the innermost
6902 (currently executing) frame, frame one is the frame that called the
6903 innermost one, and so on. The highest-numbered frame is the one for
6904 @code{main}.
6905
6906 @item frame @var{addr}
6907 @itemx f @var{addr}
6908 Select the frame at address @var{addr}. This is useful mainly if the
6909 chaining of stack frames has been damaged by a bug, making it
6910 impossible for @value{GDBN} to assign numbers properly to all frames. In
6911 addition, this can be useful when your program has multiple stacks and
6912 switches between them.
6913
6914 On the SPARC architecture, @code{frame} needs two addresses to
6915 select an arbitrary frame: a frame pointer and a stack pointer.
6916
6917 On the @acronym{MIPS} and Alpha architecture, it needs two addresses: a stack
6918 pointer and a program counter.
6919
6920 On the 29k architecture, it needs three addresses: a register stack
6921 pointer, a program counter, and a memory stack pointer.
6922
6923 @kindex up
6924 @item up @var{n}
6925 Move @var{n} frames up the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
6926 advances toward the outermost frame, to higher frame numbers, to frames
6927 that have existed longer. @var{n} defaults to one.
6928
6929 @kindex down
6930 @kindex do @r{(@code{down})}
6931 @item down @var{n}
6932 Move @var{n} frames down the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
6933 advances toward the innermost frame, to lower frame numbers, to frames
6934 that were created more recently. @var{n} defaults to one. You may
6935 abbreviate @code{down} as @code{do}.
6936 @end table
6937
6938 All of these commands end by printing two lines of output describing the
6939 frame. The first line shows the frame number, the function name, the
6940 arguments, and the source file and line number of execution in that
6941 frame. The second line shows the text of that source line.
6942
6943 @need 1000
6944 For example:
6945
6946 @smallexample
6947 @group
6948 (@value{GDBP}) up
6949 #1 0x22f0 in main (argc=1, argv=0xf7fffbf4, env=0xf7fffbfc)
6950 at env.c:10
6951 10 read_input_file (argv[i]);
6952 @end group
6953 @end smallexample
6954
6955 After such a printout, the @code{list} command with no arguments
6956 prints ten lines centered on the point of execution in the frame.
6957 You can also edit the program at the point of execution with your favorite
6958 editing program by typing @code{edit}.
6959 @xref{List, ,Printing Source Lines},
6960 for details.
6961
6962 @table @code
6963 @kindex down-silently
6964 @kindex up-silently
6965 @item up-silently @var{n}
6966 @itemx down-silently @var{n}
6967 These two commands are variants of @code{up} and @code{down},
6968 respectively; they differ in that they do their work silently, without
6969 causing display of the new frame. They are intended primarily for use
6970 in @value{GDBN} command scripts, where the output might be unnecessary and
6971 distracting.
6972 @end table
6973
6974 @node Frame Info
6975 @section Information About a Frame
6976
6977 There are several other commands to print information about the selected
6978 stack frame.
6979
6980 @table @code
6981 @item frame
6982 @itemx f
6983 When used without any argument, this command does not change which
6984 frame is selected, but prints a brief description of the currently
6985 selected stack frame. It can be abbreviated @code{f}. With an
6986 argument, this command is used to select a stack frame.
6987 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6988
6989 @kindex info frame
6990 @kindex info f @r{(@code{info frame})}
6991 @item info frame
6992 @itemx info f
6993 This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack frame,
6994 including:
6995
6996 @itemize @bullet
6997 @item
6998 the address of the frame
6999 @item
7000 the address of the next frame down (called by this frame)
7001 @item
7002 the address of the next frame up (caller of this frame)
7003 @item
7004 the language in which the source code corresponding to this frame is written
7005 @item
7006 the address of the frame's arguments
7007 @item
7008 the address of the frame's local variables
7009 @item
7010 the program counter saved in it (the address of execution in the caller frame)
7011 @item
7012 which registers were saved in the frame
7013 @end itemize
7014
7015 @noindent The verbose description is useful when
7016 something has gone wrong that has made the stack format fail to fit
7017 the usual conventions.
7018
7019 @item info frame @var{addr}
7020 @itemx info f @var{addr}
7021 Print a verbose description of the frame at address @var{addr}, without
7022 selecting that frame. The selected frame remains unchanged by this
7023 command. This requires the same kind of address (more than one for some
7024 architectures) that you specify in the @code{frame} command.
7025 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
7026
7027 @kindex info args
7028 @item info args
7029 Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
7030
7031 @item info locals
7032 @kindex info locals
7033 Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate
7034 line. These are all variables (declared either static or automatic)
7035 accessible at the point of execution of the selected frame.
7036
7037 @end table
7038
7039
7040 @node Source
7041 @chapter Examining Source Files
7042
7043 @value{GDBN} can print parts of your program's source, since the debugging
7044 information recorded in the program tells @value{GDBN} what source files were
7045 used to build it. When your program stops, @value{GDBN} spontaneously prints
7046 the line where it stopped. Likewise, when you select a stack frame
7047 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}), @value{GDBN} prints the line where
7048 execution in that frame has stopped. You can print other portions of
7049 source files by explicit command.
7050
7051 If you use @value{GDBN} through its @sc{gnu} Emacs interface, you may
7052 prefer to use Emacs facilities to view source; see @ref{Emacs, ,Using
7053 @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}.
7054
7055 @menu
7056 * List:: Printing source lines
7057 * Specify Location:: How to specify code locations
7058 * Edit:: Editing source files
7059 * Search:: Searching source files
7060 * Source Path:: Specifying source directories
7061 * Machine Code:: Source and machine code
7062 @end menu
7063
7064 @node List
7065 @section Printing Source Lines
7066
7067 @kindex list
7068 @kindex l @r{(@code{list})}
7069 To print lines from a source file, use the @code{list} command
7070 (abbreviated @code{l}). By default, ten lines are printed.
7071 There are several ways to specify what part of the file you want to
7072 print; see @ref{Specify Location}, for the full list.
7073
7074 Here are the forms of the @code{list} command most commonly used:
7075
7076 @table @code
7077 @item list @var{linenum}
7078 Print lines centered around line number @var{linenum} in the
7079 current source file.
7080
7081 @item list @var{function}
7082 Print lines centered around the beginning of function
7083 @var{function}.
7084
7085 @item list
7086 Print more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a
7087 @code{list} command, this prints lines following the last lines
7088 printed; however, if the last line printed was a solitary line printed
7089 as part of displaying a stack frame (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the
7090 Stack}), this prints lines centered around that line.
7091
7092 @item list -
7093 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
7094 @end table
7095
7096 @cindex @code{list}, how many lines to display
7097 By default, @value{GDBN} prints ten source lines with any of these forms of
7098 the @code{list} command. You can change this using @code{set listsize}:
7099
7100 @table @code
7101 @kindex set listsize
7102 @item set listsize @var{count}
7103 @itemx set listsize unlimited
7104 Make the @code{list} command display @var{count} source lines (unless
7105 the @code{list} argument explicitly specifies some other number).
7106 Setting @var{count} to @code{unlimited} or 0 means there's no limit.
7107
7108 @kindex show listsize
7109 @item show listsize
7110 Display the number of lines that @code{list} prints.
7111 @end table
7112
7113 Repeating a @code{list} command with @key{RET} discards the argument,
7114 so it is equivalent to typing just @code{list}. This is more useful
7115 than listing the same lines again. An exception is made for an
7116 argument of @samp{-}; that argument is preserved in repetition so that
7117 each repetition moves up in the source file.
7118
7119 In general, the @code{list} command expects you to supply zero, one or two
7120 @dfn{linespecs}. Linespecs specify source lines; there are several ways
7121 of writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always
7122 to specify some source line.
7123
7124 Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for @code{list}:
7125
7126 @table @code
7127 @item list @var{linespec}
7128 Print lines centered around the line specified by @var{linespec}.
7129
7130 @item list @var{first},@var{last}
7131 Print lines from @var{first} to @var{last}. Both arguments are
7132 linespecs. When a @code{list} command has two linespecs, and the
7133 source file of the second linespec is omitted, this refers to
7134 the same source file as the first linespec.
7135
7136 @item list ,@var{last}
7137 Print lines ending with @var{last}.
7138
7139 @item list @var{first},
7140 Print lines starting with @var{first}.
7141
7142 @item list +
7143 Print lines just after the lines last printed.
7144
7145 @item list -
7146 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
7147
7148 @item list
7149 As described in the preceding table.
7150 @end table
7151
7152 @node Specify Location
7153 @section Specifying a Location
7154 @cindex specifying location
7155 @cindex linespec
7156
7157 Several @value{GDBN} commands accept arguments that specify a location
7158 of your program's code. Since @value{GDBN} is a source-level
7159 debugger, a location usually specifies some line in the source code;
7160 for that reason, locations are also known as @dfn{linespecs}.
7161
7162 Here are all the different ways of specifying a code location that
7163 @value{GDBN} understands:
7164
7165 @table @code
7166 @item @var{linenum}
7167 Specifies the line number @var{linenum} of the current source file.
7168
7169 @item -@var{offset}
7170 @itemx +@var{offset}
7171 Specifies the line @var{offset} lines before or after the @dfn{current
7172 line}. For the @code{list} command, the current line is the last one
7173 printed; for the breakpoint commands, this is the line at which
7174 execution stopped in the currently selected @dfn{stack frame}
7175 (@pxref{Frames, ,Frames}, for a description of stack frames.) When
7176 used as the second of the two linespecs in a @code{list} command,
7177 this specifies the line @var{offset} lines up or down from the first
7178 linespec.
7179
7180 @item @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
7181 Specifies the line @var{linenum} in the source file @var{filename}.
7182 If @var{filename} is a relative file name, then it will match any
7183 source file name with the same trailing components. For example, if
7184 @var{filename} is @samp{gcc/expr.c}, then it will match source file
7185 name of @file{/build/trunk/gcc/expr.c}, but not
7186 @file{/build/trunk/libcpp/expr.c} or @file{/build/trunk/gcc/x-expr.c}.
7187
7188 @item @var{function}
7189 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}.
7190 For example, in C, this is the line with the open brace.
7191
7192 @item @var{function}:@var{label}
7193 Specifies the line where @var{label} appears in @var{function}.
7194
7195 @item @var{filename}:@var{function}
7196 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}
7197 in the file @var{filename}. You only need the file name with a
7198 function name to avoid ambiguity when there are identically named
7199 functions in different source files.
7200
7201 @item @var{label}
7202 Specifies the line at which the label named @var{label} appears.
7203 @value{GDBN} searches for the label in the function corresponding to
7204 the currently selected stack frame. If there is no current selected
7205 stack frame (for instance, if the inferior is not running), then
7206 @value{GDBN} will not search for a label.
7207
7208 @item *@var{address}
7209 Specifies the program address @var{address}. For line-oriented
7210 commands, such as @code{list} and @code{edit}, this specifies a source
7211 line that contains @var{address}. For @code{break} and other
7212 breakpoint oriented commands, this can be used to set breakpoints in
7213 parts of your program which do not have debugging information or
7214 source files.
7215
7216 Here @var{address} may be any expression valid in the current working
7217 language (@pxref{Languages, working language}) that specifies a code
7218 address. In addition, as a convenience, @value{GDBN} extends the
7219 semantics of expressions used in locations to cover the situations
7220 that frequently happen during debugging. Here are the various forms
7221 of @var{address}:
7222
7223 @table @code
7224 @item @var{expression}
7225 Any expression valid in the current working language.
7226
7227 @item @var{funcaddr}
7228 An address of a function or procedure derived from its name. In C,
7229 C@t{++}, Java, Objective-C, Fortran, minimal, and assembly, this is
7230 simply the function's name @var{function} (and actually a special case
7231 of a valid expression). In Pascal and Modula-2, this is
7232 @code{&@var{function}}. In Ada, this is @code{@var{function}'Address}
7233 (although the Pascal form also works).
7234
7235 This form specifies the address of the function's first instruction,
7236 before the stack frame and arguments have been set up.
7237
7238 @item '@var{filename}'::@var{funcaddr}
7239 Like @var{funcaddr} above, but also specifies the name of the source
7240 file explicitly. This is useful if the name of the function does not
7241 specify the function unambiguously, e.g., if there are several
7242 functions with identical names in different source files.
7243 @end table
7244
7245 @cindex breakpoint at static probe point
7246 @item -pstap|-probe-stap @r{[}@var{objfile}:@r{[}@var{provider}:@r{]}@r{]}@var{name}
7247 The @sc{gnu}/Linux tool @code{SystemTap} provides a way for
7248 applications to embed static probes. @xref{Static Probe Points}, for more
7249 information on finding and using static probes. This form of linespec
7250 specifies the location of such a static probe.
7251
7252 If @var{objfile} is given, only probes coming from that shared library
7253 or executable matching @var{objfile} as a regular expression are considered.
7254 If @var{provider} is given, then only probes from that provider are considered.
7255 If several probes match the spec, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at
7256 each one of those probes.
7257
7258 @end table
7259
7260
7261 @node Edit
7262 @section Editing Source Files
7263 @cindex editing source files
7264
7265 @kindex edit
7266 @kindex e @r{(@code{edit})}
7267 To edit the lines in a source file, use the @code{edit} command.
7268 The editing program of your choice
7269 is invoked with the current line set to
7270 the active line in the program.
7271 Alternatively, there are several ways to specify what part of the file you
7272 want to print if you want to see other parts of the program:
7273
7274 @table @code
7275 @item edit @var{location}
7276 Edit the source file specified by @code{location}. Editing starts at
7277 that @var{location}, e.g., at the specified source line of the
7278 specified file. @xref{Specify Location}, for all the possible forms
7279 of the @var{location} argument; here are the forms of the @code{edit}
7280 command most commonly used:
7281
7282 @table @code
7283 @item edit @var{number}
7284 Edit the current source file with @var{number} as the active line number.
7285
7286 @item edit @var{function}
7287 Edit the file containing @var{function} at the beginning of its definition.
7288 @end table
7289
7290 @end table
7291
7292 @subsection Choosing your Editor
7293 You can customize @value{GDBN} to use any editor you want
7294 @footnote{
7295 The only restriction is that your editor (say @code{ex}), recognizes the
7296 following command-line syntax:
7297 @smallexample
7298 ex +@var{number} file
7299 @end smallexample
7300 The optional numeric value +@var{number} specifies the number of the line in
7301 the file where to start editing.}.
7302 By default, it is @file{@value{EDITOR}}, but you can change this
7303 by setting the environment variable @code{EDITOR} before using
7304 @value{GDBN}. For example, to configure @value{GDBN} to use the
7305 @code{vi} editor, you could use these commands with the @code{sh} shell:
7306 @smallexample
7307 EDITOR=/usr/bin/vi
7308 export EDITOR
7309 gdb @dots{}
7310 @end smallexample
7311 or in the @code{csh} shell,
7312 @smallexample
7313 setenv EDITOR /usr/bin/vi
7314 gdb @dots{}
7315 @end smallexample
7316
7317 @node Search
7318 @section Searching Source Files
7319 @cindex searching source files
7320
7321 There are two commands for searching through the current source file for a
7322 regular expression.
7323
7324 @table @code
7325 @kindex search
7326 @kindex forward-search
7327 @kindex fo @r{(@code{forward-search})}
7328 @item forward-search @var{regexp}
7329 @itemx search @var{regexp}
7330 The command @samp{forward-search @var{regexp}} checks each line,
7331 starting with the one following the last line listed, for a match for
7332 @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can use the
7333 synonym @samp{search @var{regexp}} or abbreviate the command name as
7334 @code{fo}.
7335
7336 @kindex reverse-search
7337 @item reverse-search @var{regexp}
7338 The command @samp{reverse-search @var{regexp}} checks each line, starting
7339 with the one before the last line listed and going backward, for a match
7340 for @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can abbreviate
7341 this command as @code{rev}.
7342 @end table
7343
7344 @node Source Path
7345 @section Specifying Source Directories
7346
7347 @cindex source path
7348 @cindex directories for source files
7349 Executable programs sometimes do not record the directories of the source
7350 files from which they were compiled, just the names. Even when they do,
7351 the directories could be moved between the compilation and your debugging
7352 session. @value{GDBN} has a list of directories to search for source files;
7353 this is called the @dfn{source path}. Each time @value{GDBN} wants a source file,
7354 it tries all the directories in the list, in the order they are present
7355 in the list, until it finds a file with the desired name.
7356
7357 For example, suppose an executable references the file
7358 @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}, and our source path is
7359 @file{/mnt/cross}. The file is first looked up literally; if this
7360 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} is tried; if this
7361 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/foo.c} is opened; if this fails, an error
7362 message is printed. @value{GDBN} does not look up the parts of the
7363 source file name, such as @file{/mnt/cross/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}.
7364 Likewise, the subdirectories of the source path are not searched: if
7365 the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the binary refers to
7366 @file{foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would not find it under
7367 @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib}.
7368
7369 Plain file names, relative file names with leading directories, file
7370 names containing dots, etc.@: are all treated as described above; for
7371 instance, if the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the source file
7372 is recorded as @file{../lib/foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would first try
7373 @file{../lib/foo.c}, then @file{/mnt/cross/../lib/foo.c}, and after
7374 that---@file{/mnt/cross/foo.c}.
7375
7376 Note that the executable search path is @emph{not} used to locate the
7377 source files.
7378
7379 Whenever you reset or rearrange the source path, @value{GDBN} clears out
7380 any information it has cached about where source files are found and where
7381 each line is in the file.
7382
7383 @kindex directory
7384 @kindex dir
7385 When you start @value{GDBN}, its source path includes only @samp{cdir}
7386 and @samp{cwd}, in that order.
7387 To add other directories, use the @code{directory} command.
7388
7389 The search path is used to find both program source files and @value{GDBN}
7390 script files (read using the @samp{-command} option and @samp{source} command).
7391
7392 In addition to the source path, @value{GDBN} provides a set of commands
7393 that manage a list of source path substitution rules. A @dfn{substitution
7394 rule} specifies how to rewrite source directories stored in the program's
7395 debug information in case the sources were moved to a different
7396 directory between compilation and debugging. A rule is made of
7397 two strings, the first specifying what needs to be rewritten in
7398 the path, and the second specifying how it should be rewritten.
7399 In @ref{set substitute-path}, we name these two parts @var{from} and
7400 @var{to} respectively. @value{GDBN} does a simple string replacement
7401 of @var{from} with @var{to} at the start of the directory part of the
7402 source file name, and uses that result instead of the original file
7403 name to look up the sources.
7404
7405 Using the previous example, suppose the @file{foo-1.0} tree has been
7406 moved from @file{/usr/src} to @file{/mnt/cross}, then you can tell
7407 @value{GDBN} to replace @file{/usr/src} in all source path names with
7408 @file{/mnt/cross}. The first lookup will then be
7409 @file{/mnt/cross/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} in place of the original location
7410 of @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}. To define a source path
7411 substitution rule, use the @code{set substitute-path} command
7412 (@pxref{set substitute-path}).
7413
7414 To avoid unexpected substitution results, a rule is applied only if the
7415 @var{from} part of the directory name ends at a directory separator.
7416 For instance, a rule substituting @file{/usr/source} into
7417 @file{/mnt/cross} will be applied to @file{/usr/source/foo-1.0} but
7418 not to @file{/usr/sourceware/foo-2.0}. And because the substitution
7419 is applied only at the beginning of the directory name, this rule will
7420 not be applied to @file{/root/usr/source/baz.c} either.
7421
7422 In many cases, you can achieve the same result using the @code{directory}
7423 command. However, @code{set substitute-path} can be more efficient in
7424 the case where the sources are organized in a complex tree with multiple
7425 subdirectories. With the @code{directory} command, you need to add each
7426 subdirectory of your project. If you moved the entire tree while
7427 preserving its internal organization, then @code{set substitute-path}
7428 allows you to direct the debugger to all the sources with one single
7429 command.
7430
7431 @code{set substitute-path} is also more than just a shortcut command.
7432 The source path is only used if the file at the original location no
7433 longer exists. On the other hand, @code{set substitute-path} modifies
7434 the debugger behavior to look at the rewritten location instead. So, if
7435 for any reason a source file that is not relevant to your executable is
7436 located at the original location, a substitution rule is the only
7437 method available to point @value{GDBN} at the new location.
7438
7439 @cindex @samp{--with-relocated-sources}
7440 @cindex default source path substitution
7441 You can configure a default source path substitution rule by
7442 configuring @value{GDBN} with the
7443 @samp{--with-relocated-sources=@var{dir}} option. The @var{dir}
7444 should be the name of a directory under @value{GDBN}'s configured
7445 prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or @samp{--exec-prefix}), and
7446 directory names in debug information under @var{dir} will be adjusted
7447 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
7448 location. This is useful if @value{GDBN}, libraries or executables
7449 with debug information and corresponding source code are being moved
7450 together.
7451
7452 @table @code
7453 @item directory @var{dirname} @dots{}
7454 @item dir @var{dirname} @dots{}
7455 Add directory @var{dirname} to the front of the source path. Several
7456 directory names may be given to this command, separated by @samp{:}
7457 (@samp{;} on MS-DOS and MS-Windows, where @samp{:} usually appears as
7458 part of absolute file names) or
7459 whitespace. You may specify a directory that is already in the source
7460 path; this moves it forward, so @value{GDBN} searches it sooner.
7461
7462 @kindex cdir
7463 @kindex cwd
7464 @vindex $cdir@r{, convenience variable}
7465 @vindex $cwd@r{, convenience variable}
7466 @cindex compilation directory
7467 @cindex current directory
7468 @cindex working directory
7469 @cindex directory, current
7470 @cindex directory, compilation
7471 You can use the string @samp{$cdir} to refer to the compilation
7472 directory (if one is recorded), and @samp{$cwd} to refer to the current
7473 working directory. @samp{$cwd} is not the same as @samp{.}---the former
7474 tracks the current working directory as it changes during your @value{GDBN}
7475 session, while the latter is immediately expanded to the current
7476 directory at the time you add an entry to the source path.
7477
7478 @item directory
7479 Reset the source path to its default value (@samp{$cdir:$cwd} on Unix systems). This requires confirmation.
7480
7481 @c RET-repeat for @code{directory} is explicitly disabled, but since
7482 @c repeating it would be a no-op we do not say that. (thanks to RMS)
7483
7484 @item set directories @var{path-list}
7485 @kindex set directories
7486 Set the source path to @var{path-list}.
7487 @samp{$cdir:$cwd} are added if missing.
7488
7489 @item show directories
7490 @kindex show directories
7491 Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
7492
7493 @anchor{set substitute-path}
7494 @item set substitute-path @var{from} @var{to}
7495 @kindex set substitute-path
7496 Define a source path substitution rule, and add it at the end of the
7497 current list of existing substitution rules. If a rule with the same
7498 @var{from} was already defined, then the old rule is also deleted.
7499
7500 For example, if the file @file{/foo/bar/baz.c} was moved to
7501 @file{/mnt/cross/baz.c}, then the command
7502
7503 @smallexample
7504 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/cross
7505 @end smallexample
7506
7507 @noindent
7508 will tell @value{GDBN} to replace @samp{/usr/src} with
7509 @samp{/mnt/cross}, which will allow @value{GDBN} to find the file
7510 @file{baz.c} even though it was moved.
7511
7512 In the case when more than one substitution rule have been defined,
7513 the rules are evaluated one by one in the order where they have been
7514 defined. The first one matching, if any, is selected to perform
7515 the substitution.
7516
7517 For instance, if we had entered the following commands:
7518
7519 @smallexample
7520 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src/include /mnt/include
7521 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/src
7522 @end smallexample
7523
7524 @noindent
7525 @value{GDBN} would then rewrite @file{/usr/src/include/defs.h} into
7526 @file{/mnt/include/defs.h} by using the first rule. However, it would
7527 use the second rule to rewrite @file{/usr/src/lib/foo.c} into
7528 @file{/mnt/src/lib/foo.c}.
7529
7530
7531 @item unset substitute-path [path]
7532 @kindex unset substitute-path
7533 If a path is specified, search the current list of substitution rules
7534 for a rule that would rewrite that path. Delete that rule if found.
7535 A warning is emitted by the debugger if no rule could be found.
7536
7537 If no path is specified, then all substitution rules are deleted.
7538
7539 @item show substitute-path [path]
7540 @kindex show substitute-path
7541 If a path is specified, then print the source path substitution rule
7542 which would rewrite that path, if any.
7543
7544 If no path is specified, then print all existing source path substitution
7545 rules.
7546
7547 @end table
7548
7549 If your source path is cluttered with directories that are no longer of
7550 interest, @value{GDBN} may sometimes cause confusion by finding the wrong
7551 versions of source. You can correct the situation as follows:
7552
7553 @enumerate
7554 @item
7555 Use @code{directory} with no argument to reset the source path to its default value.
7556
7557 @item
7558 Use @code{directory} with suitable arguments to reinstall the
7559 directories you want in the source path. You can add all the
7560 directories in one command.
7561 @end enumerate
7562
7563 @node Machine Code
7564 @section Source and Machine Code
7565 @cindex source line and its code address
7566
7567 You can use the command @code{info line} to map source lines to program
7568 addresses (and vice versa), and the command @code{disassemble} to display
7569 a range of addresses as machine instructions. You can use the command
7570 @code{set disassemble-next-line} to set whether to disassemble next
7571 source line when execution stops. When run under @sc{gnu} Emacs
7572 mode, the @code{info line} command causes the arrow to point to the
7573 line specified. Also, @code{info line} prints addresses in symbolic form as
7574 well as hex.
7575
7576 @table @code
7577 @kindex info line
7578 @item info line @var{linespec}
7579 Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for
7580 source line @var{linespec}. You can specify source lines in any of
7581 the ways documented in @ref{Specify Location}.
7582 @end table
7583
7584 For example, we can use @code{info line} to discover the location of
7585 the object code for the first line of function
7586 @code{m4_changequote}:
7587
7588 @c FIXME: I think this example should also show the addresses in
7589 @c symbolic form, as they usually would be displayed.
7590 @smallexample
7591 (@value{GDBP}) info line m4_changequote
7592 Line 895 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x634c and ends at 0x6350.
7593 @end smallexample
7594
7595 @noindent
7596 @cindex code address and its source line
7597 We can also inquire (using @code{*@var{addr}} as the form for
7598 @var{linespec}) what source line covers a particular address:
7599 @smallexample
7600 (@value{GDBP}) info line *0x63ff
7601 Line 926 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x63e4 and ends at 0x6404.
7602 @end smallexample
7603
7604 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info line}
7605 @cindex @code{x} command, default address
7606 @kindex x@r{(examine), and} info line
7607 After @code{info line}, the default address for the @code{x} command
7608 is changed to the starting address of the line, so that @samp{x/i} is
7609 sufficient to begin examining the machine code (@pxref{Memory,
7610 ,Examining Memory}). Also, this address is saved as the value of the
7611 convenience variable @code{$_} (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
7612 Variables}).
7613
7614 @table @code
7615 @kindex disassemble
7616 @cindex assembly instructions
7617 @cindex instructions, assembly
7618 @cindex machine instructions
7619 @cindex listing machine instructions
7620 @item disassemble
7621 @itemx disassemble /m
7622 @itemx disassemble /r
7623 This specialized command dumps a range of memory as machine
7624 instructions. It can also print mixed source+disassembly by specifying
7625 the @code{/m} modifier and print the raw instructions in hex as well as
7626 in symbolic form by specifying the @code{/r}.
7627 The default memory range is the function surrounding the
7628 program counter of the selected frame. A single argument to this
7629 command is a program counter value; @value{GDBN} dumps the function
7630 surrounding this value. When two arguments are given, they should
7631 be separated by a comma, possibly surrounded by whitespace. The
7632 arguments specify a range of addresses to dump, in one of two forms:
7633
7634 @table @code
7635 @item @var{start},@var{end}
7636 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to @var{end} (exclusive)
7637 @item @var{start},+@var{length}
7638 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to
7639 @code{@var{start}+@var{length}} (exclusive).
7640 @end table
7641
7642 @noindent
7643 When 2 arguments are specified, the name of the function is also
7644 printed (since there could be several functions in the given range).
7645
7646 The argument(s) can be any expression yielding a numeric value, such as
7647 @samp{0x32c4}, @samp{&main+10} or @samp{$pc - 8}.
7648
7649 If the range of memory being disassembled contains current program counter,
7650 the instruction at that location is shown with a @code{=>} marker.
7651 @end table
7652
7653 The following example shows the disassembly of a range of addresses of
7654 HP PA-RISC 2.0 code:
7655
7656 @smallexample
7657 (@value{GDBP}) disas 0x32c4, 0x32e4
7658 Dump of assembler code from 0x32c4 to 0x32e4:
7659 0x32c4 <main+204>: addil 0,dp
7660 0x32c8 <main+208>: ldw 0x22c(sr0,r1),r26
7661 0x32cc <main+212>: ldil 0x3000,r31
7662 0x32d0 <main+216>: ble 0x3f8(sr4,r31)
7663 0x32d4 <main+220>: ldo 0(r31),rp
7664 0x32d8 <main+224>: addil -0x800,dp
7665 0x32dc <main+228>: ldo 0x588(r1),r26
7666 0x32e0 <main+232>: ldil 0x3000,r31
7667 End of assembler dump.
7668 @end smallexample
7669
7670 Here is an example showing mixed source+assembly for Intel x86, when the
7671 program is stopped just after function prologue:
7672
7673 @smallexample
7674 (@value{GDBP}) disas /m main
7675 Dump of assembler code for function main:
7676 5 @{
7677 0x08048330 <+0>: push %ebp
7678 0x08048331 <+1>: mov %esp,%ebp
7679 0x08048333 <+3>: sub $0x8,%esp
7680 0x08048336 <+6>: and $0xfffffff0,%esp
7681 0x08048339 <+9>: sub $0x10,%esp
7682
7683 6 printf ("Hello.\n");
7684 => 0x0804833c <+12>: movl $0x8048440,(%esp)
7685 0x08048343 <+19>: call 0x8048284 <puts@@plt>
7686
7687 7 return 0;
7688 8 @}
7689 0x08048348 <+24>: mov $0x0,%eax
7690 0x0804834d <+29>: leave
7691 0x0804834e <+30>: ret
7692
7693 End of assembler dump.
7694 @end smallexample
7695
7696 Here is another example showing raw instructions in hex for AMD x86-64,
7697
7698 @smallexample
7699 (gdb) disas /r 0x400281,+10
7700 Dump of assembler code from 0x400281 to 0x40028b:
7701 0x0000000000400281: 38 36 cmp %dh,(%rsi)
7702 0x0000000000400283: 2d 36 34 2e 73 sub $0x732e3436,%eax
7703 0x0000000000400288: 6f outsl %ds:(%rsi),(%dx)
7704 0x0000000000400289: 2e 32 00 xor %cs:(%rax),%al
7705 End of assembler dump.
7706 @end smallexample
7707
7708 Addresses cannot be specified as a linespec (@pxref{Specify Location}).
7709 So, for example, if you want to disassemble function @code{bar}
7710 in file @file{foo.c}, you must type @samp{disassemble 'foo.c'::bar}
7711 and not @samp{disassemble foo.c:bar}.
7712
7713 Some architectures have more than one commonly-used set of instruction
7714 mnemonics or other syntax.
7715
7716 For programs that were dynamically linked and use shared libraries,
7717 instructions that call functions or branch to locations in the shared
7718 libraries might show a seemingly bogus location---it's actually a
7719 location of the relocation table. On some architectures, @value{GDBN}
7720 might be able to resolve these to actual function names.
7721
7722 @table @code
7723 @kindex set disassembly-flavor
7724 @cindex Intel disassembly flavor
7725 @cindex AT&T disassembly flavor
7726 @item set disassembly-flavor @var{instruction-set}
7727 Select the instruction set to use when disassembling the
7728 program via the @code{disassemble} or @code{x/i} commands.
7729
7730 Currently this command is only defined for the Intel x86 family. You
7731 can set @var{instruction-set} to either @code{intel} or @code{att}.
7732 The default is @code{att}, the AT&T flavor used by default by Unix
7733 assemblers for x86-based targets.
7734
7735 @kindex show disassembly-flavor
7736 @item show disassembly-flavor
7737 Show the current setting of the disassembly flavor.
7738 @end table
7739
7740 @table @code
7741 @kindex set disassemble-next-line
7742 @kindex show disassemble-next-line
7743 @item set disassemble-next-line
7744 @itemx show disassemble-next-line
7745 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will disassemble the next source
7746 line or instruction when execution stops. If ON, @value{GDBN} will
7747 display disassembly of the next source line when execution of the
7748 program being debugged stops. This is @emph{in addition} to
7749 displaying the source line itself, which @value{GDBN} always does if
7750 possible. If the next source line cannot be displayed for some reason
7751 (e.g., if @value{GDBN} cannot find the source file, or there's no line
7752 info in the debug info), @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of the
7753 next @emph{instruction} instead of showing the next source line. If
7754 AUTO, @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of next instruction only
7755 if the source line cannot be displayed. This setting causes
7756 @value{GDBN} to display some feedback when you step through a function
7757 with no line info or whose source file is unavailable. The default is
7758 OFF, which means never display the disassembly of the next line or
7759 instruction.
7760 @end table
7761
7762
7763 @node Data
7764 @chapter Examining Data
7765
7766 @cindex printing data
7767 @cindex examining data
7768 @kindex print
7769 @kindex inspect
7770 The usual way to examine data in your program is with the @code{print}
7771 command (abbreviated @code{p}), or its synonym @code{inspect}. It
7772 evaluates and prints the value of an expression of the language your
7773 program is written in (@pxref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with
7774 Different Languages}). It may also print the expression using a
7775 Python-based pretty-printer (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
7776
7777 @table @code
7778 @item print @var{expr}
7779 @itemx print /@var{f} @var{expr}
7780 @var{expr} is an expression (in the source language). By default the
7781 value of @var{expr} is printed in a format appropriate to its data type;
7782 you can choose a different format by specifying @samp{/@var{f}}, where
7783 @var{f} is a letter specifying the format; see @ref{Output Formats,,Output
7784 Formats}.
7785
7786 @item print
7787 @itemx print /@var{f}
7788 @cindex reprint the last value
7789 If you omit @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} displays the last value again (from the
7790 @dfn{value history}; @pxref{Value History, ,Value History}). This allows you to
7791 conveniently inspect the same value in an alternative format.
7792 @end table
7793
7794 A more low-level way of examining data is with the @code{x} command.
7795 It examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
7796 specified format. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
7797
7798 If you are interested in information about types, or about how the
7799 fields of a struct or a class are declared, use the @code{ptype @var{exp}}
7800 command rather than @code{print}. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol
7801 Table}.
7802
7803 @cindex exploring hierarchical data structures
7804 @kindex explore
7805 Another way of examining values of expressions and type information is
7806 through the Python extension command @code{explore} (available only if
7807 the @value{GDBN} build is configured with @code{--with-python}). It
7808 offers an interactive way to start at the highest level (or, the most
7809 abstract level) of the data type of an expression (or, the data type
7810 itself) and explore all the way down to leaf scalar values/fields
7811 embedded in the higher level data types.
7812
7813 @table @code
7814 @item explore @var{arg}
7815 @var{arg} is either an expression (in the source language), or a type
7816 visible in the current context of the program being debugged.
7817 @end table
7818
7819 The working of the @code{explore} command can be illustrated with an
7820 example. If a data type @code{struct ComplexStruct} is defined in your
7821 C program as
7822
7823 @smallexample
7824 struct SimpleStruct
7825 @{
7826 int i;
7827 double d;
7828 @};
7829
7830 struct ComplexStruct
7831 @{
7832 struct SimpleStruct *ss_p;
7833 int arr[10];
7834 @};
7835 @end smallexample
7836
7837 @noindent
7838 followed by variable declarations as
7839
7840 @smallexample
7841 struct SimpleStruct ss = @{ 10, 1.11 @};
7842 struct ComplexStruct cs = @{ &ss, @{ 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 @} @};
7843 @end smallexample
7844
7845 @noindent
7846 then, the value of the variable @code{cs} can be explored using the
7847 @code{explore} command as follows.
7848
7849 @smallexample
7850 (gdb) explore cs
7851 The value of `cs' is a struct/class of type `struct ComplexStruct' with
7852 the following fields:
7853
7854 ss_p = <Enter 0 to explore this field of type `struct SimpleStruct *'>
7855 arr = <Enter 1 to explore this field of type `int [10]'>
7856
7857 Enter the field number of choice:
7858 @end smallexample
7859
7860 @noindent
7861 Since the fields of @code{cs} are not scalar values, you are being
7862 prompted to chose the field you want to explore. Let's say you choose
7863 the field @code{ss_p} by entering @code{0}. Then, since this field is a
7864 pointer, you will be asked if it is pointing to a single value. From
7865 the declaration of @code{cs} above, it is indeed pointing to a single
7866 value, hence you enter @code{y}. If you enter @code{n}, then you will
7867 be asked if it were pointing to an array of values, in which case this
7868 field will be explored as if it were an array.
7869
7870 @smallexample
7871 `cs.ss_p' is a pointer to a value of type `struct SimpleStruct'
7872 Continue exploring it as a pointer to a single value [y/n]: y
7873 The value of `*(cs.ss_p)' is a struct/class of type `struct
7874 SimpleStruct' with the following fields:
7875
7876 i = 10 .. (Value of type `int')
7877 d = 1.1100000000000001 .. (Value of type `double')
7878
7879 Press enter to return to parent value:
7880 @end smallexample
7881
7882 @noindent
7883 If the field @code{arr} of @code{cs} was chosen for exploration by
7884 entering @code{1} earlier, then since it is as array, you will be
7885 prompted to enter the index of the element in the array that you want
7886 to explore.
7887
7888 @smallexample
7889 `cs.arr' is an array of `int'.
7890 Enter the index of the element you want to explore in `cs.arr': 5
7891
7892 `(cs.arr)[5]' is a scalar value of type `int'.
7893
7894 (cs.arr)[5] = 4
7895
7896 Press enter to return to parent value:
7897 @end smallexample
7898
7899 In general, at any stage of exploration, you can go deeper towards the
7900 leaf values by responding to the prompts appropriately, or hit the
7901 return key to return to the enclosing data structure (the @i{higher}
7902 level data structure).
7903
7904 Similar to exploring values, you can use the @code{explore} command to
7905 explore types. Instead of specifying a value (which is typically a
7906 variable name or an expression valid in the current context of the
7907 program being debugged), you specify a type name. If you consider the
7908 same example as above, your can explore the type
7909 @code{struct ComplexStruct} by passing the argument
7910 @code{struct ComplexStruct} to the @code{explore} command.
7911
7912 @smallexample
7913 (gdb) explore struct ComplexStruct
7914 @end smallexample
7915
7916 @noindent
7917 By responding to the prompts appropriately in the subsequent interactive
7918 session, you can explore the type @code{struct ComplexStruct} in a
7919 manner similar to how the value @code{cs} was explored in the above
7920 example.
7921
7922 The @code{explore} command also has two sub-commands,
7923 @code{explore value} and @code{explore type}. The former sub-command is
7924 a way to explicitly specify that value exploration of the argument is
7925 being invoked, while the latter is a way to explicitly specify that type
7926 exploration of the argument is being invoked.
7927
7928 @table @code
7929 @item explore value @var{expr}
7930 @cindex explore value
7931 This sub-command of @code{explore} explores the value of the
7932 expression @var{expr} (if @var{expr} is an expression valid in the
7933 current context of the program being debugged). The behavior of this
7934 command is identical to that of the behavior of the @code{explore}
7935 command being passed the argument @var{expr}.
7936
7937 @item explore type @var{arg}
7938 @cindex explore type
7939 This sub-command of @code{explore} explores the type of @var{arg} (if
7940 @var{arg} is a type visible in the current context of program being
7941 debugged), or the type of the value/expression @var{arg} (if @var{arg}
7942 is an expression valid in the current context of the program being
7943 debugged). If @var{arg} is a type, then the behavior of this command is
7944 identical to that of the @code{explore} command being passed the
7945 argument @var{arg}. If @var{arg} is an expression, then the behavior of
7946 this command will be identical to that of the @code{explore} command
7947 being passed the type of @var{arg} as the argument.
7948 @end table
7949
7950 @menu
7951 * Expressions:: Expressions
7952 * Ambiguous Expressions:: Ambiguous Expressions
7953 * Variables:: Program variables
7954 * Arrays:: Artificial arrays
7955 * Output Formats:: Output formats
7956 * Memory:: Examining memory
7957 * Auto Display:: Automatic display
7958 * Print Settings:: Print settings
7959 * Pretty Printing:: Python pretty printing
7960 * Value History:: Value history
7961 * Convenience Vars:: Convenience variables
7962 * Convenience Funs:: Convenience functions
7963 * Registers:: Registers
7964 * Floating Point Hardware:: Floating point hardware
7965 * Vector Unit:: Vector Unit
7966 * OS Information:: Auxiliary data provided by operating system
7967 * Memory Region Attributes:: Memory region attributes
7968 * Dump/Restore Files:: Copy between memory and a file
7969 * Core File Generation:: Cause a program dump its core
7970 * Character Sets:: Debugging programs that use a different
7971 character set than GDB does
7972 * Caching Remote Data:: Data caching for remote targets
7973 * Searching Memory:: Searching memory for a sequence of bytes
7974 @end menu
7975
7976 @node Expressions
7977 @section Expressions
7978
7979 @cindex expressions
7980 @code{print} and many other @value{GDBN} commands accept an expression and
7981 compute its value. Any kind of constant, variable or operator defined
7982 by the programming language you are using is valid in an expression in
7983 @value{GDBN}. This includes conditional expressions, function calls,
7984 casts, and string constants. It also includes preprocessor macros, if
7985 you compiled your program to include this information; see
7986 @ref{Compilation}.
7987
7988 @cindex arrays in expressions
7989 @value{GDBN} supports array constants in expressions input by
7990 the user. The syntax is @{@var{element}, @var{element}@dots{}@}. For example,
7991 you can use the command @code{print @{1, 2, 3@}} to create an array
7992 of three integers. If you pass an array to a function or assign it
7993 to a program variable, @value{GDBN} copies the array to memory that
7994 is @code{malloc}ed in the target program.
7995
7996 Because C is so widespread, most of the expressions shown in examples in
7997 this manual are in C. @xref{Languages, , Using @value{GDBN} with Different
7998 Languages}, for information on how to use expressions in other
7999 languages.
8000
8001 In this section, we discuss operators that you can use in @value{GDBN}
8002 expressions regardless of your programming language.
8003
8004 @cindex casts, in expressions
8005 Casts are supported in all languages, not just in C, because it is so
8006 useful to cast a number into a pointer in order to examine a structure
8007 at that address in memory.
8008 @c FIXME: casts supported---Mod2 true?
8009
8010 @value{GDBN} supports these operators, in addition to those common
8011 to programming languages:
8012
8013 @table @code
8014 @item @@
8015 @samp{@@} is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays.
8016 @xref{Arrays, ,Artificial Arrays}, for more information.
8017
8018 @item ::
8019 @samp{::} allows you to specify a variable in terms of the file or
8020 function where it is defined. @xref{Variables, ,Program Variables}.
8021
8022 @cindex @{@var{type}@}
8023 @cindex type casting memory
8024 @cindex memory, viewing as typed object
8025 @cindex casts, to view memory
8026 @item @{@var{type}@} @var{addr}
8027 Refers to an object of type @var{type} stored at address @var{addr} in
8028 memory. @var{addr} may be any expression whose value is an integer or
8029 pointer (but parentheses are required around binary operators, just as in
8030 a cast). This construct is allowed regardless of what kind of data is
8031 normally supposed to reside at @var{addr}.
8032 @end table
8033
8034 @node Ambiguous Expressions
8035 @section Ambiguous Expressions
8036 @cindex ambiguous expressions
8037
8038 Expressions can sometimes contain some ambiguous elements. For instance,
8039 some programming languages (notably Ada, C@t{++} and Objective-C) permit
8040 a single function name to be defined several times, for application in
8041 different contexts. This is called @dfn{overloading}. Another example
8042 involving Ada is generics. A @dfn{generic package} is similar to C@t{++}
8043 templates and is typically instantiated several times, resulting in
8044 the same function name being defined in different contexts.
8045
8046 In some cases and depending on the language, it is possible to adjust
8047 the expression to remove the ambiguity. For instance in C@t{++}, you
8048 can specify the signature of the function you want to break on, as in
8049 @kbd{break @var{function}(@var{types})}. In Ada, using the fully
8050 qualified name of your function often makes the expression unambiguous
8051 as well.
8052
8053 When an ambiguity that needs to be resolved is detected, the debugger
8054 has the capability to display a menu of numbered choices for each
8055 possibility, and then waits for the selection with the prompt @samp{>}.
8056 The first option is always @samp{[0] cancel}, and typing @kbd{0 @key{RET}}
8057 aborts the current command. If the command in which the expression was
8058 used allows more than one choice to be selected, the next option in the
8059 menu is @samp{[1] all}, and typing @kbd{1 @key{RET}} selects all possible
8060 choices.
8061
8062 For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a
8063 breakpoint at the overloaded symbol @code{String::after}.
8064 We choose three particular definitions of that function name:
8065
8066 @c FIXME! This is likely to change to show arg type lists, at least
8067 @smallexample
8068 @group
8069 (@value{GDBP}) b String::after
8070 [0] cancel
8071 [1] all
8072 [2] file:String.cc; line number:867
8073 [3] file:String.cc; line number:860
8074 [4] file:String.cc; line number:875
8075 [5] file:String.cc; line number:853
8076 [6] file:String.cc; line number:846
8077 [7] file:String.cc; line number:735
8078 > 2 4 6
8079 Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
8080 Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
8081 Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
8082 Multiple breakpoints were set.
8083 Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted
8084 breakpoints.
8085 (@value{GDBP})
8086 @end group
8087 @end smallexample
8088
8089 @table @code
8090 @kindex set multiple-symbols
8091 @item set multiple-symbols @var{mode}
8092 @cindex multiple-symbols menu
8093
8094 This option allows you to adjust the debugger behavior when an expression
8095 is ambiguous.
8096
8097 By default, @var{mode} is set to @code{all}. If the command with which
8098 the expression is used allows more than one choice, then @value{GDBN}
8099 automatically selects all possible choices. For instance, inserting
8100 a breakpoint on a function using an ambiguous name results in a breakpoint
8101 inserted on each possible match. However, if a unique choice must be made,
8102 then @value{GDBN} uses the menu to help you disambiguate the expression.
8103 For instance, printing the address of an overloaded function will result
8104 in the use of the menu.
8105
8106 When @var{mode} is set to @code{ask}, the debugger always uses the menu
8107 when an ambiguity is detected.
8108
8109 Finally, when @var{mode} is set to @code{cancel}, the debugger reports
8110 an error due to the ambiguity and the command is aborted.
8111
8112 @kindex show multiple-symbols
8113 @item show multiple-symbols
8114 Show the current value of the @code{multiple-symbols} setting.
8115 @end table
8116
8117 @node Variables
8118 @section Program Variables
8119
8120 The most common kind of expression to use is the name of a variable
8121 in your program.
8122
8123 Variables in expressions are understood in the selected stack frame
8124 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}); they must be either:
8125
8126 @itemize @bullet
8127 @item
8128 global (or file-static)
8129 @end itemize
8130
8131 @noindent or
8132
8133 @itemize @bullet
8134 @item
8135 visible according to the scope rules of the
8136 programming language from the point of execution in that frame
8137 @end itemize
8138
8139 @noindent This means that in the function
8140
8141 @smallexample
8142 foo (a)
8143 int a;
8144 @{
8145 bar (a);
8146 @{
8147 int b = test ();
8148 bar (b);
8149 @}
8150 @}
8151 @end smallexample
8152
8153 @noindent
8154 you can examine and use the variable @code{a} whenever your program is
8155 executing within the function @code{foo}, but you can only use or
8156 examine the variable @code{b} while your program is executing inside
8157 the block where @code{b} is declared.
8158
8159 @cindex variable name conflict
8160 There is an exception: you can refer to a variable or function whose
8161 scope is a single source file even if the current execution point is not
8162 in this file. But it is possible to have more than one such variable or
8163 function with the same name (in different source files). If that
8164 happens, referring to that name has unpredictable effects. If you wish,
8165 you can specify a static variable in a particular function or file by
8166 using the colon-colon (@code{::}) notation:
8167
8168 @cindex colon-colon, context for variables/functions
8169 @ifnotinfo
8170 @c info cannot cope with a :: index entry, but why deprive hard copy readers?
8171 @cindex @code{::}, context for variables/functions
8172 @end ifnotinfo
8173 @smallexample
8174 @var{file}::@var{variable}
8175 @var{function}::@var{variable}
8176 @end smallexample
8177
8178 @noindent
8179 Here @var{file} or @var{function} is the name of the context for the
8180 static @var{variable}. In the case of file names, you can use quotes to
8181 make sure @value{GDBN} parses the file name as a single word---for example,
8182 to print a global value of @code{x} defined in @file{f2.c}:
8183
8184 @smallexample
8185 (@value{GDBP}) p 'f2.c'::x
8186 @end smallexample
8187
8188 The @code{::} notation is normally used for referring to
8189 static variables, since you typically disambiguate uses of local variables
8190 in functions by selecting the appropriate frame and using the
8191 simple name of the variable. However, you may also use this notation
8192 to refer to local variables in frames enclosing the selected frame:
8193
8194 @smallexample
8195 void
8196 foo (int a)
8197 @{
8198 if (a < 10)
8199 bar (a);
8200 else
8201 process (a); /* Stop here */
8202 @}
8203
8204 int
8205 bar (int a)
8206 @{
8207 foo (a + 5);
8208 @}
8209 @end smallexample
8210
8211 @noindent
8212 For example, if there is a breakpoint at the commented line,
8213 here is what you might see
8214 when the program stops after executing the call @code{bar(0)}:
8215
8216 @smallexample
8217 (@value{GDBP}) p a
8218 $1 = 10
8219 (@value{GDBP}) p bar::a
8220 $2 = 5
8221 (@value{GDBP}) up 2
8222 #2 0x080483d0 in foo (a=5) at foobar.c:12
8223 (@value{GDBP}) p a
8224 $3 = 5
8225 (@value{GDBP}) p bar::a
8226 $4 = 0
8227 @end smallexample
8228
8229 @cindex C@t{++} scope resolution
8230 These uses of @samp{::} are very rarely in conflict with the very similar
8231 use of the same notation in C@t{++}. @value{GDBN} also supports use of the C@t{++}
8232 scope resolution operator in @value{GDBN} expressions.
8233 @c FIXME: Um, so what happens in one of those rare cases where it's in
8234 @c conflict?? --mew
8235
8236 @cindex wrong values
8237 @cindex variable values, wrong
8238 @cindex function entry/exit, wrong values of variables
8239 @cindex optimized code, wrong values of variables
8240 @quotation
8241 @emph{Warning:} Occasionally, a local variable may appear to have the
8242 wrong value at certain points in a function---just after entry to a new
8243 scope, and just before exit.
8244 @end quotation
8245 You may see this problem when you are stepping by machine instructions.
8246 This is because, on most machines, it takes more than one instruction to
8247 set up a stack frame (including local variable definitions); if you are
8248 stepping by machine instructions, variables may appear to have the wrong
8249 values until the stack frame is completely built. On exit, it usually
8250 also takes more than one machine instruction to destroy a stack frame;
8251 after you begin stepping through that group of instructions, local
8252 variable definitions may be gone.
8253
8254 This may also happen when the compiler does significant optimizations.
8255 To be sure of always seeing accurate values, turn off all optimization
8256 when compiling.
8257
8258 @cindex ``No symbol "foo" in current context''
8259 Another possible effect of compiler optimizations is to optimize
8260 unused variables out of existence, or assign variables to registers (as
8261 opposed to memory addresses). Depending on the support for such cases
8262 offered by the debug info format used by the compiler, @value{GDBN}
8263 might not be able to display values for such local variables. If that
8264 happens, @value{GDBN} will print a message like this:
8265
8266 @smallexample
8267 No symbol "foo" in current context.
8268 @end smallexample
8269
8270 To solve such problems, either recompile without optimizations, or use a
8271 different debug info format, if the compiler supports several such
8272 formats. @xref{Compilation}, for more information on choosing compiler
8273 options. @xref{C, ,C and C@t{++}}, for more information about debug
8274 info formats that are best suited to C@t{++} programs.
8275
8276 If you ask to print an object whose contents are unknown to
8277 @value{GDBN}, e.g., because its data type is not completely specified
8278 by the debug information, @value{GDBN} will say @samp{<incomplete
8279 type>}. @xref{Symbols, incomplete type}, for more about this.
8280
8281 If you append @kbd{@@entry} string to a function parameter name you get its
8282 value at the time the function got called. If the value is not available an
8283 error message is printed. Entry values are available only with some compilers.
8284 Entry values are normally also printed at the function parameter list according
8285 to @ref{set print entry-values}.
8286
8287 @smallexample
8288 Breakpoint 1, d (i=30) at gdb.base/entry-value.c:29
8289 29 i++;
8290 (gdb) next
8291 30 e (i);
8292 (gdb) print i
8293 $1 = 31
8294 (gdb) print i@@entry
8295 $2 = 30
8296 @end smallexample
8297
8298 Strings are identified as arrays of @code{char} values without specified
8299 signedness. Arrays of either @code{signed char} or @code{unsigned char} get
8300 printed as arrays of 1 byte sized integers. @code{-fsigned-char} or
8301 @code{-funsigned-char} @value{NGCC} options have no effect as @value{GDBN}
8302 defines literal string type @code{"char"} as @code{char} without a sign.
8303 For program code
8304
8305 @smallexample
8306 char var0[] = "A";
8307 signed char var1[] = "A";
8308 @end smallexample
8309
8310 You get during debugging
8311 @smallexample
8312 (gdb) print var0
8313 $1 = "A"
8314 (gdb) print var1
8315 $2 = @{65 'A', 0 '\0'@}
8316 @end smallexample
8317
8318 @node Arrays
8319 @section Artificial Arrays
8320
8321 @cindex artificial array
8322 @cindex arrays
8323 @kindex @@@r{, referencing memory as an array}
8324 It is often useful to print out several successive objects of the
8325 same type in memory; a section of an array, or an array of
8326 dynamically determined size for which only a pointer exists in the
8327 program.
8328
8329 You can do this by referring to a contiguous span of memory as an
8330 @dfn{artificial array}, using the binary operator @samp{@@}. The left
8331 operand of @samp{@@} should be the first element of the desired array
8332 and be an individual object. The right operand should be the desired length
8333 of the array. The result is an array value whose elements are all of
8334 the type of the left argument. The first element is actually the left
8335 argument; the second element comes from bytes of memory immediately
8336 following those that hold the first element, and so on. Here is an
8337 example. If a program says
8338
8339 @smallexample
8340 int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
8341 @end smallexample
8342
8343 @noindent
8344 you can print the contents of @code{array} with
8345
8346 @smallexample
8347 p *array@@len
8348 @end smallexample
8349
8350 The left operand of @samp{@@} must reside in memory. Array values made
8351 with @samp{@@} in this way behave just like other arrays in terms of
8352 subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
8353 Artificial arrays most often appear in expressions via the value history
8354 (@pxref{Value History, ,Value History}), after printing one out.
8355
8356 Another way to create an artificial array is to use a cast.
8357 This re-interprets a value as if it were an array.
8358 The value need not be in memory:
8359 @smallexample
8360 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[2])0x12345678
8361 $1 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
8362 @end smallexample
8363
8364 As a convenience, if you leave the array length out (as in
8365 @samp{(@var{type}[])@var{value}}) @value{GDBN} calculates the size to fill
8366 the value (as @samp{sizeof(@var{value})/sizeof(@var{type})}:
8367 @smallexample
8368 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[])0x12345678
8369 $2 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
8370 @end smallexample
8371
8372 Sometimes the artificial array mechanism is not quite enough; in
8373 moderately complex data structures, the elements of interest may not
8374 actually be adjacent---for example, if you are interested in the values
8375 of pointers in an array. One useful work-around in this situation is
8376 to use a convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
8377 Variables}) as a counter in an expression that prints the first
8378 interesting value, and then repeat that expression via @key{RET}. For
8379 instance, suppose you have an array @code{dtab} of pointers to
8380 structures, and you are interested in the values of a field @code{fv}
8381 in each structure. Here is an example of what you might type:
8382
8383 @smallexample
8384 set $i = 0
8385 p dtab[$i++]->fv
8386 @key{RET}
8387 @key{RET}
8388 @dots{}
8389 @end smallexample
8390
8391 @node Output Formats
8392 @section Output Formats
8393
8394 @cindex formatted output
8395 @cindex output formats
8396 By default, @value{GDBN} prints a value according to its data type. Sometimes
8397 this is not what you want. For example, you might want to print a number
8398 in hex, or a pointer in decimal. Or you might want to view data in memory
8399 at a certain address as a character string or as an instruction. To do
8400 these things, specify an @dfn{output format} when you print a value.
8401
8402 The simplest use of output formats is to say how to print a value
8403 already computed. This is done by starting the arguments of the
8404 @code{print} command with a slash and a format letter. The format
8405 letters supported are:
8406
8407 @table @code
8408 @item x
8409 Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer in
8410 hexadecimal.
8411
8412 @item d
8413 Print as integer in signed decimal.
8414
8415 @item u
8416 Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
8417
8418 @item o
8419 Print as integer in octal.
8420
8421 @item t
8422 Print as integer in binary. The letter @samp{t} stands for ``two''.
8423 @footnote{@samp{b} cannot be used because these format letters are also
8424 used with the @code{x} command, where @samp{b} stands for ``byte'';
8425 see @ref{Memory,,Examining Memory}.}
8426
8427 @item a
8428 @cindex unknown address, locating
8429 @cindex locate address
8430 Print as an address, both absolute in hexadecimal and as an offset from
8431 the nearest preceding symbol. You can use this format used to discover
8432 where (in what function) an unknown address is located:
8433
8434 @smallexample
8435 (@value{GDBP}) p/a 0x54320
8436 $3 = 0x54320 <_initialize_vx+396>
8437 @end smallexample
8438
8439 @noindent
8440 The command @code{info symbol 0x54320} yields similar results.
8441 @xref{Symbols, info symbol}.
8442
8443 @item c
8444 Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant. This
8445 prints both the numerical value and its character representation. The
8446 character representation is replaced with the octal escape @samp{\nnn}
8447 for characters outside the 7-bit @sc{ascii} range.
8448
8449 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays @code{char},
8450 @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} data as character
8451 constants. Single-byte members of vectors are displayed as integer
8452 data.
8453
8454 @item f
8455 Regard the bits of the value as a floating point number and print
8456 using typical floating point syntax.
8457
8458 @item s
8459 @cindex printing strings
8460 @cindex printing byte arrays
8461 Regard as a string, if possible. With this format, pointers to single-byte
8462 data are displayed as null-terminated strings and arrays of single-byte data
8463 are displayed as fixed-length strings. Other values are displayed in their
8464 natural types.
8465
8466 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays pointers to and arrays of
8467 @code{char}, @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} as
8468 strings. Single-byte members of a vector are displayed as an integer
8469 array.
8470
8471 @item r
8472 @cindex raw printing
8473 Print using the @samp{raw} formatting. By default, @value{GDBN} will
8474 use a Python-based pretty-printer, if one is available (@pxref{Pretty
8475 Printing}). This typically results in a higher-level display of the
8476 value's contents. The @samp{r} format bypasses any Python
8477 pretty-printer which might exist.
8478 @end table
8479
8480 For example, to print the program counter in hex (@pxref{Registers}), type
8481
8482 @smallexample
8483 p/x $pc
8484 @end smallexample
8485
8486 @noindent
8487 Note that no space is required before the slash; this is because command
8488 names in @value{GDBN} cannot contain a slash.
8489
8490 To reprint the last value in the value history with a different format,
8491 you can use the @code{print} command with just a format and no
8492 expression. For example, @samp{p/x} reprints the last value in hex.
8493
8494 @node Memory
8495 @section Examining Memory
8496
8497 You can use the command @code{x} (for ``examine'') to examine memory in
8498 any of several formats, independently of your program's data types.
8499
8500 @cindex examining memory
8501 @table @code
8502 @kindex x @r{(examine memory)}
8503 @item x/@var{nfu} @var{addr}
8504 @itemx x @var{addr}
8505 @itemx x
8506 Use the @code{x} command to examine memory.
8507 @end table
8508
8509 @var{n}, @var{f}, and @var{u} are all optional parameters that specify how
8510 much memory to display and how to format it; @var{addr} is an
8511 expression giving the address where you want to start displaying memory.
8512 If you use defaults for @var{nfu}, you need not type the slash @samp{/}.
8513 Several commands set convenient defaults for @var{addr}.
8514
8515 @table @r
8516 @item @var{n}, the repeat count
8517 The repeat count is a decimal integer; the default is 1. It specifies
8518 how much memory (counting by units @var{u}) to display.
8519 @c This really is **decimal**; unaffected by 'set radix' as of GDB
8520 @c 4.1.2.
8521
8522 @item @var{f}, the display format
8523 The display format is one of the formats used by @code{print}
8524 (@samp{x}, @samp{d}, @samp{u}, @samp{o}, @samp{t}, @samp{a}, @samp{c},
8525 @samp{f}, @samp{s}), and in addition @samp{i} (for machine instructions).
8526 The default is @samp{x} (hexadecimal) initially. The default changes
8527 each time you use either @code{x} or @code{print}.
8528
8529 @item @var{u}, the unit size
8530 The unit size is any of
8531
8532 @table @code
8533 @item b
8534 Bytes.
8535 @item h
8536 Halfwords (two bytes).
8537 @item w
8538 Words (four bytes). This is the initial default.
8539 @item g
8540 Giant words (eight bytes).
8541 @end table
8542
8543 Each time you specify a unit size with @code{x}, that size becomes the
8544 default unit the next time you use @code{x}. For the @samp{i} format,
8545 the unit size is ignored and is normally not written. For the @samp{s} format,
8546 the unit size defaults to @samp{b}, unless it is explicitly given.
8547 Use @kbd{x /hs} to display 16-bit char strings and @kbd{x /ws} to display
8548 32-bit strings. The next use of @kbd{x /s} will again display 8-bit strings.
8549 Note that the results depend on the programming language of the
8550 current compilation unit. If the language is C, the @samp{s}
8551 modifier will use the UTF-16 encoding while @samp{w} will use
8552 UTF-32. The encoding is set by the programming language and cannot
8553 be altered.
8554
8555 @item @var{addr}, starting display address
8556 @var{addr} is the address where you want @value{GDBN} to begin displaying
8557 memory. The expression need not have a pointer value (though it may);
8558 it is always interpreted as an integer address of a byte of memory.
8559 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information on expressions. The default for
8560 @var{addr} is usually just after the last address examined---but several
8561 other commands also set the default address: @code{info breakpoints} (to
8562 the address of the last breakpoint listed), @code{info line} (to the
8563 starting address of a line), and @code{print} (if you use it to display
8564 a value from memory).
8565 @end table
8566
8567 For example, @samp{x/3uh 0x54320} is a request to display three halfwords
8568 (@code{h}) of memory, formatted as unsigned decimal integers (@samp{u}),
8569 starting at address @code{0x54320}. @samp{x/4xw $sp} prints the four
8570 words (@samp{w}) of memory above the stack pointer (here, @samp{$sp};
8571 @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}) in hexadecimal (@samp{x}).
8572
8573 Since the letters indicating unit sizes are all distinct from the
8574 letters specifying output formats, you do not have to remember whether
8575 unit size or format comes first; either order works. The output
8576 specifications @samp{4xw} and @samp{4wx} mean exactly the same thing.
8577 (However, the count @var{n} must come first; @samp{wx4} does not work.)
8578
8579 Even though the unit size @var{u} is ignored for the formats @samp{s}
8580 and @samp{i}, you might still want to use a count @var{n}; for example,
8581 @samp{3i} specifies that you want to see three machine instructions,
8582 including any operands. For convenience, especially when used with
8583 the @code{display} command, the @samp{i} format also prints branch delay
8584 slot instructions, if any, beyond the count specified, which immediately
8585 follow the last instruction that is within the count. The command
8586 @code{disassemble} gives an alternative way of inspecting machine
8587 instructions; see @ref{Machine Code,,Source and Machine Code}.
8588
8589 All the defaults for the arguments to @code{x} are designed to make it
8590 easy to continue scanning memory with minimal specifications each time
8591 you use @code{x}. For example, after you have inspected three machine
8592 instructions with @samp{x/3i @var{addr}}, you can inspect the next seven
8593 with just @samp{x/7}. If you use @key{RET} to repeat the @code{x} command,
8594 the repeat count @var{n} is used again; the other arguments default as
8595 for successive uses of @code{x}.
8596
8597 When examining machine instructions, the instruction at current program
8598 counter is shown with a @code{=>} marker. For example:
8599
8600 @smallexample
8601 (@value{GDBP}) x/5i $pc-6
8602 0x804837f <main+11>: mov %esp,%ebp
8603 0x8048381 <main+13>: push %ecx
8604 0x8048382 <main+14>: sub $0x4,%esp
8605 => 0x8048385 <main+17>: movl $0x8048460,(%esp)
8606 0x804838c <main+24>: call 0x80482d4 <puts@@plt>
8607 @end smallexample
8608
8609 @cindex @code{$_}, @code{$__}, and value history
8610 The addresses and contents printed by the @code{x} command are not saved
8611 in the value history because there is often too much of them and they
8612 would get in the way. Instead, @value{GDBN} makes these values available for
8613 subsequent use in expressions as values of the convenience variables
8614 @code{$_} and @code{$__}. After an @code{x} command, the last address
8615 examined is available for use in expressions in the convenience variable
8616 @code{$_}. The contents of that address, as examined, are available in
8617 the convenience variable @code{$__}.
8618
8619 If the @code{x} command has a repeat count, the address and contents saved
8620 are from the last memory unit printed; this is not the same as the last
8621 address printed if several units were printed on the last line of output.
8622
8623 @cindex remote memory comparison
8624 @cindex verify remote memory image
8625 When you are debugging a program running on a remote target machine
8626 (@pxref{Remote Debugging}), you may wish to verify the program's image in the
8627 remote machine's memory against the executable file you downloaded to
8628 the target. The @code{compare-sections} command is provided for such
8629 situations.
8630
8631 @table @code
8632 @kindex compare-sections
8633 @item compare-sections @r{[}@var{section-name}@r{]}
8634 Compare the data of a loadable section @var{section-name} in the
8635 executable file of the program being debugged with the same section in
8636 the remote machine's memory, and report any mismatches. With no
8637 arguments, compares all loadable sections. This command's
8638 availability depends on the target's support for the @code{"qCRC"}
8639 remote request.
8640 @end table
8641
8642 @node Auto Display
8643 @section Automatic Display
8644 @cindex automatic display
8645 @cindex display of expressions
8646
8647 If you find that you want to print the value of an expression frequently
8648 (to see how it changes), you might want to add it to the @dfn{automatic
8649 display list} so that @value{GDBN} prints its value each time your program stops.
8650 Each expression added to the list is given a number to identify it;
8651 to remove an expression from the list, you specify that number.
8652 The automatic display looks like this:
8653
8654 @smallexample
8655 2: foo = 38
8656 3: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
8657 @end smallexample
8658
8659 @noindent
8660 This display shows item numbers, expressions and their current values. As with
8661 displays you request manually using @code{x} or @code{print}, you can
8662 specify the output format you prefer; in fact, @code{display} decides
8663 whether to use @code{print} or @code{x} depending your format
8664 specification---it uses @code{x} if you specify either the @samp{i}
8665 or @samp{s} format, or a unit size; otherwise it uses @code{print}.
8666
8667 @table @code
8668 @kindex display
8669 @item display @var{expr}
8670 Add the expression @var{expr} to the list of expressions to display
8671 each time your program stops. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
8672
8673 @code{display} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
8674
8675 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{expr}
8676 For @var{fmt} specifying only a display format and not a size or
8677 count, add the expression @var{expr} to the auto-display list but
8678 arrange to display it each time in the specified format @var{fmt}.
8679 @xref{Output Formats,,Output Formats}.
8680
8681 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{addr}
8682 For @var{fmt} @samp{i} or @samp{s}, or including a unit-size or a
8683 number of units, add the expression @var{addr} as a memory address to
8684 be examined each time your program stops. Examining means in effect
8685 doing @samp{x/@var{fmt} @var{addr}}. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
8686 @end table
8687
8688 For example, @samp{display/i $pc} can be helpful, to see the machine
8689 instruction about to be executed each time execution stops (@samp{$pc}
8690 is a common name for the program counter; @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
8691
8692 @table @code
8693 @kindex delete display
8694 @kindex undisplay
8695 @item undisplay @var{dnums}@dots{}
8696 @itemx delete display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8697 Remove items from the list of expressions to display. Specify the
8698 numbers of the displays that you want affected with the command
8699 argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one of the
8700 numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display} display;
8701 or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8702
8703 @code{undisplay} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
8704 (Otherwise you would just get the error @samp{No display number @dots{}}.)
8705
8706 @kindex disable display
8707 @item disable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8708 Disable the display of item numbers @var{dnums}. A disabled display
8709 item is not printed automatically, but is not forgotten. It may be
8710 enabled again later. Specify the numbers of the displays that you
8711 want affected with the command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a
8712 single display number, one of the numbers shown in the first field of
8713 the @samp{info display} display; or it could be a range of display
8714 numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8715
8716 @kindex enable display
8717 @item enable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8718 Enable display of item numbers @var{dnums}. It becomes effective once
8719 again in auto display of its expression, until you specify otherwise.
8720 Specify the numbers of the displays that you want affected with the
8721 command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one
8722 of the numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display}
8723 display; or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8724
8725 @item display
8726 Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as is
8727 done when your program stops.
8728
8729 @kindex info display
8730 @item info display
8731 Print the list of expressions previously set up to display
8732 automatically, each one with its item number, but without showing the
8733 values. This includes disabled expressions, which are marked as such.
8734 It also includes expressions which would not be displayed right now
8735 because they refer to automatic variables not currently available.
8736 @end table
8737
8738 @cindex display disabled out of scope
8739 If a display expression refers to local variables, then it does not make
8740 sense outside the lexical context for which it was set up. Such an
8741 expression is disabled when execution enters a context where one of its
8742 variables is not defined. For example, if you give the command
8743 @code{display last_char} while inside a function with an argument
8744 @code{last_char}, @value{GDBN} displays this argument while your program
8745 continues to stop inside that function. When it stops elsewhere---where
8746 there is no variable @code{last_char}---the display is disabled
8747 automatically. The next time your program stops where @code{last_char}
8748 is meaningful, you can enable the display expression once again.
8749
8750 @node Print Settings
8751 @section Print Settings
8752
8753 @cindex format options
8754 @cindex print settings
8755 @value{GDBN} provides the following ways to control how arrays, structures,
8756 and symbols are printed.
8757
8758 @noindent
8759 These settings are useful for debugging programs in any language:
8760
8761 @table @code
8762 @kindex set print
8763 @item set print address
8764 @itemx set print address on
8765 @cindex print/don't print memory addresses
8766 @value{GDBN} prints memory addresses showing the location of stack
8767 traces, structure values, pointer values, breakpoints, and so forth,
8768 even when it also displays the contents of those addresses. The default
8769 is @code{on}. For example, this is what a stack frame display looks like with
8770 @code{set print address on}:
8771
8772 @smallexample
8773 @group
8774 (@value{GDBP}) f
8775 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<<", rq=0x34c88 ">>")
8776 at input.c:530
8777 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
8778 @end group
8779 @end smallexample
8780
8781 @item set print address off
8782 Do not print addresses when displaying their contents. For example,
8783 this is the same stack frame displayed with @code{set print address off}:
8784
8785 @smallexample
8786 @group
8787 (@value{GDBP}) set print addr off
8788 (@value{GDBP}) f
8789 #0 set_quotes (lq="<<", rq=">>") at input.c:530
8790 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
8791 @end group
8792 @end smallexample
8793
8794 You can use @samp{set print address off} to eliminate all machine
8795 dependent displays from the @value{GDBN} interface. For example, with
8796 @code{print address off}, you should get the same text for backtraces on
8797 all machines---whether or not they involve pointer arguments.
8798
8799 @kindex show print
8800 @item show print address
8801 Show whether or not addresses are to be printed.
8802 @end table
8803
8804 When @value{GDBN} prints a symbolic address, it normally prints the
8805 closest earlier symbol plus an offset. If that symbol does not uniquely
8806 identify the address (for example, it is a name whose scope is a single
8807 source file), you may need to clarify. One way to do this is with
8808 @code{info line}, for example @samp{info line *0x4537}. Alternately,
8809 you can set @value{GDBN} to print the source file and line number when
8810 it prints a symbolic address:
8811
8812 @table @code
8813 @item set print symbol-filename on
8814 @cindex source file and line of a symbol
8815 @cindex symbol, source file and line
8816 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the source file name and line number of a
8817 symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
8818
8819 @item set print symbol-filename off
8820 Do not print source file name and line number of a symbol. This is the
8821 default.
8822
8823 @item show print symbol-filename
8824 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} will print the source file name and
8825 line number of a symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
8826 @end table
8827
8828 Another situation where it is helpful to show symbol filenames and line
8829 numbers is when disassembling code; @value{GDBN} shows you the line
8830 number and source file that corresponds to each instruction.
8831
8832 Also, you may wish to see the symbolic form only if the address being
8833 printed is reasonably close to the closest earlier symbol:
8834
8835 @table @code
8836 @item set print max-symbolic-offset @var{max-offset}
8837 @itemx set print max-symbolic-offset unlimited
8838 @cindex maximum value for offset of closest symbol
8839 Tell @value{GDBN} to only display the symbolic form of an address if the
8840 offset between the closest earlier symbol and the address is less than
8841 @var{max-offset}. The default is @code{unlimited}, which tells @value{GDBN}
8842 to always print the symbolic form of an address if any symbol precedes
8843 it. Zero is equivalent to @code{unlimited}.
8844
8845 @item show print max-symbolic-offset
8846 Ask how large the maximum offset is that @value{GDBN} prints in a
8847 symbolic address.
8848 @end table
8849
8850 @cindex wild pointer, interpreting
8851 @cindex pointer, finding referent
8852 If you have a pointer and you are not sure where it points, try
8853 @samp{set print symbol-filename on}. Then you can determine the name
8854 and source file location of the variable where it points, using
8855 @samp{p/a @var{pointer}}. This interprets the address in symbolic form.
8856 For example, here @value{GDBN} shows that a variable @code{ptt} points
8857 at another variable @code{t}, defined in @file{hi2.c}:
8858
8859 @smallexample
8860 (@value{GDBP}) set print symbol-filename on
8861 (@value{GDBP}) p/a ptt
8862 $4 = 0xe008 <t in hi2.c>
8863 @end smallexample
8864
8865 @quotation
8866 @emph{Warning:} For pointers that point to a local variable, @samp{p/a}
8867 does not show the symbol name and filename of the referent, even with
8868 the appropriate @code{set print} options turned on.
8869 @end quotation
8870
8871 You can also enable @samp{/a}-like formatting all the time using
8872 @samp{set print symbol on}:
8873
8874 @table @code
8875 @item set print symbol on
8876 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the symbol corresponding to an address, if
8877 one exists.
8878
8879 @item set print symbol off
8880 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print the symbol corresponding to an
8881 address. In this mode, @value{GDBN} will still print the symbol
8882 corresponding to pointers to functions. This is the default.
8883
8884 @item show print symbol
8885 Show whether @value{GDBN} will display the symbol corresponding to an
8886 address.
8887 @end table
8888
8889 Other settings control how different kinds of objects are printed:
8890
8891 @table @code
8892 @item set print array
8893 @itemx set print array on
8894 @cindex pretty print arrays
8895 Pretty print arrays. This format is more convenient to read,
8896 but uses more space. The default is off.
8897
8898 @item set print array off
8899 Return to compressed format for arrays.
8900
8901 @item show print array
8902 Show whether compressed or pretty format is selected for displaying
8903 arrays.
8904
8905 @cindex print array indexes
8906 @item set print array-indexes
8907 @itemx set print array-indexes on
8908 Print the index of each element when displaying arrays. May be more
8909 convenient to locate a given element in the array or quickly find the
8910 index of a given element in that printed array. The default is off.
8911
8912 @item set print array-indexes off
8913 Stop printing element indexes when displaying arrays.
8914
8915 @item show print array-indexes
8916 Show whether the index of each element is printed when displaying
8917 arrays.
8918
8919 @item set print elements @var{number-of-elements}
8920 @itemx set print elements unlimited
8921 @cindex number of array elements to print
8922 @cindex limit on number of printed array elements
8923 Set a limit on how many elements of an array @value{GDBN} will print.
8924 If @value{GDBN} is printing a large array, it stops printing after it has
8925 printed the number of elements set by the @code{set print elements} command.
8926 This limit also applies to the display of strings.
8927 When @value{GDBN} starts, this limit is set to 200.
8928 Setting @var{number-of-elements} to @code{unlimited} or zero means
8929 that the number of elements to print is unlimited.
8930
8931 @item show print elements
8932 Display the number of elements of a large array that @value{GDBN} will print.
8933 If the number is 0, then the printing is unlimited.
8934
8935 @item set print frame-arguments @var{value}
8936 @kindex set print frame-arguments
8937 @cindex printing frame argument values
8938 @cindex print all frame argument values
8939 @cindex print frame argument values for scalars only
8940 @cindex do not print frame argument values
8941 This command allows to control how the values of arguments are printed
8942 when the debugger prints a frame (@pxref{Frames}). The possible
8943 values are:
8944
8945 @table @code
8946 @item all
8947 The values of all arguments are printed.
8948
8949 @item scalars
8950 Print the value of an argument only if it is a scalar. The value of more
8951 complex arguments such as arrays, structures, unions, etc, is replaced
8952 by @code{@dots{}}. This is the default. Here is an example where
8953 only scalar arguments are shown:
8954
8955 @smallexample
8956 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=3, s=@dots{}, ss=0xbf8d508c, u=@dots{}, e=green)
8957 at frame-args.c:23
8958 @end smallexample
8959
8960 @item none
8961 None of the argument values are printed. Instead, the value of each argument
8962 is replaced by @code{@dots{}}. In this case, the example above now becomes:
8963
8964 @smallexample
8965 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=@dots{}, s=@dots{}, ss=@dots{}, u=@dots{}, e=@dots{})
8966 at frame-args.c:23
8967 @end smallexample
8968 @end table
8969
8970 By default, only scalar arguments are printed. This command can be used
8971 to configure the debugger to print the value of all arguments, regardless
8972 of their type. However, it is often advantageous to not print the value
8973 of more complex parameters. For instance, it reduces the amount of
8974 information printed in each frame, making the backtrace more readable.
8975 Also, it improves performance when displaying Ada frames, because
8976 the computation of large arguments can sometimes be CPU-intensive,
8977 especially in large applications. Setting @code{print frame-arguments}
8978 to @code{scalars} (the default) or @code{none} avoids this computation,
8979 thus speeding up the display of each Ada frame.
8980
8981 @item show print frame-arguments
8982 Show how the value of arguments should be displayed when printing a frame.
8983
8984 @anchor{set print entry-values}
8985 @item set print entry-values @var{value}
8986 @kindex set print entry-values
8987 Set printing of frame argument values at function entry. In some cases
8988 @value{GDBN} can determine the value of function argument which was passed by
8989 the function caller, even if the value was modified inside the called function
8990 and therefore is different. With optimized code, the current value could be
8991 unavailable, but the entry value may still be known.
8992
8993 The default value is @code{default} (see below for its description). Older
8994 @value{GDBN} behaved as with the setting @code{no}. Compilers not supporting
8995 this feature will behave in the @code{default} setting the same way as with the
8996 @code{no} setting.
8997
8998 This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
8999 the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_GNU_call_site} tags. With
9000 @value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
9001 this information.
9002
9003 The @var{value} parameter can be one of the following:
9004
9005 @table @code
9006 @item no
9007 Print only actual parameter values, never print values from function entry
9008 point.
9009 @smallexample
9010 #0 equal (val=5)
9011 #0 different (val=6)
9012 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>)
9013 #0 born (val=10)
9014 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9015 @end smallexample
9016
9017 @item only
9018 Print only parameter values from function entry point. The actual parameter
9019 values are never printed.
9020 @smallexample
9021 #0 equal (val@@entry=5)
9022 #0 different (val@@entry=5)
9023 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9024 #0 born (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9025 #0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9026 @end smallexample
9027
9028 @item preferred
9029 Print only parameter values from function entry point. If value from function
9030 entry point is not known while the actual value is known, print the actual
9031 value for such parameter.
9032 @smallexample
9033 #0 equal (val@@entry=5)
9034 #0 different (val@@entry=5)
9035 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9036 #0 born (val=10)
9037 #0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9038 @end smallexample
9039
9040 @item if-needed
9041 Print actual parameter values. If actual parameter value is not known while
9042 value from function entry point is known, print the entry point value for such
9043 parameter.
9044 @smallexample
9045 #0 equal (val=5)
9046 #0 different (val=6)
9047 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9048 #0 born (val=10)
9049 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9050 @end smallexample
9051
9052 @item both
9053 Always print both the actual parameter value and its value from function entry
9054 point, even if values of one or both are not available due to compiler
9055 optimizations.
9056 @smallexample
9057 #0 equal (val=5, val@@entry=5)
9058 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
9059 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
9060 #0 born (val=10, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9061 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9062 @end smallexample
9063
9064 @item compact
9065 Print the actual parameter value if it is known and also its value from
9066 function entry point if it is known. If neither is known, print for the actual
9067 value @code{<optimized out>}. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and if both
9068 values are known and identical, print the shortened
9069 @code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
9070 @smallexample
9071 #0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
9072 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
9073 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9074 #0 born (val=10)
9075 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9076 @end smallexample
9077
9078 @item default
9079 Always print the actual parameter value. Print also its value from function
9080 entry point, but only if it is known. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and
9081 if both values are known and identical, print the shortened
9082 @code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
9083 @smallexample
9084 #0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
9085 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
9086 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
9087 #0 born (val=10)
9088 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9089 @end smallexample
9090 @end table
9091
9092 For analysis messages on possible failures of frame argument values at function
9093 entry resolution see @ref{set debug entry-values}.
9094
9095 @item show print entry-values
9096 Show the method being used for printing of frame argument values at function
9097 entry.
9098
9099 @item set print repeats @var{number-of-repeats}
9100 @itemx set print repeats unlimited
9101 @cindex repeated array elements
9102 Set the threshold for suppressing display of repeated array
9103 elements. When the number of consecutive identical elements of an
9104 array exceeds the threshold, @value{GDBN} prints the string
9105 @code{"<repeats @var{n} times>"}, where @var{n} is the number of
9106 identical repetitions, instead of displaying the identical elements
9107 themselves. Setting the threshold to @code{unlimited} or zero will
9108 cause all elements to be individually printed. The default threshold
9109 is 10.
9110
9111 @item show print repeats
9112 Display the current threshold for printing repeated identical
9113 elements.
9114
9115 @item set print null-stop
9116 @cindex @sc{null} elements in arrays
9117 Cause @value{GDBN} to stop printing the characters of an array when the first
9118 @sc{null} is encountered. This is useful when large arrays actually
9119 contain only short strings.
9120 The default is off.
9121
9122 @item show print null-stop
9123 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops printing an array on the first
9124 @sc{null} character.
9125
9126 @item set print pretty on
9127 @cindex print structures in indented form
9128 @cindex indentation in structure display
9129 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in an indented format with one member
9130 per line, like this:
9131
9132 @smallexample
9133 @group
9134 $1 = @{
9135 next = 0x0,
9136 flags = @{
9137 sweet = 1,
9138 sour = 1
9139 @},
9140 meat = 0x54 "Pork"
9141 @}
9142 @end group
9143 @end smallexample
9144
9145 @item set print pretty off
9146 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in a compact format, like this:
9147
9148 @smallexample
9149 @group
9150 $1 = @{next = 0x0, flags = @{sweet = 1, sour = 1@}, \
9151 meat = 0x54 "Pork"@}
9152 @end group
9153 @end smallexample
9154
9155 @noindent
9156 This is the default format.
9157
9158 @item show print pretty
9159 Show which format @value{GDBN} is using to print structures.
9160
9161 @item set print sevenbit-strings on
9162 @cindex eight-bit characters in strings
9163 @cindex octal escapes in strings
9164 Print using only seven-bit characters; if this option is set,
9165 @value{GDBN} displays any eight-bit characters (in strings or
9166 character values) using the notation @code{\}@var{nnn}. This setting is
9167 best if you are working in English (@sc{ascii}) and you use the
9168 high-order bit of characters as a marker or ``meta'' bit.
9169
9170 @item set print sevenbit-strings off
9171 Print full eight-bit characters. This allows the use of more
9172 international character sets, and is the default.
9173
9174 @item show print sevenbit-strings
9175 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} is printing only seven-bit characters.
9176
9177 @item set print union on
9178 @cindex unions in structures, printing
9179 Tell @value{GDBN} to print unions which are contained in structures
9180 and other unions. This is the default setting.
9181
9182 @item set print union off
9183 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print unions which are contained in
9184 structures and other unions. @value{GDBN} will print @code{"@{...@}"}
9185 instead.
9186
9187 @item show print union
9188 Ask @value{GDBN} whether or not it will print unions which are contained in
9189 structures and other unions.
9190
9191 For example, given the declarations
9192
9193 @smallexample
9194 typedef enum @{Tree, Bug@} Species;
9195 typedef enum @{Big_tree, Acorn, Seedling@} Tree_forms;
9196 typedef enum @{Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly@}
9197 Bug_forms;
9198
9199 struct thing @{
9200 Species it;
9201 union @{
9202 Tree_forms tree;
9203 Bug_forms bug;
9204 @} form;
9205 @};
9206
9207 struct thing foo = @{Tree, @{Acorn@}@};
9208 @end smallexample
9209
9210 @noindent
9211 with @code{set print union on} in effect @samp{p foo} would print
9212
9213 @smallexample
9214 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{tree = Acorn, bug = Cocoon@}@}
9215 @end smallexample
9216
9217 @noindent
9218 and with @code{set print union off} in effect it would print
9219
9220 @smallexample
9221 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{...@}@}
9222 @end smallexample
9223
9224 @noindent
9225 @code{set print union} affects programs written in C-like languages
9226 and in Pascal.
9227 @end table
9228
9229 @need 1000
9230 @noindent
9231 These settings are of interest when debugging C@t{++} programs:
9232
9233 @table @code
9234 @cindex demangling C@t{++} names
9235 @item set print demangle
9236 @itemx set print demangle on
9237 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than in the encoded
9238 (``mangled'') form passed to the assembler and linker for type-safe
9239 linkage. The default is on.
9240
9241 @item show print demangle
9242 Show whether C@t{++} names are printed in mangled or demangled form.
9243
9244 @item set print asm-demangle
9245 @itemx set print asm-demangle on
9246 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than their mangled form, even
9247 in assembler code printouts such as instruction disassemblies.
9248 The default is off.
9249
9250 @item show print asm-demangle
9251 Show whether C@t{++} names in assembly listings are printed in mangled
9252 or demangled form.
9253
9254 @cindex C@t{++} symbol decoding style
9255 @cindex symbol decoding style, C@t{++}
9256 @kindex set demangle-style
9257 @item set demangle-style @var{style}
9258 Choose among several encoding schemes used by different compilers to
9259 represent C@t{++} names. The choices for @var{style} are currently:
9260
9261 @table @code
9262 @item auto
9263 Allow @value{GDBN} to choose a decoding style by inspecting your program.
9264 This is the default.
9265
9266 @item gnu
9267 Decode based on the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler (@code{g++}) encoding algorithm.
9268
9269 @item hp
9270 Decode based on the HP ANSI C@t{++} (@code{aCC}) encoding algorithm.
9271
9272 @item lucid
9273 Decode based on the Lucid C@t{++} compiler (@code{lcc}) encoding algorithm.
9274
9275 @item arm
9276 Decode using the algorithm in the @cite{C@t{++} Annotated Reference Manual}.
9277 @strong{Warning:} this setting alone is not sufficient to allow
9278 debugging @code{cfront}-generated executables. @value{GDBN} would
9279 require further enhancement to permit that.
9280
9281 @end table
9282 If you omit @var{style}, you will see a list of possible formats.
9283
9284 @item show demangle-style
9285 Display the encoding style currently in use for decoding C@t{++} symbols.
9286
9287 @item set print object
9288 @itemx set print object on
9289 @cindex derived type of an object, printing
9290 @cindex display derived types
9291 When displaying a pointer to an object, identify the @emph{actual}
9292 (derived) type of the object rather than the @emph{declared} type, using
9293 the virtual function table. Note that the virtual function table is
9294 required---this feature can only work for objects that have run-time
9295 type identification; a single virtual method in the object's declared
9296 type is sufficient. Note that this setting is also taken into account when
9297 working with variable objects via MI (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
9298
9299 @item set print object off
9300 Display only the declared type of objects, without reference to the
9301 virtual function table. This is the default setting.
9302
9303 @item show print object
9304 Show whether actual, or declared, object types are displayed.
9305
9306 @item set print static-members
9307 @itemx set print static-members on
9308 @cindex static members of C@t{++} objects
9309 Print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object. The default is on.
9310
9311 @item set print static-members off
9312 Do not print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object.
9313
9314 @item show print static-members
9315 Show whether C@t{++} static members are printed or not.
9316
9317 @item set print pascal_static-members
9318 @itemx set print pascal_static-members on
9319 @cindex static members of Pascal objects
9320 @cindex Pascal objects, static members display
9321 Print static members when displaying a Pascal object. The default is on.
9322
9323 @item set print pascal_static-members off
9324 Do not print static members when displaying a Pascal object.
9325
9326 @item show print pascal_static-members
9327 Show whether Pascal static members are printed or not.
9328
9329 @c These don't work with HP ANSI C++ yet.
9330 @item set print vtbl
9331 @itemx set print vtbl on
9332 @cindex pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables
9333 @cindex virtual functions (C@t{++}) display
9334 @cindex VTBL display
9335 Pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables. The default is off.
9336 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
9337 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
9338
9339 @item set print vtbl off
9340 Do not pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables.
9341
9342 @item show print vtbl
9343 Show whether C@t{++} virtual function tables are pretty printed, or not.
9344 @end table
9345
9346 @node Pretty Printing
9347 @section Pretty Printing
9348
9349 @value{GDBN} provides a mechanism to allow pretty-printing of values using
9350 Python code. It greatly simplifies the display of complex objects. This
9351 mechanism works for both MI and the CLI.
9352
9353 @menu
9354 * Pretty-Printer Introduction:: Introduction to pretty-printers
9355 * Pretty-Printer Example:: An example pretty-printer
9356 * Pretty-Printer Commands:: Pretty-printer commands
9357 @end menu
9358
9359 @node Pretty-Printer Introduction
9360 @subsection Pretty-Printer Introduction
9361
9362 When @value{GDBN} prints a value, it first sees if there is a pretty-printer
9363 registered for the value. If there is then @value{GDBN} invokes the
9364 pretty-printer to print the value. Otherwise the value is printed normally.
9365
9366 Pretty-printers are normally named. This makes them easy to manage.
9367 The @samp{info pretty-printer} command will list all the installed
9368 pretty-printers with their names.
9369 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
9370 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
9371 Each such subprinter has its own name.
9372 The format of the name is @var{printer-name};@var{subprinter-name}.
9373
9374 Pretty-printers are installed by @dfn{registering} them with @value{GDBN}.
9375 Typically they are automatically loaded and registered when the corresponding
9376 debug information is loaded, thus making them available without having to
9377 do anything special.
9378
9379 There are three places where a pretty-printer can be registered.
9380
9381 @itemize @bullet
9382 @item
9383 Pretty-printers registered globally are available when debugging
9384 all inferiors.
9385
9386 @item
9387 Pretty-printers registered with a program space are available only
9388 when debugging that program.
9389 @xref{Progspaces In Python}, for more details on program spaces in Python.
9390
9391 @item
9392 Pretty-printers registered with an objfile are loaded and unloaded
9393 with the corresponding objfile (e.g., shared library).
9394 @xref{Objfiles In Python}, for more details on objfiles in Python.
9395 @end itemize
9396
9397 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for further information on how
9398 pretty-printers are selected,
9399
9400 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for implementing pretty printers
9401 for new types.
9402
9403 @node Pretty-Printer Example
9404 @subsection Pretty-Printer Example
9405
9406 Here is how a C@t{++} @code{std::string} looks without a pretty-printer:
9407
9408 @smallexample
9409 (@value{GDBP}) print s
9410 $1 = @{
9411 static npos = 4294967295,
9412 _M_dataplus = @{
9413 <std::allocator<char>> = @{
9414 <__gnu_cxx::new_allocator<char>> = @{
9415 <No data fields>@}, <No data fields>
9416 @},
9417 members of std::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>,
9418 std::allocator<char> >::_Alloc_hider:
9419 _M_p = 0x804a014 "abcd"
9420 @}
9421 @}
9422 @end smallexample
9423
9424 With a pretty-printer for @code{std::string} only the contents are printed:
9425
9426 @smallexample
9427 (@value{GDBP}) print s
9428 $2 = "abcd"
9429 @end smallexample
9430
9431 @node Pretty-Printer Commands
9432 @subsection Pretty-Printer Commands
9433 @cindex pretty-printer commands
9434
9435 @table @code
9436 @kindex info pretty-printer
9437 @item info pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9438 Print the list of installed pretty-printers.
9439 This includes disabled pretty-printers, which are marked as such.
9440
9441 @var{object-regexp} is a regular expression matching the objects
9442 whose pretty-printers to list.
9443 Objects can be @code{global}, the program space's file
9444 (@pxref{Progspaces In Python}),
9445 and the object files within that program space (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}).
9446 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for details on how @value{GDBN}
9447 looks up a printer from these three objects.
9448
9449 @var{name-regexp} is a regular expression matching the name of the printers
9450 to list.
9451
9452 @kindex disable pretty-printer
9453 @item disable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9454 Disable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
9455 A disabled pretty-printer is not forgotten, it may be enabled again later.
9456
9457 @kindex enable pretty-printer
9458 @item enable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9459 Enable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
9460 @end table
9461
9462 Example:
9463
9464 Suppose we have three pretty-printers installed: one from library1.so
9465 named @code{foo} that prints objects of type @code{foo}, and
9466 another from library2.so named @code{bar} that prints two types of objects,
9467 @code{bar1} and @code{bar2}.
9468
9469 @smallexample
9470 (gdb) info pretty-printer
9471 library1.so:
9472 foo
9473 library2.so:
9474 bar
9475 bar1
9476 bar2
9477 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9478 library2.so:
9479 bar
9480 bar1
9481 bar2
9482 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library1
9483 1 printer disabled
9484 2 of 3 printers enabled
9485 (gdb) info pretty-printer
9486 library1.so:
9487 foo [disabled]
9488 library2.so:
9489 bar
9490 bar1
9491 bar2
9492 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar:bar1
9493 1 printer disabled
9494 1 of 3 printers enabled
9495 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9496 library1.so:
9497 foo [disabled]
9498 library2.so:
9499 bar
9500 bar1 [disabled]
9501 bar2
9502 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar
9503 1 printer disabled
9504 0 of 3 printers enabled
9505 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9506 library1.so:
9507 foo [disabled]
9508 library2.so:
9509 bar [disabled]
9510 bar1 [disabled]
9511 bar2
9512 @end smallexample
9513
9514 Note that for @code{bar} the entire printer can be disabled,
9515 as can each individual subprinter.
9516
9517 @node Value History
9518 @section Value History
9519
9520 @cindex value history
9521 @cindex history of values printed by @value{GDBN}
9522 Values printed by the @code{print} command are saved in the @value{GDBN}
9523 @dfn{value history}. This allows you to refer to them in other expressions.
9524 Values are kept until the symbol table is re-read or discarded
9525 (for example with the @code{file} or @code{symbol-file} commands).
9526 When the symbol table changes, the value history is discarded,
9527 since the values may contain pointers back to the types defined in the
9528 symbol table.
9529
9530 @cindex @code{$}
9531 @cindex @code{$$}
9532 @cindex history number
9533 The values printed are given @dfn{history numbers} by which you can
9534 refer to them. These are successive integers starting with one.
9535 @code{print} shows you the history number assigned to a value by
9536 printing @samp{$@var{num} = } before the value; here @var{num} is the
9537 history number.
9538
9539 To refer to any previous value, use @samp{$} followed by the value's
9540 history number. The way @code{print} labels its output is designed to
9541 remind you of this. Just @code{$} refers to the most recent value in
9542 the history, and @code{$$} refers to the value before that.
9543 @code{$$@var{n}} refers to the @var{n}th value from the end; @code{$$2}
9544 is the value just prior to @code{$$}, @code{$$1} is equivalent to
9545 @code{$$}, and @code{$$0} is equivalent to @code{$}.
9546
9547 For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure and
9548 want to see the contents of the structure. It suffices to type
9549
9550 @smallexample
9551 p *$
9552 @end smallexample
9553
9554 If you have a chain of structures where the component @code{next} points
9555 to the next one, you can print the contents of the next one with this:
9556
9557 @smallexample
9558 p *$.next
9559 @end smallexample
9560
9561 @noindent
9562 You can print successive links in the chain by repeating this
9563 command---which you can do by just typing @key{RET}.
9564
9565 Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value of
9566 @code{x} is 4 and you type these commands:
9567
9568 @smallexample
9569 print x
9570 set x=5
9571 @end smallexample
9572
9573 @noindent
9574 then the value recorded in the value history by the @code{print} command
9575 remains 4 even though the value of @code{x} has changed.
9576
9577 @table @code
9578 @kindex show values
9579 @item show values
9580 Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item numbers.
9581 This is like @samp{p@ $$9} repeated ten times, except that @code{show
9582 values} does not change the history.
9583
9584 @item show values @var{n}
9585 Print ten history values centered on history item number @var{n}.
9586
9587 @item show values +
9588 Print ten history values just after the values last printed. If no more
9589 values are available, @code{show values +} produces no display.
9590 @end table
9591
9592 Pressing @key{RET} to repeat @code{show values @var{n}} has exactly the
9593 same effect as @samp{show values +}.
9594
9595 @node Convenience Vars
9596 @section Convenience Variables
9597
9598 @cindex convenience variables
9599 @cindex user-defined variables
9600 @value{GDBN} provides @dfn{convenience variables} that you can use within
9601 @value{GDBN} to hold on to a value and refer to it later. These variables
9602 exist entirely within @value{GDBN}; they are not part of your program, and
9603 setting a convenience variable has no direct effect on further execution
9604 of your program. That is why you can use them freely.
9605
9606 Convenience variables are prefixed with @samp{$}. Any name preceded by
9607 @samp{$} can be used for a convenience variable, unless it is one of
9608 the predefined machine-specific register names (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
9609 (Value history references, in contrast, are @emph{numbers} preceded
9610 by @samp{$}. @xref{Value History, ,Value History}.)
9611
9612 You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment
9613 expression, just as you would set a variable in your program.
9614 For example:
9615
9616 @smallexample
9617 set $foo = *object_ptr
9618 @end smallexample
9619
9620 @noindent
9621 would save in @code{$foo} the value contained in the object pointed to by
9622 @code{object_ptr}.
9623
9624 Using a convenience variable for the first time creates it, but its
9625 value is @code{void} until you assign a new value. You can alter the
9626 value with another assignment at any time.
9627
9628 Convenience variables have no fixed types. You can assign a convenience
9629 variable any type of value, including structures and arrays, even if
9630 that variable already has a value of a different type. The convenience
9631 variable, when used as an expression, has the type of its current value.
9632
9633 @table @code
9634 @kindex show convenience
9635 @cindex show all user variables and functions
9636 @item show convenience
9637 Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their values,
9638 as well as a list of the convenience functions.
9639 Abbreviated @code{show conv}.
9640
9641 @kindex init-if-undefined
9642 @cindex convenience variables, initializing
9643 @item init-if-undefined $@var{variable} = @var{expression}
9644 Set a convenience variable if it has not already been set. This is useful
9645 for user-defined commands that keep some state. It is similar, in concept,
9646 to using local static variables with initializers in C (except that
9647 convenience variables are global). It can also be used to allow users to
9648 override default values used in a command script.
9649
9650 If the variable is already defined then the expression is not evaluated so
9651 any side-effects do not occur.
9652 @end table
9653
9654 One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be
9655 incremented or a pointer to be advanced. For example, to print
9656 a field from successive elements of an array of structures:
9657
9658 @smallexample
9659 set $i = 0
9660 print bar[$i++]->contents
9661 @end smallexample
9662
9663 @noindent
9664 Repeat that command by typing @key{RET}.
9665
9666 Some convenience variables are created automatically by @value{GDBN} and given
9667 values likely to be useful.
9668
9669 @table @code
9670 @vindex $_@r{, convenience variable}
9671 @item $_
9672 The variable @code{$_} is automatically set by the @code{x} command to
9673 the last address examined (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}). Other
9674 commands which provide a default address for @code{x} to examine also
9675 set @code{$_} to that address; these commands include @code{info line}
9676 and @code{info breakpoint}. The type of @code{$_} is @code{void *}
9677 except when set by the @code{x} command, in which case it is a pointer
9678 to the type of @code{$__}.
9679
9680 @vindex $__@r{, convenience variable}
9681 @item $__
9682 The variable @code{$__} is automatically set by the @code{x} command
9683 to the value found in the last address examined. Its type is chosen
9684 to match the format in which the data was printed.
9685
9686 @item $_exitcode
9687 @vindex $_exitcode@r{, convenience variable}
9688 The variable @code{$_exitcode} is automatically set to the exit code when
9689 the program being debugged terminates.
9690
9691 @item $_exception
9692 The variable @code{$_exception} is set to the exception object being
9693 thrown at an exception-related catchpoint. @xref{Set Catchpoints}.
9694
9695 @item $_probe_argc
9696 @itemx $_probe_arg0@dots{}$_probe_arg11
9697 Arguments to a static probe. @xref{Static Probe Points}.
9698
9699 @item $_sdata
9700 @vindex $_sdata@r{, inspect, convenience variable}
9701 The variable @code{$_sdata} contains extra collected static tracepoint
9702 data. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}. Note that
9703 @code{$_sdata} could be empty, if not inspecting a trace buffer, or
9704 if extra static tracepoint data has not been collected.
9705
9706 @item $_siginfo
9707 @vindex $_siginfo@r{, convenience variable}
9708 The variable @code{$_siginfo} contains extra signal information
9709 (@pxref{extra signal information}). Note that @code{$_siginfo}
9710 could be empty, if the application has not yet received any signals.
9711 For example, it will be empty before you execute the @code{run} command.
9712
9713 @item $_tlb
9714 @vindex $_tlb@r{, convenience variable}
9715 The variable @code{$_tlb} is automatically set when debugging
9716 applications running on MS-Windows in native mode or connected to
9717 gdbserver that supports the @code{qGetTIBAddr} request.
9718 @xref{General Query Packets}.
9719 This variable contains the address of the thread information block.
9720
9721 @end table
9722
9723 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
9724 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
9725 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
9726
9727 @node Convenience Funs
9728 @section Convenience Functions
9729
9730 @cindex convenience functions
9731 @value{GDBN} also supplies some @dfn{convenience functions}. These
9732 have a syntax similar to convenience variables. A convenience
9733 function can be used in an expression just like an ordinary function;
9734 however, a convenience function is implemented internally to
9735 @value{GDBN}.
9736
9737 These functions require @value{GDBN} to be configured with
9738 @code{Python} support.
9739
9740 @table @code
9741
9742 @item $_memeq(@var{buf1}, @var{buf2}, @var{length})
9743 @findex $_memeq@r{, convenience function}
9744 Returns one if the @var{length} bytes at the addresses given by
9745 @var{buf1} and @var{buf2} are equal.
9746 Otherwise it returns zero.
9747
9748 @item $_regex(@var{str}, @var{regex})
9749 @findex $_regex@r{, convenience function}
9750 Returns one if the string @var{str} matches the regular expression
9751 @var{regex}. Otherwise it returns zero.
9752 The syntax of the regular expression is that specified by @code{Python}'s
9753 regular expression support.
9754
9755 @item $_streq(@var{str1}, @var{str2})
9756 @findex $_streq@r{, convenience function}
9757 Returns one if the strings @var{str1} and @var{str2} are equal.
9758 Otherwise it returns zero.
9759
9760 @item $_strlen(@var{str})
9761 @findex $_strlen@r{, convenience function}
9762 Returns the length of string @var{str}.
9763
9764 @end table
9765
9766 @value{GDBN} provides the ability to list and get help on
9767 convenience functions.
9768
9769 @table @code
9770 @item help function
9771 @kindex help function
9772 @cindex show all convenience functions
9773 Print a list of all convenience functions.
9774 @end table
9775
9776 @node Registers
9777 @section Registers
9778
9779 @cindex registers
9780 You can refer to machine register contents, in expressions, as variables
9781 with names starting with @samp{$}. The names of registers are different
9782 for each machine; use @code{info registers} to see the names used on
9783 your machine.
9784
9785 @table @code
9786 @kindex info registers
9787 @item info registers
9788 Print the names and values of all registers except floating-point
9789 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
9790
9791 @kindex info all-registers
9792 @cindex floating point registers
9793 @item info all-registers
9794 Print the names and values of all registers, including floating-point
9795 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
9796
9797 @item info registers @var{regname} @dots{}
9798 Print the @dfn{relativized} value of each specified register @var{regname}.
9799 As discussed in detail below, register values are normally relative to
9800 the selected stack frame. @var{regname} may be any register name valid on
9801 the machine you are using, with or without the initial @samp{$}.
9802 @end table
9803
9804 @cindex stack pointer register
9805 @cindex program counter register
9806 @cindex process status register
9807 @cindex frame pointer register
9808 @cindex standard registers
9809 @value{GDBN} has four ``standard'' register names that are available (in
9810 expressions) on most machines---whenever they do not conflict with an
9811 architecture's canonical mnemonics for registers. The register names
9812 @code{$pc} and @code{$sp} are used for the program counter register and
9813 the stack pointer. @code{$fp} is used for a register that contains a
9814 pointer to the current stack frame, and @code{$ps} is used for a
9815 register that contains the processor status. For example,
9816 you could print the program counter in hex with
9817
9818 @smallexample
9819 p/x $pc
9820 @end smallexample
9821
9822 @noindent
9823 or print the instruction to be executed next with
9824
9825 @smallexample
9826 x/i $pc
9827 @end smallexample
9828
9829 @noindent
9830 or add four to the stack pointer@footnote{This is a way of removing
9831 one word from the stack, on machines where stacks grow downward in
9832 memory (most machines, nowadays). This assumes that the innermost
9833 stack frame is selected; setting @code{$sp} is not allowed when other
9834 stack frames are selected. To pop entire frames off the stack,
9835 regardless of machine architecture, use @code{return};
9836 see @ref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}.} with
9837
9838 @smallexample
9839 set $sp += 4
9840 @end smallexample
9841
9842 Whenever possible, these four standard register names are available on
9843 your machine even though the machine has different canonical mnemonics,
9844 so long as there is no conflict. The @code{info registers} command
9845 shows the canonical names. For example, on the SPARC, @code{info
9846 registers} displays the processor status register as @code{$psr} but you
9847 can also refer to it as @code{$ps}; and on x86-based machines @code{$ps}
9848 is an alias for the @sc{eflags} register.
9849
9850 @value{GDBN} always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an
9851 integer when the register is examined in this way. Some machines have
9852 special registers which can hold nothing but floating point; these
9853 registers are considered to have floating point values. There is no way
9854 to refer to the contents of an ordinary register as floating point value
9855 (although you can @emph{print} it as a floating point value with
9856 @samp{print/f $@var{regname}}).
9857
9858 Some registers have distinct ``raw'' and ``virtual'' data formats. This
9859 means that the data format in which the register contents are saved by
9860 the operating system is not the same one that your program normally
9861 sees. For example, the registers of the 68881 floating point
9862 coprocessor are always saved in ``extended'' (raw) format, but all C
9863 programs expect to work with ``double'' (virtual) format. In such
9864 cases, @value{GDBN} normally works with the virtual format only (the format
9865 that makes sense for your program), but the @code{info registers} command
9866 prints the data in both formats.
9867
9868 @cindex SSE registers (x86)
9869 @cindex MMX registers (x86)
9870 Some machines have special registers whose contents can be interpreted
9871 in several different ways. For example, modern x86-based machines
9872 have SSE and MMX registers that can hold several values packed
9873 together in several different formats. @value{GDBN} refers to such
9874 registers in @code{struct} notation:
9875
9876 @smallexample
9877 (@value{GDBP}) print $xmm1
9878 $1 = @{
9879 v4_float = @{0, 3.43859137e-038, 1.54142831e-044, 1.821688e-044@},
9880 v2_double = @{9.92129282474342e-303, 2.7585945287983262e-313@},
9881 v16_int8 = "\000\000\000\000\3706;\001\v\000\000\000\r\000\000",
9882 v8_int16 = @{0, 0, 14072, 315, 11, 0, 13, 0@},
9883 v4_int32 = @{0, 20657912, 11, 13@},
9884 v2_int64 = @{88725056443645952, 55834574859@},
9885 uint128 = 0x0000000d0000000b013b36f800000000
9886 @}
9887 @end smallexample
9888
9889 @noindent
9890 To set values of such registers, you need to tell @value{GDBN} which
9891 view of the register you wish to change, as if you were assigning
9892 value to a @code{struct} member:
9893
9894 @smallexample
9895 (@value{GDBP}) set $xmm1.uint128 = 0x000000000000000000000000FFFFFFFF
9896 @end smallexample
9897
9898 Normally, register values are relative to the selected stack frame
9899 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). This means that you get the
9900 value that the register would contain if all stack frames farther in
9901 were exited and their saved registers restored. In order to see the
9902 true contents of hardware registers, you must select the innermost
9903 frame (with @samp{frame 0}).
9904
9905 However, @value{GDBN} must deduce where registers are saved, from the machine
9906 code generated by your compiler. If some registers are not saved, or if
9907 @value{GDBN} is unable to locate the saved registers, the selected stack
9908 frame makes no difference.
9909
9910 @node Floating Point Hardware
9911 @section Floating Point Hardware
9912 @cindex floating point
9913
9914 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give
9915 you more information about the status of the floating point hardware.
9916
9917 @table @code
9918 @kindex info float
9919 @item info float
9920 Display hardware-dependent information about the floating
9921 point unit. The exact contents and layout vary depending on the
9922 floating point chip. Currently, @samp{info float} is supported on
9923 the ARM and x86 machines.
9924 @end table
9925
9926 @node Vector Unit
9927 @section Vector Unit
9928 @cindex vector unit
9929
9930 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give you
9931 more information about the status of the vector unit.
9932
9933 @table @code
9934 @kindex info vector
9935 @item info vector
9936 Display information about the vector unit. The exact contents and
9937 layout vary depending on the hardware.
9938 @end table
9939
9940 @node OS Information
9941 @section Operating System Auxiliary Information
9942 @cindex OS information
9943
9944 @value{GDBN} provides interfaces to useful OS facilities that can help
9945 you debug your program.
9946
9947 @cindex auxiliary vector
9948 @cindex vector, auxiliary
9949 Some operating systems supply an @dfn{auxiliary vector} to programs at
9950 startup. This is akin to the arguments and environment that you
9951 specify for a program, but contains a system-dependent variety of
9952 binary values that tell system libraries important details about the
9953 hardware, operating system, and process. Each value's purpose is
9954 identified by an integer tag; the meanings are well-known but system-specific.
9955 Depending on the configuration and operating system facilities,
9956 @value{GDBN} may be able to show you this information. For remote
9957 targets, this functionality may further depend on the remote stub's
9958 support of the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet, see
9959 @ref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}.
9960
9961 @table @code
9962 @kindex info auxv
9963 @item info auxv
9964 Display the auxiliary vector of the inferior, which can be either a
9965 live process or a core dump file. @value{GDBN} prints each tag value
9966 numerically, and also shows names and text descriptions for recognized
9967 tags. Some values in the vector are numbers, some bit masks, and some
9968 pointers to strings or other data. @value{GDBN} displays each value in the
9969 most appropriate form for a recognized tag, and in hexadecimal for
9970 an unrecognized tag.
9971 @end table
9972
9973 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can access operating system-specific
9974 information and show it to you. The types of information available
9975 will differ depending on the type of operating system running on the
9976 target. The mechanism used to fetch the data is described in
9977 @ref{Operating System Information}. For remote targets, this
9978 functionality depends on the remote stub's support of the
9979 @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet, see @ref{qXfer osdata read}.
9980
9981 @table @code
9982 @kindex info os
9983 @item info os @var{infotype}
9984
9985 Display OS information of the requested type.
9986
9987 On @sc{gnu}/Linux, the following values of @var{infotype} are valid:
9988
9989 @anchor{linux info os infotypes}
9990 @table @code
9991 @kindex info os processes
9992 @item processes
9993 Display the list of processes on the target. For each process,
9994 @value{GDBN} prints the process identifier, the name of the user, the
9995 command corresponding to the process, and the list of processor cores
9996 that the process is currently running on. (To understand what these
9997 properties mean, for this and the following info types, please consult
9998 the general @sc{gnu}/Linux documentation.)
9999
10000 @kindex info os procgroups
10001 @item procgroups
10002 Display the list of process groups on the target. For each process,
10003 @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process group that it belongs
10004 to, the command corresponding to the process group leader, the process
10005 identifier, and the command line of the process. The list is sorted
10006 first by the process group identifier, then by the process identifier,
10007 so that processes belonging to the same process group are grouped together
10008 and the process group leader is listed first.
10009
10010 @kindex info os threads
10011 @item threads
10012 Display the list of threads running on the target. For each thread,
10013 @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process that the thread
10014 belongs to, the command of the process, the thread identifier, and the
10015 processor core that it is currently running on. The main thread of a
10016 process is not listed.
10017
10018 @kindex info os files
10019 @item files
10020 Display the list of open file descriptors on the target. For each
10021 file descriptor, @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process
10022 owning the descriptor, the command of the owning process, the value
10023 of the descriptor, and the target of the descriptor.
10024
10025 @kindex info os sockets
10026 @item sockets
10027 Display the list of Internet-domain sockets on the target. For each
10028 socket, @value{GDBN} prints the address and port of the local and
10029 remote endpoints, the current state of the connection, the creator of
10030 the socket, the IP address family of the socket, and the type of the
10031 connection.
10032
10033 @kindex info os shm
10034 @item shm
10035 Display the list of all System V shared-memory regions on the target.
10036 For each shared-memory region, @value{GDBN} prints the region key,
10037 the shared-memory identifier, the access permissions, the size of the
10038 region, the process that created the region, the process that last
10039 attached to or detached from the region, the current number of live
10040 attaches to the region, and the times at which the region was last
10041 attached to, detach from, and changed.
10042
10043 @kindex info os semaphores
10044 @item semaphores
10045 Display the list of all System V semaphore sets on the target. For each
10046 semaphore set, @value{GDBN} prints the semaphore set key, the semaphore
10047 set identifier, the access permissions, the number of semaphores in the
10048 set, the user and group of the owner and creator of the semaphore set,
10049 and the times at which the semaphore set was operated upon and changed.
10050
10051 @kindex info os msg
10052 @item msg
10053 Display the list of all System V message queues on the target. For each
10054 message queue, @value{GDBN} prints the message queue key, the message
10055 queue identifier, the access permissions, the current number of bytes
10056 on the queue, the current number of messages on the queue, the processes
10057 that last sent and received a message on the queue, the user and group
10058 of the owner and creator of the message queue, the times at which a
10059 message was last sent and received on the queue, and the time at which
10060 the message queue was last changed.
10061
10062 @kindex info os modules
10063 @item modules
10064 Display the list of all loaded kernel modules on the target. For each
10065 module, @value{GDBN} prints the module name, the size of the module in
10066 bytes, the number of times the module is used, the dependencies of the
10067 module, the status of the module, and the address of the loaded module
10068 in memory.
10069 @end table
10070
10071 @item info os
10072 If @var{infotype} is omitted, then list the possible values for
10073 @var{infotype} and the kind of OS information available for each
10074 @var{infotype}. If the target does not return a list of possible
10075 types, this command will report an error.
10076 @end table
10077
10078 @node Memory Region Attributes
10079 @section Memory Region Attributes
10080 @cindex memory region attributes
10081
10082 @dfn{Memory region attributes} allow you to describe special handling
10083 required by regions of your target's memory. @value{GDBN} uses
10084 attributes to determine whether to allow certain types of memory
10085 accesses; whether to use specific width accesses; and whether to cache
10086 target memory. By default the description of memory regions is
10087 fetched from the target (if the current target supports this), but the
10088 user can override the fetched regions.
10089
10090 Defined memory regions can be individually enabled and disabled. When a
10091 memory region is disabled, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when
10092 accessing memory in that region. Similarly, if no memory regions have
10093 been defined, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when accessing
10094 all memory.
10095
10096 When a memory region is defined, it is given a number to identify it;
10097 to enable, disable, or remove a memory region, you specify that number.
10098
10099 @table @code
10100 @kindex mem
10101 @item mem @var{lower} @var{upper} @var{attributes}@dots{}
10102 Define a memory region bounded by @var{lower} and @var{upper} with
10103 attributes @var{attributes}@dots{}, and add it to the list of regions
10104 monitored by @value{GDBN}. Note that @var{upper} == 0 is a special
10105 case: it is treated as the target's maximum memory address.
10106 (0xffff on 16 bit targets, 0xffffffff on 32 bit targets, etc.)
10107
10108 @item mem auto
10109 Discard any user changes to the memory regions and use target-supplied
10110 regions, if available, or no regions if the target does not support.
10111
10112 @kindex delete mem
10113 @item delete mem @var{nums}@dots{}
10114 Remove memory regions @var{nums}@dots{} from the list of regions
10115 monitored by @value{GDBN}.
10116
10117 @kindex disable mem
10118 @item disable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
10119 Disable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
10120 A disabled memory region is not forgotten.
10121 It may be enabled again later.
10122
10123 @kindex enable mem
10124 @item enable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
10125 Enable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
10126
10127 @kindex info mem
10128 @item info mem
10129 Print a table of all defined memory regions, with the following columns
10130 for each region:
10131
10132 @table @emph
10133 @item Memory Region Number
10134 @item Enabled or Disabled.
10135 Enabled memory regions are marked with @samp{y}.
10136 Disabled memory regions are marked with @samp{n}.
10137
10138 @item Lo Address
10139 The address defining the inclusive lower bound of the memory region.
10140
10141 @item Hi Address
10142 The address defining the exclusive upper bound of the memory region.
10143
10144 @item Attributes
10145 The list of attributes set for this memory region.
10146 @end table
10147 @end table
10148
10149
10150 @subsection Attributes
10151
10152 @subsubsection Memory Access Mode
10153 The access mode attributes set whether @value{GDBN} may make read or
10154 write accesses to a memory region.
10155
10156 While these attributes prevent @value{GDBN} from performing invalid
10157 memory accesses, they do nothing to prevent the target system, I/O DMA,
10158 etc.@: from accessing memory.
10159
10160 @table @code
10161 @item ro
10162 Memory is read only.
10163 @item wo
10164 Memory is write only.
10165 @item rw
10166 Memory is read/write. This is the default.
10167 @end table
10168
10169 @subsubsection Memory Access Size
10170 The access size attribute tells @value{GDBN} to use specific sized
10171 accesses in the memory region. Often memory mapped device registers
10172 require specific sized accesses. If no access size attribute is
10173 specified, @value{GDBN} may use accesses of any size.
10174
10175 @table @code
10176 @item 8
10177 Use 8 bit memory accesses.
10178 @item 16
10179 Use 16 bit memory accesses.
10180 @item 32
10181 Use 32 bit memory accesses.
10182 @item 64
10183 Use 64 bit memory accesses.
10184 @end table
10185
10186 @c @subsubsection Hardware/Software Breakpoints
10187 @c The hardware/software breakpoint attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
10188 @c will use hardware or software breakpoints for the internal breakpoints
10189 @c used by the step, next, finish, until, etc. commands.
10190 @c
10191 @c @table @code
10192 @c @item hwbreak
10193 @c Always use hardware breakpoints
10194 @c @item swbreak (default)
10195 @c @end table
10196
10197 @subsubsection Data Cache
10198 The data cache attributes set whether @value{GDBN} will cache target
10199 memory. While this generally improves performance by reducing debug
10200 protocol overhead, it can lead to incorrect results because @value{GDBN}
10201 does not know about volatile variables or memory mapped device
10202 registers.
10203
10204 @table @code
10205 @item cache
10206 Enable @value{GDBN} to cache target memory.
10207 @item nocache
10208 Disable @value{GDBN} from caching target memory. This is the default.
10209 @end table
10210
10211 @subsection Memory Access Checking
10212 @value{GDBN} can be instructed to refuse accesses to memory that is
10213 not explicitly described. This can be useful if accessing such
10214 regions has undesired effects for a specific target, or to provide
10215 better error checking. The following commands control this behaviour.
10216
10217 @table @code
10218 @kindex set mem inaccessible-by-default
10219 @item set mem inaccessible-by-default [on|off]
10220 If @code{on} is specified, make @value{GDBN} treat memory not
10221 explicitly described by the memory ranges as non-existent and refuse accesses
10222 to such memory. The checks are only performed if there's at least one
10223 memory range defined. If @code{off} is specified, make @value{GDBN}
10224 treat the memory not explicitly described by the memory ranges as RAM.
10225 The default value is @code{on}.
10226 @kindex show mem inaccessible-by-default
10227 @item show mem inaccessible-by-default
10228 Show the current handling of accesses to unknown memory.
10229 @end table
10230
10231
10232 @c @subsubsection Memory Write Verification
10233 @c The memory write verification attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
10234 @c will re-reads data after each write to verify the write was successful.
10235 @c
10236 @c @table @code
10237 @c @item verify
10238 @c @item noverify (default)
10239 @c @end table
10240
10241 @node Dump/Restore Files
10242 @section Copy Between Memory and a File
10243 @cindex dump/restore files
10244 @cindex append data to a file
10245 @cindex dump data to a file
10246 @cindex restore data from a file
10247
10248 You can use the commands @code{dump}, @code{append}, and
10249 @code{restore} to copy data between target memory and a file. The
10250 @code{dump} and @code{append} commands write data to a file, and the
10251 @code{restore} command reads data from a file back into the inferior's
10252 memory. Files may be in binary, Motorola S-record, Intel hex, or
10253 Tektronix Hex format; however, @value{GDBN} can only append to binary
10254 files.
10255
10256 @table @code
10257
10258 @kindex dump
10259 @item dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
10260 @itemx dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
10261 Dump the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
10262 or the value of @var{expr}, to @var{filename} in the given format.
10263
10264 The @var{format} parameter may be any one of:
10265 @table @code
10266 @item binary
10267 Raw binary form.
10268 @item ihex
10269 Intel hex format.
10270 @item srec
10271 Motorola S-record format.
10272 @item tekhex
10273 Tektronix Hex format.
10274 @end table
10275
10276 @value{GDBN} uses the same definitions of these formats as the
10277 @sc{gnu} binary utilities, like @samp{objdump} and @samp{objcopy}. If
10278 @var{format} is omitted, @value{GDBN} dumps the data in raw binary
10279 form.
10280
10281 @kindex append
10282 @item append @r{[}binary@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
10283 @itemx append @r{[}binary@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
10284 Append the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
10285 or the value of @var{expr}, to the file @var{filename}, in raw binary form.
10286 (@value{GDBN} can only append data to files in raw binary form.)
10287
10288 @kindex restore
10289 @item restore @var{filename} @r{[}binary@r{]} @var{bias} @var{start} @var{end}
10290 Restore the contents of file @var{filename} into memory. The
10291 @code{restore} command can automatically recognize any known @sc{bfd}
10292 file format, except for raw binary. To restore a raw binary file you
10293 must specify the optional keyword @code{binary} after the filename.
10294
10295 If @var{bias} is non-zero, its value will be added to the addresses
10296 contained in the file. Binary files always start at address zero, so
10297 they will be restored at address @var{bias}. Other bfd files have
10298 a built-in location; they will be restored at offset @var{bias}
10299 from that location.
10300
10301 If @var{start} and/or @var{end} are non-zero, then only data between
10302 file offset @var{start} and file offset @var{end} will be restored.
10303 These offsets are relative to the addresses in the file, before
10304 the @var{bias} argument is applied.
10305
10306 @end table
10307
10308 @node Core File Generation
10309 @section How to Produce a Core File from Your Program
10310 @cindex dump core from inferior
10311
10312 A @dfn{core file} or @dfn{core dump} is a file that records the memory
10313 image of a running process and its process status (register values
10314 etc.). Its primary use is post-mortem debugging of a program that
10315 crashed while it ran outside a debugger. A program that crashes
10316 automatically produces a core file, unless this feature is disabled by
10317 the user. @xref{Files}, for information on invoking @value{GDBN} in
10318 the post-mortem debugging mode.
10319
10320 Occasionally, you may wish to produce a core file of the program you
10321 are debugging in order to preserve a snapshot of its state.
10322 @value{GDBN} has a special command for that.
10323
10324 @table @code
10325 @kindex gcore
10326 @kindex generate-core-file
10327 @item generate-core-file [@var{file}]
10328 @itemx gcore [@var{file}]
10329 Produce a core dump of the inferior process. The optional argument
10330 @var{file} specifies the file name where to put the core dump. If not
10331 specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}}, where
10332 @var{pid} is the inferior process ID.
10333
10334 Note that this command is implemented only for some systems (as of
10335 this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, and S390).
10336 @end table
10337
10338 @node Character Sets
10339 @section Character Sets
10340 @cindex character sets
10341 @cindex charset
10342 @cindex translating between character sets
10343 @cindex host character set
10344 @cindex target character set
10345
10346 If the program you are debugging uses a different character set to
10347 represent characters and strings than the one @value{GDBN} uses itself,
10348 @value{GDBN} can automatically translate between the character sets for
10349 you. The character set @value{GDBN} uses we call the @dfn{host
10350 character set}; the one the inferior program uses we call the
10351 @dfn{target character set}.
10352
10353 For example, if you are running @value{GDBN} on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, which
10354 uses the ISO Latin 1 character set, but you are using @value{GDBN}'s
10355 remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Debugging}) to debug a program
10356 running on an IBM mainframe, which uses the @sc{ebcdic} character set,
10357 then the host character set is Latin-1, and the target character set is
10358 @sc{ebcdic}. If you give @value{GDBN} the command @code{set
10359 target-charset EBCDIC-US}, then @value{GDBN} translates between
10360 @sc{ebcdic} and Latin 1 as you print character or string values, or use
10361 character and string literals in expressions.
10362
10363 @value{GDBN} has no way to automatically recognize which character set
10364 the inferior program uses; you must tell it, using the @code{set
10365 target-charset} command, described below.
10366
10367 Here are the commands for controlling @value{GDBN}'s character set
10368 support:
10369
10370 @table @code
10371 @item set target-charset @var{charset}
10372 @kindex set target-charset
10373 Set the current target character set to @var{charset}. To display the
10374 list of supported target character sets, type
10375 @kbd{@w{set target-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
10376
10377 @item set host-charset @var{charset}
10378 @kindex set host-charset
10379 Set the current host character set to @var{charset}.
10380
10381 By default, @value{GDBN} uses a host character set appropriate to the
10382 system it is running on; you can override that default using the
10383 @code{set host-charset} command. On some systems, @value{GDBN} cannot
10384 automatically determine the appropriate host character set. In this
10385 case, @value{GDBN} uses @samp{UTF-8}.
10386
10387 @value{GDBN} can only use certain character sets as its host character
10388 set. If you type @kbd{@w{set host-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
10389 @value{GDBN} will list the host character sets it supports.
10390
10391 @item set charset @var{charset}
10392 @kindex set charset
10393 Set the current host and target character sets to @var{charset}. As
10394 above, if you type @kbd{@w{set charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
10395 @value{GDBN} will list the names of the character sets that can be used
10396 for both host and target.
10397
10398 @item show charset
10399 @kindex show charset
10400 Show the names of the current host and target character sets.
10401
10402 @item show host-charset
10403 @kindex show host-charset
10404 Show the name of the current host character set.
10405
10406 @item show target-charset
10407 @kindex show target-charset
10408 Show the name of the current target character set.
10409
10410 @item set target-wide-charset @var{charset}
10411 @kindex set target-wide-charset
10412 Set the current target's wide character set to @var{charset}. This is
10413 the character set used by the target's @code{wchar_t} type. To
10414 display the list of supported wide character sets, type
10415 @kbd{@w{set target-wide-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
10416
10417 @item show target-wide-charset
10418 @kindex show target-wide-charset
10419 Show the name of the current target's wide character set.
10420 @end table
10421
10422 Here is an example of @value{GDBN}'s character set support in action.
10423 Assume that the following source code has been placed in the file
10424 @file{charset-test.c}:
10425
10426 @smallexample
10427 #include <stdio.h>
10428
10429 char ascii_hello[]
10430 = @{72, 101, 108, 108, 111, 44, 32, 119,
10431 111, 114, 108, 100, 33, 10, 0@};
10432 char ibm1047_hello[]
10433 = @{200, 133, 147, 147, 150, 107, 64, 166,
10434 150, 153, 147, 132, 90, 37, 0@};
10435
10436 main ()
10437 @{
10438 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
10439 @}
10440 @end smallexample
10441
10442 In this program, @code{ascii_hello} and @code{ibm1047_hello} are arrays
10443 containing the string @samp{Hello, world!} followed by a newline,
10444 encoded in the @sc{ascii} and @sc{ibm1047} character sets.
10445
10446 We compile the program, and invoke the debugger on it:
10447
10448 @smallexample
10449 $ gcc -g charset-test.c -o charset-test
10450 $ gdb -nw charset-test
10451 GNU gdb 2001-12-19-cvs
10452 Copyright 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
10453 @dots{}
10454 (@value{GDBP})
10455 @end smallexample
10456
10457 We can use the @code{show charset} command to see what character sets
10458 @value{GDBN} is currently using to interpret and display characters and
10459 strings:
10460
10461 @smallexample
10462 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
10463 The current host and target character set is `ISO-8859-1'.
10464 (@value{GDBP})
10465 @end smallexample
10466
10467 For the sake of printing this manual, let's use @sc{ascii} as our
10468 initial character set:
10469 @smallexample
10470 (@value{GDBP}) set charset ASCII
10471 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
10472 The current host and target character set is `ASCII'.
10473 (@value{GDBP})
10474 @end smallexample
10475
10476 Let's assume that @sc{ascii} is indeed the correct character set for our
10477 host system --- in other words, let's assume that if @value{GDBN} prints
10478 characters using the @sc{ascii} character set, our terminal will display
10479 them properly. Since our current target character set is also
10480 @sc{ascii}, the contents of @code{ascii_hello} print legibly:
10481
10482 @smallexample
10483 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
10484 $1 = 0x401698 "Hello, world!\n"
10485 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
10486 $2 = 72 'H'
10487 (@value{GDBP})
10488 @end smallexample
10489
10490 @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and string
10491 literals you use in expressions:
10492
10493 @smallexample
10494 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
10495 $3 = 43 '+'
10496 (@value{GDBP})
10497 @end smallexample
10498
10499 The @sc{ascii} character set uses the number 43 to encode the @samp{+}
10500 character.
10501
10502 @value{GDBN} relies on the user to tell it which character set the
10503 target program uses. If we print @code{ibm1047_hello} while our target
10504 character set is still @sc{ascii}, we get jibberish:
10505
10506 @smallexample
10507 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
10508 $4 = 0x4016a8 "\310\205\223\223\226k@@\246\226\231\223\204Z%"
10509 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
10510 $5 = 200 '\310'
10511 (@value{GDBP})
10512 @end smallexample
10513
10514 If we invoke the @code{set target-charset} followed by @key{TAB}@key{TAB},
10515 @value{GDBN} tells us the character sets it supports:
10516
10517 @smallexample
10518 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
10519 ASCII EBCDIC-US IBM1047 ISO-8859-1
10520 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
10521 @end smallexample
10522
10523 We can select @sc{ibm1047} as our target character set, and examine the
10524 program's strings again. Now the @sc{ascii} string is wrong, but
10525 @value{GDBN} translates the contents of @code{ibm1047_hello} from the
10526 target character set, @sc{ibm1047}, to the host character set,
10527 @sc{ascii}, and they display correctly:
10528
10529 @smallexample
10530 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset IBM1047
10531 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
10532 The current host character set is `ASCII'.
10533 The current target character set is `IBM1047'.
10534 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
10535 $6 = 0x401698 "\110\145%%?\054\040\167?\162%\144\041\012"
10536 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
10537 $7 = 72 '\110'
10538 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
10539 $8 = 0x4016a8 "Hello, world!\n"
10540 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
10541 $9 = 200 'H'
10542 (@value{GDBP})
10543 @end smallexample
10544
10545 As above, @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and
10546 string literals you use in expressions:
10547
10548 @smallexample
10549 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
10550 $10 = 78 '+'
10551 (@value{GDBP})
10552 @end smallexample
10553
10554 The @sc{ibm1047} character set uses the number 78 to encode the @samp{+}
10555 character.
10556
10557 @node Caching Remote Data
10558 @section Caching Data of Remote Targets
10559 @cindex caching data of remote targets
10560
10561 @value{GDBN} caches data exchanged between the debugger and a
10562 remote target (@pxref{Remote Debugging}). Such caching generally improves
10563 performance, because it reduces the overhead of the remote protocol by
10564 bundling memory reads and writes into large chunks. Unfortunately, simply
10565 caching everything would lead to incorrect results, since @value{GDBN}
10566 does not necessarily know anything about volatile values, memory-mapped I/O
10567 addresses, etc. Furthermore, in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode})
10568 memory can be changed @emph{while} a gdb command is executing.
10569 Therefore, by default, @value{GDBN} only caches data
10570 known to be on the stack@footnote{In non-stop mode, it is moderately
10571 rare for a running thread to modify the stack of a stopped thread
10572 in a way that would interfere with a backtrace, and caching of
10573 stack reads provides a significant speed up of remote backtraces.}.
10574 Other regions of memory can be explicitly marked as
10575 cacheable; see @pxref{Memory Region Attributes}.
10576
10577 @table @code
10578 @kindex set remotecache
10579 @item set remotecache on
10580 @itemx set remotecache off
10581 This option no longer does anything; it exists for compatibility
10582 with old scripts.
10583
10584 @kindex show remotecache
10585 @item show remotecache
10586 Show the current state of the obsolete remotecache flag.
10587
10588 @kindex set stack-cache
10589 @item set stack-cache on
10590 @itemx set stack-cache off
10591 Enable or disable caching of stack accesses. When @code{ON}, use
10592 caching. By default, this option is @code{ON}.
10593
10594 @kindex show stack-cache
10595 @item show stack-cache
10596 Show the current state of data caching for memory accesses.
10597
10598 @kindex info dcache
10599 @item info dcache @r{[}line@r{]}
10600 Print the information about the data cache performance. The
10601 information displayed includes the dcache width and depth, and for
10602 each cache line, its number, address, and how many times it was
10603 referenced. This command is useful for debugging the data cache
10604 operation.
10605
10606 If a line number is specified, the contents of that line will be
10607 printed in hex.
10608
10609 @item set dcache size @var{size}
10610 @cindex dcache size
10611 @kindex set dcache size
10612 Set maximum number of entries in dcache (dcache depth above).
10613
10614 @item set dcache line-size @var{line-size}
10615 @cindex dcache line-size
10616 @kindex set dcache line-size
10617 Set number of bytes each dcache entry caches (dcache width above).
10618 Must be a power of 2.
10619
10620 @item show dcache size
10621 @kindex show dcache size
10622 Show maximum number of dcache entries. See also @ref{Caching Remote Data, info dcache}.
10623
10624 @item show dcache line-size
10625 @kindex show dcache line-size
10626 Show default size of dcache lines. See also @ref{Caching Remote Data, info dcache}.
10627
10628 @end table
10629
10630 @node Searching Memory
10631 @section Search Memory
10632 @cindex searching memory
10633
10634 Memory can be searched for a particular sequence of bytes with the
10635 @code{find} command.
10636
10637 @table @code
10638 @kindex find
10639 @item find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, +@var{len}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
10640 @itemx find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, @var{end_addr}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
10641 Search memory for the sequence of bytes specified by @var{val1}, @var{val2},
10642 etc. The search begins at address @var{start_addr} and continues for either
10643 @var{len} bytes or through to @var{end_addr} inclusive.
10644 @end table
10645
10646 @var{s} and @var{n} are optional parameters.
10647 They may be specified in either order, apart or together.
10648
10649 @table @r
10650 @item @var{s}, search query size
10651 The size of each search query value.
10652
10653 @table @code
10654 @item b
10655 bytes
10656 @item h
10657 halfwords (two bytes)
10658 @item w
10659 words (four bytes)
10660 @item g
10661 giant words (eight bytes)
10662 @end table
10663
10664 All values are interpreted in the current language.
10665 This means, for example, that if the current source language is C/C@t{++}
10666 then searching for the string ``hello'' includes the trailing '\0'.
10667
10668 If the value size is not specified, it is taken from the
10669 value's type in the current language.
10670 This is useful when one wants to specify the search
10671 pattern as a mixture of types.
10672 Note that this means, for example, that in the case of C-like languages
10673 a search for an untyped 0x42 will search for @samp{(int) 0x42}
10674 which is typically four bytes.
10675
10676 @item @var{n}, maximum number of finds
10677 The maximum number of matches to print. The default is to print all finds.
10678 @end table
10679
10680 You can use strings as search values. Quote them with double-quotes
10681 (@code{"}).
10682 The string value is copied into the search pattern byte by byte,
10683 regardless of the endianness of the target and the size specification.
10684
10685 The address of each match found is printed as well as a count of the
10686 number of matches found.
10687
10688 The address of the last value found is stored in convenience variable
10689 @samp{$_}.
10690 A count of the number of matches is stored in @samp{$numfound}.
10691
10692 For example, if stopped at the @code{printf} in this function:
10693
10694 @smallexample
10695 void
10696 hello ()
10697 @{
10698 static char hello[] = "hello-hello";
10699 static struct @{ char c; short s; int i; @}
10700 __attribute__ ((packed)) mixed
10701 = @{ 'c', 0x1234, 0x87654321 @};
10702 printf ("%s\n", hello);
10703 @}
10704 @end smallexample
10705
10706 @noindent
10707 you get during debugging:
10708
10709 @smallexample
10710 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), "hello"
10711 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
10712 1 pattern found
10713 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o'
10714 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
10715 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
10716 2 patterns found
10717 (gdb) find /b1 &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 0x65, 'l'
10718 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
10719 1 pattern found
10720 (gdb) find &mixed, +sizeof(mixed), (char) 'c', (short) 0x1234, (int) 0x87654321
10721 0x8049560 <mixed.1625>
10722 1 pattern found
10723 (gdb) print $numfound
10724 $1 = 1
10725 (gdb) print $_
10726 $2 = (void *) 0x8049560
10727 @end smallexample
10728
10729 @node Optimized Code
10730 @chapter Debugging Optimized Code
10731 @cindex optimized code, debugging
10732 @cindex debugging optimized code
10733
10734 Almost all compilers support optimization. With optimization
10735 disabled, the compiler generates assembly code that corresponds
10736 directly to your source code, in a simplistic way. As the compiler
10737 applies more powerful optimizations, the generated assembly code
10738 diverges from your original source code. With help from debugging
10739 information generated by the compiler, @value{GDBN} can map from
10740 the running program back to constructs from your original source.
10741
10742 @value{GDBN} is more accurate with optimization disabled. If you
10743 can recompile without optimization, it is easier to follow the
10744 progress of your program during debugging. But, there are many cases
10745 where you may need to debug an optimized version.
10746
10747 When you debug a program compiled with @samp{-g -O}, remember that the
10748 optimizer has rearranged your code; the debugger shows you what is
10749 really there. Do not be too surprised when the execution path does not
10750 exactly match your source file! An extreme example: if you define a
10751 variable, but never use it, @value{GDBN} never sees that
10752 variable---because the compiler optimizes it out of existence.
10753
10754 Some things do not work as well with @samp{-g -O} as with just
10755 @samp{-g}, particularly on machines with instruction scheduling. If in
10756 doubt, recompile with @samp{-g} alone, and if this fixes the problem,
10757 please report it to us as a bug (including a test case!).
10758 @xref{Variables}, for more information about debugging optimized code.
10759
10760 @menu
10761 * Inline Functions:: How @value{GDBN} presents inlining
10762 * Tail Call Frames:: @value{GDBN} analysis of jumps to functions
10763 @end menu
10764
10765 @node Inline Functions
10766 @section Inline Functions
10767 @cindex inline functions, debugging
10768
10769 @dfn{Inlining} is an optimization that inserts a copy of the function
10770 body directly at each call site, instead of jumping to a shared
10771 routine. @value{GDBN} displays inlined functions just like
10772 non-inlined functions. They appear in backtraces. You can view their
10773 arguments and local variables, step into them with @code{step}, skip
10774 them with @code{next}, and escape from them with @code{finish}.
10775 You can check whether a function was inlined by using the
10776 @code{info frame} command.
10777
10778 For @value{GDBN} to support inlined functions, the compiler must
10779 record information about inlining in the debug information ---
10780 @value{NGCC} using the @sc{dwarf 2} format does this, and several
10781 other compilers do also. @value{GDBN} only supports inlined functions
10782 when using @sc{dwarf 2}. Versions of @value{NGCC} before 4.1
10783 do not emit two required attributes (@samp{DW_AT_call_file} and
10784 @samp{DW_AT_call_line}); @value{GDBN} does not display inlined
10785 function calls with earlier versions of @value{NGCC}. It instead
10786 displays the arguments and local variables of inlined functions as
10787 local variables in the caller.
10788
10789 The body of an inlined function is directly included at its call site;
10790 unlike a non-inlined function, there are no instructions devoted to
10791 the call. @value{GDBN} still pretends that the call site and the
10792 start of the inlined function are different instructions. Stepping to
10793 the call site shows the call site, and then stepping again shows
10794 the first line of the inlined function, even though no additional
10795 instructions are executed.
10796
10797 This makes source-level debugging much clearer; you can see both the
10798 context of the call and then the effect of the call. Only stepping by
10799 a single instruction using @code{stepi} or @code{nexti} does not do
10800 this; single instruction steps always show the inlined body.
10801
10802 There are some ways that @value{GDBN} does not pretend that inlined
10803 function calls are the same as normal calls:
10804
10805 @itemize @bullet
10806 @item
10807 Setting breakpoints at the call site of an inlined function may not
10808 work, because the call site does not contain any code. @value{GDBN}
10809 may incorrectly move the breakpoint to the next line of the enclosing
10810 function, after the call. This limitation will be removed in a future
10811 version of @value{GDBN}; until then, set a breakpoint on an earlier line
10812 or inside the inlined function instead.
10813
10814 @item
10815 @value{GDBN} cannot locate the return value of inlined calls after
10816 using the @code{finish} command. This is a limitation of compiler-generated
10817 debugging information; after @code{finish}, you can step to the next line
10818 and print a variable where your program stored the return value.
10819
10820 @end itemize
10821
10822 @node Tail Call Frames
10823 @section Tail Call Frames
10824 @cindex tail call frames, debugging
10825
10826 Function @code{B} can call function @code{C} in its very last statement. In
10827 unoptimized compilation the call of @code{C} is immediately followed by return
10828 instruction at the end of @code{B} code. Optimizing compiler may replace the
10829 call and return in function @code{B} into one jump to function @code{C}
10830 instead. Such use of a jump instruction is called @dfn{tail call}.
10831
10832 During execution of function @code{C}, there will be no indication in the
10833 function call stack frames that it was tail-called from @code{B}. If function
10834 @code{A} regularly calls function @code{B} which tail-calls function @code{C},
10835 then @value{GDBN} will see @code{A} as the caller of @code{C}. However, in
10836 some cases @value{GDBN} can determine that @code{C} was tail-called from
10837 @code{B}, and it will then create fictitious call frame for that, with the
10838 return address set up as if @code{B} called @code{C} normally.
10839
10840 This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
10841 the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_GNU_call_site} tags. With
10842 @value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
10843 this information.
10844
10845 @kbd{info frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info}) will indicate the tail call frame
10846 kind by text @code{tail call frame} such as in this sample @value{GDBN} output:
10847
10848 @smallexample
10849 (gdb) x/i $pc - 2
10850 0x40066b <b(int, double)+11>: jmp 0x400640 <c(int, double)>
10851 (gdb) info frame
10852 Stack level 1, frame at 0x7fffffffda30:
10853 rip = 0x40066d in b (amd64-entry-value.cc:59); saved rip 0x4004c5
10854 tail call frame, caller of frame at 0x7fffffffda30
10855 source language c++.
10856 Arglist at unknown address.
10857 Locals at unknown address, Previous frame's sp is 0x7fffffffda30
10858 @end smallexample
10859
10860 The detection of all the possible code path executions can find them ambiguous.
10861 There is no execution history stored (possible @ref{Reverse Execution} is never
10862 used for this purpose) and the last known caller could have reached the known
10863 callee by multiple different jump sequences. In such case @value{GDBN} still
10864 tries to show at least all the unambiguous top tail callers and all the
10865 unambiguous bottom tail calees, if any.
10866
10867 @table @code
10868 @anchor{set debug entry-values}
10869 @item set debug entry-values
10870 @kindex set debug entry-values
10871 When set to on, enables printing of analysis messages for both frame argument
10872 values at function entry and tail calls. It will show all the possible valid
10873 tail calls code paths it has considered. It will also print the intersection
10874 of them with the final unambiguous (possibly partial or even empty) code path
10875 result.
10876
10877 @item show debug entry-values
10878 @kindex show debug entry-values
10879 Show the current state of analysis messages printing for both frame argument
10880 values at function entry and tail calls.
10881 @end table
10882
10883 The analysis messages for tail calls can for example show why the virtual tail
10884 call frame for function @code{c} has not been recognized (due to the indirect
10885 reference by variable @code{x}):
10886
10887 @smallexample
10888 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void);
10889 void (*x) (void) = c;
10890 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
10891 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ a (); @}
10892 int main (void) @{ x (); return 0; @}
10893
10894 Breakpoint 1, DW_OP_GNU_entry_value resolving cannot find
10895 DW_TAG_GNU_call_site 0x40039a in main
10896 a () at t.c:3
10897 3 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
10898 (gdb) bt
10899 #0 a () at t.c:3
10900 #1 0x000000000040039a in main () at t.c:5
10901 @end smallexample
10902
10903 Another possibility is an ambiguous virtual tail call frames resolution:
10904
10905 @smallexample
10906 int i;
10907 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) f (void) @{ i++; @}
10908 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) e (void) @{ f (); @}
10909 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) d (void) @{ f (); @}
10910 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ d (); @}
10911 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (void)
10912 @{ if (i) c (); else e (); @}
10913 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ b (); @}
10914 int main (void) @{ a (); return 0; @}
10915
10916 tailcall: initial: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004ce(b) 0x4004b2(c) 0x4004a2(d)
10917 tailcall: compare: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004cc(b) 0x400492(e)
10918 tailcall: reduced: 0x4004d2(a) |
10919 (gdb) bt
10920 #0 f () at t.c:2
10921 #1 0x00000000004004d2 in a () at t.c:8
10922 #2 0x0000000000400395 in main () at t.c:9
10923 @end smallexample
10924
10925 @set CALLSEQ1A @code{main@value{ARROW}a@value{ARROW}b@value{ARROW}c@value{ARROW}d@value{ARROW}f}
10926 @set CALLSEQ2A @code{main@value{ARROW}a@value{ARROW}b@value{ARROW}e@value{ARROW}f}
10927
10928 @c Convert CALLSEQ#A to CALLSEQ#B depending on HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK.
10929 @ifset HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK
10930 @set ARROW @click{}
10931 @set CALLSEQ1B @clicksequence{@value{CALLSEQ1A}}
10932 @set CALLSEQ2B @clicksequence{@value{CALLSEQ2A}}
10933 @end ifset
10934 @ifclear HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK
10935 @set ARROW ->
10936 @set CALLSEQ1B @value{CALLSEQ1A}
10937 @set CALLSEQ2B @value{CALLSEQ2A}
10938 @end ifclear
10939
10940 Frames #0 and #2 are real, #1 is a virtual tail call frame.
10941 The code can have possible execution paths @value{CALLSEQ1B} or
10942 @value{CALLSEQ2B}, @value{GDBN} cannot find which one from the inferior state.
10943
10944 @code{initial:} state shows some random possible calling sequence @value{GDBN}
10945 has found. It then finds another possible calling sequcen - that one is
10946 prefixed by @code{compare:}. The non-ambiguous intersection of these two is
10947 printed as the @code{reduced:} calling sequence. That one could have many
10948 futher @code{compare:} and @code{reduced:} statements as long as there remain
10949 any non-ambiguous sequence entries.
10950
10951 For the frame of function @code{b} in both cases there are different possible
10952 @code{$pc} values (@code{0x4004cc} or @code{0x4004ce}), therefore this frame is
10953 also ambigous. The only non-ambiguous frame is the one for function @code{a},
10954 therefore this one is displayed to the user while the ambiguous frames are
10955 omitted.
10956
10957 There can be also reasons why printing of frame argument values at function
10958 entry may fail:
10959
10960 @smallexample
10961 int v;
10962 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (int i) @{ v++; @}
10963 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i);
10964 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (int i) @{ a (i); @}
10965 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i)
10966 @{ if (i) b (i - 1); else c (0); @}
10967 int main (void) @{ a (5); return 0; @}
10968
10969 (gdb) bt
10970 #0 c (i=i@@entry=0) at t.c:2
10971 #1 0x0000000000400428 in a (DW_OP_GNU_entry_value resolving has found
10972 function "a" at 0x400420 can call itself via tail calls
10973 i=<optimized out>) at t.c:6
10974 #2 0x000000000040036e in main () at t.c:7
10975 @end smallexample
10976
10977 @value{GDBN} cannot find out from the inferior state if and how many times did
10978 function @code{a} call itself (via function @code{b}) as these calls would be
10979 tail calls. Such tail calls would modify thue @code{i} variable, therefore
10980 @value{GDBN} cannot be sure the value it knows would be right - @value{GDBN}
10981 prints @code{<optimized out>} instead.
10982
10983 @node Macros
10984 @chapter C Preprocessor Macros
10985
10986 Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, provide a way to define and invoke
10987 ``preprocessor macros'' which expand into strings of tokens.
10988 @value{GDBN} can evaluate expressions containing macro invocations, show
10989 the result of macro expansion, and show a macro's definition, including
10990 where it was defined.
10991
10992 You may need to compile your program specially to provide @value{GDBN}
10993 with information about preprocessor macros. Most compilers do not
10994 include macros in their debugging information, even when you compile
10995 with the @option{-g} flag. @xref{Compilation}.
10996
10997 A program may define a macro at one point, remove that definition later,
10998 and then provide a different definition after that. Thus, at different
10999 points in the program, a macro may have different definitions, or have
11000 no definition at all. If there is a current stack frame, @value{GDBN}
11001 uses the macros in scope at that frame's source code line. Otherwise,
11002 @value{GDBN} uses the macros in scope at the current listing location;
11003 see @ref{List}.
11004
11005 Whenever @value{GDBN} evaluates an expression, it always expands any
11006 macro invocations present in the expression. @value{GDBN} also provides
11007 the following commands for working with macros explicitly.
11008
11009 @table @code
11010
11011 @kindex macro expand
11012 @cindex macro expansion, showing the results of preprocessor
11013 @cindex preprocessor macro expansion, showing the results of
11014 @cindex expanding preprocessor macros
11015 @item macro expand @var{expression}
11016 @itemx macro exp @var{expression}
11017 Show the results of expanding all preprocessor macro invocations in
11018 @var{expression}. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does
11019 not parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression;
11020 it can be any string of tokens.
11021
11022 @kindex macro exp1
11023 @item macro expand-once @var{expression}
11024 @itemx macro exp1 @var{expression}
11025 @cindex expand macro once
11026 @i{(This command is not yet implemented.)} Show the results of
11027 expanding those preprocessor macro invocations that appear explicitly in
11028 @var{expression}. Macro invocations appearing in that expansion are
11029 left unchanged. This command allows you to see the effect of a
11030 particular macro more clearly, without being confused by further
11031 expansions. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does not
11032 parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression; it
11033 can be any string of tokens.
11034
11035 @kindex info macro
11036 @cindex macro definition, showing
11037 @cindex definition of a macro, showing
11038 @cindex macros, from debug info
11039 @item info macro [-a|-all] [--] @var{macro}
11040 Show the current definition or all definitions of the named @var{macro},
11041 and describe the source location or compiler command-line where that
11042 definition was established. The optional double dash is to signify the end of
11043 argument processing and the beginning of @var{macro} for non C-like macros where
11044 the macro may begin with a hyphen.
11045
11046 @kindex info macros
11047 @item info macros @var{linespec}
11048 Show all macro definitions that are in effect at the location specified
11049 by @var{linespec}, and describe the source location or compiler
11050 command-line where those definitions were established.
11051
11052 @kindex macro define
11053 @cindex user-defined macros
11054 @cindex defining macros interactively
11055 @cindex macros, user-defined
11056 @item macro define @var{macro} @var{replacement-list}
11057 @itemx macro define @var{macro}(@var{arglist}) @var{replacement-list}
11058 Introduce a definition for a preprocessor macro named @var{macro},
11059 invocations of which are replaced by the tokens given in
11060 @var{replacement-list}. The first form of this command defines an
11061 ``object-like'' macro, which takes no arguments; the second form
11062 defines a ``function-like'' macro, which takes the arguments given in
11063 @var{arglist}.
11064
11065 A definition introduced by this command is in scope in every
11066 expression evaluated in @value{GDBN}, until it is removed with the
11067 @code{macro undef} command, described below. The definition overrides
11068 all definitions for @var{macro} present in the program being debugged,
11069 as well as any previous user-supplied definition.
11070
11071 @kindex macro undef
11072 @item macro undef @var{macro}
11073 Remove any user-supplied definition for the macro named @var{macro}.
11074 This command only affects definitions provided with the @code{macro
11075 define} command, described above; it cannot remove definitions present
11076 in the program being debugged.
11077
11078 @kindex macro list
11079 @item macro list
11080 List all the macros defined using the @code{macro define} command.
11081 @end table
11082
11083 @cindex macros, example of debugging with
11084 Here is a transcript showing the above commands in action. First, we
11085 show our source files:
11086
11087 @smallexample
11088 $ cat sample.c
11089 #include <stdio.h>
11090 #include "sample.h"
11091
11092 #define M 42
11093 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
11094
11095 main ()
11096 @{
11097 #define N 28
11098 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
11099 #undef N
11100 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
11101 #define N 1729
11102 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
11103 @}
11104 $ cat sample.h
11105 #define Q <
11106 $
11107 @end smallexample
11108
11109 Now, we compile the program using the @sc{gnu} C compiler,
11110 @value{NGCC}. We pass the @option{-gdwarf-2}@footnote{This is the
11111 minimum. Recent versions of @value{NGCC} support @option{-gdwarf-3}
11112 and @option{-gdwarf-4}; we recommend always choosing the most recent
11113 version of DWARF.} @emph{and} @option{-g3} flags to ensure the compiler
11114 includes information about preprocessor macros in the debugging
11115 information.
11116
11117 @smallexample
11118 $ gcc -gdwarf-2 -g3 sample.c -o sample
11119 $
11120 @end smallexample
11121
11122 Now, we start @value{GDBN} on our sample program:
11123
11124 @smallexample
11125 $ gdb -nw sample
11126 GNU gdb 2002-05-06-cvs
11127 Copyright 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
11128 GDB is free software, @dots{}
11129 (@value{GDBP})
11130 @end smallexample
11131
11132 We can expand macros and examine their definitions, even when the
11133 program is not running. @value{GDBN} uses the current listing position
11134 to decide which macro definitions are in scope:
11135
11136 @smallexample
11137 (@value{GDBP}) list main
11138 3
11139 4 #define M 42
11140 5 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
11141 6
11142 7 main ()
11143 8 @{
11144 9 #define N 28
11145 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
11146 11 #undef N
11147 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
11148 (@value{GDBP}) info macro ADD
11149 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:5
11150 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
11151 (@value{GDBP}) info macro Q
11152 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.h:1
11153 included at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:2
11154 #define Q <
11155 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand ADD(1)
11156 expands to: (42 + 1)
11157 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand-once ADD(1)
11158 expands to: once (M + 1)
11159 (@value{GDBP})
11160 @end smallexample
11161
11162 In the example above, note that @code{macro expand-once} expands only
11163 the macro invocation explicit in the original text --- the invocation of
11164 @code{ADD} --- but does not expand the invocation of the macro @code{M},
11165 which was introduced by @code{ADD}.
11166
11167 Once the program is running, @value{GDBN} uses the macro definitions in
11168 force at the source line of the current stack frame:
11169
11170 @smallexample
11171 (@value{GDBP}) break main
11172 Breakpoint 1 at 0x8048370: file sample.c, line 10.
11173 (@value{GDBP}) run
11174 Starting program: /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample
11175
11176 Breakpoint 1, main () at sample.c:10
11177 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
11178 (@value{GDBP})
11179 @end smallexample
11180
11181 At line 10, the definition of the macro @code{N} at line 9 is in force:
11182
11183 @smallexample
11184 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
11185 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:9
11186 #define N 28
11187 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
11188 expands to: 28 < 42
11189 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
11190 $1 = 1
11191 (@value{GDBP})
11192 @end smallexample
11193
11194 As we step over directives that remove @code{N}'s definition, and then
11195 give it a new definition, @value{GDBN} finds the definition (or lack
11196 thereof) in force at each point:
11197
11198 @smallexample
11199 (@value{GDBP}) next
11200 Hello, world!
11201 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
11202 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
11203 The symbol `N' has no definition as a C/C++ preprocessor macro
11204 at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:12
11205 (@value{GDBP}) next
11206 We're so creative.
11207 14 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
11208 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
11209 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:13
11210 #define N 1729
11211 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
11212 expands to: 1729 < 42
11213 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
11214 $2 = 0
11215 (@value{GDBP})
11216 @end smallexample
11217
11218 In addition to source files, macros can be defined on the compilation command
11219 line using the @option{-D@var{name}=@var{value}} syntax. For macros defined in
11220 such a way, @value{GDBN} displays the location of their definition as line zero
11221 of the source file submitted to the compiler.
11222
11223 @smallexample
11224 (@value{GDBP}) info macro __STDC__
11225 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:0
11226 -D__STDC__=1
11227 (@value{GDBP})
11228 @end smallexample
11229
11230
11231 @node Tracepoints
11232 @chapter Tracepoints
11233 @c This chapter is based on the documentation written by Michael
11234 @c Snyder, David Taylor, Jim Blandy, and Elena Zannoni.
11235
11236 @cindex tracepoints
11237 In some applications, it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt
11238 the program's execution long enough for the developer to learn
11239 anything helpful about its behavior. If the program's correctness
11240 depends on its real-time behavior, delays introduced by a debugger
11241 might cause the program to change its behavior drastically, or perhaps
11242 fail, even when the code itself is correct. It is useful to be able
11243 to observe the program's behavior without interrupting it.
11244
11245 Using @value{GDBN}'s @code{trace} and @code{collect} commands, you can
11246 specify locations in the program, called @dfn{tracepoints}, and
11247 arbitrary expressions to evaluate when those tracepoints are reached.
11248 Later, using the @code{tfind} command, you can examine the values
11249 those expressions had when the program hit the tracepoints. The
11250 expressions may also denote objects in memory---structures or arrays,
11251 for example---whose values @value{GDBN} should record; while visiting
11252 a particular tracepoint, you may inspect those objects as if they were
11253 in memory at that moment. However, because @value{GDBN} records these
11254 values without interacting with you, it can do so quickly and
11255 unobtrusively, hopefully not disturbing the program's behavior.
11256
11257 The tracepoint facility is currently available only for remote
11258 targets. @xref{Targets}. In addition, your remote target must know
11259 how to collect trace data. This functionality is implemented in the
11260 remote stub; however, none of the stubs distributed with @value{GDBN}
11261 support tracepoints as of this writing. The format of the remote
11262 packets used to implement tracepoints are described in @ref{Tracepoint
11263 Packets}.
11264
11265 It is also possible to get trace data from a file, in a manner reminiscent
11266 of corefiles; you specify the filename, and use @code{tfind} to search
11267 through the file. @xref{Trace Files}, for more details.
11268
11269 This chapter describes the tracepoint commands and features.
11270
11271 @menu
11272 * Set Tracepoints::
11273 * Analyze Collected Data::
11274 * Tracepoint Variables::
11275 * Trace Files::
11276 @end menu
11277
11278 @node Set Tracepoints
11279 @section Commands to Set Tracepoints
11280
11281 Before running such a @dfn{trace experiment}, an arbitrary number of
11282 tracepoints can be set. A tracepoint is actually a special type of
11283 breakpoint (@pxref{Set Breaks}), so you can manipulate it using
11284 standard breakpoint commands. For instance, as with breakpoints,
11285 tracepoint numbers are successive integers starting from one, and many
11286 of the commands associated with tracepoints take the tracepoint number
11287 as their argument, to identify which tracepoint to work on.
11288
11289 For each tracepoint, you can specify, in advance, some arbitrary set
11290 of data that you want the target to collect in the trace buffer when
11291 it hits that tracepoint. The collected data can include registers,
11292 local variables, or global data. Later, you can use @value{GDBN}
11293 commands to examine the values these data had at the time the
11294 tracepoint was hit.
11295
11296 Tracepoints do not support every breakpoint feature. Ignore counts on
11297 tracepoints have no effect, and tracepoints cannot run @value{GDBN}
11298 commands when they are hit. Tracepoints may not be thread-specific
11299 either.
11300
11301 @cindex fast tracepoints
11302 Some targets may support @dfn{fast tracepoints}, which are inserted in
11303 a different way (such as with a jump instead of a trap), that is
11304 faster but possibly restricted in where they may be installed.
11305
11306 @cindex static tracepoints
11307 @cindex markers, static tracepoints
11308 @cindex probing markers, static tracepoints
11309 Regular and fast tracepoints are dynamic tracing facilities, meaning
11310 that they can be used to insert tracepoints at (almost) any location
11311 in the target. Some targets may also support controlling @dfn{static
11312 tracepoints} from @value{GDBN}. With static tracing, a set of
11313 instrumentation points, also known as @dfn{markers}, are embedded in
11314 the target program, and can be activated or deactivated by name or
11315 address. These are usually placed at locations which facilitate
11316 investigating what the target is actually doing. @value{GDBN}'s
11317 support for static tracing includes being able to list instrumentation
11318 points, and attach them with @value{GDBN} defined high level
11319 tracepoints that expose the whole range of convenience of
11320 @value{GDBN}'s tracepoints support. Namely, support for collecting
11321 registers values and values of global or local (to the instrumentation
11322 point) variables; tracepoint conditions and trace state variables.
11323 The act of installing a @value{GDBN} static tracepoint on an
11324 instrumentation point, or marker, is referred to as @dfn{probing} a
11325 static tracepoint marker.
11326
11327 @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints on some target systems.
11328 @xref{Server,,Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}}.
11329
11330 This section describes commands to set tracepoints and associated
11331 conditions and actions.
11332
11333 @menu
11334 * Create and Delete Tracepoints::
11335 * Enable and Disable Tracepoints::
11336 * Tracepoint Passcounts::
11337 * Tracepoint Conditions::
11338 * Trace State Variables::
11339 * Tracepoint Actions::
11340 * Listing Tracepoints::
11341 * Listing Static Tracepoint Markers::
11342 * Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments::
11343 * Tracepoint Restrictions::
11344 @end menu
11345
11346 @node Create and Delete Tracepoints
11347 @subsection Create and Delete Tracepoints
11348
11349 @table @code
11350 @cindex set tracepoint
11351 @kindex trace
11352 @item trace @var{location}
11353 The @code{trace} command is very similar to the @code{break} command.
11354 Its argument @var{location} can be a source line, a function name, or
11355 an address in the target program. @xref{Specify Location}. The
11356 @code{trace} command defines a tracepoint, which is a point in the
11357 target program where the debugger will briefly stop, collect some
11358 data, and then allow the program to continue. Setting a tracepoint or
11359 changing its actions takes effect immediately if the remote stub
11360 supports the @samp{InstallInTrace} feature (@pxref{install tracepoint
11361 in tracing}).
11362 If remote stub doesn't support the @samp{InstallInTrace} feature, all
11363 these changes don't take effect until the next @code{tstart}
11364 command, and once a trace experiment is running, further changes will
11365 not have any effect until the next trace experiment starts. In addition,
11366 @value{GDBN} supports @dfn{pending tracepoints}---tracepoints whose
11367 address is not yet resolved. (This is similar to pending breakpoints.)
11368 Pending tracepoints are not downloaded to the target and not installed
11369 until they are resolved. The resolution of pending tracepoints requires
11370 @value{GDBN} support---when debugging with the remote target, and
11371 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the remote stub (@pxref{disconnected
11372 tracing}), pending tracepoints can not be resolved (and downloaded to
11373 the remote stub) while @value{GDBN} is disconnected.
11374
11375 Here are some examples of using the @code{trace} command:
11376
11377 @smallexample
11378 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo.c:121} // a source file and line number
11379
11380 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace +2} // 2 lines forward
11381
11382 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace my_function} // first source line of function
11383
11384 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *my_function} // EXACT start address of function
11385
11386 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *0x2117c4} // an address
11387 @end smallexample
11388
11389 @noindent
11390 You can abbreviate @code{trace} as @code{tr}.
11391
11392 @item trace @var{location} if @var{cond}
11393 Set a tracepoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
11394 @var{cond} each time the tracepoint is reached, and collect data only
11395 if the value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
11396 @xref{Tracepoint Conditions, ,Tracepoint Conditions}, for more
11397 information on tracepoint conditions.
11398
11399 @item ftrace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
11400 @cindex set fast tracepoint
11401 @cindex fast tracepoints, setting
11402 @kindex ftrace
11403 The @code{ftrace} command sets a fast tracepoint. For targets that
11404 support them, fast tracepoints will use a more efficient but possibly
11405 less general technique to trigger data collection, such as a jump
11406 instruction instead of a trap, or some sort of hardware support. It
11407 may not be possible to create a fast tracepoint at the desired
11408 location, in which case the command will exit with an explanatory
11409 message.
11410
11411 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{ftrace} exactly as for
11412 @code{trace}.
11413
11414 On 32-bit x86-architecture systems, fast tracepoints normally need to
11415 be placed at an instruction that is 5 bytes or longer, but can be
11416 placed at 4-byte instructions if the low 64K of memory of the target
11417 program is available to install trampolines. Some Unix-type systems,
11418 such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, exclude low addresses from the program's
11419 address space; but for instance with the Linux kernel it is possible
11420 to let @value{GDBN} use this area by doing a @command{sysctl} command
11421 to set the @code{mmap_min_addr} kernel parameter, as in
11422
11423 @example
11424 sudo sysctl -w vm.mmap_min_addr=32768
11425 @end example
11426
11427 @noindent
11428 which sets the low address to 32K, which leaves plenty of room for
11429 trampolines. The minimum address should be set to a page boundary.
11430
11431 @item strace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
11432 @cindex set static tracepoint
11433 @cindex static tracepoints, setting
11434 @cindex probe static tracepoint marker
11435 @kindex strace
11436 The @code{strace} command sets a static tracepoint. For targets that
11437 support it, setting a static tracepoint probes a static
11438 instrumentation point, or marker, found at @var{location}. It may not
11439 be possible to set a static tracepoint at the desired location, in
11440 which case the command will exit with an explanatory message.
11441
11442 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{strace} exactly as for
11443 @code{trace}, with the addition that the user can also specify
11444 @code{-m @var{marker}} as @var{location}. This probes the marker
11445 identified by the @var{marker} string identifier. This identifier
11446 depends on the static tracepoint backend library your program is
11447 using. You can find all the marker identifiers in the @samp{ID} field
11448 of the @code{info static-tracepoint-markers} command output.
11449 @xref{Listing Static Tracepoint Markers,,Listing Static Tracepoint
11450 Markers}. For example, in the following small program using the UST
11451 tracing engine:
11452
11453 @smallexample
11454 main ()
11455 @{
11456 trace_mark(ust, bar33, "str %s", "FOOBAZ");
11457 @}
11458 @end smallexample
11459
11460 @noindent
11461 the marker id is composed of joining the first two arguments to the
11462 @code{trace_mark} call with a slash, which translates to:
11463
11464 @smallexample
11465 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
11466 Cnt Enb ID Address What
11467 1 n ust/bar33 0x0000000000400ddc in main at stexample.c:22
11468 Data: "str %s"
11469 [etc...]
11470 @end smallexample
11471
11472 @noindent
11473 so you may probe the marker above with:
11474
11475 @smallexample
11476 (@value{GDBP}) strace -m ust/bar33
11477 @end smallexample
11478
11479 Static tracepoints accept an extra collect action --- @code{collect
11480 $_sdata}. This collects arbitrary user data passed in the probe point
11481 call to the tracing library. In the UST example above, you'll see
11482 that the third argument to @code{trace_mark} is a printf-like format
11483 string. The user data is then the result of running that formating
11484 string against the following arguments. Note that @code{info
11485 static-tracepoint-markers} command output lists that format string in
11486 the @samp{Data:} field.
11487
11488 You can inspect this data when analyzing the trace buffer, by printing
11489 the $_sdata variable like any other variable available to
11490 @value{GDBN}. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}.
11491
11492 @vindex $tpnum
11493 @cindex last tracepoint number
11494 @cindex recent tracepoint number
11495 @cindex tracepoint number
11496 The convenience variable @code{$tpnum} records the tracepoint number
11497 of the most recently set tracepoint.
11498
11499 @kindex delete tracepoint
11500 @cindex tracepoint deletion
11501 @item delete tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11502 Permanently delete one or more tracepoints. With no argument, the
11503 default is to delete all tracepoints. Note that the regular
11504 @code{delete} command can remove tracepoints also.
11505
11506 Examples:
11507
11508 @smallexample
11509 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace 1 2 3} // remove three tracepoints
11510
11511 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace} // remove all tracepoints
11512 @end smallexample
11513
11514 @noindent
11515 You can abbreviate this command as @code{del tr}.
11516 @end table
11517
11518 @node Enable and Disable Tracepoints
11519 @subsection Enable and Disable Tracepoints
11520
11521 These commands are deprecated; they are equivalent to plain @code{disable} and @code{enable}.
11522
11523 @table @code
11524 @kindex disable tracepoint
11525 @item disable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11526 Disable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints if no argument
11527 @var{num} is given. A disabled tracepoint will have no effect during
11528 a trace experiment, but it is not forgotten. You can re-enable
11529 a disabled tracepoint using the @code{enable tracepoint} command.
11530 If the command is issued during a trace experiment and the debug target
11531 has support for disabling tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the
11532 change will be effective immediately. Otherwise, it will be applied to the
11533 next trace experiment.
11534
11535 @kindex enable tracepoint
11536 @item enable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11537 Enable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints. If this command is
11538 issued during a trace experiment and the debug target supports enabling
11539 tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the enabled tracepoints will
11540 become effective immediately. Otherwise, they will become effective the
11541 next time a trace experiment is run.
11542 @end table
11543
11544 @node Tracepoint Passcounts
11545 @subsection Tracepoint Passcounts
11546
11547 @table @code
11548 @kindex passcount
11549 @cindex tracepoint pass count
11550 @item passcount @r{[}@var{n} @r{[}@var{num}@r{]]}
11551 Set the @dfn{passcount} of a tracepoint. The passcount is a way to
11552 automatically stop a trace experiment. If a tracepoint's passcount is
11553 @var{n}, then the trace experiment will be automatically stopped on
11554 the @var{n}'th time that tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number
11555 @var{num} is not specified, the @code{passcount} command sets the
11556 passcount of the most recently defined tracepoint. If no passcount is
11557 given, the trace experiment will run until stopped explicitly by the
11558 user.
11559
11560 Examples:
11561
11562 @smallexample
11563 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 5 2} // Stop on the 5th execution of
11564 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// tracepoint 2}
11565
11566 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 12} // Stop on the 12th execution of the
11567 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// most recently defined tracepoint.}
11568 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
11569 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 3}
11570 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace bar}
11571 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 2}
11572 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace baz}
11573 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 1} // Stop tracing when foo has been
11574 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// executed 3 times OR when bar has}
11575 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// been executed 2 times}
11576 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// OR when baz has been executed 1 time.}
11577 @end smallexample
11578 @end table
11579
11580 @node Tracepoint Conditions
11581 @subsection Tracepoint Conditions
11582 @cindex conditional tracepoints
11583 @cindex tracepoint conditions
11584
11585 The simplest sort of tracepoint collects data every time your program
11586 reaches a specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for
11587 a tracepoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
11588 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A
11589 tracepoint with a condition evaluates the expression each time your
11590 program reaches it, and data collection happens only if the condition
11591 is true.
11592
11593 Tracepoint conditions can be specified when a tracepoint is set, by
11594 using @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{trace} command.
11595 @xref{Create and Delete Tracepoints, ,Setting Tracepoints}. They can
11596 also be set or changed at any time with the @code{condition} command,
11597 just as with breakpoints.
11598
11599 Unlike breakpoint conditions, @value{GDBN} does not actually evaluate
11600 the conditional expression itself. Instead, @value{GDBN} encodes the
11601 expression into an agent expression (@pxref{Agent Expressions})
11602 suitable for execution on the target, independently of @value{GDBN}.
11603 Global variables become raw memory locations, locals become stack
11604 accesses, and so forth.
11605
11606 For instance, suppose you have a function that is usually called
11607 frequently, but should not be called after an error has occurred. You
11608 could use the following tracepoint command to collect data about calls
11609 of that function that happen while the error code is propagating
11610 through the program; an unconditional tracepoint could end up
11611 collecting thousands of useless trace frames that you would have to
11612 search through.
11613
11614 @smallexample
11615 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{trace normal_operation if errcode > 0}
11616 @end smallexample
11617
11618 @node Trace State Variables
11619 @subsection Trace State Variables
11620 @cindex trace state variables
11621
11622 A @dfn{trace state variable} is a special type of variable that is
11623 created and managed by target-side code. The syntax is the same as
11624 that for GDB's convenience variables (a string prefixed with ``$''),
11625 but they are stored on the target. They must be created explicitly,
11626 using a @code{tvariable} command. They are always 64-bit signed
11627 integers.
11628
11629 Trace state variables are remembered by @value{GDBN}, and downloaded
11630 to the target along with tracepoint information when the trace
11631 experiment starts. There are no intrinsic limits on the number of
11632 trace state variables, beyond memory limitations of the target.
11633
11634 @cindex convenience variables, and trace state variables
11635 Although trace state variables are managed by the target, you can use
11636 them in print commands and expressions as if they were convenience
11637 variables; @value{GDBN} will get the current value from the target
11638 while the trace experiment is running. Trace state variables share
11639 the same namespace as other ``$'' variables, which means that you
11640 cannot have trace state variables with names like @code{$23} or
11641 @code{$pc}, nor can you have a trace state variable and a convenience
11642 variable with the same name.
11643
11644 @table @code
11645
11646 @item tvariable $@var{name} [ = @var{expression} ]
11647 @kindex tvariable
11648 The @code{tvariable} command creates a new trace state variable named
11649 @code{$@var{name}}, and optionally gives it an initial value of
11650 @var{expression}. @var{expression} is evaluated when this command is
11651 entered; the result will be converted to an integer if possible,
11652 otherwise @value{GDBN} will report an error. A subsequent
11653 @code{tvariable} command specifying the same name does not create a
11654 variable, but instead assigns the supplied initial value to the
11655 existing variable of that name, overwriting any previous initial
11656 value. The default initial value is 0.
11657
11658 @item info tvariables
11659 @kindex info tvariables
11660 List all the trace state variables along with their initial values.
11661 Their current values may also be displayed, if the trace experiment is
11662 currently running.
11663
11664 @item delete tvariable @r{[} $@var{name} @dots{} @r{]}
11665 @kindex delete tvariable
11666 Delete the given trace state variables, or all of them if no arguments
11667 are specified.
11668
11669 @end table
11670
11671 @node Tracepoint Actions
11672 @subsection Tracepoint Action Lists
11673
11674 @table @code
11675 @kindex actions
11676 @cindex tracepoint actions
11677 @item actions @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11678 This command will prompt for a list of actions to be taken when the
11679 tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number @var{num} is not
11680 specified, this command sets the actions for the one that was most
11681 recently defined (so that you can define a tracepoint and then say
11682 @code{actions} without bothering about its number). You specify the
11683 actions themselves on the following lines, one action at a time, and
11684 terminate the actions list with a line containing just @code{end}. So
11685 far, the only defined actions are @code{collect}, @code{teval}, and
11686 @code{while-stepping}.
11687
11688 @code{actions} is actually equivalent to @code{commands} (@pxref{Break
11689 Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}), except that only the defined
11690 actions are allowed; any other @value{GDBN} command is rejected.
11691
11692 @cindex remove actions from a tracepoint
11693 To remove all actions from a tracepoint, type @samp{actions @var{num}}
11694 and follow it immediately with @samp{end}.
11695
11696 @smallexample
11697 (@value{GDBP}) @b{collect @var{data}} // collect some data
11698
11699 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while-stepping 5} // single-step 5 times, collect data
11700
11701 (@value{GDBP}) @b{end} // signals the end of actions.
11702 @end smallexample
11703
11704 In the following example, the action list begins with @code{collect}
11705 commands indicating the things to be collected when the tracepoint is
11706 hit. Then, in order to single-step and collect additional data
11707 following the tracepoint, a @code{while-stepping} command is used,
11708 followed by the list of things to be collected after each step in a
11709 sequence of single steps. The @code{while-stepping} command is
11710 terminated by its own separate @code{end} command. Lastly, the action
11711 list is terminated by an @code{end} command.
11712
11713 @smallexample
11714 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
11715 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
11716 Enter actions for tracepoint 1, one per line:
11717 > collect bar,baz
11718 > collect $regs
11719 > while-stepping 12
11720 > collect $pc, arr[i]
11721 > end
11722 end
11723 @end smallexample
11724
11725 @kindex collect @r{(tracepoints)}
11726 @item collect@r{[}/@var{mods}@r{]} @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
11727 Collect values of the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit.
11728 This command accepts a comma-separated list of any valid expressions.
11729 In addition to global, static, or local variables, the following
11730 special arguments are supported:
11731
11732 @table @code
11733 @item $regs
11734 Collect all registers.
11735
11736 @item $args
11737 Collect all function arguments.
11738
11739 @item $locals
11740 Collect all local variables.
11741
11742 @item $_ret
11743 Collect the return address. This is helpful if you want to see more
11744 of a backtrace.
11745
11746 @item $_probe_argc
11747 Collects the number of arguments from the static probe at which the
11748 tracepoint is located.
11749 @xref{Static Probe Points}.
11750
11751 @item $_probe_arg@var{n}
11752 @var{n} is an integer between 0 and 11. Collects the @var{n}th argument
11753 from the static probe at which the tracepoint is located.
11754 @xref{Static Probe Points}.
11755
11756 @item $_sdata
11757 @vindex $_sdata@r{, collect}
11758 Collect static tracepoint marker specific data. Only available for
11759 static tracepoints. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action
11760 Lists}. On the UST static tracepoints library backend, an
11761 instrumentation point resembles a @code{printf} function call. The
11762 tracing library is able to collect user specified data formatted to a
11763 character string using the format provided by the programmer that
11764 instrumented the program. Other backends have similar mechanisms.
11765 Here's an example of a UST marker call:
11766
11767 @smallexample
11768 const char master_name[] = "$your_name";
11769 trace_mark(channel1, marker1, "hello %s", master_name)
11770 @end smallexample
11771
11772 In this case, collecting @code{$_sdata} collects the string
11773 @samp{hello $yourname}. When analyzing the trace buffer, you can
11774 inspect @samp{$_sdata} like any other variable available to
11775 @value{GDBN}.
11776 @end table
11777
11778 You can give several consecutive @code{collect} commands, each one
11779 with a single argument, or one @code{collect} command with several
11780 arguments separated by commas; the effect is the same.
11781
11782 The optional @var{mods} changes the usual handling of the arguments.
11783 @code{s} requests that pointers to chars be handled as strings, in
11784 particular collecting the contents of the memory being pointed at, up
11785 to the first zero. The upper bound is by default the value of the
11786 @code{print elements} variable; if @code{s} is followed by a decimal
11787 number, that is the upper bound instead. So for instance
11788 @samp{collect/s25 mystr} collects as many as 25 characters at
11789 @samp{mystr}.
11790
11791 The command @code{info scope} (@pxref{Symbols, info scope}) is
11792 particularly useful for figuring out what data to collect.
11793
11794 @kindex teval @r{(tracepoints)}
11795 @item teval @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
11796 Evaluate the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit. This
11797 command accepts a comma-separated list of expressions. The results
11798 are discarded, so this is mainly useful for assigning values to trace
11799 state variables (@pxref{Trace State Variables}) without adding those
11800 values to the trace buffer, as would be the case if the @code{collect}
11801 action were used.
11802
11803 @kindex while-stepping @r{(tracepoints)}
11804 @item while-stepping @var{n}
11805 Perform @var{n} single-step instruction traces after the tracepoint,
11806 collecting new data after each step. The @code{while-stepping}
11807 command is followed by the list of what to collect while stepping
11808 (followed by its own @code{end} command):
11809
11810 @smallexample
11811 > while-stepping 12
11812 > collect $regs, myglobal
11813 > end
11814 >
11815 @end smallexample
11816
11817 @noindent
11818 Note that @code{$pc} is not automatically collected by
11819 @code{while-stepping}; you need to explicitly collect that register if
11820 you need it. You may abbreviate @code{while-stepping} as @code{ws} or
11821 @code{stepping}.
11822
11823 @item set default-collect @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
11824 @kindex set default-collect
11825 @cindex default collection action
11826 This variable is a list of expressions to collect at each tracepoint
11827 hit. It is effectively an additional @code{collect} action prepended
11828 to every tracepoint action list. The expressions are parsed
11829 individually for each tracepoint, so for instance a variable named
11830 @code{xyz} may be interpreted as a global for one tracepoint, and a
11831 local for another, as appropriate to the tracepoint's location.
11832
11833 @item show default-collect
11834 @kindex show default-collect
11835 Show the list of expressions that are collected by default at each
11836 tracepoint hit.
11837
11838 @end table
11839
11840 @node Listing Tracepoints
11841 @subsection Listing Tracepoints
11842
11843 @table @code
11844 @kindex info tracepoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
11845 @kindex info tp @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
11846 @cindex information about tracepoints
11847 @item info tracepoints @r{[}@var{num}@dots{}@r{]}
11848 Display information about the tracepoint @var{num}. If you don't
11849 specify a tracepoint number, displays information about all the
11850 tracepoints defined so far. The format is similar to that used for
11851 @code{info breakpoints}; in fact, @code{info tracepoints} is the same
11852 command, simply restricting itself to tracepoints.
11853
11854 A tracepoint's listing may include additional information specific to
11855 tracing:
11856
11857 @itemize @bullet
11858 @item
11859 its passcount as given by the @code{passcount @var{n}} command
11860
11861 @item
11862 the state about installed on target of each location
11863 @end itemize
11864
11865 @smallexample
11866 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info trace}
11867 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
11868 1 tracepoint keep y 0x0804ab57 in foo() at main.cxx:7
11869 while-stepping 20
11870 collect globfoo, $regs
11871 end
11872 collect globfoo2
11873 end
11874 pass count 1200
11875 2 tracepoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
11876 collect $eip
11877 2.1 y 0x0804859c in func4 at change-loc.h:35
11878 installed on target
11879 2.2 y 0xb7ffc480 in func4 at change-loc.h:35
11880 installed on target
11881 2.3 y <PENDING> set_tracepoint
11882 3 tracepoint keep y 0x080485b1 in foo at change-loc.c:29
11883 not installed on target
11884 (@value{GDBP})
11885 @end smallexample
11886
11887 @noindent
11888 This command can be abbreviated @code{info tp}.
11889 @end table
11890
11891 @node Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
11892 @subsection Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
11893
11894 @table @code
11895 @kindex info static-tracepoint-markers
11896 @cindex information about static tracepoint markers
11897 @item info static-tracepoint-markers
11898 Display information about all static tracepoint markers defined in the
11899 program.
11900
11901 For each marker, the following columns are printed:
11902
11903 @table @emph
11904 @item Count
11905 An incrementing counter, output to help readability. This is not a
11906 stable identifier.
11907 @item ID
11908 The marker ID, as reported by the target.
11909 @item Enabled or Disabled
11910 Probed markers are tagged with @samp{y}. @samp{n} identifies marks
11911 that are not enabled.
11912 @item Address
11913 Where the marker is in your program, as a memory address.
11914 @item What
11915 Where the marker is in the source for your program, as a file and line
11916 number. If the debug information included in the program does not
11917 allow @value{GDBN} to locate the source of the marker, this column
11918 will be left blank.
11919 @end table
11920
11921 @noindent
11922 In addition, the following information may be printed for each marker:
11923
11924 @table @emph
11925 @item Data
11926 User data passed to the tracing library by the marker call. In the
11927 UST backend, this is the format string passed as argument to the
11928 marker call.
11929 @item Static tracepoints probing the marker
11930 The list of static tracepoints attached to the marker.
11931 @end table
11932
11933 @smallexample
11934 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
11935 Cnt ID Enb Address What
11936 1 ust/bar2 y 0x0000000000400e1a in main at stexample.c:25
11937 Data: number1 %d number2 %d
11938 Probed by static tracepoints: #2
11939 2 ust/bar33 n 0x0000000000400c87 in main at stexample.c:24
11940 Data: str %s
11941 (@value{GDBP})
11942 @end smallexample
11943 @end table
11944
11945 @node Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
11946 @subsection Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
11947
11948 @table @code
11949 @kindex tstart [ @var{notes} ]
11950 @cindex start a new trace experiment
11951 @cindex collected data discarded
11952 @item tstart
11953 This command starts the trace experiment, and begins collecting data.
11954 It has the side effect of discarding all the data collected in the
11955 trace buffer during the previous trace experiment. If any arguments
11956 are supplied, they are taken as a note and stored with the trace
11957 experiment's state. The notes may be arbitrary text, and are
11958 especially useful with disconnected tracing in a multi-user context;
11959 the notes can explain what the trace is doing, supply user contact
11960 information, and so forth.
11961
11962 @kindex tstop [ @var{notes} ]
11963 @cindex stop a running trace experiment
11964 @item tstop
11965 This command stops the trace experiment. If any arguments are
11966 supplied, they are recorded with the experiment as a note. This is
11967 useful if you are stopping a trace started by someone else, for
11968 instance if the trace is interfering with the system's behavior and
11969 needs to be stopped quickly.
11970
11971 @strong{Note}: a trace experiment and data collection may stop
11972 automatically if any tracepoint's passcount is reached
11973 (@pxref{Tracepoint Passcounts}), or if the trace buffer becomes full.
11974
11975 @kindex tstatus
11976 @cindex status of trace data collection
11977 @cindex trace experiment, status of
11978 @item tstatus
11979 This command displays the status of the current trace data
11980 collection.
11981 @end table
11982
11983 Here is an example of the commands we described so far:
11984
11985 @smallexample
11986 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace gdb_c_test}
11987 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
11988 Enter actions for tracepoint #1, one per line.
11989 > collect $regs,$locals,$args
11990 > while-stepping 11
11991 > collect $regs
11992 > end
11993 > end
11994 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
11995 [time passes @dots{}]
11996 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstop}
11997 @end smallexample
11998
11999 @anchor{disconnected tracing}
12000 @cindex disconnected tracing
12001 You can choose to continue running the trace experiment even if
12002 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target, voluntarily or
12003 involuntarily. For commands such as @code{detach}, the debugger will
12004 ask what you want to do with the trace. But for unexpected
12005 terminations (@value{GDBN} crash, network outage), it would be
12006 unfortunate to lose hard-won trace data, so the variable
12007 @code{disconnected-tracing} lets you decide whether the trace should
12008 continue running without @value{GDBN}.
12009
12010 @table @code
12011 @item set disconnected-tracing on
12012 @itemx set disconnected-tracing off
12013 @kindex set disconnected-tracing
12014 Choose whether a tracing run should continue to run if @value{GDBN}
12015 has disconnected from the target. Note that @code{detach} or
12016 @code{quit} will ask you directly what to do about a running trace no
12017 matter what this variable's setting, so the variable is mainly useful
12018 for handling unexpected situations, such as loss of the network.
12019
12020 @item show disconnected-tracing
12021 @kindex show disconnected-tracing
12022 Show the current choice for disconnected tracing.
12023
12024 @end table
12025
12026 When you reconnect to the target, the trace experiment may or may not
12027 still be running; it might have filled the trace buffer in the
12028 meantime, or stopped for one of the other reasons. If it is running,
12029 it will continue after reconnection.
12030
12031 Upon reconnection, the target will upload information about the
12032 tracepoints in effect. @value{GDBN} will then compare that
12033 information to the set of tracepoints currently defined, and attempt
12034 to match them up, allowing for the possibility that the numbers may
12035 have changed due to creation and deletion in the meantime. If one of
12036 the target's tracepoints does not match any in @value{GDBN}, the
12037 debugger will create a new tracepoint, so that you have a number with
12038 which to specify that tracepoint. This matching-up process is
12039 necessarily heuristic, and it may result in useless tracepoints being
12040 created; you may simply delete them if they are of no use.
12041
12042 @cindex circular trace buffer
12043 If your target agent supports a @dfn{circular trace buffer}, then you
12044 can run a trace experiment indefinitely without filling the trace
12045 buffer; when space runs out, the agent deletes already-collected trace
12046 frames, oldest first, until there is enough room to continue
12047 collecting. This is especially useful if your tracepoints are being
12048 hit too often, and your trace gets terminated prematurely because the
12049 buffer is full. To ask for a circular trace buffer, simply set
12050 @samp{circular-trace-buffer} to on. You can set this at any time,
12051 including during tracing; if the agent can do it, it will change
12052 buffer handling on the fly, otherwise it will not take effect until
12053 the next run.
12054
12055 @table @code
12056 @item set circular-trace-buffer on
12057 @itemx set circular-trace-buffer off
12058 @kindex set circular-trace-buffer
12059 Choose whether a tracing run should use a linear or circular buffer
12060 for trace data. A linear buffer will not lose any trace data, but may
12061 fill up prematurely, while a circular buffer will discard old trace
12062 data, but it will have always room for the latest tracepoint hits.
12063
12064 @item show circular-trace-buffer
12065 @kindex show circular-trace-buffer
12066 Show the current choice for the trace buffer. Note that this may not
12067 match the agent's current buffer handling, nor is it guaranteed to
12068 match the setting that might have been in effect during a past run,
12069 for instance if you are looking at frames from a trace file.
12070
12071 @end table
12072
12073 @table @code
12074 @item set trace-buffer-size @var{n}
12075 @itemx set trace-buffer-size unlimited
12076 @kindex set trace-buffer-size
12077 Request that the target use a trace buffer of @var{n} bytes. Not all
12078 targets will honor the request; they may have a compiled-in size for
12079 the trace buffer, or some other limitation. Set to a value of
12080 @code{unlimited} or @code{-1} to let the target use whatever size it
12081 likes. This is also the default.
12082
12083 @item show trace-buffer-size
12084 @kindex show trace-buffer-size
12085 Show the current requested size for the trace buffer. Note that this
12086 will only match the actual size if the target supports size-setting,
12087 and was able to handle the requested size. For instance, if the
12088 target can only change buffer size between runs, this variable will
12089 not reflect the change until the next run starts. Use @code{tstatus}
12090 to get a report of the actual buffer size.
12091 @end table
12092
12093 @table @code
12094 @item set trace-user @var{text}
12095 @kindex set trace-user
12096
12097 @item show trace-user
12098 @kindex show trace-user
12099
12100 @item set trace-notes @var{text}
12101 @kindex set trace-notes
12102 Set the trace run's notes.
12103
12104 @item show trace-notes
12105 @kindex show trace-notes
12106 Show the trace run's notes.
12107
12108 @item set trace-stop-notes @var{text}
12109 @kindex set trace-stop-notes
12110 Set the trace run's stop notes. The handling of the note is as for
12111 @code{tstop} arguments; the set command is convenient way to fix a
12112 stop note that is mistaken or incomplete.
12113
12114 @item show trace-stop-notes
12115 @kindex show trace-stop-notes
12116 Show the trace run's stop notes.
12117
12118 @end table
12119
12120 @node Tracepoint Restrictions
12121 @subsection Tracepoint Restrictions
12122
12123 @cindex tracepoint restrictions
12124 There are a number of restrictions on the use of tracepoints. As
12125 described above, tracepoint data gathering occurs on the target
12126 without interaction from @value{GDBN}. Thus the full capabilities of
12127 the debugger are not available during data gathering, and then at data
12128 examination time, you will be limited by only having what was
12129 collected. The following items describe some common problems, but it
12130 is not exhaustive, and you may run into additional difficulties not
12131 mentioned here.
12132
12133 @itemize @bullet
12134
12135 @item
12136 Tracepoint expressions are intended to gather objects (lvalues). Thus
12137 the full flexibility of GDB's expression evaluator is not available.
12138 You cannot call functions, cast objects to aggregate types, access
12139 convenience variables or modify values (except by assignment to trace
12140 state variables). Some language features may implicitly call
12141 functions (for instance Objective-C fields with accessors), and therefore
12142 cannot be collected either.
12143
12144 @item
12145 Collection of local variables, either individually or in bulk with
12146 @code{$locals} or @code{$args}, during @code{while-stepping} may
12147 behave erratically. The stepping action may enter a new scope (for
12148 instance by stepping into a function), or the location of the variable
12149 may change (for instance it is loaded into a register). The
12150 tracepoint data recorded uses the location information for the
12151 variables that is correct for the tracepoint location. When the
12152 tracepoint is created, it is not possible, in general, to determine
12153 where the steps of a @code{while-stepping} sequence will advance the
12154 program---particularly if a conditional branch is stepped.
12155
12156 @item
12157 Collection of an incompletely-initialized or partially-destroyed object
12158 may result in something that @value{GDBN} cannot display, or displays
12159 in a misleading way.
12160
12161 @item
12162 When @value{GDBN} displays a pointer to character it automatically
12163 dereferences the pointer to also display characters of the string
12164 being pointed to. However, collecting the pointer during tracing does
12165 not automatically collect the string. You need to explicitly
12166 dereference the pointer and provide size information if you want to
12167 collect not only the pointer, but the memory pointed to. For example,
12168 @code{*ptr@@50} can be used to collect the 50 element array pointed to
12169 by @code{ptr}.
12170
12171 @item
12172 It is not possible to collect a complete stack backtrace at a
12173 tracepoint. Instead, you may collect the registers and a few hundred
12174 bytes from the stack pointer with something like @code{*(unsigned char *)$esp@@300}
12175 (adjust to use the name of the actual stack pointer register on your
12176 target architecture, and the amount of stack you wish to capture).
12177 Then the @code{backtrace} command will show a partial backtrace when
12178 using a trace frame. The number of stack frames that can be examined
12179 depends on the sizes of the frames in the collected stack. Note that
12180 if you ask for a block so large that it goes past the bottom of the
12181 stack, the target agent may report an error trying to read from an
12182 invalid address.
12183
12184 @item
12185 If you do not collect registers at a tracepoint, @value{GDBN} can
12186 infer that the value of @code{$pc} must be the same as the address of
12187 the tracepoint and use that when you are looking at a trace frame
12188 for that tracepoint. However, this cannot work if the tracepoint has
12189 multiple locations (for instance if it was set in a function that was
12190 inlined), or if it has a @code{while-stepping} loop. In those cases
12191 @value{GDBN} will warn you that it can't infer @code{$pc}, and default
12192 it to zero.
12193
12194 @end itemize
12195
12196 @node Analyze Collected Data
12197 @section Using the Collected Data
12198
12199 After the tracepoint experiment ends, you use @value{GDBN} commands
12200 for examining the trace data. The basic idea is that each tracepoint
12201 collects a trace @dfn{snapshot} every time it is hit and another
12202 snapshot every time it single-steps. All these snapshots are
12203 consecutively numbered from zero and go into a buffer, and you can
12204 examine them later. The way you examine them is to @dfn{focus} on a
12205 specific trace snapshot. When the remote stub is focused on a trace
12206 snapshot, it will respond to all @value{GDBN} requests for memory and
12207 registers by reading from the buffer which belongs to that snapshot,
12208 rather than from @emph{real} memory or registers of the program being
12209 debugged. This means that @strong{all} @value{GDBN} commands
12210 (@code{print}, @code{info registers}, @code{backtrace}, etc.) will
12211 behave as if we were currently debugging the program state as it was
12212 when the tracepoint occurred. Any requests for data that are not in
12213 the buffer will fail.
12214
12215 @menu
12216 * tfind:: How to select a trace snapshot
12217 * tdump:: How to display all data for a snapshot
12218 * save tracepoints:: How to save tracepoints for a future run
12219 @end menu
12220
12221 @node tfind
12222 @subsection @code{tfind @var{n}}
12223
12224 @kindex tfind
12225 @cindex select trace snapshot
12226 @cindex find trace snapshot
12227 The basic command for selecting a trace snapshot from the buffer is
12228 @code{tfind @var{n}}, which finds trace snapshot number @var{n},
12229 counting from zero. If no argument @var{n} is given, the next
12230 snapshot is selected.
12231
12232 Here are the various forms of using the @code{tfind} command.
12233
12234 @table @code
12235 @item tfind start
12236 Find the first snapshot in the buffer. This is a synonym for
12237 @code{tfind 0} (since 0 is the number of the first snapshot).
12238
12239 @item tfind none
12240 Stop debugging trace snapshots, resume @emph{live} debugging.
12241
12242 @item tfind end
12243 Same as @samp{tfind none}.
12244
12245 @item tfind
12246 No argument means find the next trace snapshot.
12247
12248 @item tfind -
12249 Find the previous trace snapshot before the current one. This permits
12250 retracing earlier steps.
12251
12252 @item tfind tracepoint @var{num}
12253 Find the next snapshot associated with tracepoint @var{num}. Search
12254 proceeds forward from the last examined trace snapshot. If no
12255 argument @var{num} is given, it means find the next snapshot collected
12256 for the same tracepoint as the current snapshot.
12257
12258 @item tfind pc @var{addr}
12259 Find the next snapshot associated with the value @var{addr} of the
12260 program counter. Search proceeds forward from the last examined trace
12261 snapshot. If no argument @var{addr} is given, it means find the next
12262 snapshot with the same value of PC as the current snapshot.
12263
12264 @item tfind outside @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
12265 Find the next snapshot whose PC is outside the given range of
12266 addresses (exclusive).
12267
12268 @item tfind range @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
12269 Find the next snapshot whose PC is between @var{addr1} and
12270 @var{addr2} (inclusive).
12271
12272 @item tfind line @r{[}@var{file}:@r{]}@var{n}
12273 Find the next snapshot associated with the source line @var{n}. If
12274 the optional argument @var{file} is given, refer to line @var{n} in
12275 that source file. Search proceeds forward from the last examined
12276 trace snapshot. If no argument @var{n} is given, it means find the
12277 next line other than the one currently being examined; thus saying
12278 @code{tfind line} repeatedly can appear to have the same effect as
12279 stepping from line to line in a @emph{live} debugging session.
12280 @end table
12281
12282 The default arguments for the @code{tfind} commands are specifically
12283 designed to make it easy to scan through the trace buffer. For
12284 instance, @code{tfind} with no argument selects the next trace
12285 snapshot, and @code{tfind -} with no argument selects the previous
12286 trace snapshot. So, by giving one @code{tfind} command, and then
12287 simply hitting @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine all the trace
12288 snapshots in order. Or, by saying @code{tfind -} and then hitting
12289 @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine the snapshots in reverse order.
12290 The @code{tfind line} command with no argument selects the snapshot
12291 for the next source line executed. The @code{tfind pc} command with
12292 no argument selects the next snapshot with the same program counter
12293 (PC) as the current frame. The @code{tfind tracepoint} command with
12294 no argument selects the next trace snapshot collected by the same
12295 tracepoint as the current one.
12296
12297 In addition to letting you scan through the trace buffer manually,
12298 these commands make it easy to construct @value{GDBN} scripts that
12299 scan through the trace buffer and print out whatever collected data
12300 you are interested in. Thus, if we want to examine the PC, FP, and SP
12301 registers from each trace frame in the buffer, we can say this:
12302
12303 @smallexample
12304 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
12305 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
12306 > printf "Frame %d, PC = %08X, SP = %08X, FP = %08X\n", \
12307 $trace_frame, $pc, $sp, $fp
12308 > tfind
12309 > end
12310
12311 Frame 0, PC = 0020DC64, SP = 0030BF3C, FP = 0030BF44
12312 Frame 1, PC = 0020DC6C, SP = 0030BF38, FP = 0030BF44
12313 Frame 2, PC = 0020DC70, SP = 0030BF34, FP = 0030BF44
12314 Frame 3, PC = 0020DC74, SP = 0030BF30, FP = 0030BF44
12315 Frame 4, PC = 0020DC78, SP = 0030BF2C, FP = 0030BF44
12316 Frame 5, PC = 0020DC7C, SP = 0030BF28, FP = 0030BF44
12317 Frame 6, PC = 0020DC80, SP = 0030BF24, FP = 0030BF44
12318 Frame 7, PC = 0020DC84, SP = 0030BF20, FP = 0030BF44
12319 Frame 8, PC = 0020DC88, SP = 0030BF1C, FP = 0030BF44
12320 Frame 9, PC = 0020DC8E, SP = 0030BF18, FP = 0030BF44
12321 Frame 10, PC = 00203F6C, SP = 0030BE3C, FP = 0030BF14
12322 @end smallexample
12323
12324 Or, if we want to examine the variable @code{X} at each source line in
12325 the buffer:
12326
12327 @smallexample
12328 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
12329 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
12330 > printf "Frame %d, X == %d\n", $trace_frame, X
12331 > tfind line
12332 > end
12333
12334 Frame 0, X = 1
12335 Frame 7, X = 2
12336 Frame 13, X = 255
12337 @end smallexample
12338
12339 @node tdump
12340 @subsection @code{tdump}
12341 @kindex tdump
12342 @cindex dump all data collected at tracepoint
12343 @cindex tracepoint data, display
12344
12345 This command takes no arguments. It prints all the data collected at
12346 the current trace snapshot.
12347
12348 @smallexample
12349 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace 444}
12350 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
12351 Enter actions for tracepoint #2, one per line:
12352 > collect $regs, $locals, $args, gdb_long_test
12353 > end
12354
12355 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
12356
12357 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind line 444}
12358 #0 gdb_test (p1=0x11, p2=0x22, p3=0x33, p4=0x44, p5=0x55, p6=0x66)
12359 at gdb_test.c:444
12360 444 printp( "%s: arguments = 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X\n", )
12361
12362 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tdump}
12363 Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 1:
12364 d0 0xc4aa0085 -995491707
12365 d1 0x18 24
12366 d2 0x80 128
12367 d3 0x33 51
12368 d4 0x71aea3d 119204413
12369 d5 0x22 34
12370 d6 0xe0 224
12371 d7 0x380035 3670069
12372 a0 0x19e24a 1696330
12373 a1 0x3000668 50333288
12374 a2 0x100 256
12375 a3 0x322000 3284992
12376 a4 0x3000698 50333336
12377 a5 0x1ad3cc 1758156
12378 fp 0x30bf3c 0x30bf3c
12379 sp 0x30bf34 0x30bf34
12380 ps 0x0 0
12381 pc 0x20b2c8 0x20b2c8
12382 fpcontrol 0x0 0
12383 fpstatus 0x0 0
12384 fpiaddr 0x0 0
12385 p = 0x20e5b4 "gdb-test"
12386 p1 = (void *) 0x11
12387 p2 = (void *) 0x22
12388 p3 = (void *) 0x33
12389 p4 = (void *) 0x44
12390 p5 = (void *) 0x55
12391 p6 = (void *) 0x66
12392 gdb_long_test = 17 '\021'
12393
12394 (@value{GDBP})
12395 @end smallexample
12396
12397 @code{tdump} works by scanning the tracepoint's current collection
12398 actions and printing the value of each expression listed. So
12399 @code{tdump} can fail, if after a run, you change the tracepoint's
12400 actions to mention variables that were not collected during the run.
12401
12402 Also, for tracepoints with @code{while-stepping} loops, @code{tdump}
12403 uses the collected value of @code{$pc} to distinguish between trace
12404 frames that were collected at the tracepoint hit, and frames that were
12405 collected while stepping. This allows it to correctly choose whether
12406 to display the basic list of collections, or the collections from the
12407 body of the while-stepping loop. However, if @code{$pc} was not collected,
12408 then @code{tdump} will always attempt to dump using the basic collection
12409 list, and may fail if a while-stepping frame does not include all the
12410 same data that is collected at the tracepoint hit.
12411 @c This is getting pretty arcane, example would be good.
12412
12413 @node save tracepoints
12414 @subsection @code{save tracepoints @var{filename}}
12415 @kindex save tracepoints
12416 @kindex save-tracepoints
12417 @cindex save tracepoints for future sessions
12418
12419 This command saves all current tracepoint definitions together with
12420 their actions and passcounts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
12421 suitable for use in a later debugging session. To read the saved
12422 tracepoint definitions, use the @code{source} command (@pxref{Command
12423 Files}). The @w{@code{save-tracepoints}} command is a deprecated
12424 alias for @w{@code{save tracepoints}}
12425
12426 @node Tracepoint Variables
12427 @section Convenience Variables for Tracepoints
12428 @cindex tracepoint variables
12429 @cindex convenience variables for tracepoints
12430
12431 @table @code
12432 @vindex $trace_frame
12433 @item (int) $trace_frame
12434 The current trace snapshot (a.k.a.@: @dfn{frame}) number, or -1 if no
12435 snapshot is selected.
12436
12437 @vindex $tracepoint
12438 @item (int) $tracepoint
12439 The tracepoint for the current trace snapshot.
12440
12441 @vindex $trace_line
12442 @item (int) $trace_line
12443 The line number for the current trace snapshot.
12444
12445 @vindex $trace_file
12446 @item (char []) $trace_file
12447 The source file for the current trace snapshot.
12448
12449 @vindex $trace_func
12450 @item (char []) $trace_func
12451 The name of the function containing @code{$tracepoint}.
12452 @end table
12453
12454 Note: @code{$trace_file} is not suitable for use in @code{printf},
12455 use @code{output} instead.
12456
12457 Here's a simple example of using these convenience variables for
12458 stepping through all the trace snapshots and printing some of their
12459 data. Note that these are not the same as trace state variables,
12460 which are managed by the target.
12461
12462 @smallexample
12463 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
12464
12465 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while $trace_frame != -1}
12466 > output $trace_file
12467 > printf ", line %d (tracepoint #%d)\n", $trace_line, $tracepoint
12468 > tfind
12469 > end
12470 @end smallexample
12471
12472 @node Trace Files
12473 @section Using Trace Files
12474 @cindex trace files
12475
12476 In some situations, the target running a trace experiment may no
12477 longer be available; perhaps it crashed, or the hardware was needed
12478 for a different activity. To handle these cases, you can arrange to
12479 dump the trace data into a file, and later use that file as a source
12480 of trace data, via the @code{target tfile} command.
12481
12482 @table @code
12483
12484 @kindex tsave
12485 @item tsave [ -r ] @var{filename}
12486 @itemx tsave [-ctf] @var{dirname}
12487 Save the trace data to @var{filename}. By default, this command
12488 assumes that @var{filename} refers to the host filesystem, so if
12489 necessary @value{GDBN} will copy raw trace data up from the target and
12490 then save it. If the target supports it, you can also supply the
12491 optional argument @code{-r} (``remote'') to direct the target to save
12492 the data directly into @var{filename} in its own filesystem, which may be
12493 more efficient if the trace buffer is very large. (Note, however, that
12494 @code{target tfile} can only read from files accessible to the host.)
12495 By default, this command will save trace frame in tfile format.
12496 You can supply the optional argument @code{-ctf} to save date in CTF
12497 format. The @dfn{Common Trace Format} (CTF) is proposed as a trace format
12498 that can be shared by multiple debugging and tracing tools. Please go to
12499 @indicateurl{http://www.efficios.com/ctf} to get more information.
12500
12501 @kindex target tfile
12502 @kindex tfile
12503 @kindex target ctf
12504 @kindex ctf
12505 @item target tfile @var{filename}
12506 @itemx target ctf @var{dirname}
12507 Use the file named @var{filename} or directory named @var{dirname} as
12508 a source of trace data. Commands that examine data work as they do with
12509 a live target, but it is not possible to run any new trace experiments.
12510 @code{tstatus} will report the state of the trace run at the moment
12511 the data was saved, as well as the current trace frame you are examining.
12512 @var{filename} or @var{dirname} must be on a filesystem accessible to
12513 the host.
12514
12515 @smallexample
12516 (@value{GDBP}) target ctf ctf.ctf
12517 (@value{GDBP}) tfind
12518 Found trace frame 0, tracepoint 2
12519 39 ++a; /* set tracepoint 1 here */
12520 (@value{GDBP}) tdump
12521 Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 0:
12522 i = 0
12523 a = 0
12524 b = 1 '\001'
12525 c = @{"123", "456", "789", "123", "456", "789"@}
12526 d = @{@{@{a = 1, b = 2@}, @{a = 3, b = 4@}@}, @{@{a = 5, b = 6@}, @{a = 7, b = 8@}@}@}
12527 (@value{GDBP}) p b
12528 $1 = 1
12529 @end smallexample
12530
12531 @end table
12532
12533 @node Overlays
12534 @chapter Debugging Programs That Use Overlays
12535 @cindex overlays
12536
12537 If your program is too large to fit completely in your target system's
12538 memory, you can sometimes use @dfn{overlays} to work around this
12539 problem. @value{GDBN} provides some support for debugging programs that
12540 use overlays.
12541
12542 @menu
12543 * How Overlays Work:: A general explanation of overlays.
12544 * Overlay Commands:: Managing overlays in @value{GDBN}.
12545 * Automatic Overlay Debugging:: @value{GDBN} can find out which overlays are
12546 mapped by asking the inferior.
12547 * Overlay Sample Program:: A sample program using overlays.
12548 @end menu
12549
12550 @node How Overlays Work
12551 @section How Overlays Work
12552 @cindex mapped overlays
12553 @cindex unmapped overlays
12554 @cindex load address, overlay's
12555 @cindex mapped address
12556 @cindex overlay area
12557
12558 Suppose you have a computer whose instruction address space is only 64
12559 kilobytes long, but which has much more memory which can be accessed by
12560 other means: special instructions, segment registers, or memory
12561 management hardware, for example. Suppose further that you want to
12562 adapt a program which is larger than 64 kilobytes to run on this system.
12563
12564 One solution is to identify modules of your program which are relatively
12565 independent, and need not call each other directly; call these modules
12566 @dfn{overlays}. Separate the overlays from the main program, and place
12567 their machine code in the larger memory. Place your main program in
12568 instruction memory, but leave at least enough space there to hold the
12569 largest overlay as well.
12570
12571 Now, to call a function located in an overlay, you must first copy that
12572 overlay's machine code from the large memory into the space set aside
12573 for it in the instruction memory, and then jump to its entry point
12574 there.
12575
12576 @c NB: In the below the mapped area's size is greater or equal to the
12577 @c size of all overlays. This is intentional to remind the developer
12578 @c that overlays don't necessarily need to be the same size.
12579
12580 @smallexample
12581 @group
12582 Data Instruction Larger
12583 Address Space Address Space Address Space
12584 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+
12585 | | | | | |
12586 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+<-- overlay 1
12587 | program | | main | .----| overlay 1 | load address
12588 | variables | | program | | +-----------+
12589 | and heap | | | | | |
12590 +-----------+ | | | +-----------+<-- overlay 2
12591 | | +-----------+ | | | load address
12592 +-----------+ | | | .-| overlay 2 |
12593 | | | | | |
12594 mapped --->+-----------+ | | +-----------+
12595 address | | | | | |
12596 | overlay | <-' | | |
12597 | area | <---' +-----------+<-- overlay 3
12598 | | <---. | | load address
12599 +-----------+ `--| overlay 3 |
12600 | | | |
12601 +-----------+ | |
12602 +-----------+
12603 | |
12604 +-----------+
12605
12606 @anchor{A code overlay}A code overlay
12607 @end group
12608 @end smallexample
12609
12610 The diagram (@pxref{A code overlay}) shows a system with separate data
12611 and instruction address spaces. To map an overlay, the program copies
12612 its code from the larger address space to the instruction address space.
12613 Since the overlays shown here all use the same mapped address, only one
12614 may be mapped at a time. For a system with a single address space for
12615 data and instructions, the diagram would be similar, except that the
12616 program variables and heap would share an address space with the main
12617 program and the overlay area.
12618
12619 An overlay loaded into instruction memory and ready for use is called a
12620 @dfn{mapped} overlay; its @dfn{mapped address} is its address in the
12621 instruction memory. An overlay not present (or only partially present)
12622 in instruction memory is called @dfn{unmapped}; its @dfn{load address}
12623 is its address in the larger memory. The mapped address is also called
12624 the @dfn{virtual memory address}, or @dfn{VMA}; the load address is also
12625 called the @dfn{load memory address}, or @dfn{LMA}.
12626
12627 Unfortunately, overlays are not a completely transparent way to adapt a
12628 program to limited instruction memory. They introduce a new set of
12629 global constraints you must keep in mind as you design your program:
12630
12631 @itemize @bullet
12632
12633 @item
12634 Before calling or returning to a function in an overlay, your program
12635 must make sure that overlay is actually mapped. Otherwise, the call or
12636 return will transfer control to the right address, but in the wrong
12637 overlay, and your program will probably crash.
12638
12639 @item
12640 If the process of mapping an overlay is expensive on your system, you
12641 will need to choose your overlays carefully to minimize their effect on
12642 your program's performance.
12643
12644 @item
12645 The executable file you load onto your system must contain each
12646 overlay's instructions, appearing at the overlay's load address, not its
12647 mapped address. However, each overlay's instructions must be relocated
12648 and its symbols defined as if the overlay were at its mapped address.
12649 You can use GNU linker scripts to specify different load and relocation
12650 addresses for pieces of your program; see @ref{Overlay Description,,,
12651 ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}.
12652
12653 @item
12654 The procedure for loading executable files onto your system must be able
12655 to load their contents into the larger address space as well as the
12656 instruction and data spaces.
12657
12658 @end itemize
12659
12660 The overlay system described above is rather simple, and could be
12661 improved in many ways:
12662
12663 @itemize @bullet
12664
12665 @item
12666 If your system has suitable bank switch registers or memory management
12667 hardware, you could use those facilities to make an overlay's load area
12668 contents simply appear at their mapped address in instruction space.
12669 This would probably be faster than copying the overlay to its mapped
12670 area in the usual way.
12671
12672 @item
12673 If your overlays are small enough, you could set aside more than one
12674 overlay area, and have more than one overlay mapped at a time.
12675
12676 @item
12677 You can use overlays to manage data, as well as instructions. In
12678 general, data overlays are even less transparent to your design than
12679 code overlays: whereas code overlays only require care when you call or
12680 return to functions, data overlays require care every time you access
12681 the data. Also, if you change the contents of a data overlay, you
12682 must copy its contents back out to its load address before you can copy a
12683 different data overlay into the same mapped area.
12684
12685 @end itemize
12686
12687
12688 @node Overlay Commands
12689 @section Overlay Commands
12690
12691 To use @value{GDBN}'s overlay support, each overlay in your program must
12692 correspond to a separate section of the executable file. The section's
12693 virtual memory address and load memory address must be the overlay's
12694 mapped and load addresses. Identifying overlays with sections allows
12695 @value{GDBN} to determine the appropriate address of a function or
12696 variable, depending on whether the overlay is mapped or not.
12697
12698 @value{GDBN}'s overlay commands all start with the word @code{overlay};
12699 you can abbreviate this as @code{ov} or @code{ovly}. The commands are:
12700
12701 @table @code
12702 @item overlay off
12703 @kindex overlay
12704 Disable @value{GDBN}'s overlay support. When overlay support is
12705 disabled, @value{GDBN} assumes that all functions and variables are
12706 always present at their mapped addresses. By default, @value{GDBN}'s
12707 overlay support is disabled.
12708
12709 @item overlay manual
12710 @cindex manual overlay debugging
12711 Enable @dfn{manual} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
12712 relies on you to tell it which overlays are mapped, and which are not,
12713 using the @code{overlay map-overlay} and @code{overlay unmap-overlay}
12714 commands described below.
12715
12716 @item overlay map-overlay @var{overlay}
12717 @itemx overlay map @var{overlay}
12718 @cindex map an overlay
12719 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is now mapped; @var{overlay} must
12720 be the name of the object file section containing the overlay. When an
12721 overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the overlay's
12722 functions and variables at their mapped addresses. @value{GDBN} assumes
12723 that any other overlays whose mapped ranges overlap that of
12724 @var{overlay} are now unmapped.
12725
12726 @item overlay unmap-overlay @var{overlay}
12727 @itemx overlay unmap @var{overlay}
12728 @cindex unmap an overlay
12729 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is no longer mapped; @var{overlay}
12730 must be the name of the object file section containing the overlay.
12731 When an overlay is unmapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the
12732 overlay's functions and variables at their load addresses.
12733
12734 @item overlay auto
12735 Enable @dfn{automatic} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
12736 consults a data structure the overlay manager maintains in the inferior
12737 to see which overlays are mapped. For details, see @ref{Automatic
12738 Overlay Debugging}.
12739
12740 @item overlay load-target
12741 @itemx overlay load
12742 @cindex reloading the overlay table
12743 Re-read the overlay table from the inferior. Normally, @value{GDBN}
12744 re-reads the table @value{GDBN} automatically each time the inferior
12745 stops, so this command should only be necessary if you have changed the
12746 overlay mapping yourself using @value{GDBN}. This command is only
12747 useful when using automatic overlay debugging.
12748
12749 @item overlay list-overlays
12750 @itemx overlay list
12751 @cindex listing mapped overlays
12752 Display a list of the overlays currently mapped, along with their mapped
12753 addresses, load addresses, and sizes.
12754
12755 @end table
12756
12757 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a code address, it includes the name
12758 of the function the address falls in:
12759
12760 @smallexample
12761 (@value{GDBP}) print main
12762 $3 = @{int ()@} 0x11a0 <main>
12763 @end smallexample
12764 @noindent
12765 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} recognizes code in
12766 unmapped overlays, and prints the names of unmapped functions with
12767 asterisks around them. For example, if @code{foo} is a function in an
12768 unmapped overlay, @value{GDBN} prints it this way:
12769
12770 @smallexample
12771 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
12772 No sections are mapped.
12773 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
12774 $5 = @{int (int)@} 0x100000 <*foo*>
12775 @end smallexample
12776 @noindent
12777 When @code{foo}'s overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} prints the function's
12778 name normally:
12779
12780 @smallexample
12781 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
12782 Section .ov.foo.text, loaded at 0x100000 - 0x100034,
12783 mapped at 0x1016 - 0x104a
12784 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
12785 $6 = @{int (int)@} 0x1016 <foo>
12786 @end smallexample
12787
12788 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} can find the correct
12789 address for functions and variables in an overlay, whether or not the
12790 overlay is mapped. This allows most @value{GDBN} commands, like
12791 @code{break} and @code{disassemble}, to work normally, even on unmapped
12792 code. However, @value{GDBN}'s breakpoint support has some limitations:
12793
12794 @itemize @bullet
12795 @item
12796 @cindex breakpoints in overlays
12797 @cindex overlays, setting breakpoints in
12798 You can set breakpoints in functions in unmapped overlays, as long as
12799 @value{GDBN} can write to the overlay at its load address.
12800 @item
12801 @value{GDBN} can not set hardware or simulator-based breakpoints in
12802 unmapped overlays. However, if you set a breakpoint at the end of your
12803 overlay manager (and tell @value{GDBN} which overlays are now mapped, if
12804 you are using manual overlay management), @value{GDBN} will re-set its
12805 breakpoints properly.
12806 @end itemize
12807
12808
12809 @node Automatic Overlay Debugging
12810 @section Automatic Overlay Debugging
12811 @cindex automatic overlay debugging
12812
12813 @value{GDBN} can automatically track which overlays are mapped and which
12814 are not, given some simple co-operation from the overlay manager in the
12815 inferior. If you enable automatic overlay debugging with the
12816 @code{overlay auto} command (@pxref{Overlay Commands}), @value{GDBN}
12817 looks in the inferior's memory for certain variables describing the
12818 current state of the overlays.
12819
12820 Here are the variables your overlay manager must define to support
12821 @value{GDBN}'s automatic overlay debugging:
12822
12823 @table @asis
12824
12825 @item @code{_ovly_table}:
12826 This variable must be an array of the following structures:
12827
12828 @smallexample
12829 struct
12830 @{
12831 /* The overlay's mapped address. */
12832 unsigned long vma;
12833
12834 /* The size of the overlay, in bytes. */
12835 unsigned long size;
12836
12837 /* The overlay's load address. */
12838 unsigned long lma;
12839
12840 /* Non-zero if the overlay is currently mapped;
12841 zero otherwise. */
12842 unsigned long mapped;
12843 @}
12844 @end smallexample
12845
12846 @item @code{_novlys}:
12847 This variable must be a four-byte signed integer, holding the total
12848 number of elements in @code{_ovly_table}.
12849
12850 @end table
12851
12852 To decide whether a particular overlay is mapped or not, @value{GDBN}
12853 looks for an entry in @w{@code{_ovly_table}} whose @code{vma} and
12854 @code{lma} members equal the VMA and LMA of the overlay's section in the
12855 executable file. When @value{GDBN} finds a matching entry, it consults
12856 the entry's @code{mapped} member to determine whether the overlay is
12857 currently mapped.
12858
12859 In addition, your overlay manager may define a function called
12860 @code{_ovly_debug_event}. If this function is defined, @value{GDBN}
12861 will silently set a breakpoint there. If the overlay manager then
12862 calls this function whenever it has changed the overlay table, this
12863 will enable @value{GDBN} to accurately keep track of which overlays
12864 are in program memory, and update any breakpoints that may be set
12865 in overlays. This will allow breakpoints to work even if the
12866 overlays are kept in ROM or other non-writable memory while they
12867 are not being executed.
12868
12869 @node Overlay Sample Program
12870 @section Overlay Sample Program
12871 @cindex overlay example program
12872
12873 When linking a program which uses overlays, you must place the overlays
12874 at their load addresses, while relocating them to run at their mapped
12875 addresses. To do this, you must write a linker script (@pxref{Overlay
12876 Description,,, ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}). Unfortunately,
12877 since linker scripts are specific to a particular host system, target
12878 architecture, and target memory layout, this manual cannot provide
12879 portable sample code demonstrating @value{GDBN}'s overlay support.
12880
12881 However, the @value{GDBN} source distribution does contain an overlaid
12882 program, with linker scripts for a few systems, as part of its test
12883 suite. The program consists of the following files from
12884 @file{gdb/testsuite/gdb.base}:
12885
12886 @table @file
12887 @item overlays.c
12888 The main program file.
12889 @item ovlymgr.c
12890 A simple overlay manager, used by @file{overlays.c}.
12891 @item foo.c
12892 @itemx bar.c
12893 @itemx baz.c
12894 @itemx grbx.c
12895 Overlay modules, loaded and used by @file{overlays.c}.
12896 @item d10v.ld
12897 @itemx m32r.ld
12898 Linker scripts for linking the test program on the @code{d10v-elf}
12899 and @code{m32r-elf} targets.
12900 @end table
12901
12902 You can build the test program using the @code{d10v-elf} GCC
12903 cross-compiler like this:
12904
12905 @smallexample
12906 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c overlays.c
12907 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c ovlymgr.c
12908 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c foo.c
12909 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c bar.c
12910 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c baz.c
12911 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c grbx.c
12912 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g overlays.o ovlymgr.o foo.o bar.o \
12913 baz.o grbx.o -Wl,-Td10v.ld -o overlays
12914 @end smallexample
12915
12916 The build process is identical for any other architecture, except that
12917 you must substitute the appropriate compiler and linker script for the
12918 target system for @code{d10v-elf-gcc} and @code{d10v.ld}.
12919
12920
12921 @node Languages
12922 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages
12923 @cindex languages
12924
12925 Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they are
12926 rarely expressed in the same manner. For instance, in ANSI C,
12927 dereferencing a pointer @code{p} is accomplished by @code{*p}, but in
12928 Modula-2, it is accomplished by @code{p^}. Values can also be
12929 represented (and displayed) differently. Hex numbers in C appear as
12930 @samp{0x1ae}, while in Modula-2 they appear as @samp{1AEH}.
12931
12932 @cindex working language
12933 Language-specific information is built into @value{GDBN} for some languages,
12934 allowing you to express operations like the above in your program's
12935 native language, and allowing @value{GDBN} to output values in a manner
12936 consistent with the syntax of your program's native language. The
12937 language you use to build expressions is called the @dfn{working
12938 language}.
12939
12940 @menu
12941 * Setting:: Switching between source languages
12942 * Show:: Displaying the language
12943 * Checks:: Type and range checks
12944 * Supported Languages:: Supported languages
12945 * Unsupported Languages:: Unsupported languages
12946 @end menu
12947
12948 @node Setting
12949 @section Switching Between Source Languages
12950
12951 There are two ways to control the working language---either have @value{GDBN}
12952 set it automatically, or select it manually yourself. You can use the
12953 @code{set language} command for either purpose. On startup, @value{GDBN}
12954 defaults to setting the language automatically. The working language is
12955 used to determine how expressions you type are interpreted, how values
12956 are printed, etc.
12957
12958 In addition to the working language, every source file that
12959 @value{GDBN} knows about has its own working language. For some object
12960 file formats, the compiler might indicate which language a particular
12961 source file is in. However, most of the time @value{GDBN} infers the
12962 language from the name of the file. The language of a source file
12963 controls whether C@t{++} names are demangled---this way @code{backtrace} can
12964 show each frame appropriately for its own language. There is no way to
12965 set the language of a source file from within @value{GDBN}, but you can
12966 set the language associated with a filename extension. @xref{Show, ,
12967 Displaying the Language}.
12968
12969 This is most commonly a problem when you use a program, such
12970 as @code{cfront} or @code{f2c}, that generates C but is written in
12971 another language. In that case, make the
12972 program use @code{#line} directives in its C output; that way
12973 @value{GDBN} will know the correct language of the source code of the original
12974 program, and will display that source code, not the generated C code.
12975
12976 @menu
12977 * Filenames:: Filename extensions and languages.
12978 * Manually:: Setting the working language manually
12979 * Automatically:: Having @value{GDBN} infer the source language
12980 @end menu
12981
12982 @node Filenames
12983 @subsection List of Filename Extensions and Languages
12984
12985 If a source file name ends in one of the following extensions, then
12986 @value{GDBN} infers that its language is the one indicated.
12987
12988 @table @file
12989 @item .ada
12990 @itemx .ads
12991 @itemx .adb
12992 @itemx .a
12993 Ada source file.
12994
12995 @item .c
12996 C source file
12997
12998 @item .C
12999 @itemx .cc
13000 @itemx .cp
13001 @itemx .cpp
13002 @itemx .cxx
13003 @itemx .c++
13004 C@t{++} source file
13005
13006 @item .d
13007 D source file
13008
13009 @item .m
13010 Objective-C source file
13011
13012 @item .f
13013 @itemx .F
13014 Fortran source file
13015
13016 @item .mod
13017 Modula-2 source file
13018
13019 @item .s
13020 @itemx .S
13021 Assembler source file. This actually behaves almost like C, but
13022 @value{GDBN} does not skip over function prologues when stepping.
13023 @end table
13024
13025 In addition, you may set the language associated with a filename
13026 extension. @xref{Show, , Displaying the Language}.
13027
13028 @node Manually
13029 @subsection Setting the Working Language
13030
13031 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically,
13032 expressions are interpreted the same way in your debugging session and
13033 your program.
13034
13035 @kindex set language
13036 If you wish, you may set the language manually. To do this, issue the
13037 command @samp{set language @var{lang}}, where @var{lang} is the name of
13038 a language, such as
13039 @code{c} or @code{modula-2}.
13040 For a list of the supported languages, type @samp{set language}.
13041
13042 Setting the language manually prevents @value{GDBN} from updating the working
13043 language automatically. This can lead to confusion if you try
13044 to debug a program when the working language is not the same as the
13045 source language, when an expression is acceptable to both
13046 languages---but means different things. For instance, if the current
13047 source file were written in C, and @value{GDBN} was parsing Modula-2, a
13048 command such as:
13049
13050 @smallexample
13051 print a = b + c
13052 @end smallexample
13053
13054 @noindent
13055 might not have the effect you intended. In C, this means to add
13056 @code{b} and @code{c} and place the result in @code{a}. The result
13057 printed would be the value of @code{a}. In Modula-2, this means to compare
13058 @code{a} to the result of @code{b+c}, yielding a @code{BOOLEAN} value.
13059
13060 @node Automatically
13061 @subsection Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language
13062
13063 To have @value{GDBN} set the working language automatically, use
13064 @samp{set language local} or @samp{set language auto}. @value{GDBN}
13065 then infers the working language. That is, when your program stops in a
13066 frame (usually by encountering a breakpoint), @value{GDBN} sets the
13067 working language to the language recorded for the function in that
13068 frame. If the language for a frame is unknown (that is, if the function
13069 or block corresponding to the frame was defined in a source file that
13070 does not have a recognized extension), the current working language is
13071 not changed, and @value{GDBN} issues a warning.
13072
13073 This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written
13074 entirely in one source language. However, program modules and libraries
13075 written in one source language can be used by a main program written in
13076 a different source language. Using @samp{set language auto} in this
13077 case frees you from having to set the working language manually.
13078
13079 @node Show
13080 @section Displaying the Language
13081
13082 The following commands help you find out which language is the
13083 working language, and also what language source files were written in.
13084
13085 @table @code
13086 @item show language
13087 @kindex show language
13088 Display the current working language. This is the
13089 language you can use with commands such as @code{print} to
13090 build and compute expressions that may involve variables in your program.
13091
13092 @item info frame
13093 @kindex info frame@r{, show the source language}
13094 Display the source language for this frame. This language becomes the
13095 working language if you use an identifier from this frame.
13096 @xref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}, to identify the other
13097 information listed here.
13098
13099 @item info source
13100 @kindex info source@r{, show the source language}
13101 Display the source language of this source file.
13102 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, to identify the other
13103 information listed here.
13104 @end table
13105
13106 In unusual circumstances, you may have source files with extensions
13107 not in the standard list. You can then set the extension associated
13108 with a language explicitly:
13109
13110 @table @code
13111 @item set extension-language @var{ext} @var{language}
13112 @kindex set extension-language
13113 Tell @value{GDBN} that source files with extension @var{ext} are to be
13114 assumed as written in the source language @var{language}.
13115
13116 @item info extensions
13117 @kindex info extensions
13118 List all the filename extensions and the associated languages.
13119 @end table
13120
13121 @node Checks
13122 @section Type and Range Checking
13123
13124 Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly common
13125 errors through a series of compile- and run-time checks. These include
13126 checking the type of arguments to functions and operators and making
13127 sure mathematical overflows are caught at run time. Checks such as
13128 these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been compiled
13129 by eliminating type mismatches and providing active checks for range
13130 errors when your program is running.
13131
13132 By default @value{GDBN} checks for these errors according to the
13133 rules of the current source language. Although @value{GDBN} does not check
13134 the statements in your program, it can check expressions entered directly
13135 into @value{GDBN} for evaluation via the @code{print} command, for example.
13136
13137 @menu
13138 * Type Checking:: An overview of type checking
13139 * Range Checking:: An overview of range checking
13140 @end menu
13141
13142 @cindex type checking
13143 @cindex checks, type
13144 @node Type Checking
13145 @subsection An Overview of Type Checking
13146
13147 Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, are strongly typed, meaning that the
13148 arguments to operators and functions have to be of the correct type,
13149 otherwise an error occurs. These checks prevent type mismatch
13150 errors from ever causing any run-time problems. For example,
13151
13152 @smallexample
13153 int klass::my_method(char *b) @{ return b ? 1 : 2; @}
13154
13155 (@value{GDBP}) print obj.my_method (0)
13156 $1 = 2
13157 @exdent but
13158 (@value{GDBP}) print obj.my_method (0x1234)
13159 Cannot resolve method klass::my_method to any overloaded instance
13160 @end smallexample
13161
13162 The second example fails because in C@t{++} the integer constant
13163 @samp{0x1234} is not type-compatible with the pointer parameter type.
13164
13165 For the expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
13166 @value{GDBN} to not enforce strict type checking or
13167 to treat any mismatches as errors and abandon the expression;
13168 When type checking is disabled, @value{GDBN} successfully evaluates
13169 expressions like the second example above.
13170
13171 Even if type checking is off, there may be other reasons
13172 related to type that prevent @value{GDBN} from evaluating an expression.
13173 For instance, @value{GDBN} does not know how to add an @code{int} and
13174 a @code{struct foo}. These particular type errors have nothing to do
13175 with the language in use and usually arise from expressions which make
13176 little sense to evaluate anyway.
13177
13178 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling type checking:
13179
13180 @kindex set check type
13181 @kindex show check type
13182 @table @code
13183 @item set check type on
13184 @itemx set check type off
13185 Set strict type checking on or off. If any type mismatches occur in
13186 evaluating an expression while type checking is on, @value{GDBN} prints a
13187 message and aborts evaluation of the expression.
13188
13189 @item show check type
13190 Show the current setting of type checking and whether @value{GDBN}
13191 is enforcing strict type checking rules.
13192 @end table
13193
13194 @cindex range checking
13195 @cindex checks, range
13196 @node Range Checking
13197 @subsection An Overview of Range Checking
13198
13199 In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the
13200 bounds of a type; this is enforced with run-time checks. Such range
13201 checking is meant to ensure program correctness by making sure
13202 computations do not overflow, or indices on an array element access do
13203 not exceed the bounds of the array.
13204
13205 For expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
13206 @value{GDBN} to treat range errors in one of three ways: ignore them,
13207 always treat them as errors and abandon the expression, or issue
13208 warnings but evaluate the expression anyway.
13209
13210 A range error can result from numerical overflow, from exceeding an
13211 array index bound, or when you type a constant that is not a member
13212 of any type. Some languages, however, do not treat overflows as an
13213 error. In many implementations of C, mathematical overflow causes the
13214 result to ``wrap around'' to lower values---for example, if @var{m} is
13215 the largest integer value, and @var{s} is the smallest, then
13216
13217 @smallexample
13218 @var{m} + 1 @result{} @var{s}
13219 @end smallexample
13220
13221 This, too, is specific to individual languages, and in some cases
13222 specific to individual compilers or machines. @xref{Supported Languages, ,
13223 Supported Languages}, for further details on specific languages.
13224
13225 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the range checker:
13226
13227 @kindex set check range
13228 @kindex show check range
13229 @table @code
13230 @item set check range auto
13231 Set range checking on or off based on the current working language.
13232 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
13233 each language.
13234
13235 @item set check range on
13236 @itemx set check range off
13237 Set range checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
13238 current working language. A warning is issued if the setting does not
13239 match the language default. If a range error occurs and range checking is on,
13240 then a message is printed and evaluation of the expression is aborted.
13241
13242 @item set check range warn
13243 Output messages when the @value{GDBN} range checker detects a range error,
13244 but attempt to evaluate the expression anyway. Evaluating the
13245 expression may still be impossible for other reasons, such as accessing
13246 memory that the process does not own (a typical example from many Unix
13247 systems).
13248
13249 @item show range
13250 Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not it is
13251 being set automatically by @value{GDBN}.
13252 @end table
13253
13254 @node Supported Languages
13255 @section Supported Languages
13256
13257 @value{GDBN} supports C, C@t{++}, D, Go, Objective-C, Fortran, Java,
13258 OpenCL C, Pascal, assembly, Modula-2, and Ada.
13259 @c This is false ...
13260 Some @value{GDBN} features may be used in expressions regardless of the
13261 language you use: the @value{GDBN} @code{@@} and @code{::} operators,
13262 and the @samp{@{type@}addr} construct (@pxref{Expressions,
13263 ,Expressions}) can be used with the constructs of any supported
13264 language.
13265
13266 The following sections detail to what degree each source language is
13267 supported by @value{GDBN}. These sections are not meant to be language
13268 tutorials or references, but serve only as a reference guide to what the
13269 @value{GDBN} expression parser accepts, and what input and output
13270 formats should look like for different languages. There are many good
13271 books written on each of these languages; please look to these for a
13272 language reference or tutorial.
13273
13274 @menu
13275 * C:: C and C@t{++}
13276 * D:: D
13277 * Go:: Go
13278 * Objective-C:: Objective-C
13279 * OpenCL C:: OpenCL C
13280 * Fortran:: Fortran
13281 * Pascal:: Pascal
13282 * Modula-2:: Modula-2
13283 * Ada:: Ada
13284 @end menu
13285
13286 @node C
13287 @subsection C and C@t{++}
13288
13289 @cindex C and C@t{++}
13290 @cindex expressions in C or C@t{++}
13291
13292 Since C and C@t{++} are so closely related, many features of @value{GDBN} apply
13293 to both languages. Whenever this is the case, we discuss those languages
13294 together.
13295
13296 @cindex C@t{++}
13297 @cindex @code{g++}, @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler
13298 @cindex @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
13299 The C@t{++} debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the C@t{++}
13300 compiler and @value{GDBN}. Therefore, to debug your C@t{++} code
13301 effectively, you must compile your C@t{++} programs with a supported
13302 C@t{++} compiler, such as @sc{gnu} @code{g++}, or the HP ANSI C@t{++}
13303 compiler (@code{aCC}).
13304
13305 @menu
13306 * C Operators:: C and C@t{++} operators
13307 * C Constants:: C and C@t{++} constants
13308 * C Plus Plus Expressions:: C@t{++} expressions
13309 * C Defaults:: Default settings for C and C@t{++}
13310 * C Checks:: C and C@t{++} type and range checks
13311 * Debugging C:: @value{GDBN} and C
13312 * Debugging C Plus Plus:: @value{GDBN} features for C@t{++}
13313 * Decimal Floating Point:: Numbers in Decimal Floating Point format
13314 @end menu
13315
13316 @node C Operators
13317 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Operators
13318
13319 @cindex C and C@t{++} operators
13320
13321 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
13322 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
13323 often defined on groups of types.
13324
13325 For the purposes of C and C@t{++}, the following definitions hold:
13326
13327 @itemize @bullet
13328
13329 @item
13330 @emph{Integral types} include @code{int} with any of its storage-class
13331 specifiers; @code{char}; @code{enum}; and, for C@t{++}, @code{bool}.
13332
13333 @item
13334 @emph{Floating-point types} include @code{float}, @code{double}, and
13335 @code{long double} (if supported by the target platform).
13336
13337 @item
13338 @emph{Pointer types} include all types defined as @code{(@var{type} *)}.
13339
13340 @item
13341 @emph{Scalar types} include all of the above.
13342
13343 @end itemize
13344
13345 @noindent
13346 The following operators are supported. They are listed here
13347 in order of increasing precedence:
13348
13349 @table @code
13350 @item ,
13351 The comma or sequencing operator. Expressions in a comma-separated list
13352 are evaluated from left to right, with the result of the entire
13353 expression being the last expression evaluated.
13354
13355 @item =
13356 Assignment. The value of an assignment expression is the value
13357 assigned. Defined on scalar types.
13358
13359 @item @var{op}=
13360 Used in an expression of the form @w{@code{@var{a} @var{op}= @var{b}}},
13361 and translated to @w{@code{@var{a} = @var{a op b}}}.
13362 @w{@code{@var{op}=}} and @code{=} have the same precedence.
13363 @var{op} is any one of the operators @code{|}, @code{^}, @code{&},
13364 @code{<<}, @code{>>}, @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{%}.
13365
13366 @item ?:
13367 The ternary operator. @code{@var{a} ? @var{b} : @var{c}} can be thought
13368 of as: if @var{a} then @var{b} else @var{c}. @var{a} should be of an
13369 integral type.
13370
13371 @item ||
13372 Logical @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
13373
13374 @item &&
13375 Logical @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
13376
13377 @item |
13378 Bitwise @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
13379
13380 @item ^
13381 Bitwise exclusive-@sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
13382
13383 @item &
13384 Bitwise @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
13385
13386 @item ==@r{, }!=
13387 Equality and inequality. Defined on scalar types. The value of these
13388 expressions is 0 for false and non-zero for true.
13389
13390 @item <@r{, }>@r{, }<=@r{, }>=
13391 Less than, greater than, less than or equal, greater than or equal.
13392 Defined on scalar types. The value of these expressions is 0 for false
13393 and non-zero for true.
13394
13395 @item <<@r{, }>>
13396 left shift, and right shift. Defined on integral types.
13397
13398 @item @@
13399 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
13400
13401 @item +@r{, }-
13402 Addition and subtraction. Defined on integral types, floating-point types and
13403 pointer types.
13404
13405 @item *@r{, }/@r{, }%
13406 Multiplication, division, and modulus. Multiplication and division are
13407 defined on integral and floating-point types. Modulus is defined on
13408 integral types.
13409
13410 @item ++@r{, }--
13411 Increment and decrement. When appearing before a variable, the
13412 operation is performed before the variable is used in an expression;
13413 when appearing after it, the variable's value is used before the
13414 operation takes place.
13415
13416 @item *
13417 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types. Same precedence as
13418 @code{++}.
13419
13420 @item &
13421 Address operator. Defined on variables. Same precedence as @code{++}.
13422
13423 For debugging C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} implements a use of @samp{&} beyond what is
13424 allowed in the C@t{++} language itself: you can use @samp{&(&@var{ref})}
13425 to examine the address
13426 where a C@t{++} reference variable (declared with @samp{&@var{ref}}) is
13427 stored.
13428
13429 @item -
13430 Negative. Defined on integral and floating-point types. Same
13431 precedence as @code{++}.
13432
13433 @item !
13434 Logical negation. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
13435 @code{++}.
13436
13437 @item ~
13438 Bitwise complement operator. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
13439 @code{++}.
13440
13441
13442 @item .@r{, }->
13443 Structure member, and pointer-to-structure member. For convenience,
13444 @value{GDBN} regards the two as equivalent, choosing whether to dereference a
13445 pointer based on the stored type information.
13446 Defined on @code{struct} and @code{union} data.
13447
13448 @item .*@r{, }->*
13449 Dereferences of pointers to members.
13450
13451 @item []
13452 Array indexing. @code{@var{a}[@var{i}]} is defined as
13453 @code{*(@var{a}+@var{i})}. Same precedence as @code{->}.
13454
13455 @item ()
13456 Function parameter list. Same precedence as @code{->}.
13457
13458 @item ::
13459 C@t{++} scope resolution operator. Defined on @code{struct}, @code{union},
13460 and @code{class} types.
13461
13462 @item ::
13463 Doubled colons also represent the @value{GDBN} scope operator
13464 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). Same precedence as @code{::},
13465 above.
13466 @end table
13467
13468 If an operator is redefined in the user code, @value{GDBN} usually
13469 attempts to invoke the redefined version instead of using the operator's
13470 predefined meaning.
13471
13472 @node C Constants
13473 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Constants
13474
13475 @cindex C and C@t{++} constants
13476
13477 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of C and C@t{++} in the
13478 following ways:
13479
13480 @itemize @bullet
13481 @item
13482 Integer constants are a sequence of digits. Octal constants are
13483 specified by a leading @samp{0} (i.e.@: zero), and hexadecimal constants
13484 by a leading @samp{0x} or @samp{0X}. Constants may also end with a letter
13485 @samp{l}, specifying that the constant should be treated as a
13486 @code{long} value.
13487
13488 @item
13489 Floating point constants are a sequence of digits, followed by a decimal
13490 point, followed by a sequence of digits, and optionally followed by an
13491 exponent. An exponent is of the form:
13492 @samp{@w{e@r{[[}+@r{]|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}}, where @var{nnn} is another
13493 sequence of digits. The @samp{+} is optional for positive exponents.
13494 A floating-point constant may also end with a letter @samp{f} or
13495 @samp{F}, specifying that the constant should be treated as being of
13496 the @code{float} (as opposed to the default @code{double}) type; or with
13497 a letter @samp{l} or @samp{L}, which specifies a @code{long double}
13498 constant.
13499
13500 @item
13501 Enumerated constants consist of enumerated identifiers, or their
13502 integral equivalents.
13503
13504 @item
13505 Character constants are a single character surrounded by single quotes
13506 (@code{'}), or a number---the ordinal value of the corresponding character
13507 (usually its @sc{ascii} value). Within quotes, the single character may
13508 be represented by a letter or by @dfn{escape sequences}, which are of
13509 the form @samp{\@var{nnn}}, where @var{nnn} is the octal representation
13510 of the character's ordinal value; or of the form @samp{\@var{x}}, where
13511 @samp{@var{x}} is a predefined special character---for example,
13512 @samp{\n} for newline.
13513
13514 Wide character constants can be written by prefixing a character
13515 constant with @samp{L}, as in C. For example, @samp{L'x'} is the wide
13516 form of @samp{x}. The target wide character set is used when
13517 computing the value of this constant (@pxref{Character Sets}).
13518
13519 @item
13520 String constants are a sequence of character constants surrounded by
13521 double quotes (@code{"}). Any valid character constant (as described
13522 above) may appear. Double quotes within the string must be preceded by
13523 a backslash, so for instance @samp{"a\"b'c"} is a string of five
13524 characters.
13525
13526 Wide string constants can be written by prefixing a string constant
13527 with @samp{L}, as in C. The target wide character set is used when
13528 computing the value of this constant (@pxref{Character Sets}).
13529
13530 @item
13531 Pointer constants are an integral value. You can also write pointers
13532 to constants using the C operator @samp{&}.
13533
13534 @item
13535 Array constants are comma-separated lists surrounded by braces @samp{@{}
13536 and @samp{@}}; for example, @samp{@{1,2,3@}} is a three-element array of
13537 integers, @samp{@{@{1,2@}, @{3,4@}, @{5,6@}@}} is a three-by-two array,
13538 and @samp{@{&"hi", &"there", &"fred"@}} is a three-element array of pointers.
13539 @end itemize
13540
13541 @node C Plus Plus Expressions
13542 @subsubsection C@t{++} Expressions
13543
13544 @cindex expressions in C@t{++}
13545 @value{GDBN} expression handling can interpret most C@t{++} expressions.
13546
13547 @cindex debugging C@t{++} programs
13548 @cindex C@t{++} compilers
13549 @cindex debug formats and C@t{++}
13550 @cindex @value{NGCC} and C@t{++}
13551 @quotation
13552 @emph{Warning:} @value{GDBN} can only debug C@t{++} code if you use
13553 the proper compiler and the proper debug format. Currently,
13554 @value{GDBN} works best when debugging C@t{++} code that is compiled
13555 with the most recent version of @value{NGCC} possible. The DWARF
13556 debugging format is preferred; @value{NGCC} defaults to this on most
13557 popular platforms. Other compilers and/or debug formats are likely to
13558 work badly or not at all when using @value{GDBN} to debug C@t{++}
13559 code. @xref{Compilation}.
13560 @end quotation
13561
13562 @enumerate
13563
13564 @cindex member functions
13565 @item
13566 Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
13567
13568 @smallexample
13569 count = aml->GetOriginal(x, y)
13570 @end smallexample
13571
13572 @vindex this@r{, inside C@t{++} member functions}
13573 @cindex namespace in C@t{++}
13574 @item
13575 While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame), your
13576 expressions have the same namespace available as the member function;
13577 that is, @value{GDBN} allows implicit references to the class instance
13578 pointer @code{this} following the same rules as C@t{++}. @code{using}
13579 declarations in the current scope are also respected by @value{GDBN}.
13580
13581 @cindex call overloaded functions
13582 @cindex overloaded functions, calling
13583 @cindex type conversions in C@t{++}
13584 @item
13585 You can call overloaded functions; @value{GDBN} resolves the function
13586 call to the right definition, with some restrictions. @value{GDBN} does not
13587 perform overload resolution involving user-defined type conversions,
13588 calls to constructors, or instantiations of templates that do not exist
13589 in the program. It also cannot handle ellipsis argument lists or
13590 default arguments.
13591
13592 It does perform integral conversions and promotions, floating-point
13593 promotions, arithmetic conversions, pointer conversions, conversions of
13594 class objects to base classes, and standard conversions such as those of
13595 functions or arrays to pointers; it requires an exact match on the
13596 number of function arguments.
13597
13598 Overload resolution is always performed, unless you have specified
13599 @code{set overload-resolution off}. @xref{Debugging C Plus Plus,
13600 ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
13601
13602 You must specify @code{set overload-resolution off} in order to use an
13603 explicit function signature to call an overloaded function, as in
13604 @smallexample
13605 p 'foo(char,int)'('x', 13)
13606 @end smallexample
13607
13608 The @value{GDBN} command-completion facility can simplify this;
13609 see @ref{Completion, ,Command Completion}.
13610
13611 @cindex reference declarations
13612 @item
13613 @value{GDBN} understands variables declared as C@t{++} references; you can use
13614 them in expressions just as you do in C@t{++} source---they are automatically
13615 dereferenced.
13616
13617 In the parameter list shown when @value{GDBN} displays a frame, the values of
13618 reference variables are not displayed (unlike other variables); this
13619 avoids clutter, since references are often used for large structures.
13620 The @emph{address} of a reference variable is always shown, unless
13621 you have specified @samp{set print address off}.
13622
13623 @item
13624 @value{GDBN} supports the C@t{++} name resolution operator @code{::}---your
13625 expressions can use it just as expressions in your program do. Since
13626 one scope may be defined in another, you can use @code{::} repeatedly if
13627 necessary, for example in an expression like
13628 @samp{@var{scope1}::@var{scope2}::@var{name}}. @value{GDBN} also allows
13629 resolving name scope by reference to source files, in both C and C@t{++}
13630 debugging (@pxref{Variables, ,Program Variables}).
13631
13632 @item
13633 @value{GDBN} performs argument-dependent lookup, following the C@t{++}
13634 specification.
13635 @end enumerate
13636
13637 @node C Defaults
13638 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Defaults
13639
13640 @cindex C and C@t{++} defaults
13641
13642 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set range checking automatically, it
13643 defaults to @code{off} whenever the working language changes to
13644 C or C@t{++}. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
13645 selects the working language.
13646
13647 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, it
13648 recognizes source files whose names end with @file{.c}, @file{.C}, or
13649 @file{.cc}, etc, and when @value{GDBN} enters code compiled from one of
13650 these files, it sets the working language to C or C@t{++}.
13651 @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language},
13652 for further details.
13653
13654 @node C Checks
13655 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Type and Range Checks
13656
13657 @cindex C and C@t{++} checks
13658
13659 By default, when @value{GDBN} parses C or C@t{++} expressions, strict type
13660 checking is used. However, if you turn type checking off, @value{GDBN}
13661 will allow certain non-standard conversions, such as promoting integer
13662 constants to pointers.
13663
13664 Range checking, if turned on, is done on mathematical operations. Array
13665 indices are not checked, since they are often used to index a pointer
13666 that is not itself an array.
13667
13668 @node Debugging C
13669 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and C
13670
13671 The @code{set print union} and @code{show print union} commands apply to
13672 the @code{union} type. When set to @samp{on}, any @code{union} that is
13673 inside a @code{struct} or @code{class} is also printed. Otherwise, it
13674 appears as @samp{@{...@}}.
13675
13676 The @code{@@} operator aids in the debugging of dynamic arrays, formed
13677 with pointers and a memory allocation function. @xref{Expressions,
13678 ,Expressions}.
13679
13680 @node Debugging C Plus Plus
13681 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}
13682
13683 @cindex commands for C@t{++}
13684
13685 Some @value{GDBN} commands are particularly useful with C@t{++}, and some are
13686 designed specifically for use with C@t{++}. Here is a summary:
13687
13688 @table @code
13689 @cindex break in overloaded functions
13690 @item @r{breakpoint menus}
13691 When you want a breakpoint in a function whose name is overloaded,
13692 @value{GDBN} has the capability to display a menu of possible breakpoint
13693 locations to help you specify which function definition you want.
13694 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}.
13695
13696 @cindex overloading in C@t{++}
13697 @item rbreak @var{regex}
13698 Setting breakpoints using regular expressions is helpful for setting
13699 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
13700 classes.
13701 @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
13702
13703 @cindex C@t{++} exception handling
13704 @item catch throw
13705 @itemx catch rethrow
13706 @itemx catch catch
13707 Debug C@t{++} exception handling using these commands. @xref{Set
13708 Catchpoints, , Setting Catchpoints}.
13709
13710 @cindex inheritance
13711 @item ptype @var{typename}
13712 Print inheritance relationships as well as other information for type
13713 @var{typename}.
13714 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
13715
13716 @item info vtbl @var{expression}.
13717 The @code{info vtbl} command can be used to display the virtual
13718 method tables of the object computed by @var{expression}. This shows
13719 one entry per virtual table; there may be multiple virtual tables when
13720 multiple inheritance is in use.
13721
13722 @cindex C@t{++} symbol display
13723 @item set print demangle
13724 @itemx show print demangle
13725 @itemx set print asm-demangle
13726 @itemx show print asm-demangle
13727 Control whether C@t{++} symbols display in their source form, both when
13728 displaying code as C@t{++} source and when displaying disassemblies.
13729 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
13730
13731 @item set print object
13732 @itemx show print object
13733 Choose whether to print derived (actual) or declared types of objects.
13734 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
13735
13736 @item set print vtbl
13737 @itemx show print vtbl
13738 Control the format for printing virtual function tables.
13739 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
13740 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
13741 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
13742
13743 @kindex set overload-resolution
13744 @cindex overloaded functions, overload resolution
13745 @item set overload-resolution on
13746 Enable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. The default
13747 is on. For overloaded functions, @value{GDBN} evaluates the arguments
13748 and searches for a function whose signature matches the argument types,
13749 using the standard C@t{++} conversion rules (see @ref{C Plus Plus
13750 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}, for details).
13751 If it cannot find a match, it emits a message.
13752
13753 @item set overload-resolution off
13754 Disable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. For
13755 overloaded functions that are not class member functions, @value{GDBN}
13756 chooses the first function of the specified name that it finds in the
13757 symbol table, whether or not its arguments are of the correct type. For
13758 overloaded functions that are class member functions, @value{GDBN}
13759 searches for a function whose signature @emph{exactly} matches the
13760 argument types.
13761
13762 @kindex show overload-resolution
13763 @item show overload-resolution
13764 Show the current setting of overload resolution.
13765
13766 @item @r{Overloaded symbol names}
13767 You can specify a particular definition of an overloaded symbol, using
13768 the same notation that is used to declare such symbols in C@t{++}: type
13769 @code{@var{symbol}(@var{types})} rather than just @var{symbol}. You can
13770 also use the @value{GDBN} command-line word completion facilities to list the
13771 available choices, or to finish the type list for you.
13772 @xref{Completion,, Command Completion}, for details on how to do this.
13773 @end table
13774
13775 @node Decimal Floating Point
13776 @subsubsection Decimal Floating Point format
13777 @cindex decimal floating point format
13778
13779 @value{GDBN} can examine, set and perform computations with numbers in
13780 decimal floating point format, which in the C language correspond to the
13781 @code{_Decimal32}, @code{_Decimal64} and @code{_Decimal128} types as
13782 specified by the extension to support decimal floating-point arithmetic.
13783
13784 There are two encodings in use, depending on the architecture: BID (Binary
13785 Integer Decimal) for x86 and x86-64, and DPD (Densely Packed Decimal) for
13786 PowerPC. @value{GDBN} will use the appropriate encoding for the configured
13787 target.
13788
13789 Because of a limitation in @file{libdecnumber}, the library used by @value{GDBN}
13790 to manipulate decimal floating point numbers, it is not possible to convert
13791 (using a cast, for example) integers wider than 32-bit to decimal float.
13792
13793 In addition, in order to imitate @value{GDBN}'s behaviour with binary floating
13794 point computations, error checking in decimal float operations ignores
13795 underflow, overflow and divide by zero exceptions.
13796
13797 In the PowerPC architecture, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers
13798 to inspect @code{_Decimal128} values stored in floating point registers.
13799 See @ref{PowerPC,,PowerPC} for more details.
13800
13801 @node D
13802 @subsection D
13803
13804 @cindex D
13805 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in D and compiled with
13806 GDC, LDC or DMD compilers. Currently @value{GDBN} supports only one D
13807 specific feature --- dynamic arrays.
13808
13809 @node Go
13810 @subsection Go
13811
13812 @cindex Go (programming language)
13813 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Go and compiled with
13814 @file{gccgo} or @file{6g} compilers.
13815
13816 Here is a summary of the Go-specific features and restrictions:
13817
13818 @table @code
13819 @cindex current Go package
13820 @item The current Go package
13821 The name of the current package does not need to be specified when
13822 specifying global variables and functions.
13823
13824 For example, given the program:
13825
13826 @example
13827 package main
13828 var myglob = "Shall we?"
13829 func main () @{
13830 // ...
13831 @}
13832 @end example
13833
13834 When stopped inside @code{main} either of these work:
13835
13836 @example
13837 (gdb) p myglob
13838 (gdb) p main.myglob
13839 @end example
13840
13841 @cindex builtin Go types
13842 @item Builtin Go types
13843 The @code{string} type is recognized by @value{GDBN} and is printed
13844 as a string.
13845
13846 @cindex builtin Go functions
13847 @item Builtin Go functions
13848 The @value{GDBN} expression parser recognizes the @code{unsafe.Sizeof}
13849 function and handles it internally.
13850
13851 @cindex restrictions on Go expressions
13852 @item Restrictions on Go expressions
13853 All Go operators are supported except @code{&^}.
13854 The Go @code{_} ``blank identifier'' is not supported.
13855 Automatic dereferencing of pointers is not supported.
13856 @end table
13857
13858 @node Objective-C
13859 @subsection Objective-C
13860
13861 @cindex Objective-C
13862 This section provides information about some commands and command
13863 options that are useful for debugging Objective-C code. See also
13864 @ref{Symbols, info classes}, and @ref{Symbols, info selectors}, for a
13865 few more commands specific to Objective-C support.
13866
13867 @menu
13868 * Method Names in Commands::
13869 * The Print Command with Objective-C::
13870 @end menu
13871
13872 @node Method Names in Commands
13873 @subsubsection Method Names in Commands
13874
13875 The following commands have been extended to accept Objective-C method
13876 names as line specifications:
13877
13878 @kindex clear@r{, and Objective-C}
13879 @kindex break@r{, and Objective-C}
13880 @kindex info line@r{, and Objective-C}
13881 @kindex jump@r{, and Objective-C}
13882 @kindex list@r{, and Objective-C}
13883 @itemize
13884 @item @code{clear}
13885 @item @code{break}
13886 @item @code{info line}
13887 @item @code{jump}
13888 @item @code{list}
13889 @end itemize
13890
13891 A fully qualified Objective-C method name is specified as
13892
13893 @smallexample
13894 -[@var{Class} @var{methodName}]
13895 @end smallexample
13896
13897 where the minus sign is used to indicate an instance method and a
13898 plus sign (not shown) is used to indicate a class method. The class
13899 name @var{Class} and method name @var{methodName} are enclosed in
13900 brackets, similar to the way messages are specified in Objective-C
13901 source code. For example, to set a breakpoint at the @code{create}
13902 instance method of class @code{Fruit} in the program currently being
13903 debugged, enter:
13904
13905 @smallexample
13906 break -[Fruit create]
13907 @end smallexample
13908
13909 To list ten program lines around the @code{initialize} class method,
13910 enter:
13911
13912 @smallexample
13913 list +[NSText initialize]
13914 @end smallexample
13915
13916 In the current version of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus sign is
13917 required. In future versions of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus
13918 sign will be optional, but you can use it to narrow the search. It
13919 is also possible to specify just a method name:
13920
13921 @smallexample
13922 break create
13923 @end smallexample
13924
13925 You must specify the complete method name, including any colons. If
13926 your program's source files contain more than one @code{create} method,
13927 you'll be presented with a numbered list of classes that implement that
13928 method. Indicate your choice by number, or type @samp{0} to exit if
13929 none apply.
13930
13931 As another example, to clear a breakpoint established at the
13932 @code{makeKeyAndOrderFront:} method of the @code{NSWindow} class, enter:
13933
13934 @smallexample
13935 clear -[NSWindow makeKeyAndOrderFront:]
13936 @end smallexample
13937
13938 @node The Print Command with Objective-C
13939 @subsubsection The Print Command With Objective-C
13940 @cindex Objective-C, print objects
13941 @kindex print-object
13942 @kindex po @r{(@code{print-object})}
13943
13944 The print command has also been extended to accept methods. For example:
13945
13946 @smallexample
13947 print -[@var{object} hash]
13948 @end smallexample
13949
13950 @cindex print an Objective-C object description
13951 @cindex @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, and printing Objective-C objects
13952 @noindent
13953 will tell @value{GDBN} to send the @code{hash} message to @var{object}
13954 and print the result. Also, an additional command has been added,
13955 @code{print-object} or @code{po} for short, which is meant to print
13956 the description of an object. However, this command may only work
13957 with certain Objective-C libraries that have a particular hook
13958 function, @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, defined.
13959
13960 @node OpenCL C
13961 @subsection OpenCL C
13962
13963 @cindex OpenCL C
13964 This section provides information about @value{GDBN}s OpenCL C support.
13965
13966 @menu
13967 * OpenCL C Datatypes::
13968 * OpenCL C Expressions::
13969 * OpenCL C Operators::
13970 @end menu
13971
13972 @node OpenCL C Datatypes
13973 @subsubsection OpenCL C Datatypes
13974
13975 @cindex OpenCL C Datatypes
13976 @value{GDBN} supports the builtin scalar and vector datatypes specified
13977 by OpenCL 1.1. In addition the half- and double-precision floating point
13978 data types of the @code{cl_khr_fp16} and @code{cl_khr_fp64} OpenCL
13979 extensions are also known to @value{GDBN}.
13980
13981 @node OpenCL C Expressions
13982 @subsubsection OpenCL C Expressions
13983
13984 @cindex OpenCL C Expressions
13985 @value{GDBN} supports accesses to vector components including the access as
13986 lvalue where possible. Since OpenCL C is based on C99 most C expressions
13987 supported by @value{GDBN} can be used as well.
13988
13989 @node OpenCL C Operators
13990 @subsubsection OpenCL C Operators
13991
13992 @cindex OpenCL C Operators
13993 @value{GDBN} supports the operators specified by OpenCL 1.1 for scalar and
13994 vector data types.
13995
13996 @node Fortran
13997 @subsection Fortran
13998 @cindex Fortran-specific support in @value{GDBN}
13999
14000 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, but it
14001 currently supports only the features of Fortran 77 language.
14002
14003 @cindex trailing underscore, in Fortran symbols
14004 Some Fortran compilers (@sc{gnu} Fortran 77 and Fortran 95 compilers
14005 among them) append an underscore to the names of variables and
14006 functions. When you debug programs compiled by those compilers, you
14007 will need to refer to variables and functions with a trailing
14008 underscore.
14009
14010 @menu
14011 * Fortran Operators:: Fortran operators and expressions
14012 * Fortran Defaults:: Default settings for Fortran
14013 * Special Fortran Commands:: Special @value{GDBN} commands for Fortran
14014 @end menu
14015
14016 @node Fortran Operators
14017 @subsubsection Fortran Operators and Expressions
14018
14019 @cindex Fortran operators and expressions
14020
14021 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
14022 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on characters or other non-
14023 arithmetic types. Operators are often defined on groups of types.
14024
14025 @table @code
14026 @item **
14027 The exponentiation operator. It raises the first operand to the power
14028 of the second one.
14029
14030 @item :
14031 The range operator. Normally used in the form of array(low:high) to
14032 represent a section of array.
14033
14034 @item %
14035 The access component operator. Normally used to access elements in derived
14036 types. Also suitable for unions. As unions aren't part of regular Fortran,
14037 this can only happen when accessing a register that uses a gdbarch-defined
14038 union type.
14039 @end table
14040
14041 @node Fortran Defaults
14042 @subsubsection Fortran Defaults
14043
14044 @cindex Fortran Defaults
14045
14046 Fortran symbols are usually case-insensitive, so @value{GDBN} by
14047 default uses case-insensitive matches for Fortran symbols. You can
14048 change that with the @samp{set case-insensitive} command, see
14049 @ref{Symbols}, for the details.
14050
14051 @node Special Fortran Commands
14052 @subsubsection Special Fortran Commands
14053
14054 @cindex Special Fortran commands
14055
14056 @value{GDBN} has some commands to support Fortran-specific features,
14057 such as displaying common blocks.
14058
14059 @table @code
14060 @cindex @code{COMMON} blocks, Fortran
14061 @kindex info common
14062 @item info common @r{[}@var{common-name}@r{]}
14063 This command prints the values contained in the Fortran @code{COMMON}
14064 block whose name is @var{common-name}. With no argument, the names of
14065 all @code{COMMON} blocks visible at the current program location are
14066 printed.
14067 @end table
14068
14069 @node Pascal
14070 @subsection Pascal
14071
14072 @cindex Pascal support in @value{GDBN}, limitations
14073 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
14074 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
14075 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
14076 syntax.
14077
14078 The Pascal-specific command @code{set print pascal_static-members}
14079 controls whether static members of Pascal objects are displayed.
14080 @xref{Print Settings, pascal_static-members}.
14081
14082 @node Modula-2
14083 @subsection Modula-2
14084
14085 @cindex Modula-2, @value{GDBN} support
14086
14087 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} to support Modula-2 only support
14088 output from the @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler (which is currently being
14089 developed). Other Modula-2 compilers are not currently supported, and
14090 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
14091 to give an error as @value{GDBN} reads in the executable's symbol
14092 table.
14093
14094 @cindex expressions in Modula-2
14095 @menu
14096 * M2 Operators:: Built-in operators
14097 * Built-In Func/Proc:: Built-in functions and procedures
14098 * M2 Constants:: Modula-2 constants
14099 * M2 Types:: Modula-2 types
14100 * M2 Defaults:: Default settings for Modula-2
14101 * Deviations:: Deviations from standard Modula-2
14102 * M2 Checks:: Modula-2 type and range checks
14103 * M2 Scope:: The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
14104 * GDB/M2:: @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
14105 @end menu
14106
14107 @node M2 Operators
14108 @subsubsection Operators
14109 @cindex Modula-2 operators
14110
14111 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
14112 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
14113 often defined on groups of types. For the purposes of Modula-2, the
14114 following definitions hold:
14115
14116 @itemize @bullet
14117
14118 @item
14119 @emph{Integral types} consist of @code{INTEGER}, @code{CARDINAL}, and
14120 their subranges.
14121
14122 @item
14123 @emph{Character types} consist of @code{CHAR} and its subranges.
14124
14125 @item
14126 @emph{Floating-point types} consist of @code{REAL}.
14127
14128 @item
14129 @emph{Pointer types} consist of anything declared as @code{POINTER TO
14130 @var{type}}.
14131
14132 @item
14133 @emph{Scalar types} consist of all of the above.
14134
14135 @item
14136 @emph{Set types} consist of @code{SET} and @code{BITSET} types.
14137
14138 @item
14139 @emph{Boolean types} consist of @code{BOOLEAN}.
14140 @end itemize
14141
14142 @noindent
14143 The following operators are supported, and appear in order of
14144 increasing precedence:
14145
14146 @table @code
14147 @item ,
14148 Function argument or array index separator.
14149
14150 @item :=
14151 Assignment. The value of @var{var} @code{:=} @var{value} is
14152 @var{value}.
14153
14154 @item <@r{, }>
14155 Less than, greater than on integral, floating-point, or enumerated
14156 types.
14157
14158 @item <=@r{, }>=
14159 Less than or equal to, greater than or equal to
14160 on integral, floating-point and enumerated types, or set inclusion on
14161 set types. Same precedence as @code{<}.
14162
14163 @item =@r{, }<>@r{, }#
14164 Equality and two ways of expressing inequality, valid on scalar types.
14165 Same precedence as @code{<}. In @value{GDBN} scripts, only @code{<>} is
14166 available for inequality, since @code{#} conflicts with the script
14167 comment character.
14168
14169 @item IN
14170 Set membership. Defined on set types and the types of their members.
14171 Same precedence as @code{<}.
14172
14173 @item OR
14174 Boolean disjunction. Defined on boolean types.
14175
14176 @item AND@r{, }&
14177 Boolean conjunction. Defined on boolean types.
14178
14179 @item @@
14180 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
14181
14182 @item +@r{, }-
14183 Addition and subtraction on integral and floating-point types, or union
14184 and difference on set types.
14185
14186 @item *
14187 Multiplication on integral and floating-point types, or set intersection
14188 on set types.
14189
14190 @item /
14191 Division on floating-point types, or symmetric set difference on set
14192 types. Same precedence as @code{*}.
14193
14194 @item DIV@r{, }MOD
14195 Integer division and remainder. Defined on integral types. Same
14196 precedence as @code{*}.
14197
14198 @item -
14199 Negative. Defined on @code{INTEGER} and @code{REAL} data.
14200
14201 @item ^
14202 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types.
14203
14204 @item NOT
14205 Boolean negation. Defined on boolean types. Same precedence as
14206 @code{^}.
14207
14208 @item .
14209 @code{RECORD} field selector. Defined on @code{RECORD} data. Same
14210 precedence as @code{^}.
14211
14212 @item []
14213 Array indexing. Defined on @code{ARRAY} data. Same precedence as @code{^}.
14214
14215 @item ()
14216 Procedure argument list. Defined on @code{PROCEDURE} objects. Same precedence
14217 as @code{^}.
14218
14219 @item ::@r{, }.
14220 @value{GDBN} and Modula-2 scope operators.
14221 @end table
14222
14223 @quotation
14224 @emph{Warning:} Set expressions and their operations are not yet supported, so @value{GDBN}
14225 treats the use of the operator @code{IN}, or the use of operators
14226 @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{=}, , @code{<>}, @code{#},
14227 @code{<=}, and @code{>=} on sets as an error.
14228 @end quotation
14229
14230
14231 @node Built-In Func/Proc
14232 @subsubsection Built-in Functions and Procedures
14233 @cindex Modula-2 built-ins
14234
14235 Modula-2 also makes available several built-in procedures and functions.
14236 In describing these, the following metavariables are used:
14237
14238 @table @var
14239
14240 @item a
14241 represents an @code{ARRAY} variable.
14242
14243 @item c
14244 represents a @code{CHAR} constant or variable.
14245
14246 @item i
14247 represents a variable or constant of integral type.
14248
14249 @item m
14250 represents an identifier that belongs to a set. Generally used in the
14251 same function with the metavariable @var{s}. The type of @var{s} should
14252 be @code{SET OF @var{mtype}} (where @var{mtype} is the type of @var{m}).
14253
14254 @item n
14255 represents a variable or constant of integral or floating-point type.
14256
14257 @item r
14258 represents a variable or constant of floating-point type.
14259
14260 @item t
14261 represents a type.
14262
14263 @item v
14264 represents a variable.
14265
14266 @item x
14267 represents a variable or constant of one of many types. See the
14268 explanation of the function for details.
14269 @end table
14270
14271 All Modula-2 built-in procedures also return a result, described below.
14272
14273 @table @code
14274 @item ABS(@var{n})
14275 Returns the absolute value of @var{n}.
14276
14277 @item CAP(@var{c})
14278 If @var{c} is a lower case letter, it returns its upper case
14279 equivalent, otherwise it returns its argument.
14280
14281 @item CHR(@var{i})
14282 Returns the character whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
14283
14284 @item DEC(@var{v})
14285 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
14286
14287 @item DEC(@var{v},@var{i})
14288 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
14289 new value.
14290
14291 @item EXCL(@var{m},@var{s})
14292 Removes the element @var{m} from the set @var{s}. Returns the new
14293 set.
14294
14295 @item FLOAT(@var{i})
14296 Returns the floating point equivalent of the integer @var{i}.
14297
14298 @item HIGH(@var{a})
14299 Returns the index of the last member of @var{a}.
14300
14301 @item INC(@var{v})
14302 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
14303
14304 @item INC(@var{v},@var{i})
14305 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
14306 new value.
14307
14308 @item INCL(@var{m},@var{s})
14309 Adds the element @var{m} to the set @var{s} if it is not already
14310 there. Returns the new set.
14311
14312 @item MAX(@var{t})
14313 Returns the maximum value of the type @var{t}.
14314
14315 @item MIN(@var{t})
14316 Returns the minimum value of the type @var{t}.
14317
14318 @item ODD(@var{i})
14319 Returns boolean TRUE if @var{i} is an odd number.
14320
14321 @item ORD(@var{x})
14322 Returns the ordinal value of its argument. For example, the ordinal
14323 value of a character is its @sc{ascii} value (on machines supporting the
14324 @sc{ascii} character set). @var{x} must be of an ordered type, which include
14325 integral, character and enumerated types.
14326
14327 @item SIZE(@var{x})
14328 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
14329
14330 @item TRUNC(@var{r})
14331 Returns the integral part of @var{r}.
14332
14333 @item TSIZE(@var{x})
14334 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
14335
14336 @item VAL(@var{t},@var{i})
14337 Returns the member of the type @var{t} whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
14338 @end table
14339
14340 @quotation
14341 @emph{Warning:} Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so
14342 @value{GDBN} treats the use of procedures @code{INCL} and @code{EXCL} as
14343 an error.
14344 @end quotation
14345
14346 @cindex Modula-2 constants
14347 @node M2 Constants
14348 @subsubsection Constants
14349
14350 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of Modula-2 in the following
14351 ways:
14352
14353 @itemize @bullet
14354
14355 @item
14356 Integer constants are simply a sequence of digits. When used in an
14357 expression, a constant is interpreted to be type-compatible with the
14358 rest of the expression. Hexadecimal integers are specified by a
14359 trailing @samp{H}, and octal integers by a trailing @samp{B}.
14360
14361 @item
14362 Floating point constants appear as a sequence of digits, followed by a
14363 decimal point and another sequence of digits. An optional exponent can
14364 then be specified, in the form @samp{E@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}, where
14365 @samp{@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}} is the desired exponent. All of the
14366 digits of the floating point constant must be valid decimal (base 10)
14367 digits.
14368
14369 @item
14370 Character constants consist of a single character enclosed by a pair of
14371 like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}). They may
14372 also be expressed by their ordinal value (their @sc{ascii} value, usually)
14373 followed by a @samp{C}.
14374
14375 @item
14376 String constants consist of a sequence of characters enclosed by a
14377 pair of like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}).
14378 Escape sequences in the style of C are also allowed. @xref{C
14379 Constants, ,C and C@t{++} Constants}, for a brief explanation of escape
14380 sequences.
14381
14382 @item
14383 Enumerated constants consist of an enumerated identifier.
14384
14385 @item
14386 Boolean constants consist of the identifiers @code{TRUE} and
14387 @code{FALSE}.
14388
14389 @item
14390 Pointer constants consist of integral values only.
14391
14392 @item
14393 Set constants are not yet supported.
14394 @end itemize
14395
14396 @node M2 Types
14397 @subsubsection Modula-2 Types
14398 @cindex Modula-2 types
14399
14400 Currently @value{GDBN} can print the following data types in Modula-2
14401 syntax: array types, record types, set types, pointer types, procedure
14402 types, enumerated types, subrange types and base types. You can also
14403 print the contents of variables declared using these type.
14404 This section gives a number of simple source code examples together with
14405 sample @value{GDBN} sessions.
14406
14407 The first example contains the following section of code:
14408
14409 @smallexample
14410 VAR
14411 s: SET OF CHAR ;
14412 r: [20..40] ;
14413 @end smallexample
14414
14415 @noindent
14416 and you can request @value{GDBN} to interrogate the type and value of
14417 @code{r} and @code{s}.
14418
14419 @smallexample
14420 (@value{GDBP}) print s
14421 @{'A'..'C', 'Z'@}
14422 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14423 SET OF CHAR
14424 (@value{GDBP}) print r
14425 21
14426 (@value{GDBP}) ptype r
14427 [20..40]
14428 @end smallexample
14429
14430 @noindent
14431 Likewise if your source code declares @code{s} as:
14432
14433 @smallexample
14434 VAR
14435 s: SET ['A'..'Z'] ;
14436 @end smallexample
14437
14438 @noindent
14439 then you may query the type of @code{s} by:
14440
14441 @smallexample
14442 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14443 type = SET ['A'..'Z']
14444 @end smallexample
14445
14446 @noindent
14447 Note that at present you cannot interactively manipulate set
14448 expressions using the debugger.
14449
14450 The following example shows how you might declare an array in Modula-2
14451 and how you can interact with @value{GDBN} to print its type and contents:
14452
14453 @smallexample
14454 VAR
14455 s: ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR ;
14456 @end smallexample
14457
14458 @smallexample
14459 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14460 ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR
14461 @end smallexample
14462
14463 Note that the array handling is not yet complete and although the type
14464 is printed correctly, expression handling still assumes that all
14465 arrays have a lower bound of zero and not @code{-10} as in the example
14466 above.
14467
14468 Here are some more type related Modula-2 examples:
14469
14470 @smallexample
14471 TYPE
14472 colour = (blue, red, yellow, green) ;
14473 t = [blue..yellow] ;
14474 VAR
14475 s: t ;
14476 BEGIN
14477 s := blue ;
14478 @end smallexample
14479
14480 @noindent
14481 The @value{GDBN} interaction shows how you can query the data type
14482 and value of a variable.
14483
14484 @smallexample
14485 (@value{GDBP}) print s
14486 $1 = blue
14487 (@value{GDBP}) ptype t
14488 type = [blue..yellow]
14489 @end smallexample
14490
14491 @noindent
14492 In this example a Modula-2 array is declared and its contents
14493 displayed. Observe that the contents are written in the same way as
14494 their @code{C} counterparts.
14495
14496 @smallexample
14497 VAR
14498 s: ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
14499 BEGIN
14500 s[1] := 1 ;
14501 @end smallexample
14502
14503 @smallexample
14504 (@value{GDBP}) print s
14505 $1 = @{1, 0, 0, 0, 0@}
14506 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14507 type = ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
14508 @end smallexample
14509
14510 The Modula-2 language interface to @value{GDBN} also understands
14511 pointer types as shown in this example:
14512
14513 @smallexample
14514 VAR
14515 s: POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
14516 BEGIN
14517 NEW(s) ;
14518 s^[1] := 1 ;
14519 @end smallexample
14520
14521 @noindent
14522 and you can request that @value{GDBN} describes the type of @code{s}.
14523
14524 @smallexample
14525 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14526 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
14527 @end smallexample
14528
14529 @value{GDBN} handles compound types as we can see in this example.
14530 Here we combine array types, record types, pointer types and subrange
14531 types:
14532
14533 @smallexample
14534 TYPE
14535 foo = RECORD
14536 f1: CARDINAL ;
14537 f2: CHAR ;
14538 f3: myarray ;
14539 END ;
14540
14541 myarray = ARRAY myrange OF CARDINAL ;
14542 myrange = [-2..2] ;
14543 VAR
14544 s: POINTER TO ARRAY myrange OF foo ;
14545 @end smallexample
14546
14547 @noindent
14548 and you can ask @value{GDBN} to describe the type of @code{s} as shown
14549 below.
14550
14551 @smallexample
14552 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14553 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [-2..2] OF foo = RECORD
14554 f1 : CARDINAL;
14555 f2 : CHAR;
14556 f3 : ARRAY [-2..2] OF CARDINAL;
14557 END
14558 @end smallexample
14559
14560 @node M2 Defaults
14561 @subsubsection Modula-2 Defaults
14562 @cindex Modula-2 defaults
14563
14564 If type and range checking are set automatically by @value{GDBN}, they
14565 both default to @code{on} whenever the working language changes to
14566 Modula-2. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
14567 selected the working language.
14568
14569 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, then entering
14570 code compiled from a file whose name ends with @file{.mod} sets the
14571 working language to Modula-2. @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN}
14572 Infer the Source Language}, for further details.
14573
14574 @node Deviations
14575 @subsubsection Deviations from Standard Modula-2
14576 @cindex Modula-2, deviations from
14577
14578 A few changes have been made to make Modula-2 programs easier to debug.
14579 This is done primarily via loosening its type strictness:
14580
14581 @itemize @bullet
14582 @item
14583 Unlike in standard Modula-2, pointer constants can be formed by
14584 integers. This allows you to modify pointer variables during
14585 debugging. (In standard Modula-2, the actual address contained in a
14586 pointer variable is hidden from you; it can only be modified
14587 through direct assignment to another pointer variable or expression that
14588 returned a pointer.)
14589
14590 @item
14591 C escape sequences can be used in strings and characters to represent
14592 non-printable characters. @value{GDBN} prints out strings with these
14593 escape sequences embedded. Single non-printable characters are
14594 printed using the @samp{CHR(@var{nnn})} format.
14595
14596 @item
14597 The assignment operator (@code{:=}) returns the value of its right-hand
14598 argument.
14599
14600 @item
14601 All built-in procedures both modify @emph{and} return their argument.
14602 @end itemize
14603
14604 @node M2 Checks
14605 @subsubsection Modula-2 Type and Range Checks
14606 @cindex Modula-2 checks
14607
14608 @quotation
14609 @emph{Warning:} in this release, @value{GDBN} does not yet perform type or
14610 range checking.
14611 @end quotation
14612 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range checks added
14613
14614 @value{GDBN} considers two Modula-2 variables type equivalent if:
14615
14616 @itemize @bullet
14617 @item
14618 They are of types that have been declared equivalent via a @code{TYPE
14619 @var{t1} = @var{t2}} statement
14620
14621 @item
14622 They have been declared on the same line. (Note: This is true of the
14623 @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler, but it may not be true of other compilers.)
14624 @end itemize
14625
14626 As long as type checking is enabled, any attempt to combine variables
14627 whose types are not equivalent is an error.
14628
14629 Range checking is done on all mathematical operations, assignment, array
14630 index bounds, and all built-in functions and procedures.
14631
14632 @node M2 Scope
14633 @subsubsection The Scope Operators @code{::} and @code{.}
14634 @cindex scope
14635 @cindex @code{.}, Modula-2 scope operator
14636 @cindex colon, doubled as scope operator
14637 @ifinfo
14638 @vindex colon-colon@r{, in Modula-2}
14639 @c Info cannot handle :: but TeX can.
14640 @end ifinfo
14641 @ifnotinfo
14642 @vindex ::@r{, in Modula-2}
14643 @end ifnotinfo
14644
14645 There are a few subtle differences between the Modula-2 scope operator
14646 (@code{.}) and the @value{GDBN} scope operator (@code{::}). The two have
14647 similar syntax:
14648
14649 @smallexample
14650
14651 @var{module} . @var{id}
14652 @var{scope} :: @var{id}
14653 @end smallexample
14654
14655 @noindent
14656 where @var{scope} is the name of a module or a procedure,
14657 @var{module} the name of a module, and @var{id} is any declared
14658 identifier within your program, except another module.
14659
14660 Using the @code{::} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the scope
14661 specified by @var{scope} for the identifier @var{id}. If it is not
14662 found in the specified scope, then @value{GDBN} searches all scopes
14663 enclosing the one specified by @var{scope}.
14664
14665 Using the @code{.} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the current scope for
14666 the identifier specified by @var{id} that was imported from the
14667 definition module specified by @var{module}. With this operator, it is
14668 an error if the identifier @var{id} was not imported from definition
14669 module @var{module}, or if @var{id} is not an identifier in
14670 @var{module}.
14671
14672 @node GDB/M2
14673 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
14674
14675 Some @value{GDBN} commands have little use when debugging Modula-2 programs.
14676 Five subcommands of @code{set print} and @code{show print} apply
14677 specifically to C and C@t{++}: @samp{vtbl}, @samp{demangle},
14678 @samp{asm-demangle}, @samp{object}, and @samp{union}. The first four
14679 apply to C@t{++}, and the last to the C @code{union} type, which has no direct
14680 analogue in Modula-2.
14681
14682 The @code{@@} operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), while available
14683 with any language, is not useful with Modula-2. Its
14684 intent is to aid the debugging of @dfn{dynamic arrays}, which cannot be
14685 created in Modula-2 as they can in C or C@t{++}. However, because an
14686 address can be specified by an integral constant, the construct
14687 @samp{@{@var{type}@}@var{adrexp}} is still useful.
14688
14689 @cindex @code{#} in Modula-2
14690 In @value{GDBN} scripts, the Modula-2 inequality operator @code{#} is
14691 interpreted as the beginning of a comment. Use @code{<>} instead.
14692
14693 @node Ada
14694 @subsection Ada
14695 @cindex Ada
14696
14697 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} for Ada only support
14698 output from the @sc{gnu} Ada (GNAT) compiler.
14699 Other Ada compilers are not currently supported, and
14700 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
14701 to be difficult.
14702
14703
14704 @cindex expressions in Ada
14705 @menu
14706 * Ada Mode Intro:: General remarks on the Ada syntax
14707 and semantics supported by Ada mode
14708 in @value{GDBN}.
14709 * Omissions from Ada:: Restrictions on the Ada expression syntax.
14710 * Additions to Ada:: Extensions of the Ada expression syntax.
14711 * Stopping Before Main Program:: Debugging the program during elaboration.
14712 * Ada Tasks:: Listing and setting breakpoints in tasks.
14713 * Ada Tasks and Core Files:: Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
14714 * Ravenscar Profile:: Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar
14715 Profile
14716 * Ada Glitches:: Known peculiarities of Ada mode.
14717 @end menu
14718
14719 @node Ada Mode Intro
14720 @subsubsection Introduction
14721 @cindex Ada mode, general
14722
14723 The Ada mode of @value{GDBN} supports a fairly large subset of Ada expression
14724 syntax, with some extensions.
14725 The philosophy behind the design of this subset is
14726
14727 @itemize @bullet
14728 @item
14729 That @value{GDBN} should provide basic literals and access to operations for
14730 arithmetic, dereferencing, field selection, indexing, and subprogram calls,
14731 leaving more sophisticated computations to subprograms written into the
14732 program (which therefore may be called from @value{GDBN}).
14733
14734 @item
14735 That type safety and strict adherence to Ada language restrictions
14736 are not particularly important to the @value{GDBN} user.
14737
14738 @item
14739 That brevity is important to the @value{GDBN} user.
14740 @end itemize
14741
14742 Thus, for brevity, the debugger acts as if all names declared in
14743 user-written packages are directly visible, even if they are not visible
14744 according to Ada rules, thus making it unnecessary to fully qualify most
14745 names with their packages, regardless of context. Where this causes
14746 ambiguity, @value{GDBN} asks the user's intent.
14747
14748 The debugger will start in Ada mode if it detects an Ada main program.
14749 As for other languages, it will enter Ada mode when stopped in a program that
14750 was translated from an Ada source file.
14751
14752 While in Ada mode, you may use `@t{--}' for comments. This is useful
14753 mostly for documenting command files. The standard @value{GDBN} comment
14754 (@samp{#}) still works at the beginning of a line in Ada mode, but not in the
14755 middle (to allow based literals).
14756
14757 The debugger supports limited overloading. Given a subprogram call in which
14758 the function symbol has multiple definitions, it will use the number of
14759 actual parameters and some information about their types to attempt to narrow
14760 the set of definitions. It also makes very limited use of context, preferring
14761 procedures to functions in the context of the @code{call} command, and
14762 functions to procedures elsewhere.
14763
14764 @node Omissions from Ada
14765 @subsubsection Omissions from Ada
14766 @cindex Ada, omissions from
14767
14768 Here are the notable omissions from the subset:
14769
14770 @itemize @bullet
14771 @item
14772 Only a subset of the attributes are supported:
14773
14774 @itemize @minus
14775 @item
14776 @t{'First}, @t{'Last}, and @t{'Length}
14777 on array objects (not on types and subtypes).
14778
14779 @item
14780 @t{'Min} and @t{'Max}.
14781
14782 @item
14783 @t{'Pos} and @t{'Val}.
14784
14785 @item
14786 @t{'Tag}.
14787
14788 @item
14789 @t{'Range} on array objects (not subtypes), but only as the right
14790 operand of the membership (@code{in}) operator.
14791
14792 @item
14793 @t{'Access}, @t{'Unchecked_Access}, and
14794 @t{'Unrestricted_Access} (a GNAT extension).
14795
14796 @item
14797 @t{'Address}.
14798 @end itemize
14799
14800 @item
14801 The names in
14802 @code{Characters.Latin_1} are not available and
14803 concatenation is not implemented. Thus, escape characters in strings are
14804 not currently available.
14805
14806 @item
14807 Equality tests (@samp{=} and @samp{/=}) on arrays test for bitwise
14808 equality of representations. They will generally work correctly
14809 for strings and arrays whose elements have integer or enumeration types.
14810 They may not work correctly for arrays whose element
14811 types have user-defined equality, for arrays of real values
14812 (in particular, IEEE-conformant floating point, because of negative
14813 zeroes and NaNs), and for arrays whose elements contain unused bits with
14814 indeterminate values.
14815
14816 @item
14817 The other component-by-component array operations (@code{and}, @code{or},
14818 @code{xor}, @code{not}, and relational tests other than equality)
14819 are not implemented.
14820
14821 @item
14822 @cindex array aggregates (Ada)
14823 @cindex record aggregates (Ada)
14824 @cindex aggregates (Ada)
14825 There is limited support for array and record aggregates. They are
14826 permitted only on the right sides of assignments, as in these examples:
14827
14828 @smallexample
14829 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
14830 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, others => 0)
14831 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (0|4 => 1, 1..3 => 2, 5 => 6)
14832 (@value{GDBP}) set A_2D_Array := ((1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6), (7, 8, 9))
14833 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (1, "Peter", True);
14834 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (Name => "Peter", Id => 1, Alive => True)
14835 @end smallexample
14836
14837 Changing a
14838 discriminant's value by assigning an aggregate has an
14839 undefined effect if that discriminant is used within the record.
14840 However, you can first modify discriminants by directly assigning to
14841 them (which normally would not be allowed in Ada), and then performing an
14842 aggregate assignment. For example, given a variable @code{A_Rec}
14843 declared to have a type such as:
14844
14845 @smallexample
14846 type Rec (Len : Small_Integer := 0) is record
14847 Id : Integer;
14848 Vals : IntArray (1 .. Len);
14849 end record;
14850 @end smallexample
14851
14852 you can assign a value with a different size of @code{Vals} with two
14853 assignments:
14854
14855 @smallexample
14856 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec.Len := 4
14857 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec := (Id => 42, Vals => (1, 2, 3, 4))
14858 @end smallexample
14859
14860 As this example also illustrates, @value{GDBN} is very loose about the usual
14861 rules concerning aggregates. You may leave out some of the
14862 components of an array or record aggregate (such as the @code{Len}
14863 component in the assignment to @code{A_Rec} above); they will retain their
14864 original values upon assignment. You may freely use dynamic values as
14865 indices in component associations. You may even use overlapping or
14866 redundant component associations, although which component values are
14867 assigned in such cases is not defined.
14868
14869 @item
14870 Calls to dispatching subprograms are not implemented.
14871
14872 @item
14873 The overloading algorithm is much more limited (i.e., less selective)
14874 than that of real Ada. It makes only limited use of the context in
14875 which a subexpression appears to resolve its meaning, and it is much
14876 looser in its rules for allowing type matches. As a result, some
14877 function calls will be ambiguous, and the user will be asked to choose
14878 the proper resolution.
14879
14880 @item
14881 The @code{new} operator is not implemented.
14882
14883 @item
14884 Entry calls are not implemented.
14885
14886 @item
14887 Aside from printing, arithmetic operations on the native VAX floating-point
14888 formats are not supported.
14889
14890 @item
14891 It is not possible to slice a packed array.
14892
14893 @item
14894 The names @code{True} and @code{False}, when not part of a qualified name,
14895 are interpreted as if implicitly prefixed by @code{Standard}, regardless of
14896 context.
14897 Should your program
14898 redefine these names in a package or procedure (at best a dubious practice),
14899 you will have to use fully qualified names to access their new definitions.
14900 @end itemize
14901
14902 @node Additions to Ada
14903 @subsubsection Additions to Ada
14904 @cindex Ada, deviations from
14905
14906 As it does for other languages, @value{GDBN} makes certain generic
14907 extensions to Ada (@pxref{Expressions}):
14908
14909 @itemize @bullet
14910 @item
14911 If the expression @var{E} is a variable residing in memory (typically
14912 a local variable or array element) and @var{N} is a positive integer,
14913 then @code{@var{E}@@@var{N}} displays the values of @var{E} and the
14914 @var{N}-1 adjacent variables following it in memory as an array. In
14915 Ada, this operator is generally not necessary, since its prime use is
14916 in displaying parts of an array, and slicing will usually do this in
14917 Ada. However, there are occasional uses when debugging programs in
14918 which certain debugging information has been optimized away.
14919
14920 @item
14921 @code{@var{B}::@var{var}} means ``the variable named @var{var} that
14922 appears in function or file @var{B}.'' When @var{B} is a file name,
14923 you must typically surround it in single quotes.
14924
14925 @item
14926 The expression @code{@{@var{type}@} @var{addr}} means ``the variable of type
14927 @var{type} that appears at address @var{addr}.''
14928
14929 @item
14930 A name starting with @samp{$} is a convenience variable
14931 (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) or a machine register (@pxref{Registers}).
14932 @end itemize
14933
14934 In addition, @value{GDBN} provides a few other shortcuts and outright
14935 additions specific to Ada:
14936
14937 @itemize @bullet
14938 @item
14939 The assignment statement is allowed as an expression, returning
14940 its right-hand operand as its value. Thus, you may enter
14941
14942 @smallexample
14943 (@value{GDBP}) set x := y + 3
14944 (@value{GDBP}) print A(tmp := y + 1)
14945 @end smallexample
14946
14947 @item
14948 The semicolon is allowed as an ``operator,'' returning as its value
14949 the value of its right-hand operand.
14950 This allows, for example,
14951 complex conditional breaks:
14952
14953 @smallexample
14954 (@value{GDBP}) break f
14955 (@value{GDBP}) condition 1 (report(i); k += 1; A(k) > 100)
14956 @end smallexample
14957
14958 @item
14959 Rather than use catenation and symbolic character names to introduce special
14960 characters into strings, one may instead use a special bracket notation,
14961 which is also used to print strings. A sequence of characters of the form
14962 @samp{["@var{XX}"]} within a string or character literal denotes the
14963 (single) character whose numeric encoding is @var{XX} in hexadecimal. The
14964 sequence of characters @samp{["""]} also denotes a single quotation mark
14965 in strings. For example,
14966 @smallexample
14967 "One line.["0a"]Next line.["0a"]"
14968 @end smallexample
14969 @noindent
14970 contains an ASCII newline character (@code{Ada.Characters.Latin_1.LF})
14971 after each period.
14972
14973 @item
14974 The subtype used as a prefix for the attributes @t{'Pos}, @t{'Min}, and
14975 @t{'Max} is optional (and is ignored in any case). For example, it is valid
14976 to write
14977
14978 @smallexample
14979 (@value{GDBP}) print 'max(x, y)
14980 @end smallexample
14981
14982 @item
14983 When printing arrays, @value{GDBN} uses positional notation when the
14984 array has a lower bound of 1, and uses a modified named notation otherwise.
14985 For example, a one-dimensional array of three integers with a lower bound
14986 of 3 might print as
14987
14988 @smallexample
14989 (3 => 10, 17, 1)
14990 @end smallexample
14991
14992 @noindent
14993 That is, in contrast to valid Ada, only the first component has a @code{=>}
14994 clause.
14995
14996 @item
14997 You may abbreviate attributes in expressions with any unique,
14998 multi-character subsequence of
14999 their names (an exact match gets preference).
15000 For example, you may use @t{a'len}, @t{a'gth}, or @t{a'lh}
15001 in place of @t{a'length}.
15002
15003 @item
15004 @cindex quoting Ada internal identifiers
15005 Since Ada is case-insensitive, the debugger normally maps identifiers you type
15006 to lower case. The GNAT compiler uses upper-case characters for
15007 some of its internal identifiers, which are normally of no interest to users.
15008 For the rare occasions when you actually have to look at them,
15009 enclose them in angle brackets to avoid the lower-case mapping.
15010 For example,
15011 @smallexample
15012 (@value{GDBP}) print <JMPBUF_SAVE>[0]
15013 @end smallexample
15014
15015 @item
15016 Printing an object of class-wide type or dereferencing an
15017 access-to-class-wide value will display all the components of the object's
15018 specific type (as indicated by its run-time tag). Likewise, component
15019 selection on such a value will operate on the specific type of the
15020 object.
15021
15022 @end itemize
15023
15024 @node Stopping Before Main Program
15025 @subsubsection Stopping at the Very Beginning
15026
15027 @cindex breakpointing Ada elaboration code
15028 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration, and
15029 before reaching the main procedure.
15030 As defined in the Ada Reference
15031 Manual, the elaboration code is invoked from a procedure called
15032 @code{adainit}. To run your program up to the beginning of
15033 elaboration, simply use the following two commands:
15034 @code{tbreak adainit} and @code{run}.
15035
15036 @node Ada Tasks
15037 @subsubsection Extensions for Ada Tasks
15038 @cindex Ada, tasking
15039
15040 Support for Ada tasks is analogous to that for threads (@pxref{Threads}).
15041 @value{GDBN} provides the following task-related commands:
15042
15043 @table @code
15044 @kindex info tasks
15045 @item info tasks
15046 This command shows a list of current Ada tasks, as in the following example:
15047
15048
15049 @smallexample
15050 @iftex
15051 @leftskip=0.5cm
15052 @end iftex
15053 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15054 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15055 1 8088000 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15056 2 80a4000 1 15 Accept Statement b
15057 3 809a800 1 15 Child Activation Wait a
15058 * 4 80ae800 3 15 Runnable c
15059
15060 @end smallexample
15061
15062 @noindent
15063 In this listing, the asterisk before the last task indicates it to be the
15064 task currently being inspected.
15065
15066 @table @asis
15067 @item ID
15068 Represents @value{GDBN}'s internal task number.
15069
15070 @item TID
15071 The Ada task ID.
15072
15073 @item P-ID
15074 The parent's task ID (@value{GDBN}'s internal task number).
15075
15076 @item Pri
15077 The base priority of the task.
15078
15079 @item State
15080 Current state of the task.
15081
15082 @table @code
15083 @item Unactivated
15084 The task has been created but has not been activated. It cannot be
15085 executing.
15086
15087 @item Runnable
15088 The task is not blocked for any reason known to Ada. (It may be waiting
15089 for a mutex, though.) It is conceptually "executing" in normal mode.
15090
15091 @item Terminated
15092 The task is terminated, in the sense of ARM 9.3 (5). Any dependents
15093 that were waiting on terminate alternatives have been awakened and have
15094 terminated themselves.
15095
15096 @item Child Activation Wait
15097 The task is waiting for created tasks to complete activation.
15098
15099 @item Accept Statement
15100 The task is waiting on an accept or selective wait statement.
15101
15102 @item Waiting on entry call
15103 The task is waiting on an entry call.
15104
15105 @item Async Select Wait
15106 The task is waiting to start the abortable part of an asynchronous
15107 select statement.
15108
15109 @item Delay Sleep
15110 The task is waiting on a select statement with only a delay
15111 alternative open.
15112
15113 @item Child Termination Wait
15114 The task is sleeping having completed a master within itself, and is
15115 waiting for the tasks dependent on that master to become terminated or
15116 waiting on a terminate Phase.
15117
15118 @item Wait Child in Term Alt
15119 The task is sleeping waiting for tasks on terminate alternatives to
15120 finish terminating.
15121
15122 @item Accepting RV with @var{taskno}
15123 The task is accepting a rendez-vous with the task @var{taskno}.
15124 @end table
15125
15126 @item Name
15127 Name of the task in the program.
15128
15129 @end table
15130
15131 @kindex info task @var{taskno}
15132 @item info task @var{taskno}
15133 This command shows detailled informations on the specified task, as in
15134 the following example:
15135 @smallexample
15136 @iftex
15137 @leftskip=0.5cm
15138 @end iftex
15139 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15140 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15141 1 8077880 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15142 * 2 807c468 1 15 Runnable task_1
15143 (@value{GDBP}) info task 2
15144 Ada Task: 0x807c468
15145 Name: task_1
15146 Thread: 0x807f378
15147 Parent: 1 (main_task)
15148 Base Priority: 15
15149 State: Runnable
15150 @end smallexample
15151
15152 @item task
15153 @kindex task@r{ (Ada)}
15154 @cindex current Ada task ID
15155 This command prints the ID of the current task.
15156
15157 @smallexample
15158 @iftex
15159 @leftskip=0.5cm
15160 @end iftex
15161 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15162 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15163 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15164 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
15165 (@value{GDBP}) task
15166 [Current task is 2]
15167 @end smallexample
15168
15169 @item task @var{taskno}
15170 @cindex Ada task switching
15171 This command is like the @code{thread @var{threadno}}
15172 command (@pxref{Threads}). It switches the context of debugging
15173 from the current task to the given task.
15174
15175 @smallexample
15176 @iftex
15177 @leftskip=0.5cm
15178 @end iftex
15179 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15180 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15181 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15182 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
15183 (@value{GDBP}) task 1
15184 [Switching to task 1]
15185 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
15186 (@value{GDBP}) bt
15187 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
15188 #1 0x8056714 in system.os_interface.pthread_cond_wait ()
15189 #2 0x805cb63 in system.task_primitives.operations.sleep ()
15190 #3 0x806153e in system.tasking.stages.activate_tasks ()
15191 #4 0x804aacc in un () at un.adb:5
15192 @end smallexample
15193
15194 @item break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno}
15195 @itemx break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno} if @dots{}
15196 @cindex breakpoints and tasks, in Ada
15197 @cindex task breakpoints, in Ada
15198 @kindex break @dots{} task @var{taskno}@r{ (Ada)}
15199 These commands are like the @code{break @dots{} thread @dots{}}
15200 command (@pxref{Thread Stops}).
15201 @var{linespec} specifies source lines, as described
15202 in @ref{Specify Location}.
15203
15204 Use the qualifier @samp{task @var{taskno}} with a breakpoint command
15205 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
15206 particular Ada task reaches this breakpoint. @var{taskno} is one of the
15207 numeric task identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
15208 column of the @samp{info tasks} display.
15209
15210 If you do not specify @samp{task @var{taskno}} when you set a
15211 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} tasks of your
15212 program.
15213
15214 You can use the @code{task} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
15215 well; in this case, place @samp{task @var{taskno}} before the
15216 breakpoint condition (before the @code{if}).
15217
15218 For example,
15219
15220 @smallexample
15221 @iftex
15222 @leftskip=0.5cm
15223 @end iftex
15224 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15225 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15226 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15227 2 140045060 1 15 Accept/Select Wait t2
15228 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
15229 * 4 140056040 1 15 Runnable t3
15230 (@value{GDBP}) b 15 task 2
15231 Breakpoint 5 at 0x120044cb0: file test_task_debug.adb, line 15.
15232 (@value{GDBP}) cont
15233 Continuing.
15234 task # 1 running
15235 task # 2 running
15236
15237 Breakpoint 5, test_task_debug () at test_task_debug.adb:15
15238 15 flush;
15239 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15240 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15241 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15242 * 2 140045060 1 15 Runnable t2
15243 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
15244 4 140056040 1 15 Delay Sleep t3
15245 @end smallexample
15246 @end table
15247
15248 @node Ada Tasks and Core Files
15249 @subsubsection Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
15250 @cindex Ada tasking and core file debugging
15251
15252 When inspecting a core file, as opposed to debugging a live program,
15253 tasking support may be limited or even unavailable, depending on
15254 the platform being used.
15255 For instance, on x86-linux, the list of tasks is available, but task
15256 switching is not supported. On Tru64, however, task switching will work
15257 as usual.
15258
15259 On certain platforms, including Tru64, the debugger needs to perform some
15260 memory writes in order to provide Ada tasking support. When inspecting
15261 a core file, this means that the core file must be opened with read-write
15262 privileges, using the command @samp{"set write on"} (@pxref{Patching}).
15263 Under these circumstances, you should make a backup copy of the core
15264 file before inspecting it with @value{GDBN}.
15265
15266 @node Ravenscar Profile
15267 @subsubsection Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar Profile
15268 @cindex Ravenscar Profile
15269
15270 The @dfn{Ravenscar Profile} is a subset of the Ada tasking features,
15271 specifically designed for systems with safety-critical real-time
15272 requirements.
15273
15274 @table @code
15275 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching on
15276 @cindex task switching with program using Ravenscar Profile
15277 @item set ravenscar task-switching on
15278 Allows task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
15279 Profile. This is the default.
15280
15281 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching off
15282 @item set ravenscar task-switching off
15283 Turn off task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
15284 Profile. This is mostly intended to disable the code that adds support
15285 for the Ravenscar Profile, in case a bug in either @value{GDBN} or in
15286 the Ravenscar runtime is preventing @value{GDBN} from working properly.
15287 To be effective, this command should be run before the program is started.
15288
15289 @kindex show ravenscar task-switching
15290 @item show ravenscar task-switching
15291 Show whether it is possible to switch from task to task in a program
15292 using the Ravenscar Profile.
15293
15294 @end table
15295
15296 @node Ada Glitches
15297 @subsubsection Known Peculiarities of Ada Mode
15298 @cindex Ada, problems
15299
15300 Besides the omissions listed previously (@pxref{Omissions from Ada}),
15301 we know of several problems with and limitations of Ada mode in
15302 @value{GDBN},
15303 some of which will be fixed with planned future releases of the debugger
15304 and the GNU Ada compiler.
15305
15306 @itemize @bullet
15307 @item
15308 Static constants that the compiler chooses not to materialize as objects in
15309 storage are invisible to the debugger.
15310
15311 @item
15312 Named parameter associations in function argument lists are ignored (the
15313 argument lists are treated as positional).
15314
15315 @item
15316 Many useful library packages are currently invisible to the debugger.
15317
15318 @item
15319 Fixed-point arithmetic, conversions, input, and output is carried out using
15320 floating-point arithmetic, and may give results that only approximate those on
15321 the host machine.
15322
15323 @item
15324 The GNAT compiler never generates the prefix @code{Standard} for any of
15325 the standard symbols defined by the Ada language. @value{GDBN} knows about
15326 this: it will strip the prefix from names when you use it, and will never
15327 look for a name you have so qualified among local symbols, nor match against
15328 symbols in other packages or subprograms. If you have
15329 defined entities anywhere in your program other than parameters and
15330 local variables whose simple names match names in @code{Standard},
15331 GNAT's lack of qualification here can cause confusion. When this happens,
15332 you can usually resolve the confusion
15333 by qualifying the problematic names with package
15334 @code{Standard} explicitly.
15335 @end itemize
15336
15337 Older versions of the compiler sometimes generate erroneous debugging
15338 information, resulting in the debugger incorrectly printing the value
15339 of affected entities. In some cases, the debugger is able to work
15340 around an issue automatically. In other cases, the debugger is able
15341 to work around the issue, but the work-around has to be specifically
15342 enabled.
15343
15344 @kindex set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
15345 @kindex show ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
15346 @table @code
15347
15348 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS on
15349 Configure GDB to strictly follow the GNAT encoding when computing the
15350 value of Ada entities, particularly when @code{PAD} and @code{PAD___XVS}
15351 types are involved (see @code{ada/exp_dbug.ads} in the GCC sources for
15352 a complete description of the encoding used by the GNAT compiler).
15353 This is the default.
15354
15355 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS off
15356 This is related to the encoding using by the GNAT compiler. If @value{GDBN}
15357 sometimes prints the wrong value for certain entities, changing @code{ada
15358 trust-PAD-over-XVS} to @code{off} activates a work-around which may fix
15359 the issue. It is always safe to set @code{ada trust-PAD-over-XVS} to
15360 @code{off}, but this incurs a slight performance penalty, so it is
15361 recommended to leave this setting to @code{on} unless necessary.
15362
15363 @end table
15364
15365 @node Unsupported Languages
15366 @section Unsupported Languages
15367
15368 @cindex unsupported languages
15369 @cindex minimal language
15370 In addition to the other fully-supported programming languages,
15371 @value{GDBN} also provides a pseudo-language, called @code{minimal}.
15372 It does not represent a real programming language, but provides a set
15373 of capabilities close to what the C or assembly languages provide.
15374 This should allow most simple operations to be performed while debugging
15375 an application that uses a language currently not supported by @value{GDBN}.
15376
15377 If the language is set to @code{auto}, @value{GDBN} will automatically
15378 select this language if the current frame corresponds to an unsupported
15379 language.
15380
15381 @node Symbols
15382 @chapter Examining the Symbol Table
15383
15384 The commands described in this chapter allow you to inquire about the
15385 symbols (names of variables, functions and types) defined in your
15386 program. This information is inherent in the text of your program and
15387 does not change as your program executes. @value{GDBN} finds it in your
15388 program's symbol table, in the file indicated when you started @value{GDBN}
15389 (@pxref{File Options, ,Choosing Files}), or by one of the
15390 file-management commands (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
15391
15392 @cindex symbol names
15393 @cindex names of symbols
15394 @cindex quoting names
15395 Occasionally, you may need to refer to symbols that contain unusual
15396 characters, which @value{GDBN} ordinarily treats as word delimiters. The
15397 most frequent case is in referring to static variables in other
15398 source files (@pxref{Variables,,Program Variables}). File names
15399 are recorded in object files as debugging symbols, but @value{GDBN} would
15400 ordinarily parse a typical file name, like @file{foo.c}, as the three words
15401 @samp{foo} @samp{.} @samp{c}. To allow @value{GDBN} to recognize
15402 @samp{foo.c} as a single symbol, enclose it in single quotes; for example,
15403
15404 @smallexample
15405 p 'foo.c'::x
15406 @end smallexample
15407
15408 @noindent
15409 looks up the value of @code{x} in the scope of the file @file{foo.c}.
15410
15411 @table @code
15412 @cindex case-insensitive symbol names
15413 @cindex case sensitivity in symbol names
15414 @kindex set case-sensitive
15415 @item set case-sensitive on
15416 @itemx set case-sensitive off
15417 @itemx set case-sensitive auto
15418 Normally, when @value{GDBN} looks up symbols, it matches their names
15419 with case sensitivity determined by the current source language.
15420 Occasionally, you may wish to control that. The command @code{set
15421 case-sensitive} lets you do that by specifying @code{on} for
15422 case-sensitive matches or @code{off} for case-insensitive ones. If
15423 you specify @code{auto}, case sensitivity is reset to the default
15424 suitable for the source language. The default is case-sensitive
15425 matches for all languages except for Fortran, for which the default is
15426 case-insensitive matches.
15427
15428 @kindex show case-sensitive
15429 @item show case-sensitive
15430 This command shows the current setting of case sensitivity for symbols
15431 lookups.
15432
15433 @kindex set print type methods
15434 @item set print type methods
15435 @itemx set print type methods on
15436 @itemx set print type methods off
15437 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a class, it displays any methods
15438 declared in that class. You can control this behavior either by
15439 passing the appropriate flag to @code{ptype}, or using @command{set
15440 print type methods}. Specifying @code{on} will cause @value{GDBN} to
15441 display the methods; this is the default. Specifying @code{off} will
15442 cause @value{GDBN} to omit the methods.
15443
15444 @kindex show print type methods
15445 @item show print type methods
15446 This command shows the current setting of method display when printing
15447 classes.
15448
15449 @kindex set print type typedefs
15450 @item set print type typedefs
15451 @itemx set print type typedefs on
15452 @itemx set print type typedefs off
15453
15454 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a class, it displays any typedefs
15455 defined in that class. You can control this behavior either by
15456 passing the appropriate flag to @code{ptype}, or using @command{set
15457 print type typedefs}. Specifying @code{on} will cause @value{GDBN} to
15458 display the typedef definitions; this is the default. Specifying
15459 @code{off} will cause @value{GDBN} to omit the typedef definitions.
15460 Note that this controls whether the typedef definition itself is
15461 printed, not whether typedef names are substituted when printing other
15462 types.
15463
15464 @kindex show print type typedefs
15465 @item show print type typedefs
15466 This command shows the current setting of typedef display when
15467 printing classes.
15468
15469 @kindex info address
15470 @cindex address of a symbol
15471 @item info address @var{symbol}
15472 Describe where the data for @var{symbol} is stored. For a register
15473 variable, this says which register it is kept in. For a non-register
15474 local variable, this prints the stack-frame offset at which the variable
15475 is always stored.
15476
15477 Note the contrast with @samp{print &@var{symbol}}, which does not work
15478 at all for a register variable, and for a stack local variable prints
15479 the exact address of the current instantiation of the variable.
15480
15481 @kindex info symbol
15482 @cindex symbol from address
15483 @cindex closest symbol and offset for an address
15484 @item info symbol @var{addr}
15485 Print the name of a symbol which is stored at the address @var{addr}.
15486 If no symbol is stored exactly at @var{addr}, @value{GDBN} prints the
15487 nearest symbol and an offset from it:
15488
15489 @smallexample
15490 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x54320
15491 _initialize_vx + 396 in section .text
15492 @end smallexample
15493
15494 @noindent
15495 This is the opposite of the @code{info address} command. You can use
15496 it to find out the name of a variable or a function given its address.
15497
15498 For dynamically linked executables, the name of executable or shared
15499 library containing the symbol is also printed:
15500
15501 @smallexample
15502 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x400225
15503 _start + 5 in section .text of /tmp/a.out
15504 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x2aaaac2811cf
15505 __read_nocancel + 6 in section .text of /usr/lib64/libc.so.6
15506 @end smallexample
15507
15508 @kindex whatis
15509 @item whatis[/@var{flags}] [@var{arg}]
15510 Print the data type of @var{arg}, which can be either an expression
15511 or a name of a data type. With no argument, print the data type of
15512 @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
15513
15514 If @var{arg} is an expression (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), it
15515 is not actually evaluated, and any side-effecting operations (such as
15516 assignments or function calls) inside it do not take place.
15517
15518 If @var{arg} is a variable or an expression, @code{whatis} prints its
15519 literal type as it is used in the source code. If the type was
15520 defined using a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will @emph{not} print
15521 the data type underlying the @code{typedef}. If the type of the
15522 variable or the expression is a compound data type, such as
15523 @code{struct} or @code{class}, @code{whatis} never prints their
15524 fields or methods. It just prints the @code{struct}/@code{class}
15525 name (a.k.a.@: its @dfn{tag}). If you want to see the members of
15526 such a compound data type, use @code{ptype}.
15527
15528 If @var{arg} is a type name that was defined using @code{typedef},
15529 @code{whatis} @dfn{unrolls} only one level of that @code{typedef}.
15530 Unrolling means that @code{whatis} will show the underlying type used
15531 in the @code{typedef} declaration of @var{arg}. However, if that
15532 underlying type is also a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will not
15533 unroll it.
15534
15535 For C code, the type names may also have the form @samp{class
15536 @var{class-name}}, @samp{struct @var{struct-tag}}, @samp{union
15537 @var{union-tag}} or @samp{enum @var{enum-tag}}.
15538
15539 @var{flags} can be used to modify how the type is displayed.
15540 Available flags are:
15541
15542 @table @code
15543 @item r
15544 Display in ``raw'' form. Normally, @value{GDBN} substitutes template
15545 parameters and typedefs defined in a class when printing the class'
15546 members. The @code{/r} flag disables this.
15547
15548 @item m
15549 Do not print methods defined in the class.
15550
15551 @item M
15552 Print methods defined in the class. This is the default, but the flag
15553 exists in case you change the default with @command{set print type methods}.
15554
15555 @item t
15556 Do not print typedefs defined in the class. Note that this controls
15557 whether the typedef definition itself is printed, not whether typedef
15558 names are substituted when printing other types.
15559
15560 @item T
15561 Print typedefs defined in the class. This is the default, but the flag
15562 exists in case you change the default with @command{set print type typedefs}.
15563 @end table
15564
15565 @kindex ptype
15566 @item ptype[/@var{flags}] [@var{arg}]
15567 @code{ptype} accepts the same arguments as @code{whatis}, but prints a
15568 detailed description of the type, instead of just the name of the type.
15569 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
15570
15571 Contrary to @code{whatis}, @code{ptype} always unrolls any
15572 @code{typedef}s in its argument declaration, whether the argument is
15573 a variable, expression, or a data type. This means that @code{ptype}
15574 of a variable or an expression will not print literally its type as
15575 present in the source code---use @code{whatis} for that. @code{typedef}s at
15576 the pointer or reference targets are also unrolled. Only @code{typedef}s of
15577 fields, methods and inner @code{class typedef}s of @code{struct}s,
15578 @code{class}es and @code{union}s are not unrolled even with @code{ptype}.
15579
15580 For example, for this variable declaration:
15581
15582 @smallexample
15583 typedef double real_t;
15584 struct complex @{ real_t real; double imag; @};
15585 typedef struct complex complex_t;
15586 complex_t var;
15587 real_t *real_pointer_var;
15588 @end smallexample
15589
15590 @noindent
15591 the two commands give this output:
15592
15593 @smallexample
15594 @group
15595 (@value{GDBP}) whatis var
15596 type = complex_t
15597 (@value{GDBP}) ptype var
15598 type = struct complex @{
15599 real_t real;
15600 double imag;
15601 @}
15602 (@value{GDBP}) whatis complex_t
15603 type = struct complex
15604 (@value{GDBP}) whatis struct complex
15605 type = struct complex
15606 (@value{GDBP}) ptype struct complex
15607 type = struct complex @{
15608 real_t real;
15609 double imag;
15610 @}
15611 (@value{GDBP}) whatis real_pointer_var
15612 type = real_t *
15613 (@value{GDBP}) ptype real_pointer_var
15614 type = double *
15615 @end group
15616 @end smallexample
15617
15618 @noindent
15619 As with @code{whatis}, using @code{ptype} without an argument refers to
15620 the type of @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
15621
15622 @cindex incomplete type
15623 Sometimes, programs use opaque data types or incomplete specifications
15624 of complex data structure. If the debug information included in the
15625 program does not allow @value{GDBN} to display a full declaration of
15626 the data type, it will say @samp{<incomplete type>}. For example,
15627 given these declarations:
15628
15629 @smallexample
15630 struct foo;
15631 struct foo *fooptr;
15632 @end smallexample
15633
15634 @noindent
15635 but no definition for @code{struct foo} itself, @value{GDBN} will say:
15636
15637 @smallexample
15638 (@value{GDBP}) ptype foo
15639 $1 = <incomplete type>
15640 @end smallexample
15641
15642 @noindent
15643 ``Incomplete type'' is C terminology for data types that are not
15644 completely specified.
15645
15646 @kindex info types
15647 @item info types @var{regexp}
15648 @itemx info types
15649 Print a brief description of all types whose names match the regular
15650 expression @var{regexp} (or all types in your program, if you supply
15651 no argument). Each complete typename is matched as though it were a
15652 complete line; thus, @samp{i type value} gives information on all
15653 types in your program whose names include the string @code{value}, but
15654 @samp{i type ^value$} gives information only on types whose complete
15655 name is @code{value}.
15656
15657 This command differs from @code{ptype} in two ways: first, like
15658 @code{whatis}, it does not print a detailed description; second, it
15659 lists all source files where a type is defined.
15660
15661 @kindex info type-printers
15662 @item info type-printers
15663 Versions of @value{GDBN} that ship with Python scripting enabled may
15664 have ``type printers'' available. When using @command{ptype} or
15665 @command{whatis}, these printers are consulted when the name of a type
15666 is needed. @xref{Type Printing API}, for more information on writing
15667 type printers.
15668
15669 @code{info type-printers} displays all the available type printers.
15670
15671 @kindex enable type-printer
15672 @kindex disable type-printer
15673 @item enable type-printer @var{name}@dots{}
15674 @item disable type-printer @var{name}@dots{}
15675 These commands can be used to enable or disable type printers.
15676
15677 @kindex info scope
15678 @cindex local variables
15679 @item info scope @var{location}
15680 List all the variables local to a particular scope. This command
15681 accepts a @var{location} argument---a function name, a source line, or
15682 an address preceded by a @samp{*}, and prints all the variables local
15683 to the scope defined by that location. (@xref{Specify Location}, for
15684 details about supported forms of @var{location}.) For example:
15685
15686 @smallexample
15687 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info scope command_line_handler}
15688 Scope for command_line_handler:
15689 Symbol rl is an argument at stack/frame offset 8, length 4.
15690 Symbol linebuffer is in static storage at address 0x150a18, length 4.
15691 Symbol linelength is in static storage at address 0x150a1c, length 4.
15692 Symbol p is a local variable in register $esi, length 4.
15693 Symbol p1 is a local variable in register $ebx, length 4.
15694 Symbol nline is a local variable in register $edx, length 4.
15695 Symbol repeat is a local variable at frame offset -8, length 4.
15696 @end smallexample
15697
15698 @noindent
15699 This command is especially useful for determining what data to collect
15700 during a @dfn{trace experiment}, see @ref{Tracepoint Actions,
15701 collect}.
15702
15703 @kindex info source
15704 @item info source
15705 Show information about the current source file---that is, the source file for
15706 the function containing the current point of execution:
15707 @itemize @bullet
15708 @item
15709 the name of the source file, and the directory containing it,
15710 @item
15711 the directory it was compiled in,
15712 @item
15713 its length, in lines,
15714 @item
15715 which programming language it is written in,
15716 @item
15717 whether the executable includes debugging information for that file, and
15718 if so, what format the information is in (e.g., STABS, Dwarf 2, etc.), and
15719 @item
15720 whether the debugging information includes information about
15721 preprocessor macros.
15722 @end itemize
15723
15724
15725 @kindex info sources
15726 @item info sources
15727 Print the names of all source files in your program for which there is
15728 debugging information, organized into two lists: files whose symbols
15729 have already been read, and files whose symbols will be read when needed.
15730
15731 @kindex info functions
15732 @item info functions
15733 Print the names and data types of all defined functions.
15734
15735 @item info functions @var{regexp}
15736 Print the names and data types of all defined functions
15737 whose names contain a match for regular expression @var{regexp}.
15738 Thus, @samp{info fun step} finds all functions whose names
15739 include @code{step}; @samp{info fun ^step} finds those whose names
15740 start with @code{step}. If a function name contains characters
15741 that conflict with the regular expression language (e.g.@:
15742 @samp{operator*()}), they may be quoted with a backslash.
15743
15744 @kindex info variables
15745 @item info variables
15746 Print the names and data types of all variables that are defined
15747 outside of functions (i.e.@: excluding local variables).
15748
15749 @item info variables @var{regexp}
15750 Print the names and data types of all variables (except for local
15751 variables) whose names contain a match for regular expression
15752 @var{regexp}.
15753
15754 @kindex info classes
15755 @cindex Objective-C, classes and selectors
15756 @item info classes
15757 @itemx info classes @var{regexp}
15758 Display all Objective-C classes in your program, or
15759 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
15760 expression.
15761
15762 @kindex info selectors
15763 @item info selectors
15764 @itemx info selectors @var{regexp}
15765 Display all Objective-C selectors in your program, or
15766 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
15767 expression.
15768
15769 @ignore
15770 This was never implemented.
15771 @kindex info methods
15772 @item info methods
15773 @itemx info methods @var{regexp}
15774 The @code{info methods} command permits the user to examine all defined
15775 methods within C@t{++} program, or (with the @var{regexp} argument) a
15776 specific set of methods found in the various C@t{++} classes. Many
15777 C@t{++} classes provide a large number of methods. Thus, the output
15778 from the @code{ptype} command can be overwhelming and hard to use. The
15779 @code{info-methods} command filters the methods, printing only those
15780 which match the regular-expression @var{regexp}.
15781 @end ignore
15782
15783 @cindex opaque data types
15784 @kindex set opaque-type-resolution
15785 @item set opaque-type-resolution on
15786 Tell @value{GDBN} to resolve opaque types. An opaque type is a type
15787 declared as a pointer to a @code{struct}, @code{class}, or
15788 @code{union}---for example, @code{struct MyType *}---that is used in one
15789 source file although the full declaration of @code{struct MyType} is in
15790 another source file. The default is on.
15791
15792 A change in the setting of this subcommand will not take effect until
15793 the next time symbols for a file are loaded.
15794
15795 @item set opaque-type-resolution off
15796 Tell @value{GDBN} not to resolve opaque types. In this case, the type
15797 is printed as follows:
15798 @smallexample
15799 @{<no data fields>@}
15800 @end smallexample
15801
15802 @kindex show opaque-type-resolution
15803 @item show opaque-type-resolution
15804 Show whether opaque types are resolved or not.
15805
15806 @kindex maint print symbols
15807 @cindex symbol dump
15808 @kindex maint print psymbols
15809 @cindex partial symbol dump
15810 @item maint print symbols @var{filename}
15811 @itemx maint print psymbols @var{filename}
15812 @itemx maint print msymbols @var{filename}
15813 Write a dump of debugging symbol data into the file @var{filename}.
15814 These commands are used to debug the @value{GDBN} symbol-reading code. Only
15815 symbols with debugging data are included. If you use @samp{maint print
15816 symbols}, @value{GDBN} includes all the symbols for which it has already
15817 collected full details: that is, @var{filename} reflects symbols for
15818 only those files whose symbols @value{GDBN} has read. You can use the
15819 command @code{info sources} to find out which files these are. If you
15820 use @samp{maint print psymbols} instead, the dump shows information about
15821 symbols that @value{GDBN} only knows partially---that is, symbols defined in
15822 files that @value{GDBN} has skimmed, but not yet read completely. Finally,
15823 @samp{maint print msymbols} dumps just the minimal symbol information
15824 required for each object file from which @value{GDBN} has read some symbols.
15825 @xref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}, for a discussion of how
15826 @value{GDBN} reads symbols (in the description of @code{symbol-file}).
15827
15828 @kindex maint info symtabs
15829 @kindex maint info psymtabs
15830 @cindex listing @value{GDBN}'s internal symbol tables
15831 @cindex symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
15832 @cindex full symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
15833 @cindex partial symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
15834 @item maint info symtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
15835 @itemx maint info psymtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
15836
15837 List the @code{struct symtab} or @code{struct partial_symtab}
15838 structures whose names match @var{regexp}. If @var{regexp} is not
15839 given, list them all. The output includes expressions which you can
15840 copy into a @value{GDBN} debugging this one to examine a particular
15841 structure in more detail. For example:
15842
15843 @smallexample
15844 (@value{GDBP}) maint info psymtabs dwarf2read
15845 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
15846 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
15847 @{ psymtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
15848 ((struct partial_symtab *) 0x8474b10)
15849 readin no
15850 fullname (null)
15851 text addresses 0x814d3c8 -- 0x8158074
15852 globals (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x8507a08 @@ 9)
15853 statics (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x40e95b78 @@ 2882)
15854 dependencies (none)
15855 @}
15856 @}
15857 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
15858 (@value{GDBP})
15859 @end smallexample
15860 @noindent
15861 We see that there is one partial symbol table whose filename contains
15862 the string @samp{dwarf2read}, belonging to the @samp{gdb} executable;
15863 and we see that @value{GDBN} has not read in any symtabs yet at all.
15864 If we set a breakpoint on a function, that will cause @value{GDBN} to
15865 read the symtab for the compilation unit containing that function:
15866
15867 @smallexample
15868 (@value{GDBP}) break dwarf2_psymtab_to_symtab
15869 Breakpoint 1 at 0x814e5da: file /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c,
15870 line 1574.
15871 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
15872 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
15873 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
15874 @{ symtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
15875 ((struct symtab *) 0x86c1f38)
15876 dirname (null)
15877 fullname (null)
15878 blockvector ((struct blockvector *) 0x86c1bd0) (primary)
15879 linetable ((struct linetable *) 0x8370fa0)
15880 debugformat DWARF 2
15881 @}
15882 @}
15883 (@value{GDBP})
15884 @end smallexample
15885 @end table
15886
15887
15888 @node Altering
15889 @chapter Altering Execution
15890
15891 Once you think you have found an error in your program, you might want to
15892 find out for certain whether correcting the apparent error would lead to
15893 correct results in the rest of the run. You can find the answer by
15894 experiment, using the @value{GDBN} features for altering execution of the
15895 program.
15896
15897 For example, you can store new values into variables or memory
15898 locations, give your program a signal, restart it at a different
15899 address, or even return prematurely from a function.
15900
15901 @menu
15902 * Assignment:: Assignment to variables
15903 * Jumping:: Continuing at a different address
15904 * Signaling:: Giving your program a signal
15905 * Returning:: Returning from a function
15906 * Calling:: Calling your program's functions
15907 * Patching:: Patching your program
15908 @end menu
15909
15910 @node Assignment
15911 @section Assignment to Variables
15912
15913 @cindex assignment
15914 @cindex setting variables
15915 To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression.
15916 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}. For example,
15917
15918 @smallexample
15919 print x=4
15920 @end smallexample
15921
15922 @noindent
15923 stores the value 4 into the variable @code{x}, and then prints the
15924 value of the assignment expression (which is 4).
15925 @xref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages}, for more
15926 information on operators in supported languages.
15927
15928 @kindex set variable
15929 @cindex variables, setting
15930 If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use the
15931 @code{set} command instead of the @code{print} command. @code{set} is
15932 really the same as @code{print} except that the expression's value is
15933 not printed and is not put in the value history (@pxref{Value History,
15934 ,Value History}). The expression is evaluated only for its effects.
15935
15936 If the beginning of the argument string of the @code{set} command
15937 appears identical to a @code{set} subcommand, use the @code{set
15938 variable} command instead of just @code{set}. This command is identical
15939 to @code{set} except for its lack of subcommands. For example, if your
15940 program has a variable @code{width}, you get an error if you try to set
15941 a new value with just @samp{set width=13}, because @value{GDBN} has the
15942 command @code{set width}:
15943
15944 @smallexample
15945 (@value{GDBP}) whatis width
15946 type = double
15947 (@value{GDBP}) p width
15948 $4 = 13
15949 (@value{GDBP}) set width=47
15950 Invalid syntax in expression.
15951 @end smallexample
15952
15953 @noindent
15954 The invalid expression, of course, is @samp{=47}. In
15955 order to actually set the program's variable @code{width}, use
15956
15957 @smallexample
15958 (@value{GDBP}) set var width=47
15959 @end smallexample
15960
15961 Because the @code{set} command has many subcommands that can conflict
15962 with the names of program variables, it is a good idea to use the
15963 @code{set variable} command instead of just @code{set}. For example, if
15964 your program has a variable @code{g}, you run into problems if you try
15965 to set a new value with just @samp{set g=4}, because @value{GDBN} has
15966 the command @code{set gnutarget}, abbreviated @code{set g}:
15967
15968 @smallexample
15969 @group
15970 (@value{GDBP}) whatis g
15971 type = double
15972 (@value{GDBP}) p g
15973 $1 = 1
15974 (@value{GDBP}) set g=4
15975 (@value{GDBP}) p g
15976 $2 = 1
15977 (@value{GDBP}) r
15978 The program being debugged has been started already.
15979 Start it from the beginning? (y or n) y
15980 Starting program: /home/smith/cc_progs/a.out
15981 "/home/smith/cc_progs/a.out": can't open to read symbols:
15982 Invalid bfd target.
15983 (@value{GDBP}) show g
15984 The current BFD target is "=4".
15985 @end group
15986 @end smallexample
15987
15988 @noindent
15989 The program variable @code{g} did not change, and you silently set the
15990 @code{gnutarget} to an invalid value. In order to set the variable
15991 @code{g}, use
15992
15993 @smallexample
15994 (@value{GDBP}) set var g=4
15995 @end smallexample
15996
15997 @value{GDBN} allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C; you can
15998 freely store an integer value into a pointer variable or vice versa,
15999 and you can convert any structure to any other structure that is the
16000 same length or shorter.
16001 @comment FIXME: how do structs align/pad in these conversions?
16002 @comment /doc@cygnus.com 18dec1990
16003
16004 To store values into arbitrary places in memory, use the @samp{@{@dots{}@}}
16005 construct to generate a value of specified type at a specified address
16006 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). For example, @code{@{int@}0x83040} refers
16007 to memory location @code{0x83040} as an integer (which implies a certain size
16008 and representation in memory), and
16009
16010 @smallexample
16011 set @{int@}0x83040 = 4
16012 @end smallexample
16013
16014 @noindent
16015 stores the value 4 into that memory location.
16016
16017 @node Jumping
16018 @section Continuing at a Different Address
16019
16020 Ordinarily, when you continue your program, you do so at the place where
16021 it stopped, with the @code{continue} command. You can instead continue at
16022 an address of your own choosing, with the following commands:
16023
16024 @table @code
16025 @kindex jump
16026 @kindex j @r{(@code{jump})}
16027 @item jump @var{linespec}
16028 @itemx j @var{linespec}
16029 @itemx jump @var{location}
16030 @itemx j @var{location}
16031 Resume execution at line @var{linespec} or at address given by
16032 @var{location}. Execution stops again immediately if there is a
16033 breakpoint there. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
16034 different forms of @var{linespec} and @var{location}. It is common
16035 practice to use the @code{tbreak} command in conjunction with
16036 @code{jump}. @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
16037
16038 The @code{jump} command does not change the current stack frame, or
16039 the stack pointer, or the contents of any memory location or any
16040 register other than the program counter. If line @var{linespec} is in
16041 a different function from the one currently executing, the results may
16042 be bizarre if the two functions expect different patterns of arguments or
16043 of local variables. For this reason, the @code{jump} command requests
16044 confirmation if the specified line is not in the function currently
16045 executing. However, even bizarre results are predictable if you are
16046 well acquainted with the machine-language code of your program.
16047 @end table
16048
16049 @c Doesn't work on HP-UX; have to set $pcoqh and $pcoqt.
16050 On many systems, you can get much the same effect as the @code{jump}
16051 command by storing a new value into the register @code{$pc}. The
16052 difference is that this does not start your program running; it only
16053 changes the address of where it @emph{will} run when you continue. For
16054 example,
16055
16056 @smallexample
16057 set $pc = 0x485
16058 @end smallexample
16059
16060 @noindent
16061 makes the next @code{continue} command or stepping command execute at
16062 address @code{0x485}, rather than at the address where your program stopped.
16063 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}.
16064
16065 The most common occasion to use the @code{jump} command is to back
16066 up---perhaps with more breakpoints set---over a portion of a program
16067 that has already executed, in order to examine its execution in more
16068 detail.
16069
16070 @c @group
16071 @node Signaling
16072 @section Giving your Program a Signal
16073 @cindex deliver a signal to a program
16074
16075 @table @code
16076 @kindex signal
16077 @item signal @var{signal}
16078 Resume execution where your program stopped, but immediately give it the
16079 signal @var{signal}. @var{signal} can be the name or the number of a
16080 signal. For example, on many systems @code{signal 2} and @code{signal
16081 SIGINT} are both ways of sending an interrupt signal.
16082
16083 Alternatively, if @var{signal} is zero, continue execution without
16084 giving a signal. This is useful when your program stopped on account of
16085 a signal and would ordinarily see the signal when resumed with the
16086 @code{continue} command; @samp{signal 0} causes it to resume without a
16087 signal.
16088
16089 @code{signal} does not repeat when you press @key{RET} a second time
16090 after executing the command.
16091 @end table
16092 @c @end group
16093
16094 Invoking the @code{signal} command is not the same as invoking the
16095 @code{kill} utility from the shell. Sending a signal with @code{kill}
16096 causes @value{GDBN} to decide what to do with the signal depending on
16097 the signal handling tables (@pxref{Signals}). The @code{signal} command
16098 passes the signal directly to your program.
16099
16100
16101 @node Returning
16102 @section Returning from a Function
16103
16104 @table @code
16105 @cindex returning from a function
16106 @kindex return
16107 @item return
16108 @itemx return @var{expression}
16109 You can cancel execution of a function call with the @code{return}
16110 command. If you give an
16111 @var{expression} argument, its value is used as the function's return
16112 value.
16113 @end table
16114
16115 When you use @code{return}, @value{GDBN} discards the selected stack frame
16116 (and all frames within it). You can think of this as making the
16117 discarded frame return prematurely. If you wish to specify a value to
16118 be returned, give that value as the argument to @code{return}.
16119
16120 This pops the selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a
16121 Frame}), and any other frames inside of it, leaving its caller as the
16122 innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes selected. The
16123 specified value is stored in the registers used for returning values
16124 of functions.
16125
16126 The @code{return} command does not resume execution; it leaves the
16127 program stopped in the state that would exist if the function had just
16128 returned. In contrast, the @code{finish} command (@pxref{Continuing
16129 and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}) resumes execution until the
16130 selected stack frame returns naturally.
16131
16132 @value{GDBN} needs to know how the @var{expression} argument should be set for
16133 the inferior. The concrete registers assignment depends on the OS ABI and the
16134 type being returned by the selected stack frame. For example it is common for
16135 OS ABI to return floating point values in FPU registers while integer values in
16136 CPU registers. Still some ABIs return even floating point values in CPU
16137 registers. Larger integer widths (such as @code{long long int}) also have
16138 specific placement rules. @value{GDBN} already knows the OS ABI from its
16139 current target so it needs to find out also the type being returned to make the
16140 assignment into the right register(s).
16141
16142 Normally, the selected stack frame has debug info. @value{GDBN} will always
16143 use the debug info instead of the implicit type of @var{expression} when the
16144 debug info is available. For example, if you type @kbd{return -1}, and the
16145 function in the current stack frame is declared to return a @code{long long
16146 int}, @value{GDBN} transparently converts the implicit @code{int} value of -1
16147 into a @code{long long int}:
16148
16149 @smallexample
16150 Breakpoint 1, func () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:29
16151 29 return 31;
16152 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
16153 Make func return now? (y or n) y
16154 #0 0x004004f6 in main () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:43
16155 43 printf ("result=%lld\n", func ());
16156 (@value{GDBP})
16157 @end smallexample
16158
16159 However, if the selected stack frame does not have a debug info, e.g., if the
16160 function was compiled without debug info, @value{GDBN} has to find out the type
16161 to return from user. Specifying a different type by mistake may set the value
16162 in different inferior registers than the caller code expects. For example,
16163 typing @kbd{return -1} with its implicit type @code{int} would set only a part
16164 of a @code{long long int} result for a debug info less function (on 32-bit
16165 architectures). Therefore the user is required to specify the return type by
16166 an appropriate cast explicitly:
16167
16168 @smallexample
16169 Breakpoint 2, 0x0040050b in func ()
16170 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
16171 Return value type not available for selected stack frame.
16172 Please use an explicit cast of the value to return.
16173 (@value{GDBP}) return (long long int) -1
16174 Make selected stack frame return now? (y or n) y
16175 #0 0x00400526 in main ()
16176 (@value{GDBP})
16177 @end smallexample
16178
16179 @node Calling
16180 @section Calling Program Functions
16181
16182 @table @code
16183 @cindex calling functions
16184 @cindex inferior functions, calling
16185 @item print @var{expr}
16186 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} and display the resulting value.
16187 @var{expr} may include calls to functions in the program being
16188 debugged.
16189
16190 @kindex call
16191 @item call @var{expr}
16192 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} without displaying @code{void}
16193 returned values.
16194
16195 You can use this variant of the @code{print} command if you want to
16196 execute a function from your program that does not return anything
16197 (a.k.a.@: @dfn{a void function}), but without cluttering the output
16198 with @code{void} returned values that @value{GDBN} will otherwise
16199 print. If the result is not void, it is printed and saved in the
16200 value history.
16201 @end table
16202
16203 It is possible for the function you call via the @code{print} or
16204 @code{call} command to generate a signal (e.g., if there's a bug in
16205 the function, or if you passed it incorrect arguments). What happens
16206 in that case is controlled by the @code{set unwindonsignal} command.
16207
16208 Similarly, with a C@t{++} program it is possible for the function you
16209 call via the @code{print} or @code{call} command to generate an
16210 exception that is not handled due to the constraints of the dummy
16211 frame. In this case, any exception that is raised in the frame, but has
16212 an out-of-frame exception handler will not be found. GDB builds a
16213 dummy-frame for the inferior function call, and the unwinder cannot
16214 seek for exception handlers outside of this dummy-frame. What happens
16215 in that case is controlled by the
16216 @code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception} command.
16217
16218 @table @code
16219 @item set unwindonsignal
16220 @kindex set unwindonsignal
16221 @cindex unwind stack in called functions
16222 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding
16223 Set unwinding of the stack if a signal is received while in a function
16224 that @value{GDBN} called in the program being debugged. If set to on,
16225 @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack it created for the call and restores
16226 the context to what it was before the call. If set to off (the
16227 default), @value{GDBN} stops in the frame where the signal was
16228 received.
16229
16230 @item show unwindonsignal
16231 @kindex show unwindonsignal
16232 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
16233 @value{GDBN}.
16234
16235 @item set unwind-on-terminating-exception
16236 @kindex set unwind-on-terminating-exception
16237 @cindex unwind stack in called functions with unhandled exceptions
16238 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding on unhandled exception.
16239 Set unwinding of the stack if a C@t{++} exception is raised, but left
16240 unhandled while in a function that @value{GDBN} called in the program being
16241 debugged. If set to on (the default), @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack
16242 it created for the call and restores the context to what it was before
16243 the call. If set to off, @value{GDBN} the exception is delivered to
16244 the default C@t{++} exception handler and the inferior terminated.
16245
16246 @item show unwind-on-terminating-exception
16247 @kindex show unwind-on-terminating-exception
16248 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
16249 @value{GDBN}.
16250
16251 @end table
16252
16253 @cindex weak alias functions
16254 Sometimes, a function you wish to call is actually a @dfn{weak alias}
16255 for another function. In such case, @value{GDBN} might not pick up
16256 the type information, including the types of the function arguments,
16257 which causes @value{GDBN} to call the inferior function incorrectly.
16258 As a result, the called function will function erroneously and may
16259 even crash. A solution to that is to use the name of the aliased
16260 function instead.
16261
16262 @node Patching
16263 @section Patching Programs
16264
16265 @cindex patching binaries
16266 @cindex writing into executables
16267 @cindex writing into corefiles
16268
16269 By default, @value{GDBN} opens the file containing your program's
16270 executable code (or the corefile) read-only. This prevents accidental
16271 alterations to machine code; but it also prevents you from intentionally
16272 patching your program's binary.
16273
16274 If you'd like to be able to patch the binary, you can specify that
16275 explicitly with the @code{set write} command. For example, you might
16276 want to turn on internal debugging flags, or even to make emergency
16277 repairs.
16278
16279 @table @code
16280 @kindex set write
16281 @item set write on
16282 @itemx set write off
16283 If you specify @samp{set write on}, @value{GDBN} opens executable and
16284 core files for both reading and writing; if you specify @kbd{set write
16285 off} (the default), @value{GDBN} opens them read-only.
16286
16287 If you have already loaded a file, you must load it again (using the
16288 @code{exec-file} or @code{core-file} command) after changing @code{set
16289 write}, for your new setting to take effect.
16290
16291 @item show write
16292 @kindex show write
16293 Display whether executable files and core files are opened for writing
16294 as well as reading.
16295 @end table
16296
16297 @node GDB Files
16298 @chapter @value{GDBN} Files
16299
16300 @value{GDBN} needs to know the file name of the program to be debugged,
16301 both in order to read its symbol table and in order to start your
16302 program. To debug a core dump of a previous run, you must also tell
16303 @value{GDBN} the name of the core dump file.
16304
16305 @menu
16306 * Files:: Commands to specify files
16307 * Separate Debug Files:: Debugging information in separate files
16308 * MiniDebugInfo:: Debugging information in a special section
16309 * Index Files:: Index files speed up GDB
16310 * Symbol Errors:: Errors reading symbol files
16311 * Data Files:: GDB data files
16312 @end menu
16313
16314 @node Files
16315 @section Commands to Specify Files
16316
16317 @cindex symbol table
16318 @cindex core dump file
16319
16320 You may want to specify executable and core dump file names. The usual
16321 way to do this is at start-up time, using the arguments to
16322 @value{GDBN}'s start-up commands (@pxref{Invocation, , Getting In and
16323 Out of @value{GDBN}}).
16324
16325 Occasionally it is necessary to change to a different file during a
16326 @value{GDBN} session. Or you may run @value{GDBN} and forget to
16327 specify a file you want to use. Or you are debugging a remote target
16328 via @code{gdbserver} (@pxref{Server, file, Using the @code{gdbserver}
16329 Program}). In these situations the @value{GDBN} commands to specify
16330 new files are useful.
16331
16332 @table @code
16333 @cindex executable file
16334 @kindex file
16335 @item file @var{filename}
16336 Use @var{filename} as the program to be debugged. It is read for its
16337 symbols and for the contents of pure memory. It is also the program
16338 executed when you use the @code{run} command. If you do not specify a
16339 directory and the file is not found in the @value{GDBN} working directory,
16340 @value{GDBN} uses the environment variable @code{PATH} as a list of
16341 directories to search, just as the shell does when looking for a program
16342 to run. You can change the value of this variable, for both @value{GDBN}
16343 and your program, using the @code{path} command.
16344
16345 @cindex unlinked object files
16346 @cindex patching object files
16347 You can load unlinked object @file{.o} files into @value{GDBN} using
16348 the @code{file} command. You will not be able to ``run'' an object
16349 file, but you can disassemble functions and inspect variables. Also,
16350 if the underlying BFD functionality supports it, you could use
16351 @kbd{gdb -write} to patch object files using this technique. Note
16352 that @value{GDBN} can neither interpret nor modify relocations in this
16353 case, so branches and some initialized variables will appear to go to
16354 the wrong place. But this feature is still handy from time to time.
16355
16356 @item file
16357 @code{file} with no argument makes @value{GDBN} discard any information it
16358 has on both executable file and the symbol table.
16359
16360 @kindex exec-file
16361 @item exec-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
16362 Specify that the program to be run (but not the symbol table) is found
16363 in @var{filename}. @value{GDBN} searches the environment variable @code{PATH}
16364 if necessary to locate your program. Omitting @var{filename} means to
16365 discard information on the executable file.
16366
16367 @kindex symbol-file
16368 @item symbol-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
16369 Read symbol table information from file @var{filename}. @code{PATH} is
16370 searched when necessary. Use the @code{file} command to get both symbol
16371 table and program to run from the same file.
16372
16373 @code{symbol-file} with no argument clears out @value{GDBN} information on your
16374 program's symbol table.
16375
16376 The @code{symbol-file} command causes @value{GDBN} to forget the contents of
16377 some breakpoints and auto-display expressions. This is because they may
16378 contain pointers to the internal data recording symbols and data types,
16379 which are part of the old symbol table data being discarded inside
16380 @value{GDBN}.
16381
16382 @code{symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
16383 executing it once.
16384
16385 When @value{GDBN} is configured for a particular environment, it
16386 understands debugging information in whatever format is the standard
16387 generated for that environment; you may use either a @sc{gnu} compiler, or
16388 other compilers that adhere to the local conventions.
16389 Best results are usually obtained from @sc{gnu} compilers; for example,
16390 using @code{@value{NGCC}} you can generate debugging information for
16391 optimized code.
16392
16393 For most kinds of object files, with the exception of old SVR3 systems
16394 using COFF, the @code{symbol-file} command does not normally read the
16395 symbol table in full right away. Instead, it scans the symbol table
16396 quickly to find which source files and which symbols are present. The
16397 details are read later, one source file at a time, as they are needed.
16398
16399 The purpose of this two-stage reading strategy is to make @value{GDBN}
16400 start up faster. For the most part, it is invisible except for
16401 occasional pauses while the symbol table details for a particular source
16402 file are being read. (The @code{set verbose} command can turn these
16403 pauses into messages if desired. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional
16404 Warnings and Messages}.)
16405
16406 We have not implemented the two-stage strategy for COFF yet. When the
16407 symbol table is stored in COFF format, @code{symbol-file} reads the
16408 symbol table data in full right away. Note that ``stabs-in-COFF''
16409 still does the two-stage strategy, since the debug info is actually
16410 in stabs format.
16411
16412 @kindex readnow
16413 @cindex reading symbols immediately
16414 @cindex symbols, reading immediately
16415 @item symbol-file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
16416 @itemx file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
16417 You can override the @value{GDBN} two-stage strategy for reading symbol
16418 tables by using the @samp{-readnow} option with any of the commands that
16419 load symbol table information, if you want to be sure @value{GDBN} has the
16420 entire symbol table available.
16421
16422 @c FIXME: for now no mention of directories, since this seems to be in
16423 @c flux. 13mar1992 status is that in theory GDB would look either in
16424 @c current dir or in same dir as myprog; but issues like competing
16425 @c GDB's, or clutter in system dirs, mean that in practice right now
16426 @c only current dir is used. FFish says maybe a special GDB hierarchy
16427 @c (eg rooted in val of env var GDBSYMS) could exist for mappable symbol
16428 @c files.
16429
16430 @kindex core-file
16431 @item core-file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
16432 @itemx core
16433 Specify the whereabouts of a core dump file to be used as the ``contents
16434 of memory''. Traditionally, core files contain only some parts of the
16435 address space of the process that generated them; @value{GDBN} can access the
16436 executable file itself for other parts.
16437
16438 @code{core-file} with no argument specifies that no core file is
16439 to be used.
16440
16441 Note that the core file is ignored when your program is actually running
16442 under @value{GDBN}. So, if you have been running your program and you
16443 wish to debug a core file instead, you must kill the subprocess in which
16444 the program is running. To do this, use the @code{kill} command
16445 (@pxref{Kill Process, ,Killing the Child Process}).
16446
16447 @kindex add-symbol-file
16448 @cindex dynamic linking
16449 @item add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address}
16450 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} @r{[} -readnow @r{]}
16451 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} -s @var{section} @var{address} @dots{}
16452 The @code{add-symbol-file} command reads additional symbol table
16453 information from the file @var{filename}. You would use this command
16454 when @var{filename} has been dynamically loaded (by some other means)
16455 into the program that is running. @var{address} should be the memory
16456 address at which the file has been loaded; @value{GDBN} cannot figure
16457 this out for itself. You can additionally specify an arbitrary number
16458 of @samp{-s @var{section} @var{address}} pairs, to give an explicit
16459 section name and base address for that section. You can specify any
16460 @var{address} as an expression.
16461
16462 The symbol table of the file @var{filename} is added to the symbol table
16463 originally read with the @code{symbol-file} command. You can use the
16464 @code{add-symbol-file} command any number of times; the new symbol data
16465 thus read keeps adding to the old. To discard all old symbol data
16466 instead, use the @code{symbol-file} command without any arguments.
16467
16468 @cindex relocatable object files, reading symbols from
16469 @cindex object files, relocatable, reading symbols from
16470 @cindex reading symbols from relocatable object files
16471 @cindex symbols, reading from relocatable object files
16472 @cindex @file{.o} files, reading symbols from
16473 Although @var{filename} is typically a shared library file, an
16474 executable file, or some other object file which has been fully
16475 relocated for loading into a process, you can also load symbolic
16476 information from relocatable @file{.o} files, as long as:
16477
16478 @itemize @bullet
16479 @item
16480 the file's symbolic information refers only to linker symbols defined in
16481 that file, not to symbols defined by other object files,
16482 @item
16483 every section the file's symbolic information refers to has actually
16484 been loaded into the inferior, as it appears in the file, and
16485 @item
16486 you can determine the address at which every section was loaded, and
16487 provide these to the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
16488 @end itemize
16489
16490 @noindent
16491 Some embedded operating systems, like Sun Chorus and VxWorks, can load
16492 relocatable files into an already running program; such systems
16493 typically make the requirements above easy to meet. However, it's
16494 important to recognize that many native systems use complex link
16495 procedures (@code{.linkonce} section factoring and C@t{++} constructor table
16496 assembly, for example) that make the requirements difficult to meet. In
16497 general, one cannot assume that using @code{add-symbol-file} to read a
16498 relocatable object file's symbolic information will have the same effect
16499 as linking the relocatable object file into the program in the normal
16500 way.
16501
16502 @code{add-symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
16503
16504 @kindex add-symbol-file-from-memory
16505 @cindex @code{syscall DSO}
16506 @cindex load symbols from memory
16507 @item add-symbol-file-from-memory @var{address}
16508 Load symbols from the given @var{address} in a dynamically loaded
16509 object file whose image is mapped directly into the inferior's memory.
16510 For example, the Linux kernel maps a @code{syscall DSO} into each
16511 process's address space; this DSO provides kernel-specific code for
16512 some system calls. The argument can be any expression whose
16513 evaluation yields the address of the file's shared object file header.
16514 For this command to work, you must have used @code{symbol-file} or
16515 @code{exec-file} commands in advance.
16516
16517 @kindex add-shared-symbol-files
16518 @kindex assf
16519 @item add-shared-symbol-files @var{library-file}
16520 @itemx assf @var{library-file}
16521 The @code{add-shared-symbol-files} command can currently be used only
16522 in the Cygwin build of @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows OS, where it is an
16523 alias for the @code{dll-symbols} command (@pxref{Cygwin Native}).
16524 @value{GDBN} automatically looks for shared libraries, however if
16525 @value{GDBN} does not find yours, you can invoke
16526 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}. It takes one argument: the shared
16527 library's file name. @code{assf} is a shorthand alias for
16528 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}.
16529
16530 @kindex section
16531 @item section @var{section} @var{addr}
16532 The @code{section} command changes the base address of the named
16533 @var{section} of the exec file to @var{addr}. This can be used if the
16534 exec file does not contain section addresses, (such as in the
16535 @code{a.out} format), or when the addresses specified in the file
16536 itself are wrong. Each section must be changed separately. The
16537 @code{info files} command, described below, lists all the sections and
16538 their addresses.
16539
16540 @kindex info files
16541 @kindex info target
16542 @item info files
16543 @itemx info target
16544 @code{info files} and @code{info target} are synonymous; both print the
16545 current target (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}),
16546 including the names of the executable and core dump files currently in
16547 use by @value{GDBN}, and the files from which symbols were loaded. The
16548 command @code{help target} lists all possible targets rather than
16549 current ones.
16550
16551 @kindex maint info sections
16552 @item maint info sections
16553 Another command that can give you extra information about program sections
16554 is @code{maint info sections}. In addition to the section information
16555 displayed by @code{info files}, this command displays the flags and file
16556 offset of each section in the executable and core dump files. In addition,
16557 @code{maint info sections} provides the following command options (which
16558 may be arbitrarily combined):
16559
16560 @table @code
16561 @item ALLOBJ
16562 Display sections for all loaded object files, including shared libraries.
16563 @item @var{sections}
16564 Display info only for named @var{sections}.
16565 @item @var{section-flags}
16566 Display info only for sections for which @var{section-flags} are true.
16567 The section flags that @value{GDBN} currently knows about are:
16568 @table @code
16569 @item ALLOC
16570 Section will have space allocated in the process when loaded.
16571 Set for all sections except those containing debug information.
16572 @item LOAD
16573 Section will be loaded from the file into the child process memory.
16574 Set for pre-initialized code and data, clear for @code{.bss} sections.
16575 @item RELOC
16576 Section needs to be relocated before loading.
16577 @item READONLY
16578 Section cannot be modified by the child process.
16579 @item CODE
16580 Section contains executable code only.
16581 @item DATA
16582 Section contains data only (no executable code).
16583 @item ROM
16584 Section will reside in ROM.
16585 @item CONSTRUCTOR
16586 Section contains data for constructor/destructor lists.
16587 @item HAS_CONTENTS
16588 Section is not empty.
16589 @item NEVER_LOAD
16590 An instruction to the linker to not output the section.
16591 @item COFF_SHARED_LIBRARY
16592 A notification to the linker that the section contains
16593 COFF shared library information.
16594 @item IS_COMMON
16595 Section contains common symbols.
16596 @end table
16597 @end table
16598 @kindex set trust-readonly-sections
16599 @cindex read-only sections
16600 @item set trust-readonly-sections on
16601 Tell @value{GDBN} that readonly sections in your object file
16602 really are read-only (i.e.@: that their contents will not change).
16603 In that case, @value{GDBN} can fetch values from these sections
16604 out of the object file, rather than from the target program.
16605 For some targets (notably embedded ones), this can be a significant
16606 enhancement to debugging performance.
16607
16608 The default is off.
16609
16610 @item set trust-readonly-sections off
16611 Tell @value{GDBN} not to trust readonly sections. This means that
16612 the contents of the section might change while the program is running,
16613 and must therefore be fetched from the target when needed.
16614
16615 @item show trust-readonly-sections
16616 Show the current setting of trusting readonly sections.
16617 @end table
16618
16619 All file-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative file names
16620 as arguments. @value{GDBN} always converts the file name to an absolute file
16621 name and remembers it that way.
16622
16623 @cindex shared libraries
16624 @anchor{Shared Libraries}
16625 @value{GDBN} supports @sc{gnu}/Linux, MS-Windows, HP-UX, SunOS, SVr4, Irix,
16626 and IBM RS/6000 AIX shared libraries.
16627
16628 On MS-Windows @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support
16629 shared libraries. @xref{Expat}.
16630
16631 @value{GDBN} automatically loads symbol definitions from shared libraries
16632 when you use the @code{run} command, or when you examine a core file.
16633 (Before you issue the @code{run} command, @value{GDBN} does not understand
16634 references to a function in a shared library, however---unless you are
16635 debugging a core file).
16636
16637 On HP-UX, if the program loads a library explicitly, @value{GDBN}
16638 automatically loads the symbols at the time of the @code{shl_load} call.
16639
16640 @c FIXME: some @value{GDBN} release may permit some refs to undef
16641 @c FIXME...symbols---eg in a break cmd---assuming they are from a shared
16642 @c FIXME...lib; check this from time to time when updating manual
16643
16644 There are times, however, when you may wish to not automatically load
16645 symbol definitions from shared libraries, such as when they are
16646 particularly large or there are many of them.
16647
16648 To control the automatic loading of shared library symbols, use the
16649 commands:
16650
16651 @table @code
16652 @kindex set auto-solib-add
16653 @item set auto-solib-add @var{mode}
16654 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, symbols from all shared object libraries
16655 will be loaded automatically when the inferior begins execution, you
16656 attach to an independently started inferior, or when the dynamic linker
16657 informs @value{GDBN} that a new library has been loaded. If @var{mode}
16658 is @code{off}, symbols must be loaded manually, using the
16659 @code{sharedlibrary} command. The default value is @code{on}.
16660
16661 @cindex memory used for symbol tables
16662 If your program uses lots of shared libraries with debug info that
16663 takes large amounts of memory, you can decrease the @value{GDBN}
16664 memory footprint by preventing it from automatically loading the
16665 symbols from shared libraries. To that end, type @kbd{set
16666 auto-solib-add off} before running the inferior, then load each
16667 library whose debug symbols you do need with @kbd{sharedlibrary
16668 @var{regexp}}, where @var{regexp} is a regular expression that matches
16669 the libraries whose symbols you want to be loaded.
16670
16671 @kindex show auto-solib-add
16672 @item show auto-solib-add
16673 Display the current autoloading mode.
16674 @end table
16675
16676 @cindex load shared library
16677 To explicitly load shared library symbols, use the @code{sharedlibrary}
16678 command:
16679
16680 @table @code
16681 @kindex info sharedlibrary
16682 @kindex info share
16683 @item info share @var{regex}
16684 @itemx info sharedlibrary @var{regex}
16685 Print the names of the shared libraries which are currently loaded
16686 that match @var{regex}. If @var{regex} is omitted then print
16687 all shared libraries that are loaded.
16688
16689 @kindex sharedlibrary
16690 @kindex share
16691 @item sharedlibrary @var{regex}
16692 @itemx share @var{regex}
16693 Load shared object library symbols for files matching a
16694 Unix regular expression.
16695 As with files loaded automatically, it only loads shared libraries
16696 required by your program for a core file or after typing @code{run}. If
16697 @var{regex} is omitted all shared libraries required by your program are
16698 loaded.
16699
16700 @item nosharedlibrary
16701 @kindex nosharedlibrary
16702 @cindex unload symbols from shared libraries
16703 Unload all shared object library symbols. This discards all symbols
16704 that have been loaded from all shared libraries. Symbols from shared
16705 libraries that were loaded by explicit user requests are not
16706 discarded.
16707 @end table
16708
16709 Sometimes you may wish that @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control
16710 when any of shared library events happen. The best way to do this is
16711 to use @code{catch load} and @code{catch unload} (@pxref{Set
16712 Catchpoints}).
16713
16714 @value{GDBN} also supports the the @code{set stop-on-solib-events}
16715 command for this. This command exists for historical reasons. It is
16716 less useful than setting a catchpoint, because it does not allow for
16717 conditions or commands as a catchpoint does.
16718
16719 @table @code
16720 @item set stop-on-solib-events
16721 @kindex set stop-on-solib-events
16722 This command controls whether @value{GDBN} should give you control
16723 when the dynamic linker notifies it about some shared library event.
16724 The most common event of interest is loading or unloading of a new
16725 shared library.
16726
16727 @item show stop-on-solib-events
16728 @kindex show stop-on-solib-events
16729 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control when shared
16730 library events happen.
16731 @end table
16732
16733 Shared libraries are also supported in many cross or remote debugging
16734 configurations. @value{GDBN} needs to have access to the target's libraries;
16735 this can be accomplished either by providing copies of the libraries
16736 on the host system, or by asking @value{GDBN} to automatically retrieve the
16737 libraries from the target. If copies of the target libraries are
16738 provided, they need to be the same as the target libraries, although the
16739 copies on the target can be stripped as long as the copies on the host are
16740 not.
16741
16742 @cindex where to look for shared libraries
16743 For remote debugging, you need to tell @value{GDBN} where the target
16744 libraries are, so that it can load the correct copies---otherwise, it
16745 may try to load the host's libraries. @value{GDBN} has two variables
16746 to specify the search directories for target libraries.
16747
16748 @table @code
16749 @cindex prefix for shared library file names
16750 @cindex system root, alternate
16751 @kindex set solib-absolute-prefix
16752 @kindex set sysroot
16753 @item set sysroot @var{path}
16754 Use @var{path} as the system root for the program being debugged. Any
16755 absolute shared library paths will be prefixed with @var{path}; many
16756 runtime loaders store the absolute paths to the shared library in the
16757 target program's memory. If you use @code{set sysroot} to find shared
16758 libraries, they need to be laid out in the same way that they are on
16759 the target, with e.g.@: a @file{/lib} and @file{/usr/lib} hierarchy
16760 under @var{path}.
16761
16762 If @var{path} starts with the sequence @file{remote:}, @value{GDBN} will
16763 retrieve the target libraries from the remote system. This is only
16764 supported when using a remote target that supports the @code{remote get}
16765 command (@pxref{File Transfer,,Sending files to a remote system}).
16766 The part of @var{path} following the initial @file{remote:}
16767 (if present) is used as system root prefix on the remote file system.
16768 @footnote{If you want to specify a local system root using a directory
16769 that happens to be named @file{remote:}, you need to use some equivalent
16770 variant of the name like @file{./remote:}.}
16771
16772 For targets with an MS-DOS based filesystem, such as MS-Windows and
16773 SymbianOS, @value{GDBN} tries prefixing a few variants of the target
16774 absolute file name with @var{path}. But first, on Unix hosts,
16775 @value{GDBN} converts all backslash directory separators into forward
16776 slashes, because the backslash is not a directory separator on Unix:
16777
16778 @smallexample
16779 c:\foo\bar.dll @result{} c:/foo/bar.dll
16780 @end smallexample
16781
16782 Then, @value{GDBN} attempts prefixing the target file name with
16783 @var{path}, and looks for the resulting file name in the host file
16784 system:
16785
16786 @smallexample
16787 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c:/foo/bar.dll
16788 @end smallexample
16789
16790 If that does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries removing
16791 the @samp{:} character from the drive spec, both for convenience, and,
16792 for the case of the host file system not supporting file names with
16793 colons:
16794
16795 @smallexample
16796 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c/foo/bar.dll
16797 @end smallexample
16798
16799 This makes it possible to have a system root that mirrors a target
16800 with more than one drive. E.g., you may want to setup your local
16801 copies of the target system shared libraries like so (note @samp{c} vs
16802 @samp{z}):
16803
16804 @smallexample
16805 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/foo.dll}
16806 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/bar.dll}
16807 @file{/path/to/sysroot/z/sys/bin/bar.dll}
16808 @end smallexample
16809
16810 @noindent
16811 and point the system root at @file{/path/to/sysroot}, so that
16812 @value{GDBN} can find the correct copies of both
16813 @file{c:\sys\bin\foo.dll}, and @file{z:\sys\bin\bar.dll}.
16814
16815 If that still does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries
16816 removing the whole drive spec from the target file name:
16817
16818 @smallexample
16819 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/foo/bar.dll
16820 @end smallexample
16821
16822 This last lookup makes it possible to not care about the drive name,
16823 if you don't want or need to.
16824
16825 The @code{set solib-absolute-prefix} command is an alias for @code{set
16826 sysroot}.
16827
16828 @cindex default system root
16829 @cindex @samp{--with-sysroot}
16830 You can set the default system root by using the configure-time
16831 @samp{--with-sysroot} option. If the system root is inside
16832 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
16833 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default system root will be updated
16834 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
16835 location.
16836
16837 @kindex show sysroot
16838 @item show sysroot
16839 Display the current shared library prefix.
16840
16841 @kindex set solib-search-path
16842 @item set solib-search-path @var{path}
16843 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
16844 directories to search for shared libraries. @samp{solib-search-path}
16845 is used after @samp{sysroot} fails to locate the library, or if the
16846 path to the library is relative instead of absolute. If you want to
16847 use @samp{solib-search-path} instead of @samp{sysroot}, be sure to set
16848 @samp{sysroot} to a nonexistent directory to prevent @value{GDBN} from
16849 finding your host's libraries. @samp{sysroot} is preferred; setting
16850 it to a nonexistent directory may interfere with automatic loading
16851 of shared library symbols.
16852
16853 @kindex show solib-search-path
16854 @item show solib-search-path
16855 Display the current shared library search path.
16856
16857 @cindex DOS file-name semantics of file names.
16858 @kindex set target-file-system-kind (unix|dos-based|auto)
16859 @kindex show target-file-system-kind
16860 @item set target-file-system-kind @var{kind}
16861 Set assumed file system kind for target reported file names.
16862
16863 Shared library file names as reported by the target system may not
16864 make sense as is on the system @value{GDBN} is running on. For
16865 example, when remote debugging a target that has MS-DOS based file
16866 system semantics, from a Unix host, the target may be reporting to
16867 @value{GDBN} a list of loaded shared libraries with file names such as
16868 @file{c:\Windows\kernel32.dll}. On Unix hosts, there's no concept of
16869 drive letters, so the @samp{c:\} prefix is not normally understood as
16870 indicating an absolute file name, and neither is the backslash
16871 normally considered a directory separator character. In that case,
16872 the native file system would interpret this whole absolute file name
16873 as a relative file name with no directory components. This would make
16874 it impossible to point @value{GDBN} at a copy of the remote target's
16875 shared libraries on the host using @code{set sysroot}, and impractical
16876 with @code{set solib-search-path}. Setting
16877 @code{target-file-system-kind} to @code{dos-based} tells @value{GDBN}
16878 to interpret such file names similarly to how the target would, and to
16879 map them to file names valid on @value{GDBN}'s native file system
16880 semantics. The value of @var{kind} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition
16881 to one of the supported file system kinds. In that case, @value{GDBN}
16882 tries to determine the appropriate file system variant based on the
16883 current target's operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the
16884 Current ABI}). The supported file system settings are:
16885
16886 @table @code
16887 @item unix
16888 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is of Unix
16889 kind. Only file names starting the forward slash (@samp{/}) character
16890 are considered absolute, and the directory separator character is also
16891 the forward slash.
16892
16893 @item dos-based
16894 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is DOS based.
16895 File names starting with either a forward slash, or a drive letter
16896 followed by a colon (e.g., @samp{c:}), are considered absolute, and
16897 both the slash (@samp{/}) and the backslash (@samp{\\}) characters are
16898 considered directory separators.
16899
16900 @item auto
16901 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the file system kind associated with the
16902 target operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
16903 This is the default.
16904 @end table
16905 @end table
16906
16907 @cindex file name canonicalization
16908 @cindex base name differences
16909 When processing file names provided by the user, @value{GDBN}
16910 frequently needs to compare them to the file names recorded in the
16911 program's debug info. Normally, @value{GDBN} compares just the
16912 @dfn{base names} of the files as strings, which is reasonably fast
16913 even for very large programs. (The base name of a file is the last
16914 portion of its name, after stripping all the leading directories.)
16915 This shortcut in comparison is based upon the assumption that files
16916 cannot have more than one base name. This is usually true, but
16917 references to files that use symlinks or similar filesystem
16918 facilities violate that assumption. If your program records files
16919 using such facilities, or if you provide file names to @value{GDBN}
16920 using symlinks etc., you can set @code{basenames-may-differ} to
16921 @code{true} to instruct @value{GDBN} to completely canonicalize each
16922 pair of file names it needs to compare. This will make file-name
16923 comparisons accurate, but at a price of a significant slowdown.
16924
16925 @table @code
16926 @item set basenames-may-differ
16927 @kindex set basenames-may-differ
16928 Set whether a source file may have multiple base names.
16929
16930 @item show basenames-may-differ
16931 @kindex show basenames-may-differ
16932 Show whether a source file may have multiple base names.
16933 @end table
16934
16935 @node Separate Debug Files
16936 @section Debugging Information in Separate Files
16937 @cindex separate debugging information files
16938 @cindex debugging information in separate files
16939 @cindex @file{.debug} subdirectories
16940 @cindex debugging information directory, global
16941 @cindex global debugging information directories
16942 @cindex build ID, and separate debugging files
16943 @cindex @file{.build-id} directory
16944
16945 @value{GDBN} allows you to put a program's debugging information in a
16946 file separate from the executable itself, in a way that allows
16947 @value{GDBN} to find and load the debugging information automatically.
16948 Since debugging information can be very large---sometimes larger
16949 than the executable code itself---some systems distribute debugging
16950 information for their executables in separate files, which users can
16951 install only when they need to debug a problem.
16952
16953 @value{GDBN} supports two ways of specifying the separate debug info
16954 file:
16955
16956 @itemize @bullet
16957 @item
16958 The executable contains a @dfn{debug link} that specifies the name of
16959 the separate debug info file. The separate debug file's name is
16960 usually @file{@var{executable}.debug}, where @var{executable} is the
16961 name of the corresponding executable file without leading directories
16962 (e.g., @file{ls.debug} for @file{/usr/bin/ls}). In addition, the
16963 debug link specifies a 32-bit @dfn{Cyclic Redundancy Check} (CRC)
16964 checksum for the debug file, which @value{GDBN} uses to validate that
16965 the executable and the debug file came from the same build.
16966
16967 @item
16968 The executable contains a @dfn{build ID}, a unique bit string that is
16969 also present in the corresponding debug info file. (This is supported
16970 only on some operating systems, notably those which use the ELF format
16971 for binary files and the @sc{gnu} Binutils.) For more details about
16972 this feature, see the description of the @option{--build-id}
16973 command-line option in @ref{Options, , Command Line Options, ld.info,
16974 The GNU Linker}. The debug info file's name is not specified
16975 explicitly by the build ID, but can be computed from the build ID, see
16976 below.
16977 @end itemize
16978
16979 Depending on the way the debug info file is specified, @value{GDBN}
16980 uses two different methods of looking for the debug file:
16981
16982 @itemize @bullet
16983 @item
16984 For the ``debug link'' method, @value{GDBN} looks up the named file in
16985 the directory of the executable file, then in a subdirectory of that
16986 directory named @file{.debug}, and finally under each one of the global debug
16987 directories, in a subdirectory whose name is identical to the leading
16988 directories of the executable's absolute file name.
16989
16990 @item
16991 For the ``build ID'' method, @value{GDBN} looks in the
16992 @file{.build-id} subdirectory of each one of the global debug directories for
16993 a file named @file{@var{nn}/@var{nnnnnnnn}.debug}, where @var{nn} are the
16994 first 2 hex characters of the build ID bit string, and @var{nnnnnnnn}
16995 are the rest of the bit string. (Real build ID strings are 32 or more
16996 hex characters, not 10.)
16997 @end itemize
16998
16999 So, for example, suppose you ask @value{GDBN} to debug
17000 @file{/usr/bin/ls}, which has a debug link that specifies the
17001 file @file{ls.debug}, and a build ID whose value in hex is
17002 @code{abcdef1234}. If the list of the global debug directories includes
17003 @file{/usr/lib/debug}, then @value{GDBN} will look for the following
17004 debug information files, in the indicated order:
17005
17006 @itemize @minus
17007 @item
17008 @file{/usr/lib/debug/.build-id/ab/cdef1234.debug}
17009 @item
17010 @file{/usr/bin/ls.debug}
17011 @item
17012 @file{/usr/bin/.debug/ls.debug}
17013 @item
17014 @file{/usr/lib/debug/usr/bin/ls.debug}.
17015 @end itemize
17016
17017 @anchor{debug-file-directory}
17018 Global debugging info directories default to what is set by @value{GDBN}
17019 configure option @option{--with-separate-debug-dir}. During @value{GDBN} run
17020 you can also set the global debugging info directories, and view the list
17021 @value{GDBN} is currently using.
17022
17023 @table @code
17024
17025 @kindex set debug-file-directory
17026 @item set debug-file-directory @var{directories}
17027 Set the directories which @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
17028 information files to @var{directory}. Multiple path components can be set
17029 concatenating them by a path separator.
17030
17031 @kindex show debug-file-directory
17032 @item show debug-file-directory
17033 Show the directories @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
17034 information files.
17035
17036 @end table
17037
17038 @cindex @code{.gnu_debuglink} sections
17039 @cindex debug link sections
17040 A debug link is a special section of the executable file named
17041 @code{.gnu_debuglink}. The section must contain:
17042
17043 @itemize
17044 @item
17045 A filename, with any leading directory components removed, followed by
17046 a zero byte,
17047 @item
17048 zero to three bytes of padding, as needed to reach the next four-byte
17049 boundary within the section, and
17050 @item
17051 a four-byte CRC checksum, stored in the same endianness used for the
17052 executable file itself. The checksum is computed on the debugging
17053 information file's full contents by the function given below, passing
17054 zero as the @var{crc} argument.
17055 @end itemize
17056
17057 Any executable file format can carry a debug link, as long as it can
17058 contain a section named @code{.gnu_debuglink} with the contents
17059 described above.
17060
17061 @cindex @code{.note.gnu.build-id} sections
17062 @cindex build ID sections
17063 The build ID is a special section in the executable file (and in other
17064 ELF binary files that @value{GDBN} may consider). This section is
17065 often named @code{.note.gnu.build-id}, but that name is not mandatory.
17066 It contains unique identification for the built files---the ID remains
17067 the same across multiple builds of the same build tree. The default
17068 algorithm SHA1 produces 160 bits (40 hexadecimal characters) of the
17069 content for the build ID string. The same section with an identical
17070 value is present in the original built binary with symbols, in its
17071 stripped variant, and in the separate debugging information file.
17072
17073 The debugging information file itself should be an ordinary
17074 executable, containing a full set of linker symbols, sections, and
17075 debugging information. The sections of the debugging information file
17076 should have the same names, addresses, and sizes as the original file,
17077 but they need not contain any data---much like a @code{.bss} section
17078 in an ordinary executable.
17079
17080 The @sc{gnu} binary utilities (Binutils) package includes the
17081 @samp{objcopy} utility that can produce
17082 the separated executable / debugging information file pairs using the
17083 following commands:
17084
17085 @smallexample
17086 @kbd{objcopy --only-keep-debug foo foo.debug}
17087 @kbd{strip -g foo}
17088 @end smallexample
17089
17090 @noindent
17091 These commands remove the debugging
17092 information from the executable file @file{foo} and place it in the file
17093 @file{foo.debug}. You can use the first, second or both methods to link the
17094 two files:
17095
17096 @itemize @bullet
17097 @item
17098 The debug link method needs the following additional command to also leave
17099 behind a debug link in @file{foo}:
17100
17101 @smallexample
17102 @kbd{objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.debug foo}
17103 @end smallexample
17104
17105 Ulrich Drepper's @file{elfutils} package, starting with version 0.53, contains
17106 a version of the @code{strip} command such that the command @kbd{strip foo -f
17107 foo.debug} has the same functionality as the two @code{objcopy} commands and
17108 the @code{ln -s} command above, together.
17109
17110 @item
17111 Build ID gets embedded into the main executable using @code{ld --build-id} or
17112 the @value{NGCC} counterpart @code{gcc -Wl,--build-id}. Build ID support plus
17113 compatibility fixes for debug files separation are present in @sc{gnu} binary
17114 utilities (Binutils) package since version 2.18.
17115 @end itemize
17116
17117 @noindent
17118
17119 @cindex CRC algorithm definition
17120 The CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink} is the CRC-32 defined in
17121 IEEE 802.3 using the polynomial:
17122
17123 @c TexInfo requires naked braces for multi-digit exponents for Tex
17124 @c output, but this causes HTML output to barf. HTML has to be set using
17125 @c raw commands. So we end up having to specify this equation in 2
17126 @c different ways!
17127 @ifhtml
17128 @display
17129 @html
17130 <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>
17131 + <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
17132 @end html
17133 @end display
17134 @end ifhtml
17135 @ifnothtml
17136 @display
17137 @math{x^{32} + x^{26} + x^{23} + x^{22} + x^{16} + x^{12} + x^{11}}
17138 @math{+ x^{10} + x^8 + x^7 + x^5 + x^4 + x^2 + x + 1}
17139 @end display
17140 @end ifnothtml
17141
17142 The function is computed byte at a time, taking the least
17143 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern
17144 @code{0xffffffff} is used, to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC and
17145 the final result is inverted to ensure trailing zeros also affect the
17146 CRC.
17147
17148 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC polynomial as used in handling the
17149 @dfn{Remote Serial Protocol} @code{qCRC} packet (@pxref{Remote Protocol,
17150 , @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol}). However in the
17151 case of the Remote Serial Protocol, the CRC is computed @emph{most}
17152 significant bit first, and the result is not inverted, so trailing
17153 zeros have no effect on the CRC value.
17154
17155 To complete the description, we show below the code of the function
17156 which produces the CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink}. Inverting the
17157 initially supplied @code{crc} argument means that an initial call to
17158 this function passing in zero will start computing the CRC using
17159 @code{0xffffffff}.
17160
17161 @kindex gnu_debuglink_crc32
17162 @smallexample
17163 unsigned long
17164 gnu_debuglink_crc32 (unsigned long crc,
17165 unsigned char *buf, size_t len)
17166 @{
17167 static const unsigned long crc32_table[256] =
17168 @{
17169 0x00000000, 0x77073096, 0xee0e612c, 0x990951ba, 0x076dc419,
17170 0x706af48f, 0xe963a535, 0x9e6495a3, 0x0edb8832, 0x79dcb8a4,
17171 0xe0d5e91e, 0x97d2d988, 0x09b64c2b, 0x7eb17cbd, 0xe7b82d07,
17172 0x90bf1d91, 0x1db71064, 0x6ab020f2, 0xf3b97148, 0x84be41de,
17173 0x1adad47d, 0x6ddde4eb, 0xf4d4b551, 0x83d385c7, 0x136c9856,
17174 0x646ba8c0, 0xfd62f97a, 0x8a65c9ec, 0x14015c4f, 0x63066cd9,
17175 0xfa0f3d63, 0x8d080df5, 0x3b6e20c8, 0x4c69105e, 0xd56041e4,
17176 0xa2677172, 0x3c03e4d1, 0x4b04d447, 0xd20d85fd, 0xa50ab56b,
17177 0x35b5a8fa, 0x42b2986c, 0xdbbbc9d6, 0xacbcf940, 0x32d86ce3,
17178 0x45df5c75, 0xdcd60dcf, 0xabd13d59, 0x26d930ac, 0x51de003a,
17179 0xc8d75180, 0xbfd06116, 0x21b4f4b5, 0x56b3c423, 0xcfba9599,
17180 0xb8bda50f, 0x2802b89e, 0x5f058808, 0xc60cd9b2, 0xb10be924,
17181 0x2f6f7c87, 0x58684c11, 0xc1611dab, 0xb6662d3d, 0x76dc4190,
17182 0x01db7106, 0x98d220bc, 0xefd5102a, 0x71b18589, 0x06b6b51f,
17183 0x9fbfe4a5, 0xe8b8d433, 0x7807c9a2, 0x0f00f934, 0x9609a88e,
17184 0xe10e9818, 0x7f6a0dbb, 0x086d3d2d, 0x91646c97, 0xe6635c01,
17185 0x6b6b51f4, 0x1c6c6162, 0x856530d8, 0xf262004e, 0x6c0695ed,
17186 0x1b01a57b, 0x8208f4c1, 0xf50fc457, 0x65b0d9c6, 0x12b7e950,
17187 0x8bbeb8ea, 0xfcb9887c, 0x62dd1ddf, 0x15da2d49, 0x8cd37cf3,
17188 0xfbd44c65, 0x4db26158, 0x3ab551ce, 0xa3bc0074, 0xd4bb30e2,
17189 0x4adfa541, 0x3dd895d7, 0xa4d1c46d, 0xd3d6f4fb, 0x4369e96a,
17190 0x346ed9fc, 0xad678846, 0xda60b8d0, 0x44042d73, 0x33031de5,
17191 0xaa0a4c5f, 0xdd0d7cc9, 0x5005713c, 0x270241aa, 0xbe0b1010,
17192 0xc90c2086, 0x5768b525, 0x206f85b3, 0xb966d409, 0xce61e49f,
17193 0x5edef90e, 0x29d9c998, 0xb0d09822, 0xc7d7a8b4, 0x59b33d17,
17194 0x2eb40d81, 0xb7bd5c3b, 0xc0ba6cad, 0xedb88320, 0x9abfb3b6,
17195 0x03b6e20c, 0x74b1d29a, 0xead54739, 0x9dd277af, 0x04db2615,
17196 0x73dc1683, 0xe3630b12, 0x94643b84, 0x0d6d6a3e, 0x7a6a5aa8,
17197 0xe40ecf0b, 0x9309ff9d, 0x0a00ae27, 0x7d079eb1, 0xf00f9344,
17198 0x8708a3d2, 0x1e01f268, 0x6906c2fe, 0xf762575d, 0x806567cb,
17199 0x196c3671, 0x6e6b06e7, 0xfed41b76, 0x89d32be0, 0x10da7a5a,
17200 0x67dd4acc, 0xf9b9df6f, 0x8ebeeff9, 0x17b7be43, 0x60b08ed5,
17201 0xd6d6a3e8, 0xa1d1937e, 0x38d8c2c4, 0x4fdff252, 0xd1bb67f1,
17202 0xa6bc5767, 0x3fb506dd, 0x48b2364b, 0xd80d2bda, 0xaf0a1b4c,
17203 0x36034af6, 0x41047a60, 0xdf60efc3, 0xa867df55, 0x316e8eef,
17204 0x4669be79, 0xcb61b38c, 0xbc66831a, 0x256fd2a0, 0x5268e236,
17205 0xcc0c7795, 0xbb0b4703, 0x220216b9, 0x5505262f, 0xc5ba3bbe,
17206 0xb2bd0b28, 0x2bb45a92, 0x5cb36a04, 0xc2d7ffa7, 0xb5d0cf31,
17207 0x2cd99e8b, 0x5bdeae1d, 0x9b64c2b0, 0xec63f226, 0x756aa39c,
17208 0x026d930a, 0x9c0906a9, 0xeb0e363f, 0x72076785, 0x05005713,
17209 0x95bf4a82, 0xe2b87a14, 0x7bb12bae, 0x0cb61b38, 0x92d28e9b,
17210 0xe5d5be0d, 0x7cdcefb7, 0x0bdbdf21, 0x86d3d2d4, 0xf1d4e242,
17211 0x68ddb3f8, 0x1fda836e, 0x81be16cd, 0xf6b9265b, 0x6fb077e1,
17212 0x18b74777, 0x88085ae6, 0xff0f6a70, 0x66063bca, 0x11010b5c,
17213 0x8f659eff, 0xf862ae69, 0x616bffd3, 0x166ccf45, 0xa00ae278,
17214 0xd70dd2ee, 0x4e048354, 0x3903b3c2, 0xa7672661, 0xd06016f7,
17215 0x4969474d, 0x3e6e77db, 0xaed16a4a, 0xd9d65adc, 0x40df0b66,
17216 0x37d83bf0, 0xa9bcae53, 0xdebb9ec5, 0x47b2cf7f, 0x30b5ffe9,
17217 0xbdbdf21c, 0xcabac28a, 0x53b39330, 0x24b4a3a6, 0xbad03605,
17218 0xcdd70693, 0x54de5729, 0x23d967bf, 0xb3667a2e, 0xc4614ab8,
17219 0x5d681b02, 0x2a6f2b94, 0xb40bbe37, 0xc30c8ea1, 0x5a05df1b,
17220 0x2d02ef8d
17221 @};
17222 unsigned char *end;
17223
17224 crc = ~crc & 0xffffffff;
17225 for (end = buf + len; buf < end; ++buf)
17226 crc = crc32_table[(crc ^ *buf) & 0xff] ^ (crc >> 8);
17227 return ~crc & 0xffffffff;
17228 @}
17229 @end smallexample
17230
17231 @noindent
17232 This computation does not apply to the ``build ID'' method.
17233
17234 @node MiniDebugInfo
17235 @section Debugging information in a special section
17236 @cindex separate debug sections
17237 @cindex @samp{.gnu_debugdata} section
17238
17239 Some systems ship pre-built executables and libraries that have a
17240 special @samp{.gnu_debugdata} section. This feature is called
17241 @dfn{MiniDebugInfo}. This section holds an LZMA-compressed object and
17242 is used to supply extra symbols for backtraces.
17243
17244 The intent of this section is to provide extra minimal debugging
17245 information for use in simple backtraces. It is not intended to be a
17246 replacement for full separate debugging information (@pxref{Separate
17247 Debug Files}). The example below shows the intended use; however,
17248 @value{GDBN} does not currently put restrictions on what sort of
17249 debugging information might be included in the section.
17250
17251 @value{GDBN} has support for this extension. If the section exists,
17252 then it is used provided that no other source of debugging information
17253 can be found, and that @value{GDBN} was configured with LZMA support.
17254
17255 This section can be easily created using @command{objcopy} and other
17256 standard utilities:
17257
17258 @smallexample
17259 # Extract the dynamic symbols from the main binary, there is no need
17260 # to also have these in the normal symbol table
17261 nm -D @var{binary} --format=posix --defined-only \
17262 | awk '@{ print $1 @}' | sort > dynsyms
17263
17264 # Extract all the text (i.e. function) symbols from the debuginfo .
17265 nm @var{binary} --format=posix --defined-only \
17266 | awk '@{ if ($2 == "T" || $2 == "t") print $1 @}' \
17267 | sort > funcsyms
17268
17269 # Keep all the function symbols not already in the dynamic symbol
17270 # table.
17271 comm -13 dynsyms funcsyms > keep_symbols
17272
17273 # Copy the full debuginfo, keeping only a minimal set of symbols and
17274 # removing some unnecessary sections.
17275 objcopy -S --remove-section .gdb_index --remove-section .comment \
17276 --keep-symbols=keep_symbols @var{binary} mini_debuginfo
17277
17278 # Inject the compressed data into the .gnu_debugdata section of the
17279 # original binary.
17280 xz mini_debuginfo
17281 objcopy --add-section .gnu_debugdata=mini_debuginfo.xz @var{binary}
17282 @end smallexample
17283
17284 @node Index Files
17285 @section Index Files Speed Up @value{GDBN}
17286 @cindex index files
17287 @cindex @samp{.gdb_index} section
17288
17289 When @value{GDBN} finds a symbol file, it scans the symbols in the
17290 file in order to construct an internal symbol table. This lets most
17291 @value{GDBN} operations work quickly---at the cost of a delay early
17292 on. For large programs, this delay can be quite lengthy, so
17293 @value{GDBN} provides a way to build an index, which speeds up
17294 startup.
17295
17296 The index is stored as a section in the symbol file. @value{GDBN} can
17297 write the index to a file, then you can put it into the symbol file
17298 using @command{objcopy}.
17299
17300 To create an index file, use the @code{save gdb-index} command:
17301
17302 @table @code
17303 @item save gdb-index @var{directory}
17304 @kindex save gdb-index
17305 Create an index file for each symbol file currently known by
17306 @value{GDBN}. Each file is named after its corresponding symbol file,
17307 with @samp{.gdb-index} appended, and is written into the given
17308 @var{directory}.
17309 @end table
17310
17311 Once you have created an index file you can merge it into your symbol
17312 file, here named @file{symfile}, using @command{objcopy}:
17313
17314 @smallexample
17315 $ objcopy --add-section .gdb_index=symfile.gdb-index \
17316 --set-section-flags .gdb_index=readonly symfile symfile
17317 @end smallexample
17318
17319 @value{GDBN} will normally ignore older versions of @file{.gdb_index}
17320 sections that have been deprecated. Usually they are deprecated because
17321 they are missing a new feature or have performance issues.
17322 To tell @value{GDBN} to use a deprecated index section anyway
17323 specify @code{set use-deprecated-index-sections on}.
17324 The default is @code{off}.
17325 This can speed up startup, but may result in some functionality being lost.
17326 @xref{Index Section Format}.
17327
17328 @emph{Warning:} Setting @code{use-deprecated-index-sections} to @code{on}
17329 must be done before gdb reads the file. The following will not work:
17330
17331 @smallexample
17332 $ gdb -ex "set use-deprecated-index-sections on" <program>
17333 @end smallexample
17334
17335 Instead you must do, for example,
17336
17337 @smallexample
17338 $ gdb -iex "set use-deprecated-index-sections on" <program>
17339 @end smallexample
17340
17341 There are currently some limitation on indices. They only work when
17342 for DWARF debugging information, not stabs. And, they do not
17343 currently work for programs using Ada.
17344
17345 @node Symbol Errors
17346 @section Errors Reading Symbol Files
17347
17348 While reading a symbol file, @value{GDBN} occasionally encounters problems,
17349 such as symbol types it does not recognize, or known bugs in compiler
17350 output. By default, @value{GDBN} does not notify you of such problems, since
17351 they are relatively common and primarily of interest to people
17352 debugging compilers. If you are interested in seeing information
17353 about ill-constructed symbol tables, you can either ask @value{GDBN} to print
17354 only one message about each such type of problem, no matter how many
17355 times the problem occurs; or you can ask @value{GDBN} to print more messages,
17356 to see how many times the problems occur, with the @code{set
17357 complaints} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
17358 Messages}).
17359
17360 The messages currently printed, and their meanings, include:
17361
17362 @table @code
17363 @item inner block not inside outer block in @var{symbol}
17364
17365 The symbol information shows where symbol scopes begin and end
17366 (such as at the start of a function or a block of statements). This
17367 error indicates that an inner scope block is not fully contained
17368 in its outer scope blocks.
17369
17370 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the inner block as if it had
17371 the same scope as the outer block. In the error message, @var{symbol}
17372 may be shown as ``@code{(don't know)}'' if the outer block is not a
17373 function.
17374
17375 @item block at @var{address} out of order
17376
17377 The symbol information for symbol scope blocks should occur in
17378 order of increasing addresses. This error indicates that it does not
17379 do so.
17380
17381 @value{GDBN} does not circumvent this problem, and has trouble
17382 locating symbols in the source file whose symbols it is reading. (You
17383 can often determine what source file is affected by specifying
17384 @code{set verbose on}. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
17385 Messages}.)
17386
17387 @item bad block start address patched
17388
17389 The symbol information for a symbol scope block has a start address
17390 smaller than the address of the preceding source line. This is known
17391 to occur in the SunOS 4.1.1 (and earlier) C compiler.
17392
17393 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the symbol scope block as
17394 starting on the previous source line.
17395
17396 @item bad string table offset in symbol @var{n}
17397
17398 @cindex foo
17399 Symbol number @var{n} contains a pointer into the string table which is
17400 larger than the size of the string table.
17401
17402 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by considering the symbol to have the
17403 name @code{foo}, which may cause other problems if many symbols end up
17404 with this name.
17405
17406 @item unknown symbol type @code{0x@var{nn}}
17407
17408 The symbol information contains new data types that @value{GDBN} does
17409 not yet know how to read. @code{0x@var{nn}} is the symbol type of the
17410 uncomprehended information, in hexadecimal.
17411
17412 @value{GDBN} circumvents the error by ignoring this symbol information.
17413 This usually allows you to debug your program, though certain symbols
17414 are not accessible. If you encounter such a problem and feel like
17415 debugging it, you can debug @code{@value{GDBP}} with itself, breakpoint
17416 on @code{complain}, then go up to the function @code{read_dbx_symtab}
17417 and examine @code{*bufp} to see the symbol.
17418
17419 @item stub type has NULL name
17420
17421 @value{GDBN} could not find the full definition for a struct or class.
17422
17423 @item const/volatile indicator missing (ok if using g++ v1.x), got@dots{}
17424 The symbol information for a C@t{++} member function is missing some
17425 information that recent versions of the compiler should have output for
17426 it.
17427
17428 @item info mismatch between compiler and debugger
17429
17430 @value{GDBN} could not parse a type specification output by the compiler.
17431
17432 @end table
17433
17434 @node Data Files
17435 @section GDB Data Files
17436
17437 @cindex prefix for data files
17438 @value{GDBN} will sometimes read an auxiliary data file. These files
17439 are kept in a directory known as the @dfn{data directory}.
17440
17441 You can set the data directory's name, and view the name @value{GDBN}
17442 is currently using.
17443
17444 @table @code
17445 @kindex set data-directory
17446 @item set data-directory @var{directory}
17447 Set the directory which @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files
17448 to @var{directory}.
17449
17450 @kindex show data-directory
17451 @item show data-directory
17452 Show the directory @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files.
17453 @end table
17454
17455 @cindex default data directory
17456 @cindex @samp{--with-gdb-datadir}
17457 You can set the default data directory by using the configure-time
17458 @samp{--with-gdb-datadir} option. If the data directory is inside
17459 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
17460 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default data directory will be updated
17461 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
17462 location.
17463
17464 The data directory may also be specified with the
17465 @code{--data-directory} command line option.
17466 @xref{Mode Options}.
17467
17468 @node Targets
17469 @chapter Specifying a Debugging Target
17470
17471 @cindex debugging target
17472 A @dfn{target} is the execution environment occupied by your program.
17473
17474 Often, @value{GDBN} runs in the same host environment as your program;
17475 in that case, the debugging target is specified as a side effect when
17476 you use the @code{file} or @code{core} commands. When you need more
17477 flexibility---for example, running @value{GDBN} on a physically separate
17478 host, or controlling a standalone system over a serial port or a
17479 realtime system over a TCP/IP connection---you can use the @code{target}
17480 command to specify one of the target types configured for @value{GDBN}
17481 (@pxref{Target Commands, ,Commands for Managing Targets}).
17482
17483 @cindex target architecture
17484 It is possible to build @value{GDBN} for several different @dfn{target
17485 architectures}. When @value{GDBN} is built like that, you can choose
17486 one of the available architectures with the @kbd{set architecture}
17487 command.
17488
17489 @table @code
17490 @kindex set architecture
17491 @kindex show architecture
17492 @item set architecture @var{arch}
17493 This command sets the current target architecture to @var{arch}. The
17494 value of @var{arch} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition to one of the
17495 supported architectures.
17496
17497 @item show architecture
17498 Show the current target architecture.
17499
17500 @item set processor
17501 @itemx processor
17502 @kindex set processor
17503 @kindex show processor
17504 These are alias commands for, respectively, @code{set architecture}
17505 and @code{show architecture}.
17506 @end table
17507
17508 @menu
17509 * Active Targets:: Active targets
17510 * Target Commands:: Commands for managing targets
17511 * Byte Order:: Choosing target byte order
17512 @end menu
17513
17514 @node Active Targets
17515 @section Active Targets
17516
17517 @cindex stacking targets
17518 @cindex active targets
17519 @cindex multiple targets
17520
17521 There are multiple classes of targets such as: processes, executable files or
17522 recording sessions. Core files belong to the process class, making core file
17523 and process mutually exclusive. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} can work concurrently
17524 on multiple active targets, one in each class. This allows you to (for
17525 example) start a process and inspect its activity, while still having access to
17526 the executable file after the process finishes. Or if you start process
17527 recording (@pxref{Reverse Execution}) and @code{reverse-step} there, you are
17528 presented a virtual layer of the recording target, while the process target
17529 remains stopped at the chronologically last point of the process execution.
17530
17531 Use the @code{core-file} and @code{exec-file} commands to select a new core
17532 file or executable target (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}). To
17533 specify as a target a process that is already running, use the @code{attach}
17534 command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
17535
17536 @node Target Commands
17537 @section Commands for Managing Targets
17538
17539 @table @code
17540 @item target @var{type} @var{parameters}
17541 Connects the @value{GDBN} host environment to a target machine or
17542 process. A target is typically a protocol for talking to debugging
17543 facilities. You use the argument @var{type} to specify the type or
17544 protocol of the target machine.
17545
17546 Further @var{parameters} are interpreted by the target protocol, but
17547 typically include things like device names or host names to connect
17548 with, process numbers, and baud rates.
17549
17550 The @code{target} command does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again
17551 after executing the command.
17552
17553 @kindex help target
17554 @item help target
17555 Displays the names of all targets available. To display targets
17556 currently selected, use either @code{info target} or @code{info files}
17557 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
17558
17559 @item help target @var{name}
17560 Describe a particular target, including any parameters necessary to
17561 select it.
17562
17563 @kindex set gnutarget
17564 @item set gnutarget @var{args}
17565 @value{GDBN} uses its own library BFD to read your files. @value{GDBN}
17566 knows whether it is reading an @dfn{executable},
17567 a @dfn{core}, or a @dfn{.o} file; however, you can specify the file format
17568 with the @code{set gnutarget} command. Unlike most @code{target} commands,
17569 with @code{gnutarget} the @code{target} refers to a program, not a machine.
17570
17571 @quotation
17572 @emph{Warning:} To specify a file format with @code{set gnutarget},
17573 you must know the actual BFD name.
17574 @end quotation
17575
17576 @noindent
17577 @xref{Files, , Commands to Specify Files}.
17578
17579 @kindex show gnutarget
17580 @item show gnutarget
17581 Use the @code{show gnutarget} command to display what file format
17582 @code{gnutarget} is set to read. If you have not set @code{gnutarget},
17583 @value{GDBN} will determine the file format for each file automatically,
17584 and @code{show gnutarget} displays @samp{The current BFD target is "auto"}.
17585 @end table
17586
17587 @cindex common targets
17588 Here are some common targets (available, or not, depending on the GDB
17589 configuration):
17590
17591 @table @code
17592 @kindex target
17593 @item target exec @var{program}
17594 @cindex executable file target
17595 An executable file. @samp{target exec @var{program}} is the same as
17596 @samp{exec-file @var{program}}.
17597
17598 @item target core @var{filename}
17599 @cindex core dump file target
17600 A core dump file. @samp{target core @var{filename}} is the same as
17601 @samp{core-file @var{filename}}.
17602
17603 @item target remote @var{medium}
17604 @cindex remote target
17605 A remote system connected to @value{GDBN} via a serial line or network
17606 connection. This command tells @value{GDBN} to use its own remote
17607 protocol over @var{medium} for debugging. @xref{Remote Debugging}.
17608
17609 For example, if you have a board connected to @file{/dev/ttya} on the
17610 machine running @value{GDBN}, you could say:
17611
17612 @smallexample
17613 target remote /dev/ttya
17614 @end smallexample
17615
17616 @code{target remote} supports the @code{load} command. This is only
17617 useful if you have some other way of getting the stub to the target
17618 system, and you can put it somewhere in memory where it won't get
17619 clobbered by the download.
17620
17621 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
17622 @cindex built-in simulator target
17623 Builtin CPU simulator. @value{GDBN} includes simulators for most architectures.
17624 In general,
17625 @smallexample
17626 target sim
17627 load
17628 run
17629 @end smallexample
17630 @noindent
17631 works; however, you cannot assume that a specific memory map, device
17632 drivers, or even basic I/O is available, although some simulators do
17633 provide these. For info about any processor-specific simulator details,
17634 see the appropriate section in @ref{Embedded Processors, ,Embedded
17635 Processors}.
17636
17637 @end table
17638
17639 Some configurations may include these targets as well:
17640
17641 @table @code
17642
17643 @item target nrom @var{dev}
17644 @cindex NetROM ROM emulator target
17645 NetROM ROM emulator. This target only supports downloading.
17646
17647 @end table
17648
17649 Different targets are available on different configurations of @value{GDBN};
17650 your configuration may have more or fewer targets.
17651
17652 Many remote targets require you to download the executable's code once
17653 you've successfully established a connection. You may wish to control
17654 various aspects of this process.
17655
17656 @table @code
17657
17658 @item set hash
17659 @kindex set hash@r{, for remote monitors}
17660 @cindex hash mark while downloading
17661 This command controls whether a hash mark @samp{#} is displayed while
17662 downloading a file to the remote monitor. If on, a hash mark is
17663 displayed after each S-record is successfully downloaded to the
17664 monitor.
17665
17666 @item show hash
17667 @kindex show hash@r{, for remote monitors}
17668 Show the current status of displaying the hash mark.
17669
17670 @item set debug monitor
17671 @kindex set debug monitor
17672 @cindex display remote monitor communications
17673 Enable or disable display of communications messages between
17674 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
17675
17676 @item show debug monitor
17677 @kindex show debug monitor
17678 Show the current status of displaying communications between
17679 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
17680 @end table
17681
17682 @table @code
17683
17684 @kindex load @var{filename}
17685 @item load @var{filename}
17686 @anchor{load}
17687 Depending on what remote debugging facilities are configured into
17688 @value{GDBN}, the @code{load} command may be available. Where it exists, it
17689 is meant to make @var{filename} (an executable) available for debugging
17690 on the remote system---by downloading, or dynamic linking, for example.
17691 @code{load} also records the @var{filename} symbol table in @value{GDBN}, like
17692 the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
17693
17694 If your @value{GDBN} does not have a @code{load} command, attempting to
17695 execute it gets the error message ``@code{You can't do that when your
17696 target is @dots{}}''
17697
17698 The file is loaded at whatever address is specified in the executable.
17699 For some object file formats, you can specify the load address when you
17700 link the program; for other formats, like a.out, the object file format
17701 specifies a fixed address.
17702 @c FIXME! This would be a good place for an xref to the GNU linker doc.
17703
17704 Depending on the remote side capabilities, @value{GDBN} may be able to
17705 load programs into flash memory.
17706
17707 @code{load} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
17708 @end table
17709
17710 @node Byte Order
17711 @section Choosing Target Byte Order
17712
17713 @cindex choosing target byte order
17714 @cindex target byte order
17715
17716 Some types of processors, such as the @acronym{MIPS}, PowerPC, and Renesas SH,
17717 offer the ability to run either big-endian or little-endian byte
17718 orders. Usually the executable or symbol will include a bit to
17719 designate the endian-ness, and you will not need to worry about
17720 which to use. However, you may still find it useful to adjust
17721 @value{GDBN}'s idea of processor endian-ness manually.
17722
17723 @table @code
17724 @kindex set endian
17725 @item set endian big
17726 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is big-endian.
17727
17728 @item set endian little
17729 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is little-endian.
17730
17731 @item set endian auto
17732 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the byte order associated with the
17733 executable.
17734
17735 @item show endian
17736 Display @value{GDBN}'s current idea of the target byte order.
17737
17738 @end table
17739
17740 Note that these commands merely adjust interpretation of symbolic
17741 data on the host, and that they have absolutely no effect on the
17742 target system.
17743
17744
17745 @node Remote Debugging
17746 @chapter Debugging Remote Programs
17747 @cindex remote debugging
17748
17749 If you are trying to debug a program running on a machine that cannot run
17750 @value{GDBN} in the usual way, it is often useful to use remote debugging.
17751 For example, you might use remote debugging on an operating system kernel,
17752 or on a small system which does not have a general purpose operating system
17753 powerful enough to run a full-featured debugger.
17754
17755 Some configurations of @value{GDBN} have special serial or TCP/IP interfaces
17756 to make this work with particular debugging targets. In addition,
17757 @value{GDBN} comes with a generic serial protocol (specific to @value{GDBN},
17758 but not specific to any particular target system) which you can use if you
17759 write the remote stubs---the code that runs on the remote system to
17760 communicate with @value{GDBN}.
17761
17762 Other remote targets may be available in your
17763 configuration of @value{GDBN}; use @code{help target} to list them.
17764
17765 @menu
17766 * Connecting:: Connecting to a remote target
17767 * File Transfer:: Sending files to a remote system
17768 * Server:: Using the gdbserver program
17769 * Remote Configuration:: Remote configuration
17770 * Remote Stub:: Implementing a remote stub
17771 @end menu
17772
17773 @node Connecting
17774 @section Connecting to a Remote Target
17775
17776 On the @value{GDBN} host machine, you will need an unstripped copy of
17777 your program, since @value{GDBN} needs symbol and debugging information.
17778 Start up @value{GDBN} as usual, using the name of the local copy of your
17779 program as the first argument.
17780
17781 @cindex @code{target remote}
17782 @value{GDBN} can communicate with the target over a serial line, or
17783 over an @acronym{IP} network using @acronym{TCP} or @acronym{UDP}. In
17784 each case, @value{GDBN} uses the same protocol for debugging your
17785 program; only the medium carrying the debugging packets varies. The
17786 @code{target remote} command establishes a connection to the target.
17787 Its arguments indicate which medium to use:
17788
17789 @table @code
17790
17791 @item target remote @var{serial-device}
17792 @cindex serial line, @code{target remote}
17793 Use @var{serial-device} to communicate with the target. For example,
17794 to use a serial line connected to the device named @file{/dev/ttyb}:
17795
17796 @smallexample
17797 target remote /dev/ttyb
17798 @end smallexample
17799
17800 If you're using a serial line, you may want to give @value{GDBN} the
17801 @w{@samp{--baud}} option, or use the @code{set remotebaud} command
17802 (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remotebaud}) before the
17803 @code{target} command.
17804
17805 @item target remote @code{@var{host}:@var{port}}
17806 @itemx target remote @code{tcp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
17807 @cindex @acronym{TCP} port, @code{target remote}
17808 Debug using a @acronym{TCP} connection to @var{port} on @var{host}.
17809 The @var{host} may be either a host name or a numeric @acronym{IP}
17810 address; @var{port} must be a decimal number. The @var{host} could be
17811 the target machine itself, if it is directly connected to the net, or
17812 it might be a terminal server which in turn has a serial line to the
17813 target.
17814
17815 For example, to connect to port 2828 on a terminal server named
17816 @code{manyfarms}:
17817
17818 @smallexample
17819 target remote manyfarms:2828
17820 @end smallexample
17821
17822 If your remote target is actually running on the same machine as your
17823 debugger session (e.g.@: a simulator for your target running on the
17824 same host), you can omit the hostname. For example, to connect to
17825 port 1234 on your local machine:
17826
17827 @smallexample
17828 target remote :1234
17829 @end smallexample
17830 @noindent
17831
17832 Note that the colon is still required here.
17833
17834 @item target remote @code{udp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
17835 @cindex @acronym{UDP} port, @code{target remote}
17836 Debug using @acronym{UDP} packets to @var{port} on @var{host}. For example, to
17837 connect to @acronym{UDP} port 2828 on a terminal server named @code{manyfarms}:
17838
17839 @smallexample
17840 target remote udp:manyfarms:2828
17841 @end smallexample
17842
17843 When using a @acronym{UDP} connection for remote debugging, you should
17844 keep in mind that the `U' stands for ``Unreliable''. @acronym{UDP}
17845 can silently drop packets on busy or unreliable networks, which will
17846 cause havoc with your debugging session.
17847
17848 @item target remote | @var{command}
17849 @cindex pipe, @code{target remote} to
17850 Run @var{command} in the background and communicate with it using a
17851 pipe. The @var{command} is a shell command, to be parsed and expanded
17852 by the system's command shell, @code{/bin/sh}; it should expect remote
17853 protocol packets on its standard input, and send replies on its
17854 standard output. You could use this to run a stand-alone simulator
17855 that speaks the remote debugging protocol, to make net connections
17856 using programs like @code{ssh}, or for other similar tricks.
17857
17858 If @var{command} closes its standard output (perhaps by exiting),
17859 @value{GDBN} will try to send it a @code{SIGTERM} signal. (If the
17860 program has already exited, this will have no effect.)
17861
17862 @end table
17863
17864 Once the connection has been established, you can use all the usual
17865 commands to examine and change data. The remote program is already
17866 running; you can use @kbd{step} and @kbd{continue}, and you do not
17867 need to use @kbd{run}.
17868
17869 @cindex interrupting remote programs
17870 @cindex remote programs, interrupting
17871 Whenever @value{GDBN} is waiting for the remote program, if you type the
17872 interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}), @value{GDBN} attempts to stop the
17873 program. This may or may not succeed, depending in part on the hardware
17874 and the serial drivers the remote system uses. If you type the
17875 interrupt character once again, @value{GDBN} displays this prompt:
17876
17877 @smallexample
17878 Interrupted while waiting for the program.
17879 Give up (and stop debugging it)? (y or n)
17880 @end smallexample
17881
17882 If you type @kbd{y}, @value{GDBN} abandons the remote debugging session.
17883 (If you decide you want to try again later, you can use @samp{target
17884 remote} again to connect once more.) If you type @kbd{n}, @value{GDBN}
17885 goes back to waiting.
17886
17887 @table @code
17888 @kindex detach (remote)
17889 @item detach
17890 When you have finished debugging the remote program, you can use the
17891 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control.
17892 Detaching from the target normally resumes its execution, but the results
17893 will depend on your particular remote stub. After the @code{detach}
17894 command, @value{GDBN} is free to connect to another target.
17895
17896 @kindex disconnect
17897 @item disconnect
17898 The @code{disconnect} command behaves like @code{detach}, except that
17899 the target is generally not resumed. It will wait for @value{GDBN}
17900 (this instance or another one) to connect and continue debugging. After
17901 the @code{disconnect} command, @value{GDBN} is again free to connect to
17902 another target.
17903
17904 @cindex send command to remote monitor
17905 @cindex extend @value{GDBN} for remote targets
17906 @cindex add new commands for external monitor
17907 @kindex monitor
17908 @item monitor @var{cmd}
17909 This command allows you to send arbitrary commands directly to the
17910 remote monitor. Since @value{GDBN} doesn't care about the commands it
17911 sends like this, this command is the way to extend @value{GDBN}---you
17912 can add new commands that only the external monitor will understand
17913 and implement.
17914 @end table
17915
17916 @node File Transfer
17917 @section Sending files to a remote system
17918 @cindex remote target, file transfer
17919 @cindex file transfer
17920 @cindex sending files to remote systems
17921
17922 Some remote targets offer the ability to transfer files over the same
17923 connection used to communicate with @value{GDBN}. This is convenient
17924 for targets accessible through other means, e.g.@: @sc{gnu}/Linux systems
17925 running @code{gdbserver} over a network interface. For other targets,
17926 e.g.@: embedded devices with only a single serial port, this may be
17927 the only way to upload or download files.
17928
17929 Not all remote targets support these commands.
17930
17931 @table @code
17932 @kindex remote put
17933 @item remote put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
17934 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
17935 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
17936
17937 @kindex remote get
17938 @item remote get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
17939 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
17940 on the host system.
17941
17942 @kindex remote delete
17943 @item remote delete @var{targetfile}
17944 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
17945
17946 @end table
17947
17948 @node Server
17949 @section Using the @code{gdbserver} Program
17950
17951 @kindex gdbserver
17952 @cindex remote connection without stubs
17953 @code{gdbserver} is a control program for Unix-like systems, which
17954 allows you to connect your program with a remote @value{GDBN} via
17955 @code{target remote}---but without linking in the usual debugging stub.
17956
17957 @code{gdbserver} is not a complete replacement for the debugging stubs,
17958 because it requires essentially the same operating-system facilities
17959 that @value{GDBN} itself does. In fact, a system that can run
17960 @code{gdbserver} to connect to a remote @value{GDBN} could also run
17961 @value{GDBN} locally! @code{gdbserver} is sometimes useful nevertheless,
17962 because it is a much smaller program than @value{GDBN} itself. It is
17963 also easier to port than all of @value{GDBN}, so you may be able to get
17964 started more quickly on a new system by using @code{gdbserver}.
17965 Finally, if you develop code for real-time systems, you may find that
17966 the tradeoffs involved in real-time operation make it more convenient to
17967 do as much development work as possible on another system, for example
17968 by cross-compiling. You can use @code{gdbserver} to make a similar
17969 choice for debugging.
17970
17971 @value{GDBN} and @code{gdbserver} communicate via either a serial line
17972 or a TCP connection, using the standard @value{GDBN} remote serial
17973 protocol.
17974
17975 @quotation
17976 @emph{Warning:} @code{gdbserver} does not have any built-in security.
17977 Do not run @code{gdbserver} connected to any public network; a
17978 @value{GDBN} connection to @code{gdbserver} provides access to the
17979 target system with the same privileges as the user running
17980 @code{gdbserver}.
17981 @end quotation
17982
17983 @subsection Running @code{gdbserver}
17984 @cindex arguments, to @code{gdbserver}
17985 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, command-line arguments
17986
17987 Run @code{gdbserver} on the target system. You need a copy of the
17988 program you want to debug, including any libraries it requires.
17989 @code{gdbserver} does not need your program's symbol table, so you can
17990 strip the program if necessary to save space. @value{GDBN} on the host
17991 system does all the symbol handling.
17992
17993 To use the server, you must tell it how to communicate with @value{GDBN};
17994 the name of your program; and the arguments for your program. The usual
17995 syntax is:
17996
17997 @smallexample
17998 target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [ @var{args} @dots{} ]
17999 @end smallexample
18000
18001 @var{comm} is either a device name (to use a serial line), or a TCP
18002 hostname and portnumber, or @code{-} or @code{stdio} to use
18003 stdin/stdout of @code{gdbserver}.
18004 For example, to debug Emacs with the argument
18005 @samp{foo.txt} and communicate with @value{GDBN} over the serial port
18006 @file{/dev/com1}:
18007
18008 @smallexample
18009 target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
18010 @end smallexample
18011
18012 @code{gdbserver} waits passively for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate
18013 with it.
18014
18015 To use a TCP connection instead of a serial line:
18016
18017 @smallexample
18018 target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
18019 @end smallexample
18020
18021 The only difference from the previous example is the first argument,
18022 specifying that you are communicating with the host @value{GDBN} via
18023 TCP. The @samp{host:2345} argument means that @code{gdbserver} is to
18024 expect a TCP connection from machine @samp{host} to local TCP port 2345.
18025 (Currently, the @samp{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number
18026 you want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any
18027 TCP ports already in use on the target system (for example, @code{23} is
18028 reserved for @code{telnet}).@footnote{If you choose a port number that
18029 conflicts with another service, @code{gdbserver} prints an error message
18030 and exits.} You must use the same port number with the host @value{GDBN}
18031 @code{target remote} command.
18032
18033 The @code{stdio} connection is useful when starting @code{gdbserver}
18034 with ssh:
18035
18036 @smallexample
18037 (gdb) target remote | ssh -T hostname gdbserver - hello
18038 @end smallexample
18039
18040 The @samp{-T} option to ssh is provided because we don't need a remote pty,
18041 and we don't want escape-character handling. Ssh does this by default when
18042 a command is provided, the flag is provided to make it explicit.
18043 You could elide it if you want to.
18044
18045 Programs started with stdio-connected gdbserver have @file{/dev/null} for
18046 @code{stdin}, and @code{stdout},@code{stderr} are sent back to gdb for
18047 display through a pipe connected to gdbserver.
18048 Both @code{stdout} and @code{stderr} use the same pipe.
18049
18050 @subsubsection Attaching to a Running Program
18051 @cindex attach to a program, @code{gdbserver}
18052 @cindex @option{--attach}, @code{gdbserver} option
18053
18054 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
18055 This is accomplished via the @code{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
18056
18057 @smallexample
18058 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
18059 @end smallexample
18060
18061 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't necessary
18062 to point @code{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
18063
18064 @pindex pidof
18065 You can debug processes by name instead of process ID if your target has the
18066 @code{pidof} utility:
18067
18068 @smallexample
18069 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} `pidof @var{program}`
18070 @end smallexample
18071
18072 In case more than one copy of @var{program} is running, or @var{program}
18073 has multiple threads, most versions of @code{pidof} support the
18074 @code{-s} option to only return the first process ID.
18075
18076 @subsubsection Multi-Process Mode for @code{gdbserver}
18077 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, multiple processes
18078 @cindex multiple processes with @code{gdbserver}
18079
18080 When you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target remote},
18081 @code{gdbserver} debugs the specified program only once. When the
18082 program exits, or you detach from it, @value{GDBN} closes the connection
18083 and @code{gdbserver} exits.
18084
18085 If you connect using @kbd{target extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver}
18086 enters multi-process mode. When the debugged program exits, or you
18087 detach from it, @value{GDBN} stays connected to @code{gdbserver} even
18088 though no program is running. The @code{run} and @code{attach}
18089 commands instruct @code{gdbserver} to run or attach to a new program.
18090 The @code{run} command uses @code{set remote exec-file} (@pxref{set
18091 remote exec-file}) to select the program to run. Command line
18092 arguments are supported, except for wildcard expansion and I/O
18093 redirection (@pxref{Arguments}).
18094
18095 @cindex @option{--multi}, @code{gdbserver} option
18096 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
18097 or process ID to attach, use the @option{--multi} command line option.
18098 Then you can connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} and start
18099 the program you want to debug.
18100
18101 In multi-process mode @code{gdbserver} does not automatically exit unless you
18102 use the option @option{--once}. You can terminate it by using
18103 @code{monitor exit} (@pxref{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}). Note that the
18104 conditions under which @code{gdbserver} terminates depend on how @value{GDBN}
18105 connects to it (@kbd{target remote} or @kbd{target extended-remote}). The
18106 @option{--multi} option to @code{gdbserver} has no influence on that.
18107
18108 @subsubsection TCP port allocation lifecycle of @code{gdbserver}
18109
18110 This section applies only when @code{gdbserver} is run to listen on a TCP port.
18111
18112 @code{gdbserver} normally terminates after all of its debugged processes have
18113 terminated in @kbd{target remote} mode. On the other hand, for @kbd{target
18114 extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver} stays running even with no processes left.
18115 @value{GDBN} normally terminates the spawned debugged process on its exit,
18116 which normally also terminates @code{gdbserver} in the @kbd{target remote}
18117 mode. Therefore, when the connection drops unexpectedly, and @value{GDBN}
18118 cannot ask @code{gdbserver} to kill its debugged processes, @code{gdbserver}
18119 stays running even in the @kbd{target remote} mode.
18120
18121 When @code{gdbserver} stays running, @value{GDBN} can connect to it again later.
18122 Such reconnecting is useful for features like @ref{disconnected tracing}. For
18123 completeness, at most one @value{GDBN} can be connected at a time.
18124
18125 @cindex @option{--once}, @code{gdbserver} option
18126 By default, @code{gdbserver} keeps the listening TCP port open, so that
18127 additional connections are possible. However, if you start @code{gdbserver}
18128 with the @option{--once} option, it will stop listening for any further
18129 connection attempts after connecting to the first @value{GDBN} session. This
18130 means no further connections to @code{gdbserver} will be possible after the
18131 first one. It also means @code{gdbserver} will terminate after the first
18132 connection with remote @value{GDBN} has closed, even for unexpectedly closed
18133 connections and even in the @kbd{target extended-remote} mode. The
18134 @option{--once} option allows reusing the same port number for connecting to
18135 multiple instances of @code{gdbserver} running on the same host, since each
18136 instance closes its port after the first connection.
18137
18138 @subsubsection Other Command-Line Arguments for @code{gdbserver}
18139
18140 @cindex @option{--debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
18141 The @option{--debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display extra
18142 status information about the debugging process.
18143 @cindex @option{--remote-debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
18144 The @option{--remote-debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display
18145 remote protocol debug output. These options are intended for
18146 @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to the developers.
18147
18148 @cindex @option{--wrapper}, @code{gdbserver} option
18149 The @option{--wrapper} option specifies a wrapper to launch programs
18150 for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
18151 wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
18152 @kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
18153
18154 @code{gdbserver} runs the specified wrapper program with a combined
18155 command line including the wrapper arguments, then the name of the
18156 program to debug, then any arguments to the program. The wrapper
18157 runs until it executes your program, and then @value{GDBN} gains control.
18158
18159 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
18160 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
18161 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
18162 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
18163
18164 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
18165 the debugged program, without setting the variable in @code{gdbserver}'s
18166 environment:
18167
18168 @smallexample
18169 $ gdbserver --wrapper env LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so -- :2222 ./testprog
18170 @end smallexample
18171
18172 @subsection Connecting to @code{gdbserver}
18173
18174 Run @value{GDBN} on the host system.
18175
18176 First make sure you have the necessary symbol files. Load symbols for
18177 your application using the @code{file} command before you connect. Use
18178 @code{set sysroot} to locate target libraries (unless your @value{GDBN}
18179 was compiled with the correct sysroot using @code{--with-sysroot}).
18180
18181 The symbol file and target libraries must exactly match the executable
18182 and libraries on the target, with one exception: the files on the host
18183 system should not be stripped, even if the files on the target system
18184 are. Mismatched or missing files will lead to confusing results
18185 during debugging. On @sc{gnu}/Linux targets, mismatched or missing
18186 files may also prevent @code{gdbserver} from debugging multi-threaded
18187 programs.
18188
18189 Connect to your target (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
18190 For TCP connections, you must start up @code{gdbserver} prior to using
18191 the @code{target remote} command. Otherwise you may get an error whose
18192 text depends on the host system, but which usually looks something like
18193 @samp{Connection refused}. Don't use the @code{load}
18194 command in @value{GDBN} when using @code{gdbserver}, since the program is
18195 already on the target.
18196
18197 @subsection Monitor Commands for @code{gdbserver}
18198 @cindex monitor commands, for @code{gdbserver}
18199 @anchor{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}
18200
18201 During a @value{GDBN} session using @code{gdbserver}, you can use the
18202 @code{monitor} command to send special requests to @code{gdbserver}.
18203 Here are the available commands.
18204
18205 @table @code
18206 @item monitor help
18207 List the available monitor commands.
18208
18209 @item monitor set debug 0
18210 @itemx monitor set debug 1
18211 Disable or enable general debugging messages.
18212
18213 @item monitor set remote-debug 0
18214 @itemx monitor set remote-debug 1
18215 Disable or enable specific debugging messages associated with the remote
18216 protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}).
18217
18218 @item monitor set libthread-db-search-path [PATH]
18219 @cindex gdbserver, search path for @code{libthread_db}
18220 When this command is issued, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
18221 directories to search for @code{libthread_db} (@pxref{Threads,,set
18222 libthread-db-search-path}). If you omit @var{path},
18223 @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to its default value.
18224
18225 The special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path} is
18226 not supported in @code{gdbserver}.
18227
18228 @item monitor exit
18229 Tell gdbserver to exit immediately. This command should be followed by
18230 @code{disconnect} to close the debugging session. @code{gdbserver} will
18231 detach from any attached processes and kill any processes it created.
18232 Use @code{monitor exit} to terminate @code{gdbserver} at the end
18233 of a multi-process mode debug session.
18234
18235 @end table
18236
18237 @subsection Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
18238 @cindex tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
18239
18240 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints, fast
18241 tracepoints and static tracepoints.
18242
18243 For fast or static tracepoints to work, a special library called the
18244 @dfn{in-process agent} (IPA), must be loaded in the inferior process.
18245 This library is built and distributed as an integral part of
18246 @code{gdbserver}. In addition, support for static tracepoints
18247 requires building the in-process agent library with static tracepoints
18248 support. At present, the UST (LTTng Userspace Tracer,
18249 @url{http://lttng.org/ust}) tracing engine is supported. This support
18250 is automatically available if UST development headers are found in the
18251 standard include path when @code{gdbserver} is built, or if
18252 @code{gdbserver} was explicitly configured using @option{--with-ust}
18253 to point at such headers. You can explicitly disable the support
18254 using @option{--with-ust=no}.
18255
18256 There are several ways to load the in-process agent in your program:
18257
18258 @table @code
18259 @item Specifying it as dependency at link time
18260
18261 You can link your program dynamically with the in-process agent
18262 library. On most systems, this is accomplished by adding
18263 @code{-linproctrace} to the link command.
18264
18265 @item Using the system's preloading mechanisms
18266
18267 You can force loading the in-process agent at startup time by using
18268 your system's support for preloading shared libraries. Many Unixes
18269 support the concept of preloading user defined libraries. In most
18270 cases, you do that by specifying @code{LD_PRELOAD=libinproctrace.so}
18271 in the environment. See also the description of @code{gdbserver}'s
18272 @option{--wrapper} command line option.
18273
18274 @item Using @value{GDBN} to force loading the agent at run time
18275
18276 On some systems, you can force the inferior to load a shared library,
18277 by calling a dynamic loader function in the inferior that takes care
18278 of dynamically looking up and loading a shared library. On most Unix
18279 systems, the function is @code{dlopen}. You'll use the @code{call}
18280 command for that. For example:
18281
18282 @smallexample
18283 (@value{GDBP}) call dlopen ("libinproctrace.so", ...)
18284 @end smallexample
18285
18286 Note that on most Unix systems, for the @code{dlopen} function to be
18287 available, the program needs to be linked with @code{-ldl}.
18288 @end table
18289
18290 On systems that have a userspace dynamic loader, like most Unix
18291 systems, when you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target
18292 remote}, you'll find that the program is stopped at the dynamic
18293 loader's entry point, and no shared library has been loaded in the
18294 program's address space yet, including the in-process agent. In that
18295 case, before being able to use any of the fast or static tracepoints
18296 features, you need to let the loader run and load the shared
18297 libraries. The simplest way to do that is to run the program to the
18298 main procedure. E.g., if debugging a C or C@t{++} program, start
18299 @code{gdbserver} like so:
18300
18301 @smallexample
18302 $ gdbserver :9999 myprogram
18303 @end smallexample
18304
18305 Start GDB and connect to @code{gdbserver} like so, and run to main:
18306
18307 @smallexample
18308 $ gdb myprogram
18309 (@value{GDBP}) target remote myhost:9999
18310 0x00007f215893ba60 in ?? () from /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
18311 (@value{GDBP}) b main
18312 (@value{GDBP}) continue
18313 @end smallexample
18314
18315 The in-process tracing agent library should now be loaded into the
18316 process; you can confirm it with the @code{info sharedlibrary}
18317 command, which will list @file{libinproctrace.so} as loaded in the
18318 process. You are now ready to install fast tracepoints, list static
18319 tracepoint markers, probe static tracepoints markers, and start
18320 tracing.
18321
18322 @node Remote Configuration
18323 @section Remote Configuration
18324
18325 @kindex set remote
18326 @kindex show remote
18327 This section documents the configuration options available when
18328 debugging remote programs. For the options related to the File I/O
18329 extensions of the remote protocol, see @ref{system,
18330 system-call-allowed}.
18331
18332 @table @code
18333 @item set remoteaddresssize @var{bits}
18334 @cindex address size for remote targets
18335 @cindex bits in remote address
18336 Set the maximum size of address in a memory packet to the specified
18337 number of bits. @value{GDBN} will mask off the address bits above
18338 that number, when it passes addresses to the remote target. The
18339 default value is the number of bits in the target's address.
18340
18341 @item show remoteaddresssize
18342 Show the current value of remote address size in bits.
18343
18344 @item set remotebaud @var{n}
18345 @cindex baud rate for remote targets
18346 Set the baud rate for the remote serial I/O to @var{n} baud. The
18347 value is used to set the speed of the serial port used for debugging
18348 remote targets.
18349
18350 @item show remotebaud
18351 Show the current speed of the remote connection.
18352
18353 @item set remotebreak
18354 @cindex interrupt remote programs
18355 @cindex BREAK signal instead of Ctrl-C
18356 @anchor{set remotebreak}
18357 If set to on, @value{GDBN} sends a @code{BREAK} signal to the remote
18358 when you type @kbd{Ctrl-c} to interrupt the program running
18359 on the remote. If set to off, @value{GDBN} sends the @samp{Ctrl-C}
18360 character instead. The default is off, since most remote systems
18361 expect to see @samp{Ctrl-C} as the interrupt signal.
18362
18363 @item show remotebreak
18364 Show whether @value{GDBN} sends @code{BREAK} or @samp{Ctrl-C} to
18365 interrupt the remote program.
18366
18367 @item set remoteflow on
18368 @itemx set remoteflow off
18369 @kindex set remoteflow
18370 Enable or disable hardware flow control (@code{RTS}/@code{CTS})
18371 on the serial port used to communicate to the remote target.
18372
18373 @item show remoteflow
18374 @kindex show remoteflow
18375 Show the current setting of hardware flow control.
18376
18377 @item set remotelogbase @var{base}
18378 Set the base (a.k.a.@: radix) of logging serial protocol
18379 communications to @var{base}. Supported values of @var{base} are:
18380 @code{ascii}, @code{octal}, and @code{hex}. The default is
18381 @code{ascii}.
18382
18383 @item show remotelogbase
18384 Show the current setting of the radix for logging remote serial
18385 protocol.
18386
18387 @item set remotelogfile @var{file}
18388 @cindex record serial communications on file
18389 Record remote serial communications on the named @var{file}. The
18390 default is not to record at all.
18391
18392 @item show remotelogfile.
18393 Show the current setting of the file name on which to record the
18394 serial communications.
18395
18396 @item set remotetimeout @var{num}
18397 @cindex timeout for serial communications
18398 @cindex remote timeout
18399 Set the timeout limit to wait for the remote target to respond to
18400 @var{num} seconds. The default is 2 seconds.
18401
18402 @item show remotetimeout
18403 Show the current number of seconds to wait for the remote target
18404 responses.
18405
18406 @cindex limit hardware breakpoints and watchpoints
18407 @cindex remote target, limit break- and watchpoints
18408 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}
18409 @anchor{set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit}
18410 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit @var{limit}
18411 @itemx set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit @var{limit}
18412 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} remote hardware breakpoint or
18413 watchpoints. A limit of -1, the default, is treated as unlimited.
18414
18415 @cindex limit hardware watchpoints length
18416 @cindex remote target, limit watchpoints length
18417 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit}
18418 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit @var{limit}
18419 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} bytes for the maximum length of
18420 a remote hardware watchpoint. A limit of -1, the default, is treated
18421 as unlimited.
18422
18423 @item show remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit
18424 Show the current limit (in bytes) of the maximum length of
18425 a remote hardware watchpoint.
18426
18427 @item set remote exec-file @var{filename}
18428 @itemx show remote exec-file
18429 @anchor{set remote exec-file}
18430 @cindex executable file, for remote target
18431 Select the file used for @code{run} with @code{target
18432 extended-remote}. This should be set to a filename valid on the
18433 target system. If it is not set, the target will use a default
18434 filename (e.g.@: the last program run).
18435
18436 @item set remote interrupt-sequence
18437 @cindex interrupt remote programs
18438 @cindex select Ctrl-C, BREAK or BREAK-g
18439 Allow the user to select one of @samp{Ctrl-C}, a @code{BREAK} or
18440 @samp{BREAK-g} as the
18441 sequence to the remote target in order to interrupt the execution.
18442 @samp{Ctrl-C} is a default. Some system prefers @code{BREAK} which
18443 is high level of serial line for some certain time.
18444 Linux kernel prefers @samp{BREAK-g}, a.k.a Magic SysRq g.
18445 It is @code{BREAK} signal followed by character @code{g}.
18446
18447 @item show interrupt-sequence
18448 Show which of @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or @code{BREAK-g}
18449 is sent by @value{GDBN} to interrupt the remote program.
18450 @code{BREAK-g} is BREAK signal followed by @code{g} and
18451 also known as Magic SysRq g.
18452
18453 @item set remote interrupt-on-connect
18454 @cindex send interrupt-sequence on start
18455 Specify whether interrupt-sequence is sent to remote target when
18456 @value{GDBN} connects to it. This is mostly needed when you debug
18457 Linux kernel. Linux kernel expects @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g}
18458 which is known as Magic SysRq g in order to connect @value{GDBN}.
18459
18460 @item show interrupt-on-connect
18461 Show whether interrupt-sequence is sent
18462 to remote target when @value{GDBN} connects to it.
18463
18464 @kindex set tcp
18465 @kindex show tcp
18466 @item set tcp auto-retry on
18467 @cindex auto-retry, for remote TCP target
18468 Enable auto-retry for remote TCP connections. This is useful if the remote
18469 debugging agent is launched in parallel with @value{GDBN}; there is a race
18470 condition because the agent may not become ready to accept the connection
18471 before @value{GDBN} attempts to connect. When auto-retry is
18472 enabled, if the initial attempt to connect fails, @value{GDBN} reattempts
18473 to establish the connection using the timeout specified by
18474 @code{set tcp connect-timeout}.
18475
18476 @item set tcp auto-retry off
18477 Do not auto-retry failed TCP connections.
18478
18479 @item show tcp auto-retry
18480 Show the current auto-retry setting.
18481
18482 @item set tcp connect-timeout @var{seconds}
18483 @itemx set tcp connect-timeout unlimited
18484 @cindex connection timeout, for remote TCP target
18485 @cindex timeout, for remote target connection
18486 Set the timeout for establishing a TCP connection to the remote target to
18487 @var{seconds}. The timeout affects both polling to retry failed connections
18488 (enabled by @code{set tcp auto-retry on}) and waiting for connections
18489 that are merely slow to complete, and represents an approximate cumulative
18490 value. If @var{seconds} is @code{unlimited}, there is no timeout and
18491 @value{GDBN} will keep attempting to establish a connection forever,
18492 unless interrupted with @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The default is 15 seconds.
18493
18494 @item show tcp connect-timeout
18495 Show the current connection timeout setting.
18496 @end table
18497
18498 @cindex remote packets, enabling and disabling
18499 The @value{GDBN} remote protocol autodetects the packets supported by
18500 your debugging stub. If you need to override the autodetection, you
18501 can use these commands to enable or disable individual packets. Each
18502 packet can be set to @samp{on} (the remote target supports this
18503 packet), @samp{off} (the remote target does not support this packet),
18504 or @samp{auto} (detect remote target support for this packet). They
18505 all default to @samp{auto}. For more information about each packet,
18506 see @ref{Remote Protocol}.
18507
18508 During normal use, you should not have to use any of these commands.
18509 If you do, that may be a bug in your remote debugging stub, or a bug
18510 in @value{GDBN}. You may want to report the problem to the
18511 @value{GDBN} developers.
18512
18513 For each packet @var{name}, the command to enable or disable the
18514 packet is @code{set remote @var{name}-packet}. The available settings
18515 are:
18516
18517 @multitable @columnfractions 0.28 0.32 0.25
18518 @item Command Name
18519 @tab Remote Packet
18520 @tab Related Features
18521
18522 @item @code{fetch-register}
18523 @tab @code{p}
18524 @tab @code{info registers}
18525
18526 @item @code{set-register}
18527 @tab @code{P}
18528 @tab @code{set}
18529
18530 @item @code{binary-download}
18531 @tab @code{X}
18532 @tab @code{load}, @code{set}
18533
18534 @item @code{read-aux-vector}
18535 @tab @code{qXfer:auxv:read}
18536 @tab @code{info auxv}
18537
18538 @item @code{symbol-lookup}
18539 @tab @code{qSymbol}
18540 @tab Detecting multiple threads
18541
18542 @item @code{attach}
18543 @tab @code{vAttach}
18544 @tab @code{attach}
18545
18546 @item @code{verbose-resume}
18547 @tab @code{vCont}
18548 @tab Stepping or resuming multiple threads
18549
18550 @item @code{run}
18551 @tab @code{vRun}
18552 @tab @code{run}
18553
18554 @item @code{software-breakpoint}
18555 @tab @code{Z0}
18556 @tab @code{break}
18557
18558 @item @code{hardware-breakpoint}
18559 @tab @code{Z1}
18560 @tab @code{hbreak}
18561
18562 @item @code{write-watchpoint}
18563 @tab @code{Z2}
18564 @tab @code{watch}
18565
18566 @item @code{read-watchpoint}
18567 @tab @code{Z3}
18568 @tab @code{rwatch}
18569
18570 @item @code{access-watchpoint}
18571 @tab @code{Z4}
18572 @tab @code{awatch}
18573
18574 @item @code{target-features}
18575 @tab @code{qXfer:features:read}
18576 @tab @code{set architecture}
18577
18578 @item @code{library-info}
18579 @tab @code{qXfer:libraries:read}
18580 @tab @code{info sharedlibrary}
18581
18582 @item @code{memory-map}
18583 @tab @code{qXfer:memory-map:read}
18584 @tab @code{info mem}
18585
18586 @item @code{read-sdata-object}
18587 @tab @code{qXfer:sdata:read}
18588 @tab @code{print $_sdata}
18589
18590 @item @code{read-spu-object}
18591 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:read}
18592 @tab @code{info spu}
18593
18594 @item @code{write-spu-object}
18595 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:write}
18596 @tab @code{info spu}
18597
18598 @item @code{read-siginfo-object}
18599 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:read}
18600 @tab @code{print $_siginfo}
18601
18602 @item @code{write-siginfo-object}
18603 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:write}
18604 @tab @code{set $_siginfo}
18605
18606 @item @code{threads}
18607 @tab @code{qXfer:threads:read}
18608 @tab @code{info threads}
18609
18610 @item @code{get-thread-local-@*storage-address}
18611 @tab @code{qGetTLSAddr}
18612 @tab Displaying @code{__thread} variables
18613
18614 @item @code{get-thread-information-block-address}
18615 @tab @code{qGetTIBAddr}
18616 @tab Display MS-Windows Thread Information Block.
18617
18618 @item @code{search-memory}
18619 @tab @code{qSearch:memory}
18620 @tab @code{find}
18621
18622 @item @code{supported-packets}
18623 @tab @code{qSupported}
18624 @tab Remote communications parameters
18625
18626 @item @code{pass-signals}
18627 @tab @code{QPassSignals}
18628 @tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
18629
18630 @item @code{program-signals}
18631 @tab @code{QProgramSignals}
18632 @tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
18633
18634 @item @code{hostio-close-packet}
18635 @tab @code{vFile:close}
18636 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18637
18638 @item @code{hostio-open-packet}
18639 @tab @code{vFile:open}
18640 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18641
18642 @item @code{hostio-pread-packet}
18643 @tab @code{vFile:pread}
18644 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18645
18646 @item @code{hostio-pwrite-packet}
18647 @tab @code{vFile:pwrite}
18648 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18649
18650 @item @code{hostio-unlink-packet}
18651 @tab @code{vFile:unlink}
18652 @tab @code{remote delete}
18653
18654 @item @code{hostio-readlink-packet}
18655 @tab @code{vFile:readlink}
18656 @tab Host I/O
18657
18658 @item @code{noack-packet}
18659 @tab @code{QStartNoAckMode}
18660 @tab Packet acknowledgment
18661
18662 @item @code{osdata}
18663 @tab @code{qXfer:osdata:read}
18664 @tab @code{info os}
18665
18666 @item @code{query-attached}
18667 @tab @code{qAttached}
18668 @tab Querying remote process attach state.
18669
18670 @item @code{trace-buffer-size}
18671 @tab @code{QTBuffer:size}
18672 @tab @code{set trace-buffer-size}
18673
18674 @item @code{trace-status}
18675 @tab @code{qTStatus}
18676 @tab @code{tstatus}
18677
18678 @item @code{traceframe-info}
18679 @tab @code{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
18680 @tab Traceframe info
18681
18682 @item @code{install-in-trace}
18683 @tab @code{InstallInTrace}
18684 @tab Install tracepoint in tracing
18685
18686 @item @code{disable-randomization}
18687 @tab @code{QDisableRandomization}
18688 @tab @code{set disable-randomization}
18689
18690 @item @code{conditional-breakpoints-packet}
18691 @tab @code{Z0 and Z1}
18692 @tab @code{Support for target-side breakpoint condition evaluation}
18693 @end multitable
18694
18695 @node Remote Stub
18696 @section Implementing a Remote Stub
18697
18698 @cindex debugging stub, example
18699 @cindex remote stub, example
18700 @cindex stub example, remote debugging
18701 The stub files provided with @value{GDBN} implement the target side of the
18702 communication protocol, and the @value{GDBN} side is implemented in the
18703 @value{GDBN} source file @file{remote.c}. Normally, you can simply allow
18704 these subroutines to communicate, and ignore the details. (If you're
18705 implementing your own stub file, you can still ignore the details: start
18706 with one of the existing stub files. @file{sparc-stub.c} is the best
18707 organized, and therefore the easiest to read.)
18708
18709 @cindex remote serial debugging, overview
18710 To debug a program running on another machine (the debugging
18711 @dfn{target} machine), you must first arrange for all the usual
18712 prerequisites for the program to run by itself. For example, for a C
18713 program, you need:
18714
18715 @enumerate
18716 @item
18717 A startup routine to set up the C runtime environment; these usually
18718 have a name like @file{crt0}. The startup routine may be supplied by
18719 your hardware supplier, or you may have to write your own.
18720
18721 @item
18722 A C subroutine library to support your program's
18723 subroutine calls, notably managing input and output.
18724
18725 @item
18726 A way of getting your program to the other machine---for example, a
18727 download program. These are often supplied by the hardware
18728 manufacturer, but you may have to write your own from hardware
18729 documentation.
18730 @end enumerate
18731
18732 The next step is to arrange for your program to use a serial port to
18733 communicate with the machine where @value{GDBN} is running (the @dfn{host}
18734 machine). In general terms, the scheme looks like this:
18735
18736 @table @emph
18737 @item On the host,
18738 @value{GDBN} already understands how to use this protocol; when everything
18739 else is set up, you can simply use the @samp{target remote} command
18740 (@pxref{Targets,,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
18741
18742 @item On the target,
18743 you must link with your program a few special-purpose subroutines that
18744 implement the @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol. The file containing these
18745 subroutines is called a @dfn{debugging stub}.
18746
18747 On certain remote targets, you can use an auxiliary program
18748 @code{gdbserver} instead of linking a stub into your program.
18749 @xref{Server,,Using the @code{gdbserver} Program}, for details.
18750 @end table
18751
18752 The debugging stub is specific to the architecture of the remote
18753 machine; for example, use @file{sparc-stub.c} to debug programs on
18754 @sc{sparc} boards.
18755
18756 @cindex remote serial stub list
18757 These working remote stubs are distributed with @value{GDBN}:
18758
18759 @table @code
18760
18761 @item i386-stub.c
18762 @cindex @file{i386-stub.c}
18763 @cindex Intel
18764 @cindex i386
18765 For Intel 386 and compatible architectures.
18766
18767 @item m68k-stub.c
18768 @cindex @file{m68k-stub.c}
18769 @cindex Motorola 680x0
18770 @cindex m680x0
18771 For Motorola 680x0 architectures.
18772
18773 @item sh-stub.c
18774 @cindex @file{sh-stub.c}
18775 @cindex Renesas
18776 @cindex SH
18777 For Renesas SH architectures.
18778
18779 @item sparc-stub.c
18780 @cindex @file{sparc-stub.c}
18781 @cindex Sparc
18782 For @sc{sparc} architectures.
18783
18784 @item sparcl-stub.c
18785 @cindex @file{sparcl-stub.c}
18786 @cindex Fujitsu
18787 @cindex SparcLite
18788 For Fujitsu @sc{sparclite} architectures.
18789
18790 @end table
18791
18792 The @file{README} file in the @value{GDBN} distribution may list other
18793 recently added stubs.
18794
18795 @menu
18796 * Stub Contents:: What the stub can do for you
18797 * Bootstrapping:: What you must do for the stub
18798 * Debug Session:: Putting it all together
18799 @end menu
18800
18801 @node Stub Contents
18802 @subsection What the Stub Can Do for You
18803
18804 @cindex remote serial stub
18805 The debugging stub for your architecture supplies these three
18806 subroutines:
18807
18808 @table @code
18809 @item set_debug_traps
18810 @findex set_debug_traps
18811 @cindex remote serial stub, initialization
18812 This routine arranges for @code{handle_exception} to run when your
18813 program stops. You must call this subroutine explicitly in your
18814 program's startup code.
18815
18816 @item handle_exception
18817 @findex handle_exception
18818 @cindex remote serial stub, main routine
18819 This is the central workhorse, but your program never calls it
18820 explicitly---the setup code arranges for @code{handle_exception} to
18821 run when a trap is triggered.
18822
18823 @code{handle_exception} takes control when your program stops during
18824 execution (for example, on a breakpoint), and mediates communications
18825 with @value{GDBN} on the host machine. This is where the communications
18826 protocol is implemented; @code{handle_exception} acts as the @value{GDBN}
18827 representative on the target machine. It begins by sending summary
18828 information on the state of your program, then continues to execute,
18829 retrieving and transmitting any information @value{GDBN} needs, until you
18830 execute a @value{GDBN} command that makes your program resume; at that point,
18831 @code{handle_exception} returns control to your own code on the target
18832 machine.
18833
18834 @item breakpoint
18835 @cindex @code{breakpoint} subroutine, remote
18836 Use this auxiliary subroutine to make your program contain a
18837 breakpoint. Depending on the particular situation, this may be the only
18838 way for @value{GDBN} to get control. For instance, if your target
18839 machine has some sort of interrupt button, you won't need to call this;
18840 pressing the interrupt button transfers control to
18841 @code{handle_exception}---in effect, to @value{GDBN}. On some machines,
18842 simply receiving characters on the serial port may also trigger a trap;
18843 again, in that situation, you don't need to call @code{breakpoint} from
18844 your own program---simply running @samp{target remote} from the host
18845 @value{GDBN} session gets control.
18846
18847 Call @code{breakpoint} if none of these is true, or if you simply want
18848 to make certain your program stops at a predetermined point for the
18849 start of your debugging session.
18850 @end table
18851
18852 @node Bootstrapping
18853 @subsection What You Must Do for the Stub
18854
18855 @cindex remote stub, support routines
18856 The debugging stubs that come with @value{GDBN} are set up for a particular
18857 chip architecture, but they have no information about the rest of your
18858 debugging target machine.
18859
18860 First of all you need to tell the stub how to communicate with the
18861 serial port.
18862
18863 @table @code
18864 @item int getDebugChar()
18865 @findex getDebugChar
18866 Write this subroutine to read a single character from the serial port.
18867 It may be identical to @code{getchar} for your target system; a
18868 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
18869
18870 @item void putDebugChar(int)
18871 @findex putDebugChar
18872 Write this subroutine to write a single character to the serial port.
18873 It may be identical to @code{putchar} for your target system; a
18874 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
18875 @end table
18876
18877 @cindex control C, and remote debugging
18878 @cindex interrupting remote targets
18879 If you want @value{GDBN} to be able to stop your program while it is
18880 running, you need to use an interrupt-driven serial driver, and arrange
18881 for it to stop when it receives a @code{^C} (@samp{\003}, the control-C
18882 character). That is the character which @value{GDBN} uses to tell the
18883 remote system to stop.
18884
18885 Getting the debugging target to return the proper status to @value{GDBN}
18886 probably requires changes to the standard stub; one quick and dirty way
18887 is to just execute a breakpoint instruction (the ``dirty'' part is that
18888 @value{GDBN} reports a @code{SIGTRAP} instead of a @code{SIGINT}).
18889
18890 Other routines you need to supply are:
18891
18892 @table @code
18893 @item void exceptionHandler (int @var{exception_number}, void *@var{exception_address})
18894 @findex exceptionHandler
18895 Write this function to install @var{exception_address} in the exception
18896 handling tables. You need to do this because the stub does not have any
18897 way of knowing what the exception handling tables on your target system
18898 are like (for example, the processor's table might be in @sc{rom},
18899 containing entries which point to a table in @sc{ram}).
18900 @var{exception_number} is the exception number which should be changed;
18901 its meaning is architecture-dependent (for example, different numbers
18902 might represent divide by zero, misaligned access, etc). When this
18903 exception occurs, control should be transferred directly to
18904 @var{exception_address}, and the processor state (stack, registers,
18905 and so on) should be just as it is when a processor exception occurs. So if
18906 you want to use a jump instruction to reach @var{exception_address}, it
18907 should be a simple jump, not a jump to subroutine.
18908
18909 For the 386, @var{exception_address} should be installed as an interrupt
18910 gate so that interrupts are masked while the handler runs. The gate
18911 should be at privilege level 0 (the most privileged level). The
18912 @sc{sparc} and 68k stubs are able to mask interrupts themselves without
18913 help from @code{exceptionHandler}.
18914
18915 @item void flush_i_cache()
18916 @findex flush_i_cache
18917 On @sc{sparc} and @sc{sparclite} only, write this subroutine to flush the
18918 instruction cache, if any, on your target machine. If there is no
18919 instruction cache, this subroutine may be a no-op.
18920
18921 On target machines that have instruction caches, @value{GDBN} requires this
18922 function to make certain that the state of your program is stable.
18923 @end table
18924
18925 @noindent
18926 You must also make sure this library routine is available:
18927
18928 @table @code
18929 @item void *memset(void *, int, int)
18930 @findex memset
18931 This is the standard library function @code{memset} that sets an area of
18932 memory to a known value. If you have one of the free versions of
18933 @code{libc.a}, @code{memset} can be found there; otherwise, you must
18934 either obtain it from your hardware manufacturer, or write your own.
18935 @end table
18936
18937 If you do not use the GNU C compiler, you may need other standard
18938 library subroutines as well; this varies from one stub to another,
18939 but in general the stubs are likely to use any of the common library
18940 subroutines which @code{@value{NGCC}} generates as inline code.
18941
18942
18943 @node Debug Session
18944 @subsection Putting it All Together
18945
18946 @cindex remote serial debugging summary
18947 In summary, when your program is ready to debug, you must follow these
18948 steps.
18949
18950 @enumerate
18951 @item
18952 Make sure you have defined the supporting low-level routines
18953 (@pxref{Bootstrapping,,What You Must Do for the Stub}):
18954 @display
18955 @code{getDebugChar}, @code{putDebugChar},
18956 @code{flush_i_cache}, @code{memset}, @code{exceptionHandler}.
18957 @end display
18958
18959 @item
18960 Insert these lines in your program's startup code, before the main
18961 procedure is called:
18962
18963 @smallexample
18964 set_debug_traps();
18965 breakpoint();
18966 @end smallexample
18967
18968 On some machines, when a breakpoint trap is raised, the hardware
18969 automatically makes the PC point to the instruction after the
18970 breakpoint. If your machine doesn't do that, you may need to adjust
18971 @code{handle_exception} to arrange for it to return to the instruction
18972 after the breakpoint on this first invocation, so that your program
18973 doesn't keep hitting the initial breakpoint instead of making
18974 progress.
18975
18976 @item
18977 For the 680x0 stub only, you need to provide a variable called
18978 @code{exceptionHook}. Normally you just use:
18979
18980 @smallexample
18981 void (*exceptionHook)() = 0;
18982 @end smallexample
18983
18984 @noindent
18985 but if before calling @code{set_debug_traps}, you set it to point to a
18986 function in your program, that function is called when
18987 @code{@value{GDBN}} continues after stopping on a trap (for example, bus
18988 error). The function indicated by @code{exceptionHook} is called with
18989 one parameter: an @code{int} which is the exception number.
18990
18991 @item
18992 Compile and link together: your program, the @value{GDBN} debugging stub for
18993 your target architecture, and the supporting subroutines.
18994
18995 @item
18996 Make sure you have a serial connection between your target machine and
18997 the @value{GDBN} host, and identify the serial port on the host.
18998
18999 @item
19000 @c The "remote" target now provides a `load' command, so we should
19001 @c document that. FIXME.
19002 Download your program to your target machine (or get it there by
19003 whatever means the manufacturer provides), and start it.
19004
19005 @item
19006 Start @value{GDBN} on the host, and connect to the target
19007 (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
19008
19009 @end enumerate
19010
19011 @node Configurations
19012 @chapter Configuration-Specific Information
19013
19014 While nearly all @value{GDBN} commands are available for all native and
19015 cross versions of the debugger, there are some exceptions. This chapter
19016 describes things that are only available in certain configurations.
19017
19018 There are three major categories of configurations: native
19019 configurations, where the host and target are the same, embedded
19020 operating system configurations, which are usually the same for several
19021 different processor architectures, and bare embedded processors, which
19022 are quite different from each other.
19023
19024 @menu
19025 * Native::
19026 * Embedded OS::
19027 * Embedded Processors::
19028 * Architectures::
19029 @end menu
19030
19031 @node Native
19032 @section Native
19033
19034 This section describes details specific to particular native
19035 configurations.
19036
19037 @menu
19038 * HP-UX:: HP-UX
19039 * BSD libkvm Interface:: Debugging BSD kernel memory images
19040 * SVR4 Process Information:: SVR4 process information
19041 * DJGPP Native:: Features specific to the DJGPP port
19042 * Cygwin Native:: Features specific to the Cygwin port
19043 * Hurd Native:: Features specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd
19044 * Darwin:: Features specific to Darwin
19045 @end menu
19046
19047 @node HP-UX
19048 @subsection HP-UX
19049
19050 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
19051 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
19052 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
19053
19054
19055 @node BSD libkvm Interface
19056 @subsection BSD libkvm Interface
19057
19058 @cindex libkvm
19059 @cindex kernel memory image
19060 @cindex kernel crash dump
19061
19062 BSD-derived systems (FreeBSD/NetBSD/OpenBSD) have a kernel memory
19063 interface that provides a uniform interface for accessing kernel virtual
19064 memory images, including live systems and crash dumps. @value{GDBN}
19065 uses this interface to allow you to debug live kernels and kernel crash
19066 dumps on many native BSD configurations. This is implemented as a
19067 special @code{kvm} debugging target. For debugging a live system, load
19068 the currently running kernel into @value{GDBN} and connect to the
19069 @code{kvm} target:
19070
19071 @smallexample
19072 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm}
19073 @end smallexample
19074
19075 For debugging crash dumps, provide the file name of the crash dump as an
19076 argument:
19077
19078 @smallexample
19079 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm /var/crash/bsd.0}
19080 @end smallexample
19081
19082 Once connected to the @code{kvm} target, the following commands are
19083 available:
19084
19085 @table @code
19086 @kindex kvm
19087 @item kvm pcb
19088 Set current context from the @dfn{Process Control Block} (PCB) address.
19089
19090 @item kvm proc
19091 Set current context from proc address. This command isn't available on
19092 modern FreeBSD systems.
19093 @end table
19094
19095 @node SVR4 Process Information
19096 @subsection SVR4 Process Information
19097 @cindex /proc
19098 @cindex examine process image
19099 @cindex process info via @file{/proc}
19100
19101 Many versions of SVR4 and compatible systems provide a facility called
19102 @samp{/proc} that can be used to examine the image of a running
19103 process using file-system subroutines.
19104
19105 If @value{GDBN} is configured for an operating system with this
19106 facility, the command @code{info proc} is available to report
19107 information about the process running your program, or about any
19108 process running on your system. This includes, as of this writing,
19109 @sc{gnu}/Linux, OSF/1 (Digital Unix), Solaris, and Irix, but
19110 not HP-UX, for example.
19111
19112 This command may also work on core files that were created on a system
19113 that has the @samp{/proc} facility.
19114
19115 @table @code
19116 @kindex info proc
19117 @cindex process ID
19118 @item info proc
19119 @itemx info proc @var{process-id}
19120 Summarize available information about any running process. If a
19121 process ID is specified by @var{process-id}, display information about
19122 that process; otherwise display information about the program being
19123 debugged. The summary includes the debugged process ID, the command
19124 line used to invoke it, its current working directory, and its
19125 executable file's absolute file name.
19126
19127 On some systems, @var{process-id} can be of the form
19128 @samp{[@var{pid}]/@var{tid}} which specifies a certain thread ID
19129 within a process. If the optional @var{pid} part is missing, it means
19130 a thread from the process being debugged (the leading @samp{/} still
19131 needs to be present, or else @value{GDBN} will interpret the number as
19132 a process ID rather than a thread ID).
19133
19134 @item info proc cmdline
19135 @cindex info proc cmdline
19136 Show the original command line of the process. This command is
19137 specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux.
19138
19139 @item info proc cwd
19140 @cindex info proc cwd
19141 Show the current working directory of the process. This command is
19142 specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux.
19143
19144 @item info proc exe
19145 @cindex info proc exe
19146 Show the name of executable of the process. This command is specific
19147 to @sc{gnu}/Linux.
19148
19149 @item info proc mappings
19150 @cindex memory address space mappings
19151 Report the memory address space ranges accessible in the program, with
19152 information on whether the process has read, write, or execute access
19153 rights to each range. On @sc{gnu}/Linux systems, each memory range
19154 includes the object file which is mapped to that range, instead of the
19155 memory access rights to that range.
19156
19157 @item info proc stat
19158 @itemx info proc status
19159 @cindex process detailed status information
19160 These subcommands are specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux systems. They show
19161 the process-related information, including the user ID and group ID;
19162 how many threads are there in the process; its virtual memory usage;
19163 the signals that are pending, blocked, and ignored; its TTY; its
19164 consumption of system and user time; its stack size; its @samp{nice}
19165 value; etc. For more information, see the @samp{proc} man page
19166 (type @kbd{man 5 proc} from your shell prompt).
19167
19168 @item info proc all
19169 Show all the information about the process described under all of the
19170 above @code{info proc} subcommands.
19171
19172 @ignore
19173 @comment These sub-options of 'info proc' were not included when
19174 @comment procfs.c was re-written. Keep their descriptions around
19175 @comment against the day when someone finds the time to put them back in.
19176 @kindex info proc times
19177 @item info proc times
19178 Starting time, user CPU time, and system CPU time for your program and
19179 its children.
19180
19181 @kindex info proc id
19182 @item info proc id
19183 Report on the process IDs related to your program: its own process ID,
19184 the ID of its parent, the process group ID, and the session ID.
19185 @end ignore
19186
19187 @item set procfs-trace
19188 @kindex set procfs-trace
19189 @cindex @code{procfs} API calls
19190 This command enables and disables tracing of @code{procfs} API calls.
19191
19192 @item show procfs-trace
19193 @kindex show procfs-trace
19194 Show the current state of @code{procfs} API call tracing.
19195
19196 @item set procfs-file @var{file}
19197 @kindex set procfs-file
19198 Tell @value{GDBN} to write @code{procfs} API trace to the named
19199 @var{file}. @value{GDBN} appends the trace info to the previous
19200 contents of the file. The default is to display the trace on the
19201 standard output.
19202
19203 @item show procfs-file
19204 @kindex show procfs-file
19205 Show the file to which @code{procfs} API trace is written.
19206
19207 @item proc-trace-entry
19208 @itemx proc-trace-exit
19209 @itemx proc-untrace-entry
19210 @itemx proc-untrace-exit
19211 @kindex proc-trace-entry
19212 @kindex proc-trace-exit
19213 @kindex proc-untrace-entry
19214 @kindex proc-untrace-exit
19215 These commands enable and disable tracing of entries into and exits
19216 from the @code{syscall} interface.
19217
19218 @item info pidlist
19219 @kindex info pidlist
19220 @cindex process list, QNX Neutrino
19221 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all the
19222 processes and all the threads within each process.
19223
19224 @item info meminfo
19225 @kindex info meminfo
19226 @cindex mapinfo list, QNX Neutrino
19227 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all mapinfos.
19228 @end table
19229
19230 @node DJGPP Native
19231 @subsection Features for Debugging @sc{djgpp} Programs
19232 @cindex @sc{djgpp} debugging
19233 @cindex native @sc{djgpp} debugging
19234 @cindex MS-DOS-specific commands
19235
19236 @cindex DPMI
19237 @sc{djgpp} is a port of the @sc{gnu} development tools to MS-DOS and
19238 MS-Windows. @sc{djgpp} programs are 32-bit protected-mode programs
19239 that use the @dfn{DPMI} (DOS Protected-Mode Interface) API to run on
19240 top of real-mode DOS systems and their emulations.
19241
19242 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of @sc{djgpp} programs, and
19243 defines a few commands specific to the @sc{djgpp} port. This
19244 subsection describes those commands.
19245
19246 @table @code
19247 @kindex info dos
19248 @item info dos
19249 This is a prefix of @sc{djgpp}-specific commands which print
19250 information about the target system and important OS structures.
19251
19252 @kindex sysinfo
19253 @cindex MS-DOS system info
19254 @cindex free memory information (MS-DOS)
19255 @item info dos sysinfo
19256 This command displays assorted information about the underlying
19257 platform: the CPU type and features, the OS version and flavor, the
19258 DPMI version, and the available conventional and DPMI memory.
19259
19260 @cindex GDT
19261 @cindex LDT
19262 @cindex IDT
19263 @cindex segment descriptor tables
19264 @cindex descriptor tables display
19265 @item info dos gdt
19266 @itemx info dos ldt
19267 @itemx info dos idt
19268 These 3 commands display entries from, respectively, Global, Local,
19269 and Interrupt Descriptor Tables (GDT, LDT, and IDT). The descriptor
19270 tables are data structures which store a descriptor for each segment
19271 that is currently in use. The segment's selector is an index into a
19272 descriptor table; the table entry for that index holds the
19273 descriptor's base address and limit, and its attributes and access
19274 rights.
19275
19276 A typical @sc{djgpp} program uses 3 segments: a code segment, a data
19277 segment (used for both data and the stack), and a DOS segment (which
19278 allows access to DOS/BIOS data structures and absolute addresses in
19279 conventional memory). However, the DPMI host will usually define
19280 additional segments in order to support the DPMI environment.
19281
19282 @cindex garbled pointers
19283 These commands allow to display entries from the descriptor tables.
19284 Without an argument, all entries from the specified table are
19285 displayed. An argument, which should be an integer expression, means
19286 display a single entry whose index is given by the argument. For
19287 example, here's a convenient way to display information about the
19288 debugged program's data segment:
19289
19290 @smallexample
19291 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos ldt $ds}
19292 @exdent @code{0x13f: base=0x11970000 limit=0x0009ffff 32-Bit Data (Read/Write, Exp-up)}
19293 @end smallexample
19294
19295 @noindent
19296 This comes in handy when you want to see whether a pointer is outside
19297 the data segment's limit (i.e.@: @dfn{garbled}).
19298
19299 @cindex page tables display (MS-DOS)
19300 @item info dos pde
19301 @itemx info dos pte
19302 These two commands display entries from, respectively, the Page
19303 Directory and the Page Tables. Page Directories and Page Tables are
19304 data structures which control how virtual memory addresses are mapped
19305 into physical addresses. A Page Table includes an entry for every
19306 page of memory that is mapped into the program's address space; there
19307 may be several Page Tables, each one holding up to 4096 entries. A
19308 Page Directory has up to 4096 entries, one each for every Page Table
19309 that is currently in use.
19310
19311 Without an argument, @kbd{info dos pde} displays the entire Page
19312 Directory, and @kbd{info dos pte} displays all the entries in all of
19313 the Page Tables. An argument, an integer expression, given to the
19314 @kbd{info dos pde} command means display only that entry from the Page
19315 Directory table. An argument given to the @kbd{info dos pte} command
19316 means display entries from a single Page Table, the one pointed to by
19317 the specified entry in the Page Directory.
19318
19319 @cindex direct memory access (DMA) on MS-DOS
19320 These commands are useful when your program uses @dfn{DMA} (Direct
19321 Memory Access), which needs physical addresses to program the DMA
19322 controller.
19323
19324 These commands are supported only with some DPMI servers.
19325
19326 @cindex physical address from linear address
19327 @item info dos address-pte @var{addr}
19328 This command displays the Page Table entry for a specified linear
19329 address. The argument @var{addr} is a linear address which should
19330 already have the appropriate segment's base address added to it,
19331 because this command accepts addresses which may belong to @emph{any}
19332 segment. For example, here's how to display the Page Table entry for
19333 the page where a variable @code{i} is stored:
19334
19335 @smallexample
19336 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte __djgpp_base_address + (char *)&i}
19337 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x11a00d30:}
19338 @exdent @code{Base=0x02698000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0xd30}
19339 @end smallexample
19340
19341 @noindent
19342 This says that @code{i} is stored at offset @code{0xd30} from the page
19343 whose physical base address is @code{0x02698000}, and shows all the
19344 attributes of that page.
19345
19346 Note that you must cast the addresses of variables to a @code{char *},
19347 since otherwise the value of @code{__djgpp_base_address}, the base
19348 address of all variables and functions in a @sc{djgpp} program, will
19349 be added using the rules of C pointer arithmetics: if @code{i} is
19350 declared an @code{int}, @value{GDBN} will add 4 times the value of
19351 @code{__djgpp_base_address} to the address of @code{i}.
19352
19353 Here's another example, it displays the Page Table entry for the
19354 transfer buffer:
19355
19356 @smallexample
19357 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte *((unsigned *)&_go32_info_block + 3)}
19358 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x29110:}
19359 @exdent @code{Base=0x00029000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0x110}
19360 @end smallexample
19361
19362 @noindent
19363 (The @code{+ 3} offset is because the transfer buffer's address is the
19364 3rd member of the @code{_go32_info_block} structure.) The output
19365 clearly shows that this DPMI server maps the addresses in conventional
19366 memory 1:1, i.e.@: the physical (@code{0x00029000} + @code{0x110}) and
19367 linear (@code{0x29110}) addresses are identical.
19368
19369 This command is supported only with some DPMI servers.
19370 @end table
19371
19372 @cindex DOS serial data link, remote debugging
19373 In addition to native debugging, the DJGPP port supports remote
19374 debugging via a serial data link. The following commands are specific
19375 to remote serial debugging in the DJGPP port of @value{GDBN}.
19376
19377 @table @code
19378 @kindex set com1base
19379 @kindex set com1irq
19380 @kindex set com2base
19381 @kindex set com2irq
19382 @kindex set com3base
19383 @kindex set com3irq
19384 @kindex set com4base
19385 @kindex set com4irq
19386 @item set com1base @var{addr}
19387 This command sets the base I/O port address of the @file{COM1} serial
19388 port.
19389
19390 @item set com1irq @var{irq}
19391 This command sets the @dfn{Interrupt Request} (@code{IRQ}) line to use
19392 for the @file{COM1} serial port.
19393
19394 There are similar commands @samp{set com2base}, @samp{set com3irq},
19395 etc.@: for setting the port address and the @code{IRQ} lines for the
19396 other 3 COM ports.
19397
19398 @kindex show com1base
19399 @kindex show com1irq
19400 @kindex show com2base
19401 @kindex show com2irq
19402 @kindex show com3base
19403 @kindex show com3irq
19404 @kindex show com4base
19405 @kindex show com4irq
19406 The related commands @samp{show com1base}, @samp{show com1irq} etc.@:
19407 display the current settings of the base address and the @code{IRQ}
19408 lines used by the COM ports.
19409
19410 @item info serial
19411 @kindex info serial
19412 @cindex DOS serial port status
19413 This command prints the status of the 4 DOS serial ports. For each
19414 port, it prints whether it's active or not, its I/O base address and
19415 IRQ number, whether it uses a 16550-style FIFO, its baudrate, and the
19416 counts of various errors encountered so far.
19417 @end table
19418
19419
19420 @node Cygwin Native
19421 @subsection Features for Debugging MS Windows PE Executables
19422 @cindex MS Windows debugging
19423 @cindex native Cygwin debugging
19424 @cindex Cygwin-specific commands
19425
19426 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of MS Windows programs, including
19427 DLLs with and without symbolic debugging information.
19428
19429 @cindex Ctrl-BREAK, MS-Windows
19430 @cindex interrupt debuggee on MS-Windows
19431 MS-Windows programs that call @code{SetConsoleMode} to switch off the
19432 special meaning of the @samp{Ctrl-C} keystroke cannot be interrupted
19433 by typing @kbd{C-c}. For this reason, @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows
19434 supports @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} as an alternative interrupt key
19435 sequence, which can be used to interrupt the debuggee even if it
19436 ignores @kbd{C-c}.
19437
19438 There are various additional Cygwin-specific commands, described in
19439 this section. Working with DLLs that have no debugging symbols is
19440 described in @ref{Non-debug DLL Symbols}.
19441
19442 @table @code
19443 @kindex info w32
19444 @item info w32
19445 This is a prefix of MS Windows-specific commands which print
19446 information about the target system and important OS structures.
19447
19448 @item info w32 selector
19449 This command displays information returned by
19450 the Win32 API @code{GetThreadSelectorEntry} function.
19451 It takes an optional argument that is evaluated to
19452 a long value to give the information about this given selector.
19453 Without argument, this command displays information
19454 about the six segment registers.
19455
19456 @item info w32 thread-information-block
19457 This command displays thread specific information stored in the
19458 Thread Information Block (readable on the X86 CPU family using @code{$fs}
19459 selector for 32-bit programs and @code{$gs} for 64-bit programs).
19460
19461 @kindex info dll
19462 @item info dll
19463 This is a Cygwin-specific alias of @code{info shared}.
19464
19465 @kindex dll-symbols
19466 @item dll-symbols
19467 This command loads symbols from a dll similarly to
19468 add-sym command but without the need to specify a base address.
19469
19470 @kindex set cygwin-exceptions
19471 @cindex debugging the Cygwin DLL
19472 @cindex Cygwin DLL, debugging
19473 @item set cygwin-exceptions @var{mode}
19474 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that
19475 happen inside the Cygwin DLL. If @var{mode} is @code{off},
19476 @value{GDBN} will delay recognition of exceptions, and may ignore some
19477 exceptions which seem to be caused by internal Cygwin DLL
19478 ``bookkeeping''. This option is meant primarily for debugging the
19479 Cygwin DLL itself; the default value is @code{off} to avoid annoying
19480 @value{GDBN} users with false @code{SIGSEGV} signals.
19481
19482 @kindex show cygwin-exceptions
19483 @item show cygwin-exceptions
19484 Displays whether @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that happen
19485 inside the Cygwin DLL itself.
19486
19487 @kindex set new-console
19488 @item set new-console @var{mode}
19489 If @var{mode} is @code{on} the debuggee will
19490 be started in a new console on next start.
19491 If @var{mode} is @code{off}, the debuggee will
19492 be started in the same console as the debugger.
19493
19494 @kindex show new-console
19495 @item show new-console
19496 Displays whether a new console is used
19497 when the debuggee is started.
19498
19499 @kindex set new-group
19500 @item set new-group @var{mode}
19501 This boolean value controls whether the debuggee should
19502 start a new group or stay in the same group as the debugger.
19503 This affects the way the Windows OS handles
19504 @samp{Ctrl-C}.
19505
19506 @kindex show new-group
19507 @item show new-group
19508 Displays current value of new-group boolean.
19509
19510 @kindex set debugevents
19511 @item set debugevents
19512 This boolean value adds debug output concerning kernel events related
19513 to the debuggee seen by the debugger. This includes events that
19514 signal thread and process creation and exit, DLL loading and
19515 unloading, console interrupts, and debugging messages produced by the
19516 Windows @code{OutputDebugString} API call.
19517
19518 @kindex set debugexec
19519 @item set debugexec
19520 This boolean value adds debug output concerning execute events
19521 (such as resume thread) seen by the debugger.
19522
19523 @kindex set debugexceptions
19524 @item set debugexceptions
19525 This boolean value adds debug output concerning exceptions in the
19526 debuggee seen by the debugger.
19527
19528 @kindex set debugmemory
19529 @item set debugmemory
19530 This boolean value adds debug output concerning debuggee memory reads
19531 and writes by the debugger.
19532
19533 @kindex set shell
19534 @item set shell
19535 This boolean values specifies whether the debuggee is called
19536 via a shell or directly (default value is on).
19537
19538 @kindex show shell
19539 @item show shell
19540 Displays if the debuggee will be started with a shell.
19541
19542 @end table
19543
19544 @menu
19545 * Non-debug DLL Symbols:: Support for DLLs without debugging symbols
19546 @end menu
19547
19548 @node Non-debug DLL Symbols
19549 @subsubsection Support for DLLs without Debugging Symbols
19550 @cindex DLLs with no debugging symbols
19551 @cindex Minimal symbols and DLLs
19552
19553 Very often on windows, some of the DLLs that your program relies on do
19554 not include symbolic debugging information (for example,
19555 @file{kernel32.dll}). When @value{GDBN} doesn't recognize any debugging
19556 symbols in a DLL, it relies on the minimal amount of symbolic
19557 information contained in the DLL's export table. This section
19558 describes working with such symbols, known internally to @value{GDBN} as
19559 ``minimal symbols''.
19560
19561 Note that before the debugged program has started execution, no DLLs
19562 will have been loaded. The easiest way around this problem is simply to
19563 start the program --- either by setting a breakpoint or letting the
19564 program run once to completion. It is also possible to force
19565 @value{GDBN} to load a particular DLL before starting the executable ---
19566 see the shared library information in @ref{Files}, or the
19567 @code{dll-symbols} command in @ref{Cygwin Native}. Currently,
19568 explicitly loading symbols from a DLL with no debugging information will
19569 cause the symbol names to be duplicated in @value{GDBN}'s lookup table,
19570 which may adversely affect symbol lookup performance.
19571
19572 @subsubsection DLL Name Prefixes
19573
19574 In keeping with the naming conventions used by the Microsoft debugging
19575 tools, DLL export symbols are made available with a prefix based on the
19576 DLL name, for instance @code{KERNEL32!CreateFileA}. The plain name is
19577 also entered into the symbol table, so @code{CreateFileA} is often
19578 sufficient. In some cases there will be name clashes within a program
19579 (particularly if the executable itself includes full debugging symbols)
19580 necessitating the use of the fully qualified name when referring to the
19581 contents of the DLL. Use single-quotes around the name to avoid the
19582 exclamation mark (``!'') being interpreted as a language operator.
19583
19584 Note that the internal name of the DLL may be all upper-case, even
19585 though the file name of the DLL is lower-case, or vice-versa. Since
19586 symbols within @value{GDBN} are @emph{case-sensitive} this may cause
19587 some confusion. If in doubt, try the @code{info functions} and
19588 @code{info variables} commands or even @code{maint print msymbols}
19589 (@pxref{Symbols}). Here's an example:
19590
19591 @smallexample
19592 (@value{GDBP}) info function CreateFileA
19593 All functions matching regular expression "CreateFileA":
19594
19595 Non-debugging symbols:
19596 0x77e885f4 CreateFileA
19597 0x77e885f4 KERNEL32!CreateFileA
19598 @end smallexample
19599
19600 @smallexample
19601 (@value{GDBP}) info function !
19602 All functions matching regular expression "!":
19603
19604 Non-debugging symbols:
19605 0x6100114c cygwin1!__assert
19606 0x61004034 cygwin1!_dll_crt0@@0
19607 0x61004240 cygwin1!dll_crt0(per_process *)
19608 [etc...]
19609 @end smallexample
19610
19611 @subsubsection Working with Minimal Symbols
19612
19613 Symbols extracted from a DLL's export table do not contain very much
19614 type information. All that @value{GDBN} can do is guess whether a symbol
19615 refers to a function or variable depending on the linker section that
19616 contains the symbol. Also note that the actual contents of the memory
19617 contained in a DLL are not available unless the program is running. This
19618 means that you cannot examine the contents of a variable or disassemble
19619 a function within a DLL without a running program.
19620
19621 Variables are generally treated as pointers and dereferenced
19622 automatically. For this reason, it is often necessary to prefix a
19623 variable name with the address-of operator (``&'') and provide explicit
19624 type information in the command. Here's an example of the type of
19625 problem:
19626
19627 @smallexample
19628 (@value{GDBP}) print 'cygwin1!__argv'
19629 $1 = 268572168
19630 @end smallexample
19631
19632 @smallexample
19633 (@value{GDBP}) x 'cygwin1!__argv'
19634 0x10021610: "\230y\""
19635 @end smallexample
19636
19637 And two possible solutions:
19638
19639 @smallexample
19640 (@value{GDBP}) print ((char **)'cygwin1!__argv')[0]
19641 $2 = 0x22fd98 "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
19642 @end smallexample
19643
19644 @smallexample
19645 (@value{GDBP}) x/2x &'cygwin1!__argv'
19646 0x610c0aa8 <cygwin1!__argv>: 0x10021608 0x00000000
19647 (@value{GDBP}) x/x 0x10021608
19648 0x10021608: 0x0022fd98
19649 (@value{GDBP}) x/s 0x0022fd98
19650 0x22fd98: "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
19651 @end smallexample
19652
19653 Setting a break point within a DLL is possible even before the program
19654 starts execution. However, under these circumstances, @value{GDBN} can't
19655 examine the initial instructions of the function in order to skip the
19656 function's frame set-up code. You can work around this by using ``*&''
19657 to set the breakpoint at a raw memory address:
19658
19659 @smallexample
19660 (@value{GDBP}) break *&'python22!PyOS_Readline'
19661 Breakpoint 1 at 0x1e04eff0
19662 @end smallexample
19663
19664 The author of these extensions is not entirely convinced that setting a
19665 break point within a shared DLL like @file{kernel32.dll} is completely
19666 safe.
19667
19668 @node Hurd Native
19669 @subsection Commands Specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd Systems
19670 @cindex @sc{gnu} Hurd debugging
19671
19672 This subsection describes @value{GDBN} commands specific to the
19673 @sc{gnu} Hurd native debugging.
19674
19675 @table @code
19676 @item set signals
19677 @itemx set sigs
19678 @kindex set signals@r{, Hurd command}
19679 @kindex set sigs@r{, Hurd command}
19680 This command toggles the state of inferior signal interception by
19681 @value{GDBN}. Mach exceptions, such as breakpoint traps, are not
19682 affected by this command. @code{sigs} is a shorthand alias for
19683 @code{signals}.
19684
19685 @item show signals
19686 @itemx show sigs
19687 @kindex show signals@r{, Hurd command}
19688 @kindex show sigs@r{, Hurd command}
19689 Show the current state of intercepting inferior's signals.
19690
19691 @item set signal-thread
19692 @itemx set sigthread
19693 @kindex set signal-thread
19694 @kindex set sigthread
19695 This command tells @value{GDBN} which thread is the @code{libc} signal
19696 thread. That thread is run when a signal is delivered to a running
19697 process. @code{set sigthread} is the shorthand alias of @code{set
19698 signal-thread}.
19699
19700 @item show signal-thread
19701 @itemx show sigthread
19702 @kindex show signal-thread
19703 @kindex show sigthread
19704 These two commands show which thread will run when the inferior is
19705 delivered a signal.
19706
19707 @item set stopped
19708 @kindex set stopped@r{, Hurd command}
19709 This commands tells @value{GDBN} that the inferior process is stopped,
19710 as with the @code{SIGSTOP} signal. The stopped process can be
19711 continued by delivering a signal to it.
19712
19713 @item show stopped
19714 @kindex show stopped@r{, Hurd command}
19715 This command shows whether @value{GDBN} thinks the debuggee is
19716 stopped.
19717
19718 @item set exceptions
19719 @kindex set exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
19720 Use this command to turn off trapping of exceptions in the inferior.
19721 When exception trapping is off, neither breakpoints nor
19722 single-stepping will work. To restore the default, set exception
19723 trapping on.
19724
19725 @item show exceptions
19726 @kindex show exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
19727 Show the current state of trapping exceptions in the inferior.
19728
19729 @item set task pause
19730 @kindex set task@r{, Hurd commands}
19731 @cindex task attributes (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
19732 @cindex pause current task (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
19733 This command toggles task suspension when @value{GDBN} has control.
19734 Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the task is suspended
19735 whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to off will take
19736 effect the next time the inferior is continued. If this option is set
19737 to off, you can use @code{set thread default pause on} or @code{set
19738 thread pause on} (see below) to pause individual threads.
19739
19740 @item show task pause
19741 @kindex show task@r{, Hurd commands}
19742 Show the current state of task suspension.
19743
19744 @item set task detach-suspend-count
19745 @cindex task suspend count
19746 @cindex detach from task, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19747 This command sets the suspend count the task will be left with when
19748 @value{GDBN} detaches from it.
19749
19750 @item show task detach-suspend-count
19751 Show the suspend count the task will be left with when detaching.
19752
19753 @item set task exception-port
19754 @itemx set task excp
19755 @cindex task exception port, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19756 This command sets the task exception port to which @value{GDBN} will
19757 forward exceptions. The argument should be the value of the @dfn{send
19758 rights} of the task. @code{set task excp} is a shorthand alias.
19759
19760 @item set noninvasive
19761 @cindex noninvasive task options
19762 This command switches @value{GDBN} to a mode that is the least
19763 invasive as far as interfering with the inferior is concerned. This
19764 is the same as using @code{set task pause}, @code{set exceptions}, and
19765 @code{set signals} to values opposite to the defaults.
19766
19767 @item info send-rights
19768 @itemx info receive-rights
19769 @itemx info port-rights
19770 @itemx info port-sets
19771 @itemx info dead-names
19772 @itemx info ports
19773 @itemx info psets
19774 @cindex send rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19775 @cindex receive rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19776 @cindex port rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19777 @cindex port sets, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19778 @cindex dead names, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19779 These commands display information about, respectively, send rights,
19780 receive rights, port rights, port sets, and dead names of a task.
19781 There are also shorthand aliases: @code{info ports} for @code{info
19782 port-rights} and @code{info psets} for @code{info port-sets}.
19783
19784 @item set thread pause
19785 @kindex set thread@r{, Hurd command}
19786 @cindex thread properties, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19787 @cindex pause current thread (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
19788 This command toggles current thread suspension when @value{GDBN} has
19789 control. Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the current
19790 thread is suspended whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to
19791 off will take effect the next time the inferior is continued.
19792 Normally, this command has no effect, since when @value{GDBN} has
19793 control, the whole task is suspended. However, if you used @code{set
19794 task pause off} (see above), this command comes in handy to suspend
19795 only the current thread.
19796
19797 @item show thread pause
19798 @kindex show thread@r{, Hurd command}
19799 This command shows the state of current thread suspension.
19800
19801 @item set thread run
19802 This command sets whether the current thread is allowed to run.
19803
19804 @item show thread run
19805 Show whether the current thread is allowed to run.
19806
19807 @item set thread detach-suspend-count
19808 @cindex thread suspend count, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19809 @cindex detach from thread, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19810 This command sets the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on a
19811 thread when detaching. This number is relative to the suspend count
19812 found by @value{GDBN} when it notices the thread; use @code{set thread
19813 takeover-suspend-count} to force it to an absolute value.
19814
19815 @item show thread detach-suspend-count
19816 Show the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on the thread when
19817 detaching.
19818
19819 @item set thread exception-port
19820 @itemx set thread excp
19821 Set the thread exception port to which to forward exceptions. This
19822 overrides the port set by @code{set task exception-port} (see above).
19823 @code{set thread excp} is the shorthand alias.
19824
19825 @item set thread takeover-suspend-count
19826 Normally, @value{GDBN}'s thread suspend counts are relative to the
19827 value @value{GDBN} finds when it notices each thread. This command
19828 changes the suspend counts to be absolute instead.
19829
19830 @item set thread default
19831 @itemx show thread default
19832 @cindex thread default settings, @sc{gnu} Hurd
19833 Each of the above @code{set thread} commands has a @code{set thread
19834 default} counterpart (e.g., @code{set thread default pause}, @code{set
19835 thread default exception-port}, etc.). The @code{thread default}
19836 variety of commands sets the default thread properties for all
19837 threads; you can then change the properties of individual threads with
19838 the non-default commands.
19839 @end table
19840
19841 @node Darwin
19842 @subsection Darwin
19843 @cindex Darwin
19844
19845 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the Darwin target:
19846
19847 @table @code
19848 @item set debug darwin @var{num}
19849 @kindex set debug darwin
19850 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages specific to
19851 the Darwin support. Higher values produce more verbose output.
19852
19853 @item show debug darwin
19854 @kindex show debug darwin
19855 Show the current state of Darwin messages.
19856
19857 @item set debug mach-o @var{num}
19858 @kindex set debug mach-o
19859 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages while
19860 @value{GDBN} is reading Darwin object files. (@dfn{Mach-O} is the
19861 file format used on Darwin for object and executable files.) Higher
19862 values produce more verbose output. This is a command to diagnose
19863 problems internal to @value{GDBN} and should not be needed in normal
19864 usage.
19865
19866 @item show debug mach-o
19867 @kindex show debug mach-o
19868 Show the current state of Mach-O file messages.
19869
19870 @item set mach-exceptions on
19871 @itemx set mach-exceptions off
19872 @kindex set mach-exceptions
19873 On Darwin, faults are first reported as a Mach exception and are then
19874 mapped to a Posix signal. Use this command to turn on trapping of
19875 Mach exceptions in the inferior. This might be sometimes useful to
19876 better understand the cause of a fault. The default is off.
19877
19878 @item show mach-exceptions
19879 @kindex show mach-exceptions
19880 Show the current state of exceptions trapping.
19881 @end table
19882
19883
19884 @node Embedded OS
19885 @section Embedded Operating Systems
19886
19887 This section describes configurations involving the debugging of
19888 embedded operating systems that are available for several different
19889 architectures.
19890
19891 @menu
19892 * VxWorks:: Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
19893 @end menu
19894
19895 @value{GDBN} includes the ability to debug programs running on
19896 various real-time operating systems.
19897
19898 @node VxWorks
19899 @subsection Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
19900
19901 @cindex VxWorks
19902
19903 @table @code
19904
19905 @kindex target vxworks
19906 @item target vxworks @var{machinename}
19907 A VxWorks system, attached via TCP/IP. The argument @var{machinename}
19908 is the target system's machine name or IP address.
19909
19910 @end table
19911
19912 On VxWorks, @code{load} links @var{filename} dynamically on the
19913 current target system as well as adding its symbols in @value{GDBN}.
19914
19915 @value{GDBN} enables developers to spawn and debug tasks running on networked
19916 VxWorks targets from a Unix host. Already-running tasks spawned from
19917 the VxWorks shell can also be debugged. @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
19918 both the Unix host and on the VxWorks target. The program
19919 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host. (It may be
19920 installed with the name @code{vxgdb}, to distinguish it from a
19921 @value{GDBN} for debugging programs on the host itself.)
19922
19923 @table @code
19924 @item VxWorks-timeout @var{args}
19925 @kindex vxworks-timeout
19926 All VxWorks-based targets now support the option @code{vxworks-timeout}.
19927 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
19928 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses to rpc's. You might use this if
19929 your VxWorks target is a slow software simulator or is on the far side
19930 of a thin network line.
19931 @end table
19932
19933 The following information on connecting to VxWorks was current when
19934 this manual was produced; newer releases of VxWorks may use revised
19935 procedures.
19936
19937 @findex INCLUDE_RDB
19938 To use @value{GDBN} with VxWorks, you must rebuild your VxWorks kernel
19939 to include the remote debugging interface routines in the VxWorks
19940 library @file{rdb.a}. To do this, define @code{INCLUDE_RDB} in the
19941 VxWorks configuration file @file{configAll.h} and rebuild your VxWorks
19942 kernel. The resulting kernel contains @file{rdb.a}, and spawns the
19943 source debugging task @code{tRdbTask} when VxWorks is booted. For more
19944 information on configuring and remaking VxWorks, see the manufacturer's
19945 manual.
19946 @c VxWorks, see the @cite{VxWorks Programmer's Guide}.
19947
19948 Once you have included @file{rdb.a} in your VxWorks system image and set
19949 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
19950 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}} (or
19951 @code{vxgdb}, depending on your installation).
19952
19953 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
19954
19955 @smallexample
19956 (vxgdb)
19957 @end smallexample
19958
19959 @menu
19960 * VxWorks Connection:: Connecting to VxWorks
19961 * VxWorks Download:: VxWorks download
19962 * VxWorks Attach:: Running tasks
19963 @end menu
19964
19965 @node VxWorks Connection
19966 @subsubsection Connecting to VxWorks
19967
19968 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a VxWorks target on the
19969 network. To connect to a target whose host name is ``@code{tt}'', type:
19970
19971 @smallexample
19972 (vxgdb) target vxworks tt
19973 @end smallexample
19974
19975 @need 750
19976 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
19977
19978 @smallexample
19979 Attaching remote machine across net...
19980 Connected to tt.
19981 @end smallexample
19982
19983 @need 1000
19984 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol tables of any object modules
19985 loaded into the VxWorks target since it was last booted. @value{GDBN} locates
19986 these files by searching the directories listed in the command search
19987 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}); if it fails
19988 to find an object file, it displays a message such as:
19989
19990 @smallexample
19991 prog.o: No such file or directory.
19992 @end smallexample
19993
19994 When this happens, add the appropriate directory to the search path with
19995 the @value{GDBN} command @code{path}, and execute the @code{target}
19996 command again.
19997
19998 @node VxWorks Download
19999 @subsubsection VxWorks Download
20000
20001 @cindex download to VxWorks
20002 If you have connected to the VxWorks target and you want to debug an
20003 object that has not yet been loaded, you can use the @value{GDBN}
20004 @code{load} command to download a file from Unix to VxWorks
20005 incrementally. The object file given as an argument to the @code{load}
20006 command is actually opened twice: first by the VxWorks target in order
20007 to download the code, then by @value{GDBN} in order to read the symbol
20008 table. This can lead to problems if the current working directories on
20009 the two systems differ. If both systems have NFS mounted the same
20010 filesystems, you can avoid these problems by using absolute paths.
20011 Otherwise, it is simplest to set the working directory on both systems
20012 to the directory in which the object file resides, and then to reference
20013 the file by its name, without any path. For instance, a program
20014 @file{prog.o} may reside in @file{@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb} in VxWorks
20015 and in @file{@var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb} on the host. To load this
20016 program, type this on VxWorks:
20017
20018 @smallexample
20019 -> cd "@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb"
20020 @end smallexample
20021
20022 @noindent
20023 Then, in @value{GDBN}, type:
20024
20025 @smallexample
20026 (vxgdb) cd @var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb
20027 (vxgdb) load prog.o
20028 @end smallexample
20029
20030 @value{GDBN} displays a response similar to this:
20031
20032 @smallexample
20033 Reading symbol data from wherever/vw/demo/rdb/prog.o... done.
20034 @end smallexample
20035
20036 You can also use the @code{load} command to reload an object module
20037 after editing and recompiling the corresponding source file. Note that
20038 this makes @value{GDBN} delete all currently-defined breakpoints,
20039 auto-displays, and convenience variables, and to clear the value
20040 history. (This is necessary in order to preserve the integrity of
20041 debugger's data structures that reference the target system's symbol
20042 table.)
20043
20044 @node VxWorks Attach
20045 @subsubsection Running Tasks
20046
20047 @cindex running VxWorks tasks
20048 You can also attach to an existing task using the @code{attach} command as
20049 follows:
20050
20051 @smallexample
20052 (vxgdb) attach @var{task}
20053 @end smallexample
20054
20055 @noindent
20056 where @var{task} is the VxWorks hexadecimal task ID. The task can be running
20057 or suspended when you attach to it. Running tasks are suspended at
20058 the time of attachment.
20059
20060 @node Embedded Processors
20061 @section Embedded Processors
20062
20063 This section goes into details specific to particular embedded
20064 configurations.
20065
20066 @cindex send command to simulator
20067 Whenever a specific embedded processor has a simulator, @value{GDBN}
20068 allows to send an arbitrary command to the simulator.
20069
20070 @table @code
20071 @item sim @var{command}
20072 @kindex sim@r{, a command}
20073 Send an arbitrary @var{command} string to the simulator. Consult the
20074 documentation for the specific simulator in use for information about
20075 acceptable commands.
20076 @end table
20077
20078
20079 @menu
20080 * ARM:: ARM RDI
20081 * M32R/D:: Renesas M32R/D
20082 * M68K:: Motorola M68K
20083 * MicroBlaze:: Xilinx MicroBlaze
20084 * MIPS Embedded:: MIPS Embedded
20085 * PowerPC Embedded:: PowerPC Embedded
20086 * PA:: HP PA Embedded
20087 * Sparclet:: Tsqware Sparclet
20088 * Sparclite:: Fujitsu Sparclite
20089 * Z8000:: Zilog Z8000
20090 * AVR:: Atmel AVR
20091 * CRIS:: CRIS
20092 * Super-H:: Renesas Super-H
20093 @end menu
20094
20095 @node ARM
20096 @subsection ARM
20097 @cindex ARM RDI
20098
20099 @table @code
20100 @kindex target rdi
20101 @item target rdi @var{dev}
20102 ARM Angel monitor, via RDI library interface to ADP protocol. You may
20103 use this target to communicate with both boards running the Angel
20104 monitor, or with the EmbeddedICE JTAG debug device.
20105
20106 @kindex target rdp
20107 @item target rdp @var{dev}
20108 ARM Demon monitor.
20109
20110 @end table
20111
20112 @value{GDBN} provides the following ARM-specific commands:
20113
20114 @table @code
20115 @item set arm disassembler
20116 @kindex set arm
20117 This commands selects from a list of disassembly styles. The
20118 @code{"std"} style is the standard style.
20119
20120 @item show arm disassembler
20121 @kindex show arm
20122 Show the current disassembly style.
20123
20124 @item set arm apcs32
20125 @cindex ARM 32-bit mode
20126 This command toggles ARM operation mode between 32-bit and 26-bit.
20127
20128 @item show arm apcs32
20129 Display the current usage of the ARM 32-bit mode.
20130
20131 @item set arm fpu @var{fputype}
20132 This command sets the ARM floating-point unit (FPU) type. The
20133 argument @var{fputype} can be one of these:
20134
20135 @table @code
20136 @item auto
20137 Determine the FPU type by querying the OS ABI.
20138 @item softfpa
20139 Software FPU, with mixed-endian doubles on little-endian ARM
20140 processors.
20141 @item fpa
20142 GCC-compiled FPA co-processor.
20143 @item softvfp
20144 Software FPU with pure-endian doubles.
20145 @item vfp
20146 VFP co-processor.
20147 @end table
20148
20149 @item show arm fpu
20150 Show the current type of the FPU.
20151
20152 @item set arm abi
20153 This command forces @value{GDBN} to use the specified ABI.
20154
20155 @item show arm abi
20156 Show the currently used ABI.
20157
20158 @item set arm fallback-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
20159 @value{GDBN} uses the symbol table, when available, to determine
20160 whether instructions are ARM or Thumb. This command controls
20161 @value{GDBN}'s default behavior when the symbol table is not
20162 available. The default is @samp{auto}, which causes @value{GDBN} to
20163 use the current execution mode (from the @code{T} bit in the @code{CPSR}
20164 register).
20165
20166 @item show arm fallback-mode
20167 Show the current fallback instruction mode.
20168
20169 @item set arm force-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
20170 This command overrides use of the symbol table to determine whether
20171 instructions are ARM or Thumb. The default is @samp{auto}, which
20172 causes @value{GDBN} to use the symbol table and then the setting
20173 of @samp{set arm fallback-mode}.
20174
20175 @item show arm force-mode
20176 Show the current forced instruction mode.
20177
20178 @item set debug arm
20179 Toggle whether to display ARM-specific debugging messages from the ARM
20180 target support subsystem.
20181
20182 @item show debug arm
20183 Show whether ARM-specific debugging messages are enabled.
20184 @end table
20185
20186 The following commands are available when an ARM target is debugged
20187 using the RDI interface:
20188
20189 @table @code
20190 @item rdilogfile @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
20191 @kindex rdilogfile
20192 @cindex ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) logging
20193 Set the filename for the ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) packet log.
20194 With an argument, sets the log file to the specified @var{file}. With
20195 no argument, show the current log file name. The default log file is
20196 @file{rdi.log}.
20197
20198 @item rdilogenable @r{[}@var{arg}@r{]}
20199 @kindex rdilogenable
20200 Control logging of ADP packets. With an argument of 1 or @code{"yes"}
20201 enables logging, with an argument 0 or @code{"no"} disables it. With
20202 no arguments displays the current setting. When logging is enabled,
20203 ADP packets exchanged between @value{GDBN} and the RDI target device
20204 are logged to a file.
20205
20206 @item set rdiromatzero
20207 @kindex set rdiromatzero
20208 @cindex ROM at zero address, RDI
20209 Tell @value{GDBN} whether the target has ROM at address 0. If on,
20210 vector catching is disabled, so that zero address can be used. If off
20211 (the default), vector catching is enabled. For this command to take
20212 effect, it needs to be invoked prior to the @code{target rdi} command.
20213
20214 @item show rdiromatzero
20215 @kindex show rdiromatzero
20216 Show the current setting of ROM at zero address.
20217
20218 @item set rdiheartbeat
20219 @kindex set rdiheartbeat
20220 @cindex RDI heartbeat
20221 Enable or disable RDI heartbeat packets. It is not recommended to
20222 turn on this option, since it confuses ARM and EPI JTAG interface, as
20223 well as the Angel monitor.
20224
20225 @item show rdiheartbeat
20226 @kindex show rdiheartbeat
20227 Show the setting of RDI heartbeat packets.
20228 @end table
20229
20230 @table @code
20231 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
20232 The @value{GDBN} ARM simulator accepts the following optional arguments.
20233
20234 @table @code
20235 @item --swi-support=@var{type}
20236 Tell the simulator which SWI interfaces to support.
20237 @var{type} may be a comma separated list of the following values.
20238 The default value is @code{all}.
20239
20240 @table @code
20241 @item none
20242 @item demon
20243 @item angel
20244 @item redboot
20245 @item all
20246 @end table
20247 @end table
20248 @end table
20249
20250 @node M32R/D
20251 @subsection Renesas M32R/D and M32R/SDI
20252
20253 @table @code
20254 @kindex target m32r
20255 @item target m32r @var{dev}
20256 Renesas M32R/D ROM monitor.
20257
20258 @kindex target m32rsdi
20259 @item target m32rsdi @var{dev}
20260 Renesas M32R SDI server, connected via parallel port to the board.
20261 @end table
20262
20263 The following @value{GDBN} commands are specific to the M32R monitor:
20264
20265 @table @code
20266 @item set download-path @var{path}
20267 @kindex set download-path
20268 @cindex find downloadable @sc{srec} files (M32R)
20269 Set the default path for finding downloadable @sc{srec} files.
20270
20271 @item show download-path
20272 @kindex show download-path
20273 Show the default path for downloadable @sc{srec} files.
20274
20275 @item set board-address @var{addr}
20276 @kindex set board-address
20277 @cindex M32-EVA target board address
20278 Set the IP address for the M32R-EVA target board.
20279
20280 @item show board-address
20281 @kindex show board-address
20282 Show the current IP address of the target board.
20283
20284 @item set server-address @var{addr}
20285 @kindex set server-address
20286 @cindex download server address (M32R)
20287 Set the IP address for the download server, which is the @value{GDBN}'s
20288 host machine.
20289
20290 @item show server-address
20291 @kindex show server-address
20292 Display the IP address of the download server.
20293
20294 @item upload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
20295 @kindex upload@r{, M32R}
20296 Upload the specified @sc{srec} @var{file} via the monitor's Ethernet
20297 upload capability. If no @var{file} argument is given, the current
20298 executable file is uploaded.
20299
20300 @item tload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
20301 @kindex tload@r{, M32R}
20302 Test the @code{upload} command.
20303 @end table
20304
20305 The following commands are available for M32R/SDI:
20306
20307 @table @code
20308 @item sdireset
20309 @kindex sdireset
20310 @cindex reset SDI connection, M32R
20311 This command resets the SDI connection.
20312
20313 @item sdistatus
20314 @kindex sdistatus
20315 This command shows the SDI connection status.
20316
20317 @item debug_chaos
20318 @kindex debug_chaos
20319 @cindex M32R/Chaos debugging
20320 Instructs the remote that M32R/Chaos debugging is to be used.
20321
20322 @item use_debug_dma
20323 @kindex use_debug_dma
20324 Instructs the remote to use the DEBUG_DMA method of accessing memory.
20325
20326 @item use_mon_code
20327 @kindex use_mon_code
20328 Instructs the remote to use the MON_CODE method of accessing memory.
20329
20330 @item use_ib_break
20331 @kindex use_ib_break
20332 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by IB break.
20333
20334 @item use_dbt_break
20335 @kindex use_dbt_break
20336 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by DBT.
20337 @end table
20338
20339 @node M68K
20340 @subsection M68k
20341
20342 The Motorola m68k configuration includes ColdFire support, and a
20343 target command for the following ROM monitor.
20344
20345 @table @code
20346
20347 @kindex target dbug
20348 @item target dbug @var{dev}
20349 dBUG ROM monitor for Motorola ColdFire.
20350
20351 @end table
20352
20353 @node MicroBlaze
20354 @subsection MicroBlaze
20355 @cindex Xilinx MicroBlaze
20356 @cindex XMD, Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger
20357
20358 The MicroBlaze is a soft-core processor supported on various Xilinx
20359 FPGAs, such as Spartan or Virtex series. Boards with these processors
20360 usually have JTAG ports which connect to a host system running the Xilinx
20361 Embedded Development Kit (EDK) or Software Development Kit (SDK).
20362 This host system is used to download the configuration bitstream to
20363 the target FPGA. The Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger (XMD) program
20364 communicates with the target board using the JTAG interface and
20365 presents a @code{gdbserver} interface to the board. By default
20366 @code{xmd} uses port @code{1234}. (While it is possible to change
20367 this default port, it requires the use of undocumented @code{xmd}
20368 commands. Contact Xilinx support if you need to do this.)
20369
20370 Use these GDB commands to connect to the MicroBlaze target processor.
20371
20372 @table @code
20373 @item target remote :1234
20374 Use this command to connect to the target if you are running @value{GDBN}
20375 on the same system as @code{xmd}.
20376
20377 @item target remote @var{xmd-host}:1234
20378 Use this command to connect to the target if it is connected to @code{xmd}
20379 running on a different system named @var{xmd-host}.
20380
20381 @item load
20382 Use this command to download a program to the MicroBlaze target.
20383
20384 @item set debug microblaze @var{n}
20385 Enable MicroBlaze-specific debugging messages if non-zero.
20386
20387 @item show debug microblaze @var{n}
20388 Show MicroBlaze-specific debugging level.
20389 @end table
20390
20391 @node MIPS Embedded
20392 @subsection @acronym{MIPS} Embedded
20393
20394 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} boards
20395 @value{GDBN} can use the @acronym{MIPS} remote debugging protocol to talk to a
20396 @acronym{MIPS} board attached to a serial line. This is available when
20397 you configure @value{GDBN} with @samp{--target=mips-elf}.
20398
20399 @need 1000
20400 Use these @value{GDBN} commands to specify the connection to your target board:
20401
20402 @table @code
20403 @item target mips @var{port}
20404 @kindex target mips @var{port}
20405 To run a program on the board, start up @code{@value{GDBP}} with the
20406 name of your program as the argument. To connect to the board, use the
20407 command @samp{target mips @var{port}}, where @var{port} is the name of
20408 the serial port connected to the board. If the program has not already
20409 been downloaded to the board, you may use the @code{load} command to
20410 download it. You can then use all the usual @value{GDBN} commands.
20411
20412 For example, this sequence connects to the target board through a serial
20413 port, and loads and runs a program called @var{prog} through the
20414 debugger:
20415
20416 @smallexample
20417 host$ @value{GDBP} @var{prog}
20418 @value{GDBN} is free software and @dots{}
20419 (@value{GDBP}) target mips /dev/ttyb
20420 (@value{GDBP}) load @var{prog}
20421 (@value{GDBP}) run
20422 @end smallexample
20423
20424 @item target mips @var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}
20425 On some @value{GDBN} host configurations, you can specify a TCP
20426 connection (for instance, to a serial line managed by a terminal
20427 concentrator) instead of a serial port, using the syntax
20428 @samp{@var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}}.
20429
20430 @item target pmon @var{port}
20431 @kindex target pmon @var{port}
20432 PMON ROM monitor.
20433
20434 @item target ddb @var{port}
20435 @kindex target ddb @var{port}
20436 NEC's DDB variant of PMON for Vr4300.
20437
20438 @item target lsi @var{port}
20439 @kindex target lsi @var{port}
20440 LSI variant of PMON.
20441
20442 @kindex target r3900
20443 @item target r3900 @var{dev}
20444 Densan DVE-R3900 ROM monitor for Toshiba R3900 Mips.
20445
20446 @kindex target array
20447 @item target array @var{dev}
20448 Array Tech LSI33K RAID controller board.
20449
20450 @end table
20451
20452
20453 @noindent
20454 @value{GDBN} also supports these special commands for @acronym{MIPS} targets:
20455
20456 @table @code
20457 @item set mipsfpu double
20458 @itemx set mipsfpu single
20459 @itemx set mipsfpu none
20460 @itemx set mipsfpu auto
20461 @itemx show mipsfpu
20462 @kindex set mipsfpu
20463 @kindex show mipsfpu
20464 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} remote floating point
20465 @cindex floating point, @acronym{MIPS} remote
20466 If your target board does not support the @acronym{MIPS} floating point
20467 coprocessor, you should use the command @samp{set mipsfpu none} (if you
20468 need this, you may wish to put the command in your @value{GDBN} init
20469 file). This tells @value{GDBN} how to find the return value of
20470 functions which return floating point values. It also allows
20471 @value{GDBN} to avoid saving the floating point registers when calling
20472 functions on the board. If you are using a floating point coprocessor
20473 with only single precision floating point support, as on the @sc{r4650}
20474 processor, use the command @samp{set mipsfpu single}. The default
20475 double precision floating point coprocessor may be selected using
20476 @samp{set mipsfpu double}.
20477
20478 In previous versions the only choices were double precision or no
20479 floating point, so @samp{set mipsfpu on} will select double precision
20480 and @samp{set mipsfpu off} will select no floating point.
20481
20482 As usual, you can inquire about the @code{mipsfpu} variable with
20483 @samp{show mipsfpu}.
20484
20485 @item set timeout @var{seconds}
20486 @itemx set retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}
20487 @itemx show timeout
20488 @itemx show retransmit-timeout
20489 @cindex @code{timeout}, @acronym{MIPS} protocol
20490 @cindex @code{retransmit-timeout}, @acronym{MIPS} protocol
20491 @kindex set timeout
20492 @kindex show timeout
20493 @kindex set retransmit-timeout
20494 @kindex show retransmit-timeout
20495 You can control the timeout used while waiting for a packet, in the @acronym{MIPS}
20496 remote protocol, with the @code{set timeout @var{seconds}} command. The
20497 default is 5 seconds. Similarly, you can control the timeout used while
20498 waiting for an acknowledgment of a packet with the @code{set
20499 retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}} command. The default is 3 seconds.
20500 You can inspect both values with @code{show timeout} and @code{show
20501 retransmit-timeout}. (These commands are @emph{only} available when
20502 @value{GDBN} is configured for @samp{--target=mips-elf}.)
20503
20504 The timeout set by @code{set timeout} does not apply when @value{GDBN}
20505 is waiting for your program to stop. In that case, @value{GDBN} waits
20506 forever because it has no way of knowing how long the program is going
20507 to run before stopping.
20508
20509 @item set syn-garbage-limit @var{num}
20510 @kindex set syn-garbage-limit@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20511 @cindex synchronize with remote @acronym{MIPS} target
20512 Limit the maximum number of characters @value{GDBN} should ignore when
20513 it tries to synchronize with the remote target. The default is 10
20514 characters. Setting the limit to -1 means there's no limit.
20515
20516 @item show syn-garbage-limit
20517 @kindex show syn-garbage-limit@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20518 Show the current limit on the number of characters to ignore when
20519 trying to synchronize with the remote system.
20520
20521 @item set monitor-prompt @var{prompt}
20522 @kindex set monitor-prompt@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20523 @cindex remote monitor prompt
20524 Tell @value{GDBN} to expect the specified @var{prompt} string from the
20525 remote monitor. The default depends on the target:
20526 @table @asis
20527 @item pmon target
20528 @samp{PMON}
20529 @item ddb target
20530 @samp{NEC010}
20531 @item lsi target
20532 @samp{PMON>}
20533 @end table
20534
20535 @item show monitor-prompt
20536 @kindex show monitor-prompt@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20537 Show the current strings @value{GDBN} expects as the prompt from the
20538 remote monitor.
20539
20540 @item set monitor-warnings
20541 @kindex set monitor-warnings@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20542 Enable or disable monitor warnings about hardware breakpoints. This
20543 has effect only for the @code{lsi} target. When on, @value{GDBN} will
20544 display warning messages whose codes are returned by the @code{lsi}
20545 PMON monitor for breakpoint commands.
20546
20547 @item show monitor-warnings
20548 @kindex show monitor-warnings@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20549 Show the current setting of printing monitor warnings.
20550
20551 @item pmon @var{command}
20552 @kindex pmon@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20553 @cindex send PMON command
20554 This command allows sending an arbitrary @var{command} string to the
20555 monitor. The monitor must be in debug mode for this to work.
20556 @end table
20557
20558 @node PowerPC Embedded
20559 @subsection PowerPC Embedded
20560
20561 @cindex DVC register
20562 @value{GDBN} supports using the DVC (Data Value Compare) register to
20563 implement in hardware simple hardware watchpoint conditions of the form:
20564
20565 @smallexample
20566 (@value{GDBP}) watch @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} \
20567 if @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} == @var{CONSTANT EXPRESSION}
20568 @end smallexample
20569
20570 The DVC register will be automatically used when @value{GDBN} detects
20571 such pattern in a condition expression, and the created watchpoint uses one
20572 debug register (either the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on and the
20573 variable is scalar, or the variable has a length of one byte). This feature
20574 is available in native @value{GDBN} running on a Linux kernel version 2.6.34
20575 or newer.
20576
20577 When running on PowerPC embedded processors, @value{GDBN} automatically uses
20578 ranged hardware watchpoints, unless the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on,
20579 in which case watchpoints using only one debug register are created when
20580 watching variables of scalar types.
20581
20582 You can create an artificial array to watch an arbitrary memory
20583 region using one of the following commands (@pxref{Expressions}):
20584
20585 @smallexample
20586 (@value{GDBP}) watch *((char *) @var{address})@@@var{length}
20587 (@value{GDBP}) watch @{char[@var{length}]@} @var{address}
20588 @end smallexample
20589
20590 PowerPC embedded processors support masked watchpoints. See the discussion
20591 about the @code{mask} argument in @ref{Set Watchpoints}.
20592
20593 @cindex ranged breakpoint
20594 PowerPC embedded processors support hardware accelerated
20595 @dfn{ranged breakpoints}. A ranged breakpoint stops execution of
20596 the inferior whenever it executes an instruction at any address within
20597 the range it specifies. To set a ranged breakpoint in @value{GDBN},
20598 use the @code{break-range} command.
20599
20600 @value{GDBN} provides the following PowerPC-specific commands:
20601
20602 @table @code
20603 @kindex break-range
20604 @item break-range @var{start-location}, @var{end-location}
20605 Set a breakpoint for an address range.
20606 @var{start-location} and @var{end-location} can specify a function name,
20607 a line number, an offset of lines from the current line or from the start
20608 location, or an address of an instruction (see @ref{Specify Location},
20609 for a list of all the possible ways to specify a @var{location}.)
20610 The breakpoint will stop execution of the inferior whenever it
20611 executes an instruction at any address within the specified range,
20612 (including @var{start-location} and @var{end-location}.)
20613
20614 @kindex set powerpc
20615 @item set powerpc soft-float
20616 @itemx show powerpc soft-float
20617 Force @value{GDBN} to use (or not use) a software floating point calling
20618 convention. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention based
20619 on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
20620
20621 @item set powerpc vector-abi
20622 @itemx show powerpc vector-abi
20623 Force @value{GDBN} to use the specified calling convention for vector
20624 arguments and return values. The valid options are @samp{auto};
20625 @samp{generic}, to avoid vector registers even if they are present;
20626 @samp{altivec}, to use AltiVec registers; and @samp{spe} to use SPE
20627 registers. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention
20628 based on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
20629
20630 @item set powerpc exact-watchpoints
20631 @itemx show powerpc exact-watchpoints
20632 Allow @value{GDBN} to use only one debug register when watching a variable
20633 of scalar type, thus assuming that the variable is accessed through the
20634 address of its first byte.
20635
20636 @kindex target dink32
20637 @item target dink32 @var{dev}
20638 DINK32 ROM monitor.
20639
20640 @kindex target ppcbug
20641 @item target ppcbug @var{dev}
20642 @kindex target ppcbug1
20643 @item target ppcbug1 @var{dev}
20644 PPCBUG ROM monitor for PowerPC.
20645
20646 @kindex target sds
20647 @item target sds @var{dev}
20648 SDS monitor, running on a PowerPC board (such as Motorola's ADS).
20649 @end table
20650
20651 @cindex SDS protocol
20652 The following commands specific to the SDS protocol are supported
20653 by @value{GDBN}:
20654
20655 @table @code
20656 @item set sdstimeout @var{nsec}
20657 @kindex set sdstimeout
20658 Set the timeout for SDS protocol reads to be @var{nsec} seconds. The
20659 default is 2 seconds.
20660
20661 @item show sdstimeout
20662 @kindex show sdstimeout
20663 Show the current value of the SDS timeout.
20664
20665 @item sds @var{command}
20666 @kindex sds@r{, a command}
20667 Send the specified @var{command} string to the SDS monitor.
20668 @end table
20669
20670
20671 @node PA
20672 @subsection HP PA Embedded
20673
20674 @table @code
20675
20676 @kindex target op50n
20677 @item target op50n @var{dev}
20678 OP50N monitor, running on an OKI HPPA board.
20679
20680 @kindex target w89k
20681 @item target w89k @var{dev}
20682 W89K monitor, running on a Winbond HPPA board.
20683
20684 @end table
20685
20686 @node Sparclet
20687 @subsection Tsqware Sparclet
20688
20689 @cindex Sparclet
20690
20691 @value{GDBN} enables developers to debug tasks running on
20692 Sparclet targets from a Unix host.
20693 @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
20694 both the Unix host and on the Sparclet target. The program
20695 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host.
20696
20697 @table @code
20698 @item remotetimeout @var{args}
20699 @kindex remotetimeout
20700 @value{GDBN} supports the option @code{remotetimeout}.
20701 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
20702 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses.
20703 @end table
20704
20705 @cindex compiling, on Sparclet
20706 When compiling for debugging, include the options @samp{-g} to get debug
20707 information and @samp{-Ttext} to relocate the program to where you wish to
20708 load it on the target. You may also want to add the options @samp{-n} or
20709 @samp{-N} in order to reduce the size of the sections. Example:
20710
20711 @smallexample
20712 sparclet-aout-gcc prog.c -Ttext 0x12010000 -g -o prog -N
20713 @end smallexample
20714
20715 You can use @code{objdump} to verify that the addresses are what you intended:
20716
20717 @smallexample
20718 sparclet-aout-objdump --headers --syms prog
20719 @end smallexample
20720
20721 @cindex running, on Sparclet
20722 Once you have set
20723 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
20724 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}}
20725 (or @code{sparclet-aout-gdb}, depending on your installation).
20726
20727 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
20728
20729 @smallexample
20730 (gdbslet)
20731 @end smallexample
20732
20733 @menu
20734 * Sparclet File:: Setting the file to debug
20735 * Sparclet Connection:: Connecting to Sparclet
20736 * Sparclet Download:: Sparclet download
20737 * Sparclet Execution:: Running and debugging
20738 @end menu
20739
20740 @node Sparclet File
20741 @subsubsection Setting File to Debug
20742
20743 The @value{GDBN} command @code{file} lets you choose with program to debug.
20744
20745 @smallexample
20746 (gdbslet) file prog
20747 @end smallexample
20748
20749 @need 1000
20750 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol table of @file{prog}.
20751 @value{GDBN} locates
20752 the file by searching the directories listed in the command search
20753 path.
20754 If the file was compiled with debug information (option @samp{-g}), source
20755 files will be searched as well.
20756 @value{GDBN} locates
20757 the source files by searching the directories listed in the directory search
20758 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}).
20759 If it fails
20760 to find a file, it displays a message such as:
20761
20762 @smallexample
20763 prog: No such file or directory.
20764 @end smallexample
20765
20766 When this happens, add the appropriate directories to the search paths with
20767 the @value{GDBN} commands @code{path} and @code{dir}, and execute the
20768 @code{target} command again.
20769
20770 @node Sparclet Connection
20771 @subsubsection Connecting to Sparclet
20772
20773 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a Sparclet target.
20774 To connect to a target on serial port ``@code{ttya}'', type:
20775
20776 @smallexample
20777 (gdbslet) target sparclet /dev/ttya
20778 Remote target sparclet connected to /dev/ttya
20779 main () at ../prog.c:3
20780 @end smallexample
20781
20782 @need 750
20783 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
20784
20785 @smallexample
20786 Connected to ttya.
20787 @end smallexample
20788
20789 @node Sparclet Download
20790 @subsubsection Sparclet Download
20791
20792 @cindex download to Sparclet
20793 Once connected to the Sparclet target,
20794 you can use the @value{GDBN}
20795 @code{load} command to download the file from the host to the target.
20796 The file name and load offset should be given as arguments to the @code{load}
20797 command.
20798 Since the file format is aout, the program must be loaded to the starting
20799 address. You can use @code{objdump} to find out what this value is. The load
20800 offset is an offset which is added to the VMA (virtual memory address)
20801 of each of the file's sections.
20802 For instance, if the program
20803 @file{prog} was linked to text address 0x1201000, with data at 0x12010160
20804 and bss at 0x12010170, in @value{GDBN}, type:
20805
20806 @smallexample
20807 (gdbslet) load prog 0x12010000
20808 Loading section .text, size 0xdb0 vma 0x12010000
20809 @end smallexample
20810
20811 If the code is loaded at a different address then what the program was linked
20812 to, you may need to use the @code{section} and @code{add-symbol-file} commands
20813 to tell @value{GDBN} where to map the symbol table.
20814
20815 @node Sparclet Execution
20816 @subsubsection Running and Debugging
20817
20818 @cindex running and debugging Sparclet programs
20819 You can now begin debugging the task using @value{GDBN}'s execution control
20820 commands, @code{b}, @code{step}, @code{run}, etc. See the @value{GDBN}
20821 manual for the list of commands.
20822
20823 @smallexample
20824 (gdbslet) b main
20825 Breakpoint 1 at 0x12010000: file prog.c, line 3.
20826 (gdbslet) run
20827 Starting program: prog
20828 Breakpoint 1, main (argc=1, argv=0xeffff21c) at prog.c:3
20829 3 char *symarg = 0;
20830 (gdbslet) step
20831 4 char *execarg = "hello!";
20832 (gdbslet)
20833 @end smallexample
20834
20835 @node Sparclite
20836 @subsection Fujitsu Sparclite
20837
20838 @table @code
20839
20840 @kindex target sparclite
20841 @item target sparclite @var{dev}
20842 Fujitsu sparclite boards, used only for the purpose of loading.
20843 You must use an additional command to debug the program.
20844 For example: target remote @var{dev} using @value{GDBN} standard
20845 remote protocol.
20846
20847 @end table
20848
20849 @node Z8000
20850 @subsection Zilog Z8000
20851
20852 @cindex Z8000
20853 @cindex simulator, Z8000
20854 @cindex Zilog Z8000 simulator
20855
20856 When configured for debugging Zilog Z8000 targets, @value{GDBN} includes
20857 a Z8000 simulator.
20858
20859 For the Z8000 family, @samp{target sim} simulates either the Z8002 (the
20860 unsegmented variant of the Z8000 architecture) or the Z8001 (the
20861 segmented variant). The simulator recognizes which architecture is
20862 appropriate by inspecting the object code.
20863
20864 @table @code
20865 @item target sim @var{args}
20866 @kindex sim
20867 @kindex target sim@r{, with Z8000}
20868 Debug programs on a simulated CPU. If the simulator supports setup
20869 options, specify them via @var{args}.
20870 @end table
20871
20872 @noindent
20873 After specifying this target, you can debug programs for the simulated
20874 CPU in the same style as programs for your host computer; use the
20875 @code{file} command to load a new program image, the @code{run} command
20876 to run your program, and so on.
20877
20878 As well as making available all the usual machine registers
20879 (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}), the Z8000 simulator provides three
20880 additional items of information as specially named registers:
20881
20882 @table @code
20883
20884 @item cycles
20885 Counts clock-ticks in the simulator.
20886
20887 @item insts
20888 Counts instructions run in the simulator.
20889
20890 @item time
20891 Execution time in 60ths of a second.
20892
20893 @end table
20894
20895 You can refer to these values in @value{GDBN} expressions with the usual
20896 conventions; for example, @w{@samp{b fputc if $cycles>5000}} sets a
20897 conditional breakpoint that suspends only after at least 5000
20898 simulated clock ticks.
20899
20900 @node AVR
20901 @subsection Atmel AVR
20902 @cindex AVR
20903
20904 When configured for debugging the Atmel AVR, @value{GDBN} supports the
20905 following AVR-specific commands:
20906
20907 @table @code
20908 @item info io_registers
20909 @kindex info io_registers@r{, AVR}
20910 @cindex I/O registers (Atmel AVR)
20911 This command displays information about the AVR I/O registers. For
20912 each register, @value{GDBN} prints its number and value.
20913 @end table
20914
20915 @node CRIS
20916 @subsection CRIS
20917 @cindex CRIS
20918
20919 When configured for debugging CRIS, @value{GDBN} provides the
20920 following CRIS-specific commands:
20921
20922 @table @code
20923 @item set cris-version @var{ver}
20924 @cindex CRIS version
20925 Set the current CRIS version to @var{ver}, either @samp{10} or @samp{32}.
20926 The CRIS version affects register names and sizes. This command is useful in
20927 case autodetection of the CRIS version fails.
20928
20929 @item show cris-version
20930 Show the current CRIS version.
20931
20932 @item set cris-dwarf2-cfi
20933 @cindex DWARF-2 CFI and CRIS
20934 Set the usage of DWARF-2 CFI for CRIS debugging. The default is @samp{on}.
20935 Change to @samp{off} when using @code{gcc-cris} whose version is below
20936 @code{R59}.
20937
20938 @item show cris-dwarf2-cfi
20939 Show the current state of using DWARF-2 CFI.
20940
20941 @item set cris-mode @var{mode}
20942 @cindex CRIS mode
20943 Set the current CRIS mode to @var{mode}. It should only be changed when
20944 debugging in guru mode, in which case it should be set to
20945 @samp{guru} (the default is @samp{normal}).
20946
20947 @item show cris-mode
20948 Show the current CRIS mode.
20949 @end table
20950
20951 @node Super-H
20952 @subsection Renesas Super-H
20953 @cindex Super-H
20954
20955 For the Renesas Super-H processor, @value{GDBN} provides these
20956 commands:
20957
20958 @table @code
20959 @item set sh calling-convention @var{convention}
20960 @kindex set sh calling-convention
20961 Set the calling-convention used when calling functions from @value{GDBN}.
20962 Allowed values are @samp{gcc}, which is the default setting, and @samp{renesas}.
20963 With the @samp{gcc} setting, functions are called using the @value{NGCC} calling
20964 convention. If the DWARF-2 information of the called function specifies
20965 that the function follows the Renesas calling convention, the function
20966 is called using the Renesas calling convention. If the calling convention
20967 is set to @samp{renesas}, the Renesas calling convention is always used,
20968 regardless of the DWARF-2 information. This can be used to override the
20969 default of @samp{gcc} if debug information is missing, or the compiler
20970 does not emit the DWARF-2 calling convention entry for a function.
20971
20972 @item show sh calling-convention
20973 @kindex show sh calling-convention
20974 Show the current calling convention setting.
20975
20976 @end table
20977
20978
20979 @node Architectures
20980 @section Architectures
20981
20982 This section describes characteristics of architectures that affect
20983 all uses of @value{GDBN} with the architecture, both native and cross.
20984
20985 @menu
20986 * AArch64::
20987 * i386::
20988 * Alpha::
20989 * MIPS::
20990 * HPPA:: HP PA architecture
20991 * SPU:: Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
20992 * PowerPC::
20993 * Nios II::
20994 @end menu
20995
20996 @node AArch64
20997 @subsection AArch64
20998 @cindex AArch64 support
20999
21000 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the AArch64 architecture, it provides the
21001 following special commands:
21002
21003 @table @code
21004 @item set debug aarch64
21005 @kindex set debug aarch64
21006 This command determines whether AArch64 architecture-specific debugging
21007 messages are to be displayed.
21008
21009 @item show debug aarch64
21010 Show whether AArch64 debugging messages are displayed.
21011
21012 @end table
21013
21014 @node i386
21015 @subsection x86 Architecture-specific Issues
21016
21017 @table @code
21018 @item set struct-convention @var{mode}
21019 @kindex set struct-convention
21020 @cindex struct return convention
21021 @cindex struct/union returned in registers
21022 Set the convention used by the inferior to return @code{struct}s and
21023 @code{union}s from functions to @var{mode}. Possible values of
21024 @var{mode} are @code{"pcc"}, @code{"reg"}, and @code{"default"} (the
21025 default). @code{"default"} or @code{"pcc"} means that @code{struct}s
21026 are returned on the stack, while @code{"reg"} means that a
21027 @code{struct} or a @code{union} whose size is 1, 2, 4, or 8 bytes will
21028 be returned in a register.
21029
21030 @item show struct-convention
21031 @kindex show struct-convention
21032 Show the current setting of the convention to return @code{struct}s
21033 from functions.
21034 @end table
21035
21036 @node Alpha
21037 @subsection Alpha
21038
21039 See the following section.
21040
21041 @node MIPS
21042 @subsection @acronym{MIPS}
21043
21044 @cindex stack on Alpha
21045 @cindex stack on @acronym{MIPS}
21046 @cindex Alpha stack
21047 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} stack
21048 Alpha- and @acronym{MIPS}-based computers use an unusual stack frame, which
21049 sometimes requires @value{GDBN} to search backward in the object code to
21050 find the beginning of a function.
21051
21052 @cindex response time, @acronym{MIPS} debugging
21053 To improve response time (especially for embedded applications, where
21054 @value{GDBN} may be restricted to a slow serial line for this search)
21055 you may want to limit the size of this search, using one of these
21056 commands:
21057
21058 @table @code
21059 @cindex @code{heuristic-fence-post} (Alpha, @acronym{MIPS})
21060 @item set heuristic-fence-post @var{limit}
21061 Restrict @value{GDBN} to examining at most @var{limit} bytes in its
21062 search for the beginning of a function. A value of @var{0} (the
21063 default) means there is no limit. However, except for @var{0}, the
21064 larger the limit the more bytes @code{heuristic-fence-post} must search
21065 and therefore the longer it takes to run. You should only need to use
21066 this command when debugging a stripped executable.
21067
21068 @item show heuristic-fence-post
21069 Display the current limit.
21070 @end table
21071
21072 @noindent
21073 These commands are available @emph{only} when @value{GDBN} is configured
21074 for debugging programs on Alpha or @acronym{MIPS} processors.
21075
21076 Several @acronym{MIPS}-specific commands are available when debugging @acronym{MIPS}
21077 programs:
21078
21079 @table @code
21080 @item set mips abi @var{arg}
21081 @kindex set mips abi
21082 @cindex set ABI for @acronym{MIPS}
21083 Tell @value{GDBN} which @acronym{MIPS} ABI is used by the inferior. Possible
21084 values of @var{arg} are:
21085
21086 @table @samp
21087 @item auto
21088 The default ABI associated with the current binary (this is the
21089 default).
21090 @item o32
21091 @item o64
21092 @item n32
21093 @item n64
21094 @item eabi32
21095 @item eabi64
21096 @end table
21097
21098 @item show mips abi
21099 @kindex show mips abi
21100 Show the @acronym{MIPS} ABI used by @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
21101
21102 @item set mips compression @var{arg}
21103 @kindex set mips compression
21104 @cindex code compression, @acronym{MIPS}
21105 Tell @value{GDBN} which @acronym{MIPS} compressed
21106 @acronym{ISA, Instruction Set Architecture} encoding is used by the
21107 inferior. @value{GDBN} uses this for code disassembly and other
21108 internal interpretation purposes. This setting is only referred to
21109 when no executable has been associated with the debugging session or
21110 the executable does not provide information about the encoding it uses.
21111 Otherwise this setting is automatically updated from information
21112 provided by the executable.
21113
21114 Possible values of @var{arg} are @samp{mips16} and @samp{micromips}.
21115 The default compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding is @samp{mips16}, as
21116 executables containing @acronym{MIPS16} code frequently are not
21117 identified as such.
21118
21119 This setting is ``sticky''; that is, it retains its value across
21120 debugging sessions until reset either explicitly with this command or
21121 implicitly from an executable.
21122
21123 The compiler and/or assembler typically add symbol table annotations to
21124 identify functions compiled for the @acronym{MIPS16} or
21125 @acronym{microMIPS} @acronym{ISA}s. If these function-scope annotations
21126 are present, @value{GDBN} uses them in preference to the global
21127 compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding setting.
21128
21129 @item show mips compression
21130 @kindex show mips compression
21131 Show the @acronym{MIPS} compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding used by
21132 @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
21133
21134 @item set mipsfpu
21135 @itemx show mipsfpu
21136 @xref{MIPS Embedded, set mipsfpu}.
21137
21138 @item set mips mask-address @var{arg}
21139 @kindex set mips mask-address
21140 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} addresses, masking
21141 This command determines whether the most-significant 32 bits of 64-bit
21142 @acronym{MIPS} addresses are masked off. The argument @var{arg} can be
21143 @samp{on}, @samp{off}, or @samp{auto}. The latter is the default
21144 setting, which lets @value{GDBN} determine the correct value.
21145
21146 @item show mips mask-address
21147 @kindex show mips mask-address
21148 Show whether the upper 32 bits of @acronym{MIPS} addresses are masked off or
21149 not.
21150
21151 @item set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21152 @kindex set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21153 This command controls compatibility with 64-bit @acronym{MIPS} targets that
21154 transfer data in 32-bit quantities. If you have an old @acronym{MIPS} 64 target
21155 that transfers 32 bits for some registers, like @sc{sr} and @sc{fsr},
21156 and 64 bits for other registers, set this option to @samp{on}.
21157
21158 @item show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21159 @kindex show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21160 Show the current setting of compatibility with older @acronym{MIPS} 64 targets.
21161
21162 @item set debug mips
21163 @kindex set debug mips
21164 This command turns on and off debugging messages for the @acronym{MIPS}-specific
21165 target code in @value{GDBN}.
21166
21167 @item show debug mips
21168 @kindex show debug mips
21169 Show the current setting of @acronym{MIPS} debugging messages.
21170 @end table
21171
21172
21173 @node HPPA
21174 @subsection HPPA
21175 @cindex HPPA support
21176
21177 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the HP PA architecture, it provides the
21178 following special commands:
21179
21180 @table @code
21181 @item set debug hppa
21182 @kindex set debug hppa
21183 This command determines whether HPPA architecture-specific debugging
21184 messages are to be displayed.
21185
21186 @item show debug hppa
21187 Show whether HPPA debugging messages are displayed.
21188
21189 @item maint print unwind @var{address}
21190 @kindex maint print unwind@r{, HPPA}
21191 This command displays the contents of the unwind table entry at the
21192 given @var{address}.
21193
21194 @end table
21195
21196
21197 @node SPU
21198 @subsection Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
21199 @cindex Cell Broadband Engine
21200 @cindex SPU
21201
21202 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture,
21203 it provides the following special commands:
21204
21205 @table @code
21206 @item info spu event
21207 @kindex info spu
21208 Display SPU event facility status. Shows current event mask
21209 and pending event status.
21210
21211 @item info spu signal
21212 Display SPU signal notification facility status. Shows pending
21213 signal-control word and signal notification mode of both signal
21214 notification channels.
21215
21216 @item info spu mailbox
21217 Display SPU mailbox facility status. Shows all pending entries,
21218 in order of processing, in each of the SPU Write Outbound,
21219 SPU Write Outbound Interrupt, and SPU Read Inbound mailboxes.
21220
21221 @item info spu dma
21222 Display MFC DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
21223 DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
21224 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
21225
21226 @item info spu proxydma
21227 Display MFC Proxy-DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
21228 Proxy-DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
21229 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
21230
21231 @end table
21232
21233 When @value{GDBN} is debugging a combined PowerPC/SPU application
21234 on the Cell Broadband Engine, it provides in addition the following
21235 special commands:
21236
21237 @table @code
21238 @item set spu stop-on-load @var{arg}
21239 @kindex set spu
21240 Set whether to stop for new SPE threads. When set to @code{on}, @value{GDBN}
21241 will give control to the user when a new SPE thread enters its @code{main}
21242 function. The default is @code{off}.
21243
21244 @item show spu stop-on-load
21245 @kindex show spu
21246 Show whether to stop for new SPE threads.
21247
21248 @item set spu auto-flush-cache @var{arg}
21249 Set whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache. When set to
21250 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will automatically cause the SPE software-managed
21251 cache to be flushed whenever SPE execution stops. This provides a consistent
21252 view of PowerPC memory that is accessed via the cache. If an application
21253 does not use the software-managed cache, this option has no effect.
21254
21255 @item show spu auto-flush-cache
21256 Show whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache.
21257
21258 @end table
21259
21260 @node PowerPC
21261 @subsection PowerPC
21262 @cindex PowerPC architecture
21263
21264 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the PowerPC architecture, it provides a set of
21265 pseudo-registers to enable inspection of 128-bit wide Decimal Floating Point
21266 numbers stored in the floating point registers. These values must be stored
21267 in two consecutive registers, always starting at an even register like
21268 @code{f0} or @code{f2}.
21269
21270 The pseudo-registers go from @code{$dl0} through @code{$dl15}, and are formed
21271 by joining the even/odd register pairs @code{f0} and @code{f1} for @code{$dl0},
21272 @code{f2} and @code{f3} for @code{$dl1} and so on.
21273
21274 For POWER7 processors, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers, the 64-bit
21275 wide Extended Floating Point Registers (@samp{f32} through @samp{f63}).
21276
21277 @node Nios II
21278 @subsection Nios II
21279 @cindex Nios II architecture
21280
21281 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the Nios II architecture,
21282 it provides the following special commands:
21283
21284 @table @code
21285
21286 @item set debug nios2
21287 @kindex set debug nios2
21288 This command turns on and off debugging messages for the Nios II
21289 target code in @value{GDBN}.
21290
21291 @item show debug nios2
21292 @kindex show debug nios2
21293 Show the current setting of Nios II debugging messages.
21294 @end table
21295
21296 @node Controlling GDB
21297 @chapter Controlling @value{GDBN}
21298
21299 You can alter the way @value{GDBN} interacts with you by using the
21300 @code{set} command. For commands controlling how @value{GDBN} displays
21301 data, see @ref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}. Other settings are
21302 described here.
21303
21304 @menu
21305 * Prompt:: Prompt
21306 * Editing:: Command editing
21307 * Command History:: Command history
21308 * Screen Size:: Screen size
21309 * Numbers:: Numbers
21310 * ABI:: Configuring the current ABI
21311 * Auto-loading:: Automatically loading associated files
21312 * Messages/Warnings:: Optional warnings and messages
21313 * Debugging Output:: Optional messages about internal happenings
21314 * Other Misc Settings:: Other Miscellaneous Settings
21315 @end menu
21316
21317 @node Prompt
21318 @section Prompt
21319
21320 @cindex prompt
21321
21322 @value{GDBN} indicates its readiness to read a command by printing a string
21323 called the @dfn{prompt}. This string is normally @samp{(@value{GDBP})}. You
21324 can change the prompt string with the @code{set prompt} command. For
21325 instance, when debugging @value{GDBN} with @value{GDBN}, it is useful to change
21326 the prompt in one of the @value{GDBN} sessions so that you can always tell
21327 which one you are talking to.
21328
21329 @emph{Note:} @code{set prompt} does not add a space for you after the
21330 prompt you set. This allows you to set a prompt which ends in a space
21331 or a prompt that does not.
21332
21333 @table @code
21334 @kindex set prompt
21335 @item set prompt @var{newprompt}
21336 Directs @value{GDBN} to use @var{newprompt} as its prompt string henceforth.
21337
21338 @kindex show prompt
21339 @item show prompt
21340 Prints a line of the form: @samp{Gdb's prompt is: @var{your-prompt}}
21341 @end table
21342
21343 Versions of @value{GDBN} that ship with Python scripting enabled have
21344 prompt extensions. The commands for interacting with these extensions
21345 are:
21346
21347 @table @code
21348 @kindex set extended-prompt
21349 @item set extended-prompt @var{prompt}
21350 Set an extended prompt that allows for substitutions.
21351 @xref{gdb.prompt}, for a list of escape sequences that can be used for
21352 substitution. Any escape sequences specified as part of the prompt
21353 string are replaced with the corresponding strings each time the prompt
21354 is displayed.
21355
21356 For example:
21357
21358 @smallexample
21359 set extended-prompt Current working directory: \w (gdb)
21360 @end smallexample
21361
21362 Note that when an extended-prompt is set, it takes control of the
21363 @var{prompt_hook} hook. @xref{prompt_hook}, for further information.
21364
21365 @kindex show extended-prompt
21366 @item show extended-prompt
21367 Prints the extended prompt. Any escape sequences specified as part of
21368 the prompt string with @code{set extended-prompt}, are replaced with the
21369 corresponding strings each time the prompt is displayed.
21370 @end table
21371
21372 @node Editing
21373 @section Command Editing
21374 @cindex readline
21375 @cindex command line editing
21376
21377 @value{GDBN} reads its input commands via the @dfn{Readline} interface. This
21378 @sc{gnu} library provides consistent behavior for programs which provide a
21379 command line interface to the user. Advantages are @sc{gnu} Emacs-style
21380 or @dfn{vi}-style inline editing of commands, @code{csh}-like history
21381 substitution, and a storage and recall of command history across
21382 debugging sessions.
21383
21384 You may control the behavior of command line editing in @value{GDBN} with the
21385 command @code{set}.
21386
21387 @table @code
21388 @kindex set editing
21389 @cindex editing
21390 @item set editing
21391 @itemx set editing on
21392 Enable command line editing (enabled by default).
21393
21394 @item set editing off
21395 Disable command line editing.
21396
21397 @kindex show editing
21398 @item show editing
21399 Show whether command line editing is enabled.
21400 @end table
21401
21402 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
21403 @xref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library},
21404 @end ifset
21405 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
21406 @xref{Command Line Editing},
21407 @end ifclear
21408 for more details about the Readline
21409 interface. Users unfamiliar with @sc{gnu} Emacs or @code{vi} are
21410 encouraged to read that chapter.
21411
21412 @node Command History
21413 @section Command History
21414 @cindex command history
21415
21416 @value{GDBN} can keep track of the commands you type during your
21417 debugging sessions, so that you can be certain of precisely what
21418 happened. Use these commands to manage the @value{GDBN} command
21419 history facility.
21420
21421 @value{GDBN} uses the @sc{gnu} History library, a part of the Readline
21422 package, to provide the history facility.
21423 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
21424 @xref{Using History Interactively, , , history, GNU History Library},
21425 @end ifset
21426 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
21427 @xref{Using History Interactively},
21428 @end ifclear
21429 for the detailed description of the History library.
21430
21431 To issue a command to @value{GDBN} without affecting certain aspects of
21432 the state which is seen by users, prefix it with @samp{server }
21433 (@pxref{Server Prefix}). This
21434 means that this command will not affect the command history, nor will it
21435 affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which command to repeat if @key{RET} is
21436 pressed on a line by itself.
21437
21438 @cindex @code{server}, command prefix
21439 The server prefix does not affect the recording of values into the value
21440 history; to print a value without recording it into the value history,
21441 use the @code{output} command instead of the @code{print} command.
21442
21443 Here is the description of @value{GDBN} commands related to command
21444 history.
21445
21446 @table @code
21447 @cindex history substitution
21448 @cindex history file
21449 @kindex set history filename
21450 @cindex @env{GDBHISTFILE}, environment variable
21451 @item set history filename @var{fname}
21452 Set the name of the @value{GDBN} command history file to @var{fname}.
21453 This is the file where @value{GDBN} reads an initial command history
21454 list, and where it writes the command history from this session when it
21455 exits. You can access this list through history expansion or through
21456 the history command editing characters listed below. This file defaults
21457 to the value of the environment variable @code{GDBHISTFILE}, or to
21458 @file{./.gdb_history} (@file{./_gdb_history} on MS-DOS) if this variable
21459 is not set.
21460
21461 @cindex save command history
21462 @kindex set history save
21463 @item set history save
21464 @itemx set history save on
21465 Record command history in a file, whose name may be specified with the
21466 @code{set history filename} command. By default, this option is disabled.
21467
21468 @item set history save off
21469 Stop recording command history in a file.
21470
21471 @cindex history size
21472 @kindex set history size
21473 @cindex @env{HISTSIZE}, environment variable
21474 @item set history size @var{size}
21475 @itemx set history size unlimited
21476 Set the number of commands which @value{GDBN} keeps in its history list.
21477 This defaults to the value of the environment variable
21478 @code{HISTSIZE}, or to 256 if this variable is not set. If @var{size}
21479 is @code{unlimited}, the number of commands @value{GDBN} keeps in the
21480 history list is unlimited.
21481 @end table
21482
21483 History expansion assigns special meaning to the character @kbd{!}.
21484 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
21485 @xref{Event Designators, , , history, GNU History Library},
21486 @end ifset
21487 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
21488 @xref{Event Designators},
21489 @end ifclear
21490 for more details.
21491
21492 @cindex history expansion, turn on/off
21493 Since @kbd{!} is also the logical not operator in C, history expansion
21494 is off by default. If you decide to enable history expansion with the
21495 @code{set history expansion on} command, you may sometimes need to
21496 follow @kbd{!} (when it is used as logical not, in an expression) with
21497 a space or a tab to prevent it from being expanded. The readline
21498 history facilities do not attempt substitution on the strings
21499 @kbd{!=} and @kbd{!(}, even when history expansion is enabled.
21500
21501 The commands to control history expansion are:
21502
21503 @table @code
21504 @item set history expansion on
21505 @itemx set history expansion
21506 @kindex set history expansion
21507 Enable history expansion. History expansion is off by default.
21508
21509 @item set history expansion off
21510 Disable history expansion.
21511
21512 @c @group
21513 @kindex show history
21514 @item show history
21515 @itemx show history filename
21516 @itemx show history save
21517 @itemx show history size
21518 @itemx show history expansion
21519 These commands display the state of the @value{GDBN} history parameters.
21520 @code{show history} by itself displays all four states.
21521 @c @end group
21522 @end table
21523
21524 @table @code
21525 @kindex show commands
21526 @cindex show last commands
21527 @cindex display command history
21528 @item show commands
21529 Display the last ten commands in the command history.
21530
21531 @item show commands @var{n}
21532 Print ten commands centered on command number @var{n}.
21533
21534 @item show commands +
21535 Print ten commands just after the commands last printed.
21536 @end table
21537
21538 @node Screen Size
21539 @section Screen Size
21540 @cindex size of screen
21541 @cindex pauses in output
21542
21543 Certain commands to @value{GDBN} may produce large amounts of
21544 information output to the screen. To help you read all of it,
21545 @value{GDBN} pauses and asks you for input at the end of each page of
21546 output. Type @key{RET} when you want to continue the output, or @kbd{q}
21547 to discard the remaining output. Also, the screen width setting
21548 determines when to wrap lines of output. Depending on what is being
21549 printed, @value{GDBN} tries to break the line at a readable place,
21550 rather than simply letting it overflow onto the following line.
21551
21552 Normally @value{GDBN} knows the size of the screen from the terminal
21553 driver software. For example, on Unix @value{GDBN} uses the termcap data base
21554 together with the value of the @code{TERM} environment variable and the
21555 @code{stty rows} and @code{stty cols} settings. If this is not correct,
21556 you can override it with the @code{set height} and @code{set
21557 width} commands:
21558
21559 @table @code
21560 @kindex set height
21561 @kindex set width
21562 @kindex show width
21563 @kindex show height
21564 @item set height @var{lpp}
21565 @itemx set height unlimited
21566 @itemx show height
21567 @itemx set width @var{cpl}
21568 @itemx set width unlimited
21569 @itemx show width
21570 These @code{set} commands specify a screen height of @var{lpp} lines and
21571 a screen width of @var{cpl} characters. The associated @code{show}
21572 commands display the current settings.
21573
21574 If you specify a height of either @code{unlimited} or zero lines,
21575 @value{GDBN} does not pause during output no matter how long the
21576 output is. This is useful if output is to a file or to an editor
21577 buffer.
21578
21579 Likewise, you can specify @samp{set width unlimited} or @samp{set
21580 width 0} to prevent @value{GDBN} from wrapping its output.
21581
21582 @item set pagination on
21583 @itemx set pagination off
21584 @kindex set pagination
21585 Turn the output pagination on or off; the default is on. Turning
21586 pagination off is the alternative to @code{set height unlimited}. Note that
21587 running @value{GDBN} with the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode
21588 Options, -batch}) also automatically disables pagination.
21589
21590 @item show pagination
21591 @kindex show pagination
21592 Show the current pagination mode.
21593 @end table
21594
21595 @node Numbers
21596 @section Numbers
21597 @cindex number representation
21598 @cindex entering numbers
21599
21600 You can always enter numbers in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal in
21601 @value{GDBN} by the usual conventions: octal numbers begin with
21602 @samp{0}, decimal numbers end with @samp{.}, and hexadecimal numbers
21603 begin with @samp{0x}. Numbers that neither begin with @samp{0} or
21604 @samp{0x}, nor end with a @samp{.} are, by default, entered in base
21605 10; likewise, the default display for numbers---when no particular
21606 format is specified---is base 10. You can change the default base for
21607 both input and output with the commands described below.
21608
21609 @table @code
21610 @kindex set input-radix
21611 @item set input-radix @var{base}
21612 Set the default base for numeric input. Supported choices
21613 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
21614 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix; for
21615 example, any of
21616
21617 @smallexample
21618 set input-radix 012
21619 set input-radix 10.
21620 set input-radix 0xa
21621 @end smallexample
21622
21623 @noindent
21624 sets the input base to decimal. On the other hand, @samp{set input-radix 10}
21625 leaves the input radix unchanged, no matter what it was, since
21626 @samp{10}, being without any leading or trailing signs of its base, is
21627 interpreted in the current radix. Thus, if the current radix is 16,
21628 @samp{10} is interpreted in hex, i.e.@: as 16 decimal, which doesn't
21629 change the radix.
21630
21631 @kindex set output-radix
21632 @item set output-radix @var{base}
21633 Set the default base for numeric display. Supported choices
21634 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
21635 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix.
21636
21637 @kindex show input-radix
21638 @item show input-radix
21639 Display the current default base for numeric input.
21640
21641 @kindex show output-radix
21642 @item show output-radix
21643 Display the current default base for numeric display.
21644
21645 @item set radix @r{[}@var{base}@r{]}
21646 @itemx show radix
21647 @kindex set radix
21648 @kindex show radix
21649 These commands set and show the default base for both input and output
21650 of numbers. @code{set radix} sets the radix of input and output to
21651 the same base; without an argument, it resets the radix back to its
21652 default value of 10.
21653
21654 @end table
21655
21656 @node ABI
21657 @section Configuring the Current ABI
21658
21659 @value{GDBN} can determine the @dfn{ABI} (Application Binary Interface) of your
21660 application automatically. However, sometimes you need to override its
21661 conclusions. Use these commands to manage @value{GDBN}'s view of the
21662 current ABI.
21663
21664 @cindex OS ABI
21665 @kindex set osabi
21666 @kindex show osabi
21667 @cindex Newlib OS ABI and its influence on the longjmp handling
21668
21669 One @value{GDBN} configuration can debug binaries for multiple operating
21670 system targets, either via remote debugging or native emulation.
21671 @value{GDBN} will autodetect the @dfn{OS ABI} (Operating System ABI) in use,
21672 but you can override its conclusion using the @code{set osabi} command.
21673 One example where this is useful is in debugging of binaries which use
21674 an alternate C library (e.g.@: @sc{uClibc} for @sc{gnu}/Linux) which does
21675 not have the same identifying marks that the standard C library for your
21676 platform provides.
21677
21678 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the AArch64 architecture, it provides a
21679 ``Newlib'' OS ABI. This is useful for handling @code{setjmp} and
21680 @code{longjmp} when debugging binaries that use the @sc{newlib} C library.
21681 The ``Newlib'' OS ABI can be selected by @code{set osabi Newlib}.
21682
21683 @table @code
21684 @item show osabi
21685 Show the OS ABI currently in use.
21686
21687 @item set osabi
21688 With no argument, show the list of registered available OS ABI's.
21689
21690 @item set osabi @var{abi}
21691 Set the current OS ABI to @var{abi}.
21692 @end table
21693
21694 @cindex float promotion
21695
21696 Generally, the way that an argument of type @code{float} is passed to a
21697 function depends on whether the function is prototyped. For a prototyped
21698 (i.e.@: ANSI/ISO style) function, @code{float} arguments are passed unchanged,
21699 according to the architecture's convention for @code{float}. For unprototyped
21700 (i.e.@: K&R style) functions, @code{float} arguments are first promoted to type
21701 @code{double} and then passed.
21702
21703 Unfortunately, some forms of debug information do not reliably indicate whether
21704 a function is prototyped. If @value{GDBN} calls a function that is not marked
21705 as prototyped, it consults @kbd{set coerce-float-to-double}.
21706
21707 @table @code
21708 @kindex set coerce-float-to-double
21709 @item set coerce-float-to-double
21710 @itemx set coerce-float-to-double on
21711 Arguments of type @code{float} will be promoted to @code{double} when passed
21712 to an unprototyped function. This is the default setting.
21713
21714 @item set coerce-float-to-double off
21715 Arguments of type @code{float} will be passed directly to unprototyped
21716 functions.
21717
21718 @kindex show coerce-float-to-double
21719 @item show coerce-float-to-double
21720 Show the current setting of promoting @code{float} to @code{double}.
21721 @end table
21722
21723 @kindex set cp-abi
21724 @kindex show cp-abi
21725 @value{GDBN} needs to know the ABI used for your program's C@t{++}
21726 objects. The correct C@t{++} ABI depends on which C@t{++} compiler was
21727 used to build your application. @value{GDBN} only fully supports
21728 programs with a single C@t{++} ABI; if your program contains code using
21729 multiple C@t{++} ABI's or if @value{GDBN} can not identify your
21730 program's ABI correctly, you can tell @value{GDBN} which ABI to use.
21731 Currently supported ABI's include ``gnu-v2'', for @code{g++} versions
21732 before 3.0, ``gnu-v3'', for @code{g++} versions 3.0 and later, and
21733 ``hpaCC'' for the HP ANSI C@t{++} compiler. Other C@t{++} compilers may
21734 use the ``gnu-v2'' or ``gnu-v3'' ABI's as well. The default setting is
21735 ``auto''.
21736
21737 @table @code
21738 @item show cp-abi
21739 Show the C@t{++} ABI currently in use.
21740
21741 @item set cp-abi
21742 With no argument, show the list of supported C@t{++} ABI's.
21743
21744 @item set cp-abi @var{abi}
21745 @itemx set cp-abi auto
21746 Set the current C@t{++} ABI to @var{abi}, or return to automatic detection.
21747 @end table
21748
21749 @node Auto-loading
21750 @section Automatically loading associated files
21751 @cindex auto-loading
21752
21753 @value{GDBN} sometimes reads files with commands and settings automatically,
21754 without being explicitly told so by the user. We call this feature
21755 @dfn{auto-loading}. While auto-loading is useful for automatically adapting
21756 @value{GDBN} to the needs of your project, it can sometimes produce unexpected
21757 results or introduce security risks (e.g., if the file comes from untrusted
21758 sources).
21759
21760 Note that loading of these associated files (including the local @file{.gdbinit}
21761 file) requires accordingly configured @code{auto-load safe-path}
21762 (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
21763
21764 For these reasons, @value{GDBN} includes commands and options to let you
21765 control when to auto-load files and which files should be auto-loaded.
21766
21767 @table @code
21768 @anchor{set auto-load off}
21769 @kindex set auto-load off
21770 @item set auto-load off
21771 Globally disable loading of all auto-loaded files.
21772 You may want to use this command with the @samp{-iex} option
21773 (@pxref{Option -init-eval-command}) such as:
21774 @smallexample
21775 $ @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load off" untrusted-executable corefile}
21776 @end smallexample
21777
21778 Be aware that system init file (@pxref{System-wide configuration})
21779 and init files from your home directory (@pxref{Home Directory Init File})
21780 still get read (as they come from generally trusted directories).
21781 To prevent @value{GDBN} from auto-loading even those init files, use the
21782 @option{-nx} option (@pxref{Mode Options}), in addition to
21783 @code{set auto-load no}.
21784
21785 @anchor{show auto-load}
21786 @kindex show auto-load
21787 @item show auto-load
21788 Show whether auto-loading of each specific @samp{auto-load} file(s) is enabled
21789 or disabled.
21790
21791 @smallexample
21792 (gdb) show auto-load
21793 gdb-scripts: Auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts is on.
21794 libthread-db: Auto-loading of inferior specific libthread_db is on.
21795 local-gdbinit: Auto-loading of .gdbinit script from current directory
21796 is on.
21797 python-scripts: Auto-loading of Python scripts is on.
21798 safe-path: List of directories from which it is safe to auto-load files
21799 is $debugdir:$datadir/auto-load.
21800 scripts-directory: List of directories from which to load auto-loaded scripts
21801 is $debugdir:$datadir/auto-load.
21802 @end smallexample
21803
21804 @anchor{info auto-load}
21805 @kindex info auto-load
21806 @item info auto-load
21807 Print whether each specific @samp{auto-load} file(s) have been auto-loaded or
21808 not.
21809
21810 @smallexample
21811 (gdb) info auto-load
21812 gdb-scripts:
21813 Loaded Script
21814 Yes /home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.gdb
21815 libthread-db: No auto-loaded libthread-db.
21816 local-gdbinit: Local .gdbinit file "/home/user/gdb/.gdbinit" has been
21817 loaded.
21818 python-scripts:
21819 Loaded Script
21820 Yes /home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.py
21821 @end smallexample
21822 @end table
21823
21824 These are various kinds of files @value{GDBN} can automatically load:
21825
21826 @itemize @bullet
21827 @item
21828 @xref{objfile-gdb.py file}, controlled by @ref{set auto-load python-scripts}.
21829 @item
21830 @xref{objfile-gdb.gdb file}, controlled by @ref{set auto-load gdb-scripts}.
21831 @item
21832 @xref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section},
21833 controlled by @ref{set auto-load python-scripts}.
21834 @item
21835 @xref{Init File in the Current Directory},
21836 controlled by @ref{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
21837 @item
21838 @xref{libthread_db.so.1 file}, controlled by @ref{set auto-load libthread-db}.
21839 @end itemize
21840
21841 These are @value{GDBN} control commands for the auto-loading:
21842
21843 @multitable @columnfractions .5 .5
21844 @item @xref{set auto-load off}.
21845 @tab Disable auto-loading globally.
21846 @item @xref{show auto-load}.
21847 @tab Show setting of all kinds of files.
21848 @item @xref{info auto-load}.
21849 @tab Show state of all kinds of files.
21850 @item @xref{set auto-load gdb-scripts}.
21851 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} command scripts.
21852 @item @xref{show auto-load gdb-scripts}.
21853 @tab Show setting of @value{GDBN} command scripts.
21854 @item @xref{info auto-load gdb-scripts}.
21855 @tab Show state of @value{GDBN} command scripts.
21856 @item @xref{set auto-load python-scripts}.
21857 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
21858 @item @xref{show auto-load python-scripts}.
21859 @tab Show setting of @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
21860 @item @xref{info auto-load python-scripts}.
21861 @tab Show state of @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
21862 @item @xref{set auto-load scripts-directory}.
21863 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
21864 @item @xref{show auto-load scripts-directory}.
21865 @tab Show @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
21866 @item @xref{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
21867 @tab Control for init file in the current directory.
21868 @item @xref{show auto-load local-gdbinit}.
21869 @tab Show setting of init file in the current directory.
21870 @item @xref{info auto-load local-gdbinit}.
21871 @tab Show state of init file in the current directory.
21872 @item @xref{set auto-load libthread-db}.
21873 @tab Control for thread debugging library.
21874 @item @xref{show auto-load libthread-db}.
21875 @tab Show setting of thread debugging library.
21876 @item @xref{info auto-load libthread-db}.
21877 @tab Show state of thread debugging library.
21878 @item @xref{set auto-load safe-path}.
21879 @tab Control directories trusted for automatic loading.
21880 @item @xref{show auto-load safe-path}.
21881 @tab Show directories trusted for automatic loading.
21882 @item @xref{add-auto-load-safe-path}.
21883 @tab Add directory trusted for automatic loading.
21884 @end multitable
21885
21886 @menu
21887 * Init File in the Current Directory:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load local-gdbinit}
21888 * libthread_db.so.1 file:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load libthread-db}
21889 * objfile-gdb.gdb file:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load gdb-script}
21890 * Auto-loading safe path:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load safe-path}
21891 * Auto-loading verbose mode:: @samp{set/show debug auto-load}
21892 @xref{Python Auto-loading}.
21893 @end menu
21894
21895 @node Init File in the Current Directory
21896 @subsection Automatically loading init file in the current directory
21897 @cindex auto-loading init file in the current directory
21898
21899 By default, @value{GDBN} reads and executes the canned sequences of commands
21900 from init file (if any) in the current working directory,
21901 see @ref{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}.
21902
21903 Note that loading of this local @file{.gdbinit} file also requires accordingly
21904 configured @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
21905
21906 @table @code
21907 @anchor{set auto-load local-gdbinit}
21908 @kindex set auto-load local-gdbinit
21909 @item set auto-load local-gdbinit [on|off]
21910 Enable or disable the auto-loading of canned sequences of commands
21911 (@pxref{Sequences}) found in init file in the current directory.
21912
21913 @anchor{show auto-load local-gdbinit}
21914 @kindex show auto-load local-gdbinit
21915 @item show auto-load local-gdbinit
21916 Show whether auto-loading of canned sequences of commands from init file in the
21917 current directory is enabled or disabled.
21918
21919 @anchor{info auto-load local-gdbinit}
21920 @kindex info auto-load local-gdbinit
21921 @item info auto-load local-gdbinit
21922 Print whether canned sequences of commands from init file in the
21923 current directory have been auto-loaded.
21924 @end table
21925
21926 @node libthread_db.so.1 file
21927 @subsection Automatically loading thread debugging library
21928 @cindex auto-loading libthread_db.so.1
21929
21930 This feature is currently present only on @sc{gnu}/Linux native hosts.
21931
21932 @value{GDBN} reads in some cases thread debugging library from places specific
21933 to the inferior (@pxref{set libthread-db-search-path}).
21934
21935 The special @samp{libthread-db-search-path} entry @samp{$sdir} is processed
21936 without checking this @samp{set auto-load libthread-db} switch as system
21937 libraries have to be trusted in general. In all other cases of
21938 @samp{libthread-db-search-path} entries @value{GDBN} checks first if @samp{set
21939 auto-load libthread-db} is enabled before trying to open such thread debugging
21940 library.
21941
21942 Note that loading of this debugging library also requires accordingly configured
21943 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
21944
21945 @table @code
21946 @anchor{set auto-load libthread-db}
21947 @kindex set auto-load libthread-db
21948 @item set auto-load libthread-db [on|off]
21949 Enable or disable the auto-loading of inferior specific thread debugging library.
21950
21951 @anchor{show auto-load libthread-db}
21952 @kindex show auto-load libthread-db
21953 @item show auto-load libthread-db
21954 Show whether auto-loading of inferior specific thread debugging library is
21955 enabled or disabled.
21956
21957 @anchor{info auto-load libthread-db}
21958 @kindex info auto-load libthread-db
21959 @item info auto-load libthread-db
21960 Print the list of all loaded inferior specific thread debugging libraries and
21961 for each such library print list of inferior @var{pid}s using it.
21962 @end table
21963
21964 @node objfile-gdb.gdb file
21965 @subsection The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb} file
21966 @cindex auto-loading @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb}
21967
21968 @value{GDBN} tries to load an @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb} file containing
21969 canned sequences of commands (@pxref{Sequences}), as long as @samp{set
21970 auto-load gdb-scripts} is set to @samp{on}.
21971
21972 Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
21973 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
21974
21975 For more background refer to the similar Python scripts auto-loading
21976 description (@pxref{objfile-gdb.py file}).
21977
21978 @table @code
21979 @anchor{set auto-load gdb-scripts}
21980 @kindex set auto-load gdb-scripts
21981 @item set auto-load gdb-scripts [on|off]
21982 Enable or disable the auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts.
21983
21984 @anchor{show auto-load gdb-scripts}
21985 @kindex show auto-load gdb-scripts
21986 @item show auto-load gdb-scripts
21987 Show whether auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts is enabled or
21988 disabled.
21989
21990 @anchor{info auto-load gdb-scripts}
21991 @kindex info auto-load gdb-scripts
21992 @cindex print list of auto-loaded canned sequences of commands scripts
21993 @item info auto-load gdb-scripts [@var{regexp}]
21994 Print the list of all canned sequences of commands scripts that @value{GDBN}
21995 auto-loaded.
21996 @end table
21997
21998 If @var{regexp} is supplied only canned sequences of commands scripts with
21999 matching names are printed.
22000
22001 @node Auto-loading safe path
22002 @subsection Security restriction for auto-loading
22003 @cindex auto-loading safe-path
22004
22005 As the files of inferior can come from untrusted source (such as submitted by
22006 an application user) @value{GDBN} does not always load any files automatically.
22007 @value{GDBN} provides the @samp{set auto-load safe-path} setting to list
22008 directories trusted for loading files not explicitly requested by user.
22009 Each directory can also be a shell wildcard pattern.
22010
22011 If the path is not set properly you will see a warning and the file will not
22012 get loaded:
22013
22014 @smallexample
22015 $ ./gdb -q ./gdb
22016 Reading symbols from /home/user/gdb/gdb...done.
22017 warning: File "/home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.gdb" auto-loading has been
22018 declined by your `auto-load safe-path' set
22019 to "$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load".
22020 warning: File "/home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.py" auto-loading has been
22021 declined by your `auto-load safe-path' set
22022 to "$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load".
22023 @end smallexample
22024
22025 @noindent
22026 To instruct @value{GDBN} to go ahead and use the init files anyway,
22027 invoke @value{GDBN} like this:
22028
22029 @smallexample
22030 $ gdb -q -iex "set auto-load safe-path /home/user/gdb" ./gdb
22031 @end smallexample
22032
22033 The list of trusted directories is controlled by the following commands:
22034
22035 @table @code
22036 @anchor{set auto-load safe-path}
22037 @kindex set auto-load safe-path
22038 @item set auto-load safe-path @r{[}@var{directories}@r{]}
22039 Set the list of directories (and their subdirectories) trusted for automatic
22040 loading and execution of scripts. You can also enter a specific trusted file.
22041 Each directory can also be a shell wildcard pattern; wildcards do not match
22042 directory separator - see @code{FNM_PATHNAME} for system function @code{fnmatch}
22043 (@pxref{Wildcard Matching, fnmatch, , libc, GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
22044 If you omit @var{directories}, @samp{auto-load safe-path} will be reset to
22045 its default value as specified during @value{GDBN} compilation.
22046
22047 The list of directories uses path separator (@samp{:} on GNU and Unix
22048 systems, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS) to separate directories, similarly
22049 to the @env{PATH} environment variable.
22050
22051 @anchor{show auto-load safe-path}
22052 @kindex show auto-load safe-path
22053 @item show auto-load safe-path
22054 Show the list of directories trusted for automatic loading and execution of
22055 scripts.
22056
22057 @anchor{add-auto-load-safe-path}
22058 @kindex add-auto-load-safe-path
22059 @item add-auto-load-safe-path
22060 Add an entry (or list of entries) the list of directories trusted for automatic
22061 loading and execution of scripts. Multiple entries may be delimited by the
22062 host platform path separator in use.
22063 @end table
22064
22065 This variable defaults to what @code{--with-auto-load-dir} has been configured
22066 to (@pxref{with-auto-load-dir}). @file{$debugdir} and @file{$datadir}
22067 substitution applies the same as for @ref{set auto-load scripts-directory}.
22068 The default @code{set auto-load safe-path} value can be also overriden by
22069 @value{GDBN} configuration option @option{--with-auto-load-safe-path}.
22070
22071 Setting this variable to @file{/} disables this security protection,
22072 corresponding @value{GDBN} configuration option is
22073 @option{--without-auto-load-safe-path}.
22074 This variable is supposed to be set to the system directories writable by the
22075 system superuser only. Users can add their source directories in init files in
22076 their home directories (@pxref{Home Directory Init File}). See also deprecated
22077 init file in the current directory
22078 (@pxref{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}).
22079
22080 To force @value{GDBN} to load the files it declined to load in the previous
22081 example, you could use one of the following ways:
22082
22083 @table @asis
22084 @item @file{~/.gdbinit}: @samp{add-auto-load-safe-path ~/src/gdb}
22085 Specify this trusted directory (or a file) as additional component of the list.
22086 You have to specify also any existing directories displayed by
22087 by @samp{show auto-load safe-path} (such as @samp{/usr:/bin} in this example).
22088
22089 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load safe-path /usr:/bin:~/src/gdb" @dots{}}
22090 Specify this directory as in the previous case but just for a single
22091 @value{GDBN} session.
22092
22093 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load safe-path /" @dots{}}
22094 Disable auto-loading safety for a single @value{GDBN} session.
22095 This assumes all the files you debug during this @value{GDBN} session will come
22096 from trusted sources.
22097
22098 @item @kbd{./configure --without-auto-load-safe-path}
22099 During compilation of @value{GDBN} you may disable any auto-loading safety.
22100 This assumes all the files you will ever debug with this @value{GDBN} come from
22101 trusted sources.
22102 @end table
22103
22104 On the other hand you can also explicitly forbid automatic files loading which
22105 also suppresses any such warning messages:
22106
22107 @table @asis
22108 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load no" @dots{}}
22109 You can use @value{GDBN} command-line option for a single @value{GDBN} session.
22110
22111 @item @file{~/.gdbinit}: @samp{set auto-load no}
22112 Disable auto-loading globally for the user
22113 (@pxref{Home Directory Init File}). While it is improbable, you could also
22114 use system init file instead (@pxref{System-wide configuration}).
22115 @end table
22116
22117 This setting applies to the file names as entered by user. If no entry matches
22118 @value{GDBN} tries as a last resort to also resolve all the file names into
22119 their canonical form (typically resolving symbolic links) and compare the
22120 entries again. @value{GDBN} already canonicalizes most of the filenames on its
22121 own before starting the comparison so a canonical form of directories is
22122 recommended to be entered.
22123
22124 @node Auto-loading verbose mode
22125 @subsection Displaying files tried for auto-load
22126 @cindex auto-loading verbose mode
22127
22128 For better visibility of all the file locations where you can place scripts to
22129 be auto-loaded with inferior --- or to protect yourself against accidental
22130 execution of untrusted scripts --- @value{GDBN} provides a feature for printing
22131 all the files attempted to be loaded. Both existing and non-existing files may
22132 be printed.
22133
22134 For example the list of directories from which it is safe to auto-load files
22135 (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}) applies also to canonicalized filenames which
22136 may not be too obvious while setting it up.
22137
22138 @smallexample
22139 (gdb) set debug auto-load on
22140 (gdb) file ~/src/t/true
22141 auto-load: Loading canned sequences of commands script "/tmp/true-gdb.gdb"
22142 for objfile "/tmp/true".
22143 auto-load: Updating directories of "/usr:/opt".
22144 auto-load: Using directory "/usr".
22145 auto-load: Using directory "/opt".
22146 warning: File "/tmp/true-gdb.gdb" auto-loading has been declined
22147 by your `auto-load safe-path' set to "/usr:/opt".
22148 @end smallexample
22149
22150 @table @code
22151 @anchor{set debug auto-load}
22152 @kindex set debug auto-load
22153 @item set debug auto-load [on|off]
22154 Set whether to print the filenames attempted to be auto-loaded.
22155
22156 @anchor{show debug auto-load}
22157 @kindex show debug auto-load
22158 @item show debug auto-load
22159 Show whether printing of the filenames attempted to be auto-loaded is turned
22160 on or off.
22161 @end table
22162
22163 @node Messages/Warnings
22164 @section Optional Warnings and Messages
22165
22166 @cindex verbose operation
22167 @cindex optional warnings
22168 By default, @value{GDBN} is silent about its inner workings. If you are
22169 running on a slow machine, you may want to use the @code{set verbose}
22170 command. This makes @value{GDBN} tell you when it does a lengthy
22171 internal operation, so you will not think it has crashed.
22172
22173 Currently, the messages controlled by @code{set verbose} are those
22174 which announce that the symbol table for a source file is being read;
22175 see @code{symbol-file} in @ref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}.
22176
22177 @table @code
22178 @kindex set verbose
22179 @item set verbose on
22180 Enables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
22181
22182 @item set verbose off
22183 Disables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
22184
22185 @kindex show verbose
22186 @item show verbose
22187 Displays whether @code{set verbose} is on or off.
22188 @end table
22189
22190 By default, if @value{GDBN} encounters bugs in the symbol table of an
22191 object file, it is silent; but if you are debugging a compiler, you may
22192 find this information useful (@pxref{Symbol Errors, ,Errors Reading
22193 Symbol Files}).
22194
22195 @table @code
22196
22197 @kindex set complaints
22198 @item set complaints @var{limit}
22199 Permits @value{GDBN} to output @var{limit} complaints about each type of
22200 unusual symbols before becoming silent about the problem. Set
22201 @var{limit} to zero to suppress all complaints; set it to a large number
22202 to prevent complaints from being suppressed.
22203
22204 @kindex show complaints
22205 @item show complaints
22206 Displays how many symbol complaints @value{GDBN} is permitted to produce.
22207
22208 @end table
22209
22210 @anchor{confirmation requests}
22211 By default, @value{GDBN} is cautious, and asks what sometimes seems to be a
22212 lot of stupid questions to confirm certain commands. For example, if
22213 you try to run a program which is already running:
22214
22215 @smallexample
22216 (@value{GDBP}) run
22217 The program being debugged has been started already.
22218 Start it from the beginning? (y or n)
22219 @end smallexample
22220
22221 If you are willing to unflinchingly face the consequences of your own
22222 commands, you can disable this ``feature'':
22223
22224 @table @code
22225
22226 @kindex set confirm
22227 @cindex flinching
22228 @cindex confirmation
22229 @cindex stupid questions
22230 @item set confirm off
22231 Disables confirmation requests. Note that running @value{GDBN} with
22232 the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode Options, -batch}) also
22233 automatically disables confirmation requests.
22234
22235 @item set confirm on
22236 Enables confirmation requests (the default).
22237
22238 @kindex show confirm
22239 @item show confirm
22240 Displays state of confirmation requests.
22241
22242 @end table
22243
22244 @cindex command tracing
22245 If you need to debug user-defined commands or sourced files you may find it
22246 useful to enable @dfn{command tracing}. In this mode each command will be
22247 printed as it is executed, prefixed with one or more @samp{+} symbols, the
22248 quantity denoting the call depth of each command.
22249
22250 @table @code
22251 @kindex set trace-commands
22252 @cindex command scripts, debugging
22253 @item set trace-commands on
22254 Enable command tracing.
22255 @item set trace-commands off
22256 Disable command tracing.
22257 @item show trace-commands
22258 Display the current state of command tracing.
22259 @end table
22260
22261 @node Debugging Output
22262 @section Optional Messages about Internal Happenings
22263 @cindex optional debugging messages
22264
22265 @value{GDBN} has commands that enable optional debugging messages from
22266 various @value{GDBN} subsystems; normally these commands are of
22267 interest to @value{GDBN} maintainers, or when reporting a bug. This
22268 section documents those commands.
22269
22270 @table @code
22271 @kindex set exec-done-display
22272 @item set exec-done-display
22273 Turns on or off the notification of asynchronous commands'
22274 completion. When on, @value{GDBN} will print a message when an
22275 asynchronous command finishes its execution. The default is off.
22276 @kindex show exec-done-display
22277 @item show exec-done-display
22278 Displays the current setting of asynchronous command completion
22279 notification.
22280 @kindex set debug
22281 @cindex ARM AArch64
22282 @item set debug aarch64
22283 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to ARM AArch64.
22284 The default is off.
22285 @kindex show debug
22286 @item show debug aarch64
22287 Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
22288 ARM AArch64.
22289 @cindex gdbarch debugging info
22290 @cindex architecture debugging info
22291 @item set debug arch
22292 Turns on or off display of gdbarch debugging info. The default is off
22293 @item show debug arch
22294 Displays the current state of displaying gdbarch debugging info.
22295 @item set debug aix-solib
22296 @cindex AIX shared library debugging
22297 Control display of debugging messages from the AIX shared library
22298 support module. The default is off.
22299 @item show debug aix-thread
22300 Show the current state of displaying AIX shared library debugging messages.
22301 @item set debug aix-thread
22302 @cindex AIX threads
22303 Display debugging messages about inner workings of the AIX thread
22304 module.
22305 @item show debug aix-thread
22306 Show the current state of AIX thread debugging info display.
22307 @item set debug check-physname
22308 @cindex physname
22309 Check the results of the ``physname'' computation. When reading DWARF
22310 debugging information for C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} attempts to compute
22311 each entity's name. @value{GDBN} can do this computation in two
22312 different ways, depending on exactly what information is present.
22313 When enabled, this setting causes @value{GDBN} to compute the names
22314 both ways and display any discrepancies.
22315 @item show debug check-physname
22316 Show the current state of ``physname'' checking.
22317 @item set debug coff-pe-read
22318 @cindex COFF/PE exported symbols
22319 Control display of debugging messages related to reading of COFF/PE
22320 exported symbols. The default is off.
22321 @item show debug coff-pe-read
22322 Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
22323 reading of COFF/PE exported symbols.
22324 @item set debug dwarf2-die
22325 @cindex DWARF2 DIEs
22326 Dump DWARF2 DIEs after they are read in.
22327 The value is the number of nesting levels to print.
22328 A value of zero turns off the display.
22329 @item show debug dwarf2-die
22330 Show the current state of DWARF2 DIE debugging.
22331 @item set debug dwarf2-read
22332 @cindex DWARF2 Reading
22333 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to reading
22334 DWARF debug info. The default is off.
22335 @item show debug dwarf2-read
22336 Show the current state of DWARF2 reader debugging.
22337 @item set debug displaced
22338 @cindex displaced stepping debugging info
22339 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for the
22340 displaced stepping support. The default is off.
22341 @item show debug displaced
22342 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} debugging info
22343 related to displaced stepping.
22344 @item set debug event
22345 @cindex event debugging info
22346 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} event debugging info. The
22347 default is off.
22348 @item show debug event
22349 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} event debugging
22350 info.
22351 @item set debug expression
22352 @cindex expression debugging info
22353 Turns on or off display of debugging info about @value{GDBN}
22354 expression parsing. The default is off.
22355 @item show debug expression
22356 Displays the current state of displaying debugging info about
22357 @value{GDBN} expression parsing.
22358 @item set debug frame
22359 @cindex frame debugging info
22360 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} frame debugging info. The
22361 default is off.
22362 @item show debug frame
22363 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} frame debugging
22364 info.
22365 @item set debug gnu-nat
22366 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug messages
22367 Turns on or off debugging messages from the @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug support.
22368 @item show debug gnu-nat
22369 Show the current state of @sc{gnu}/Hurd debugging messages.
22370 @item set debug infrun
22371 @cindex inferior debugging info
22372 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for running the inferior.
22373 The default is off. @file{infrun.c} contains GDB's runtime state machine used
22374 for implementing operations such as single-stepping the inferior.
22375 @item show debug infrun
22376 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} inferior debugging.
22377 @item set debug jit
22378 @cindex just-in-time compilation, debugging messages
22379 Turns on or off debugging messages from JIT debug support.
22380 @item show debug jit
22381 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} JIT debugging.
22382 @item set debug lin-lwp
22383 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Linux LWP debug messages
22384 @cindex Linux lightweight processes
22385 Turns on or off debugging messages from the Linux LWP debug support.
22386 @item show debug lin-lwp
22387 Show the current state of Linux LWP debugging messages.
22388 @item set debug mach-o
22389 @cindex Mach-O symbols processing
22390 Control display of debugging messages related to Mach-O symbols
22391 processing. The default is off.
22392 @item show debug mach-o
22393 Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
22394 reading of COFF/PE exported symbols.
22395 @item set debug notification
22396 @cindex remote async notification debugging info
22397 Turns on or off debugging messages about remote async notification.
22398 The default is off.
22399 @item show debug notification
22400 Displays the current state of remote async notification debugging messages.
22401 @item set debug observer
22402 @cindex observer debugging info
22403 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} observer debugging. This
22404 includes info such as the notification of observable events.
22405 @item show debug observer
22406 Displays the current state of observer debugging.
22407 @item set debug overload
22408 @cindex C@t{++} overload debugging info
22409 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload debugging
22410 info. This includes info such as ranking of functions, etc. The default
22411 is off.
22412 @item show debug overload
22413 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload
22414 debugging info.
22415 @cindex expression parser, debugging info
22416 @cindex debug expression parser
22417 @item set debug parser
22418 Turns on or off the display of expression parser debugging output.
22419 Internally, this sets the @code{yydebug} variable in the expression
22420 parser. @xref{Tracing, , Tracing Your Parser, bison, Bison}, for
22421 details. The default is off.
22422 @item show debug parser
22423 Show the current state of expression parser debugging.
22424 @cindex packets, reporting on stdout
22425 @cindex serial connections, debugging
22426 @cindex debug remote protocol
22427 @cindex remote protocol debugging
22428 @cindex display remote packets
22429 @item set debug remote
22430 Turns on or off display of reports on all packets sent back and forth across
22431 the serial line to the remote machine. The info is printed on the
22432 @value{GDBN} standard output stream. The default is off.
22433 @item show debug remote
22434 Displays the state of display of remote packets.
22435 @item set debug serial
22436 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} serial debugging info. The
22437 default is off.
22438 @item show debug serial
22439 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} serial debugging
22440 info.
22441 @item set debug solib-frv
22442 @cindex FR-V shared-library debugging
22443 Turns on or off debugging messages for FR-V shared-library code.
22444 @item show debug solib-frv
22445 Display the current state of FR-V shared-library code debugging
22446 messages.
22447 @item set debug symtab-create
22448 @cindex symbol table creation
22449 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to symbol table creation.
22450 The default is off.
22451 @item show debug symtab-create
22452 Show the current state of symbol table creation debugging.
22453 @item set debug target
22454 @cindex target debugging info
22455 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} target debugging info. This info
22456 includes what is going on at the target level of GDB, as it happens. The
22457 default is 0. Set it to 1 to track events, and to 2 to also track the
22458 value of large memory transfers. Changes to this flag do not take effect
22459 until the next time you connect to a target or use the @code{run} command.
22460 @item show debug target
22461 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} target debugging
22462 info.
22463 @item set debug timestamp
22464 @cindex timestampping debugging info
22465 Turns on or off display of timestamps with @value{GDBN} debugging info.
22466 When enabled, seconds and microseconds are displayed before each debugging
22467 message.
22468 @item show debug timestamp
22469 Displays the current state of displaying timestamps with @value{GDBN}
22470 debugging info.
22471 @item set debugvarobj
22472 @cindex variable object debugging info
22473 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} variable object debugging
22474 info. The default is off.
22475 @item show debugvarobj
22476 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} variable object
22477 debugging info.
22478 @item set debug xml
22479 @cindex XML parser debugging
22480 Turns on or off debugging messages for built-in XML parsers.
22481 @item show debug xml
22482 Displays the current state of XML debugging messages.
22483 @end table
22484
22485 @node Other Misc Settings
22486 @section Other Miscellaneous Settings
22487 @cindex miscellaneous settings
22488
22489 @table @code
22490 @kindex set interactive-mode
22491 @item set interactive-mode
22492 If @code{on}, forces @value{GDBN} to assume that GDB was started
22493 in a terminal. In practice, this means that @value{GDBN} should wait
22494 for the user to answer queries generated by commands entered at
22495 the command prompt. If @code{off}, forces @value{GDBN} to operate
22496 in the opposite mode, and it uses the default answers to all queries.
22497 If @code{auto} (the default), @value{GDBN} tries to determine whether
22498 its standard input is a terminal, and works in interactive-mode if it
22499 is, non-interactively otherwise.
22500
22501 In the vast majority of cases, the debugger should be able to guess
22502 correctly which mode should be used. But this setting can be useful
22503 in certain specific cases, such as running a MinGW @value{GDBN}
22504 inside a cygwin window.
22505
22506 @kindex show interactive-mode
22507 @item show interactive-mode
22508 Displays whether the debugger is operating in interactive mode or not.
22509 @end table
22510
22511 @node Extending GDB
22512 @chapter Extending @value{GDBN}
22513 @cindex extending GDB
22514
22515 @value{GDBN} provides three mechanisms for extension. The first is based
22516 on composition of @value{GDBN} commands, the second is based on the
22517 Python scripting language, and the third is for defining new aliases of
22518 existing commands.
22519
22520 To facilitate the use of the first two extensions, @value{GDBN} is capable
22521 of evaluating the contents of a file. When doing so, @value{GDBN}
22522 can recognize which scripting language is being used by looking at
22523 the filename extension. Files with an unrecognized filename extension
22524 are always treated as a @value{GDBN} Command Files.
22525 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
22526
22527 You can control how @value{GDBN} evaluates these files with the following
22528 setting:
22529
22530 @table @code
22531 @kindex set script-extension
22532 @kindex show script-extension
22533 @item set script-extension off
22534 All scripts are always evaluated as @value{GDBN} Command Files.
22535
22536 @item set script-extension soft
22537 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
22538 extension. If this scripting language is supported, @value{GDBN}
22539 evaluates the script using that language. Otherwise, it evaluates
22540 the file as a @value{GDBN} Command File.
22541
22542 @item set script-extension strict
22543 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
22544 extension, and evaluates the script using that language. If the
22545 language is not supported, then the evaluation fails.
22546
22547 @item show script-extension
22548 Display the current value of the @code{script-extension} option.
22549
22550 @end table
22551
22552 @menu
22553 * Sequences:: Canned Sequences of Commands
22554 * Python:: Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
22555 * Aliases:: Creating new spellings of existing commands
22556 @end menu
22557
22558 @node Sequences
22559 @section Canned Sequences of Commands
22560
22561 Aside from breakpoint commands (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint
22562 Command Lists}), @value{GDBN} provides two ways to store sequences of
22563 commands for execution as a unit: user-defined commands and command
22564 files.
22565
22566 @menu
22567 * Define:: How to define your own commands
22568 * Hooks:: Hooks for user-defined commands
22569 * Command Files:: How to write scripts of commands to be stored in a file
22570 * Output:: Commands for controlled output
22571 @end menu
22572
22573 @node Define
22574 @subsection User-defined Commands
22575
22576 @cindex user-defined command
22577 @cindex arguments, to user-defined commands
22578 A @dfn{user-defined command} is a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands to
22579 which you assign a new name as a command. This is done with the
22580 @code{define} command. User commands may accept up to 10 arguments
22581 separated by whitespace. Arguments are accessed within the user command
22582 via @code{$arg0@dots{}$arg9}. A trivial example:
22583
22584 @smallexample
22585 define adder
22586 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
22587 end
22588 @end smallexample
22589
22590 @noindent
22591 To execute the command use:
22592
22593 @smallexample
22594 adder 1 2 3
22595 @end smallexample
22596
22597 @noindent
22598 This defines the command @code{adder}, which prints the sum of
22599 its three arguments. Note the arguments are text substitutions, so they may
22600 reference variables, use complex expressions, or even perform inferior
22601 functions calls.
22602
22603 @cindex argument count in user-defined commands
22604 @cindex how many arguments (user-defined commands)
22605 In addition, @code{$argc} may be used to find out how many arguments have
22606 been passed. This expands to a number in the range 0@dots{}10.
22607
22608 @smallexample
22609 define adder
22610 if $argc == 2
22611 print $arg0 + $arg1
22612 end
22613 if $argc == 3
22614 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
22615 end
22616 end
22617 @end smallexample
22618
22619 @table @code
22620
22621 @kindex define
22622 @item define @var{commandname}
22623 Define a command named @var{commandname}. If there is already a command
22624 by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine it.
22625 @var{commandname} may be a bare command name consisting of letters,
22626 numbers, dashes, and underscores. It may also start with any predefined
22627 prefix command. For example, @samp{define target my-target} creates
22628 a user-defined @samp{target my-target} command.
22629
22630 The definition of the command is made up of other @value{GDBN} command lines,
22631 which are given following the @code{define} command. The end of these
22632 commands is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
22633
22634 @kindex document
22635 @kindex end@r{ (user-defined commands)}
22636 @item document @var{commandname}
22637 Document the user-defined command @var{commandname}, so that it can be
22638 accessed by @code{help}. The command @var{commandname} must already be
22639 defined. This command reads lines of documentation just as @code{define}
22640 reads the lines of the command definition, ending with @code{end}.
22641 After the @code{document} command is finished, @code{help} on command
22642 @var{commandname} displays the documentation you have written.
22643
22644 You may use the @code{document} command again to change the
22645 documentation of a command. Redefining the command with @code{define}
22646 does not change the documentation.
22647
22648 @kindex dont-repeat
22649 @cindex don't repeat command
22650 @item dont-repeat
22651 Used inside a user-defined command, this tells @value{GDBN} that this
22652 command should not be repeated when the user hits @key{RET}
22653 (@pxref{Command Syntax, repeat last command}).
22654
22655 @kindex help user-defined
22656 @item help user-defined
22657 List all user-defined commands and all python commands defined in class
22658 COMAND_USER. The first line of the documentation or docstring is
22659 included (if any).
22660
22661 @kindex show user
22662 @item show user
22663 @itemx show user @var{commandname}
22664 Display the @value{GDBN} commands used to define @var{commandname} (but
22665 not its documentation). If no @var{commandname} is given, display the
22666 definitions for all user-defined commands.
22667 This does not work for user-defined python commands.
22668
22669 @cindex infinite recursion in user-defined commands
22670 @kindex show max-user-call-depth
22671 @kindex set max-user-call-depth
22672 @item show max-user-call-depth
22673 @itemx set max-user-call-depth
22674 The value of @code{max-user-call-depth} controls how many recursion
22675 levels are allowed in user-defined commands before @value{GDBN} suspects an
22676 infinite recursion and aborts the command.
22677 This does not apply to user-defined python commands.
22678 @end table
22679
22680 In addition to the above commands, user-defined commands frequently
22681 use control flow commands, described in @ref{Command Files}.
22682
22683 When user-defined commands are executed, the
22684 commands of the definition are not printed. An error in any command
22685 stops execution of the user-defined command.
22686
22687 If used interactively, commands that would ask for confirmation proceed
22688 without asking when used inside a user-defined command. Many @value{GDBN}
22689 commands that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the
22690 messages when used in a user-defined command.
22691
22692 @node Hooks
22693 @subsection User-defined Command Hooks
22694 @cindex command hooks
22695 @cindex hooks, for commands
22696 @cindex hooks, pre-command
22697
22698 @kindex hook
22699 You may define @dfn{hooks}, which are a special kind of user-defined
22700 command. Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined
22701 command @samp{hook-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments)
22702 before that command.
22703
22704 @cindex hooks, post-command
22705 @kindex hookpost
22706 A hook may also be defined which is run after the command you executed.
22707 Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined command
22708 @samp{hookpost-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments) after
22709 that command. Post-execution hooks may exist simultaneously with
22710 pre-execution hooks, for the same command.
22711
22712 It is valid for a hook to call the command which it hooks. If this
22713 occurs, the hook is not re-executed, thereby avoiding infinite recursion.
22714
22715 @c It would be nice if hookpost could be passed a parameter indicating
22716 @c if the command it hooks executed properly or not. FIXME!
22717
22718 @kindex stop@r{, a pseudo-command}
22719 In addition, a pseudo-command, @samp{stop} exists. Defining
22720 (@samp{hook-stop}) makes the associated commands execute every time
22721 execution stops in your program: before breakpoint commands are run,
22722 displays are printed, or the stack frame is printed.
22723
22724 For example, to ignore @code{SIGALRM} signals while
22725 single-stepping, but treat them normally during normal execution,
22726 you could define:
22727
22728 @smallexample
22729 define hook-stop
22730 handle SIGALRM nopass
22731 end
22732
22733 define hook-run
22734 handle SIGALRM pass
22735 end
22736
22737 define hook-continue
22738 handle SIGALRM pass
22739 end
22740 @end smallexample
22741
22742 As a further example, to hook at the beginning and end of the @code{echo}
22743 command, and to add extra text to the beginning and end of the message,
22744 you could define:
22745
22746 @smallexample
22747 define hook-echo
22748 echo <<<---
22749 end
22750
22751 define hookpost-echo
22752 echo --->>>\n
22753 end
22754
22755 (@value{GDBP}) echo Hello World
22756 <<<---Hello World--->>>
22757 (@value{GDBP})
22758
22759 @end smallexample
22760
22761 You can define a hook for any single-word command in @value{GDBN}, but
22762 not for command aliases; you should define a hook for the basic command
22763 name, e.g.@: @code{backtrace} rather than @code{bt}.
22764 @c FIXME! So how does Joe User discover whether a command is an alias
22765 @c or not?
22766 You can hook a multi-word command by adding @code{hook-} or
22767 @code{hookpost-} to the last word of the command, e.g.@:
22768 @samp{define target hook-remote} to add a hook to @samp{target remote}.
22769
22770 If an error occurs during the execution of your hook, execution of
22771 @value{GDBN} commands stops and @value{GDBN} issues a prompt
22772 (before the command that you actually typed had a chance to run).
22773
22774 If you try to define a hook which does not match any known command, you
22775 get a warning from the @code{define} command.
22776
22777 @node Command Files
22778 @subsection Command Files
22779
22780 @cindex command files
22781 @cindex scripting commands
22782 A command file for @value{GDBN} is a text file made of lines that are
22783 @value{GDBN} commands. Comments (lines starting with @kbd{#}) may
22784 also be included. An empty line in a command file does nothing; it
22785 does not mean to repeat the last command, as it would from the
22786 terminal.
22787
22788 You can request the execution of a command file with the @code{source}
22789 command. Note that the @code{source} command is also used to evaluate
22790 scripts that are not Command Files. The exact behavior can be configured
22791 using the @code{script-extension} setting.
22792 @xref{Extending GDB,, Extending GDB}.
22793
22794 @table @code
22795 @kindex source
22796 @cindex execute commands from a file
22797 @item source [-s] [-v] @var{filename}
22798 Execute the command file @var{filename}.
22799 @end table
22800
22801 The lines in a command file are generally executed sequentially,
22802 unless the order of execution is changed by one of the
22803 @emph{flow-control commands} described below. The commands are not
22804 printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates
22805 execution of the command file and control is returned to the console.
22806
22807 @value{GDBN} first searches for @var{filename} in the current directory.
22808 If the file is not found there, and @var{filename} does not specify a
22809 directory, then @value{GDBN} also looks for the file on the source search path
22810 (specified with the @samp{directory} command);
22811 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched because the compilation directory
22812 is not relevant to scripts.
22813
22814 If @code{-s} is specified, then @value{GDBN} searches for @var{filename}
22815 on the search path even if @var{filename} specifies a directory.
22816 The search is done by appending @var{filename} to each element of the
22817 search path. So, for example, if @var{filename} is @file{mylib/myscript}
22818 and the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
22819 look for the script @file{/home/user/mylib/myscript}.
22820 The search is also done if @var{filename} is an absolute path.
22821 For example, if @var{filename} is @file{/tmp/myscript} and
22822 the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
22823 look for the script @file{/home/user/tmp/myscript}.
22824 For DOS-like systems, if @var{filename} contains a drive specification,
22825 it is stripped before concatenation. For example, if @var{filename} is
22826 @file{d:myscript} and the search path contains @file{c:/tmp} then @value{GDBN}
22827 will look for the script @file{c:/tmp/myscript}.
22828
22829 If @code{-v}, for verbose mode, is given then @value{GDBN} displays
22830 each command as it is executed. The option must be given before
22831 @var{filename}, and is interpreted as part of the filename anywhere else.
22832
22833 Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
22834 without asking when used in a command file. Many @value{GDBN} commands that
22835 normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
22836 when called from command files.
22837
22838 @value{GDBN} also accepts command input from standard input. In this
22839 mode, normal output goes to standard output and error output goes to
22840 standard error. Errors in a command file supplied on standard input do
22841 not terminate execution of the command file---execution continues with
22842 the next command.
22843
22844 @smallexample
22845 gdb < cmds > log 2>&1
22846 @end smallexample
22847
22848 (The syntax above will vary depending on the shell used.) This example
22849 will execute commands from the file @file{cmds}. All output and errors
22850 would be directed to @file{log}.
22851
22852 Since commands stored on command files tend to be more general than
22853 commands typed interactively, they frequently need to deal with
22854 complicated situations, such as different or unexpected values of
22855 variables and symbols, changes in how the program being debugged is
22856 built, etc. @value{GDBN} provides a set of flow-control commands to
22857 deal with these complexities. Using these commands, you can write
22858 complex scripts that loop over data structures, execute commands
22859 conditionally, etc.
22860
22861 @table @code
22862 @kindex if
22863 @kindex else
22864 @item if
22865 @itemx else
22866 This command allows to include in your script conditionally executed
22867 commands. The @code{if} command takes a single argument, which is an
22868 expression to evaluate. It is followed by a series of commands that
22869 are executed only if the expression is true (its value is nonzero).
22870 There can then optionally be an @code{else} line, followed by a series
22871 of commands that are only executed if the expression was false. The
22872 end of the list is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
22873
22874 @kindex while
22875 @item while
22876 This command allows to write loops. Its syntax is similar to
22877 @code{if}: the command takes a single argument, which is an expression
22878 to evaluate, and must be followed by the commands to execute, one per
22879 line, terminated by an @code{end}. These commands are called the
22880 @dfn{body} of the loop. The commands in the body of @code{while} are
22881 executed repeatedly as long as the expression evaluates to true.
22882
22883 @kindex loop_break
22884 @item loop_break
22885 This command exits the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included.
22886 Execution of the script continues after that @code{while}s @code{end}
22887 line.
22888
22889 @kindex loop_continue
22890 @item loop_continue
22891 This command skips the execution of the rest of the body of commands
22892 in the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included. Execution
22893 branches to the beginning of the @code{while} loop, where it evaluates
22894 the controlling expression.
22895
22896 @kindex end@r{ (if/else/while commands)}
22897 @item end
22898 Terminate the block of commands that are the body of @code{if},
22899 @code{else}, or @code{while} flow-control commands.
22900 @end table
22901
22902
22903 @node Output
22904 @subsection Commands for Controlled Output
22905
22906 During the execution of a command file or a user-defined command, normal
22907 @value{GDBN} output is suppressed; the only output that appears is what is
22908 explicitly printed by the commands in the definition. This section
22909 describes three commands useful for generating exactly the output you
22910 want.
22911
22912 @table @code
22913 @kindex echo
22914 @item echo @var{text}
22915 @c I do not consider backslash-space a standard C escape sequence
22916 @c because it is not in ANSI.
22917 Print @var{text}. Nonprinting characters can be included in
22918 @var{text} using C escape sequences, such as @samp{\n} to print a
22919 newline. @strong{No newline is printed unless you specify one.}
22920 In addition to the standard C escape sequences, a backslash followed
22921 by a space stands for a space. This is useful for displaying a
22922 string with spaces at the beginning or the end, since leading and
22923 trailing spaces are otherwise trimmed from all arguments.
22924 To print @samp{@w{ }and foo =@w{ }}, use the command
22925 @samp{echo \@w{ }and foo = \@w{ }}.
22926
22927 A backslash at the end of @var{text} can be used, as in C, to continue
22928 the command onto subsequent lines. For example,
22929
22930 @smallexample
22931 echo This is some text\n\
22932 which is continued\n\
22933 onto several lines.\n
22934 @end smallexample
22935
22936 produces the same output as
22937
22938 @smallexample
22939 echo This is some text\n
22940 echo which is continued\n
22941 echo onto several lines.\n
22942 @end smallexample
22943
22944 @kindex output
22945 @item output @var{expression}
22946 Print the value of @var{expression} and nothing but that value: no
22947 newlines, no @samp{$@var{nn} = }. The value is not entered in the
22948 value history either. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information
22949 on expressions.
22950
22951 @item output/@var{fmt} @var{expression}
22952 Print the value of @var{expression} in format @var{fmt}. You can use
22953 the same formats as for @code{print}. @xref{Output Formats,,Output
22954 Formats}, for more information.
22955
22956 @kindex printf
22957 @item printf @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
22958 Print the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
22959 the string @var{template}. To print several values, make
22960 @var{expressions} be a comma-separated list of individual expressions,
22961 which may be either numbers or pointers. Their values are printed as
22962 specified by @var{template}, exactly as a C program would do by
22963 executing the code below:
22964
22965 @smallexample
22966 printf (@var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{});
22967 @end smallexample
22968
22969 As in @code{C} @code{printf}, ordinary characters in @var{template}
22970 are printed verbatim, while @dfn{conversion specification} introduced
22971 by the @samp{%} character cause subsequent @var{expressions} to be
22972 evaluated, their values converted and formatted according to type and
22973 style information encoded in the conversion specifications, and then
22974 printed.
22975
22976 For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
22977
22978 @smallexample
22979 printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
22980 @end smallexample
22981
22982 @code{printf} supports all the standard @code{C} conversion
22983 specifications, including the flags and modifiers between the @samp{%}
22984 character and the conversion letter, with the following exceptions:
22985
22986 @itemize @bullet
22987 @item
22988 The argument-ordering modifiers, such as @samp{2$}, are not supported.
22989
22990 @item
22991 The modifier @samp{*} is not supported for specifying precision or
22992 width.
22993
22994 @item
22995 The @samp{'} flag (for separation of digits into groups according to
22996 @code{LC_NUMERIC'}) is not supported.
22997
22998 @item
22999 The type modifiers @samp{hh}, @samp{j}, @samp{t}, and @samp{z} are not
23000 supported.
23001
23002 @item
23003 The conversion letter @samp{n} (as in @samp{%n}) is not supported.
23004
23005 @item
23006 The conversion letters @samp{a} and @samp{A} are not supported.
23007 @end itemize
23008
23009 @noindent
23010 Note that the @samp{ll} type modifier is supported only if the
23011 underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} supports
23012 the @code{long long int} type, and the @samp{L} type modifier is
23013 supported only if @code{long double} type is available.
23014
23015 As in @code{C}, @code{printf} supports simple backslash-escape
23016 sequences, such as @code{\n}, @samp{\t}, @samp{\\}, @samp{\"},
23017 @samp{\a}, and @samp{\f}, that consist of backslash followed by a
23018 single character. Octal and hexadecimal escape sequences are not
23019 supported.
23020
23021 Additionally, @code{printf} supports conversion specifications for DFP
23022 (@dfn{Decimal Floating Point}) types using the following length modifiers
23023 together with a floating point specifier.
23024 letters:
23025
23026 @itemize @bullet
23027 @item
23028 @samp{H} for printing @code{Decimal32} types.
23029
23030 @item
23031 @samp{D} for printing @code{Decimal64} types.
23032
23033 @item
23034 @samp{DD} for printing @code{Decimal128} types.
23035 @end itemize
23036
23037 If the underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} has
23038 support for the three length modifiers for DFP types, other modifiers
23039 such as width and precision will also be available for @value{GDBN} to use.
23040
23041 In case there is no such @code{C} support, no additional modifiers will be
23042 available and the value will be printed in the standard way.
23043
23044 Here's an example of printing DFP types using the above conversion letters:
23045 @smallexample
23046 printf "D32: %Hf - D64: %Df - D128: %DDf\n",1.2345df,1.2E10dd,1.2E1dl
23047 @end smallexample
23048
23049 @kindex eval
23050 @item eval @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
23051 Convert the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
23052 the string @var{template} to a command line, and call it.
23053
23054 @end table
23055
23056 @node Python
23057 @section Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
23058 @cindex python scripting
23059 @cindex scripting with python
23060
23061 You can script @value{GDBN} using the @uref{http://www.python.org/,
23062 Python programming language}. This feature is available only if
23063 @value{GDBN} was configured using @option{--with-python}.
23064
23065 @cindex python directory
23066 Python scripts used by @value{GDBN} should be installed in
23067 @file{@var{data-directory}/python}, where @var{data-directory} is
23068 the data directory as determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}).
23069 This directory, known as the @dfn{python directory},
23070 is automatically added to the Python Search Path in order to allow
23071 the Python interpreter to locate all scripts installed at this location.
23072
23073 Additionally, @value{GDBN} commands and convenience functions which
23074 are written in Python and are located in the
23075 @file{@var{data-directory}/python/gdb/command} or
23076 @file{@var{data-directory}/python/gdb/function} directories are
23077 automatically imported when @value{GDBN} starts.
23078
23079 @menu
23080 * Python Commands:: Accessing Python from @value{GDBN}.
23081 * Python API:: Accessing @value{GDBN} from Python.
23082 * Python Auto-loading:: Automatically loading Python code.
23083 * Python modules:: Python modules provided by @value{GDBN}.
23084 @end menu
23085
23086 @node Python Commands
23087 @subsection Python Commands
23088 @cindex python commands
23089 @cindex commands to access python
23090
23091 @value{GDBN} provides two commands for accessing the Python interpreter,
23092 and one related setting:
23093
23094 @table @code
23095 @kindex python-interactive
23096 @kindex pi
23097 @item python-interactive @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23098 @itemx pi @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23099 Without an argument, the @code{python-interactive} command can be used
23100 to start an interactive Python prompt. To return to @value{GDBN},
23101 type the @code{EOF} character (e.g., @kbd{Ctrl-D} on an empty prompt).
23102
23103 Alternatively, a single-line Python command can be given as an
23104 argument and evaluated. If the command is an expression, the result
23105 will be printed; otherwise, nothing will be printed. For example:
23106
23107 @smallexample
23108 (@value{GDBP}) python-interactive 2 + 3
23109 5
23110 @end smallexample
23111
23112 @kindex python
23113 @kindex py
23114 @item python @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23115 @itemx py @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23116 The @code{python} command can be used to evaluate Python code.
23117
23118 If given an argument, the @code{python} command will evaluate the
23119 argument as a Python command. For example:
23120
23121 @smallexample
23122 (@value{GDBP}) python print 23
23123 23
23124 @end smallexample
23125
23126 If you do not provide an argument to @code{python}, it will act as a
23127 multi-line command, like @code{define}. In this case, the Python
23128 script is made up of subsequent command lines, given after the
23129 @code{python} command. This command list is terminated using a line
23130 containing @code{end}. For example:
23131
23132 @smallexample
23133 (@value{GDBP}) python
23134 Type python script
23135 End with a line saying just "end".
23136 >print 23
23137 >end
23138 23
23139 @end smallexample
23140
23141 @kindex set python print-stack
23142 @item set python print-stack
23143 By default, @value{GDBN} will print only the message component of a
23144 Python exception when an error occurs in a Python script. This can be
23145 controlled using @code{set python print-stack}: if @code{full}, then
23146 full Python stack printing is enabled; if @code{none}, then Python stack
23147 and message printing is disabled; if @code{message}, the default, only
23148 the message component of the error is printed.
23149 @end table
23150
23151 It is also possible to execute a Python script from the @value{GDBN}
23152 interpreter:
23153
23154 @table @code
23155 @item source @file{script-name}
23156 The script name must end with @samp{.py} and @value{GDBN} must be configured
23157 to recognize the script language based on filename extension using
23158 the @code{script-extension} setting. @xref{Extending GDB, ,Extending GDB}.
23159
23160 @item python execfile ("script-name")
23161 This method is based on the @code{execfile} Python built-in function,
23162 and thus is always available.
23163 @end table
23164
23165 @node Python API
23166 @subsection Python API
23167 @cindex python api
23168 @cindex programming in python
23169
23170 You can get quick online help for @value{GDBN}'s Python API by issuing
23171 the command @w{@kbd{python help (gdb)}}.
23172
23173 Functions and methods which have two or more optional arguments allow
23174 them to be specified using keyword syntax. This allows passing some
23175 optional arguments while skipping others. Example:
23176 @w{@code{gdb.some_function ('foo', bar = 1, baz = 2)}}.
23177
23178 @menu
23179 * Basic Python:: Basic Python Functions.
23180 * Exception Handling:: How Python exceptions are translated.
23181 * Values From Inferior:: Python representation of values.
23182 * Types In Python:: Python representation of types.
23183 * Pretty Printing API:: Pretty-printing values.
23184 * Selecting Pretty-Printers:: How GDB chooses a pretty-printer.
23185 * Writing a Pretty-Printer:: Writing a Pretty-Printer.
23186 * Type Printing API:: Pretty-printing types.
23187 * Frame Filter API:: Filtering Frames.
23188 * Frame Decorator API:: Decorating Frames.
23189 * Writing a Frame Filter:: Writing a Frame Filter.
23190 * Inferiors In Python:: Python representation of inferiors (processes)
23191 * Events In Python:: Listening for events from @value{GDBN}.
23192 * Threads In Python:: Accessing inferior threads from Python.
23193 * Commands In Python:: Implementing new commands in Python.
23194 * Parameters In Python:: Adding new @value{GDBN} parameters.
23195 * Functions In Python:: Writing new convenience functions.
23196 * Progspaces In Python:: Program spaces.
23197 * Objfiles In Python:: Object files.
23198 * Frames In Python:: Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
23199 * Blocks In Python:: Accessing blocks from Python.
23200 * Symbols In Python:: Python representation of symbols.
23201 * Symbol Tables In Python:: Python representation of symbol tables.
23202 * Breakpoints In Python:: Manipulating breakpoints using Python.
23203 * Finish Breakpoints in Python:: Setting Breakpoints on function return
23204 using Python.
23205 * Lazy Strings In Python:: Python representation of lazy strings.
23206 * Architectures In Python:: Python representation of architectures.
23207 @end menu
23208
23209 @node Basic Python
23210 @subsubsection Basic Python
23211
23212 @cindex python stdout
23213 @cindex python pagination
23214 At startup, @value{GDBN} overrides Python's @code{sys.stdout} and
23215 @code{sys.stderr} to print using @value{GDBN}'s output-paging streams.
23216 A Python program which outputs to one of these streams may have its
23217 output interrupted by the user (@pxref{Screen Size}). In this
23218 situation, a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception is thrown.
23219
23220 Some care must be taken when writing Python code to run in
23221 @value{GDBN}. Two things worth noting in particular:
23222
23223 @itemize @bullet
23224 @item
23225 @value{GDBN} install handlers for @code{SIGCHLD} and @code{SIGINT}.
23226 Python code must not override these, or even change the options using
23227 @code{sigaction}. If your program changes the handling of these
23228 signals, @value{GDBN} will most likely stop working correctly. Note
23229 that it is unfortunately common for GUI toolkits to install a
23230 @code{SIGCHLD} handler.
23231
23232 @item
23233 @value{GDBN} takes care to mark its internal file descriptors as
23234 close-on-exec. However, this cannot be done in a thread-safe way on
23235 all platforms. Your Python programs should be aware of this and
23236 should both create new file descriptors with the close-on-exec flag
23237 set and arrange to close unneeded file descriptors before starting a
23238 child process.
23239 @end itemize
23240
23241 @cindex python functions
23242 @cindex python module
23243 @cindex gdb module
23244 @value{GDBN} introduces a new Python module, named @code{gdb}. All
23245 methods and classes added by @value{GDBN} are placed in this module.
23246 @value{GDBN} automatically @code{import}s the @code{gdb} module for
23247 use in all scripts evaluated by the @code{python} command.
23248
23249 @findex gdb.PYTHONDIR
23250 @defvar gdb.PYTHONDIR
23251 A string containing the python directory (@pxref{Python}).
23252 @end defvar
23253
23254 @findex gdb.execute
23255 @defun gdb.execute (command @r{[}, from_tty @r{[}, to_string@r{]]})
23256 Evaluate @var{command}, a string, as a @value{GDBN} CLI command.
23257 If a GDB exception happens while @var{command} runs, it is
23258 translated as described in @ref{Exception Handling,,Exception Handling}.
23259
23260 @var{from_tty} specifies whether @value{GDBN} ought to consider this
23261 command as having originated from the user invoking it interactively.
23262 It must be a boolean value. If omitted, it defaults to @code{False}.
23263
23264 By default, any output produced by @var{command} is sent to
23265 @value{GDBN}'s standard output. If the @var{to_string} parameter is
23266 @code{True}, then output will be collected by @code{gdb.execute} and
23267 returned as a string. The default is @code{False}, in which case the
23268 return value is @code{None}. If @var{to_string} is @code{True}, the
23269 @value{GDBN} virtual terminal will be temporarily set to unlimited width
23270 and height, and its pagination will be disabled; @pxref{Screen Size}.
23271 @end defun
23272
23273 @findex gdb.breakpoints
23274 @defun gdb.breakpoints ()
23275 Return a sequence holding all of @value{GDBN}'s breakpoints.
23276 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for more information.
23277 @end defun
23278
23279 @findex gdb.parameter
23280 @defun gdb.parameter (parameter)
23281 Return the value of a @value{GDBN} parameter. @var{parameter} is a
23282 string naming the parameter to look up; @var{parameter} may contain
23283 spaces if the parameter has a multi-part name. For example,
23284 @samp{print object} is a valid parameter name.
23285
23286 If the named parameter does not exist, this function throws a
23287 @code{gdb.error} (@pxref{Exception Handling}). Otherwise, the
23288 parameter's value is converted to a Python value of the appropriate
23289 type, and returned.
23290 @end defun
23291
23292 @findex gdb.history
23293 @defun gdb.history (number)
23294 Return a value from @value{GDBN}'s value history (@pxref{Value
23295 History}). @var{number} indicates which history element to return.
23296 If @var{number} is negative, then @value{GDBN} will take its absolute value
23297 and count backward from the last element (i.e., the most recent element) to
23298 find the value to return. If @var{number} is zero, then @value{GDBN} will
23299 return the most recent element. If the element specified by @var{number}
23300 doesn't exist in the value history, a @code{gdb.error} exception will be
23301 raised.
23302
23303 If no exception is raised, the return value is always an instance of
23304 @code{gdb.Value} (@pxref{Values From Inferior}).
23305 @end defun
23306
23307 @findex gdb.parse_and_eval
23308 @defun gdb.parse_and_eval (expression)
23309 Parse @var{expression} as an expression in the current language,
23310 evaluate it, and return the result as a @code{gdb.Value}.
23311 @var{expression} must be a string.
23312
23313 This function can be useful when implementing a new command
23314 (@pxref{Commands In Python}), as it provides a way to parse the
23315 command's argument as an expression. It is also useful simply to
23316 compute values, for example, it is the only way to get the value of a
23317 convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) as a @code{gdb.Value}.
23318 @end defun
23319
23320 @findex gdb.find_pc_line
23321 @defun gdb.find_pc_line (pc)
23322 Return the @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object corresponding to the
23323 @var{pc} value. @xref{Symbol Tables In Python}. If an invalid
23324 value of @var{pc} is passed as an argument, then the @code{symtab} and
23325 @code{line} attributes of the returned @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object
23326 will be @code{None} and 0 respectively.
23327 @end defun
23328
23329 @findex gdb.post_event
23330 @defun gdb.post_event (event)
23331 Put @var{event}, a callable object taking no arguments, into
23332 @value{GDBN}'s internal event queue. This callable will be invoked at
23333 some later point, during @value{GDBN}'s event processing. Events
23334 posted using @code{post_event} will be run in the order in which they
23335 were posted; however, there is no way to know when they will be
23336 processed relative to other events inside @value{GDBN}.
23337
23338 @value{GDBN} is not thread-safe. If your Python program uses multiple
23339 threads, you must be careful to only call @value{GDBN}-specific
23340 functions in the main @value{GDBN} thread. @code{post_event} ensures
23341 this. For example:
23342
23343 @smallexample
23344 (@value{GDBP}) python
23345 >import threading
23346 >
23347 >class Writer():
23348 > def __init__(self, message):
23349 > self.message = message;
23350 > def __call__(self):
23351 > gdb.write(self.message)
23352 >
23353 >class MyThread1 (threading.Thread):
23354 > def run (self):
23355 > gdb.post_event(Writer("Hello "))
23356 >
23357 >class MyThread2 (threading.Thread):
23358 > def run (self):
23359 > gdb.post_event(Writer("World\n"))
23360 >
23361 >MyThread1().start()
23362 >MyThread2().start()
23363 >end
23364 (@value{GDBP}) Hello World
23365 @end smallexample
23366 @end defun
23367
23368 @findex gdb.write
23369 @defun gdb.write (string @r{[}, stream{]})
23370 Print a string to @value{GDBN}'s paginated output stream. The
23371 optional @var{stream} determines the stream to print to. The default
23372 stream is @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream. Possible stream
23373 values are:
23374
23375 @table @code
23376 @findex STDOUT
23377 @findex gdb.STDOUT
23378 @item gdb.STDOUT
23379 @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream.
23380
23381 @findex STDERR
23382 @findex gdb.STDERR
23383 @item gdb.STDERR
23384 @value{GDBN}'s standard error stream.
23385
23386 @findex STDLOG
23387 @findex gdb.STDLOG
23388 @item gdb.STDLOG
23389 @value{GDBN}'s log stream (@pxref{Logging Output}).
23390 @end table
23391
23392 Writing to @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
23393 call this function and will automatically direct the output to the
23394 relevant stream.
23395 @end defun
23396
23397 @findex gdb.flush
23398 @defun gdb.flush ()
23399 Flush the buffer of a @value{GDBN} paginated stream so that the
23400 contents are displayed immediately. @value{GDBN} will flush the
23401 contents of a stream automatically when it encounters a newline in the
23402 buffer. The optional @var{stream} determines the stream to flush. The
23403 default stream is @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream. Possible
23404 stream values are:
23405
23406 @table @code
23407 @findex STDOUT
23408 @findex gdb.STDOUT
23409 @item gdb.STDOUT
23410 @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream.
23411
23412 @findex STDERR
23413 @findex gdb.STDERR
23414 @item gdb.STDERR
23415 @value{GDBN}'s standard error stream.
23416
23417 @findex STDLOG
23418 @findex gdb.STDLOG
23419 @item gdb.STDLOG
23420 @value{GDBN}'s log stream (@pxref{Logging Output}).
23421
23422 @end table
23423
23424 Flushing @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
23425 call this function for the relevant stream.
23426 @end defun
23427
23428 @findex gdb.target_charset
23429 @defun gdb.target_charset ()
23430 Return the name of the current target character set (@pxref{Character
23431 Sets}). This differs from @code{gdb.parameter('target-charset')} in
23432 that @samp{auto} is never returned.
23433 @end defun
23434
23435 @findex gdb.target_wide_charset
23436 @defun gdb.target_wide_charset ()
23437 Return the name of the current target wide character set
23438 (@pxref{Character Sets}). This differs from
23439 @code{gdb.parameter('target-wide-charset')} in that @samp{auto} is
23440 never returned.
23441 @end defun
23442
23443 @findex gdb.solib_name
23444 @defun gdb.solib_name (address)
23445 Return the name of the shared library holding the given @var{address}
23446 as a string, or @code{None}.
23447 @end defun
23448
23449 @findex gdb.decode_line
23450 @defun gdb.decode_line @r{[}expression@r{]}
23451 Return locations of the line specified by @var{expression}, or of the
23452 current line if no argument was given. This function returns a Python
23453 tuple containing two elements. The first element contains a string
23454 holding any unparsed section of @var{expression} (or @code{None} if
23455 the expression has been fully parsed). The second element contains
23456 either @code{None} or another tuple that contains all the locations
23457 that match the expression represented as @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line}
23458 objects (@pxref{Symbol Tables In Python}). If @var{expression} is
23459 provided, it is decoded the way that @value{GDBN}'s inbuilt
23460 @code{break} or @code{edit} commands do (@pxref{Specify Location}).
23461 @end defun
23462
23463 @defun gdb.prompt_hook (current_prompt)
23464 @anchor{prompt_hook}
23465
23466 If @var{prompt_hook} is callable, @value{GDBN} will call the method
23467 assigned to this operation before a prompt is displayed by
23468 @value{GDBN}.
23469
23470 The parameter @code{current_prompt} contains the current @value{GDBN}
23471 prompt. This method must return a Python string, or @code{None}. If
23472 a string is returned, the @value{GDBN} prompt will be set to that
23473 string. If @code{None} is returned, @value{GDBN} will continue to use
23474 the current prompt.
23475
23476 Some prompts cannot be substituted in @value{GDBN}. Secondary prompts
23477 such as those used by readline for command input, and annotation
23478 related prompts are prohibited from being changed.
23479 @end defun
23480
23481 @node Exception Handling
23482 @subsubsection Exception Handling
23483 @cindex python exceptions
23484 @cindex exceptions, python
23485
23486 When executing the @code{python} command, Python exceptions
23487 uncaught within the Python code are translated to calls to
23488 @value{GDBN} error-reporting mechanism. If the command that called
23489 @code{python} does not handle the error, @value{GDBN} will
23490 terminate it and print an error message containing the Python
23491 exception name, the associated value, and the Python call stack
23492 backtrace at the point where the exception was raised. Example:
23493
23494 @smallexample
23495 (@value{GDBP}) python print foo
23496 Traceback (most recent call last):
23497 File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
23498 NameError: name 'foo' is not defined
23499 @end smallexample
23500
23501 @value{GDBN} errors that happen in @value{GDBN} commands invoked by
23502 Python code are converted to Python exceptions. The type of the
23503 Python exception depends on the error.
23504
23505 @ftable @code
23506 @item gdb.error
23507 This is the base class for most exceptions generated by @value{GDBN}.
23508 It is derived from @code{RuntimeError}, for compatibility with earlier
23509 versions of @value{GDBN}.
23510
23511 If an error occurring in @value{GDBN} does not fit into some more
23512 specific category, then the generated exception will have this type.
23513
23514 @item gdb.MemoryError
23515 This is a subclass of @code{gdb.error} which is thrown when an
23516 operation tried to access invalid memory in the inferior.
23517
23518 @item KeyboardInterrupt
23519 User interrupt (via @kbd{C-c} or by typing @kbd{q} at a pagination
23520 prompt) is translated to a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception.
23521 @end ftable
23522
23523 In all cases, your exception handler will see the @value{GDBN} error
23524 message as its value and the Python call stack backtrace at the Python
23525 statement closest to where the @value{GDBN} error occured as the
23526 traceback.
23527
23528 @findex gdb.GdbError
23529 When implementing @value{GDBN} commands in Python via @code{gdb.Command},
23530 it is useful to be able to throw an exception that doesn't cause a
23531 traceback to be printed. For example, the user may have invoked the
23532 command incorrectly. Use the @code{gdb.GdbError} exception
23533 to handle this case. Example:
23534
23535 @smallexample
23536 (gdb) python
23537 >class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
23538 > """Greet the whole world."""
23539 > def __init__ (self):
23540 > super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_USER)
23541 > def invoke (self, args, from_tty):
23542 > argv = gdb.string_to_argv (args)
23543 > if len (argv) != 0:
23544 > raise gdb.GdbError ("hello-world takes no arguments")
23545 > print "Hello, World!"
23546 >HelloWorld ()
23547 >end
23548 (gdb) hello-world 42
23549 hello-world takes no arguments
23550 @end smallexample
23551
23552 @node Values From Inferior
23553 @subsubsection Values From Inferior
23554 @cindex values from inferior, with Python
23555 @cindex python, working with values from inferior
23556
23557 @cindex @code{gdb.Value}
23558 @value{GDBN} provides values it obtains from the inferior program in
23559 an object of type @code{gdb.Value}. @value{GDBN} uses this object
23560 for its internal bookkeeping of the inferior's values, and for
23561 fetching values when necessary.
23562
23563 Inferior values that are simple scalars can be used directly in
23564 Python expressions that are valid for the value's data type. Here's
23565 an example for an integer or floating-point value @code{some_val}:
23566
23567 @smallexample
23568 bar = some_val + 2
23569 @end smallexample
23570
23571 @noindent
23572 As result of this, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object
23573 whose values are of the same type as those of @code{some_val}.
23574
23575 Inferior values that are structures or instances of some class can
23576 be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}. For example, if
23577 @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance holding a structure, you
23578 can access its @code{foo} element with:
23579
23580 @smallexample
23581 bar = some_val['foo']
23582 @end smallexample
23583
23584 Again, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object.
23585
23586 A @code{gdb.Value} that represents a function can be executed via
23587 inferior function call. Any arguments provided to the call must match
23588 the function's prototype, and must be provided in the order specified
23589 by that prototype.
23590
23591 For example, @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance
23592 representing a function that takes two integers as arguments. To
23593 execute this function, call it like so:
23594
23595 @smallexample
23596 result = some_val (10,20)
23597 @end smallexample
23598
23599 Any values returned from a function call will be stored as a
23600 @code{gdb.Value}.
23601
23602 The following attributes are provided:
23603
23604 @defvar Value.address
23605 If this object is addressable, this read-only attribute holds a
23606 @code{gdb.Value} object representing the address. Otherwise,
23607 this attribute holds @code{None}.
23608 @end defvar
23609
23610 @cindex optimized out value in Python
23611 @defvar Value.is_optimized_out
23612 This read-only boolean attribute is true if the compiler optimized out
23613 this value, thus it is not available for fetching from the inferior.
23614 @end defvar
23615
23616 @defvar Value.type
23617 The type of this @code{gdb.Value}. The value of this attribute is a
23618 @code{gdb.Type} object (@pxref{Types In Python}).
23619 @end defvar
23620
23621 @defvar Value.dynamic_type
23622 The dynamic type of this @code{gdb.Value}. This uses C@t{++} run-time
23623 type information (@acronym{RTTI}) to determine the dynamic type of the
23624 value. If this value is of class type, it will return the class in
23625 which the value is embedded, if any. If this value is of pointer or
23626 reference to a class type, it will compute the dynamic type of the
23627 referenced object, and return a pointer or reference to that type,
23628 respectively. In all other cases, it will return the value's static
23629 type.
23630
23631 Note that this feature will only work when debugging a C@t{++} program
23632 that includes @acronym{RTTI} for the object in question. Otherwise,
23633 it will just return the static type of the value as in @kbd{ptype foo}
23634 (@pxref{Symbols, ptype}).
23635 @end defvar
23636
23637 @defvar Value.is_lazy
23638 The value of this read-only boolean attribute is @code{True} if this
23639 @code{gdb.Value} has not yet been fetched from the inferior.
23640 @value{GDBN} does not fetch values until necessary, for efficiency.
23641 For example:
23642
23643 @smallexample
23644 myval = gdb.parse_and_eval ('somevar')
23645 @end smallexample
23646
23647 The value of @code{somevar} is not fetched at this time. It will be
23648 fetched when the value is needed, or when the @code{fetch_lazy}
23649 method is invoked.
23650 @end defvar
23651
23652 The following methods are provided:
23653
23654 @defun Value.__init__ (@var{val})
23655 Many Python values can be converted directly to a @code{gdb.Value} via
23656 this object initializer. Specifically:
23657
23658 @table @asis
23659 @item Python boolean
23660 A Python boolean is converted to the boolean type from the current
23661 language.
23662
23663 @item Python integer
23664 A Python integer is converted to the C @code{long} type for the
23665 current architecture.
23666
23667 @item Python long
23668 A Python long is converted to the C @code{long long} type for the
23669 current architecture.
23670
23671 @item Python float
23672 A Python float is converted to the C @code{double} type for the
23673 current architecture.
23674
23675 @item Python string
23676 A Python string is converted to a target string, using the current
23677 target encoding.
23678
23679 @item @code{gdb.Value}
23680 If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.Value}, then a copy of the value is made.
23681
23682 @item @code{gdb.LazyString}
23683 If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings In
23684 Python}), then the lazy string's @code{value} method is called, and
23685 its result is used.
23686 @end table
23687 @end defun
23688
23689 @defun Value.cast (type)
23690 Return a new instance of @code{gdb.Value} that is the result of
23691 casting this instance to the type described by @var{type}, which must
23692 be a @code{gdb.Type} object. If the cast cannot be performed for some
23693 reason, this method throws an exception.
23694 @end defun
23695
23696 @defun Value.dereference ()
23697 For pointer data types, this method returns a new @code{gdb.Value} object
23698 whose contents is the object pointed to by the pointer. For example, if
23699 @code{foo} is a C pointer to an @code{int}, declared in your C program as
23700
23701 @smallexample
23702 int *foo;
23703 @end smallexample
23704
23705 @noindent
23706 then you can use the corresponding @code{gdb.Value} to access what
23707 @code{foo} points to like this:
23708
23709 @smallexample
23710 bar = foo.dereference ()
23711 @end smallexample
23712
23713 The result @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Value} object holding the
23714 value pointed to by @code{foo}.
23715
23716 A similar function @code{Value.referenced_value} exists which also
23717 returns @code{gdb.Value} objects corresonding to the values pointed to
23718 by pointer values (and additionally, values referenced by reference
23719 values). However, the behavior of @code{Value.dereference}
23720 differs from @code{Value.referenced_value} by the fact that the
23721 behavior of @code{Value.dereference} is identical to applying the C
23722 unary operator @code{*} on a given value. For example, consider a
23723 reference to a pointer @code{ptrref}, declared in your C@t{++} program
23724 as
23725
23726 @smallexample
23727 typedef int *intptr;
23728 ...
23729 int val = 10;
23730 intptr ptr = &val;
23731 intptr &ptrref = ptr;
23732 @end smallexample
23733
23734 Though @code{ptrref} is a reference value, one can apply the method
23735 @code{Value.dereference} to the @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding
23736 to it and obtain a @code{gdb.Value} which is identical to that
23737 corresponding to @code{val}. However, if you apply the method
23738 @code{Value.referenced_value}, the result would be a @code{gdb.Value}
23739 object identical to that corresponding to @code{ptr}.
23740
23741 @smallexample
23742 py_ptrref = gdb.parse_and_eval ("ptrref")
23743 py_val = py_ptrref.dereference ()
23744 py_ptr = py_ptrref.referenced_value ()
23745 @end smallexample
23746
23747 The @code{gdb.Value} object @code{py_val} is identical to that
23748 corresponding to @code{val}, and @code{py_ptr} is identical to that
23749 corresponding to @code{ptr}. In general, @code{Value.dereference} can
23750 be applied whenever the C unary operator @code{*} can be applied
23751 to the corresponding C value. For those cases where applying both
23752 @code{Value.dereference} and @code{Value.referenced_value} is allowed,
23753 the results obtained need not be identical (as we have seen in the above
23754 example). The results are however identical when applied on
23755 @code{gdb.Value} objects corresponding to pointers (@code{gdb.Value}
23756 objects with type code @code{TYPE_CODE_PTR}) in a C/C@t{++} program.
23757 @end defun
23758
23759 @defun Value.referenced_value ()
23760 For pointer or reference data types, this method returns a new
23761 @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding to the value referenced by the
23762 pointer/reference value. For pointer data types,
23763 @code{Value.dereference} and @code{Value.referenced_value} produce
23764 identical results. The difference between these methods is that
23765 @code{Value.dereference} cannot get the values referenced by reference
23766 values. For example, consider a reference to an @code{int}, declared
23767 in your C@t{++} program as
23768
23769 @smallexample
23770 int val = 10;
23771 int &ref = val;
23772 @end smallexample
23773
23774 @noindent
23775 then applying @code{Value.dereference} to the @code{gdb.Value} object
23776 corresponding to @code{ref} will result in an error, while applying
23777 @code{Value.referenced_value} will result in a @code{gdb.Value} object
23778 identical to that corresponding to @code{val}.
23779
23780 @smallexample
23781 py_ref = gdb.parse_and_eval ("ref")
23782 er_ref = py_ref.dereference () # Results in error
23783 py_val = py_ref.referenced_value () # Returns the referenced value
23784 @end smallexample
23785
23786 The @code{gdb.Value} object @code{py_val} is identical to that
23787 corresponding to @code{val}.
23788 @end defun
23789
23790 @defun Value.dynamic_cast (type)
23791 Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{dynamic_cast}
23792 operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
23793 @end defun
23794
23795 @defun Value.reinterpret_cast (type)
23796 Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{reinterpret_cast}
23797 operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
23798 @end defun
23799
23800 @defun Value.string (@r{[}encoding@r{[}, errors@r{[}, length@r{]]]})
23801 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
23802 converts the contents to a Python string. Otherwise, this method will
23803 throw an exception.
23804
23805 Strings are recognized in a language-specific way; whether a given
23806 @code{gdb.Value} represents a string is determined by the current
23807 language.
23808
23809 For C-like languages, a value is a string if it is a pointer to or an
23810 array of characters or ints. The string is assumed to be terminated
23811 by a zero of the appropriate width. However if the optional length
23812 argument is given, the string will be converted to that given length,
23813 ignoring any embedded zeros that the string may contain.
23814
23815 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
23816 naming the encoding of the string in the @code{gdb.Value}, such as
23817 @code{"ascii"}, @code{"iso-8859-6"} or @code{"utf-8"}. It accepts
23818 the same encodings as the corresponding argument to Python's
23819 @code{string.decode} method, and the Python codec machinery will be used
23820 to convert the string. If @var{encoding} is not given, or if
23821 @var{encoding} is the empty string, then either the @code{target-charset}
23822 (@pxref{Character Sets}) will be used, or a language-specific encoding
23823 will be used, if the current language is able to supply one.
23824
23825 The optional @var{errors} argument is the same as the corresponding
23826 argument to Python's @code{string.decode} method.
23827
23828 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
23829 fetched and converted to the given length.
23830 @end defun
23831
23832 @defun Value.lazy_string (@r{[}encoding @r{[}, length@r{]]})
23833 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
23834 converts the contents to a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings
23835 In Python}). Otherwise, this method will throw an exception.
23836
23837 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
23838 naming the encoding of the @code{gdb.LazyString}. Some examples are:
23839 @samp{ascii}, @samp{iso-8859-6} or @samp{utf-8}. If the
23840 @var{encoding} argument is an encoding that @value{GDBN} does
23841 recognize, @value{GDBN} will raise an error.
23842
23843 When a lazy string is printed, the @value{GDBN} encoding machinery is
23844 used to convert the string during printing. If the optional
23845 @var{encoding} argument is not provided, or is an empty string,
23846 @value{GDBN} will automatically select the encoding most suitable for
23847 the string type. For further information on encoding in @value{GDBN}
23848 please see @ref{Character Sets}.
23849
23850 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
23851 fetched and encoded to the length of characters specified. If
23852 the @var{length} argument is not provided, the string will be fetched
23853 and encoded until a null of appropriate width is found.
23854 @end defun
23855
23856 @defun Value.fetch_lazy ()
23857 If the @code{gdb.Value} object is currently a lazy value
23858 (@code{gdb.Value.is_lazy} is @code{True}), then the value is
23859 fetched from the inferior. Any errors that occur in the process
23860 will produce a Python exception.
23861
23862 If the @code{gdb.Value} object is not a lazy value, this method
23863 has no effect.
23864
23865 This method does not return a value.
23866 @end defun
23867
23868
23869 @node Types In Python
23870 @subsubsection Types In Python
23871 @cindex types in Python
23872 @cindex Python, working with types
23873
23874 @tindex gdb.Type
23875 @value{GDBN} represents types from the inferior using the class
23876 @code{gdb.Type}.
23877
23878 The following type-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
23879 module:
23880
23881 @findex gdb.lookup_type
23882 @defun gdb.lookup_type (name @r{[}, block@r{]})
23883 This function looks up a type by name. @var{name} is the name of the
23884 type to look up. It must be a string.
23885
23886 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
23887 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
23888
23889 Ordinarily, this function will return an instance of @code{gdb.Type}.
23890 If the named type cannot be found, it will throw an exception.
23891 @end defun
23892
23893 If the type is a structure or class type, or an enum type, the fields
23894 of that type can be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}.
23895 For example, if @code{some_type} is a @code{gdb.Type} instance holding
23896 a structure type, you can access its @code{foo} field with:
23897
23898 @smallexample
23899 bar = some_type['foo']
23900 @end smallexample
23901
23902 @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Field} object; see below under the
23903 description of the @code{Type.fields} method for a description of the
23904 @code{gdb.Field} class.
23905
23906 An instance of @code{Type} has the following attributes:
23907
23908 @defvar Type.code
23909 The type code for this type. The type code will be one of the
23910 @code{TYPE_CODE_} constants defined below.
23911 @end defvar
23912
23913 @defvar Type.sizeof
23914 The size of this type, in target @code{char} units. Usually, a
23915 target's @code{char} type will be an 8-bit byte. However, on some
23916 unusual platforms, this type may have a different size.
23917 @end defvar
23918
23919 @defvar Type.tag
23920 The tag name for this type. The tag name is the name after
23921 @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} in C and C@t{++}; not all
23922 languages have this concept. If this type has no tag name, then
23923 @code{None} is returned.
23924 @end defvar
23925
23926 The following methods are provided:
23927
23928 @defun Type.fields ()
23929 For structure and union types, this method returns the fields. Range
23930 types have two fields, the minimum and maximum values. Enum types
23931 have one field per enum constant. Function and method types have one
23932 field per parameter. The base types of C@t{++} classes are also
23933 represented as fields. If the type has no fields, or does not fit
23934 into one of these categories, an empty sequence will be returned.
23935
23936 Each field is a @code{gdb.Field} object, with some pre-defined attributes:
23937 @table @code
23938 @item bitpos
23939 This attribute is not available for @code{static} fields (as in
23940 C@t{++} or Java). For non-@code{static} fields, the value is the bit
23941 position of the field. For @code{enum} fields, the value is the
23942 enumeration member's integer representation.
23943
23944 @item name
23945 The name of the field, or @code{None} for anonymous fields.
23946
23947 @item artificial
23948 This is @code{True} if the field is artificial, usually meaning that
23949 it was provided by the compiler and not the user. This attribute is
23950 always provided, and is @code{False} if the field is not artificial.
23951
23952 @item is_base_class
23953 This is @code{True} if the field represents a base class of a C@t{++}
23954 structure. This attribute is always provided, and is @code{False}
23955 if the field is not a base class of the type that is the argument of
23956 @code{fields}, or if that type was not a C@t{++} class.
23957
23958 @item bitsize
23959 If the field is packed, or is a bitfield, then this will have a
23960 non-zero value, which is the size of the field in bits. Otherwise,
23961 this will be zero; in this case the field's size is given by its type.
23962
23963 @item type
23964 The type of the field. This is usually an instance of @code{Type},
23965 but it can be @code{None} in some situations.
23966 @end table
23967 @end defun
23968
23969 @defun Type.array (@var{n1} @r{[}, @var{n2}@r{]})
23970 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an array of this
23971 type. If one argument is given, it is the inclusive upper bound of
23972 the array; in this case the lower bound is zero. If two arguments are
23973 given, the first argument is the lower bound of the array, and the
23974 second argument is the upper bound of the array. An array's length
23975 must not be negative, but the bounds can be.
23976 @end defun
23977
23978 @defun Type.vector (@var{n1} @r{[}, @var{n2}@r{]})
23979 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a vector of this
23980 type. If one argument is given, it is the inclusive upper bound of
23981 the vector; in this case the lower bound is zero. If two arguments are
23982 given, the first argument is the lower bound of the vector, and the
23983 second argument is the upper bound of the vector. A vector's length
23984 must not be negative, but the bounds can be.
23985
23986 The difference between an @code{array} and a @code{vector} is that
23987 arrays behave like in C: when used in expressions they decay to a pointer
23988 to the first element whereas vectors are treated as first class values.
23989 @end defun
23990
23991 @defun Type.const ()
23992 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
23993 @code{const}-qualified variant of this type.
23994 @end defun
23995
23996 @defun Type.volatile ()
23997 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
23998 @code{volatile}-qualified variant of this type.
23999 @end defun
24000
24001 @defun Type.unqualified ()
24002 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an unqualified
24003 variant of this type. That is, the result is neither @code{const} nor
24004 @code{volatile}.
24005 @end defun
24006
24007 @defun Type.range ()
24008 Return a Python @code{Tuple} object that contains two elements: the
24009 low bound of the argument type and the high bound of that type. If
24010 the type does not have a range, @value{GDBN} will raise a
24011 @code{gdb.error} exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
24012 @end defun
24013
24014 @defun Type.reference ()
24015 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a reference to this
24016 type.
24017 @end defun
24018
24019 @defun Type.pointer ()
24020 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a pointer to this
24021 type.
24022 @end defun
24023
24024 @defun Type.strip_typedefs ()
24025 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} that represents the real type,
24026 after removing all layers of typedefs.
24027 @end defun
24028
24029 @defun Type.target ()
24030 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents the target type
24031 of this type.
24032
24033 For a pointer type, the target type is the type of the pointed-to
24034 object. For an array type (meaning C-like arrays), the target type is
24035 the type of the elements of the array. For a function or method type,
24036 the target type is the type of the return value. For a complex type,
24037 the target type is the type of the elements. For a typedef, the
24038 target type is the aliased type.
24039
24040 If the type does not have a target, this method will throw an
24041 exception.
24042 @end defun
24043
24044 @defun Type.template_argument (n @r{[}, block@r{]})
24045 If this @code{gdb.Type} is an instantiation of a template, this will
24046 return a new @code{gdb.Type} which represents the type of the
24047 @var{n}th template argument.
24048
24049 If this @code{gdb.Type} is not a template type, this will throw an
24050 exception. Ordinarily, only C@t{++} code will have template types.
24051
24052 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
24053 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
24054 @end defun
24055
24056
24057 Each type has a code, which indicates what category this type falls
24058 into. The available type categories are represented by constants
24059 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
24060
24061 @table @code
24062 @findex TYPE_CODE_PTR
24063 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
24064 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
24065 The type is a pointer.
24066
24067 @findex TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
24068 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
24069 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
24070 The type is an array.
24071
24072 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
24073 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
24074 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
24075 The type is a structure.
24076
24077 @findex TYPE_CODE_UNION
24078 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
24079 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
24080 The type is a union.
24081
24082 @findex TYPE_CODE_ENUM
24083 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
24084 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
24085 The type is an enum.
24086
24087 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
24088 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
24089 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
24090 A bit flags type, used for things such as status registers.
24091
24092 @findex TYPE_CODE_FUNC
24093 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
24094 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
24095 The type is a function.
24096
24097 @findex TYPE_CODE_INT
24098 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
24099 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
24100 The type is an integer type.
24101
24102 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLT
24103 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
24104 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
24105 A floating point type.
24106
24107 @findex TYPE_CODE_VOID
24108 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
24109 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
24110 The special type @code{void}.
24111
24112 @findex TYPE_CODE_SET
24113 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
24114 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
24115 A Pascal set type.
24116
24117 @findex TYPE_CODE_RANGE
24118 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
24119 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
24120 A range type, that is, an integer type with bounds.
24121
24122 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRING
24123 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
24124 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
24125 A string type. Note that this is only used for certain languages with
24126 language-defined string types; C strings are not represented this way.
24127
24128 @findex TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
24129 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
24130 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
24131 A string of bits. It is deprecated.
24132
24133 @findex TYPE_CODE_ERROR
24134 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
24135 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
24136 An unknown or erroneous type.
24137
24138 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHOD
24139 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
24140 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
24141 A method type, as found in C@t{++} or Java.
24142
24143 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
24144 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
24145 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
24146 A pointer-to-member-function.
24147
24148 @findex TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
24149 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
24150 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
24151 A pointer-to-member.
24152
24153 @findex TYPE_CODE_REF
24154 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
24155 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
24156 A reference type.
24157
24158 @findex TYPE_CODE_CHAR
24159 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
24160 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
24161 A character type.
24162
24163 @findex TYPE_CODE_BOOL
24164 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
24165 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
24166 A boolean type.
24167
24168 @findex TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
24169 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
24170 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
24171 A complex float type.
24172
24173 @findex TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
24174 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
24175 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
24176 A typedef to some other type.
24177
24178 @findex TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
24179 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
24180 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
24181 A C@t{++} namespace.
24182
24183 @findex TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
24184 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
24185 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
24186 A decimal floating point type.
24187
24188 @findex TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
24189 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
24190 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
24191 A function internal to @value{GDBN}. This is the type used to represent
24192 convenience functions.
24193 @end table
24194
24195 Further support for types is provided in the @code{gdb.types}
24196 Python module (@pxref{gdb.types}).
24197
24198 @node Pretty Printing API
24199 @subsubsection Pretty Printing API
24200
24201 An example output is provided (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
24202
24203 A pretty-printer is just an object that holds a value and implements a
24204 specific interface, defined here.
24205
24206 @defun pretty_printer.children (self)
24207 @value{GDBN} will call this method on a pretty-printer to compute the
24208 children of the pretty-printer's value.
24209
24210 This method must return an object conforming to the Python iterator
24211 protocol. Each item returned by the iterator must be a tuple holding
24212 two elements. The first element is the ``name'' of the child; the
24213 second element is the child's value. The value can be any Python
24214 object which is convertible to a @value{GDBN} value.
24215
24216 This method is optional. If it does not exist, @value{GDBN} will act
24217 as though the value has no children.
24218 @end defun
24219
24220 @defun pretty_printer.display_hint (self)
24221 The CLI may call this method and use its result to change the
24222 formatting of a value. The result will also be supplied to an MI
24223 consumer as a @samp{displayhint} attribute of the variable being
24224 printed.
24225
24226 This method is optional. If it does exist, this method must return a
24227 string.
24228
24229 Some display hints are predefined by @value{GDBN}:
24230
24231 @table @samp
24232 @item array
24233 Indicate that the object being printed is ``array-like''. The CLI
24234 uses this to respect parameters such as @code{set print elements} and
24235 @code{set print array}.
24236
24237 @item map
24238 Indicate that the object being printed is ``map-like'', and that the
24239 children of this value can be assumed to alternate between keys and
24240 values.
24241
24242 @item string
24243 Indicate that the object being printed is ``string-like''. If the
24244 printer's @code{to_string} method returns a Python string of some
24245 kind, then @value{GDBN} will call its internal language-specific
24246 string-printing function to format the string. For the CLI this means
24247 adding quotation marks, possibly escaping some characters, respecting
24248 @code{set print elements}, and the like.
24249 @end table
24250 @end defun
24251
24252 @defun pretty_printer.to_string (self)
24253 @value{GDBN} will call this method to display the string
24254 representation of the value passed to the object's constructor.
24255
24256 When printing from the CLI, if the @code{to_string} method exists,
24257 then @value{GDBN} will prepend its result to the values returned by
24258 @code{children}. Exactly how this formatting is done is dependent on
24259 the display hint, and may change as more hints are added. Also,
24260 depending on the print settings (@pxref{Print Settings}), the CLI may
24261 print just the result of @code{to_string} in a stack trace, omitting
24262 the result of @code{children}.
24263
24264 If this method returns a string, it is printed verbatim.
24265
24266 Otherwise, if this method returns an instance of @code{gdb.Value},
24267 then @value{GDBN} prints this value. This may result in a call to
24268 another pretty-printer.
24269
24270 If instead the method returns a Python value which is convertible to a
24271 @code{gdb.Value}, then @value{GDBN} performs the conversion and prints
24272 the resulting value. Again, this may result in a call to another
24273 pretty-printer. Python scalars (integers, floats, and booleans) and
24274 strings are convertible to @code{gdb.Value}; other types are not.
24275
24276 Finally, if this method returns @code{None} then no further operations
24277 are peformed in this method and nothing is printed.
24278
24279 If the result is not one of these types, an exception is raised.
24280 @end defun
24281
24282 @value{GDBN} provides a function which can be used to look up the
24283 default pretty-printer for a @code{gdb.Value}:
24284
24285 @findex gdb.default_visualizer
24286 @defun gdb.default_visualizer (value)
24287 This function takes a @code{gdb.Value} object as an argument. If a
24288 pretty-printer for this value exists, then it is returned. If no such
24289 printer exists, then this returns @code{None}.
24290 @end defun
24291
24292 @node Selecting Pretty-Printers
24293 @subsubsection Selecting Pretty-Printers
24294
24295 The Python list @code{gdb.pretty_printers} contains an array of
24296 functions or callable objects that have been registered via addition
24297 as a pretty-printer. Printers in this list are called @code{global}
24298 printers, they're available when debugging all inferiors.
24299 Each @code{gdb.Progspace} contains a @code{pretty_printers} attribute.
24300 Each @code{gdb.Objfile} also contains a @code{pretty_printers}
24301 attribute.
24302
24303 Each function on these lists is passed a single @code{gdb.Value}
24304 argument and should return a pretty-printer object conforming to the
24305 interface definition above (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}). If a function
24306 cannot create a pretty-printer for the value, it should return
24307 @code{None}.
24308
24309 @value{GDBN} first checks the @code{pretty_printers} attribute of each
24310 @code{gdb.Objfile} in the current program space and iteratively calls
24311 each enabled lookup routine in the list for that @code{gdb.Objfile}
24312 until it receives a pretty-printer object.
24313 If no pretty-printer is found in the objfile lists, @value{GDBN} then
24314 searches the pretty-printer list of the current program space,
24315 calling each enabled function until an object is returned.
24316 After these lists have been exhausted, it tries the global
24317 @code{gdb.pretty_printers} list, again calling each enabled function until an
24318 object is returned.
24319
24320 The order in which the objfiles are searched is not specified. For a
24321 given list, functions are always invoked from the head of the list,
24322 and iterated over sequentially until the end of the list, or a printer
24323 object is returned.
24324
24325 For various reasons a pretty-printer may not work.
24326 For example, the underlying data structure may have changed and
24327 the pretty-printer is out of date.
24328
24329 The consequences of a broken pretty-printer are severe enough that
24330 @value{GDBN} provides support for enabling and disabling individual
24331 printers. For example, if @code{print frame-arguments} is on,
24332 a backtrace can become highly illegible if any argument is printed
24333 with a broken printer.
24334
24335 Pretty-printers are enabled and disabled by attaching an @code{enabled}
24336 attribute to the registered function or callable object. If this attribute
24337 is present and its value is @code{False}, the printer is disabled, otherwise
24338 the printer is enabled.
24339
24340 @node Writing a Pretty-Printer
24341 @subsubsection Writing a Pretty-Printer
24342 @cindex writing a pretty-printer
24343
24344 A pretty-printer consists of two parts: a lookup function to detect
24345 if the type is supported, and the printer itself.
24346
24347 Here is an example showing how a @code{std::string} printer might be
24348 written. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for details on the API this class
24349 must provide.
24350
24351 @smallexample
24352 class StdStringPrinter(object):
24353 "Print a std::string"
24354
24355 def __init__(self, val):
24356 self.val = val
24357
24358 def to_string(self):
24359 return self.val['_M_dataplus']['_M_p']
24360
24361 def display_hint(self):
24362 return 'string'
24363 @end smallexample
24364
24365 And here is an example showing how a lookup function for the printer
24366 example above might be written.
24367
24368 @smallexample
24369 def str_lookup_function(val):
24370 lookup_tag = val.type.tag
24371 if lookup_tag == None:
24372 return None
24373 regex = re.compile("^std::basic_string<char,.*>$")
24374 if regex.match(lookup_tag):
24375 return StdStringPrinter(val)
24376 return None
24377 @end smallexample
24378
24379 The example lookup function extracts the value's type, and attempts to
24380 match it to a type that it can pretty-print. If it is a type the
24381 printer can pretty-print, it will return a printer object. If not, it
24382 returns @code{None}.
24383
24384 We recommend that you put your core pretty-printers into a Python
24385 package. If your pretty-printers are for use with a library, we
24386 further recommend embedding a version number into the package name.
24387 This practice will enable @value{GDBN} to load multiple versions of
24388 your pretty-printers at the same time, because they will have
24389 different names.
24390
24391 You should write auto-loaded code (@pxref{Python Auto-loading}) such that it
24392 can be evaluated multiple times without changing its meaning. An
24393 ideal auto-load file will consist solely of @code{import}s of your
24394 printer modules, followed by a call to a register pretty-printers with
24395 the current objfile.
24396
24397 Taken as a whole, this approach will scale nicely to multiple
24398 inferiors, each potentially using a different library version.
24399 Embedding a version number in the Python package name will ensure that
24400 @value{GDBN} is able to load both sets of printers simultaneously.
24401 Then, because the search for pretty-printers is done by objfile, and
24402 because your auto-loaded code took care to register your library's
24403 printers with a specific objfile, @value{GDBN} will find the correct
24404 printers for the specific version of the library used by each
24405 inferior.
24406
24407 To continue the @code{std::string} example (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}),
24408 this code might appear in @code{gdb.libstdcxx.v6}:
24409
24410 @smallexample
24411 def register_printers(objfile):
24412 objfile.pretty_printers.append(str_lookup_function)
24413 @end smallexample
24414
24415 @noindent
24416 And then the corresponding contents of the auto-load file would be:
24417
24418 @smallexample
24419 import gdb.libstdcxx.v6
24420 gdb.libstdcxx.v6.register_printers(gdb.current_objfile())
24421 @end smallexample
24422
24423 The previous example illustrates a basic pretty-printer.
24424 There are a few things that can be improved on.
24425 The printer doesn't have a name, making it hard to identify in a
24426 list of installed printers. The lookup function has a name, but
24427 lookup functions can have arbitrary, even identical, names.
24428
24429 Second, the printer only handles one type, whereas a library typically has
24430 several types. One could install a lookup function for each desired type
24431 in the library, but one could also have a single lookup function recognize
24432 several types. The latter is the conventional way this is handled.
24433 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
24434 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
24435
24436 The @code{gdb.printing} module provides a formal way of solving these
24437 problems (@pxref{gdb.printing}).
24438 Here is another example that handles multiple types.
24439
24440 These are the types we are going to pretty-print:
24441
24442 @smallexample
24443 struct foo @{ int a, b; @};
24444 struct bar @{ struct foo x, y; @};
24445 @end smallexample
24446
24447 Here are the printers:
24448
24449 @smallexample
24450 class fooPrinter:
24451 """Print a foo object."""
24452
24453 def __init__(self, val):
24454 self.val = val
24455
24456 def to_string(self):
24457 return ("a=<" + str(self.val["a"]) +
24458 "> b=<" + str(self.val["b"]) + ">")
24459
24460 class barPrinter:
24461 """Print a bar object."""
24462
24463 def __init__(self, val):
24464 self.val = val
24465
24466 def to_string(self):
24467 return ("x=<" + str(self.val["x"]) +
24468 "> y=<" + str(self.val["y"]) + ">")
24469 @end smallexample
24470
24471 This example doesn't need a lookup function, that is handled by the
24472 @code{gdb.printing} module. Instead a function is provided to build up
24473 the object that handles the lookup.
24474
24475 @smallexample
24476 import gdb.printing
24477
24478 def build_pretty_printer():
24479 pp = gdb.printing.RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter(
24480 "my_library")
24481 pp.add_printer('foo', '^foo$', fooPrinter)
24482 pp.add_printer('bar', '^bar$', barPrinter)
24483 return pp
24484 @end smallexample
24485
24486 And here is the autoload support:
24487
24488 @smallexample
24489 import gdb.printing
24490 import my_library
24491 gdb.printing.register_pretty_printer(
24492 gdb.current_objfile(),
24493 my_library.build_pretty_printer())
24494 @end smallexample
24495
24496 Finally, when this printer is loaded into @value{GDBN}, here is the
24497 corresponding output of @samp{info pretty-printer}:
24498
24499 @smallexample
24500 (gdb) info pretty-printer
24501 my_library.so:
24502 my_library
24503 foo
24504 bar
24505 @end smallexample
24506
24507 @node Type Printing API
24508 @subsubsection Type Printing API
24509 @cindex type printing API for Python
24510
24511 @value{GDBN} provides a way for Python code to customize type display.
24512 This is mainly useful for substituting canonical typedef names for
24513 types.
24514
24515 @cindex type printer
24516 A @dfn{type printer} is just a Python object conforming to a certain
24517 protocol. A simple base class implementing the protocol is provided;
24518 see @ref{gdb.types}. A type printer must supply at least:
24519
24520 @defivar type_printer enabled
24521 A boolean which is True if the printer is enabled, and False
24522 otherwise. This is manipulated by the @code{enable type-printer}
24523 and @code{disable type-printer} commands.
24524 @end defivar
24525
24526 @defivar type_printer name
24527 The name of the type printer. This must be a string. This is used by
24528 the @code{enable type-printer} and @code{disable type-printer}
24529 commands.
24530 @end defivar
24531
24532 @defmethod type_printer instantiate (self)
24533 This is called by @value{GDBN} at the start of type-printing. It is
24534 only called if the type printer is enabled. This method must return a
24535 new object that supplies a @code{recognize} method, as described below.
24536 @end defmethod
24537
24538
24539 When displaying a type, say via the @code{ptype} command, @value{GDBN}
24540 will compute a list of type recognizers. This is done by iterating
24541 first over the per-objfile type printers (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}),
24542 followed by the per-progspace type printers (@pxref{Progspaces In
24543 Python}), and finally the global type printers.
24544
24545 @value{GDBN} will call the @code{instantiate} method of each enabled
24546 type printer. If this method returns @code{None}, then the result is
24547 ignored; otherwise, it is appended to the list of recognizers.
24548
24549 Then, when @value{GDBN} is going to display a type name, it iterates
24550 over the list of recognizers. For each one, it calls the recognition
24551 function, stopping if the function returns a non-@code{None} value.
24552 The recognition function is defined as:
24553
24554 @defmethod type_recognizer recognize (self, type)
24555 If @var{type} is not recognized, return @code{None}. Otherwise,
24556 return a string which is to be printed as the name of @var{type}.
24557 @var{type} will be an instance of @code{gdb.Type} (@pxref{Types In
24558 Python}).
24559 @end defmethod
24560
24561 @value{GDBN} uses this two-pass approach so that type printers can
24562 efficiently cache information without holding on to it too long. For
24563 example, it can be convenient to look up type information in a type
24564 printer and hold it for a recognizer's lifetime; if a single pass were
24565 done then type printers would have to make use of the event system in
24566 order to avoid holding information that could become stale as the
24567 inferior changed.
24568
24569 @node Frame Filter API
24570 @subsubsection Filtering Frames.
24571 @cindex frame filters api
24572
24573 Frame filters are Python objects that manipulate the visibility of a
24574 frame or frames when a backtrace (@pxref{Backtrace}) is printed by
24575 @value{GDBN}.
24576
24577 Only commands that print a backtrace, or, in the case of @sc{gdb/mi}
24578 commands (@pxref{GDB/MI}), those that return a collection of frames
24579 are affected. The commands that work with frame filters are:
24580
24581 @code{backtrace} (@pxref{backtrace-command,, The backtrace command}),
24582 @code{-stack-list-frames}
24583 (@pxref{-stack-list-frames,, The -stack-list-frames command}),
24584 @code{-stack-list-variables} (@pxref{-stack-list-variables,, The
24585 -stack-list-variables command}), @code{-stack-list-arguments}
24586 @pxref{-stack-list-arguments,, The -stack-list-arguments command}) and
24587 @code{-stack-list-locals} (@pxref{-stack-list-locals,, The
24588 -stack-list-locals command}).
24589
24590 A frame filter works by taking an iterator as an argument, applying
24591 actions to the contents of that iterator, and returning another
24592 iterator (or, possibly, the same iterator it was provided in the case
24593 where the filter does not perform any operations). Typically, frame
24594 filters utilize tools such as the Python's @code{itertools} module to
24595 work with and create new iterators from the source iterator.
24596 Regardless of how a filter chooses to apply actions, it must not alter
24597 the underlying @value{GDBN} frame or frames, or attempt to alter the
24598 call-stack within @value{GDBN}. This preserves data integrity within
24599 @value{GDBN}. Frame filters are executed on a priority basis and care
24600 should be taken that some frame filters may have been executed before,
24601 and that some frame filters will be executed after.
24602
24603 An important consideration when designing frame filters, and well
24604 worth reflecting upon, is that frame filters should avoid unwinding
24605 the call stack if possible. Some stacks can run very deep, into the
24606 tens of thousands in some cases. To search every frame when a frame
24607 filter executes may be too expensive at that step. The frame filter
24608 cannot know how many frames it has to iterate over, and it may have to
24609 iterate through them all. This ends up duplicating effort as
24610 @value{GDBN} performs this iteration when it prints the frames. If
24611 the filter can defer unwinding frames until frame decorators are
24612 executed, after the last filter has executed, it should. @xref{Frame
24613 Decorator API}, for more information on decorators. Also, there are
24614 examples for both frame decorators and filters in later chapters.
24615 @xref{Writing a Frame Filter}, for more information.
24616
24617 The Python dictionary @code{gdb.frame_filters} contains key/object
24618 pairings that comprise a frame filter. Frame filters in this
24619 dictionary are called @code{global} frame filters, and they are
24620 available when debugging all inferiors. These frame filters must
24621 register with the dictionary directly. In addition to the
24622 @code{global} dictionary, there are other dictionaries that are loaded
24623 with different inferiors via auto-loading (@pxref{Python
24624 Auto-loading}). The two other areas where frame filter dictionaries
24625 can be found are: @code{gdb.Progspace} which contains a
24626 @code{frame_filters} dictionary attribute, and each @code{gdb.Objfile}
24627 object which also contains a @code{frame_filters} dictionary
24628 attribute.
24629
24630 When a command is executed from @value{GDBN} that is compatible with
24631 frame filters, @value{GDBN} combines the @code{global},
24632 @code{gdb.Progspace} and all @code{gdb.Objfile} dictionaries currently
24633 loaded. All of the @code{gdb.Objfile} dictionaries are combined, as
24634 several frames, and thus several object files, might be in use.
24635 @value{GDBN} then prunes any frame filter whose @code{enabled}
24636 attribute is @code{False}. This pruned list is then sorted according
24637 to the @code{priority} attribute in each filter.
24638
24639 Once the dictionaries are combined, pruned and sorted, @value{GDBN}
24640 creates an iterator which wraps each frame in the call stack in a
24641 @code{FrameDecorator} object, and calls each filter in order. The
24642 output from the previous filter will always be the input to the next
24643 filter, and so on.
24644
24645 Frame filters have a mandatory interface which each frame filter must
24646 implement, defined here:
24647
24648 @defun FrameFilter.filter (iterator)
24649 @value{GDBN} will call this method on a frame filter when it has
24650 reached the order in the priority list for that filter.
24651
24652 For example, if there are four frame filters:
24653
24654 @smallexample
24655 Name Priority
24656
24657 Filter1 5
24658 Filter2 10
24659 Filter3 100
24660 Filter4 1
24661 @end smallexample
24662
24663 The order that the frame filters will be called is:
24664
24665 @smallexample
24666 Filter3 -> Filter2 -> Filter1 -> Filter4
24667 @end smallexample
24668
24669 Note that the output from @code{Filter3} is passed to the input of
24670 @code{Filter2}, and so on.
24671
24672 This @code{filter} method is passed a Python iterator. This iterator
24673 contains a sequence of frame decorators that wrap each
24674 @code{gdb.Frame}, or a frame decorator that wraps another frame
24675 decorator. The first filter that is executed in the sequence of frame
24676 filters will receive an iterator entirely comprised of default
24677 @code{FrameDecorator} objects. However, after each frame filter is
24678 executed, the previous frame filter may have wrapped some or all of
24679 the frame decorators with their own frame decorator. As frame
24680 decorators must also conform to a mandatory interface, these
24681 decorators can be assumed to act in a uniform manner (@pxref{Frame
24682 Decorator API}).
24683
24684 This method must return an object conforming to the Python iterator
24685 protocol. Each item in the iterator must be an object conforming to
24686 the frame decorator interface. If a frame filter does not wish to
24687 perform any operations on this iterator, it should return that
24688 iterator untouched.
24689
24690 This method is not optional. If it does not exist, @value{GDBN} will
24691 raise and print an error.
24692 @end defun
24693
24694 @defvar FrameFilter.name
24695 The @code{name} attribute must be Python string which contains the
24696 name of the filter displayed by @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Frame Filter
24697 Management}). This attribute may contain any combination of letters
24698 or numbers. Care should be taken to ensure that it is unique. This
24699 attribute is mandatory.
24700 @end defvar
24701
24702 @defvar FrameFilter.enabled
24703 The @code{enabled} attribute must be Python boolean. This attribute
24704 indicates to @value{GDBN} whether the frame filter is enabled, and
24705 should be considered when frame filters are executed. If
24706 @code{enabled} is @code{True}, then the frame filter will be executed
24707 when any of the backtrace commands detailed earlier in this chapter
24708 are executed. If @code{enabled} is @code{False}, then the frame
24709 filter will not be executed. This attribute is mandatory.
24710 @end defvar
24711
24712 @defvar FrameFilter.priority
24713 The @code{priority} attribute must be Python integer. This attribute
24714 controls the order of execution in relation to other frame filters.
24715 There are no imposed limits on the range of @code{priority} other than
24716 it must be a valid integer. The higher the @code{priority} attribute,
24717 the sooner the frame filter will be executed in relation to other
24718 frame filters. Although @code{priority} can be negative, it is
24719 recommended practice to assume zero is the lowest priority that a
24720 frame filter can be assigned. Frame filters that have the same
24721 priority are executed in unsorted order in that priority slot. This
24722 attribute is mandatory.
24723 @end defvar
24724
24725 @node Frame Decorator API
24726 @subsubsection Decorating Frames.
24727 @cindex frame decorator api
24728
24729 Frame decorators are sister objects to frame filters (@pxref{Frame
24730 Filter API}). Frame decorators are applied by a frame filter and can
24731 only be used in conjunction with frame filters.
24732
24733 The purpose of a frame decorator is to customize the printed content
24734 of each @code{gdb.Frame} in commands where frame filters are executed.
24735 This concept is called decorating a frame. Frame decorators decorate
24736 a @code{gdb.Frame} with Python code contained within each API call.
24737 This separates the actual data contained in a @code{gdb.Frame} from
24738 the decorated data produced by a frame decorator. This abstraction is
24739 necessary to maintain integrity of the data contained in each
24740 @code{gdb.Frame}.
24741
24742 Frame decorators have a mandatory interface, defined below.
24743
24744 @value{GDBN} already contains a frame decorator called
24745 @code{FrameDecorator}. This contains substantial amounts of
24746 boilerplate code to decorate the content of a @code{gdb.Frame}. It is
24747 recommended that other frame decorators inherit and extend this
24748 object, and only to override the methods needed.
24749
24750 @defun FrameDecorator.elided (self)
24751
24752 The @code{elided} method groups frames together in a hierarchical
24753 system. An example would be an interpreter, where multiple low-level
24754 frames make up a single call in the interpreted language. In this
24755 example, the frame filter would elide the low-level frames and present
24756 a single high-level frame, representing the call in the interpreted
24757 language, to the user.
24758
24759 The @code{elided} function must return an iterable and this iterable
24760 must contain the frames that are being elided wrapped in a suitable
24761 frame decorator. If no frames are being elided this function may
24762 return an empty iterable, or @code{None}. Elided frames are indented
24763 from normal frames in a @code{CLI} backtrace, or in the case of
24764 @code{GDB/MI}, are placed in the @code{children} field of the eliding
24765 frame.
24766
24767 It is the frame filter's task to also filter out the elided frames from
24768 the source iterator. This will avoid printing the frame twice.
24769 @end defun
24770
24771 @defun FrameDecorator.function (self)
24772
24773 This method returns the name of the function in the frame that is to
24774 be printed.
24775
24776 This method must return a Python string describing the function, or
24777 @code{None}.
24778
24779 If this function returns @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print any
24780 data for this field.
24781 @end defun
24782
24783 @defun FrameDecorator.address (self)
24784
24785 This method returns the address of the frame that is to be printed.
24786
24787 This method must return a Python numeric integer type of sufficient
24788 size to describe the address of the frame, or @code{None}.
24789
24790 If this function returns a @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print
24791 any data for this field.
24792 @end defun
24793
24794 @defun FrameDecorator.filename (self)
24795
24796 This method returns the filename and path associated with this frame.
24797
24798 This method must return a Python string containing the filename and
24799 the path to the object file backing the frame, or @code{None}.
24800
24801 If this function returns a @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print
24802 any data for this field.
24803 @end defun
24804
24805 @defun FrameDecorator.line (self):
24806
24807 This method returns the line number associated with the current
24808 position within the function addressed by this frame.
24809
24810 This method must return a Python integer type, or @code{None}.
24811
24812 If this function returns a @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print
24813 any data for this field.
24814 @end defun
24815
24816 @defun FrameDecorator.frame_args (self)
24817 @anchor{frame_args}
24818
24819 This method must return an iterable, or @code{None}. Returning an
24820 empty iterable, or @code{None} means frame arguments will not be
24821 printed for this frame. This iterable must contain objects that
24822 implement two methods, described here.
24823
24824 This object must implement a @code{argument} method which takes a
24825 single @code{self} parameter and must return a @code{gdb.Symbol}
24826 (@pxref{Symbols In Python}), or a Python string. The object must also
24827 implement a @code{value} method which takes a single @code{self}
24828 parameter and must return a @code{gdb.Value} (@pxref{Values From
24829 Inferior}), a Python value, or @code{None}. If the @code{value}
24830 method returns @code{None}, and the @code{argument} method returns a
24831 @code{gdb.Symbol}, @value{GDBN} will look-up and print the value of
24832 the @code{gdb.Symbol} automatically.
24833
24834 A brief example:
24835
24836 @smallexample
24837 class SymValueWrapper():
24838
24839 def __init__(self, symbol, value):
24840 self.sym = symbol
24841 self.val = value
24842
24843 def value(self):
24844 return self.val
24845
24846 def symbol(self):
24847 return self.sym
24848
24849 class SomeFrameDecorator()
24850 ...
24851 ...
24852 def frame_args(self):
24853 args = []
24854 try:
24855 block = self.inferior_frame.block()
24856 except:
24857 return None
24858
24859 # Iterate over all symbols in a block. Only add
24860 # symbols that are arguments.
24861 for sym in block:
24862 if not sym.is_argument:
24863 continue
24864 args.append(SymValueWrapper(sym,None))
24865
24866 # Add example synthetic argument.
24867 args.append(SymValueWrapper(``foo'', 42))
24868
24869 return args
24870 @end smallexample
24871 @end defun
24872
24873 @defun FrameDecorator.frame_locals (self)
24874
24875 This method must return an iterable or @code{None}. Returning an
24876 empty iterable, or @code{None} means frame local arguments will not be
24877 printed for this frame.
24878
24879 The object interface, the description of the various strategies for
24880 reading frame locals, and the example are largely similar to those
24881 described in the @code{frame_args} function, (@pxref{frame_args,,The
24882 frame filter frame_args function}). Below is a modified example:
24883
24884 @smallexample
24885 class SomeFrameDecorator()
24886 ...
24887 ...
24888 def frame_locals(self):
24889 vars = []
24890 try:
24891 block = self.inferior_frame.block()
24892 except:
24893 return None
24894
24895 # Iterate over all symbols in a block. Add all
24896 # symbols, except arguments.
24897 for sym in block:
24898 if sym.is_argument:
24899 continue
24900 vars.append(SymValueWrapper(sym,None))
24901
24902 # Add an example of a synthetic local variable.
24903 vars.append(SymValueWrapper(``bar'', 99))
24904
24905 return vars
24906 @end smallexample
24907 @end defun
24908
24909 @defun FrameDecorator.inferior_frame (self):
24910
24911 This method must return the underlying @code{gdb.Frame} that this
24912 frame decorator is decorating. @value{GDBN} requires the underlying
24913 frame for internal frame information to determine how to print certain
24914 values when printing a frame.
24915 @end defun
24916
24917 @node Writing a Frame Filter
24918 @subsubsection Writing a Frame Filter
24919 @cindex writing a frame filter
24920
24921 There are three basic elements that a frame filter must implement: it
24922 must correctly implement the documented interface (@pxref{Frame Filter
24923 API}), it must register itself with @value{GDBN}, and finally, it must
24924 decide if it is to work on the data provided by @value{GDBN}. In all
24925 cases, whether it works on the iterator or not, each frame filter must
24926 return an iterator. A bare-bones frame filter follows the pattern in
24927 the following example.
24928
24929 @smallexample
24930 import gdb
24931
24932 class FrameFilter():
24933
24934 def __init__(self):
24935 # Frame filter attribute creation.
24936 #
24937 # 'name' is the name of the filter that GDB will display.
24938 #
24939 # 'priority' is the priority of the filter relative to other
24940 # filters.
24941 #
24942 # 'enabled' is a boolean that indicates whether this filter is
24943 # enabled and should be executed.
24944
24945 self.name = "Foo"
24946 self.priority = 100
24947 self.enabled = True
24948
24949 # Register this frame filter with the global frame_filters
24950 # dictionary.
24951 gdb.frame_filters[self.name] = self
24952
24953 def filter(self, frame_iter):
24954 # Just return the iterator.
24955 return frame_iter
24956 @end smallexample
24957
24958 The frame filter in the example above implements the three
24959 requirements for all frame filters. It implements the API, self
24960 registers, and makes a decision on the iterator (in this case, it just
24961 returns the iterator untouched).
24962
24963 The first step is attribute creation and assignment, and as shown in
24964 the comments the filter assigns the following attributes: @code{name},
24965 @code{priority} and whether the filter should be enabled with the
24966 @code{enabled} attribute.
24967
24968 The second step is registering the frame filter with the dictionary or
24969 dictionaries that the frame filter has interest in. As shown in the
24970 comments, this filter just registers itself with the global dictionary
24971 @code{gdb.frame_filters}. As noted earlier, @code{gdb.frame_filters}
24972 is a dictionary that is initialized in the @code{gdb} module when
24973 @value{GDBN} starts. What dictionary a filter registers with is an
24974 important consideration. Generally, if a filter is specific to a set
24975 of code, it should be registered either in the @code{objfile} or
24976 @code{progspace} dictionaries as they are specific to the program
24977 currently loaded in @value{GDBN}. The global dictionary is always
24978 present in @value{GDBN} and is never unloaded. Any filters registered
24979 with the global dictionary will exist until @value{GDBN} exits. To
24980 avoid filters that may conflict, it is generally better to register
24981 frame filters against the dictionaries that more closely align with
24982 the usage of the filter currently in question. @xref{Python
24983 Auto-loading}, for further information on auto-loading Python scripts.
24984
24985 @value{GDBN} takes a hands-off approach to frame filter registration,
24986 therefore it is the frame filter's responsibility to ensure
24987 registration has occurred, and that any exceptions are handled
24988 appropriately. In particular, you may wish to handle exceptions
24989 relating to Python dictionary key uniqueness. It is mandatory that
24990 the dictionary key is the same as frame filter's @code{name}
24991 attribute. When a user manages frame filters (@pxref{Frame Filter
24992 Management}), the names @value{GDBN} will display are those contained
24993 in the @code{name} attribute.
24994
24995 The final step of this example is the implementation of the
24996 @code{filter} method. As shown in the example comments, we define the
24997 @code{filter} method and note that the method must take an iterator,
24998 and also must return an iterator. In this bare-bones example, the
24999 frame filter is not very useful as it just returns the iterator
25000 untouched. However this is a valid operation for frame filters that
25001 have the @code{enabled} attribute set, but decide not to operate on
25002 any frames.
25003
25004 In the next example, the frame filter operates on all frames and
25005 utilizes a frame decorator to perform some work on the frames.
25006 @xref{Frame Decorator API}, for further information on the frame
25007 decorator interface.
25008
25009 This example works on inlined frames. It highlights frames which are
25010 inlined by tagging them with an ``[inlined]'' tag. By applying a
25011 frame decorator to all frames with the Python @code{itertools imap}
25012 method, the example defers actions to the frame decorator. Frame
25013 decorators are only processed when @value{GDBN} prints the backtrace.
25014
25015 This introduces a new decision making topic: whether to perform
25016 decision making operations at the filtering step, or at the printing
25017 step. In this example's approach, it does not perform any filtering
25018 decisions at the filtering step beyond mapping a frame decorator to
25019 each frame. This allows the actual decision making to be performed
25020 when each frame is printed. This is an important consideration, and
25021 well worth reflecting upon when designing a frame filter. An issue
25022 that frame filters should avoid is unwinding the stack if possible.
25023 Some stacks can run very deep, into the tens of thousands in some
25024 cases. To search every frame to determine if it is inlined ahead of
25025 time may be too expensive at the filtering step. The frame filter
25026 cannot know how many frames it has to iterate over, and it would have
25027 to iterate through them all. This ends up duplicating effort as
25028 @value{GDBN} performs this iteration when it prints the frames.
25029
25030 In this example decision making can be deferred to the printing step.
25031 As each frame is printed, the frame decorator can examine each frame
25032 in turn when @value{GDBN} iterates. From a performance viewpoint,
25033 this is the most appropriate decision to make as it avoids duplicating
25034 the effort that the printing step would undertake anyway. Also, if
25035 there are many frame filters unwinding the stack during filtering, it
25036 can substantially delay the printing of the backtrace which will
25037 result in large memory usage, and a poor user experience.
25038
25039 @smallexample
25040 class InlineFilter():
25041
25042 def __init__(self):
25043 self.name = "InlinedFrameFilter"
25044 self.priority = 100
25045 self.enabled = True
25046 gdb.frame_filters[self.name] = self
25047
25048 def filter(self, frame_iter):
25049 frame_iter = itertools.imap(InlinedFrameDecorator,
25050 frame_iter)
25051 return frame_iter
25052 @end smallexample
25053
25054 This frame filter is somewhat similar to the earlier example, except
25055 that the @code{filter} method applies a frame decorator object called
25056 @code{InlinedFrameDecorator} to each element in the iterator. The
25057 @code{imap} Python method is light-weight. It does not proactively
25058 iterate over the iterator, but rather creates a new iterator which
25059 wraps the existing one.
25060
25061 Below is the frame decorator for this example.
25062
25063 @smallexample
25064 class InlinedFrameDecorator(FrameDecorator):
25065
25066 def __init__(self, fobj):
25067 super(InlinedFrameDecorator, self).__init__(fobj)
25068
25069 def function(self):
25070 frame = fobj.inferior_frame()
25071 name = str(frame.name())
25072
25073 if frame.type() == gdb.INLINE_FRAME:
25074 name = name + " [inlined]"
25075
25076 return name
25077 @end smallexample
25078
25079 This frame decorator only defines and overrides the @code{function}
25080 method. It lets the supplied @code{FrameDecorator}, which is shipped
25081 with @value{GDBN}, perform the other work associated with printing
25082 this frame.
25083
25084 The combination of these two objects create this output from a
25085 backtrace:
25086
25087 @smallexample
25088 #0 0x004004e0 in bar () at inline.c:11
25089 #1 0x00400566 in max [inlined] (b=6, a=12) at inline.c:21
25090 #2 0x00400566 in main () at inline.c:31
25091 @end smallexample
25092
25093 So in the case of this example, a frame decorator is applied to all
25094 frames, regardless of whether they may be inlined or not. As
25095 @value{GDBN} iterates over the iterator produced by the frame filters,
25096 @value{GDBN} executes each frame decorator which then makes a decision
25097 on what to print in the @code{function} callback. Using a strategy
25098 like this is a way to defer decisions on the frame content to printing
25099 time.
25100
25101 @subheading Eliding Frames
25102
25103 It might be that the above example is not desirable for representing
25104 inlined frames, and a hierarchical approach may be preferred. If we
25105 want to hierarchically represent frames, the @code{elided} frame
25106 decorator interface might be preferable.
25107
25108 This example approaches the issue with the @code{elided} method. This
25109 example is quite long, but very simplistic. It is out-of-scope for
25110 this section to write a complete example that comprehensively covers
25111 all approaches of finding and printing inlined frames. However, this
25112 example illustrates the approach an author might use.
25113
25114 This example comprises of three sections.
25115
25116 @smallexample
25117 class InlineFrameFilter():
25118
25119 def __init__(self):
25120 self.name = "InlinedFrameFilter"
25121 self.priority = 100
25122 self.enabled = True
25123 gdb.frame_filters[self.name] = self
25124
25125 def filter(self, frame_iter):
25126 return ElidingInlineIterator(frame_iter)
25127 @end smallexample
25128
25129 This frame filter is very similar to the other examples. The only
25130 difference is this frame filter is wrapping the iterator provided to
25131 it (@code{frame_iter}) with a custom iterator called
25132 @code{ElidingInlineIterator}. This again defers actions to when
25133 @value{GDBN} prints the backtrace, as the iterator is not traversed
25134 until printing.
25135
25136 The iterator for this example is as follows. It is in this section of
25137 the example where decisions are made on the content of the backtrace.
25138
25139 @smallexample
25140 class ElidingInlineIterator:
25141 def __init__(self, ii):
25142 self.input_iterator = ii
25143
25144 def __iter__(self):
25145 return self
25146
25147 def next(self):
25148 frame = next(self.input_iterator)
25149
25150 if frame.inferior_frame().type() != gdb.INLINE_FRAME:
25151 return frame
25152
25153 try:
25154 eliding_frame = next(self.input_iterator)
25155 except StopIteration:
25156 return frame
25157 return ElidingFrameDecorator(eliding_frame, [frame])
25158 @end smallexample
25159
25160 This iterator implements the Python iterator protocol. When the
25161 @code{next} function is called (when @value{GDBN} prints each frame),
25162 the iterator checks if this frame decorator, @code{frame}, is wrapping
25163 an inlined frame. If it is not, it returns the existing frame decorator
25164 untouched. If it is wrapping an inlined frame, it assumes that the
25165 inlined frame was contained within the next oldest frame,
25166 @code{eliding_frame}, which it fetches. It then creates and returns a
25167 frame decorator, @code{ElidingFrameDecorator}, which contains both the
25168 elided frame, and the eliding frame.
25169
25170 @smallexample
25171 class ElidingInlineDecorator(FrameDecorator):
25172
25173 def __init__(self, frame, elided_frames):
25174 super(ElidingInlineDecorator, self).__init__(frame)
25175 self.frame = frame
25176 self.elided_frames = elided_frames
25177
25178 def elided(self):
25179 return iter(self.elided_frames)
25180 @end smallexample
25181
25182 This frame decorator overrides one function and returns the inlined
25183 frame in the @code{elided} method. As before it lets
25184 @code{FrameDecorator} do the rest of the work involved in printing
25185 this frame. This produces the following output.
25186
25187 @smallexample
25188 #0 0x004004e0 in bar () at inline.c:11
25189 #2 0x00400529 in main () at inline.c:25
25190 #1 0x00400529 in max (b=6, a=12) at inline.c:15
25191 @end smallexample
25192
25193 In that output, @code{max} which has been inlined into @code{main} is
25194 printed hierarchically. Another approach would be to combine the
25195 @code{function} method, and the @code{elided} method to both print a
25196 marker in the inlined frame, and also show the hierarchical
25197 relationship.
25198
25199 @node Inferiors In Python
25200 @subsubsection Inferiors In Python
25201 @cindex inferiors in Python
25202
25203 @findex gdb.Inferior
25204 Programs which are being run under @value{GDBN} are called inferiors
25205 (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). Python scripts can access
25206 information about and manipulate inferiors controlled by @value{GDBN}
25207 via objects of the @code{gdb.Inferior} class.
25208
25209 The following inferior-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
25210 module:
25211
25212 @defun gdb.inferiors ()
25213 Return a tuple containing all inferior objects.
25214 @end defun
25215
25216 @defun gdb.selected_inferior ()
25217 Return an object representing the current inferior.
25218 @end defun
25219
25220 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following attributes:
25221
25222 @defvar Inferior.num
25223 ID of inferior, as assigned by GDB.
25224 @end defvar
25225
25226 @defvar Inferior.pid
25227 Process ID of the inferior, as assigned by the underlying operating
25228 system.
25229 @end defvar
25230
25231 @defvar Inferior.was_attached
25232 Boolean signaling whether the inferior was created using `attach', or
25233 started by @value{GDBN} itself.
25234 @end defvar
25235
25236 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following methods:
25237
25238 @defun Inferior.is_valid ()
25239 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Inferior} object is valid,
25240 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Inferior} object will become invalid
25241 if the inferior no longer exists within @value{GDBN}. All other
25242 @code{gdb.Inferior} methods will throw an exception if it is invalid
25243 at the time the method is called.
25244 @end defun
25245
25246 @defun Inferior.threads ()
25247 This method returns a tuple holding all the threads which are valid
25248 when it is called. If there are no valid threads, the method will
25249 return an empty tuple.
25250 @end defun
25251
25252 @findex Inferior.read_memory
25253 @defun Inferior.read_memory (address, length)
25254 Read @var{length} bytes of memory from the inferior, starting at
25255 @var{address}. Returns a buffer object, which behaves much like an array
25256 or a string. It can be modified and given to the
25257 @code{Inferior.write_memory} function. In @code{Python} 3, the return
25258 value is a @code{memoryview} object.
25259 @end defun
25260
25261 @findex Inferior.write_memory
25262 @defun Inferior.write_memory (address, buffer @r{[}, length@r{]})
25263 Write the contents of @var{buffer} to the inferior, starting at
25264 @var{address}. The @var{buffer} parameter must be a Python object
25265 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
25266 object returned from @code{Inferior.read_memory}. If given, @var{length}
25267 determines the number of bytes from @var{buffer} to be written.
25268 @end defun
25269
25270 @findex gdb.search_memory
25271 @defun Inferior.search_memory (address, length, pattern)
25272 Search a region of the inferior memory starting at @var{address} with
25273 the given @var{length} using the search pattern supplied in
25274 @var{pattern}. The @var{pattern} parameter must be a Python object
25275 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
25276 object returned from @code{gdb.read_memory}. Returns a Python @code{Long}
25277 containing the address where the pattern was found, or @code{None} if
25278 the pattern could not be found.
25279 @end defun
25280
25281 @node Events In Python
25282 @subsubsection Events In Python
25283 @cindex inferior events in Python
25284
25285 @value{GDBN} provides a general event facility so that Python code can be
25286 notified of various state changes, particularly changes that occur in
25287 the inferior.
25288
25289 An @dfn{event} is just an object that describes some state change. The
25290 type of the object and its attributes will vary depending on the details
25291 of the change. All the existing events are described below.
25292
25293 In order to be notified of an event, you must register an event handler
25294 with an @dfn{event registry}. An event registry is an object in the
25295 @code{gdb.events} module which dispatches particular events. A registry
25296 provides methods to register and unregister event handlers:
25297
25298 @defun EventRegistry.connect (object)
25299 Add the given callable @var{object} to the registry. This object will be
25300 called when an event corresponding to this registry occurs.
25301 @end defun
25302
25303 @defun EventRegistry.disconnect (object)
25304 Remove the given @var{object} from the registry. Once removed, the object
25305 will no longer receive notifications of events.
25306 @end defun
25307
25308 Here is an example:
25309
25310 @smallexample
25311 def exit_handler (event):
25312 print "event type: exit"
25313 print "exit code: %d" % (event.exit_code)
25314
25315 gdb.events.exited.connect (exit_handler)
25316 @end smallexample
25317
25318 In the above example we connect our handler @code{exit_handler} to the
25319 registry @code{events.exited}. Once connected, @code{exit_handler} gets
25320 called when the inferior exits. The argument @dfn{event} in this example is
25321 of type @code{gdb.ExitedEvent}. As you can see in the example the
25322 @code{ExitedEvent} object has an attribute which indicates the exit code of
25323 the inferior.
25324
25325 The following is a listing of the event registries that are available and
25326 details of the events they emit:
25327
25328 @table @code
25329
25330 @item events.cont
25331 Emits @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
25332
25333 Some events can be thread specific when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
25334 mode. When represented in Python, these events all extend
25335 @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}. Note, this event is not emitted directly; instead,
25336 events which are emitted by this or other modules might extend this event.
25337 Examples of these events are @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} and
25338 @code{gdb.ContinueEvent}.
25339
25340 @defvar ThreadEvent.inferior_thread
25341 In non-stop mode this attribute will be set to the specific thread which was
25342 involved in the emitted event. Otherwise, it will be set to @code{None}.
25343 @end defvar
25344
25345 Emits @code{gdb.ContinueEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
25346
25347 This event indicates that the inferior has been continued after a stop. For
25348 inherited attribute refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above.
25349
25350 @item events.exited
25351 Emits @code{events.ExitedEvent} which indicates that the inferior has exited.
25352 @code{events.ExitedEvent} has two attributes:
25353 @defvar ExitedEvent.exit_code
25354 An integer representing the exit code, if available, which the inferior
25355 has returned. (The exit code could be unavailable if, for example,
25356 @value{GDBN} detaches from the inferior.) If the exit code is unavailable,
25357 the attribute does not exist.
25358 @end defvar
25359 @defvar ExitedEvent inferior
25360 A reference to the inferior which triggered the @code{exited} event.
25361 @end defvar
25362
25363 @item events.stop
25364 Emits @code{gdb.StopEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
25365
25366 Indicates that the inferior has stopped. All events emitted by this registry
25367 extend StopEvent. As a child of @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}, @code{gdb.StopEvent}
25368 will indicate the stopped thread when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
25369 mode. Refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above for more details.
25370
25371 Emits @code{gdb.SignalEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
25372
25373 This event indicates that the inferior or one of its threads has received as
25374 signal. @code{gdb.SignalEvent} has the following attributes:
25375
25376 @defvar SignalEvent.stop_signal
25377 A string representing the signal received by the inferior. A list of possible
25378 signal values can be obtained by running the command @code{info signals} in
25379 the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
25380 @end defvar
25381
25382 Also emits @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
25383
25384 @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} event indicates that one or more breakpoints have
25385 been hit, and has the following attributes:
25386
25387 @defvar BreakpointEvent.breakpoints
25388 A sequence containing references to all the breakpoints (type
25389 @code{gdb.Breakpoint}) that were hit.
25390 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Breakpoint} object.
25391 @end defvar
25392 @defvar BreakpointEvent.breakpoint
25393 A reference to the first breakpoint that was hit.
25394 This function is maintained for backward compatibility and is now deprecated
25395 in favor of the @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent.breakpoints} attribute.
25396 @end defvar
25397
25398 @item events.new_objfile
25399 Emits @code{gdb.NewObjFileEvent} which indicates that a new object file has
25400 been loaded by @value{GDBN}. @code{gdb.NewObjFileEvent} has one attribute:
25401
25402 @defvar NewObjFileEvent.new_objfile
25403 A reference to the object file (@code{gdb.Objfile}) which has been loaded.
25404 @xref{Objfiles In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Objfile} object.
25405 @end defvar
25406
25407 @end table
25408
25409 @node Threads In Python
25410 @subsubsection Threads In Python
25411 @cindex threads in python
25412
25413 @findex gdb.InferiorThread
25414 Python scripts can access information about, and manipulate inferior threads
25415 controlled by @value{GDBN}, via objects of the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} class.
25416
25417 The following thread-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
25418 module:
25419
25420 @findex gdb.selected_thread
25421 @defun gdb.selected_thread ()
25422 This function returns the thread object for the selected thread. If there
25423 is no selected thread, this will return @code{None}.
25424 @end defun
25425
25426 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following attributes:
25427
25428 @defvar InferiorThread.name
25429 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using
25430 @code{thread name}, then this returns that name. Otherwise, if an
25431 OS-supplied name is available, then it is returned. Otherwise, this
25432 returns @code{None}.
25433
25434 This attribute can be assigned to. The new value must be a string
25435 object, which sets the new name, or @code{None}, which removes any
25436 user-specified thread name.
25437 @end defvar
25438
25439 @defvar InferiorThread.num
25440 ID of the thread, as assigned by GDB.
25441 @end defvar
25442
25443 @defvar InferiorThread.ptid
25444 ID of the thread, as assigned by the operating system. This attribute is a
25445 tuple containing three integers. The first is the Process ID (PID); the second
25446 is the Lightweight Process ID (LWPID), and the third is the Thread ID (TID).
25447 Either the LWPID or TID may be 0, which indicates that the operating system
25448 does not use that identifier.
25449 @end defvar
25450
25451 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following methods:
25452
25453 @defun InferiorThread.is_valid ()
25454 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object is valid,
25455 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object will become
25456 invalid if the thread exits, or the inferior that the thread belongs
25457 is deleted. All other @code{gdb.InferiorThread} methods will throw an
25458 exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
25459 @end defun
25460
25461 @defun InferiorThread.switch ()
25462 This changes @value{GDBN}'s currently selected thread to the one represented
25463 by this object.
25464 @end defun
25465
25466 @defun InferiorThread.is_stopped ()
25467 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is stopped.
25468 @end defun
25469
25470 @defun InferiorThread.is_running ()
25471 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is running.
25472 @end defun
25473
25474 @defun InferiorThread.is_exited ()
25475 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is exited.
25476 @end defun
25477
25478 @node Commands In Python
25479 @subsubsection Commands In Python
25480
25481 @cindex commands in python
25482 @cindex python commands
25483 You can implement new @value{GDBN} CLI commands in Python. A CLI
25484 command is implemented using an instance of the @code{gdb.Command}
25485 class, most commonly using a subclass.
25486
25487 @defun Command.__init__ (name, @var{command_class} @r{[}, @var{completer_class} @r{[}, @var{prefix}@r{]]})
25488 The object initializer for @code{Command} registers the new command
25489 with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked from the
25490 subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
25491
25492 @var{name} is the name of the command. If @var{name} consists of
25493 multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
25494 commands. In this case, if one of the prefix commands does not exist,
25495 an exception is raised.
25496
25497 There is no support for multi-line commands.
25498
25499 @var{command_class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
25500 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to categorize the
25501 new command in the help system.
25502
25503 @var{completer_class} is an optional argument. If given, it should be
25504 one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined below. This argument
25505 tells @value{GDBN} how to perform completion for this command. If not
25506 given, @value{GDBN} will attempt to complete using the object's
25507 @code{complete} method (see below); if no such method is found, an
25508 error will occur when completion is attempted.
25509
25510 @var{prefix} is an optional argument. If @code{True}, then the new
25511 command is a prefix command; sub-commands of this command may be
25512 registered.
25513
25514 The help text for the new command is taken from the Python
25515 documentation string for the command's class, if there is one. If no
25516 documentation string is provided, the default value ``This command is
25517 not documented.'' is used.
25518 @end defun
25519
25520 @cindex don't repeat Python command
25521 @defun Command.dont_repeat ()
25522 By default, a @value{GDBN} command is repeated when the user enters a
25523 blank line at the command prompt. A command can suppress this
25524 behavior by invoking the @code{dont_repeat} method. This is similar
25525 to the user command @code{dont-repeat}, see @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
25526 @end defun
25527
25528 @defun Command.invoke (argument, from_tty)
25529 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when this command is invoked.
25530
25531 @var{argument} is a string. It is the argument to the command, after
25532 leading and trailing whitespace has been stripped.
25533
25534 @var{from_tty} is a boolean argument. When true, this means that the
25535 command was entered by the user at the terminal; when false it means
25536 that the command came from elsewhere.
25537
25538 If this method throws an exception, it is turned into a @value{GDBN}
25539 @code{error} call. Otherwise, the return value is ignored.
25540
25541 @findex gdb.string_to_argv
25542 To break @var{argument} up into an argv-like string use
25543 @code{gdb.string_to_argv}. This function behaves identically to
25544 @value{GDBN}'s internal argument lexer @code{buildargv}.
25545 It is recommended to use this for consistency.
25546 Arguments are separated by spaces and may be quoted.
25547 Example:
25548
25549 @smallexample
25550 print gdb.string_to_argv ("1 2\ \\\"3 '4 \"5' \"6 '7\"")
25551 ['1', '2 "3', '4 "5', "6 '7"]
25552 @end smallexample
25553
25554 @end defun
25555
25556 @cindex completion of Python commands
25557 @defun Command.complete (text, word)
25558 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when the user attempts
25559 completion on this command. All forms of completion are handled by
25560 this method, that is, the @key{TAB} and @key{M-?} key bindings
25561 (@pxref{Completion}), and the @code{complete} command (@pxref{Help,
25562 complete}).
25563
25564 The arguments @var{text} and @var{word} are both strings. @var{text}
25565 holds the complete command line up to the cursor's location.
25566 @var{word} holds the last word of the command line; this is computed
25567 using a word-breaking heuristic.
25568
25569 The @code{complete} method can return several values:
25570 @itemize @bullet
25571 @item
25572 If the return value is a sequence, the contents of the sequence are
25573 used as the completions. It is up to @code{complete} to ensure that the
25574 contents actually do complete the word. A zero-length sequence is
25575 allowed, it means that there were no completions available. Only
25576 string elements of the sequence are used; other elements in the
25577 sequence are ignored.
25578
25579 @item
25580 If the return value is one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined
25581 below, then the corresponding @value{GDBN}-internal completion
25582 function is invoked, and its result is used.
25583
25584 @item
25585 All other results are treated as though there were no available
25586 completions.
25587 @end itemize
25588 @end defun
25589
25590 When a new command is registered, it must be declared as a member of
25591 some general class of commands. This is used to classify top-level
25592 commands in the on-line help system; note that prefix commands are not
25593 listed under their own category but rather that of their top-level
25594 command. The available classifications are represented by constants
25595 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
25596
25597 @table @code
25598 @findex COMMAND_NONE
25599 @findex gdb.COMMAND_NONE
25600 @item gdb.COMMAND_NONE
25601 The command does not belong to any particular class. A command in
25602 this category will not be displayed in any of the help categories.
25603
25604 @findex COMMAND_RUNNING
25605 @findex gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
25606 @item gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
25607 The command is related to running the inferior. For example,
25608 @code{start}, @code{step}, and @code{continue} are in this category.
25609 Type @kbd{help running} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25610 commands in this category.
25611
25612 @findex COMMAND_DATA
25613 @findex gdb.COMMAND_DATA
25614 @item gdb.COMMAND_DATA
25615 The command is related to data or variables. For example,
25616 @code{call}, @code{find}, and @code{print} are in this category. Type
25617 @kbd{help data} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands
25618 in this category.
25619
25620 @findex COMMAND_STACK
25621 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STACK
25622 @item gdb.COMMAND_STACK
25623 The command has to do with manipulation of the stack. For example,
25624 @code{backtrace}, @code{frame}, and @code{return} are in this
25625 category. Type @kbd{help stack} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a
25626 list of commands in this category.
25627
25628 @findex COMMAND_FILES
25629 @findex gdb.COMMAND_FILES
25630 @item gdb.COMMAND_FILES
25631 This class is used for file-related commands. For example,
25632 @code{file}, @code{list} and @code{section} are in this category.
25633 Type @kbd{help files} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25634 commands in this category.
25635
25636 @findex COMMAND_SUPPORT
25637 @findex gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
25638 @item gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
25639 This should be used for ``support facilities'', generally meaning
25640 things that are useful to the user when interacting with @value{GDBN},
25641 but not related to the state of the inferior. For example,
25642 @code{help}, @code{make}, and @code{shell} are in this category. Type
25643 @kbd{help support} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25644 commands in this category.
25645
25646 @findex COMMAND_STATUS
25647 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
25648 @item gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
25649 The command is an @samp{info}-related command, that is, related to the
25650 state of @value{GDBN} itself. For example, @code{info}, @code{macro},
25651 and @code{show} are in this category. Type @kbd{help status} at the
25652 @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this category.
25653
25654 @findex COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
25655 @findex gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
25656 @item gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
25657 The command has to do with breakpoints. For example, @code{break},
25658 @code{clear}, and @code{delete} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
25659 breakpoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in
25660 this category.
25661
25662 @findex COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
25663 @findex gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
25664 @item gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
25665 The command has to do with tracepoints. For example, @code{trace},
25666 @code{actions}, and @code{tfind} are in this category. Type
25667 @kbd{help tracepoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25668 commands in this category.
25669
25670 @findex COMMAND_USER
25671 @findex gdb.COMMAND_USER
25672 @item gdb.COMMAND_USER
25673 The command is a general purpose command for the user, and typically
25674 does not fit in one of the other categories.
25675 Type @kbd{help user-defined} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see
25676 a list of commands in this category, as well as the list of gdb macros
25677 (@pxref{Sequences}).
25678
25679 @findex COMMAND_OBSCURE
25680 @findex gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
25681 @item gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
25682 The command is only used in unusual circumstances, or is not of
25683 general interest to users. For example, @code{checkpoint},
25684 @code{fork}, and @code{stop} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
25685 obscure} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this
25686 category.
25687
25688 @findex COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
25689 @findex gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
25690 @item gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
25691 The command is only useful to @value{GDBN} maintainers. The
25692 @code{maintenance} and @code{flushregs} commands are in this category.
25693 Type @kbd{help internals} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25694 commands in this category.
25695 @end table
25696
25697 A new command can use a predefined completion function, either by
25698 specifying it via an argument at initialization, or by returning it
25699 from the @code{complete} method. These predefined completion
25700 constants are all defined in the @code{gdb} module:
25701
25702 @table @code
25703 @findex COMPLETE_NONE
25704 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
25705 @item gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
25706 This constant means that no completion should be done.
25707
25708 @findex COMPLETE_FILENAME
25709 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
25710 @item gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
25711 This constant means that filename completion should be performed.
25712
25713 @findex COMPLETE_LOCATION
25714 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
25715 @item gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
25716 This constant means that location completion should be done.
25717 @xref{Specify Location}.
25718
25719 @findex COMPLETE_COMMAND
25720 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
25721 @item gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
25722 This constant means that completion should examine @value{GDBN}
25723 command names.
25724
25725 @findex COMPLETE_SYMBOL
25726 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
25727 @item gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
25728 This constant means that completion should be done using symbol names
25729 as the source.
25730 @end table
25731
25732 The following code snippet shows how a trivial CLI command can be
25733 implemented in Python:
25734
25735 @smallexample
25736 class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
25737 """Greet the whole world."""
25738
25739 def __init__ (self):
25740 super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_USER)
25741
25742 def invoke (self, arg, from_tty):
25743 print "Hello, World!"
25744
25745 HelloWorld ()
25746 @end smallexample
25747
25748 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
25749 registration of the command with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
25750 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
25751 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
25752
25753 @node Parameters In Python
25754 @subsubsection Parameters In Python
25755
25756 @cindex parameters in python
25757 @cindex python parameters
25758 @tindex gdb.Parameter
25759 @tindex Parameter
25760 You can implement new @value{GDBN} parameters using Python. A new
25761 parameter is implemented as an instance of the @code{gdb.Parameter}
25762 class.
25763
25764 Parameters are exposed to the user via the @code{set} and
25765 @code{show} commands. @xref{Help}.
25766
25767 There are many parameters that already exist and can be set in
25768 @value{GDBN}. Two examples are: @code{set follow fork} and
25769 @code{set charset}. Setting these parameters influences certain
25770 behavior in @value{GDBN}. Similarly, you can define parameters that
25771 can be used to influence behavior in custom Python scripts and commands.
25772
25773 @defun Parameter.__init__ (name, @var{command-class}, @var{parameter-class} @r{[}, @var{enum-sequence}@r{]})
25774 The object initializer for @code{Parameter} registers the new
25775 parameter with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked
25776 from the subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
25777
25778 @var{name} is the name of the new parameter. If @var{name} consists
25779 of multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
25780 parameters. An example of this can be illustrated with the
25781 @code{set print} set of parameters. If @var{name} is
25782 @code{print foo}, then @code{print} will be searched as the prefix
25783 parameter. In this case the parameter can subsequently be accessed in
25784 @value{GDBN} as @code{set print foo}.
25785
25786 If @var{name} consists of multiple words, and no prefix parameter group
25787 can be found, an exception is raised.
25788
25789 @var{command-class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
25790 (@pxref{Commands In Python}). This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to
25791 categorize the new parameter in the help system.
25792
25793 @var{parameter-class} should be one of the @samp{PARAM_} constants
25794 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} the type of the new
25795 parameter; this information is used for input validation and
25796 completion.
25797
25798 If @var{parameter-class} is @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then
25799 @var{enum-sequence} must be a sequence of strings. These strings
25800 represent the possible values for the parameter.
25801
25802 If @var{parameter-class} is not @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then the presence
25803 of a fourth argument will cause an exception to be thrown.
25804
25805 The help text for the new parameter is taken from the Python
25806 documentation string for the parameter's class, if there is one. If
25807 there is no documentation string, a default value is used.
25808 @end defun
25809
25810 @defvar Parameter.set_doc
25811 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
25812 the help text for this parameter's @code{set} command. The value is
25813 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
25814 have no effect.
25815 @end defvar
25816
25817 @defvar Parameter.show_doc
25818 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
25819 the help text for this parameter's @code{show} command. The value is
25820 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
25821 have no effect.
25822 @end defvar
25823
25824 @defvar Parameter.value
25825 The @code{value} attribute holds the underlying value of the
25826 parameter. It can be read and assigned to just as any other
25827 attribute. @value{GDBN} does validation when assignments are made.
25828 @end defvar
25829
25830 There are two methods that should be implemented in any
25831 @code{Parameter} class. These are:
25832
25833 @defun Parameter.get_set_string (self)
25834 @value{GDBN} will call this method when a @var{parameter}'s value has
25835 been changed via the @code{set} API (for example, @kbd{set foo off}).
25836 The @code{value} attribute has already been populated with the new
25837 value and may be used in output. This method must return a string.
25838 @end defun
25839
25840 @defun Parameter.get_show_string (self, svalue)
25841 @value{GDBN} will call this method when a @var{parameter}'s
25842 @code{show} API has been invoked (for example, @kbd{show foo}). The
25843 argument @code{svalue} receives the string representation of the
25844 current value. This method must return a string.
25845 @end defun
25846
25847 When a new parameter is defined, its type must be specified. The
25848 available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
25849 module:
25850
25851 @table @code
25852 @findex PARAM_BOOLEAN
25853 @findex gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
25854 @item gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
25855 The value is a plain boolean. The Python boolean values, @code{True}
25856 and @code{False} are the only valid values.
25857
25858 @findex PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
25859 @findex gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
25860 @item gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
25861 The value has three possible states: true, false, and @samp{auto}. In
25862 Python, true and false are represented using boolean constants, and
25863 @samp{auto} is represented using @code{None}.
25864
25865 @findex PARAM_UINTEGER
25866 @findex gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
25867 @item gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
25868 The value is an unsigned integer. The value of 0 should be
25869 interpreted to mean ``unlimited''.
25870
25871 @findex PARAM_INTEGER
25872 @findex gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
25873 @item gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
25874 The value is a signed integer. The value of 0 should be interpreted
25875 to mean ``unlimited''.
25876
25877 @findex PARAM_STRING
25878 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING
25879 @item gdb.PARAM_STRING
25880 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, any escape
25881 sequences, such as @samp{\t}, @samp{\f}, and octal escapes, are
25882 translated into corresponding characters and encoded into the current
25883 host charset.
25884
25885 @findex PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
25886 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
25887 @item gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
25888 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, escapes are
25889 passed through untranslated.
25890
25891 @findex PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
25892 @findex gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
25893 @item gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
25894 The value is a either a filename (a string), or @code{None}.
25895
25896 @findex PARAM_FILENAME
25897 @findex gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
25898 @item gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
25899 The value is a filename. This is just like
25900 @code{PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE}, but uses file names for completion.
25901
25902 @findex PARAM_ZINTEGER
25903 @findex gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
25904 @item gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
25905 The value is an integer. This is like @code{PARAM_INTEGER}, except 0
25906 is interpreted as itself.
25907
25908 @findex PARAM_ENUM
25909 @findex gdb.PARAM_ENUM
25910 @item gdb.PARAM_ENUM
25911 The value is a string, which must be one of a collection string
25912 constants provided when the parameter is created.
25913 @end table
25914
25915 @node Functions In Python
25916 @subsubsection Writing new convenience functions
25917
25918 @cindex writing convenience functions
25919 @cindex convenience functions in python
25920 @cindex python convenience functions
25921 @tindex gdb.Function
25922 @tindex Function
25923 You can implement new convenience functions (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
25924 in Python. A convenience function is an instance of a subclass of the
25925 class @code{gdb.Function}.
25926
25927 @defun Function.__init__ (name)
25928 The initializer for @code{Function} registers the new function with
25929 @value{GDBN}. The argument @var{name} is the name of the function,
25930 a string. The function will be visible to the user as a convenience
25931 variable of type @code{internal function}, whose name is the same as
25932 the given @var{name}.
25933
25934 The documentation for the new function is taken from the documentation
25935 string for the new class.
25936 @end defun
25937
25938 @defun Function.invoke (@var{*args})
25939 When a convenience function is evaluated, its arguments are converted
25940 to instances of @code{gdb.Value}, and then the function's
25941 @code{invoke} method is called. Note that @value{GDBN} does not
25942 predetermine the arity of convenience functions. Instead, all
25943 available arguments are passed to @code{invoke}, following the
25944 standard Python calling convention. In particular, a convenience
25945 function can have default values for parameters without ill effect.
25946
25947 The return value of this method is used as its value in the enclosing
25948 expression. If an ordinary Python value is returned, it is converted
25949 to a @code{gdb.Value} following the usual rules.
25950 @end defun
25951
25952 The following code snippet shows how a trivial convenience function can
25953 be implemented in Python:
25954
25955 @smallexample
25956 class Greet (gdb.Function):
25957 """Return string to greet someone.
25958 Takes a name as argument."""
25959
25960 def __init__ (self):
25961 super (Greet, self).__init__ ("greet")
25962
25963 def invoke (self, name):
25964 return "Hello, %s!" % name.string ()
25965
25966 Greet ()
25967 @end smallexample
25968
25969 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
25970 registration of the function with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
25971 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
25972 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
25973
25974 Now you can use the function in an expression:
25975
25976 @smallexample
25977 (gdb) print $greet("Bob")
25978 $1 = "Hello, Bob!"
25979 @end smallexample
25980
25981 @node Progspaces In Python
25982 @subsubsection Program Spaces In Python
25983
25984 @cindex progspaces in python
25985 @tindex gdb.Progspace
25986 @tindex Progspace
25987 A program space, or @dfn{progspace}, represents a symbolic view
25988 of an address space.
25989 It consists of all of the objfiles of the program.
25990 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
25991 @xref{Inferiors and Programs, program spaces}, for more details
25992 about program spaces.
25993
25994 The following progspace-related functions are available in the
25995 @code{gdb} module:
25996
25997 @findex gdb.current_progspace
25998 @defun gdb.current_progspace ()
25999 This function returns the program space of the currently selected inferior.
26000 @xref{Inferiors and Programs}.
26001 @end defun
26002
26003 @findex gdb.progspaces
26004 @defun gdb.progspaces ()
26005 Return a sequence of all the progspaces currently known to @value{GDBN}.
26006 @end defun
26007
26008 Each progspace is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Progspace}
26009 class.
26010
26011 @defvar Progspace.filename
26012 The file name of the progspace as a string.
26013 @end defvar
26014
26015 @defvar Progspace.pretty_printers
26016 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
26017 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
26018 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
26019 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
26020 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
26021 information.
26022 @end defvar
26023
26024 @defvar Progspace.type_printers
26025 The @code{type_printers} attribute is a list of type printer objects.
26026 @xref{Type Printing API}, for more information.
26027 @end defvar
26028
26029 @defvar Progspace.frame_filters
26030 The @code{frame_filters} attribute is a dictionary of frame filter
26031 objects. @xref{Frame Filter API}, for more information.
26032 @end defvar
26033
26034 @node Objfiles In Python
26035 @subsubsection Objfiles In Python
26036
26037 @cindex objfiles in python
26038 @tindex gdb.Objfile
26039 @tindex Objfile
26040 @value{GDBN} loads symbols for an inferior from various
26041 symbol-containing files (@pxref{Files}). These include the primary
26042 executable file, any shared libraries used by the inferior, and any
26043 separate debug info files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}).
26044 @value{GDBN} calls these symbol-containing files @dfn{objfiles}.
26045
26046 The following objfile-related functions are available in the
26047 @code{gdb} module:
26048
26049 @findex gdb.current_objfile
26050 @defun gdb.current_objfile ()
26051 When auto-loading a Python script (@pxref{Python Auto-loading}), @value{GDBN}
26052 sets the ``current objfile'' to the corresponding objfile. This
26053 function returns the current objfile. If there is no current objfile,
26054 this function returns @code{None}.
26055 @end defun
26056
26057 @findex gdb.objfiles
26058 @defun gdb.objfiles ()
26059 Return a sequence of all the objfiles current known to @value{GDBN}.
26060 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
26061 @end defun
26062
26063 Each objfile is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Objfile}
26064 class.
26065
26066 @defvar Objfile.filename
26067 The file name of the objfile as a string.
26068 @end defvar
26069
26070 @defvar Objfile.pretty_printers
26071 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
26072 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
26073 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
26074 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
26075 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
26076 information.
26077 @end defvar
26078
26079 @defvar Objfile.type_printers
26080 The @code{type_printers} attribute is a list of type printer objects.
26081 @xref{Type Printing API}, for more information.
26082 @end defvar
26083
26084 @defvar Objfile.frame_filters
26085 The @code{frame_filters} attribute is a dictionary of frame filter
26086 objects. @xref{Frame Filter API}, for more information.
26087 @end defvar
26088
26089 A @code{gdb.Objfile} object has the following methods:
26090
26091 @defun Objfile.is_valid ()
26092 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Objfile} object is valid,
26093 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Objfile} object can become invalid
26094 if the object file it refers to is not loaded in @value{GDBN} any
26095 longer. All other @code{gdb.Objfile} methods will throw an exception
26096 if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
26097 @end defun
26098
26099 @node Frames In Python
26100 @subsubsection Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
26101
26102 @cindex frames in python
26103 When the debugged program stops, @value{GDBN} is able to analyze its call
26104 stack (@pxref{Frames,,Stack frames}). The @code{gdb.Frame} class
26105 represents a frame in the stack. A @code{gdb.Frame} object is only valid
26106 while its corresponding frame exists in the inferior's stack. If you try
26107 to use an invalid frame object, @value{GDBN} will throw a @code{gdb.error}
26108 exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
26109
26110 Two @code{gdb.Frame} objects can be compared for equality with the @code{==}
26111 operator, like:
26112
26113 @smallexample
26114 (@value{GDBP}) python print gdb.newest_frame() == gdb.selected_frame ()
26115 True
26116 @end smallexample
26117
26118 The following frame-related functions are available in the @code{gdb} module:
26119
26120 @findex gdb.selected_frame
26121 @defun gdb.selected_frame ()
26122 Return the selected frame object. (@pxref{Selection,,Selecting a Frame}).
26123 @end defun
26124
26125 @findex gdb.newest_frame
26126 @defun gdb.newest_frame ()
26127 Return the newest frame object for the selected thread.
26128 @end defun
26129
26130 @defun gdb.frame_stop_reason_string (reason)
26131 Return a string explaining the reason why @value{GDBN} stopped unwinding
26132 frames, as expressed by the given @var{reason} code (an integer, see the
26133 @code{unwind_stop_reason} method further down in this section).
26134 @end defun
26135
26136 A @code{gdb.Frame} object has the following methods:
26137
26138 @defun Frame.is_valid ()
26139 Returns true if the @code{gdb.Frame} object is valid, false if not.
26140 A frame object can become invalid if the frame it refers to doesn't
26141 exist anymore in the inferior. All @code{gdb.Frame} methods will throw
26142 an exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
26143 @end defun
26144
26145 @defun Frame.name ()
26146 Returns the function name of the frame, or @code{None} if it can't be
26147 obtained.
26148 @end defun
26149
26150 @defun Frame.architecture ()
26151 Returns the @code{gdb.Architecture} object corresponding to the frame's
26152 architecture. @xref{Architectures In Python}.
26153 @end defun
26154
26155 @defun Frame.type ()
26156 Returns the type of the frame. The value can be one of:
26157 @table @code
26158 @item gdb.NORMAL_FRAME
26159 An ordinary stack frame.
26160
26161 @item gdb.DUMMY_FRAME
26162 A fake stack frame that was created by @value{GDBN} when performing an
26163 inferior function call.
26164
26165 @item gdb.INLINE_FRAME
26166 A frame representing an inlined function. The function was inlined
26167 into a @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME} that is older than this one.
26168
26169 @item gdb.TAILCALL_FRAME
26170 A frame representing a tail call. @xref{Tail Call Frames}.
26171
26172 @item gdb.SIGTRAMP_FRAME
26173 A signal trampoline frame. This is the frame created by the OS when
26174 it calls into a signal handler.
26175
26176 @item gdb.ARCH_FRAME
26177 A fake stack frame representing a cross-architecture call.
26178
26179 @item gdb.SENTINEL_FRAME
26180 This is like @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME}, but it is only used for the
26181 newest frame.
26182 @end table
26183 @end defun
26184
26185 @defun Frame.unwind_stop_reason ()
26186 Return an integer representing the reason why it's not possible to find
26187 more frames toward the outermost frame. Use
26188 @code{gdb.frame_stop_reason_string} to convert the value returned by this
26189 function to a string. The value can be one of:
26190
26191 @table @code
26192 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NO_REASON
26193 No particular reason (older frames should be available).
26194
26195 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NULL_ID
26196 The previous frame's analyzer returns an invalid result.
26197
26198 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_OUTERMOST
26199 This frame is the outermost.
26200
26201 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_UNAVAILABLE
26202 Cannot unwind further, because that would require knowing the
26203 values of registers or memory that have not been collected.
26204
26205 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_INNER_ID
26206 This frame ID looks like it ought to belong to a NEXT frame,
26207 but we got it for a PREV frame. Normally, this is a sign of
26208 unwinder failure. It could also indicate stack corruption.
26209
26210 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_SAME_ID
26211 This frame has the same ID as the previous one. That means
26212 that unwinding further would almost certainly give us another
26213 frame with exactly the same ID, so break the chain. Normally,
26214 this is a sign of unwinder failure. It could also indicate
26215 stack corruption.
26216
26217 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NO_SAVED_PC
26218 The frame unwinder did not find any saved PC, but we needed
26219 one to unwind further.
26220
26221 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_FIRST_ERROR
26222 Any stop reason greater or equal to this value indicates some kind
26223 of error. This special value facilitates writing code that tests
26224 for errors in unwinding in a way that will work correctly even if
26225 the list of the other values is modified in future @value{GDBN}
26226 versions. Using it, you could write:
26227 @smallexample
26228 reason = gdb.selected_frame().unwind_stop_reason ()
26229 reason_str = gdb.frame_stop_reason_string (reason)
26230 if reason >= gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_FIRST_ERROR:
26231 print "An error occured: %s" % reason_str
26232 @end smallexample
26233 @end table
26234
26235 @end defun
26236
26237 @defun Frame.pc ()
26238 Returns the frame's resume address.
26239 @end defun
26240
26241 @defun Frame.block ()
26242 Return the frame's code block. @xref{Blocks In Python}.
26243 @end defun
26244
26245 @defun Frame.function ()
26246 Return the symbol for the function corresponding to this frame.
26247 @xref{Symbols In Python}.
26248 @end defun
26249
26250 @defun Frame.older ()
26251 Return the frame that called this frame.
26252 @end defun
26253
26254 @defun Frame.newer ()
26255 Return the frame called by this frame.
26256 @end defun
26257
26258 @defun Frame.find_sal ()
26259 Return the frame's symtab and line object.
26260 @xref{Symbol Tables In Python}.
26261 @end defun
26262
26263 @defun Frame.read_var (variable @r{[}, block@r{]})
26264 Return the value of @var{variable} in this frame. If the optional
26265 argument @var{block} is provided, search for the variable from that
26266 block; otherwise start at the frame's current block (which is
26267 determined by the frame's current program counter). @var{variable}
26268 must be a string or a @code{gdb.Symbol} object. @var{block} must be a
26269 @code{gdb.Block} object.
26270 @end defun
26271
26272 @defun Frame.select ()
26273 Set this frame to be the selected frame. @xref{Stack, ,Examining the
26274 Stack}.
26275 @end defun
26276
26277 @node Blocks In Python
26278 @subsubsection Accessing blocks from Python.
26279
26280 @cindex blocks in python
26281 @tindex gdb.Block
26282
26283 In @value{GDBN}, symbols are stored in blocks. A block corresponds
26284 roughly to a scope in the source code. Blocks are organized
26285 hierarchically, and are represented individually in Python as a
26286 @code{gdb.Block}. Blocks rely on debugging information being
26287 available.
26288
26289 A frame has a block. Please see @ref{Frames In Python}, for a more
26290 in-depth discussion of frames.
26291
26292 The outermost block is known as the @dfn{global block}. The global
26293 block typically holds public global variables and functions.
26294
26295 The block nested just inside the global block is the @dfn{static
26296 block}. The static block typically holds file-scoped variables and
26297 functions.
26298
26299 @value{GDBN} provides a method to get a block's superblock, but there
26300 is currently no way to examine the sub-blocks of a block, or to
26301 iterate over all the blocks in a symbol table (@pxref{Symbol Tables In
26302 Python}).
26303
26304 Here is a short example that should help explain blocks:
26305
26306 @smallexample
26307 /* This is in the global block. */
26308 int global;
26309
26310 /* This is in the static block. */
26311 static int file_scope;
26312
26313 /* 'function' is in the global block, and 'argument' is
26314 in a block nested inside of 'function'. */
26315 int function (int argument)
26316 @{
26317 /* 'local' is in a block inside 'function'. It may or may
26318 not be in the same block as 'argument'. */
26319 int local;
26320
26321 @{
26322 /* 'inner' is in a block whose superblock is the one holding
26323 'local'. */
26324 int inner;
26325
26326 /* If this call is expanded by the compiler, you may see
26327 a nested block here whose function is 'inline_function'
26328 and whose superblock is the one holding 'inner'. */
26329 inline_function ();
26330 @}
26331 @}
26332 @end smallexample
26333
26334 A @code{gdb.Block} is iterable. The iterator returns the symbols
26335 (@pxref{Symbols In Python}) local to the block. Python programs
26336 should not assume that a specific block object will always contain a
26337 given symbol, since changes in @value{GDBN} features and
26338 infrastructure may cause symbols move across blocks in a symbol
26339 table.
26340
26341 The following block-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
26342 module:
26343
26344 @findex gdb.block_for_pc
26345 @defun gdb.block_for_pc (pc)
26346 Return the innermost @code{gdb.Block} containing the given @var{pc}
26347 value. If the block cannot be found for the @var{pc} value specified,
26348 the function will return @code{None}.
26349 @end defun
26350
26351 A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following methods:
26352
26353 @defun Block.is_valid ()
26354 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is valid,
26355 @code{False} if not. A block object can become invalid if the block it
26356 refers to doesn't exist anymore in the inferior. All other
26357 @code{gdb.Block} methods will throw an exception if it is invalid at
26358 the time the method is called. The block's validity is also checked
26359 during iteration over symbols of the block.
26360 @end defun
26361
26362 A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following attributes:
26363
26364 @defvar Block.start
26365 The start address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
26366 @end defvar
26367
26368 @defvar Block.end
26369 The end address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
26370 @end defvar
26371
26372 @defvar Block.function
26373 The name of the block represented as a @code{gdb.Symbol}. If the
26374 block is not named, then this attribute holds @code{None}. This
26375 attribute is not writable.
26376
26377 For ordinary function blocks, the superblock is the static block.
26378 However, you should note that it is possible for a function block to
26379 have a superblock that is not the static block -- for instance this
26380 happens for an inlined function.
26381 @end defvar
26382
26383 @defvar Block.superblock
26384 The block containing this block. If this parent block does not exist,
26385 this attribute holds @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
26386 @end defvar
26387
26388 @defvar Block.global_block
26389 The global block associated with this block. This attribute is not
26390 writable.
26391 @end defvar
26392
26393 @defvar Block.static_block
26394 The static block associated with this block. This attribute is not
26395 writable.
26396 @end defvar
26397
26398 @defvar Block.is_global
26399 @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is a global block,
26400 @code{False} if not. This attribute is not
26401 writable.
26402 @end defvar
26403
26404 @defvar Block.is_static
26405 @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is a static block,
26406 @code{False} if not. This attribute is not writable.
26407 @end defvar
26408
26409 @node Symbols In Python
26410 @subsubsection Python representation of Symbols.
26411
26412 @cindex symbols in python
26413 @tindex gdb.Symbol
26414
26415 @value{GDBN} represents every variable, function and type as an
26416 entry in a symbol table. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
26417 Similarly, Python represents these symbols in @value{GDBN} with the
26418 @code{gdb.Symbol} object.
26419
26420 The following symbol-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
26421 module:
26422
26423 @findex gdb.lookup_symbol
26424 @defun gdb.lookup_symbol (name @r{[}, block @r{[}, domain@r{]]})
26425 This function searches for a symbol by name. The search scope can be
26426 restricted to the parameters defined in the optional domain and block
26427 arguments.
26428
26429 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string. The
26430 optional @var{block} argument restricts the search to symbols visible
26431 in that @var{block}. The @var{block} argument must be a
26432 @code{gdb.Block} object. If omitted, the block for the current frame
26433 is used. The optional @var{domain} argument restricts
26434 the search to the domain type. The @var{domain} argument must be a
26435 domain constant defined in the @code{gdb} module and described later
26436 in this chapter.
26437
26438 The result is a tuple of two elements.
26439 The first element is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
26440 is not found.
26441 If the symbol is found, the second element is @code{True} if the symbol
26442 is a field of a method's object (e.g., @code{this} in C@t{++}),
26443 otherwise it is @code{False}.
26444 If the symbol is not found, the second element is @code{False}.
26445 @end defun
26446
26447 @findex gdb.lookup_global_symbol
26448 @defun gdb.lookup_global_symbol (name @r{[}, domain@r{]})
26449 This function searches for a global symbol by name.
26450 The search scope can be restricted to by the domain argument.
26451
26452 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string.
26453 The optional @var{domain} argument restricts the search to the domain type.
26454 The @var{domain} argument must be a domain constant defined in the @code{gdb}
26455 module and described later in this chapter.
26456
26457 The result is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
26458 is not found.
26459 @end defun
26460
26461 A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following attributes:
26462
26463 @defvar Symbol.type
26464 The type of the symbol or @code{None} if no type is recorded.
26465 This attribute is represented as a @code{gdb.Type} object.
26466 @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not writable.
26467 @end defvar
26468
26469 @defvar Symbol.symtab
26470 The symbol table in which the symbol appears. This attribute is
26471 represented as a @code{gdb.Symtab} object. @xref{Symbol Tables In
26472 Python}. This attribute is not writable.
26473 @end defvar
26474
26475 @defvar Symbol.line
26476 The line number in the source code at which the symbol was defined.
26477 This is an integer.
26478 @end defvar
26479
26480 @defvar Symbol.name
26481 The name of the symbol as a string. This attribute is not writable.
26482 @end defvar
26483
26484 @defvar Symbol.linkage_name
26485 The name of the symbol, as used by the linker (i.e., may be mangled).
26486 This attribute is not writable.
26487 @end defvar
26488
26489 @defvar Symbol.print_name
26490 The name of the symbol in a form suitable for output. This is either
26491 @code{name} or @code{linkage_name}, depending on whether the user
26492 asked @value{GDBN} to display demangled or mangled names.
26493 @end defvar
26494
26495 @defvar Symbol.addr_class
26496 The address class of the symbol. This classifies how to find the value
26497 of a symbol. Each address class is a constant defined in the
26498 @code{gdb} module and described later in this chapter.
26499 @end defvar
26500
26501 @defvar Symbol.needs_frame
26502 This is @code{True} if evaluating this symbol's value requires a frame
26503 (@pxref{Frames In Python}) and @code{False} otherwise. Typically,
26504 local variables will require a frame, but other symbols will not.
26505 @end defvar
26506
26507 @defvar Symbol.is_argument
26508 @code{True} if the symbol is an argument of a function.
26509 @end defvar
26510
26511 @defvar Symbol.is_constant
26512 @code{True} if the symbol is a constant.
26513 @end defvar
26514
26515 @defvar Symbol.is_function
26516 @code{True} if the symbol is a function or a method.
26517 @end defvar
26518
26519 @defvar Symbol.is_variable
26520 @code{True} if the symbol is a variable.
26521 @end defvar
26522
26523 A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following methods:
26524
26525 @defun Symbol.is_valid ()
26526 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symbol} object is valid,
26527 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symbol} object can become invalid if
26528 the symbol it refers to does not exist in @value{GDBN} any longer.
26529 All other @code{gdb.Symbol} methods will throw an exception if it is
26530 invalid at the time the method is called.
26531 @end defun
26532
26533 @defun Symbol.value (@r{[}frame@r{]})
26534 Compute the value of the symbol, as a @code{gdb.Value}. For
26535 functions, this computes the address of the function, cast to the
26536 appropriate type. If the symbol requires a frame in order to compute
26537 its value, then @var{frame} must be given. If @var{frame} is not
26538 given, or if @var{frame} is invalid, then this method will throw an
26539 exception.
26540 @end defun
26541
26542 The available domain categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
26543 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
26544
26545 @table @code
26546 @findex SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
26547 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
26548 @item gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
26549 This is used when a domain has not been discovered or none of the
26550 following domains apply. This usually indicates an error either
26551 in the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
26552 @findex SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
26553 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
26554 @item gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
26555 This domain contains variables, function names, typedef names and enum
26556 type values.
26557 @findex SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
26558 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
26559 @item gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
26560 This domain holds struct, union and enum type names.
26561 @findex SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
26562 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
26563 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
26564 This domain contains names of labels (for gotos).
26565 @findex SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
26566 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
26567 @item gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
26568 This domain holds a subset of the @code{SYMBOLS_VAR_DOMAIN}; it
26569 contains everything minus functions and types.
26570 @findex SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
26571 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
26572 @item gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTION_DOMAIN
26573 This domain contains all functions.
26574 @findex SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
26575 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
26576 @item gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
26577 This domain contains all types.
26578 @end table
26579
26580 The available address class categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
26581 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
26582
26583 @table @code
26584 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
26585 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
26586 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
26587 If this is returned by address class, it indicates an error either in
26588 the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
26589 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
26590 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
26591 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
26592 Value is constant int.
26593 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
26594 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
26595 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
26596 Value is at a fixed address.
26597 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
26598 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
26599 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
26600 Value is in a register.
26601 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
26602 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
26603 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
26604 Value is an argument. This value is at the offset stored within the
26605 symbol inside the frame's argument list.
26606 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
26607 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
26608 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
26609 Value address is stored in the frame's argument list. Just like
26610 @code{LOC_ARG} except that the value's address is stored at the
26611 offset, not the value itself.
26612 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
26613 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
26614 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
26615 Value is a specified register. Just like @code{LOC_REGISTER} except
26616 the register holds the address of the argument instead of the argument
26617 itself.
26618 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
26619 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
26620 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
26621 Value is a local variable.
26622 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
26623 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
26624 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
26625 Value not used. Symbols in the domain @code{SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN} all
26626 have this class.
26627 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
26628 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
26629 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
26630 Value is a block.
26631 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
26632 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
26633 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
26634 Value is a byte-sequence.
26635 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
26636 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
26637 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
26638 Value is at a fixed address, but the address of the variable has to be
26639 determined from the minimal symbol table whenever the variable is
26640 referenced.
26641 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
26642 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
26643 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
26644 The value does not actually exist in the program.
26645 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
26646 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
26647 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
26648 The value's address is a computed location.
26649 @end table
26650
26651 @node Symbol Tables In Python
26652 @subsubsection Symbol table representation in Python.
26653
26654 @cindex symbol tables in python
26655 @tindex gdb.Symtab
26656 @tindex gdb.Symtab_and_line
26657
26658 Access to symbol table data maintained by @value{GDBN} on the inferior
26659 is exposed to Python via two objects: @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} and
26660 @code{gdb.Symtab}. Symbol table and line data for a frame is returned
26661 from the @code{find_sal} method in @code{gdb.Frame} object.
26662 @xref{Frames In Python}.
26663
26664 For more information on @value{GDBN}'s symbol table management, see
26665 @ref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, for more information.
26666
26667 A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following attributes:
26668
26669 @defvar Symtab_and_line.symtab
26670 The symbol table object (@code{gdb.Symtab}) for this frame.
26671 This attribute is not writable.
26672 @end defvar
26673
26674 @defvar Symtab_and_line.pc
26675 Indicates the start of the address range occupied by code for the
26676 current source line. This attribute is not writable.
26677 @end defvar
26678
26679 @defvar Symtab_and_line.last
26680 Indicates the end of the address range occupied by code for the current
26681 source line. This attribute is not writable.
26682 @end defvar
26683
26684 @defvar Symtab_and_line.line
26685 Indicates the current line number for this object. This
26686 attribute is not writable.
26687 @end defvar
26688
26689 A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following methods:
26690
26691 @defun Symtab_and_line.is_valid ()
26692 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object is valid,
26693 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object can become
26694 invalid if the Symbol table and line object it refers to does not
26695 exist in @value{GDBN} any longer. All other
26696 @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} methods will throw an exception if it is
26697 invalid at the time the method is called.
26698 @end defun
26699
26700 A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following attributes:
26701
26702 @defvar Symtab.filename
26703 The symbol table's source filename. This attribute is not writable.
26704 @end defvar
26705
26706 @defvar Symtab.objfile
26707 The symbol table's backing object file. @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
26708 This attribute is not writable.
26709 @end defvar
26710
26711 A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following methods:
26712
26713 @defun Symtab.is_valid ()
26714 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symtab} object is valid,
26715 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symtab} object can become invalid if
26716 the symbol table it refers to does not exist in @value{GDBN} any
26717 longer. All other @code{gdb.Symtab} methods will throw an exception
26718 if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
26719 @end defun
26720
26721 @defun Symtab.fullname ()
26722 Return the symbol table's source absolute file name.
26723 @end defun
26724
26725 @defun Symtab.global_block ()
26726 Return the global block of the underlying symbol table.
26727 @xref{Blocks In Python}.
26728 @end defun
26729
26730 @defun Symtab.static_block ()
26731 Return the static block of the underlying symbol table.
26732 @xref{Blocks In Python}.
26733 @end defun
26734
26735 @node Breakpoints In Python
26736 @subsubsection Manipulating breakpoints using Python
26737
26738 @cindex breakpoints in python
26739 @tindex gdb.Breakpoint
26740
26741 Python code can manipulate breakpoints via the @code{gdb.Breakpoint}
26742 class.
26743
26744 @defun Breakpoint.__init__ (spec @r{[}, type @r{[}, wp_class @r{[},internal@r{]]]})
26745 Create a new breakpoint. @var{spec} is a string naming the
26746 location of the breakpoint, or an expression that defines a
26747 watchpoint. The contents can be any location recognized by the
26748 @code{break} command, or in the case of a watchpoint, by the @code{watch}
26749 command. The optional @var{type} denotes the breakpoint to create
26750 from the types defined later in this chapter. This argument can be
26751 either: @code{gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT} or @code{gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT}. @var{type}
26752 defaults to @code{gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT}. The optional @var{internal} argument
26753 allows the breakpoint to become invisible to the user. The breakpoint
26754 will neither be reported when created, nor will it be listed in the
26755 output from @code{info breakpoints} (but will be listed with the
26756 @code{maint info breakpoints} command). The optional @var{wp_class}
26757 argument defines the class of watchpoint to create, if @var{type} is
26758 @code{gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT}. If a watchpoint class is not provided, it is
26759 assumed to be a @code{gdb.WP_WRITE} class.
26760 @end defun
26761
26762 @defun Breakpoint.stop (self)
26763 The @code{gdb.Breakpoint} class can be sub-classed and, in
26764 particular, you may choose to implement the @code{stop} method.
26765 If this method is defined as a sub-class of @code{gdb.Breakpoint},
26766 it will be called when the inferior reaches any location of a
26767 breakpoint which instantiates that sub-class. If the method returns
26768 @code{True}, the inferior will be stopped at the location of the
26769 breakpoint, otherwise the inferior will continue.
26770
26771 If there are multiple breakpoints at the same location with a
26772 @code{stop} method, each one will be called regardless of the
26773 return status of the previous. This ensures that all @code{stop}
26774 methods have a chance to execute at that location. In this scenario
26775 if one of the methods returns @code{True} but the others return
26776 @code{False}, the inferior will still be stopped.
26777
26778 You should not alter the execution state of the inferior (i.e.@:, step,
26779 next, etc.), alter the current frame context (i.e.@:, change the current
26780 active frame), or alter, add or delete any breakpoint. As a general
26781 rule, you should not alter any data within @value{GDBN} or the inferior
26782 at this time.
26783
26784 Example @code{stop} implementation:
26785
26786 @smallexample
26787 class MyBreakpoint (gdb.Breakpoint):
26788 def stop (self):
26789 inf_val = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo")
26790 if inf_val == 3:
26791 return True
26792 return False
26793 @end smallexample
26794 @end defun
26795
26796 The available watchpoint types represented by constants are defined in the
26797 @code{gdb} module:
26798
26799 @table @code
26800 @findex WP_READ
26801 @findex gdb.WP_READ
26802 @item gdb.WP_READ
26803 Read only watchpoint.
26804
26805 @findex WP_WRITE
26806 @findex gdb.WP_WRITE
26807 @item gdb.WP_WRITE
26808 Write only watchpoint.
26809
26810 @findex WP_ACCESS
26811 @findex gdb.WP_ACCESS
26812 @item gdb.WP_ACCESS
26813 Read/Write watchpoint.
26814 @end table
26815
26816 @defun Breakpoint.is_valid ()
26817 Return @code{True} if this @code{Breakpoint} object is valid,
26818 @code{False} otherwise. A @code{Breakpoint} object can become invalid
26819 if the user deletes the breakpoint. In this case, the object still
26820 exists, but the underlying breakpoint does not. In the cases of
26821 watchpoint scope, the watchpoint remains valid even if execution of the
26822 inferior leaves the scope of that watchpoint.
26823 @end defun
26824
26825 @defun Breakpoint.delete
26826 Permanently deletes the @value{GDBN} breakpoint. This also
26827 invalidates the Python @code{Breakpoint} object. Any further access
26828 to this object's attributes or methods will raise an error.
26829 @end defun
26830
26831 @defvar Breakpoint.enabled
26832 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is enabled, and
26833 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
26834 @end defvar
26835
26836 @defvar Breakpoint.silent
26837 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is silent, and
26838 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
26839
26840 Note that a breakpoint can also be silent if it has commands and the
26841 first command is @code{silent}. This is not reported by the
26842 @code{silent} attribute.
26843 @end defvar
26844
26845 @defvar Breakpoint.thread
26846 If the breakpoint is thread-specific, this attribute holds the thread
26847 id. If the breakpoint is not thread-specific, this attribute is
26848 @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
26849 @end defvar
26850
26851 @defvar Breakpoint.task
26852 If the breakpoint is Ada task-specific, this attribute holds the Ada task
26853 id. If the breakpoint is not task-specific (or the underlying
26854 language is not Ada), this attribute is @code{None}. This attribute
26855 is writable.
26856 @end defvar
26857
26858 @defvar Breakpoint.ignore_count
26859 This attribute holds the ignore count for the breakpoint, an integer.
26860 This attribute is writable.
26861 @end defvar
26862
26863 @defvar Breakpoint.number
26864 This attribute holds the breakpoint's number --- the identifier used by
26865 the user to manipulate the breakpoint. This attribute is not writable.
26866 @end defvar
26867
26868 @defvar Breakpoint.type
26869 This attribute holds the breakpoint's type --- the identifier used to
26870 determine the actual breakpoint type or use-case. This attribute is not
26871 writable.
26872 @end defvar
26873
26874 @defvar Breakpoint.visible
26875 This attribute tells whether the breakpoint is visible to the user
26876 when set, or when the @samp{info breakpoints} command is run. This
26877 attribute is not writable.
26878 @end defvar
26879
26880 The available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
26881 module:
26882
26883 @table @code
26884 @findex BP_BREAKPOINT
26885 @findex gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
26886 @item gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
26887 Normal code breakpoint.
26888
26889 @findex BP_WATCHPOINT
26890 @findex gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
26891 @item gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
26892 Watchpoint breakpoint.
26893
26894 @findex BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
26895 @findex gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
26896 @item gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
26897 Hardware assisted watchpoint.
26898
26899 @findex BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
26900 @findex gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
26901 @item gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
26902 Hardware assisted read watchpoint.
26903
26904 @findex BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
26905 @findex gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
26906 @item gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
26907 Hardware assisted access watchpoint.
26908 @end table
26909
26910 @defvar Breakpoint.hit_count
26911 This attribute holds the hit count for the breakpoint, an integer.
26912 This attribute is writable, but currently it can only be set to zero.
26913 @end defvar
26914
26915 @defvar Breakpoint.location
26916 This attribute holds the location of the breakpoint, as specified by
26917 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have a location
26918 (that is, it is a watchpoint) the attribute's value is @code{None}. This
26919 attribute is not writable.
26920 @end defvar
26921
26922 @defvar Breakpoint.expression
26923 This attribute holds a breakpoint expression, as specified by
26924 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have an
26925 expression (the breakpoint is not a watchpoint) the attribute's value
26926 is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
26927 @end defvar
26928
26929 @defvar Breakpoint.condition
26930 This attribute holds the condition of the breakpoint, as specified by
26931 the user. It is a string. If there is no condition, this attribute's
26932 value is @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
26933 @end defvar
26934
26935 @defvar Breakpoint.commands
26936 This attribute holds the commands attached to the breakpoint. If
26937 there are commands, this attribute's value is a string holding all the
26938 commands, separated by newlines. If there are no commands, this
26939 attribute is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
26940 @end defvar
26941
26942 @node Finish Breakpoints in Python
26943 @subsubsection Finish Breakpoints
26944
26945 @cindex python finish breakpoints
26946 @tindex gdb.FinishBreakpoint
26947
26948 A finish breakpoint is a temporary breakpoint set at the return address of
26949 a frame, based on the @code{finish} command. @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint}
26950 extends @code{gdb.Breakpoint}. The underlying breakpoint will be disabled
26951 and deleted when the execution will run out of the breakpoint scope (i.e.@:
26952 @code{Breakpoint.stop} or @code{FinishBreakpoint.out_of_scope} triggered).
26953 Finish breakpoints are thread specific and must be create with the right
26954 thread selected.
26955
26956 @defun FinishBreakpoint.__init__ (@r{[}frame@r{]} @r{[}, internal@r{]})
26957 Create a finish breakpoint at the return address of the @code{gdb.Frame}
26958 object @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is not provided, this defaults to the
26959 newest frame. The optional @var{internal} argument allows the breakpoint to
26960 become invisible to the user. @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for further
26961 details about this argument.
26962 @end defun
26963
26964 @defun FinishBreakpoint.out_of_scope (self)
26965 In some circumstances (e.g.@: @code{longjmp}, C@t{++} exceptions, @value{GDBN}
26966 @code{return} command, @dots{}), a function may not properly terminate, and
26967 thus never hit the finish breakpoint. When @value{GDBN} notices such a
26968 situation, the @code{out_of_scope} callback will be triggered.
26969
26970 You may want to sub-class @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint} and override this
26971 method:
26972
26973 @smallexample
26974 class MyFinishBreakpoint (gdb.FinishBreakpoint)
26975 def stop (self):
26976 print "normal finish"
26977 return True
26978
26979 def out_of_scope ():
26980 print "abnormal finish"
26981 @end smallexample
26982 @end defun
26983
26984 @defvar FinishBreakpoint.return_value
26985 When @value{GDBN} is stopped at a finish breakpoint and the frame
26986 used to build the @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint} object had debug symbols, this
26987 attribute will contain a @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding to the return
26988 value of the function. The value will be @code{None} if the function return
26989 type is @code{void} or if the return value was not computable. This attribute
26990 is not writable.
26991 @end defvar
26992
26993 @node Lazy Strings In Python
26994 @subsubsection Python representation of lazy strings.
26995
26996 @cindex lazy strings in python
26997 @tindex gdb.LazyString
26998
26999 A @dfn{lazy string} is a string whose contents is not retrieved or
27000 encoded until it is needed.
27001
27002 A @code{gdb.LazyString} is represented in @value{GDBN} as an
27003 @code{address} that points to a region of memory, an @code{encoding}
27004 that will be used to encode that region of memory, and a @code{length}
27005 to delimit the region of memory that represents the string. The
27006 difference between a @code{gdb.LazyString} and a string wrapped within
27007 a @code{gdb.Value} is that a @code{gdb.LazyString} will be treated
27008 differently by @value{GDBN} when printing. A @code{gdb.LazyString} is
27009 retrieved and encoded during printing, while a @code{gdb.Value}
27010 wrapping a string is immediately retrieved and encoded on creation.
27011
27012 A @code{gdb.LazyString} object has the following functions:
27013
27014 @defun LazyString.value ()
27015 Convert the @code{gdb.LazyString} to a @code{gdb.Value}. This value
27016 will point to the string in memory, but will lose all the delayed
27017 retrieval, encoding and handling that @value{GDBN} applies to a
27018 @code{gdb.LazyString}.
27019 @end defun
27020
27021 @defvar LazyString.address
27022 This attribute holds the address of the string. This attribute is not
27023 writable.
27024 @end defvar
27025
27026 @defvar LazyString.length
27027 This attribute holds the length of the string in characters. If the
27028 length is -1, then the string will be fetched and encoded up to the
27029 first null of appropriate width. This attribute is not writable.
27030 @end defvar
27031
27032 @defvar LazyString.encoding
27033 This attribute holds the encoding that will be applied to the string
27034 when the string is printed by @value{GDBN}. If the encoding is not
27035 set, or contains an empty string, then @value{GDBN} will select the
27036 most appropriate encoding when the string is printed. This attribute
27037 is not writable.
27038 @end defvar
27039
27040 @defvar LazyString.type
27041 This attribute holds the type that is represented by the lazy string's
27042 type. For a lazy string this will always be a pointer type. To
27043 resolve this to the lazy string's character type, use the type's
27044 @code{target} method. @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not
27045 writable.
27046 @end defvar
27047
27048 @node Architectures In Python
27049 @subsubsection Python representation of architectures
27050 @cindex Python architectures
27051
27052 @value{GDBN} uses architecture specific parameters and artifacts in a
27053 number of its various computations. An architecture is represented
27054 by an instance of the @code{gdb.Architecture} class.
27055
27056 A @code{gdb.Architecture} class has the following methods:
27057
27058 @defun Architecture.name ()
27059 Return the name (string value) of the architecture.
27060 @end defun
27061
27062 @defun Architecture.disassemble (@var{start_pc} @r{[}, @var{end_pc} @r{[}, @var{count}@r{]]})
27063 Return a list of disassembled instructions starting from the memory
27064 address @var{start_pc}. The optional arguments @var{end_pc} and
27065 @var{count} determine the number of instructions in the returned list.
27066 If both the optional arguments @var{end_pc} and @var{count} are
27067 specified, then a list of at most @var{count} disassembled instructions
27068 whose start address falls in the closed memory address interval from
27069 @var{start_pc} to @var{end_pc} are returned. If @var{end_pc} is not
27070 specified, but @var{count} is specified, then @var{count} number of
27071 instructions starting from the address @var{start_pc} are returned. If
27072 @var{count} is not specified but @var{end_pc} is specified, then all
27073 instructions whose start address falls in the closed memory address
27074 interval from @var{start_pc} to @var{end_pc} are returned. If neither
27075 @var{end_pc} nor @var{count} are specified, then a single instruction at
27076 @var{start_pc} is returned. For all of these cases, each element of the
27077 returned list is a Python @code{dict} with the following string keys:
27078
27079 @table @code
27080
27081 @item addr
27082 The value corresponding to this key is a Python long integer capturing
27083 the memory address of the instruction.
27084
27085 @item asm
27086 The value corresponding to this key is a string value which represents
27087 the instruction with assembly language mnemonics. The assembly
27088 language flavor used is the same as that specified by the current CLI
27089 variable @code{disassembly-flavor}. @xref{Machine Code}.
27090
27091 @item length
27092 The value corresponding to this key is the length (integer value) of the
27093 instruction in bytes.
27094
27095 @end table
27096 @end defun
27097
27098 @node Python Auto-loading
27099 @subsection Python Auto-loading
27100 @cindex Python auto-loading
27101
27102 When a new object file is read (for example, due to the @code{file}
27103 command, or because the inferior has loaded a shared library),
27104 @value{GDBN} will look for Python support scripts in several ways:
27105 @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} (@pxref{objfile-gdb.py file})
27106 and @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27107 (@pxref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}).
27108
27109 The auto-loading feature is useful for supplying application-specific
27110 debugging commands and scripts.
27111
27112 Auto-loading can be enabled or disabled,
27113 and the list of auto-loaded scripts can be printed.
27114
27115 @table @code
27116 @anchor{set auto-load python-scripts}
27117 @kindex set auto-load python-scripts
27118 @item set auto-load python-scripts [on|off]
27119 Enable or disable the auto-loading of Python scripts.
27120
27121 @anchor{show auto-load python-scripts}
27122 @kindex show auto-load python-scripts
27123 @item show auto-load python-scripts
27124 Show whether auto-loading of Python scripts is enabled or disabled.
27125
27126 @anchor{info auto-load python-scripts}
27127 @kindex info auto-load python-scripts
27128 @cindex print list of auto-loaded Python scripts
27129 @item info auto-load python-scripts [@var{regexp}]
27130 Print the list of all Python scripts that @value{GDBN} auto-loaded.
27131
27132 Also printed is the list of Python scripts that were mentioned in
27133 the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section and were not found
27134 (@pxref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}).
27135 This is useful because their names are not printed when @value{GDBN}
27136 tries to load them and fails. There may be many of them, and printing
27137 an error message for each one is problematic.
27138
27139 If @var{regexp} is supplied only Python scripts with matching names are printed.
27140
27141 Example:
27142
27143 @smallexample
27144 (gdb) info auto-load python-scripts
27145 Loaded Script
27146 Yes py-section-script.py
27147 full name: /tmp/py-section-script.py
27148 No my-foo-pretty-printers.py
27149 @end smallexample
27150 @end table
27151
27152 When reading an auto-loaded file, @value{GDBN} sets the
27153 @dfn{current objfile}. This is available via the @code{gdb.current_objfile}
27154 function (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}). This can be useful for
27155 registering objfile-specific pretty-printers and frame-filters.
27156
27157 @menu
27158 * objfile-gdb.py file:: The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
27159 * dotdebug_gdb_scripts section:: The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27160 * Which flavor to choose?::
27161 @end menu
27162
27163 @node objfile-gdb.py file
27164 @subsubsection The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
27165 @cindex @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py}
27166
27167 When a new object file is read, @value{GDBN} looks for
27168 a file named @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} (we call it @var{script-name} below),
27169 where @var{objfile} is the object file's real name, formed by ensuring
27170 that the file name is absolute, following all symlinks, and resolving
27171 @code{.} and @code{..} components. If this file exists and is
27172 readable, @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as a Python script.
27173
27174 If this file does not exist, then @value{GDBN} will look for
27175 @var{script-name} file in all of the directories as specified below.
27176
27177 Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
27178 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
27179
27180 For object files using @file{.exe} suffix @value{GDBN} tries to load first the
27181 scripts normally according to its @file{.exe} filename. But if no scripts are
27182 found @value{GDBN} also tries script filenames matching the object file without
27183 its @file{.exe} suffix. This @file{.exe} stripping is case insensitive and it
27184 is attempted on any platform. This makes the script filenames compatible
27185 between Unix and MS-Windows hosts.
27186
27187 @table @code
27188 @anchor{set auto-load scripts-directory}
27189 @kindex set auto-load scripts-directory
27190 @item set auto-load scripts-directory @r{[}@var{directories}@r{]}
27191 Control @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location. Multiple directory entries
27192 may be delimited by the host platform path separator in use
27193 (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS).
27194
27195 Each entry here needs to be covered also by the security setting
27196 @code{set auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{set auto-load safe-path}).
27197
27198 @anchor{with-auto-load-dir}
27199 This variable defaults to @file{$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load}. The default
27200 @code{set auto-load safe-path} value can be also overriden by @value{GDBN}
27201 configuration option @option{--with-auto-load-dir}.
27202
27203 Any reference to @file{$debugdir} will get replaced by
27204 @var{debug-file-directory} value (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}) and any
27205 reference to @file{$datadir} will get replaced by @var{data-directory} which is
27206 determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}). @file{$debugdir} and
27207 @file{$datadir} must be placed as a directory component --- either alone or
27208 delimited by @file{/} or @file{\} directory separators, depending on the host
27209 platform.
27210
27211 The list of directories uses path separator (@samp{:} on GNU and Unix
27212 systems, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS) to separate directories, similarly
27213 to the @env{PATH} environment variable.
27214
27215 @anchor{show auto-load scripts-directory}
27216 @kindex show auto-load scripts-directory
27217 @item show auto-load scripts-directory
27218 Show @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
27219 @end table
27220
27221 @value{GDBN} does not track which files it has already auto-loaded this way.
27222 @value{GDBN} will load the associated script every time the corresponding
27223 @var{objfile} is opened.
27224 So your @file{-gdb.py} file should be careful to avoid errors if it
27225 is evaluated more than once.
27226
27227 @node dotdebug_gdb_scripts section
27228 @subsubsection The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27229 @cindex @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27230
27231 For systems using file formats like ELF and COFF,
27232 when @value{GDBN} loads a new object file
27233 it will look for a special section named @samp{.debug_gdb_scripts}.
27234 If this section exists, its contents is a list of names of scripts to load.
27235
27236 @value{GDBN} will look for each specified script file first in the
27237 current directory and then along the source search path
27238 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}),
27239 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched, since the compilation
27240 directory is not relevant to scripts.
27241
27242 Entries can be placed in section @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} with,
27243 for example, this GCC macro:
27244
27245 @example
27246 /* Note: The "MS" section flags are to remove duplicates. */
27247 #define DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT(script_name) \
27248 asm("\
27249 .pushsection \".debug_gdb_scripts\", \"MS\",@@progbits,1\n\
27250 .byte 1\n\
27251 .asciz \"" script_name "\"\n\
27252 .popsection \n\
27253 ");
27254 @end example
27255
27256 @noindent
27257 Then one can reference the macro in a header or source file like this:
27258
27259 @example
27260 DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT ("my-app-scripts.py")
27261 @end example
27262
27263 The script name may include directories if desired.
27264
27265 Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
27266 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
27267
27268 If the macro is put in a header, any application or library
27269 using this header will get a reference to the specified script.
27270
27271 @node Which flavor to choose?
27272 @subsubsection Which flavor to choose?
27273
27274 Given the multiple ways of auto-loading Python scripts, it might not always
27275 be clear which one to choose. This section provides some guidance.
27276
27277 Benefits of the @file{-gdb.py} way:
27278
27279 @itemize @bullet
27280 @item
27281 Can be used with file formats that don't support multiple sections.
27282
27283 @item
27284 Ease of finding scripts for public libraries.
27285
27286 Scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section are searched for
27287 in the source search path.
27288 For publicly installed libraries, e.g., @file{libstdc++}, there typically
27289 isn't a source directory in which to find the script.
27290
27291 @item
27292 Doesn't require source code additions.
27293 @end itemize
27294
27295 Benefits of the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} way:
27296
27297 @itemize @bullet
27298 @item
27299 Works with static linking.
27300
27301 Scripts for libraries done the @file{-gdb.py} way require an objfile to
27302 trigger their loading. When an application is statically linked the only
27303 objfile available is the executable, and it is cumbersome to attach all the
27304 scripts from all the input libraries to the executable's @file{-gdb.py} script.
27305
27306 @item
27307 Works with classes that are entirely inlined.
27308
27309 Some classes can be entirely inlined, and thus there may not be an associated
27310 shared library to attach a @file{-gdb.py} script to.
27311
27312 @item
27313 Scripts needn't be copied out of the source tree.
27314
27315 In some circumstances, apps can be built out of large collections of internal
27316 libraries, and the build infrastructure necessary to install the
27317 @file{-gdb.py} scripts in a place where @value{GDBN} can find them is
27318 cumbersome. It may be easier to specify the scripts in the
27319 @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section as relative paths, and add a path to the
27320 top of the source tree to the source search path.
27321 @end itemize
27322
27323 @node Python modules
27324 @subsection Python modules
27325 @cindex python modules
27326
27327 @value{GDBN} comes with several modules to assist writing Python code.
27328
27329 @menu
27330 * gdb.printing:: Building and registering pretty-printers.
27331 * gdb.types:: Utilities for working with types.
27332 * gdb.prompt:: Utilities for prompt value substitution.
27333 @end menu
27334
27335 @node gdb.printing
27336 @subsubsection gdb.printing
27337 @cindex gdb.printing
27338
27339 This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
27340 pretty-printers.
27341
27342 @table @code
27343 @item PrettyPrinter (@var{name}, @var{subprinters}=None)
27344 This class specifies the API that makes @samp{info pretty-printer},
27345 @samp{enable pretty-printer} and @samp{disable pretty-printer} work.
27346 Pretty-printers should generally inherit from this class.
27347
27348 @item SubPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
27349 For printers that handle multiple types, this class specifies the
27350 corresponding API for the subprinters.
27351
27352 @item RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
27353 Utility class for handling multiple printers, all recognized via
27354 regular expressions.
27355 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for an example.
27356
27357 @item FlagEnumerationPrinter (@var{name})
27358 A pretty-printer which handles printing of @code{enum} values. Unlike
27359 @value{GDBN}'s built-in @code{enum} printing, this printer attempts to
27360 work properly when there is some overlap between the enumeration
27361 constants. @var{name} is the name of the printer and also the name of
27362 the @code{enum} type to look up.
27363
27364 @item register_pretty_printer (@var{obj}, @var{printer}, @var{replace}=False)
27365 Register @var{printer} with the pretty-printer list of @var{obj}.
27366 If @var{replace} is @code{True} then any existing copy of the printer
27367 is replaced. Otherwise a @code{RuntimeError} exception is raised
27368 if a printer with the same name already exists.
27369 @end table
27370
27371 @node gdb.types
27372 @subsubsection gdb.types
27373 @cindex gdb.types
27374
27375 This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
27376 @code{gdb.Type} objects.
27377
27378 @table @code
27379 @item get_basic_type (@var{type})
27380 Return @var{type} with const and volatile qualifiers stripped,
27381 and with typedefs and C@t{++} references converted to the underlying type.
27382
27383 C@t{++} example:
27384
27385 @smallexample
27386 typedef const int const_int;
27387 const_int foo (3);
27388 const_int& foo_ref (foo);
27389 int main () @{ return 0; @}
27390 @end smallexample
27391
27392 Then in gdb:
27393
27394 @smallexample
27395 (gdb) start
27396 (gdb) python import gdb.types
27397 (gdb) python foo_ref = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo_ref")
27398 (gdb) python print gdb.types.get_basic_type(foo_ref.type)
27399 int
27400 @end smallexample
27401
27402 @item has_field (@var{type}, @var{field})
27403 Return @code{True} if @var{type}, assumed to be a type with fields
27404 (e.g., a structure or union), has field @var{field}.
27405
27406 @item make_enum_dict (@var{enum_type})
27407 Return a Python @code{dictionary} type produced from @var{enum_type}.
27408
27409 @item deep_items (@var{type})
27410 Returns a Python iterator similar to the standard
27411 @code{gdb.Type.iteritems} method, except that the iterator returned
27412 by @code{deep_items} will recursively traverse anonymous struct or
27413 union fields. For example:
27414
27415 @smallexample
27416 struct A
27417 @{
27418 int a;
27419 union @{
27420 int b0;
27421 int b1;
27422 @};
27423 @};
27424 @end smallexample
27425
27426 @noindent
27427 Then in @value{GDBN}:
27428 @smallexample
27429 (@value{GDBP}) python import gdb.types
27430 (@value{GDBP}) python struct_a = gdb.lookup_type("struct A")
27431 (@value{GDBP}) python print struct_a.keys ()
27432 @{['a', '']@}
27433 (@value{GDBP}) python print [k for k,v in gdb.types.deep_items(struct_a)]
27434 @{['a', 'b0', 'b1']@}
27435 @end smallexample
27436
27437 @item get_type_recognizers ()
27438 Return a list of the enabled type recognizers for the current context.
27439 This is called by @value{GDBN} during the type-printing process
27440 (@pxref{Type Printing API}).
27441
27442 @item apply_type_recognizers (recognizers, type_obj)
27443 Apply the type recognizers, @var{recognizers}, to the type object
27444 @var{type_obj}. If any recognizer returns a string, return that
27445 string. Otherwise, return @code{None}. This is called by
27446 @value{GDBN} during the type-printing process (@pxref{Type Printing
27447 API}).
27448
27449 @item register_type_printer (locus, printer)
27450 This is a convenience function to register a type printer.
27451 @var{printer} is the type printer to register. It must implement the
27452 type printer protocol. @var{locus} is either a @code{gdb.Objfile}, in
27453 which case the printer is registered with that objfile; a
27454 @code{gdb.Progspace}, in which case the printer is registered with
27455 that progspace; or @code{None}, in which case the printer is
27456 registered globally.
27457
27458 @item TypePrinter
27459 This is a base class that implements the type printer protocol. Type
27460 printers are encouraged, but not required, to derive from this class.
27461 It defines a constructor:
27462
27463 @defmethod TypePrinter __init__ (self, name)
27464 Initialize the type printer with the given name. The new printer
27465 starts in the enabled state.
27466 @end defmethod
27467
27468 @end table
27469
27470 @node gdb.prompt
27471 @subsubsection gdb.prompt
27472 @cindex gdb.prompt
27473
27474 This module provides a method for prompt value-substitution.
27475
27476 @table @code
27477 @item substitute_prompt (@var{string})
27478 Return @var{string} with escape sequences substituted by values. Some
27479 escape sequences take arguments. You can specify arguments inside
27480 ``@{@}'' immediately following the escape sequence.
27481
27482 The escape sequences you can pass to this function are:
27483
27484 @table @code
27485 @item \\
27486 Substitute a backslash.
27487 @item \e
27488 Substitute an ESC character.
27489 @item \f
27490 Substitute the selected frame; an argument names a frame parameter.
27491 @item \n
27492 Substitute a newline.
27493 @item \p
27494 Substitute a parameter's value; the argument names the parameter.
27495 @item \r
27496 Substitute a carriage return.
27497 @item \t
27498 Substitute the selected thread; an argument names a thread parameter.
27499 @item \v
27500 Substitute the version of GDB.
27501 @item \w
27502 Substitute the current working directory.
27503 @item \[
27504 Begin a sequence of non-printing characters. These sequences are
27505 typically used with the ESC character, and are not counted in the string
27506 length. Example: ``\[\e[0;34m\](gdb)\[\e[0m\]'' will return a
27507 blue-colored ``(gdb)'' prompt where the length is five.
27508 @item \]
27509 End a sequence of non-printing characters.
27510 @end table
27511
27512 For example:
27513
27514 @smallexample
27515 substitute_prompt (``frame: \f,
27516 print arguments: \p@{print frame-arguments@}'')
27517 @end smallexample
27518
27519 @exdent will return the string:
27520
27521 @smallexample
27522 "frame: main, print arguments: scalars"
27523 @end smallexample
27524 @end table
27525
27526 @node Aliases
27527 @section Creating new spellings of existing commands
27528 @cindex aliases for commands
27529
27530 It is often useful to define alternate spellings of existing commands.
27531 For example, if a new @value{GDBN} command defined in Python has
27532 a long name to type, it is handy to have an abbreviated version of it
27533 that involves less typing.
27534
27535 @value{GDBN} itself uses aliases. For example @samp{s} is an alias
27536 of the @samp{step} command even though it is otherwise an ambiguous
27537 abbreviation of other commands like @samp{set} and @samp{show}.
27538
27539 Aliases are also used to provide shortened or more common versions
27540 of multi-word commands. For example, @value{GDBN} provides the
27541 @samp{tty} alias of the @samp{set inferior-tty} command.
27542
27543 You can define a new alias with the @samp{alias} command.
27544
27545 @table @code
27546
27547 @kindex alias
27548 @item alias [-a] [--] @var{ALIAS} = @var{COMMAND}
27549
27550 @end table
27551
27552 @var{ALIAS} specifies the name of the new alias.
27553 Each word of @var{ALIAS} must consist of letters, numbers, dashes and
27554 underscores.
27555
27556 @var{COMMAND} specifies the name of an existing command
27557 that is being aliased.
27558
27559 The @samp{-a} option specifies that the new alias is an abbreviation
27560 of the command. Abbreviations are not shown in command
27561 lists displayed by the @samp{help} command.
27562
27563 The @samp{--} option specifies the end of options,
27564 and is useful when @var{ALIAS} begins with a dash.
27565
27566 Here is a simple example showing how to make an abbreviation
27567 of a command so that there is less to type.
27568 Suppose you were tired of typing @samp{disas}, the current
27569 shortest unambiguous abbreviation of the @samp{disassemble} command
27570 and you wanted an even shorter version named @samp{di}.
27571 The following will accomplish this.
27572
27573 @smallexample
27574 (gdb) alias -a di = disas
27575 @end smallexample
27576
27577 Note that aliases are different from user-defined commands.
27578 With a user-defined command, you also need to write documentation
27579 for it with the @samp{document} command.
27580 An alias automatically picks up the documentation of the existing command.
27581
27582 Here is an example where we make @samp{elms} an abbreviation of
27583 @samp{elements} in the @samp{set print elements} command.
27584 This is to show that you can make an abbreviation of any part
27585 of a command.
27586
27587 @smallexample
27588 (gdb) alias -a set print elms = set print elements
27589 (gdb) alias -a show print elms = show print elements
27590 (gdb) set p elms 20
27591 (gdb) show p elms
27592 Limit on string chars or array elements to print is 200.
27593 @end smallexample
27594
27595 Note that if you are defining an alias of a @samp{set} command,
27596 and you want to have an alias for the corresponding @samp{show}
27597 command, then you need to define the latter separately.
27598
27599 Unambiguously abbreviated commands are allowed in @var{COMMAND} and
27600 @var{ALIAS}, just as they are normally.
27601
27602 @smallexample
27603 (gdb) alias -a set pr elms = set p ele
27604 @end smallexample
27605
27606 Finally, here is an example showing the creation of a one word
27607 alias for a more complex command.
27608 This creates alias @samp{spe} of the command @samp{set print elements}.
27609
27610 @smallexample
27611 (gdb) alias spe = set print elements
27612 (gdb) spe 20
27613 @end smallexample
27614
27615 @node Interpreters
27616 @chapter Command Interpreters
27617 @cindex command interpreters
27618
27619 @value{GDBN} supports multiple command interpreters, and some command
27620 infrastructure to allow users or user interface writers to switch
27621 between interpreters or run commands in other interpreters.
27622
27623 @value{GDBN} currently supports two command interpreters, the console
27624 interpreter (sometimes called the command-line interpreter or @sc{cli})
27625 and the machine interface interpreter (or @sc{gdb/mi}). This manual
27626 describes both of these interfaces in great detail.
27627
27628 By default, @value{GDBN} will start with the console interpreter.
27629 However, the user may choose to start @value{GDBN} with another
27630 interpreter by specifying the @option{-i} or @option{--interpreter}
27631 startup options. Defined interpreters include:
27632
27633 @table @code
27634 @item console
27635 @cindex console interpreter
27636 The traditional console or command-line interpreter. This is the most often
27637 used interpreter with @value{GDBN}. With no interpreter specified at runtime,
27638 @value{GDBN} will use this interpreter.
27639
27640 @item mi
27641 @cindex mi interpreter
27642 The newest @sc{gdb/mi} interface (currently @code{mi2}). Used primarily
27643 by programs wishing to use @value{GDBN} as a backend for a debugger GUI
27644 or an IDE. For more information, see @ref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi}
27645 Interface}.
27646
27647 @item mi2
27648 @cindex mi2 interpreter
27649 The current @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
27650
27651 @item mi1
27652 @cindex mi1 interpreter
27653 The @sc{gdb/mi} interface included in @value{GDBN} 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.
27654
27655 @end table
27656
27657 @cindex invoke another interpreter
27658 The interpreter being used by @value{GDBN} may not be dynamically
27659 switched at runtime. Although possible, this could lead to a very
27660 precarious situation. Consider an IDE using @sc{gdb/mi}. If a user
27661 enters the command "interpreter-set console" in a console view,
27662 @value{GDBN} would switch to using the console interpreter, rendering
27663 the IDE inoperable!
27664
27665 @kindex interpreter-exec
27666 Although you may only choose a single interpreter at startup, you may execute
27667 commands in any interpreter from the current interpreter using the appropriate
27668 command. If you are running the console interpreter, simply use the
27669 @code{interpreter-exec} command:
27670
27671 @smallexample
27672 interpreter-exec mi "-data-list-register-names"
27673 @end smallexample
27674
27675 @sc{gdb/mi} has a similar command, although it is only available in versions of
27676 @value{GDBN} which support @sc{gdb/mi} version 2 (or greater).
27677
27678 @node TUI
27679 @chapter @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
27680 @cindex TUI
27681 @cindex Text User Interface
27682
27683 @menu
27684 * TUI Overview:: TUI overview
27685 * TUI Keys:: TUI key bindings
27686 * TUI Single Key Mode:: TUI single key mode
27687 * TUI Commands:: TUI-specific commands
27688 * TUI Configuration:: TUI configuration variables
27689 @end menu
27690
27691 The @value{GDBN} Text User Interface (TUI) is a terminal
27692 interface which uses the @code{curses} library to show the source
27693 file, the assembly output, the program registers and @value{GDBN}
27694 commands in separate text windows. The TUI mode is supported only
27695 on platforms where a suitable version of the @code{curses} library
27696 is available.
27697
27698 The TUI mode is enabled by default when you invoke @value{GDBN} as
27699 @samp{@value{GDBP} -tui}.
27700 You can also switch in and out of TUI mode while @value{GDBN} runs by
27701 using various TUI commands and key bindings, such as @kbd{C-x C-a}.
27702 @xref{TUI Keys, ,TUI Key Bindings}.
27703
27704 @node TUI Overview
27705 @section TUI Overview
27706
27707 In TUI mode, @value{GDBN} can display several text windows:
27708
27709 @table @emph
27710 @item command
27711 This window is the @value{GDBN} command window with the @value{GDBN}
27712 prompt and the @value{GDBN} output. The @value{GDBN} input is still
27713 managed using readline.
27714
27715 @item source
27716 The source window shows the source file of the program. The current
27717 line and active breakpoints are displayed in this window.
27718
27719 @item assembly
27720 The assembly window shows the disassembly output of the program.
27721
27722 @item register
27723 This window shows the processor registers. Registers are highlighted
27724 when their values change.
27725 @end table
27726
27727 The source and assembly windows show the current program position
27728 by highlighting the current line and marking it with a @samp{>} marker.
27729 Breakpoints are indicated with two markers. The first marker
27730 indicates the breakpoint type:
27731
27732 @table @code
27733 @item B
27734 Breakpoint which was hit at least once.
27735
27736 @item b
27737 Breakpoint which was never hit.
27738
27739 @item H
27740 Hardware breakpoint which was hit at least once.
27741
27742 @item h
27743 Hardware breakpoint which was never hit.
27744 @end table
27745
27746 The second marker indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled or not:
27747
27748 @table @code
27749 @item +
27750 Breakpoint is enabled.
27751
27752 @item -
27753 Breakpoint is disabled.
27754 @end table
27755
27756 The source, assembly and register windows are updated when the current
27757 thread changes, when the frame changes, or when the program counter
27758 changes.
27759
27760 These windows are not all visible at the same time. The command
27761 window is always visible. The others can be arranged in several
27762 layouts:
27763
27764 @itemize @bullet
27765 @item
27766 source only,
27767
27768 @item
27769 assembly only,
27770
27771 @item
27772 source and assembly,
27773
27774 @item
27775 source and registers, or
27776
27777 @item
27778 assembly and registers.
27779 @end itemize
27780
27781 A status line above the command window shows the following information:
27782
27783 @table @emph
27784 @item target
27785 Indicates the current @value{GDBN} target.
27786 (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
27787
27788 @item process
27789 Gives the current process or thread number.
27790 When no process is being debugged, this field is set to @code{No process}.
27791
27792 @item function
27793 Gives the current function name for the selected frame.
27794 The name is demangled if demangling is turned on (@pxref{Print Settings}).
27795 When there is no symbol corresponding to the current program counter,
27796 the string @code{??} is displayed.
27797
27798 @item line
27799 Indicates the current line number for the selected frame.
27800 When the current line number is not known, the string @code{??} is displayed.
27801
27802 @item pc
27803 Indicates the current program counter address.
27804 @end table
27805
27806 @node TUI Keys
27807 @section TUI Key Bindings
27808 @cindex TUI key bindings
27809
27810 The TUI installs several key bindings in the readline keymaps
27811 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
27812 (@pxref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library}).
27813 @end ifset
27814 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
27815 (@pxref{Command Line Editing}).
27816 @end ifclear
27817 The following key bindings are installed for both TUI mode and the
27818 @value{GDBN} standard mode.
27819
27820 @table @kbd
27821 @kindex C-x C-a
27822 @item C-x C-a
27823 @kindex C-x a
27824 @itemx C-x a
27825 @kindex C-x A
27826 @itemx C-x A
27827 Enter or leave the TUI mode. When leaving the TUI mode,
27828 the curses window management stops and @value{GDBN} operates using
27829 its standard mode, writing on the terminal directly. When reentering
27830 the TUI mode, control is given back to the curses windows.
27831 The screen is then refreshed.
27832
27833 @kindex C-x 1
27834 @item C-x 1
27835 Use a TUI layout with only one window. The layout will
27836 either be @samp{source} or @samp{assembly}. When the TUI mode
27837 is not active, it will switch to the TUI mode.
27838
27839 Think of this key binding as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 1} binding.
27840
27841 @kindex C-x 2
27842 @item C-x 2
27843 Use a TUI layout with at least two windows. When the current
27844 layout already has two windows, the next layout with two windows is used.
27845 When a new layout is chosen, one window will always be common to the
27846 previous layout and the new one.
27847
27848 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 2} binding.
27849
27850 @kindex C-x o
27851 @item C-x o
27852 Change the active window. The TUI associates several key bindings
27853 (like scrolling and arrow keys) with the active window. This command
27854 gives the focus to the next TUI window.
27855
27856 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x o} binding.
27857
27858 @kindex C-x s
27859 @item C-x s
27860 Switch in and out of the TUI SingleKey mode that binds single
27861 keys to @value{GDBN} commands (@pxref{TUI Single Key Mode}).
27862 @end table
27863
27864 The following key bindings only work in the TUI mode:
27865
27866 @table @asis
27867 @kindex PgUp
27868 @item @key{PgUp}
27869 Scroll the active window one page up.
27870
27871 @kindex PgDn
27872 @item @key{PgDn}
27873 Scroll the active window one page down.
27874
27875 @kindex Up
27876 @item @key{Up}
27877 Scroll the active window one line up.
27878
27879 @kindex Down
27880 @item @key{Down}
27881 Scroll the active window one line down.
27882
27883 @kindex Left
27884 @item @key{Left}
27885 Scroll the active window one column left.
27886
27887 @kindex Right
27888 @item @key{Right}
27889 Scroll the active window one column right.
27890
27891 @kindex C-L
27892 @item @kbd{C-L}
27893 Refresh the screen.
27894 @end table
27895
27896 Because the arrow keys scroll the active window in the TUI mode, they
27897 are not available for their normal use by readline unless the command
27898 window has the focus. When another window is active, you must use
27899 other readline key bindings such as @kbd{C-p}, @kbd{C-n}, @kbd{C-b}
27900 and @kbd{C-f} to control the command window.
27901
27902 @node TUI Single Key Mode
27903 @section TUI Single Key Mode
27904 @cindex TUI single key mode
27905
27906 The TUI also provides a @dfn{SingleKey} mode, which binds several
27907 frequently used @value{GDBN} commands to single keys. Type @kbd{C-x s} to
27908 switch into this mode, where the following key bindings are used:
27909
27910 @table @kbd
27911 @kindex c @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27912 @item c
27913 continue
27914
27915 @kindex d @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27916 @item d
27917 down
27918
27919 @kindex f @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27920 @item f
27921 finish
27922
27923 @kindex n @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27924 @item n
27925 next
27926
27927 @kindex q @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27928 @item q
27929 exit the SingleKey mode.
27930
27931 @kindex r @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27932 @item r
27933 run
27934
27935 @kindex s @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27936 @item s
27937 step
27938
27939 @kindex u @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27940 @item u
27941 up
27942
27943 @kindex v @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27944 @item v
27945 info locals
27946
27947 @kindex w @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27948 @item w
27949 where
27950 @end table
27951
27952 Other keys temporarily switch to the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
27953 The key that was pressed is inserted in the editing buffer so that
27954 it is possible to type most @value{GDBN} commands without interaction
27955 with the TUI SingleKey mode. Once the command is entered the TUI
27956 SingleKey mode is restored. The only way to permanently leave
27957 this mode is by typing @kbd{q} or @kbd{C-x s}.
27958
27959
27960 @node TUI Commands
27961 @section TUI-specific Commands
27962 @cindex TUI commands
27963
27964 The TUI has specific commands to control the text windows.
27965 These commands are always available, even when @value{GDBN} is not in
27966 the TUI mode. When @value{GDBN} is in the standard mode, most
27967 of these commands will automatically switch to the TUI mode.
27968
27969 Note that if @value{GDBN}'s @code{stdout} is not connected to a
27970 terminal, or @value{GDBN} has been started with the machine interface
27971 interpreter (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}), most of
27972 these commands will fail with an error, because it would not be
27973 possible or desirable to enable curses window management.
27974
27975 @table @code
27976 @item info win
27977 @kindex info win
27978 List and give the size of all displayed windows.
27979
27980 @item layout next
27981 @kindex layout
27982 Display the next layout.
27983
27984 @item layout prev
27985 Display the previous layout.
27986
27987 @item layout src
27988 Display the source window only.
27989
27990 @item layout asm
27991 Display the assembly window only.
27992
27993 @item layout split
27994 Display the source and assembly window.
27995
27996 @item layout regs
27997 Display the register window together with the source or assembly window.
27998
27999 @item focus next
28000 @kindex focus
28001 Make the next window active for scrolling.
28002
28003 @item focus prev
28004 Make the previous window active for scrolling.
28005
28006 @item focus src
28007 Make the source window active for scrolling.
28008
28009 @item focus asm
28010 Make the assembly window active for scrolling.
28011
28012 @item focus regs
28013 Make the register window active for scrolling.
28014
28015 @item focus cmd
28016 Make the command window active for scrolling.
28017
28018 @item refresh
28019 @kindex refresh
28020 Refresh the screen. This is similar to typing @kbd{C-L}.
28021
28022 @item tui reg float
28023 @kindex tui reg
28024 Show the floating point registers in the register window.
28025
28026 @item tui reg general
28027 Show the general registers in the register window.
28028
28029 @item tui reg next
28030 Show the next register group. The list of register groups as well as
28031 their order is target specific. The predefined register groups are the
28032 following: @code{general}, @code{float}, @code{system}, @code{vector},
28033 @code{all}, @code{save}, @code{restore}.
28034
28035 @item tui reg system
28036 Show the system registers in the register window.
28037
28038 @item update
28039 @kindex update
28040 Update the source window and the current execution point.
28041
28042 @item winheight @var{name} +@var{count}
28043 @itemx winheight @var{name} -@var{count}
28044 @kindex winheight
28045 Change the height of the window @var{name} by @var{count}
28046 lines. Positive counts increase the height, while negative counts
28047 decrease it.
28048
28049 @item tabset @var{nchars}
28050 @kindex tabset
28051 Set the width of tab stops to be @var{nchars} characters.
28052 @end table
28053
28054 @node TUI Configuration
28055 @section TUI Configuration Variables
28056 @cindex TUI configuration variables
28057
28058 Several configuration variables control the appearance of TUI windows.
28059
28060 @table @code
28061 @item set tui border-kind @var{kind}
28062 @kindex set tui border-kind
28063 Select the border appearance for the source, assembly and register windows.
28064 The possible values are the following:
28065 @table @code
28066 @item space
28067 Use a space character to draw the border.
28068
28069 @item ascii
28070 Use @sc{ascii} characters @samp{+}, @samp{-} and @samp{|} to draw the border.
28071
28072 @item acs
28073 Use the Alternate Character Set to draw the border. The border is
28074 drawn using character line graphics if the terminal supports them.
28075 @end table
28076
28077 @item set tui border-mode @var{mode}
28078 @kindex set tui border-mode
28079 @itemx set tui active-border-mode @var{mode}
28080 @kindex set tui active-border-mode
28081 Select the display attributes for the borders of the inactive windows
28082 or the active window. The @var{mode} can be one of the following:
28083 @table @code
28084 @item normal
28085 Use normal attributes to display the border.
28086
28087 @item standout
28088 Use standout mode.
28089
28090 @item reverse
28091 Use reverse video mode.
28092
28093 @item half
28094 Use half bright mode.
28095
28096 @item half-standout
28097 Use half bright and standout mode.
28098
28099 @item bold
28100 Use extra bright or bold mode.
28101
28102 @item bold-standout
28103 Use extra bright or bold and standout mode.
28104 @end table
28105 @end table
28106
28107 @node Emacs
28108 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
28109
28110 @cindex Emacs
28111 @cindex @sc{gnu} Emacs
28112 A special interface allows you to use @sc{gnu} Emacs to view (and
28113 edit) the source files for the program you are debugging with
28114 @value{GDBN}.
28115
28116 To use this interface, use the command @kbd{M-x gdb} in Emacs. Give the
28117 executable file you want to debug as an argument. This command starts
28118 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess of Emacs, with input and output through a newly
28119 created Emacs buffer.
28120 @c (Do not use the @code{-tui} option to run @value{GDBN} from Emacs.)
28121
28122 Running @value{GDBN} under Emacs can be just like running @value{GDBN} normally except for two
28123 things:
28124
28125 @itemize @bullet
28126 @item
28127 All ``terminal'' input and output goes through an Emacs buffer, called
28128 the GUD buffer.
28129
28130 This applies both to @value{GDBN} commands and their output, and to the input
28131 and output done by the program you are debugging.
28132
28133 This is useful because it means that you can copy the text of previous
28134 commands and input them again; you can even use parts of the output
28135 in this way.
28136
28137 All the facilities of Emacs' Shell mode are available for interacting
28138 with your program. In particular, you can send signals the usual
28139 way---for example, @kbd{C-c C-c} for an interrupt, @kbd{C-c C-z} for a
28140 stop.
28141
28142 @item
28143 @value{GDBN} displays source code through Emacs.
28144
28145 Each time @value{GDBN} displays a stack frame, Emacs automatically finds the
28146 source file for that frame and puts an arrow (@samp{=>}) at the
28147 left margin of the current line. Emacs uses a separate buffer for
28148 source display, and splits the screen to show both your @value{GDBN} session
28149 and the source.
28150
28151 Explicit @value{GDBN} @code{list} or search commands still produce output as
28152 usual, but you probably have no reason to use them from Emacs.
28153 @end itemize
28154
28155 We call this @dfn{text command mode}. Emacs 22.1, and later, also uses
28156 a graphical mode, enabled by default, which provides further buffers
28157 that can control the execution and describe the state of your program.
28158 @xref{GDB Graphical Interface,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}.
28159
28160 If you specify an absolute file name when prompted for the @kbd{M-x
28161 gdb} argument, then Emacs sets your current working directory to where
28162 your program resides. If you only specify the file name, then Emacs
28163 sets your current working directory to the directory associated
28164 with the previous buffer. In this case, @value{GDBN} may find your
28165 program by searching your environment's @code{PATH} variable, but on
28166 some operating systems it might not find the source. So, although the
28167 @value{GDBN} input and output session proceeds normally, the auxiliary
28168 buffer does not display the current source and line of execution.
28169
28170 The initial working directory of @value{GDBN} is printed on the top
28171 line of the GUD buffer and this serves as a default for the commands
28172 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files,
28173 ,Commands to Specify Files}.
28174
28175 By default, @kbd{M-x gdb} calls the program called @file{gdb}. If you
28176 need to call @value{GDBN} by a different name (for example, if you
28177 keep several configurations around, with different names) you can
28178 customize the Emacs variable @code{gud-gdb-command-name} to run the
28179 one you want.
28180
28181 In the GUD buffer, you can use these special Emacs commands in
28182 addition to the standard Shell mode commands:
28183
28184 @table @kbd
28185 @item C-h m
28186 Describe the features of Emacs' GUD Mode.
28187
28188 @item C-c C-s
28189 Execute to another source line, like the @value{GDBN} @code{step} command; also
28190 update the display window to show the current file and location.
28191
28192 @item C-c C-n
28193 Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function
28194 calls, like the @value{GDBN} @code{next} command. Then update the display window
28195 to show the current file and location.
28196
28197 @item C-c C-i
28198 Execute one instruction, like the @value{GDBN} @code{stepi} command; update
28199 display window accordingly.
28200
28201 @item C-c C-f
28202 Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the @value{GDBN}
28203 @code{finish} command.
28204
28205 @item C-c C-r
28206 Continue execution of your program, like the @value{GDBN} @code{continue}
28207 command.
28208
28209 @item C-c <
28210 Go up the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument
28211 (@pxref{Arguments, , Numeric Arguments, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}),
28212 like the @value{GDBN} @code{up} command.
28213
28214 @item C-c >
28215 Go down the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument, like the
28216 @value{GDBN} @code{down} command.
28217 @end table
28218
28219 In any source file, the Emacs command @kbd{C-x @key{SPC}} (@code{gud-break})
28220 tells @value{GDBN} to set a breakpoint on the source line point is on.
28221
28222 In text command mode, if you type @kbd{M-x speedbar}, Emacs displays a
28223 separate frame which shows a backtrace when the GUD buffer is current.
28224 Move point to any frame in the stack and type @key{RET} to make it
28225 become the current frame and display the associated source in the
28226 source buffer. Alternatively, click @kbd{Mouse-2} to make the
28227 selected frame become the current one. In graphical mode, the
28228 speedbar displays watch expressions.
28229
28230 If you accidentally delete the source-display buffer, an easy way to get
28231 it back is to type the command @code{f} in the @value{GDBN} buffer, to
28232 request a frame display; when you run under Emacs, this recreates
28233 the source buffer if necessary to show you the context of the current
28234 frame.
28235
28236 The source files displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buffers
28237 which are visiting the source files in the usual way. You can edit
28238 the files with these buffers if you wish; but keep in mind that @value{GDBN}
28239 communicates with Emacs in terms of line numbers. If you add or
28240 delete lines from the text, the line numbers that @value{GDBN} knows cease
28241 to correspond properly with the code.
28242
28243 A more detailed description of Emacs' interaction with @value{GDBN} is
28244 given in the Emacs manual (@pxref{Debuggers,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu}
28245 Emacs Manual}).
28246
28247 @node GDB/MI
28248 @chapter The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface
28249
28250 @unnumberedsec Function and Purpose
28251
28252 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, its purpose
28253 @sc{gdb/mi} is a line based machine oriented text interface to
28254 @value{GDBN} and is activated by specifying using the
28255 @option{--interpreter} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}). It
28256 is specifically intended to support the development of systems which
28257 use the debugger as just one small component of a larger system.
28258
28259 This chapter is a specification of the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. It is written
28260 in the form of a reference manual.
28261
28262 Note that @sc{gdb/mi} is still under construction, so some of the
28263 features described below are incomplete and subject to change
28264 (@pxref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, , @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends}).
28265
28266 @unnumberedsec Notation and Terminology
28267
28268 @cindex notational conventions, for @sc{gdb/mi}
28269 This chapter uses the following notation:
28270
28271 @itemize @bullet
28272 @item
28273 @code{|} separates two alternatives.
28274
28275 @item
28276 @code{[ @var{something} ]} indicates that @var{something} is optional:
28277 it may or may not be given.
28278
28279 @item
28280 @code{( @var{group} )*} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
28281 may repeat zero or more times.
28282
28283 @item
28284 @code{( @var{group} )+} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
28285 may repeat one or more times.
28286
28287 @item
28288 @code{"@var{string}"} means a literal @var{string}.
28289 @end itemize
28290
28291 @ignore
28292 @heading Dependencies
28293 @end ignore
28294
28295 @menu
28296 * GDB/MI General Design::
28297 * GDB/MI Command Syntax::
28298 * GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI::
28299 * GDB/MI Development and Front Ends::
28300 * GDB/MI Output Records::
28301 * GDB/MI Simple Examples::
28302 * GDB/MI Command Description Format::
28303 * GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands::
28304 * GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands::
28305 * GDB/MI Program Context::
28306 * GDB/MI Thread Commands::
28307 * GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands::
28308 * GDB/MI Program Execution::
28309 * GDB/MI Stack Manipulation::
28310 * GDB/MI Variable Objects::
28311 * GDB/MI Data Manipulation::
28312 * GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands::
28313 * GDB/MI Symbol Query::
28314 * GDB/MI File Commands::
28315 @ignore
28316 * GDB/MI Kod Commands::
28317 * GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands::
28318 * GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands::
28319 @end ignore
28320 * GDB/MI Target Manipulation::
28321 * GDB/MI File Transfer Commands::
28322 * GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands::
28323 @end menu
28324
28325 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28326 @node GDB/MI General Design
28327 @section @sc{gdb/mi} General Design
28328 @cindex GDB/MI General Design
28329
28330 Interaction of a @sc{GDB/MI} frontend with @value{GDBN} involves three
28331 parts---commands sent to @value{GDBN}, responses to those commands
28332 and notifications. Each command results in exactly one response,
28333 indicating either successful completion of the command, or an error.
28334 For the commands that do not resume the target, the response contains the
28335 requested information. For the commands that resume the target, the
28336 response only indicates whether the target was successfully resumed.
28337 Notifications is the mechanism for reporting changes in the state of the
28338 target, or in @value{GDBN} state, that cannot conveniently be associated with
28339 a command and reported as part of that command response.
28340
28341 The important examples of notifications are:
28342 @itemize @bullet
28343
28344 @item
28345 Exec notifications. These are used to report changes in
28346 target state---when a target is resumed, or stopped. It would not
28347 be feasible to include this information in response of resuming
28348 commands, because one resume commands can result in multiple events in
28349 different threads. Also, quite some time may pass before any event
28350 happens in the target, while a frontend needs to know whether the resuming
28351 command itself was successfully executed.
28352
28353 @item
28354 Console output, and status notifications. Console output
28355 notifications are used to report output of CLI commands, as well as
28356 diagnostics for other commands. Status notifications are used to
28357 report the progress of a long-running operation. Naturally, including
28358 this information in command response would mean no output is produced
28359 until the command is finished, which is undesirable.
28360
28361 @item
28362 General notifications. Commands may have various side effects on
28363 the @value{GDBN} or target state beyond their official purpose. For example,
28364 a command may change the selected thread. Although such changes can
28365 be included in command response, using notification allows for more
28366 orthogonal frontend design.
28367
28368 @end itemize
28369
28370 There's no guarantee that whenever an MI command reports an error,
28371 @value{GDBN} or the target are in any specific state, and especially,
28372 the state is not reverted to the state before the MI command was
28373 processed. Therefore, whenever an MI command results in an error,
28374 we recommend that the frontend refreshes all the information shown in
28375 the user interface.
28376
28377
28378 @menu
28379 * Context management::
28380 * Asynchronous and non-stop modes::
28381 * Thread groups::
28382 @end menu
28383
28384 @node Context management
28385 @subsection Context management
28386
28387 In most cases when @value{GDBN} accesses the target, this access is
28388 done in context of a specific thread and frame (@pxref{Frames}).
28389 Often, even when accessing global data, the target requires that a thread
28390 be specified. The CLI interface maintains the selected thread and frame,
28391 and supplies them to target on each command. This is convenient,
28392 because a command line user would not want to specify that information
28393 explicitly on each command, and because user interacts with
28394 @value{GDBN} via a single terminal, so no confusion is possible as
28395 to what thread and frame are the current ones.
28396
28397 In the case of MI, the concept of selected thread and frame is less
28398 useful. First, a frontend can easily remember this information
28399 itself. Second, a graphical frontend can have more than one window,
28400 each one used for debugging a different thread, and the frontend might
28401 want to access additional threads for internal purposes. This
28402 increases the risk that by relying on implicitly selected thread, the
28403 frontend may be operating on a wrong one. Therefore, each MI command
28404 should explicitly specify which thread and frame to operate on. To
28405 make it possible, each MI command accepts the @samp{--thread} and
28406 @samp{--frame} options, the value to each is @value{GDBN} identifier
28407 for thread and frame to operate on.
28408
28409 Usually, each top-level window in a frontend allows the user to select
28410 a thread and a frame, and remembers the user selection for further
28411 operations. However, in some cases @value{GDBN} may suggest that the
28412 current thread be changed. For example, when stopping on a breakpoint
28413 it is reasonable to switch to the thread where breakpoint is hit. For
28414 another example, if the user issues the CLI @samp{thread} command via
28415 the frontend, it is desirable to change the frontend's selected thread to the
28416 one specified by user. @value{GDBN} communicates the suggestion to
28417 change current thread using the @samp{=thread-selected} notification.
28418 No such notification is available for the selected frame at the moment.
28419
28420 Note that historically, MI shares the selected thread with CLI, so
28421 frontends used the @code{-thread-select} to execute commands in the
28422 right context. However, getting this to work right is cumbersome. The
28423 simplest way is for frontend to emit @code{-thread-select} command
28424 before every command. This doubles the number of commands that need
28425 to be sent. The alternative approach is to suppress @code{-thread-select}
28426 if the selected thread in @value{GDBN} is supposed to be identical to the
28427 thread the frontend wants to operate on. However, getting this
28428 optimization right can be tricky. In particular, if the frontend
28429 sends several commands to @value{GDBN}, and one of the commands changes the
28430 selected thread, then the behaviour of subsequent commands will
28431 change. So, a frontend should either wait for response from such
28432 problematic commands, or explicitly add @code{-thread-select} for
28433 all subsequent commands. No frontend is known to do this exactly
28434 right, so it is suggested to just always pass the @samp{--thread} and
28435 @samp{--frame} options.
28436
28437 @node Asynchronous and non-stop modes
28438 @subsection Asynchronous command execution and non-stop mode
28439
28440 On some targets, @value{GDBN} is capable of processing MI commands
28441 even while the target is running. This is called @dfn{asynchronous
28442 command execution} (@pxref{Background Execution}). The frontend may
28443 specify a preferrence for asynchronous execution using the
28444 @code{-gdb-set target-async 1} command, which should be emitted before
28445 either running the executable or attaching to the target. After the
28446 frontend has started the executable or attached to the target, it can
28447 find if asynchronous execution is enabled using the
28448 @code{-list-target-features} command.
28449
28450 Even if @value{GDBN} can accept a command while target is running,
28451 many commands that access the target do not work when the target is
28452 running. Therefore, asynchronous command execution is most useful
28453 when combined with non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}). Then,
28454 it is possible to examine the state of one thread, while other threads
28455 are running.
28456
28457 When a given thread is running, MI commands that try to access the
28458 target in the context of that thread may not work, or may work only on
28459 some targets. In particular, commands that try to operate on thread's
28460 stack will not work, on any target. Commands that read memory, or
28461 modify breakpoints, may work or not work, depending on the target. Note
28462 that even commands that operate on global state, such as @code{print},
28463 @code{set}, and breakpoint commands, still access the target in the
28464 context of a specific thread, so frontend should try to find a
28465 stopped thread and perform the operation on that thread (using the
28466 @samp{--thread} option).
28467
28468 Which commands will work in the context of a running thread is
28469 highly target dependent. However, the two commands
28470 @code{-exec-interrupt}, to stop a thread, and @code{-thread-info},
28471 to find the state of a thread, will always work.
28472
28473 @node Thread groups
28474 @subsection Thread groups
28475 @value{GDBN} may be used to debug several processes at the same time.
28476 On some platfroms, @value{GDBN} may support debugging of several
28477 hardware systems, each one having several cores with several different
28478 processes running on each core. This section describes the MI
28479 mechanism to support such debugging scenarios.
28480
28481 The key observation is that regardless of the structure of the
28482 target, MI can have a global list of threads, because most commands that
28483 accept the @samp{--thread} option do not need to know what process that
28484 thread belongs to. Therefore, it is not necessary to introduce
28485 neither additional @samp{--process} option, nor an notion of the
28486 current process in the MI interface. The only strictly new feature
28487 that is required is the ability to find how the threads are grouped
28488 into processes.
28489
28490 To allow the user to discover such grouping, and to support arbitrary
28491 hierarchy of machines/cores/processes, MI introduces the concept of a
28492 @dfn{thread group}. Thread group is a collection of threads and other
28493 thread groups. A thread group always has a string identifier, a type,
28494 and may have additional attributes specific to the type. A new
28495 command, @code{-list-thread-groups}, returns the list of top-level
28496 thread groups, which correspond to processes that @value{GDBN} is
28497 debugging at the moment. By passing an identifier of a thread group
28498 to the @code{-list-thread-groups} command, it is possible to obtain
28499 the members of specific thread group.
28500
28501 To allow the user to easily discover processes, and other objects, he
28502 wishes to debug, a concept of @dfn{available thread group} is
28503 introduced. Available thread group is an thread group that
28504 @value{GDBN} is not debugging, but that can be attached to, using the
28505 @code{-target-attach} command. The list of available top-level thread
28506 groups can be obtained using @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}.
28507 In general, the content of a thread group may be only retrieved only
28508 after attaching to that thread group.
28509
28510 Thread groups are related to inferiors (@pxref{Inferiors and
28511 Programs}). Each inferior corresponds to a thread group of a special
28512 type @samp{process}, and some additional operations are permitted on
28513 such thread groups.
28514
28515 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28516 @node GDB/MI Command Syntax
28517 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Syntax
28518
28519 @menu
28520 * GDB/MI Input Syntax::
28521 * GDB/MI Output Syntax::
28522 @end menu
28523
28524 @node GDB/MI Input Syntax
28525 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Input Syntax
28526
28527 @cindex input syntax for @sc{gdb/mi}
28528 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, input syntax
28529 @table @code
28530 @item @var{command} @expansion{}
28531 @code{@var{cli-command} | @var{mi-command}}
28532
28533 @item @var{cli-command} @expansion{}
28534 @code{[ @var{token} ] @var{cli-command} @var{nl}}, where
28535 @var{cli-command} is any existing @value{GDBN} CLI command.
28536
28537 @item @var{mi-command} @expansion{}
28538 @code{[ @var{token} ] "-" @var{operation} ( " " @var{option} )*
28539 @code{[} " --" @code{]} ( " " @var{parameter} )* @var{nl}}
28540
28541 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
28542 "any sequence of digits"
28543
28544 @item @var{option} @expansion{}
28545 @code{"-" @var{parameter} [ " " @var{parameter} ]}
28546
28547 @item @var{parameter} @expansion{}
28548 @code{@var{non-blank-sequence} | @var{c-string}}
28549
28550 @item @var{operation} @expansion{}
28551 @emph{any of the operations described in this chapter}
28552
28553 @item @var{non-blank-sequence} @expansion{}
28554 @emph{anything, provided it doesn't contain special characters such as
28555 "-", @var{nl}, """ and of course " "}
28556
28557 @item @var{c-string} @expansion{}
28558 @code{""" @var{seven-bit-iso-c-string-content} """}
28559
28560 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
28561 @code{CR | CR-LF}
28562 @end table
28563
28564 @noindent
28565 Notes:
28566
28567 @itemize @bullet
28568 @item
28569 The CLI commands are still handled by the @sc{mi} interpreter; their
28570 output is described below.
28571
28572 @item
28573 The @code{@var{token}}, when present, is passed back when the command
28574 finishes.
28575
28576 @item
28577 Some @sc{mi} commands accept optional arguments as part of the parameter
28578 list. Each option is identified by a leading @samp{-} (dash) and may be
28579 followed by an optional argument parameter. Options occur first in the
28580 parameter list and can be delimited from normal parameters using
28581 @samp{--} (this is useful when some parameters begin with a dash).
28582 @end itemize
28583
28584 Pragmatics:
28585
28586 @itemize @bullet
28587 @item
28588 We want easy access to the existing CLI syntax (for debugging).
28589
28590 @item
28591 We want it to be easy to spot a @sc{mi} operation.
28592 @end itemize
28593
28594 @node GDB/MI Output Syntax
28595 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax
28596
28597 @cindex output syntax of @sc{gdb/mi}
28598 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, output syntax
28599 The output from @sc{gdb/mi} consists of zero or more out-of-band records
28600 followed, optionally, by a single result record. This result record
28601 is for the most recent command. The sequence of output records is
28602 terminated by @samp{(gdb)}.
28603
28604 If an input command was prefixed with a @code{@var{token}} then the
28605 corresponding output for that command will also be prefixed by that same
28606 @var{token}.
28607
28608 @table @code
28609 @item @var{output} @expansion{}
28610 @code{( @var{out-of-band-record} )* [ @var{result-record} ] "(gdb)" @var{nl}}
28611
28612 @item @var{result-record} @expansion{}
28613 @code{ [ @var{token} ] "^" @var{result-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
28614
28615 @item @var{out-of-band-record} @expansion{}
28616 @code{@var{async-record} | @var{stream-record}}
28617
28618 @item @var{async-record} @expansion{}
28619 @code{@var{exec-async-output} | @var{status-async-output} | @var{notify-async-output}}
28620
28621 @item @var{exec-async-output} @expansion{}
28622 @code{[ @var{token} ] "*" @var{async-output}}
28623
28624 @item @var{status-async-output} @expansion{}
28625 @code{[ @var{token} ] "+" @var{async-output}}
28626
28627 @item @var{notify-async-output} @expansion{}
28628 @code{[ @var{token} ] "=" @var{async-output}}
28629
28630 @item @var{async-output} @expansion{}
28631 @code{@var{async-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
28632
28633 @item @var{result-class} @expansion{}
28634 @code{"done" | "running" | "connected" | "error" | "exit"}
28635
28636 @item @var{async-class} @expansion{}
28637 @code{"stopped" | @var{others}} (where @var{others} will be added
28638 depending on the needs---this is still in development).
28639
28640 @item @var{result} @expansion{}
28641 @code{ @var{variable} "=" @var{value}}
28642
28643 @item @var{variable} @expansion{}
28644 @code{ @var{string} }
28645
28646 @item @var{value} @expansion{}
28647 @code{ @var{const} | @var{tuple} | @var{list} }
28648
28649 @item @var{const} @expansion{}
28650 @code{@var{c-string}}
28651
28652 @item @var{tuple} @expansion{}
28653 @code{ "@{@}" | "@{" @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "@}" }
28654
28655 @item @var{list} @expansion{}
28656 @code{ "[]" | "[" @var{value} ( "," @var{value} )* "]" | "["
28657 @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "]" }
28658
28659 @item @var{stream-record} @expansion{}
28660 @code{@var{console-stream-output} | @var{target-stream-output} | @var{log-stream-output}}
28661
28662 @item @var{console-stream-output} @expansion{}
28663 @code{"~" @var{c-string}}
28664
28665 @item @var{target-stream-output} @expansion{}
28666 @code{"@@" @var{c-string}}
28667
28668 @item @var{log-stream-output} @expansion{}
28669 @code{"&" @var{c-string}}
28670
28671 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
28672 @code{CR | CR-LF}
28673
28674 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
28675 @emph{any sequence of digits}.
28676 @end table
28677
28678 @noindent
28679 Notes:
28680
28681 @itemize @bullet
28682 @item
28683 All output sequences end in a single line containing a period.
28684
28685 @item
28686 The @code{@var{token}} is from the corresponding request. Note that
28687 for all async output, while the token is allowed by the grammar and
28688 may be output by future versions of @value{GDBN} for select async
28689 output messages, it is generally omitted. Frontends should treat
28690 all async output as reporting general changes in the state of the
28691 target and there should be no need to associate async output to any
28692 prior command.
28693
28694 @item
28695 @cindex status output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28696 @var{status-async-output} contains on-going status information about the
28697 progress of a slow operation. It can be discarded. All status output is
28698 prefixed by @samp{+}.
28699
28700 @item
28701 @cindex async output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28702 @var{exec-async-output} contains asynchronous state change on the target
28703 (stopped, started, disappeared). All async output is prefixed by
28704 @samp{*}.
28705
28706 @item
28707 @cindex notify output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28708 @var{notify-async-output} contains supplementary information that the
28709 client should handle (e.g., a new breakpoint information). All notify
28710 output is prefixed by @samp{=}.
28711
28712 @item
28713 @cindex console output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28714 @var{console-stream-output} is output that should be displayed as is in the
28715 console. It is the textual response to a CLI command. All the console
28716 output is prefixed by @samp{~}.
28717
28718 @item
28719 @cindex target output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28720 @var{target-stream-output} is the output produced by the target program.
28721 All the target output is prefixed by @samp{@@}.
28722
28723 @item
28724 @cindex log output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28725 @var{log-stream-output} is output text coming from @value{GDBN}'s internals, for
28726 instance messages that should be displayed as part of an error log. All
28727 the log output is prefixed by @samp{&}.
28728
28729 @item
28730 @cindex list output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28731 New @sc{gdb/mi} commands should only output @var{lists} containing
28732 @var{values}.
28733
28734
28735 @end itemize
28736
28737 @xref{GDB/MI Stream Records, , @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records}, for more
28738 details about the various output records.
28739
28740 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28741 @node GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI
28742 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Compatibility with CLI
28743
28744 @cindex compatibility, @sc{gdb/mi} and CLI
28745 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, compatibility with CLI
28746
28747 For the developers convenience CLI commands can be entered directly,
28748 but there may be some unexpected behaviour. For example, commands
28749 that query the user will behave as if the user replied yes, breakpoint
28750 command lists are not executed and some CLI commands, such as
28751 @code{if}, @code{when} and @code{define}, prompt for further input with
28752 @samp{>}, which is not valid MI output.
28753
28754 This feature may be removed at some stage in the future and it is
28755 recommended that front ends use the @code{-interpreter-exec} command
28756 (@pxref{-interpreter-exec}).
28757
28758 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28759 @node GDB/MI Development and Front Ends
28760 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends
28761 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi} development
28762
28763 The application which takes the MI output and presents the state of the
28764 program being debugged to the user is called a @dfn{front end}.
28765
28766 Although @sc{gdb/mi} is still incomplete, it is currently being used
28767 by a variety of front ends to @value{GDBN}. This makes it difficult
28768 to introduce new functionality without breaking existing usage. This
28769 section tries to minimize the problems by describing how the protocol
28770 might change.
28771
28772 Some changes in MI need not break a carefully designed front end, and
28773 for these the MI version will remain unchanged. The following is a
28774 list of changes that may occur within one level, so front ends should
28775 parse MI output in a way that can handle them:
28776
28777 @itemize @bullet
28778 @item
28779 New MI commands may be added.
28780
28781 @item
28782 New fields may be added to the output of any MI command.
28783
28784 @item
28785 The range of values for fields with specified values, e.g.,
28786 @code{in_scope} (@pxref{-var-update}) may be extended.
28787
28788 @c The format of field's content e.g type prefix, may change so parse it
28789 @c at your own risk. Yes, in general?
28790
28791 @c The order of fields may change? Shouldn't really matter but it might
28792 @c resolve inconsistencies.
28793 @end itemize
28794
28795 If the changes are likely to break front ends, the MI version level
28796 will be increased by one. This will allow the front end to parse the
28797 output according to the MI version. Apart from mi0, new versions of
28798 @value{GDBN} will not support old versions of MI and it will be the
28799 responsibility of the front end to work with the new one.
28800
28801 @c Starting with mi3, add a new command -mi-version that prints the MI
28802 @c version?
28803
28804 The best way to avoid unexpected changes in MI that might break your front
28805 end is to make your project known to @value{GDBN} developers and
28806 follow development on @email{gdb@@sourceware.org} and
28807 @email{gdb-patches@@sourceware.org}.
28808 @cindex mailing lists
28809
28810 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28811 @node GDB/MI Output Records
28812 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Output Records
28813
28814 @menu
28815 * GDB/MI Result Records::
28816 * GDB/MI Stream Records::
28817 * GDB/MI Async Records::
28818 * GDB/MI Breakpoint Information::
28819 * GDB/MI Frame Information::
28820 * GDB/MI Thread Information::
28821 * GDB/MI Ada Exception Information::
28822 @end menu
28823
28824 @node GDB/MI Result Records
28825 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Result Records
28826
28827 @cindex result records in @sc{gdb/mi}
28828 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, result records
28829 In addition to a number of out-of-band notifications, the response to a
28830 @sc{gdb/mi} command includes one of the following result indications:
28831
28832 @table @code
28833 @findex ^done
28834 @item "^done" [ "," @var{results} ]
28835 The synchronous operation was successful, @code{@var{results}} are the return
28836 values.
28837
28838 @item "^running"
28839 @findex ^running
28840 This result record is equivalent to @samp{^done}. Historically, it
28841 was output instead of @samp{^done} if the command has resumed the
28842 target. This behaviour is maintained for backward compatibility, but
28843 all frontends should treat @samp{^done} and @samp{^running}
28844 identically and rely on the @samp{*running} output record to determine
28845 which threads are resumed.
28846
28847 @item "^connected"
28848 @findex ^connected
28849 @value{GDBN} has connected to a remote target.
28850
28851 @item "^error" "," @var{c-string}
28852 @findex ^error
28853 The operation failed. The @code{@var{c-string}} contains the corresponding
28854 error message.
28855
28856 @item "^exit"
28857 @findex ^exit
28858 @value{GDBN} has terminated.
28859
28860 @end table
28861
28862 @node GDB/MI Stream Records
28863 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records
28864
28865 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, stream records
28866 @cindex stream records in @sc{gdb/mi}
28867 @value{GDBN} internally maintains a number of output streams: the console, the
28868 target, and the log. The output intended for each of these streams is
28869 funneled through the @sc{gdb/mi} interface using @dfn{stream records}.
28870
28871 Each stream record begins with a unique @dfn{prefix character} which
28872 identifies its stream (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, , @sc{gdb/mi} Output
28873 Syntax}). In addition to the prefix, each stream record contains a
28874 @code{@var{string-output}}. This is either raw text (with an implicit new
28875 line) or a quoted C string (which does not contain an implicit newline).
28876
28877 @table @code
28878 @item "~" @var{string-output}
28879 The console output stream contains text that should be displayed in the
28880 CLI console window. It contains the textual responses to CLI commands.
28881
28882 @item "@@" @var{string-output}
28883 The target output stream contains any textual output from the running
28884 target. This is only present when GDB's event loop is truly
28885 asynchronous, which is currently only the case for remote targets.
28886
28887 @item "&" @var{string-output}
28888 The log stream contains debugging messages being produced by @value{GDBN}'s
28889 internals.
28890 @end table
28891
28892 @node GDB/MI Async Records
28893 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Async Records
28894
28895 @cindex async records in @sc{gdb/mi}
28896 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, async records
28897 @dfn{Async} records are used to notify the @sc{gdb/mi} client of
28898 additional changes that have occurred. Those changes can either be a
28899 consequence of @sc{gdb/mi} commands (e.g., a breakpoint modified) or a result of
28900 target activity (e.g., target stopped).
28901
28902 The following is the list of possible async records:
28903
28904 @table @code
28905
28906 @item *running,thread-id="@var{thread}"
28907 The target is now running. The @var{thread} field tells which
28908 specific thread is now running, and can be @samp{all} if all threads
28909 are running. The frontend should assume that no interaction with a
28910 running thread is possible after this notification is produced.
28911 The frontend should not assume that this notification is output
28912 only once for any command. @value{GDBN} may emit this notification
28913 several times, either for different threads, because it cannot resume
28914 all threads together, or even for a single thread, if the thread must
28915 be stepped though some code before letting it run freely.
28916
28917 @item *stopped,reason="@var{reason}",thread-id="@var{id}",stopped-threads="@var{stopped}",core="@var{core}"
28918 The target has stopped. The @var{reason} field can have one of the
28919 following values:
28920
28921 @table @code
28922 @item breakpoint-hit
28923 A breakpoint was reached.
28924 @item watchpoint-trigger
28925 A watchpoint was triggered.
28926 @item read-watchpoint-trigger
28927 A read watchpoint was triggered.
28928 @item access-watchpoint-trigger
28929 An access watchpoint was triggered.
28930 @item function-finished
28931 An -exec-finish or similar CLI command was accomplished.
28932 @item location-reached
28933 An -exec-until or similar CLI command was accomplished.
28934 @item watchpoint-scope
28935 A watchpoint has gone out of scope.
28936 @item end-stepping-range
28937 An -exec-next, -exec-next-instruction, -exec-step, -exec-step-instruction or
28938 similar CLI command was accomplished.
28939 @item exited-signalled
28940 The inferior exited because of a signal.
28941 @item exited
28942 The inferior exited.
28943 @item exited-normally
28944 The inferior exited normally.
28945 @item signal-received
28946 A signal was received by the inferior.
28947 @item solib-event
28948 The inferior has stopped due to a library being loaded or unloaded.
28949 This can happen when @code{stop-on-solib-events} (@pxref{Files}) is
28950 set or when a @code{catch load} or @code{catch unload} catchpoint is
28951 in use (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}).
28952 @item fork
28953 The inferior has forked. This is reported when @code{catch fork}
28954 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
28955 @item vfork
28956 The inferior has vforked. This is reported in when @code{catch vfork}
28957 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
28958 @item syscall-entry
28959 The inferior entered a system call. This is reported when @code{catch
28960 syscall} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
28961 @item syscall-entry
28962 The inferior returned from a system call. This is reported when
28963 @code{catch syscall} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
28964 @item exec
28965 The inferior called @code{exec}. This is reported when @code{catch exec}
28966 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
28967 @end table
28968
28969 The @var{id} field identifies the thread that directly caused the stop
28970 -- for example by hitting a breakpoint. Depending on whether all-stop
28971 mode is in effect (@pxref{All-Stop Mode}), @value{GDBN} may either
28972 stop all threads, or only the thread that directly triggered the stop.
28973 If all threads are stopped, the @var{stopped} field will have the
28974 value of @code{"all"}. Otherwise, the value of the @var{stopped}
28975 field will be a list of thread identifiers. Presently, this list will
28976 always include a single thread, but frontend should be prepared to see
28977 several threads in the list. The @var{core} field reports the
28978 processor core on which the stop event has happened. This field may be absent
28979 if such information is not available.
28980
28981 @item =thread-group-added,id="@var{id}"
28982 @itemx =thread-group-removed,id="@var{id}"
28983 A thread group was either added or removed. The @var{id} field
28984 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. When a thread
28985 group is added, it generally might not be associated with a running
28986 process. When a thread group is removed, its id becomes invalid and
28987 cannot be used in any way.
28988
28989 @item =thread-group-started,id="@var{id}",pid="@var{pid}"
28990 A thread group became associated with a running program,
28991 either because the program was just started or the thread group
28992 was attached to a program. The @var{id} field contains the
28993 @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. The @var{pid} field
28994 contains process identifier, specific to the operating system.
28995
28996 @item =thread-group-exited,id="@var{id}"[,exit-code="@var{code}"]
28997 A thread group is no longer associated with a running program,
28998 either because the program has exited, or because it was detached
28999 from. The @var{id} field contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the
29000 thread group. @var{code} is the exit code of the inferior; it exists
29001 only when the inferior exited with some code.
29002
29003 @item =thread-created,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
29004 @itemx =thread-exited,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
29005 A thread either was created, or has exited. The @var{id} field
29006 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread. The @var{gid}
29007 field identifies the thread group this thread belongs to.
29008
29009 @item =thread-selected,id="@var{id}"
29010 Informs that the selected thread was changed as result of the last
29011 command. This notification is not emitted as result of @code{-thread-select}
29012 command but is emitted whenever an MI command that is not documented
29013 to change the selected thread actually changes it. In particular,
29014 invoking, directly or indirectly (via user-defined command), the CLI
29015 @code{thread} command, will generate this notification.
29016
29017 We suggest that in response to this notification, front ends
29018 highlight the selected thread and cause subsequent commands to apply to
29019 that thread.
29020
29021 @item =library-loaded,...
29022 Reports that a new library file was loaded by the program. This
29023 notification has 4 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name},
29024 @var{host-name}, and @var{symbols-loaded}. The @var{id} field is an
29025 opaque identifier of the library. For remote debugging case,
29026 @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} fields give the name of the
29027 library file on the target, and on the host respectively. For native
29028 debugging, both those fields have the same value. The
29029 @var{symbols-loaded} field is emitted only for backward compatibility
29030 and should not be relied on to convey any useful information. The
29031 @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the thread
29032 group in whose context the library was loaded. If the field is
29033 absent, it means the library was loaded in the context of all present
29034 thread groups.
29035
29036 @item =library-unloaded,...
29037 Reports that a library was unloaded by the program. This notification
29038 has 3 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} with
29039 the same meaning as for the @code{=library-loaded} notification.
29040 The @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the
29041 thread group in whose context the library was unloaded. If the field is
29042 absent, it means the library was unloaded in the context of all present
29043 thread groups.
29044
29045 @item =traceframe-changed,num=@var{tfnum},tracepoint=@var{tpnum}
29046 @itemx =traceframe-changed,end
29047 Reports that the trace frame was changed and its new number is
29048 @var{tfnum}. The number of the tracepoint associated with this trace
29049 frame is @var{tpnum}.
29050
29051 @item =tsv-created,name=@var{name},initial=@var{initial}
29052 Reports that the new trace state variable @var{name} is created with
29053 initial value @var{initial}.
29054
29055 @item =tsv-deleted,name=@var{name}
29056 @itemx =tsv-deleted
29057 Reports that the trace state variable @var{name} is deleted or all
29058 trace state variables are deleted.
29059
29060 @item =tsv-modified,name=@var{name},initial=@var{initial}[,current=@var{current}]
29061 Reports that the trace state variable @var{name} is modified with
29062 the initial value @var{initial}. The current value @var{current} of
29063 trace state variable is optional and is reported if the current
29064 value of trace state variable is known.
29065
29066 @item =breakpoint-created,bkpt=@{...@}
29067 @itemx =breakpoint-modified,bkpt=@{...@}
29068 @itemx =breakpoint-deleted,id=@var{number}
29069 Reports that a breakpoint was created, modified, or deleted,
29070 respectively. Only user-visible breakpoints are reported to the MI
29071 user.
29072
29073 The @var{bkpt} argument is of the same form as returned by the various
29074 breakpoint commands; @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands}. The
29075 @var{number} is the ordinal number of the breakpoint.
29076
29077 Note that if a breakpoint is emitted in the result record of a
29078 command, then it will not also be emitted in an async record.
29079
29080 @item =record-started,thread-group="@var{id}"
29081 @itemx =record-stopped,thread-group="@var{id}"
29082 Execution log recording was either started or stopped on an
29083 inferior. The @var{id} is the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread
29084 group corresponding to the affected inferior.
29085
29086 @item =cmd-param-changed,param=@var{param},value=@var{value}
29087 Reports that a parameter of the command @code{set @var{param}} is
29088 changed to @var{value}. In the multi-word @code{set} command,
29089 the @var{param} is the whole parameter list to @code{set} command.
29090 For example, In command @code{set check type on}, @var{param}
29091 is @code{check type} and @var{value} is @code{on}.
29092
29093 @item =memory-changed,thread-group=@var{id},addr=@var{addr},len=@var{len}[,type="code"]
29094 Reports that bytes from @var{addr} to @var{data} + @var{len} were
29095 written in an inferior. The @var{id} is the identifier of the
29096 thread group corresponding to the affected inferior. The optional
29097 @code{type="code"} part is reported if the memory written to holds
29098 executable code.
29099 @end table
29100
29101 @node GDB/MI Breakpoint Information
29102 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Information
29103
29104 When @value{GDBN} reports information about a breakpoint, a
29105 tracepoint, a watchpoint, or a catchpoint, it uses a tuple with the
29106 following fields:
29107
29108 @table @code
29109 @item number
29110 The breakpoint number. For a breakpoint that represents one location
29111 of a multi-location breakpoint, this will be a dotted pair, like
29112 @samp{1.2}.
29113
29114 @item type
29115 The type of the breakpoint. For ordinary breakpoints this will be
29116 @samp{breakpoint}, but many values are possible.
29117
29118 @item catch-type
29119 If the type of the breakpoint is @samp{catchpoint}, then this
29120 indicates the exact type of catchpoint.
29121
29122 @item disp
29123 This is the breakpoint disposition---either @samp{del}, meaning that
29124 the breakpoint will be deleted at the next stop, or @samp{keep},
29125 meaning that the breakpoint will not be deleted.
29126
29127 @item enabled
29128 This indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled, in which case the
29129 value is @samp{y}, or disabled, in which case the value is @samp{n}.
29130 Note that this is not the same as the field @code{enable}.
29131
29132 @item addr
29133 The address of the breakpoint. This may be a hexidecimal number,
29134 giving the address; or the string @samp{<PENDING>}, for a pending
29135 breakpoint; or the string @samp{<MULTIPLE>}, for a breakpoint with
29136 multiple locations. This field will not be present if no address can
29137 be determined. For example, a watchpoint does not have an address.
29138
29139 @item func
29140 If known, the function in which the breakpoint appears.
29141 If not known, this field is not present.
29142
29143 @item filename
29144 The name of the source file which contains this function, if known.
29145 If not known, this field is not present.
29146
29147 @item fullname
29148 The full file name of the source file which contains this function, if
29149 known. If not known, this field is not present.
29150
29151 @item line
29152 The line number at which this breakpoint appears, if known.
29153 If not known, this field is not present.
29154
29155 @item at
29156 If the source file is not known, this field may be provided. If
29157 provided, this holds the address of the breakpoint, possibly followed
29158 by a symbol name.
29159
29160 @item pending
29161 If this breakpoint is pending, this field is present and holds the
29162 text used to set the breakpoint, as entered by the user.
29163
29164 @item evaluated-by
29165 Where this breakpoint's condition is evaluated, either @samp{host} or
29166 @samp{target}.
29167
29168 @item thread
29169 If this is a thread-specific breakpoint, then this identifies the
29170 thread in which the breakpoint can trigger.
29171
29172 @item task
29173 If this breakpoint is restricted to a particular Ada task, then this
29174 field will hold the task identifier.
29175
29176 @item cond
29177 If the breakpoint is conditional, this is the condition expression.
29178
29179 @item ignore
29180 The ignore count of the breakpoint.
29181
29182 @item enable
29183 The enable count of the breakpoint.
29184
29185 @item traceframe-usage
29186 FIXME.
29187
29188 @item static-tracepoint-marker-string-id
29189 For a static tracepoint, the name of the static tracepoint marker.
29190
29191 @item mask
29192 For a masked watchpoint, this is the mask.
29193
29194 @item pass
29195 A tracepoint's pass count.
29196
29197 @item original-location
29198 The location of the breakpoint as originally specified by the user.
29199 This field is optional.
29200
29201 @item times
29202 The number of times the breakpoint has been hit.
29203
29204 @item installed
29205 This field is only given for tracepoints. This is either @samp{y},
29206 meaning that the tracepoint is installed, or @samp{n}, meaning that it
29207 is not.
29208
29209 @item what
29210 Some extra data, the exact contents of which are type-dependent.
29211
29212 @end table
29213
29214 For example, here is what the output of @code{-break-insert}
29215 (@pxref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands}) might be:
29216
29217 @smallexample
29218 -> -break-insert main
29219 <- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29220 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
29221 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",thread-groups=["i1"],
29222 times="0"@}
29223 <- (gdb)
29224 @end smallexample
29225
29226 @node GDB/MI Frame Information
29227 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Frame Information
29228
29229 Response from many MI commands includes an information about stack
29230 frame. This information is a tuple that may have the following
29231 fields:
29232
29233 @table @code
29234 @item level
29235 The level of the stack frame. The innermost frame has the level of
29236 zero. This field is always present.
29237
29238 @item func
29239 The name of the function corresponding to the frame. This field may
29240 be absent if @value{GDBN} is unable to determine the function name.
29241
29242 @item addr
29243 The code address for the frame. This field is always present.
29244
29245 @item file
29246 The name of the source files that correspond to the frame's code
29247 address. This field may be absent.
29248
29249 @item line
29250 The source line corresponding to the frames' code address. This field
29251 may be absent.
29252
29253 @item from
29254 The name of the binary file (either executable or shared library) the
29255 corresponds to the frame's code address. This field may be absent.
29256
29257 @end table
29258
29259 @node GDB/MI Thread Information
29260 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Information
29261
29262 Whenever @value{GDBN} has to report an information about a thread, it
29263 uses a tuple with the following fields:
29264
29265 @table @code
29266 @item id
29267 The numeric id assigned to the thread by @value{GDBN}. This field is
29268 always present.
29269
29270 @item target-id
29271 Target-specific string identifying the thread. This field is always present.
29272
29273 @item details
29274 Additional information about the thread provided by the target.
29275 It is supposed to be human-readable and not interpreted by the
29276 frontend. This field is optional.
29277
29278 @item state
29279 Either @samp{stopped} or @samp{running}, depending on whether the
29280 thread is presently running. This field is always present.
29281
29282 @item core
29283 The value of this field is an integer number of the processor core the
29284 thread was last seen on. This field is optional.
29285 @end table
29286
29287 @node GDB/MI Ada Exception Information
29288 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Exception Information
29289
29290 Whenever a @code{*stopped} record is emitted because the program
29291 stopped after hitting an exception catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}),
29292 @value{GDBN} provides the name of the exception that was raised via
29293 the @code{exception-name} field.
29294
29295 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29296 @node GDB/MI Simple Examples
29297 @section Simple Examples of @sc{gdb/mi} Interaction
29298 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, simple examples
29299
29300 This subsection presents several simple examples of interaction using
29301 the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. In these examples, @samp{->} means that the
29302 following line is passed to @sc{gdb/mi} as input, while @samp{<-} means
29303 the output received from @sc{gdb/mi}.
29304
29305 Note the line breaks shown in the examples are here only for
29306 readability, they don't appear in the real output.
29307
29308 @subheading Setting a Breakpoint
29309
29310 Setting a breakpoint generates synchronous output which contains detailed
29311 information of the breakpoint.
29312
29313 @smallexample
29314 -> -break-insert main
29315 <- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29316 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
29317 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",thread-groups=["i1"],
29318 times="0"@}
29319 <- (gdb)
29320 @end smallexample
29321
29322 @subheading Program Execution
29323
29324 Program execution generates asynchronous records and MI gives the
29325 reason that execution stopped.
29326
29327 @smallexample
29328 -> -exec-run
29329 <- ^running
29330 <- (gdb)
29331 <- *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
29332 frame=@{addr="0x08048564",func="main",
29333 args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},@{name="argv",value="0xbfc4d4d4"@}],
29334 file="myprog.c",fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68"@}
29335 <- (gdb)
29336 -> -exec-continue
29337 <- ^running
29338 <- (gdb)
29339 <- *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
29340 <- (gdb)
29341 @end smallexample
29342
29343 @subheading Quitting @value{GDBN}
29344
29345 Quitting @value{GDBN} just prints the result class @samp{^exit}.
29346
29347 @smallexample
29348 -> (gdb)
29349 <- -gdb-exit
29350 <- ^exit
29351 @end smallexample
29352
29353 Please note that @samp{^exit} is printed immediately, but it might
29354 take some time for @value{GDBN} to actually exit. During that time, @value{GDBN}
29355 performs necessary cleanups, including killing programs being debugged
29356 or disconnecting from debug hardware, so the frontend should wait till
29357 @value{GDBN} exits and should only forcibly kill @value{GDBN} if it
29358 fails to exit in reasonable time.
29359
29360 @subheading A Bad Command
29361
29362 Here's what happens if you pass a non-existent command:
29363
29364 @smallexample
29365 -> -rubbish
29366 <- ^error,msg="Undefined MI command: rubbish"
29367 <- (gdb)
29368 @end smallexample
29369
29370
29371 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29372 @node GDB/MI Command Description Format
29373 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Description Format
29374
29375 The remaining sections describe blocks of commands. Each block of
29376 commands is laid out in a fashion similar to this section.
29377
29378 @subheading Motivation
29379
29380 The motivation for this collection of commands.
29381
29382 @subheading Introduction
29383
29384 A brief introduction to this collection of commands as a whole.
29385
29386 @subheading Commands
29387
29388 For each command in the block, the following is described:
29389
29390 @subsubheading Synopsis
29391
29392 @smallexample
29393 -command @var{args}@dots{}
29394 @end smallexample
29395
29396 @subsubheading Result
29397
29398 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29399
29400 The corresponding @value{GDBN} CLI command(s), if any.
29401
29402 @subsubheading Example
29403
29404 Example(s) formatted for readability. Some of the described commands have
29405 not been implemented yet and these are labeled N.A.@: (not available).
29406
29407
29408 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29409 @node GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands
29410 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Commands
29411
29412 @cindex breakpoint commands for @sc{gdb/mi}
29413 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, breakpoint commands
29414 This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
29415 breakpoints.
29416
29417 @subheading The @code{-break-after} Command
29418 @findex -break-after
29419
29420 @subsubheading Synopsis
29421
29422 @smallexample
29423 -break-after @var{number} @var{count}
29424 @end smallexample
29425
29426 The breakpoint number @var{number} is not in effect until it has been
29427 hit @var{count} times. To see how this is reflected in the output of
29428 the @samp{-break-list} command, see the description of the
29429 @samp{-break-list} command below.
29430
29431 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29432
29433 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ignore}.
29434
29435 @subsubheading Example
29436
29437 @smallexample
29438 (gdb)
29439 -break-insert main
29440 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29441 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
29442 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
29443 times="0"@}
29444 (gdb)
29445 -break-after 1 3
29446 ~
29447 ^done
29448 (gdb)
29449 -break-list
29450 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29451 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29452 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29453 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29454 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29455 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29456 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29457 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29458 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29459 line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
29460 (gdb)
29461 @end smallexample
29462
29463 @ignore
29464 @subheading The @code{-break-catch} Command
29465 @findex -break-catch
29466 @end ignore
29467
29468 @subheading The @code{-break-commands} Command
29469 @findex -break-commands
29470
29471 @subsubheading Synopsis
29472
29473 @smallexample
29474 -break-commands @var{number} [ @var{command1} ... @var{commandN} ]
29475 @end smallexample
29476
29477 Specifies the CLI commands that should be executed when breakpoint
29478 @var{number} is hit. The parameters @var{command1} to @var{commandN}
29479 are the commands. If no command is specified, any previously-set
29480 commands are cleared. @xref{Break Commands}. Typical use of this
29481 functionality is tracing a program, that is, printing of values of
29482 some variables whenever breakpoint is hit and then continuing.
29483
29484 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29485
29486 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{commands}.
29487
29488 @subsubheading Example
29489
29490 @smallexample
29491 (gdb)
29492 -break-insert main
29493 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29494 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
29495 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
29496 times="0"@}
29497 (gdb)
29498 -break-commands 1 "print v" "continue"
29499 ^done
29500 (gdb)
29501 @end smallexample
29502
29503 @subheading The @code{-break-condition} Command
29504 @findex -break-condition
29505
29506 @subsubheading Synopsis
29507
29508 @smallexample
29509 -break-condition @var{number} @var{expr}
29510 @end smallexample
29511
29512 Breakpoint @var{number} will stop the program only if the condition in
29513 @var{expr} is true. The condition becomes part of the
29514 @samp{-break-list} output (see the description of the @samp{-break-list}
29515 command below).
29516
29517 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29518
29519 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{condition}.
29520
29521 @subsubheading Example
29522
29523 @smallexample
29524 (gdb)
29525 -break-condition 1 1
29526 ^done
29527 (gdb)
29528 -break-list
29529 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29530 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29531 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29532 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29533 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29534 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29535 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29536 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29537 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29538 line="5",cond="1",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
29539 (gdb)
29540 @end smallexample
29541
29542 @subheading The @code{-break-delete} Command
29543 @findex -break-delete
29544
29545 @subsubheading Synopsis
29546
29547 @smallexample
29548 -break-delete ( @var{breakpoint} )+
29549 @end smallexample
29550
29551 Delete the breakpoint(s) whose number(s) are specified in the argument
29552 list. This is obviously reflected in the breakpoint list.
29553
29554 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29555
29556 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{delete}.
29557
29558 @subsubheading Example
29559
29560 @smallexample
29561 (gdb)
29562 -break-delete 1
29563 ^done
29564 (gdb)
29565 -break-list
29566 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
29567 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29568 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29569 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29570 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29571 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29572 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29573 body=[]@}
29574 (gdb)
29575 @end smallexample
29576
29577 @subheading The @code{-break-disable} Command
29578 @findex -break-disable
29579
29580 @subsubheading Synopsis
29581
29582 @smallexample
29583 -break-disable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
29584 @end smallexample
29585
29586 Disable the named @var{breakpoint}(s). The field @samp{enabled} in the
29587 break list is now set to @samp{n} for the named @var{breakpoint}(s).
29588
29589 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29590
29591 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disable}.
29592
29593 @subsubheading Example
29594
29595 @smallexample
29596 (gdb)
29597 -break-disable 2
29598 ^done
29599 (gdb)
29600 -break-list
29601 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29602 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29603 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29604 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29605 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29606 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29607 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29608 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
29609 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29610 line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
29611 (gdb)
29612 @end smallexample
29613
29614 @subheading The @code{-break-enable} Command
29615 @findex -break-enable
29616
29617 @subsubheading Synopsis
29618
29619 @smallexample
29620 -break-enable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
29621 @end smallexample
29622
29623 Enable (previously disabled) @var{breakpoint}(s).
29624
29625 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29626
29627 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{enable}.
29628
29629 @subsubheading Example
29630
29631 @smallexample
29632 (gdb)
29633 -break-enable 2
29634 ^done
29635 (gdb)
29636 -break-list
29637 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29638 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29639 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29640 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29641 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29642 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29643 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29644 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29645 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29646 line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
29647 (gdb)
29648 @end smallexample
29649
29650 @subheading The @code{-break-info} Command
29651 @findex -break-info
29652
29653 @subsubheading Synopsis
29654
29655 @smallexample
29656 -break-info @var{breakpoint}
29657 @end smallexample
29658
29659 @c REDUNDANT???
29660 Get information about a single breakpoint.
29661
29662 The result is a table of breakpoints. @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint
29663 Information}, for details on the format of each breakpoint in the
29664 table.
29665
29666 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29667
29668 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break @var{breakpoint}}.
29669
29670 @subsubheading Example
29671 N.A.
29672
29673 @subheading The @code{-break-insert} Command
29674 @findex -break-insert
29675
29676 @subsubheading Synopsis
29677
29678 @smallexample
29679 -break-insert [ -t ] [ -h ] [ -f ] [ -d ] [ -a ]
29680 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
29681 [ -p @var{thread-id} ] [ @var{location} ]
29682 @end smallexample
29683
29684 @noindent
29685 If specified, @var{location}, can be one of:
29686
29687 @itemize @bullet
29688 @item function
29689 @c @item +offset
29690 @c @item -offset
29691 @c @item linenum
29692 @item filename:linenum
29693 @item filename:function
29694 @item *address
29695 @end itemize
29696
29697 The possible optional parameters of this command are:
29698
29699 @table @samp
29700 @item -t
29701 Insert a temporary breakpoint.
29702 @item -h
29703 Insert a hardware breakpoint.
29704 @item -f
29705 If @var{location} cannot be parsed (for example if it
29706 refers to unknown files or functions), create a pending
29707 breakpoint. Without this flag, @value{GDBN} will report
29708 an error, and won't create a breakpoint, if @var{location}
29709 cannot be parsed.
29710 @item -d
29711 Create a disabled breakpoint.
29712 @item -a
29713 Create a tracepoint. @xref{Tracepoints}. When this parameter
29714 is used together with @samp{-h}, a fast tracepoint is created.
29715 @item -c @var{condition}
29716 Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
29717 @item -i @var{ignore-count}
29718 Initialize the @var{ignore-count}.
29719 @item -p @var{thread-id}
29720 Restrict the breakpoint to the specified @var{thread-id}.
29721 @end table
29722
29723 @subsubheading Result
29724
29725 @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Information}, for details on the format of the
29726 resulting breakpoint.
29727
29728 Note: this format is open to change.
29729 @c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
29730
29731 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29732
29733 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{break}, @samp{tbreak},
29734 @samp{hbreak}, and @samp{thbreak}. @c and @samp{rbreak}.
29735
29736 @subsubheading Example
29737
29738 @smallexample
29739 (gdb)
29740 -break-insert main
29741 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",
29742 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="4",thread-groups=["i1"],
29743 times="0"@}
29744 (gdb)
29745 -break-insert -t foo
29746 ^done,bkpt=@{number="2",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c",
29747 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
29748 times="0"@}
29749 (gdb)
29750 -break-list
29751 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
29752 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29753 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29754 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29755 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29756 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29757 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29758 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29759 addr="0x0001072c", func="main",file="recursive2.c",
29760 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,"line="4",thread-groups=["i1"],
29761 times="0"@},
29762 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
29763 addr="0x00010774",func="foo",file="recursive2.c",
29764 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
29765 times="0"@}]@}
29766 (gdb)
29767 @c -break-insert -r foo.*
29768 @c ~int foo(int, int);
29769 @c ^done,bkpt=@{number="3",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c,
29770 @c "fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
29771 @c times="0"@}
29772 @c (gdb)
29773 @end smallexample
29774
29775 @subheading The @code{-break-list} Command
29776 @findex -break-list
29777
29778 @subsubheading Synopsis
29779
29780 @smallexample
29781 -break-list
29782 @end smallexample
29783
29784 Displays the list of inserted breakpoints, showing the following fields:
29785
29786 @table @samp
29787 @item Number
29788 number of the breakpoint
29789 @item Type
29790 type of the breakpoint: @samp{breakpoint} or @samp{watchpoint}
29791 @item Disposition
29792 should the breakpoint be deleted or disabled when it is hit: @samp{keep}
29793 or @samp{nokeep}
29794 @item Enabled
29795 is the breakpoint enabled or no: @samp{y} or @samp{n}
29796 @item Address
29797 memory location at which the breakpoint is set
29798 @item What
29799 logical location of the breakpoint, expressed by function name, file
29800 name, line number
29801 @item Thread-groups
29802 list of thread groups to which this breakpoint applies
29803 @item Times
29804 number of times the breakpoint has been hit
29805 @end table
29806
29807 If there are no breakpoints or watchpoints, the @code{BreakpointTable}
29808 @code{body} field is an empty list.
29809
29810 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29811
29812 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break}.
29813
29814 @subsubheading Example
29815
29816 @smallexample
29817 (gdb)
29818 -break-list
29819 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
29820 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29821 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29822 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29823 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29824 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29825 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29826 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29827 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
29828 times="0"@},
29829 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29830 addr="0x00010114",func="foo",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29831 line="13",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
29832 (gdb)
29833 @end smallexample
29834
29835 Here's an example of the result when there are no breakpoints:
29836
29837 @smallexample
29838 (gdb)
29839 -break-list
29840 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
29841 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29842 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29843 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29844 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29845 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29846 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29847 body=[]@}
29848 (gdb)
29849 @end smallexample
29850
29851 @subheading The @code{-break-passcount} Command
29852 @findex -break-passcount
29853
29854 @subsubheading Synopsis
29855
29856 @smallexample
29857 -break-passcount @var{tracepoint-number} @var{passcount}
29858 @end smallexample
29859
29860 Set the passcount for tracepoint @var{tracepoint-number} to
29861 @var{passcount}. If the breakpoint referred to by @var{tracepoint-number}
29862 is not a tracepoint, error is emitted. This corresponds to CLI
29863 command @samp{passcount}.
29864
29865 @subheading The @code{-break-watch} Command
29866 @findex -break-watch
29867
29868 @subsubheading Synopsis
29869
29870 @smallexample
29871 -break-watch [ -a | -r ]
29872 @end smallexample
29873
29874 Create a watchpoint. With the @samp{-a} option it will create an
29875 @dfn{access} watchpoint, i.e., a watchpoint that triggers either on a
29876 read from or on a write to the memory location. With the @samp{-r}
29877 option, the watchpoint created is a @dfn{read} watchpoint, i.e., it will
29878 trigger only when the memory location is accessed for reading. Without
29879 either of the options, the watchpoint created is a regular watchpoint,
29880 i.e., it will trigger when the memory location is accessed for writing.
29881 @xref{Set Watchpoints, , Setting Watchpoints}.
29882
29883 Note that @samp{-break-list} will report a single list of watchpoints and
29884 breakpoints inserted.
29885
29886 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29887
29888 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{watch}, @samp{awatch}, and
29889 @samp{rwatch}.
29890
29891 @subsubheading Example
29892
29893 Setting a watchpoint on a variable in the @code{main} function:
29894
29895 @smallexample
29896 (gdb)
29897 -break-watch x
29898 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@}
29899 (gdb)
29900 -exec-continue
29901 ^running
29902 (gdb)
29903 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@},
29904 value=@{old="-268439212",new="55"@},
29905 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
29906 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="5"@}
29907 (gdb)
29908 @end smallexample
29909
29910 Setting a watchpoint on a variable local to a function. @value{GDBN} will stop
29911 the program execution twice: first for the variable changing value, then
29912 for the watchpoint going out of scope.
29913
29914 @smallexample
29915 (gdb)
29916 -break-watch C
29917 ^done,wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@}
29918 (gdb)
29919 -exec-continue
29920 ^running
29921 (gdb)
29922 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",
29923 wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@},value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
29924 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
29925 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
29926 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
29927 (gdb)
29928 -exec-continue
29929 ^running
29930 (gdb)
29931 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="5",
29932 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
29933 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
29934 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
29935 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
29936 (gdb)
29937 @end smallexample
29938
29939 Listing breakpoints and watchpoints, at different points in the program
29940 execution. Note that once the watchpoint goes out of scope, it is
29941 deleted.
29942
29943 @smallexample
29944 (gdb)
29945 -break-watch C
29946 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@}
29947 (gdb)
29948 -break-list
29949 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
29950 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29951 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29952 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29953 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29954 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29955 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29956 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29957 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
29958 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
29959 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c"line="8",thread-groups=["i1"],
29960 times="1"@},
29961 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
29962 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
29963 (gdb)
29964 -exec-continue
29965 ^running
29966 (gdb)
29967 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@},
29968 value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
29969 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
29970 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
29971 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
29972 (gdb)
29973 -break-list
29974 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
29975 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29976 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29977 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29978 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29979 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29980 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29981 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29982 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
29983 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
29984 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",thread-groups=["i1"],
29985 times="1"@},
29986 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
29987 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",thread-groups=["i1"],times="-5"@}]@}
29988 (gdb)
29989 -exec-continue
29990 ^running
29991 ^done,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="2",
29992 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
29993 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
29994 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
29995 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
29996 (gdb)
29997 -break-list
29998 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29999 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30000 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30001 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30002 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30003 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30004 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30005 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30006 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
30007 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30008 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",
30009 thread-groups=["i1"],times="1"@}]@}
30010 (gdb)
30011 @end smallexample
30012
30013
30014 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30015 @node GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands
30016 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Catchpoint Commands
30017
30018 This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
30019 catchpoints.
30020
30021 @subheading The @code{-catch-load} Command
30022 @findex -catch-load
30023
30024 @subsubheading Synopsis
30025
30026 @smallexample
30027 -catch-load [ -t ] [ -d ] @var{regexp}
30028 @end smallexample
30029
30030 Add a catchpoint for library load events. If the @samp{-t} option is used,
30031 the catchpoint is a temporary one (@pxref{Set Breaks, ,Setting
30032 Breakpoints}). If the @samp{-d} option is used, the catchpoint is created
30033 in a disabled state. The @samp{regexp} argument is a regular
30034 expression used to match the name of the loaded library.
30035
30036
30037 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30038
30039 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{catch load}.
30040
30041 @subsubheading Example
30042
30043 @smallexample
30044 -catch-load -t foo.so
30045 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="catchpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
30046 what="load of library matching foo.so",catch-type="load",times="0"@}
30047 (gdb)
30048 @end smallexample
30049
30050
30051 @subheading The @code{-catch-unload} Command
30052 @findex -catch-unload
30053
30054 @subsubheading Synopsis
30055
30056 @smallexample
30057 -catch-unload [ -t ] [ -d ] @var{regexp}
30058 @end smallexample
30059
30060 Add a catchpoint for library unload events. If the @samp{-t} option is
30061 used, the catchpoint is a temporary one (@pxref{Set Breaks, ,Setting
30062 Breakpoints}). If the @samp{-d} option is used, the catchpoint is
30063 created in a disabled state. The @samp{regexp} argument is a regular
30064 expression used to match the name of the unloaded library.
30065
30066 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30067
30068 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{catch unload}.
30069
30070 @subsubheading Example
30071
30072 @smallexample
30073 -catch-unload -d bar.so
30074 ^done,bkpt=@{number="2",type="catchpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
30075 what="load of library matching bar.so",catch-type="unload",times="0"@}
30076 (gdb)
30077 @end smallexample
30078
30079
30080 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30081 @node GDB/MI Program Context
30082 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Context
30083
30084 @subheading The @code{-exec-arguments} Command
30085 @findex -exec-arguments
30086
30087
30088 @subsubheading Synopsis
30089
30090 @smallexample
30091 -exec-arguments @var{args}
30092 @end smallexample
30093
30094 Set the inferior program arguments, to be used in the next
30095 @samp{-exec-run}.
30096
30097 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30098
30099 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set args}.
30100
30101 @subsubheading Example
30102
30103 @smallexample
30104 (gdb)
30105 -exec-arguments -v word
30106 ^done
30107 (gdb)
30108 @end smallexample
30109
30110
30111 @ignore
30112 @subheading The @code{-exec-show-arguments} Command
30113 @findex -exec-show-arguments
30114
30115 @subsubheading Synopsis
30116
30117 @smallexample
30118 -exec-show-arguments
30119 @end smallexample
30120
30121 Print the arguments of the program.
30122
30123 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30124
30125 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show args}.
30126
30127 @subsubheading Example
30128 N.A.
30129 @end ignore
30130
30131
30132 @subheading The @code{-environment-cd} Command
30133 @findex -environment-cd
30134
30135 @subsubheading Synopsis
30136
30137 @smallexample
30138 -environment-cd @var{pathdir}
30139 @end smallexample
30140
30141 Set @value{GDBN}'s working directory.
30142
30143 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30144
30145 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{cd}.
30146
30147 @subsubheading Example
30148
30149 @smallexample
30150 (gdb)
30151 -environment-cd /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
30152 ^done
30153 (gdb)
30154 @end smallexample
30155
30156
30157 @subheading The @code{-environment-directory} Command
30158 @findex -environment-directory
30159
30160 @subsubheading Synopsis
30161
30162 @smallexample
30163 -environment-directory [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
30164 @end smallexample
30165
30166 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for source files.
30167 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the default
30168 search path. If directories @var{pathdir} are supplied in addition to the
30169 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
30170 occurs as normal.
30171 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
30172 multiple directories in a single command
30173 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
30174 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
30175 If blanks are needed as
30176 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
30177 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
30178 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
30179 character must not be used
30180 in any directory name.
30181 If no directories are specified, the current search path is displayed.
30182
30183 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30184
30185 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dir}.
30186
30187 @subsubheading Example
30188
30189 @smallexample
30190 (gdb)
30191 -environment-directory /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
30192 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
30193 (gdb)
30194 -environment-directory ""
30195 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
30196 (gdb)
30197 -environment-directory -r /home/jjohnstn/src/gdb /usr/src
30198 ^done,source-path="/home/jjohnstn/src/gdb:/usr/src:$cdir:$cwd"
30199 (gdb)
30200 -environment-directory -r
30201 ^done,source-path="$cdir:$cwd"
30202 (gdb)
30203 @end smallexample
30204
30205
30206 @subheading The @code{-environment-path} Command
30207 @findex -environment-path
30208
30209 @subsubheading Synopsis
30210
30211 @smallexample
30212 -environment-path [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
30213 @end smallexample
30214
30215 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for object files.
30216 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the original
30217 search path that existed at gdb start-up. If directories @var{pathdir} are
30218 supplied in addition to the
30219 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
30220 occurs as normal.
30221 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
30222 multiple directories in a single command
30223 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
30224 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
30225 If blanks are needed as
30226 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
30227 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
30228 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
30229 character must not be used
30230 in any directory name.
30231 If no directories are specified, the current path is displayed.
30232
30233
30234 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30235
30236 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{path}.
30237
30238 @subsubheading Example
30239
30240 @smallexample
30241 (gdb)
30242 -environment-path
30243 ^done,path="/usr/bin"
30244 (gdb)
30245 -environment-path /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb /bin
30246 ^done,path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb:/bin:/usr/bin"
30247 (gdb)
30248 -environment-path -r /usr/local/bin
30249 ^done,path="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
30250 (gdb)
30251 @end smallexample
30252
30253
30254 @subheading The @code{-environment-pwd} Command
30255 @findex -environment-pwd
30256
30257 @subsubheading Synopsis
30258
30259 @smallexample
30260 -environment-pwd
30261 @end smallexample
30262
30263 Show the current working directory.
30264
30265 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30266
30267 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{pwd}.
30268
30269 @subsubheading Example
30270
30271 @smallexample
30272 (gdb)
30273 -environment-pwd
30274 ^done,cwd="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb"
30275 (gdb)
30276 @end smallexample
30277
30278 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30279 @node GDB/MI Thread Commands
30280 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Commands
30281
30282
30283 @subheading The @code{-thread-info} Command
30284 @findex -thread-info
30285
30286 @subsubheading Synopsis
30287
30288 @smallexample
30289 -thread-info [ @var{thread-id} ]
30290 @end smallexample
30291
30292 Reports information about either a specific thread, if
30293 the @var{thread-id} parameter is present, or about all
30294 threads. When printing information about all threads,
30295 also reports the current thread.
30296
30297 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30298
30299 The @samp{info thread} command prints the same information
30300 about all threads.
30301
30302 @subsubheading Result
30303
30304 The result is a list of threads. The following attributes are
30305 defined for a given thread:
30306
30307 @table @samp
30308 @item current
30309 This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
30310
30311 @item id
30312 The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the thread.
30313
30314 @item target-id
30315 The identifier that the target uses to refer to the thread.
30316
30317 @item details
30318 Extra information about the thread, in a target-specific format. This
30319 field is optional.
30320
30321 @item name
30322 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using the
30323 @code{thread name} command, then this name is given. Otherwise, if
30324 @value{GDBN} can extract the thread name from the target, then that
30325 name is given. If @value{GDBN} cannot find the thread name, then this
30326 field is omitted.
30327
30328 @item frame
30329 The stack frame currently executing in the thread.
30330
30331 @item state
30332 The thread's state. The @samp{state} field may have the following
30333 values:
30334
30335 @table @code
30336 @item stopped
30337 The thread is stopped. Frame information is available for stopped
30338 threads.
30339
30340 @item running
30341 The thread is running. There's no frame information for running
30342 threads.
30343
30344 @end table
30345
30346 @item core
30347 If @value{GDBN} can find the CPU core on which this thread is running,
30348 then this field is the core identifier. This field is optional.
30349
30350 @end table
30351
30352 @subsubheading Example
30353
30354 @smallexample
30355 -thread-info
30356 ^done,threads=[
30357 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
30358 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",
30359 args=[]@},state="running"@},
30360 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
30361 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",
30362 args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
30363 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},
30364 state="running"@}],
30365 current-thread-id="1"
30366 (gdb)
30367 @end smallexample
30368
30369 @subheading The @code{-thread-list-ids} Command
30370 @findex -thread-list-ids
30371
30372 @subsubheading Synopsis
30373
30374 @smallexample
30375 -thread-list-ids
30376 @end smallexample
30377
30378 Produces a list of the currently known @value{GDBN} thread ids. At the
30379 end of the list it also prints the total number of such threads.
30380
30381 This command is retained for historical reasons, the
30382 @code{-thread-info} command should be used instead.
30383
30384 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30385
30386 Part of @samp{info threads} supplies the same information.
30387
30388 @subsubheading Example
30389
30390 @smallexample
30391 (gdb)
30392 -thread-list-ids
30393 ^done,thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
30394 current-thread-id="1",number-of-threads="3"
30395 (gdb)
30396 @end smallexample
30397
30398
30399 @subheading The @code{-thread-select} Command
30400 @findex -thread-select
30401
30402 @subsubheading Synopsis
30403
30404 @smallexample
30405 -thread-select @var{threadnum}
30406 @end smallexample
30407
30408 Make @var{threadnum} the current thread. It prints the number of the new
30409 current thread, and the topmost frame for that thread.
30410
30411 This command is deprecated in favor of explicitly using the
30412 @samp{--thread} option to each command.
30413
30414 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30415
30416 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{thread}.
30417
30418 @subsubheading Example
30419
30420 @smallexample
30421 (gdb)
30422 -exec-next
30423 ^running
30424 (gdb)
30425 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",thread-id="2",line="187",
30426 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.threads/linux-dp.c"
30427 (gdb)
30428 -thread-list-ids
30429 ^done,
30430 thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
30431 number-of-threads="3"
30432 (gdb)
30433 -thread-select 3
30434 ^done,new-thread-id="3",
30435 frame=@{level="0",func="vprintf",
30436 args=[@{name="format",value="0x8048e9c \"%*s%c %d %c\\n\""@},
30437 @{name="arg",value="0x2"@}],file="vprintf.c",line="31"@}
30438 (gdb)
30439 @end smallexample
30440
30441 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30442 @node GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands
30443 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Tasking Commands
30444
30445 @subheading The @code{-ada-task-info} Command
30446 @findex -ada-task-info
30447
30448 @subsubheading Synopsis
30449
30450 @smallexample
30451 -ada-task-info [ @var{task-id} ]
30452 @end smallexample
30453
30454 Reports information about either a specific Ada task, if the
30455 @var{task-id} parameter is present, or about all Ada tasks.
30456
30457 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30458
30459 The @samp{info tasks} command prints the same information
30460 about all Ada tasks (@pxref{Ada Tasks}).
30461
30462 @subsubheading Result
30463
30464 The result is a table of Ada tasks. The following columns are
30465 defined for each Ada task:
30466
30467 @table @samp
30468 @item current
30469 This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
30470
30471 @item id
30472 The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the Ada task.
30473
30474 @item task-id
30475 The identifier that the target uses to refer to the Ada task.
30476
30477 @item thread-id
30478 The identifier of the thread corresponding to the Ada task.
30479
30480 This field should always exist, as Ada tasks are always implemented
30481 on top of a thread. But if @value{GDBN} cannot find this corresponding
30482 thread for any reason, the field is omitted.
30483
30484 @item parent-id
30485 This field exists only when the task was created by another task.
30486 In this case, it provides the ID of the parent task.
30487
30488 @item priority
30489 The base priority of the task.
30490
30491 @item state
30492 The current state of the task. For a detailed description of the
30493 possible states, see @ref{Ada Tasks}.
30494
30495 @item name
30496 The name of the task.
30497
30498 @end table
30499
30500 @subsubheading Example
30501
30502 @smallexample
30503 -ada-task-info
30504 ^done,tasks=@{nr_rows="3",nr_cols="8",
30505 hdr=[@{width="1",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr=""@},
30506 @{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="id",colhdr="ID"@},
30507 @{width="9",alignment="1",col_name="task-id",colhdr="TID"@},
30508 @{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="thread-id",colhdr=""@},
30509 @{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="parent-id",colhdr="P-ID"@},
30510 @{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="priority",colhdr="Pri"@},
30511 @{width="22",alignment="-1",col_name="state",colhdr="State"@},
30512 @{width="1",alignment="2",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@}],
30513 body=[@{current="*",id="1",task-id=" 644010",thread-id="1",priority="48",
30514 state="Child Termination Wait",name="main_task"@}]@}
30515 (gdb)
30516 @end smallexample
30517
30518 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30519 @node GDB/MI Program Execution
30520 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Execution
30521
30522 These are the asynchronous commands which generate the out-of-band
30523 record @samp{*stopped}. Currently @value{GDBN} only really executes
30524 asynchronously with remote targets and this interaction is mimicked in
30525 other cases.
30526
30527 @subheading The @code{-exec-continue} Command
30528 @findex -exec-continue
30529
30530 @subsubheading Synopsis
30531
30532 @smallexample
30533 -exec-continue [--reverse] [--all|--thread-group N]
30534 @end smallexample
30535
30536 Resumes the execution of the inferior program, which will continue
30537 to execute until it reaches a debugger stop event. If the
30538 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, execution resumes in reverse until
30539 it reaches a stop event. Stop events may include
30540 @itemize @bullet
30541 @item
30542 breakpoints or watchpoints
30543 @item
30544 signals or exceptions
30545 @item
30546 the end of the process (or its beginning under @samp{--reverse})
30547 @item
30548 the end or beginning of a replay log if one is being used.
30549 @end itemize
30550 In all-stop mode (@pxref{All-Stop
30551 Mode}), may resume only one thread, or all threads, depending on the
30552 value of the @samp{scheduler-locking} variable. If @samp{--all} is
30553 specified, all threads (in all inferiors) will be resumed. The @samp{--all} option is
30554 ignored in all-stop mode. If the @samp{--thread-group} options is
30555 specified, then all threads in that thread group are resumed.
30556
30557 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30558
30559 The corresponding @value{GDBN} corresponding is @samp{continue}.
30560
30561 @subsubheading Example
30562
30563 @smallexample
30564 -exec-continue
30565 ^running
30566 (gdb)
30567 @@Hello world
30568 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="2",frame=@{
30569 func="foo",args=[],file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",
30570 line="13"@}
30571 (gdb)
30572 @end smallexample
30573
30574
30575 @subheading The @code{-exec-finish} Command
30576 @findex -exec-finish
30577
30578 @subsubheading Synopsis
30579
30580 @smallexample
30581 -exec-finish [--reverse]
30582 @end smallexample
30583
30584 Resumes the execution of the inferior program until the current
30585 function is exited. Displays the results returned by the function.
30586 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes the reverse
30587 execution of the inferior program until the point where current
30588 function was called.
30589
30590 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30591
30592 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{finish}.
30593
30594 @subsubheading Example
30595
30596 Function returning @code{void}.
30597
30598 @smallexample
30599 -exec-finish
30600 ^running
30601 (gdb)
30602 @@hello from foo
30603 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
30604 file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",line="7"@}
30605 (gdb)
30606 @end smallexample
30607
30608 Function returning other than @code{void}. The name of the internal
30609 @value{GDBN} variable storing the result is printed, together with the
30610 value itself.
30611
30612 @smallexample
30613 -exec-finish
30614 ^running
30615 (gdb)
30616 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{addr="0x000107b0",func="foo",
30617 args=[@{name="a",value="1"],@{name="b",value="9"@}@},
30618 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
30619 gdb-result-var="$1",return-value="0"
30620 (gdb)
30621 @end smallexample
30622
30623
30624 @subheading The @code{-exec-interrupt} Command
30625 @findex -exec-interrupt
30626
30627 @subsubheading Synopsis
30628
30629 @smallexample
30630 -exec-interrupt [--all|--thread-group N]
30631 @end smallexample
30632
30633 Interrupts the background execution of the target. Note how the token
30634 associated with the stop message is the one for the execution command
30635 that has been interrupted. The token for the interrupt itself only
30636 appears in the @samp{^done} output. If the user is trying to
30637 interrupt a non-running program, an error message will be printed.
30638
30639 Note that when asynchronous execution is enabled, this command is
30640 asynchronous just like other execution commands. That is, first the
30641 @samp{^done} response will be printed, and the target stop will be
30642 reported after that using the @samp{*stopped} notification.
30643
30644 In non-stop mode, only the context thread is interrupted by default.
30645 All threads (in all inferiors) will be interrupted if the
30646 @samp{--all} option is specified. If the @samp{--thread-group}
30647 option is specified, all threads in that group will be interrupted.
30648
30649 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30650
30651 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interrupt}.
30652
30653 @subsubheading Example
30654
30655 @smallexample
30656 (gdb)
30657 111-exec-continue
30658 111^running
30659
30660 (gdb)
30661 222-exec-interrupt
30662 222^done
30663 (gdb)
30664 111*stopped,signal-name="SIGINT",signal-meaning="Interrupt",
30665 frame=@{addr="0x00010140",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
30666 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="13"@}
30667 (gdb)
30668
30669 (gdb)
30670 -exec-interrupt
30671 ^error,msg="mi_cmd_exec_interrupt: Inferior not executing."
30672 (gdb)
30673 @end smallexample
30674
30675 @subheading The @code{-exec-jump} Command
30676 @findex -exec-jump
30677
30678 @subsubheading Synopsis
30679
30680 @smallexample
30681 -exec-jump @var{location}
30682 @end smallexample
30683
30684 Resumes execution of the inferior program at the location specified by
30685 parameter. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
30686 different forms of @var{location}.
30687
30688 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30689
30690 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{jump}.
30691
30692 @subsubheading Example
30693
30694 @smallexample
30695 -exec-jump foo.c:10
30696 *running,thread-id="all"
30697 ^running
30698 @end smallexample
30699
30700
30701 @subheading The @code{-exec-next} Command
30702 @findex -exec-next
30703
30704 @subsubheading Synopsis
30705
30706 @smallexample
30707 -exec-next [--reverse]
30708 @end smallexample
30709
30710 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
30711 of the next source line is reached.
30712
30713 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
30714 of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the previous
30715 source line. If you issue this command on the first line of a
30716 function, it will take you back to the caller of that function, to the
30717 source line where the function was called.
30718
30719
30720 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30721
30722 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{next}.
30723
30724 @subsubheading Example
30725
30726 @smallexample
30727 -exec-next
30728 ^running
30729 (gdb)
30730 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="8",file="hello.c"
30731 (gdb)
30732 @end smallexample
30733
30734
30735 @subheading The @code{-exec-next-instruction} Command
30736 @findex -exec-next-instruction
30737
30738 @subsubheading Synopsis
30739
30740 @smallexample
30741 -exec-next-instruction [--reverse]
30742 @end smallexample
30743
30744 Executes one machine instruction. If the instruction is a function
30745 call, continues until the function returns. If the program stops at an
30746 instruction in the middle of a source line, the address will be
30747 printed as well.
30748
30749 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
30750 of the inferior program, stopping at the previous instruction. If the
30751 previously executed instruction was a return from another function,
30752 it will continue to execute in reverse until the call to that function
30753 (from the current stack frame) is reached.
30754
30755 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30756
30757 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{nexti}.
30758
30759 @subsubheading Example
30760
30761 @smallexample
30762 (gdb)
30763 -exec-next-instruction
30764 ^running
30765
30766 (gdb)
30767 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
30768 addr="0x000100d4",line="5",file="hello.c"
30769 (gdb)
30770 @end smallexample
30771
30772
30773 @subheading The @code{-exec-return} Command
30774 @findex -exec-return
30775
30776 @subsubheading Synopsis
30777
30778 @smallexample
30779 -exec-return
30780 @end smallexample
30781
30782 Makes current function return immediately. Doesn't execute the inferior.
30783 Displays the new current frame.
30784
30785 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30786
30787 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{return}.
30788
30789 @subsubheading Example
30790
30791 @smallexample
30792 (gdb)
30793 200-break-insert callee4
30794 200^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x00010734",
30795 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
30796 (gdb)
30797 000-exec-run
30798 000^running
30799 (gdb)
30800 000*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
30801 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
30802 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30803 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
30804 (gdb)
30805 205-break-delete
30806 205^done
30807 (gdb)
30808 111-exec-return
30809 111^done,frame=@{level="0",func="callee3",
30810 args=[@{name="strarg",
30811 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
30812 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30813 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
30814 (gdb)
30815 @end smallexample
30816
30817
30818 @subheading The @code{-exec-run} Command
30819 @findex -exec-run
30820
30821 @subsubheading Synopsis
30822
30823 @smallexample
30824 -exec-run [--all | --thread-group N]
30825 @end smallexample
30826
30827 Starts execution of the inferior from the beginning. The inferior
30828 executes until either a breakpoint is encountered or the program
30829 exits. In the latter case the output will include an exit code, if
30830 the program has exited exceptionally.
30831
30832 When no option is specified, the current inferior is started. If the
30833 @samp{--thread-group} option is specified, it should refer to a thread
30834 group of type @samp{process}, and that thread group will be started.
30835 If the @samp{--all} option is specified, then all inferiors will be started.
30836
30837 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30838
30839 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{run}.
30840
30841 @subsubheading Examples
30842
30843 @smallexample
30844 (gdb)
30845 -break-insert main
30846 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",line="4"@}
30847 (gdb)
30848 -exec-run
30849 ^running
30850 (gdb)
30851 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
30852 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
30853 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}
30854 (gdb)
30855 @end smallexample
30856
30857 @noindent
30858 Program exited normally:
30859
30860 @smallexample
30861 (gdb)
30862 -exec-run
30863 ^running
30864 (gdb)
30865 x = 55
30866 *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
30867 (gdb)
30868 @end smallexample
30869
30870 @noindent
30871 Program exited exceptionally:
30872
30873 @smallexample
30874 (gdb)
30875 -exec-run
30876 ^running
30877 (gdb)
30878 x = 55
30879 *stopped,reason="exited",exit-code="01"
30880 (gdb)
30881 @end smallexample
30882
30883 Another way the program can terminate is if it receives a signal such as
30884 @code{SIGINT}. In this case, @sc{gdb/mi} displays this:
30885
30886 @smallexample
30887 (gdb)
30888 *stopped,reason="exited-signalled",signal-name="SIGINT",
30889 signal-meaning="Interrupt"
30890 @end smallexample
30891
30892
30893 @c @subheading -exec-signal
30894
30895
30896 @subheading The @code{-exec-step} Command
30897 @findex -exec-step
30898
30899 @subsubheading Synopsis
30900
30901 @smallexample
30902 -exec-step [--reverse]
30903 @end smallexample
30904
30905 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
30906 of the next source line is reached, if the next source line is not a
30907 function call. If it is, stop at the first instruction of the called
30908 function. If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse
30909 execution of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the
30910 previously executed source line.
30911
30912 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30913
30914 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{step}.
30915
30916 @subsubheading Example
30917
30918 Stepping into a function:
30919
30920 @smallexample
30921 -exec-step
30922 ^running
30923 (gdb)
30924 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
30925 frame=@{func="foo",args=[@{name="a",value="10"@},
30926 @{name="b",value="0"@}],file="recursive2.c",
30927 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@}
30928 (gdb)
30929 @end smallexample
30930
30931 Regular stepping:
30932
30933 @smallexample
30934 -exec-step
30935 ^running
30936 (gdb)
30937 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="14",file="recursive2.c"
30938 (gdb)
30939 @end smallexample
30940
30941
30942 @subheading The @code{-exec-step-instruction} Command
30943 @findex -exec-step-instruction
30944
30945 @subsubheading Synopsis
30946
30947 @smallexample
30948 -exec-step-instruction [--reverse]
30949 @end smallexample
30950
30951 Resumes the inferior which executes one machine instruction. If the
30952 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution of the
30953 inferior program, stopping at the previously executed instruction.
30954 The output, once @value{GDBN} has stopped, will vary depending on
30955 whether we have stopped in the middle of a source line or not. In the
30956 former case, the address at which the program stopped will be printed
30957 as well.
30958
30959 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30960
30961 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{stepi}.
30962
30963 @subsubheading Example
30964
30965 @smallexample
30966 (gdb)
30967 -exec-step-instruction
30968 ^running
30969
30970 (gdb)
30971 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
30972 frame=@{func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
30973 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
30974 (gdb)
30975 -exec-step-instruction
30976 ^running
30977
30978 (gdb)
30979 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
30980 frame=@{addr="0x000100f4",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
30981 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
30982 (gdb)
30983 @end smallexample
30984
30985
30986 @subheading The @code{-exec-until} Command
30987 @findex -exec-until
30988
30989 @subsubheading Synopsis
30990
30991 @smallexample
30992 -exec-until [ @var{location} ]
30993 @end smallexample
30994
30995 Executes the inferior until the @var{location} specified in the
30996 argument is reached. If there is no argument, the inferior executes
30997 until a source line greater than the current one is reached. The
30998 reason for stopping in this case will be @samp{location-reached}.
30999
31000 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31001
31002 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{until}.
31003
31004 @subsubheading Example
31005
31006 @smallexample
31007 (gdb)
31008 -exec-until recursive2.c:6
31009 ^running
31010 (gdb)
31011 x = 55
31012 *stopped,reason="location-reached",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
31013 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="6"@}
31014 (gdb)
31015 @end smallexample
31016
31017 @ignore
31018 @subheading -file-clear
31019 Is this going away????
31020 @end ignore
31021
31022 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31023 @node GDB/MI Stack Manipulation
31024 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Stack Manipulation Commands
31025
31026 @subheading The @code{-enable-frame-filters} Command
31027 @findex -enable-frame-filters
31028
31029 @smallexample
31030 -enable-frame-filters
31031 @end smallexample
31032
31033 @value{GDBN} allows Python-based frame filters to affect the output of
31034 the MI commands relating to stack traces. As there is no way to
31035 implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
31036 request that this functionality be enabled.
31037
31038 Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
31039
31040 Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
31041 this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
31042
31043 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-frame} Command
31044 @findex -stack-info-frame
31045
31046 @subsubheading Synopsis
31047
31048 @smallexample
31049 -stack-info-frame
31050 @end smallexample
31051
31052 Get info on the selected frame.
31053
31054 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31055
31056 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info frame} or @samp{frame}
31057 (without arguments).
31058
31059 @subsubheading Example
31060
31061 @smallexample
31062 (gdb)
31063 -stack-info-frame
31064 ^done,frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
31065 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31066 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@}
31067 (gdb)
31068 @end smallexample
31069
31070 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-depth} Command
31071 @findex -stack-info-depth
31072
31073 @subsubheading Synopsis
31074
31075 @smallexample
31076 -stack-info-depth [ @var{max-depth} ]
31077 @end smallexample
31078
31079 Return the depth of the stack. If the integer argument @var{max-depth}
31080 is specified, do not count beyond @var{max-depth} frames.
31081
31082 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31083
31084 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
31085
31086 @subsubheading Example
31087
31088 For a stack with frame levels 0 through 11:
31089
31090 @smallexample
31091 (gdb)
31092 -stack-info-depth
31093 ^done,depth="12"
31094 (gdb)
31095 -stack-info-depth 4
31096 ^done,depth="4"
31097 (gdb)
31098 -stack-info-depth 12
31099 ^done,depth="12"
31100 (gdb)
31101 -stack-info-depth 11
31102 ^done,depth="11"
31103 (gdb)
31104 -stack-info-depth 13
31105 ^done,depth="12"
31106 (gdb)
31107 @end smallexample
31108
31109 @anchor{-stack-list-arguments}
31110 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-arguments} Command
31111 @findex -stack-list-arguments
31112
31113 @subsubheading Synopsis
31114
31115 @smallexample
31116 -stack-list-arguments [ --no-frame-filters ] @var{print-values}
31117 [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
31118 @end smallexample
31119
31120 Display a list of the arguments for the frames between @var{low-frame}
31121 and @var{high-frame} (inclusive). If @var{low-frame} and
31122 @var{high-frame} are not provided, list the arguments for the whole
31123 call stack. If the two arguments are equal, show the single frame
31124 at the corresponding level. It is an error if @var{low-frame} is
31125 larger than the actual number of frames. On the other hand,
31126 @var{high-frame} may be larger than the actual number of frames, in
31127 which case only existing frames will be returned.
31128
31129 If @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
31130 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
31131 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
31132 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
31133 structures and unions. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is
31134 supplied, then Python frame filters will not be executed.
31135
31136
31137 Use of this command to obtain arguments in a single frame is
31138 deprecated in favor of the @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
31139
31140 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31141
31142 @value{GDBN} does not have an equivalent command. @code{gdbtk} has a
31143 @samp{gdb_get_args} command which partially overlaps with the
31144 functionality of @samp{-stack-list-arguments}.
31145
31146 @subsubheading Example
31147
31148 @smallexample
31149 (gdb)
31150 -stack-list-frames
31151 ^done,
31152 stack=[
31153 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
31154 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31155 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@},
31156 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
31157 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31158 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@},
31159 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x0001078c",func="callee2",
31160 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31161 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="22"@},
31162 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107b4",func="callee1",
31163 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31164 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="27"@},
31165 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107e0",func="main",
31166 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31167 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="32"@}]
31168 (gdb)
31169 -stack-list-arguments 0
31170 ^done,
31171 stack-args=[
31172 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
31173 frame=@{level="1",args=[name="strarg"]@},
31174 frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@},
31175 frame=@{level="3",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg",name="fltarg"]@},
31176 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
31177 (gdb)
31178 -stack-list-arguments 1
31179 ^done,
31180 stack-args=[
31181 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
31182 frame=@{level="1",
31183 args=[@{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
31184 frame=@{level="2",args=[
31185 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
31186 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
31187 @{frame=@{level="3",args=[
31188 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
31189 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@},
31190 @{name="fltarg",value="3.5"@}]@},
31191 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
31192 (gdb)
31193 -stack-list-arguments 0 2 2
31194 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@}]
31195 (gdb)
31196 -stack-list-arguments 1 2 2
31197 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",
31198 args=[@{name="intarg",value="2"@},
31199 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@}]
31200 (gdb)
31201 @end smallexample
31202
31203 @c @subheading -stack-list-exception-handlers
31204
31205
31206 @anchor{-stack-list-frames}
31207 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-frames} Command
31208 @findex -stack-list-frames
31209
31210 @subsubheading Synopsis
31211
31212 @smallexample
31213 -stack-list-frames [ --no-frame-filters @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
31214 @end smallexample
31215
31216 List the frames currently on the stack. For each frame it displays the
31217 following info:
31218
31219 @table @samp
31220 @item @var{level}
31221 The frame number, 0 being the topmost frame, i.e., the innermost function.
31222 @item @var{addr}
31223 The @code{$pc} value for that frame.
31224 @item @var{func}
31225 Function name.
31226 @item @var{file}
31227 File name of the source file where the function lives.
31228 @item @var{fullname}
31229 The full file name of the source file where the function lives.
31230 @item @var{line}
31231 Line number corresponding to the @code{$pc}.
31232 @item @var{from}
31233 The shared library where this function is defined. This is only given
31234 if the frame's function is not known.
31235 @end table
31236
31237 If invoked without arguments, this command prints a backtrace for the
31238 whole stack. If given two integer arguments, it shows the frames whose
31239 levels are between the two arguments (inclusive). If the two arguments
31240 are equal, it shows the single frame at the corresponding level. It is
31241 an error if @var{low-frame} is larger than the actual number of
31242 frames. On the other hand, @var{high-frame} may be larger than the
31243 actual number of frames, in which case only existing frames will be
31244 returned. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is supplied, then
31245 Python frame filters will not be executed.
31246
31247 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31248
31249 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{backtrace} and @samp{where}.
31250
31251 @subsubheading Example
31252
31253 Full stack backtrace:
31254
31255 @smallexample
31256 (gdb)
31257 -stack-list-frames
31258 ^done,stack=
31259 [frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0001076c",func="foo",
31260 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@},
31261 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31262 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31263 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31264 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31265 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31266 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31267 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31268 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31269 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31270 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31271 frame=@{level="6",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31272 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31273 frame=@{level="7",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31274 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31275 frame=@{level="8",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31276 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31277 frame=@{level="9",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31278 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31279 frame=@{level="10",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31280 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31281 frame=@{level="11",addr="0x00010738",func="main",
31282 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}]
31283 (gdb)
31284 @end smallexample
31285
31286 Show frames between @var{low_frame} and @var{high_frame}:
31287
31288 @smallexample
31289 (gdb)
31290 -stack-list-frames 3 5
31291 ^done,stack=
31292 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31293 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31294 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31295 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31296 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31297 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
31298 (gdb)
31299 @end smallexample
31300
31301 Show a single frame:
31302
31303 @smallexample
31304 (gdb)
31305 -stack-list-frames 3 3
31306 ^done,stack=
31307 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31308 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
31309 (gdb)
31310 @end smallexample
31311
31312
31313 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-locals} Command
31314 @findex -stack-list-locals
31315 @anchor{-stack-list-locals}
31316
31317 @subsubheading Synopsis
31318
31319 @smallexample
31320 -stack-list-locals [ --no-frame-filters ] @var{print-values}
31321 @end smallexample
31322
31323 Display the local variable names for the selected frame. If
31324 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
31325 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
31326 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
31327 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
31328 structures and unions. In this last case, a frontend can immediately
31329 display the value of simple data types and create variable objects for
31330 other data types when the user wishes to explore their values in
31331 more detail. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is supplied, then
31332 Python frame filters will not be executed.
31333
31334 This command is deprecated in favor of the
31335 @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
31336
31337 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31338
31339 @samp{info locals} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_get_locals} in @code{gdbtk}.
31340
31341 @subsubheading Example
31342
31343 @smallexample
31344 (gdb)
31345 -stack-list-locals 0
31346 ^done,locals=[name="A",name="B",name="C"]
31347 (gdb)
31348 -stack-list-locals --all-values
31349 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",value="1"@},@{name="B",value="2"@},
31350 @{name="C",value="@{1, 2, 3@}"@}]
31351 -stack-list-locals --simple-values
31352 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",type="int",value="1"@},
31353 @{name="B",type="int",value="2"@},@{name="C",type="int [3]"@}]
31354 (gdb)
31355 @end smallexample
31356
31357 @anchor{-stack-list-variables}
31358 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-variables} Command
31359 @findex -stack-list-variables
31360
31361 @subsubheading Synopsis
31362
31363 @smallexample
31364 -stack-list-variables [ --no-frame-filters ] @var{print-values}
31365 @end smallexample
31366
31367 Display the names of local variables and function arguments for the selected frame. If
31368 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
31369 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
31370 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
31371 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
31372 structures and unions. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is
31373 supplied, then Python frame filters will not be executed.
31374
31375 @subsubheading Example
31376
31377 @smallexample
31378 (gdb)
31379 -stack-list-variables --thread 1 --frame 0 --all-values
31380 ^done,variables=[@{name="x",value="11"@},@{name="s",value="@{a = 1, b = 2@}"@}]
31381 (gdb)
31382 @end smallexample
31383
31384
31385 @subheading The @code{-stack-select-frame} Command
31386 @findex -stack-select-frame
31387
31388 @subsubheading Synopsis
31389
31390 @smallexample
31391 -stack-select-frame @var{framenum}
31392 @end smallexample
31393
31394 Change the selected frame. Select a different frame @var{framenum} on
31395 the stack.
31396
31397 This command in deprecated in favor of passing the @samp{--frame}
31398 option to every command.
31399
31400 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31401
31402 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{frame}, @samp{up},
31403 @samp{down}, @samp{select-frame}, @samp{up-silent}, and @samp{down-silent}.
31404
31405 @subsubheading Example
31406
31407 @smallexample
31408 (gdb)
31409 -stack-select-frame 2
31410 ^done
31411 (gdb)
31412 @end smallexample
31413
31414 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31415 @node GDB/MI Variable Objects
31416 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Variable Objects
31417
31418 @ignore
31419
31420 @subheading Motivation for Variable Objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
31421
31422 For the implementation of a variable debugger window (locals, watched
31423 expressions, etc.), we are proposing the adaptation of the existing code
31424 used by @code{Insight}.
31425
31426 The two main reasons for that are:
31427
31428 @enumerate 1
31429 @item
31430 It has been proven in practice (it is already on its second generation).
31431
31432 @item
31433 It will shorten development time (needless to say how important it is
31434 now).
31435 @end enumerate
31436
31437 The original interface was designed to be used by Tcl code, so it was
31438 slightly changed so it could be used through @sc{gdb/mi}. This section
31439 describes the @sc{gdb/mi} operations that will be available and gives some
31440 hints about their use.
31441
31442 @emph{Note}: In addition to the set of operations described here, we
31443 expect the @sc{gui} implementation of a variable window to require, at
31444 least, the following operations:
31445
31446 @itemize @bullet
31447 @item @code{-gdb-show} @code{output-radix}
31448 @item @code{-stack-list-arguments}
31449 @item @code{-stack-list-locals}
31450 @item @code{-stack-select-frame}
31451 @end itemize
31452
31453 @end ignore
31454
31455 @subheading Introduction to Variable Objects
31456
31457 @cindex variable objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
31458
31459 Variable objects are "object-oriented" MI interface for examining and
31460 changing values of expressions. Unlike some other MI interfaces that
31461 work with expressions, variable objects are specifically designed for
31462 simple and efficient presentation in the frontend. A variable object
31463 is identified by string name. When a variable object is created, the
31464 frontend specifies the expression for that variable object. The
31465 expression can be a simple variable, or it can be an arbitrary complex
31466 expression, and can even involve CPU registers. After creating a
31467 variable object, the frontend can invoke other variable object
31468 operations---for example to obtain or change the value of a variable
31469 object, or to change display format.
31470
31471 Variable objects have hierarchical tree structure. Any variable object
31472 that corresponds to a composite type, such as structure in C, has
31473 a number of child variable objects, for example corresponding to each
31474 element of a structure. A child variable object can itself have
31475 children, recursively. Recursion ends when we reach
31476 leaf variable objects, which always have built-in types. Child variable
31477 objects are created only by explicit request, so if a frontend
31478 is not interested in the children of a particular variable object, no
31479 child will be created.
31480
31481 For a leaf variable object it is possible to obtain its value as a
31482 string, or set the value from a string. String value can be also
31483 obtained for a non-leaf variable object, but it's generally a string
31484 that only indicates the type of the object, and does not list its
31485 contents. Assignment to a non-leaf variable object is not allowed.
31486
31487 A frontend does not need to read the values of all variable objects each time
31488 the program stops. Instead, MI provides an update command that lists all
31489 variable objects whose values has changed since the last update
31490 operation. This considerably reduces the amount of data that must
31491 be transferred to the frontend. As noted above, children variable
31492 objects are created on demand, and only leaf variable objects have a
31493 real value. As result, gdb will read target memory only for leaf
31494 variables that frontend has created.
31495
31496 The automatic update is not always desirable. For example, a frontend
31497 might want to keep a value of some expression for future reference,
31498 and never update it. For another example, fetching memory is
31499 relatively slow for embedded targets, so a frontend might want
31500 to disable automatic update for the variables that are either not
31501 visible on the screen, or ``closed''. This is possible using so
31502 called ``frozen variable objects''. Such variable objects are never
31503 implicitly updated.
31504
31505 Variable objects can be either @dfn{fixed} or @dfn{floating}. For the
31506 fixed variable object, the expression is parsed when the variable
31507 object is created, including associating identifiers to specific
31508 variables. The meaning of expression never changes. For a floating
31509 variable object the values of variables whose names appear in the
31510 expressions are re-evaluated every time in the context of the current
31511 frame. Consider this example:
31512
31513 @smallexample
31514 void do_work(...)
31515 @{
31516 struct work_state state;
31517
31518 if (...)
31519 do_work(...);
31520 @}
31521 @end smallexample
31522
31523 If a fixed variable object for the @code{state} variable is created in
31524 this function, and we enter the recursive call, the variable
31525 object will report the value of @code{state} in the top-level
31526 @code{do_work} invocation. On the other hand, a floating variable
31527 object will report the value of @code{state} in the current frame.
31528
31529 If an expression specified when creating a fixed variable object
31530 refers to a local variable, the variable object becomes bound to the
31531 thread and frame in which the variable object is created. When such
31532 variable object is updated, @value{GDBN} makes sure that the
31533 thread/frame combination the variable object is bound to still exists,
31534 and re-evaluates the variable object in context of that thread/frame.
31535
31536 The following is the complete set of @sc{gdb/mi} operations defined to
31537 access this functionality:
31538
31539 @multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
31540 @item @strong{Operation}
31541 @tab @strong{Description}
31542
31543 @item @code{-enable-pretty-printing}
31544 @tab enable Python-based pretty-printing
31545 @item @code{-var-create}
31546 @tab create a variable object
31547 @item @code{-var-delete}
31548 @tab delete the variable object and/or its children
31549 @item @code{-var-set-format}
31550 @tab set the display format of this variable
31551 @item @code{-var-show-format}
31552 @tab show the display format of this variable
31553 @item @code{-var-info-num-children}
31554 @tab tells how many children this object has
31555 @item @code{-var-list-children}
31556 @tab return a list of the object's children
31557 @item @code{-var-info-type}
31558 @tab show the type of this variable object
31559 @item @code{-var-info-expression}
31560 @tab print parent-relative expression that this variable object represents
31561 @item @code{-var-info-path-expression}
31562 @tab print full expression that this variable object represents
31563 @item @code{-var-show-attributes}
31564 @tab is this variable editable? does it exist here?
31565 @item @code{-var-evaluate-expression}
31566 @tab get the value of this variable
31567 @item @code{-var-assign}
31568 @tab set the value of this variable
31569 @item @code{-var-update}
31570 @tab update the variable and its children
31571 @item @code{-var-set-frozen}
31572 @tab set frozeness attribute
31573 @item @code{-var-set-update-range}
31574 @tab set range of children to display on update
31575 @end multitable
31576
31577 In the next subsection we describe each operation in detail and suggest
31578 how it can be used.
31579
31580 @subheading Description And Use of Operations on Variable Objects
31581
31582 @subheading The @code{-enable-pretty-printing} Command
31583 @findex -enable-pretty-printing
31584
31585 @smallexample
31586 -enable-pretty-printing
31587 @end smallexample
31588
31589 @value{GDBN} allows Python-based visualizers to affect the output of the
31590 MI variable object commands. However, because there was no way to
31591 implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
31592 request that this functionality be enabled.
31593
31594 Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
31595
31596 Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
31597 this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
31598
31599 This feature is currently (as of @value{GDBN} 7.0) experimental, and
31600 may work differently in future versions of @value{GDBN}.
31601
31602 @subheading The @code{-var-create} Command
31603 @findex -var-create
31604
31605 @subsubheading Synopsis
31606
31607 @smallexample
31608 -var-create @{@var{name} | "-"@}
31609 @{@var{frame-addr} | "*" | "@@"@} @var{expression}
31610 @end smallexample
31611
31612 This operation creates a variable object, which allows the monitoring of
31613 a variable, the result of an expression, a memory cell or a CPU
31614 register.
31615
31616 The @var{name} parameter is the string by which the object can be
31617 referenced. It must be unique. If @samp{-} is specified, the varobj
31618 system will generate a string ``varNNNNNN'' automatically. It will be
31619 unique provided that one does not specify @var{name} of that format.
31620 The command fails if a duplicate name is found.
31621
31622 The frame under which the expression should be evaluated can be
31623 specified by @var{frame-addr}. A @samp{*} indicates that the current
31624 frame should be used. A @samp{@@} indicates that a floating variable
31625 object must be created.
31626
31627 @var{expression} is any expression valid on the current language set (must not
31628 begin with a @samp{*}), or one of the following:
31629
31630 @itemize @bullet
31631 @item
31632 @samp{*@var{addr}}, where @var{addr} is the address of a memory cell
31633
31634 @item
31635 @samp{*@var{addr}-@var{addr}} --- a memory address range (TBD)
31636
31637 @item
31638 @samp{$@var{regname}} --- a CPU register name
31639 @end itemize
31640
31641 @cindex dynamic varobj
31642 A varobj's contents may be provided by a Python-based pretty-printer. In this
31643 case the varobj is known as a @dfn{dynamic varobj}. Dynamic varobjs
31644 have slightly different semantics in some cases. If the
31645 @code{-enable-pretty-printing} command is not sent, then @value{GDBN}
31646 will never create a dynamic varobj. This ensures backward
31647 compatibility for existing clients.
31648
31649 @subsubheading Result
31650
31651 This operation returns attributes of the newly-created varobj. These
31652 are:
31653
31654 @table @samp
31655 @item name
31656 The name of the varobj.
31657
31658 @item numchild
31659 The number of children of the varobj. This number is not necessarily
31660 reliable for a dynamic varobj. Instead, you must examine the
31661 @samp{has_more} attribute.
31662
31663 @item value
31664 The varobj's scalar value. For a varobj whose type is some sort of
31665 aggregate (e.g., a @code{struct}), or for a dynamic varobj, this value
31666 will not be interesting.
31667
31668 @item type
31669 The varobj's type. This is a string representation of the type, as
31670 would be printed by the @value{GDBN} CLI. If @samp{print object}
31671 (@pxref{Print Settings, set print object}) is set to @code{on}, the
31672 @emph{actual} (derived) type of the object is shown rather than the
31673 @emph{declared} one.
31674
31675 @item thread-id
31676 If a variable object is bound to a specific thread, then this is the
31677 thread's identifier.
31678
31679 @item has_more
31680 For a dynamic varobj, this indicates whether there appear to be any
31681 children available. For a non-dynamic varobj, this will be 0.
31682
31683 @item dynamic
31684 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
31685 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
31686 then this attribute will not be present.
31687
31688 @item displayhint
31689 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
31690 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
31691 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
31692 @end table
31693
31694 Typical output will look like this:
31695
31696 @smallexample
31697 name="@var{name}",numchild="@var{N}",type="@var{type}",thread-id="@var{M}",
31698 has_more="@var{has_more}"
31699 @end smallexample
31700
31701
31702 @subheading The @code{-var-delete} Command
31703 @findex -var-delete
31704
31705 @subsubheading Synopsis
31706
31707 @smallexample
31708 -var-delete [ -c ] @var{name}
31709 @end smallexample
31710
31711 Deletes a previously created variable object and all of its children.
31712 With the @samp{-c} option, just deletes the children.
31713
31714 Returns an error if the object @var{name} is not found.
31715
31716
31717 @subheading The @code{-var-set-format} Command
31718 @findex -var-set-format
31719
31720 @subsubheading Synopsis
31721
31722 @smallexample
31723 -var-set-format @var{name} @var{format-spec}
31724 @end smallexample
31725
31726 Sets the output format for the value of the object @var{name} to be
31727 @var{format-spec}.
31728
31729 @anchor{-var-set-format}
31730 The syntax for the @var{format-spec} is as follows:
31731
31732 @smallexample
31733 @var{format-spec} @expansion{}
31734 @{binary | decimal | hexadecimal | octal | natural@}
31735 @end smallexample
31736
31737 The natural format is the default format choosen automatically
31738 based on the variable type (like decimal for an @code{int}, hex
31739 for pointers, etc.).
31740
31741 For a variable with children, the format is set only on the
31742 variable itself, and the children are not affected.
31743
31744 @subheading The @code{-var-show-format} Command
31745 @findex -var-show-format
31746
31747 @subsubheading Synopsis
31748
31749 @smallexample
31750 -var-show-format @var{name}
31751 @end smallexample
31752
31753 Returns the format used to display the value of the object @var{name}.
31754
31755 @smallexample
31756 @var{format} @expansion{}
31757 @var{format-spec}
31758 @end smallexample
31759
31760
31761 @subheading The @code{-var-info-num-children} Command
31762 @findex -var-info-num-children
31763
31764 @subsubheading Synopsis
31765
31766 @smallexample
31767 -var-info-num-children @var{name}
31768 @end smallexample
31769
31770 Returns the number of children of a variable object @var{name}:
31771
31772 @smallexample
31773 numchild=@var{n}
31774 @end smallexample
31775
31776 Note that this number is not completely reliable for a dynamic varobj.
31777 It will return the current number of children, but more children may
31778 be available.
31779
31780
31781 @subheading The @code{-var-list-children} Command
31782 @findex -var-list-children
31783
31784 @subsubheading Synopsis
31785
31786 @smallexample
31787 -var-list-children [@var{print-values}] @var{name} [@var{from} @var{to}]
31788 @end smallexample
31789 @anchor{-var-list-children}
31790
31791 Return a list of the children of the specified variable object and
31792 create variable objects for them, if they do not already exist. With
31793 a single argument or if @var{print-values} has a value of 0 or
31794 @code{--no-values}, print only the names of the variables; if
31795 @var{print-values} is 1 or @code{--all-values}, also print their
31796 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values} print the name and
31797 value for simple data types and just the name for arrays, structures
31798 and unions.
31799
31800 @var{from} and @var{to}, if specified, indicate the range of children
31801 to report. If @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is
31802 reset and all children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting
31803 at @var{from} (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be
31804 reported.
31805
31806 If a child range is requested, it will only affect the current call to
31807 @code{-var-list-children}, but not future calls to @code{-var-update}.
31808 For this, you must instead use @code{-var-set-update-range}. The
31809 intent of this approach is to enable a front end to implement any
31810 update approach it likes; for example, scrolling a view may cause the
31811 front end to request more children with @code{-var-list-children}, and
31812 then the front end could call @code{-var-set-update-range} with a
31813 different range to ensure that future updates are restricted to just
31814 the visible items.
31815
31816 For each child the following results are returned:
31817
31818 @table @var
31819
31820 @item name
31821 Name of the variable object created for this child.
31822
31823 @item exp
31824 The expression to be shown to the user by the front end to designate this child.
31825 For example this may be the name of a structure member.
31826
31827 For a dynamic varobj, this value cannot be used to form an
31828 expression. There is no way to do this at all with a dynamic varobj.
31829
31830 For C/C@t{++} structures there are several pseudo children returned to
31831 designate access qualifiers. For these pseudo children @var{exp} is
31832 @samp{public}, @samp{private}, or @samp{protected}. In this case the
31833 type and value are not present.
31834
31835 A dynamic varobj will not report the access qualifying
31836 pseudo-children, regardless of the language. This information is not
31837 available at all with a dynamic varobj.
31838
31839 @item numchild
31840 Number of children this child has. For a dynamic varobj, this will be
31841 0.
31842
31843 @item type
31844 The type of the child. If @samp{print object}
31845 (@pxref{Print Settings, set print object}) is set to @code{on}, the
31846 @emph{actual} (derived) type of the object is shown rather than the
31847 @emph{declared} one.
31848
31849 @item value
31850 If values were requested, this is the value.
31851
31852 @item thread-id
31853 If this variable object is associated with a thread, this is the thread id.
31854 Otherwise this result is not present.
31855
31856 @item frozen
31857 If the variable object is frozen, this variable will be present with a value of 1.
31858 @end table
31859
31860 The result may have its own attributes:
31861
31862 @table @samp
31863 @item displayhint
31864 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
31865 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
31866 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
31867
31868 @item has_more
31869 This is an integer attribute which is nonzero if there are children
31870 remaining after the end of the selected range.
31871 @end table
31872
31873 @subsubheading Example
31874
31875 @smallexample
31876 (gdb)
31877 -var-list-children n
31878 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
31879 numchild=@var{n},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
31880 (gdb)
31881 -var-list-children --all-values n
31882 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
31883 numchild=@var{n},value=@var{value},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
31884 @end smallexample
31885
31886
31887 @subheading The @code{-var-info-type} Command
31888 @findex -var-info-type
31889
31890 @subsubheading Synopsis
31891
31892 @smallexample
31893 -var-info-type @var{name}
31894 @end smallexample
31895
31896 Returns the type of the specified variable @var{name}. The type is
31897 returned as a string in the same format as it is output by the
31898 @value{GDBN} CLI:
31899
31900 @smallexample
31901 type=@var{typename}
31902 @end smallexample
31903
31904
31905 @subheading The @code{-var-info-expression} Command
31906 @findex -var-info-expression
31907
31908 @subsubheading Synopsis
31909
31910 @smallexample
31911 -var-info-expression @var{name}
31912 @end smallexample
31913
31914 Returns a string that is suitable for presenting this
31915 variable object in user interface. The string is generally
31916 not valid expression in the current language, and cannot be evaluated.
31917
31918 For example, if @code{a} is an array, and variable object
31919 @code{A} was created for @code{a}, then we'll get this output:
31920
31921 @smallexample
31922 (gdb) -var-info-expression A.1
31923 ^done,lang="C",exp="1"
31924 @end smallexample
31925
31926 @noindent
31927 Here, the values of @code{lang} can be @code{@{"C" | "C++" | "Java"@}}.
31928
31929 Note that the output of the @code{-var-list-children} command also
31930 includes those expressions, so the @code{-var-info-expression} command
31931 is of limited use.
31932
31933 @subheading The @code{-var-info-path-expression} Command
31934 @findex -var-info-path-expression
31935
31936 @subsubheading Synopsis
31937
31938 @smallexample
31939 -var-info-path-expression @var{name}
31940 @end smallexample
31941
31942 Returns an expression that can be evaluated in the current
31943 context and will yield the same value that a variable object has.
31944 Compare this with the @code{-var-info-expression} command, which
31945 result can be used only for UI presentation. Typical use of
31946 the @code{-var-info-path-expression} command is creating a
31947 watchpoint from a variable object.
31948
31949 This command is currently not valid for children of a dynamic varobj,
31950 and will give an error when invoked on one.
31951
31952 For example, suppose @code{C} is a C@t{++} class, derived from class
31953 @code{Base}, and that the @code{Base} class has a member called
31954 @code{m_size}. Assume a variable @code{c} is has the type of
31955 @code{C} and a variable object @code{C} was created for variable
31956 @code{c}. Then, we'll get this output:
31957 @smallexample
31958 (gdb) -var-info-path-expression C.Base.public.m_size
31959 ^done,path_expr=((Base)c).m_size)
31960 @end smallexample
31961
31962 @subheading The @code{-var-show-attributes} Command
31963 @findex -var-show-attributes
31964
31965 @subsubheading Synopsis
31966
31967 @smallexample
31968 -var-show-attributes @var{name}
31969 @end smallexample
31970
31971 List attributes of the specified variable object @var{name}:
31972
31973 @smallexample
31974 status=@var{attr} [ ( ,@var{attr} )* ]
31975 @end smallexample
31976
31977 @noindent
31978 where @var{attr} is @code{@{ @{ editable | noneditable @} | TBD @}}.
31979
31980 @subheading The @code{-var-evaluate-expression} Command
31981 @findex -var-evaluate-expression
31982
31983 @subsubheading Synopsis
31984
31985 @smallexample
31986 -var-evaluate-expression [-f @var{format-spec}] @var{name}
31987 @end smallexample
31988
31989 Evaluates the expression that is represented by the specified variable
31990 object and returns its value as a string. The format of the string
31991 can be specified with the @samp{-f} option. The possible values of
31992 this option are the same as for @code{-var-set-format}
31993 (@pxref{-var-set-format}). If the @samp{-f} option is not specified,
31994 the current display format will be used. The current display format
31995 can be changed using the @code{-var-set-format} command.
31996
31997 @smallexample
31998 value=@var{value}
31999 @end smallexample
32000
32001 Note that one must invoke @code{-var-list-children} for a variable
32002 before the value of a child variable can be evaluated.
32003
32004 @subheading The @code{-var-assign} Command
32005 @findex -var-assign
32006
32007 @subsubheading Synopsis
32008
32009 @smallexample
32010 -var-assign @var{name} @var{expression}
32011 @end smallexample
32012
32013 Assigns the value of @var{expression} to the variable object specified
32014 by @var{name}. The object must be @samp{editable}. If the variable's
32015 value is altered by the assign, the variable will show up in any
32016 subsequent @code{-var-update} list.
32017
32018 @subsubheading Example
32019
32020 @smallexample
32021 (gdb)
32022 -var-assign var1 3
32023 ^done,value="3"
32024 (gdb)
32025 -var-update *
32026 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",in_scope="true",type_changed="false"@}]
32027 (gdb)
32028 @end smallexample
32029
32030 @subheading The @code{-var-update} Command
32031 @findex -var-update
32032
32033 @subsubheading Synopsis
32034
32035 @smallexample
32036 -var-update [@var{print-values}] @{@var{name} | "*"@}
32037 @end smallexample
32038
32039 Reevaluate the expressions corresponding to the variable object
32040 @var{name} and all its direct and indirect children, and return the
32041 list of variable objects whose values have changed; @var{name} must
32042 be a root variable object. Here, ``changed'' means that the result of
32043 @code{-var-evaluate-expression} before and after the
32044 @code{-var-update} is different. If @samp{*} is used as the variable
32045 object names, all existing variable objects are updated, except
32046 for frozen ones (@pxref{-var-set-frozen}). The option
32047 @var{print-values} determines whether both names and values, or just
32048 names are printed. The possible values of this option are the same
32049 as for @code{-var-list-children} (@pxref{-var-list-children}). It is
32050 recommended to use the @samp{--all-values} option, to reduce the
32051 number of MI commands needed on each program stop.
32052
32053 With the @samp{*} parameter, if a variable object is bound to a
32054 currently running thread, it will not be updated, without any
32055 diagnostic.
32056
32057 If @code{-var-set-update-range} was previously used on a varobj, then
32058 only the selected range of children will be reported.
32059
32060 @code{-var-update} reports all the changed varobjs in a tuple named
32061 @samp{changelist}.
32062
32063 Each item in the change list is itself a tuple holding:
32064
32065 @table @samp
32066 @item name
32067 The name of the varobj.
32068
32069 @item value
32070 If values were requested for this update, then this field will be
32071 present and will hold the value of the varobj.
32072
32073 @item in_scope
32074 @anchor{-var-update}
32075 This field is a string which may take one of three values:
32076
32077 @table @code
32078 @item "true"
32079 The variable object's current value is valid.
32080
32081 @item "false"
32082 The variable object does not currently hold a valid value but it may
32083 hold one in the future if its associated expression comes back into
32084 scope.
32085
32086 @item "invalid"
32087 The variable object no longer holds a valid value.
32088 This can occur when the executable file being debugged has changed,
32089 either through recompilation or by using the @value{GDBN} @code{file}
32090 command. The front end should normally choose to delete these variable
32091 objects.
32092 @end table
32093
32094 In the future new values may be added to this list so the front should
32095 be prepared for this possibility. @xref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, ,@sc{GDB/MI} Development and Front Ends}.
32096
32097 @item type_changed
32098 This is only present if the varobj is still valid. If the type
32099 changed, then this will be the string @samp{true}; otherwise it will
32100 be @samp{false}.
32101
32102 When a varobj's type changes, its children are also likely to have
32103 become incorrect. Therefore, the varobj's children are automatically
32104 deleted when this attribute is @samp{true}. Also, the varobj's update
32105 range, when set using the @code{-var-set-update-range} command, is
32106 unset.
32107
32108 @item new_type
32109 If the varobj's type changed, then this field will be present and will
32110 hold the new type.
32111
32112 @item new_num_children
32113 For a dynamic varobj, if the number of children changed, or if the
32114 type changed, this will be the new number of children.
32115
32116 The @samp{numchild} field in other varobj responses is generally not
32117 valid for a dynamic varobj -- it will show the number of children that
32118 @value{GDBN} knows about, but because dynamic varobjs lazily
32119 instantiate their children, this will not reflect the number of
32120 children which may be available.
32121
32122 The @samp{new_num_children} attribute only reports changes to the
32123 number of children known by @value{GDBN}. This is the only way to
32124 detect whether an update has removed children (which necessarily can
32125 only happen at the end of the update range).
32126
32127 @item displayhint
32128 The display hint, if any.
32129
32130 @item has_more
32131 This is an integer value, which will be 1 if there are more children
32132 available outside the varobj's update range.
32133
32134 @item dynamic
32135 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
32136 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
32137 then this attribute will not be present.
32138
32139 @item new_children
32140 If new children were added to a dynamic varobj within the selected
32141 update range (as set by @code{-var-set-update-range}), then they will
32142 be listed in this attribute.
32143 @end table
32144
32145 @subsubheading Example
32146
32147 @smallexample
32148 (gdb)
32149 -var-assign var1 3
32150 ^done,value="3"
32151 (gdb)
32152 -var-update --all-values var1
32153 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",value="3",in_scope="true",
32154 type_changed="false"@}]
32155 (gdb)
32156 @end smallexample
32157
32158 @subheading The @code{-var-set-frozen} Command
32159 @findex -var-set-frozen
32160 @anchor{-var-set-frozen}
32161
32162 @subsubheading Synopsis
32163
32164 @smallexample
32165 -var-set-frozen @var{name} @var{flag}
32166 @end smallexample
32167
32168 Set the frozenness flag on the variable object @var{name}. The
32169 @var{flag} parameter should be either @samp{1} to make the variable
32170 frozen or @samp{0} to make it unfrozen. If a variable object is
32171 frozen, then neither itself, nor any of its children, are
32172 implicitly updated by @code{-var-update} of
32173 a parent variable or by @code{-var-update *}. Only
32174 @code{-var-update} of the variable itself will update its value and
32175 values of its children. After a variable object is unfrozen, it is
32176 implicitly updated by all subsequent @code{-var-update} operations.
32177 Unfreezing a variable does not update it, only subsequent
32178 @code{-var-update} does.
32179
32180 @subsubheading Example
32181
32182 @smallexample
32183 (gdb)
32184 -var-set-frozen V 1
32185 ^done
32186 (gdb)
32187 @end smallexample
32188
32189 @subheading The @code{-var-set-update-range} command
32190 @findex -var-set-update-range
32191 @anchor{-var-set-update-range}
32192
32193 @subsubheading Synopsis
32194
32195 @smallexample
32196 -var-set-update-range @var{name} @var{from} @var{to}
32197 @end smallexample
32198
32199 Set the range of children to be returned by future invocations of
32200 @code{-var-update}.
32201
32202 @var{from} and @var{to} indicate the range of children to report. If
32203 @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is reset and all
32204 children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting at @var{from}
32205 (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be reported.
32206
32207 @subsubheading Example
32208
32209 @smallexample
32210 (gdb)
32211 -var-set-update-range V 1 2
32212 ^done
32213 @end smallexample
32214
32215 @subheading The @code{-var-set-visualizer} command
32216 @findex -var-set-visualizer
32217 @anchor{-var-set-visualizer}
32218
32219 @subsubheading Synopsis
32220
32221 @smallexample
32222 -var-set-visualizer @var{name} @var{visualizer}
32223 @end smallexample
32224
32225 Set a visualizer for the variable object @var{name}.
32226
32227 @var{visualizer} is the visualizer to use. The special value
32228 @samp{None} means to disable any visualizer in use.
32229
32230 If not @samp{None}, @var{visualizer} must be a Python expression.
32231 This expression must evaluate to a callable object which accepts a
32232 single argument. @value{GDBN} will call this object with the value of
32233 the varobj @var{name} as an argument (this is done so that the same
32234 Python pretty-printing code can be used for both the CLI and MI).
32235 When called, this object must return an object which conforms to the
32236 pretty-printing interface (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}).
32237
32238 The pre-defined function @code{gdb.default_visualizer} may be used to
32239 select a visualizer by following the built-in process
32240 (@pxref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}). This is done automatically when
32241 a varobj is created, and so ordinarily is not needed.
32242
32243 This feature is only available if Python support is enabled. The MI
32244 command @code{-list-features} (@pxref{GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands})
32245 can be used to check this.
32246
32247 @subsubheading Example
32248
32249 Resetting the visualizer:
32250
32251 @smallexample
32252 (gdb)
32253 -var-set-visualizer V None
32254 ^done
32255 @end smallexample
32256
32257 Reselecting the default (type-based) visualizer:
32258
32259 @smallexample
32260 (gdb)
32261 -var-set-visualizer V gdb.default_visualizer
32262 ^done
32263 @end smallexample
32264
32265 Suppose @code{SomeClass} is a visualizer class. A lambda expression
32266 can be used to instantiate this class for a varobj:
32267
32268 @smallexample
32269 (gdb)
32270 -var-set-visualizer V "lambda val: SomeClass()"
32271 ^done
32272 @end smallexample
32273
32274 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
32275 @node GDB/MI Data Manipulation
32276 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Data Manipulation
32277
32278 @cindex data manipulation, in @sc{gdb/mi}
32279 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, data manipulation
32280 This section describes the @sc{gdb/mi} commands that manipulate data:
32281 examine memory and registers, evaluate expressions, etc.
32282
32283 @c REMOVED FROM THE INTERFACE.
32284 @c @subheading -data-assign
32285 @c Change the value of a program variable. Plenty of side effects.
32286 @c @subsubheading GDB Command
32287 @c set variable
32288 @c @subsubheading Example
32289 @c N.A.
32290
32291 @subheading The @code{-data-disassemble} Command
32292 @findex -data-disassemble
32293
32294 @subsubheading Synopsis
32295
32296 @smallexample
32297 -data-disassemble
32298 [ -s @var{start-addr} -e @var{end-addr} ]
32299 | [ -f @var{filename} -l @var{linenum} [ -n @var{lines} ] ]
32300 -- @var{mode}
32301 @end smallexample
32302
32303 @noindent
32304 Where:
32305
32306 @table @samp
32307 @item @var{start-addr}
32308 is the beginning address (or @code{$pc})
32309 @item @var{end-addr}
32310 is the end address
32311 @item @var{filename}
32312 is the name of the file to disassemble
32313 @item @var{linenum}
32314 is the line number to disassemble around
32315 @item @var{lines}
32316 is the number of disassembly lines to be produced. If it is -1,
32317 the whole function will be disassembled, in case no @var{end-addr} is
32318 specified. If @var{end-addr} is specified as a non-zero value, and
32319 @var{lines} is lower than the number of disassembly lines between
32320 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only @var{lines} lines are
32321 displayed; if @var{lines} is higher than the number of lines between
32322 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only the lines up to @var{end-addr}
32323 are displayed.
32324 @item @var{mode}
32325 is either 0 (meaning only disassembly), 1 (meaning mixed source and
32326 disassembly), 2 (meaning disassembly with raw opcodes), or 3 (meaning
32327 mixed source and disassembly with raw opcodes).
32328 @end table
32329
32330 @subsubheading Result
32331
32332 The result of the @code{-data-disassemble} command will be a list named
32333 @samp{asm_insns}, the contents of this list depend on the @var{mode}
32334 used with the @code{-data-disassemble} command.
32335
32336 For modes 0 and 2 the @samp{asm_insns} list contains tuples with the
32337 following fields:
32338
32339 @table @code
32340 @item address
32341 The address at which this instruction was disassembled.
32342
32343 @item func-name
32344 The name of the function this instruction is within.
32345
32346 @item offset
32347 The decimal offset in bytes from the start of @samp{func-name}.
32348
32349 @item inst
32350 The text disassembly for this @samp{address}.
32351
32352 @item opcodes
32353 This field is only present for mode 2. This contains the raw opcode
32354 bytes for the @samp{inst} field.
32355
32356 @end table
32357
32358 For modes 1 and 3 the @samp{asm_insns} list contains tuples named
32359 @samp{src_and_asm_line}, each of which has the following fields:
32360
32361 @table @code
32362 @item line
32363 The line number within @samp{file}.
32364
32365 @item file
32366 The file name from the compilation unit. This might be an absolute
32367 file name or a relative file name depending on the compile command
32368 used.
32369
32370 @item fullname
32371 Absolute file name of @samp{file}. It is converted to a canonical form
32372 using the source file search path
32373 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories})
32374 and after resolving all the symbolic links.
32375
32376 If the source file is not found this field will contain the path as
32377 present in the debug information.
32378
32379 @item line_asm_insn
32380 This is a list of tuples containing the disassembly for @samp{line} in
32381 @samp{file}. The fields of each tuple are the same as for
32382 @code{-data-disassemble} in @var{mode} 0 and 2, so @samp{address},
32383 @samp{func-name}, @samp{offset}, @samp{inst}, and optionally
32384 @samp{opcodes}.
32385
32386 @end table
32387
32388 Note that whatever included in the @samp{inst} field, is not
32389 manipulated directly by @sc{gdb/mi}, i.e., it is not possible to
32390 adjust its format.
32391
32392 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32393
32394 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disassemble}.
32395
32396 @subsubheading Example
32397
32398 Disassemble from the current value of @code{$pc} to @code{$pc + 20}:
32399
32400 @smallexample
32401 (gdb)
32402 -data-disassemble -s $pc -e "$pc + 20" -- 0
32403 ^done,
32404 asm_insns=[
32405 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
32406 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
32407 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
32408 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
32409 @{address="0x000107c8",func-name="main",offset="12",
32410 inst="or %o2, 0x140, %o1\t! 0x11940 <_lib_version+8>"@},
32411 @{address="0x000107cc",func-name="main",offset="16",
32412 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
32413 @{address="0x000107d0",func-name="main",offset="20",
32414 inst="or %o2, 0x168, %o4\t! 0x11968 <_lib_version+48>"@}]
32415 (gdb)
32416 @end smallexample
32417
32418 Disassemble the whole @code{main} function. Line 32 is part of
32419 @code{main}.
32420
32421 @smallexample
32422 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -- 0
32423 ^done,asm_insns=[
32424 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
32425 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
32426 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
32427 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
32428 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
32429 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
32430 [@dots{}]
32431 @{address="0x0001081c",func-name="main",offset="96",inst="ret "@},
32432 @{address="0x00010820",func-name="main",offset="100",inst="restore "@}]
32433 (gdb)
32434 @end smallexample
32435
32436 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main}:
32437
32438 @smallexample
32439 (gdb)
32440 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 0
32441 ^done,asm_insns=[
32442 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
32443 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
32444 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
32445 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
32446 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
32447 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]
32448 (gdb)
32449 @end smallexample
32450
32451 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main} in mixed mode:
32452
32453 @smallexample
32454 (gdb)
32455 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 1
32456 ^done,asm_insns=[
32457 src_and_asm_line=@{line="31",
32458 file="../../../src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32459 fullname="/absolute/path/to/src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32460 line_asm_insn=[@{address="0x000107bc",
32461 func-name="main",offset="0",inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@}]@},
32462 src_and_asm_line=@{line="32",
32463 file="../../../src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32464 fullname="/absolute/path/to/src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32465 line_asm_insn=[@{address="0x000107c0",
32466 func-name="main",offset="4",inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
32467 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
32468 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]@}]
32469 (gdb)
32470 @end smallexample
32471
32472
32473 @subheading The @code{-data-evaluate-expression} Command
32474 @findex -data-evaluate-expression
32475
32476 @subsubheading Synopsis
32477
32478 @smallexample
32479 -data-evaluate-expression @var{expr}
32480 @end smallexample
32481
32482 Evaluate @var{expr} as an expression. The expression could contain an
32483 inferior function call. The function call will execute synchronously.
32484 If the expression contains spaces, it must be enclosed in double quotes.
32485
32486 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32487
32488 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{print}, @samp{output}, and
32489 @samp{call}. In @code{gdbtk} only, there's a corresponding
32490 @samp{gdb_eval} command.
32491
32492 @subsubheading Example
32493
32494 In the following example, the numbers that precede the commands are the
32495 @dfn{tokens} described in @ref{GDB/MI Command Syntax, ,@sc{gdb/mi}
32496 Command Syntax}. Notice how @sc{gdb/mi} returns the same tokens in its
32497 output.
32498
32499 @smallexample
32500 211-data-evaluate-expression A
32501 211^done,value="1"
32502 (gdb)
32503 311-data-evaluate-expression &A
32504 311^done,value="0xefffeb7c"
32505 (gdb)
32506 411-data-evaluate-expression A+3
32507 411^done,value="4"
32508 (gdb)
32509 511-data-evaluate-expression "A + 3"
32510 511^done,value="4"
32511 (gdb)
32512 @end smallexample
32513
32514
32515 @subheading The @code{-data-list-changed-registers} Command
32516 @findex -data-list-changed-registers
32517
32518 @subsubheading Synopsis
32519
32520 @smallexample
32521 -data-list-changed-registers
32522 @end smallexample
32523
32524 Display a list of the registers that have changed.
32525
32526 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32527
32528 @value{GDBN} doesn't have a direct analog for this command; @code{gdbtk}
32529 has the corresponding command @samp{gdb_changed_register_list}.
32530
32531 @subsubheading Example
32532
32533 On a PPC MBX board:
32534
32535 @smallexample
32536 (gdb)
32537 -exec-continue
32538 ^running
32539
32540 (gdb)
32541 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",frame=@{
32542 func="main",args=[],file="try.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",
32543 line="5"@}
32544 (gdb)
32545 -data-list-changed-registers
32546 ^done,changed-registers=["0","1","2","4","5","6","7","8","9",
32547 "10","11","13","14","15","16","17","18","19","20","21","22","23",
32548 "24","25","26","27","28","30","31","64","65","66","67","69"]
32549 (gdb)
32550 @end smallexample
32551
32552
32553 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-names} Command
32554 @findex -data-list-register-names
32555
32556 @subsubheading Synopsis
32557
32558 @smallexample
32559 -data-list-register-names [ ( @var{regno} )+ ]
32560 @end smallexample
32561
32562 Show a list of register names for the current target. If no arguments
32563 are given, it shows a list of the names of all the registers. If
32564 integer numbers are given as arguments, it will print a list of the
32565 names of the registers corresponding to the arguments. To ensure
32566 consistency between a register name and its number, the output list may
32567 include empty register names.
32568
32569 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32570
32571 @value{GDBN} does not have a command which corresponds to
32572 @samp{-data-list-register-names}. In @code{gdbtk} there is a
32573 corresponding command @samp{gdb_regnames}.
32574
32575 @subsubheading Example
32576
32577 For the PPC MBX board:
32578 @smallexample
32579 (gdb)
32580 -data-list-register-names
32581 ^done,register-names=["r0","r1","r2","r3","r4","r5","r6","r7",
32582 "r8","r9","r10","r11","r12","r13","r14","r15","r16","r17","r18",
32583 "r19","r20","r21","r22","r23","r24","r25","r26","r27","r28","r29",
32584 "r30","r31","f0","f1","f2","f3","f4","f5","f6","f7","f8","f9",
32585 "f10","f11","f12","f13","f14","f15","f16","f17","f18","f19","f20",
32586 "f21","f22","f23","f24","f25","f26","f27","f28","f29","f30","f31",
32587 "", "pc","ps","cr","lr","ctr","xer"]
32588 (gdb)
32589 -data-list-register-names 1 2 3
32590 ^done,register-names=["r1","r2","r3"]
32591 (gdb)
32592 @end smallexample
32593
32594 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-values} Command
32595 @findex -data-list-register-values
32596
32597 @subsubheading Synopsis
32598
32599 @smallexample
32600 -data-list-register-values @var{fmt} [ ( @var{regno} )*]
32601 @end smallexample
32602
32603 Display the registers' contents. @var{fmt} is the format according to
32604 which the registers' contents are to be returned, followed by an optional
32605 list of numbers specifying the registers to display. A missing list of
32606 numbers indicates that the contents of all the registers must be returned.
32607
32608 Allowed formats for @var{fmt} are:
32609
32610 @table @code
32611 @item x
32612 Hexadecimal
32613 @item o
32614 Octal
32615 @item t
32616 Binary
32617 @item d
32618 Decimal
32619 @item r
32620 Raw
32621 @item N
32622 Natural
32623 @end table
32624
32625 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32626
32627 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{info reg}, @samp{info
32628 all-reg}, and (in @code{gdbtk}) @samp{gdb_fetch_registers}.
32629
32630 @subsubheading Example
32631
32632 For a PPC MBX board (note: line breaks are for readability only, they
32633 don't appear in the actual output):
32634
32635 @smallexample
32636 (gdb)
32637 -data-list-register-values r 64 65
32638 ^done,register-values=[@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
32639 @{number="65",value="0x00029002"@}]
32640 (gdb)
32641 -data-list-register-values x
32642 ^done,register-values=[@{number="0",value="0xfe0043c8"@},
32643 @{number="1",value="0x3fff88"@},@{number="2",value="0xfffffffe"@},
32644 @{number="3",value="0x0"@},@{number="4",value="0xa"@},
32645 @{number="5",value="0x3fff68"@},@{number="6",value="0x3fff58"@},
32646 @{number="7",value="0xfe011e98"@},@{number="8",value="0x2"@},
32647 @{number="9",value="0xfa202820"@},@{number="10",value="0xfa202808"@},
32648 @{number="11",value="0x1"@},@{number="12",value="0x0"@},
32649 @{number="13",value="0x4544"@},@{number="14",value="0xffdfffff"@},
32650 @{number="15",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="16",value="0xfffffeff"@},
32651 @{number="17",value="0xefffffed"@},@{number="18",value="0xfffffffe"@},
32652 @{number="19",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="20",value="0xffffffff"@},
32653 @{number="21",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="22",value="0xfffffff7"@},
32654 @{number="23",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="24",value="0xffffffff"@},
32655 @{number="25",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="26",value="0xfffffffb"@},
32656 @{number="27",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="28",value="0xf7bfffff"@},
32657 @{number="29",value="0x0"@},@{number="30",value="0xfe010000"@},
32658 @{number="31",value="0x0"@},@{number="32",value="0x0"@},
32659 @{number="33",value="0x0"@},@{number="34",value="0x0"@},
32660 @{number="35",value="0x0"@},@{number="36",value="0x0"@},
32661 @{number="37",value="0x0"@},@{number="38",value="0x0"@},
32662 @{number="39",value="0x0"@},@{number="40",value="0x0"@},
32663 @{number="41",value="0x0"@},@{number="42",value="0x0"@},
32664 @{number="43",value="0x0"@},@{number="44",value="0x0"@},
32665 @{number="45",value="0x0"@},@{number="46",value="0x0"@},
32666 @{number="47",value="0x0"@},@{number="48",value="0x0"@},
32667 @{number="49",value="0x0"@},@{number="50",value="0x0"@},
32668 @{number="51",value="0x0"@},@{number="52",value="0x0"@},
32669 @{number="53",value="0x0"@},@{number="54",value="0x0"@},
32670 @{number="55",value="0x0"@},@{number="56",value="0x0"@},
32671 @{number="57",value="0x0"@},@{number="58",value="0x0"@},
32672 @{number="59",value="0x0"@},@{number="60",value="0x0"@},
32673 @{number="61",value="0x0"@},@{number="62",value="0x0"@},
32674 @{number="63",value="0x0"@},@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
32675 @{number="65",value="0x29002"@},@{number="66",value="0x202f04b5"@},
32676 @{number="67",value="0xfe0043b0"@},@{number="68",value="0xfe00b3e4"@},
32677 @{number="69",value="0x20002b03"@}]
32678 (gdb)
32679 @end smallexample
32680
32681
32682 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory} Command
32683 @findex -data-read-memory
32684
32685 This command is deprecated, use @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} instead.
32686
32687 @subsubheading Synopsis
32688
32689 @smallexample
32690 -data-read-memory [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
32691 @var{address} @var{word-format} @var{word-size}
32692 @var{nr-rows} @var{nr-cols} [ @var{aschar} ]
32693 @end smallexample
32694
32695 @noindent
32696 where:
32697
32698 @table @samp
32699 @item @var{address}
32700 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
32701 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
32702 quoted using the C convention.
32703
32704 @item @var{word-format}
32705 The format to be used to print the memory words. The notation is the
32706 same as for @value{GDBN}'s @code{print} command (@pxref{Output Formats,
32707 ,Output Formats}).
32708
32709 @item @var{word-size}
32710 The size of each memory word in bytes.
32711
32712 @item @var{nr-rows}
32713 The number of rows in the output table.
32714
32715 @item @var{nr-cols}
32716 The number of columns in the output table.
32717
32718 @item @var{aschar}
32719 If present, indicates that each row should include an @sc{ascii} dump. The
32720 value of @var{aschar} is used as a padding character when a byte is not a
32721 member of the printable @sc{ascii} character set (printable @sc{ascii}
32722 characters are those whose code is between 32 and 126, inclusively).
32723
32724 @item @var{byte-offset}
32725 An offset to add to the @var{address} before fetching memory.
32726 @end table
32727
32728 This command displays memory contents as a table of @var{nr-rows} by
32729 @var{nr-cols} words, each word being @var{word-size} bytes. In total,
32730 @code{@var{nr-rows} * @var{nr-cols} * @var{word-size}} bytes are read
32731 (returned as @samp{total-bytes}). Should less than the requested number
32732 of bytes be returned by the target, the missing words are identified
32733 using @samp{N/A}. The number of bytes read from the target is returned
32734 in @samp{nr-bytes} and the starting address used to read memory in
32735 @samp{addr}.
32736
32737 The address of the next/previous row or page is available in
32738 @samp{next-row} and @samp{prev-row}, @samp{next-page} and
32739 @samp{prev-page}.
32740
32741 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32742
32743 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}. @code{gdbtk} has
32744 @samp{gdb_get_mem} memory read command.
32745
32746 @subsubheading Example
32747
32748 Read six bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+6} but then offset by
32749 @code{-6} bytes. Format as three rows of two columns. One byte per
32750 word. Display each word in hex.
32751
32752 @smallexample
32753 (gdb)
32754 9-data-read-memory -o -6 -- bytes+6 x 1 3 2
32755 9^done,addr="0x00001390",nr-bytes="6",total-bytes="6",
32756 next-row="0x00001396",prev-row="0x0000138e",next-page="0x00001396",
32757 prev-page="0x0000138a",memory=[
32758 @{addr="0x00001390",data=["0x00","0x01"]@},
32759 @{addr="0x00001392",data=["0x02","0x03"]@},
32760 @{addr="0x00001394",data=["0x04","0x05"]@}]
32761 (gdb)
32762 @end smallexample
32763
32764 Read two bytes of memory starting at address @code{shorts + 64} and
32765 display as a single word formatted in decimal.
32766
32767 @smallexample
32768 (gdb)
32769 5-data-read-memory shorts+64 d 2 1 1
32770 5^done,addr="0x00001510",nr-bytes="2",total-bytes="2",
32771 next-row="0x00001512",prev-row="0x0000150e",
32772 next-page="0x00001512",prev-page="0x0000150e",memory=[
32773 @{addr="0x00001510",data=["128"]@}]
32774 (gdb)
32775 @end smallexample
32776
32777 Read thirty two bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+16} and format
32778 as eight rows of four columns. Include a string encoding with @samp{x}
32779 used as the non-printable character.
32780
32781 @smallexample
32782 (gdb)
32783 4-data-read-memory bytes+16 x 1 8 4 x
32784 4^done,addr="0x000013a0",nr-bytes="32",total-bytes="32",
32785 next-row="0x000013c0",prev-row="0x0000139c",
32786 next-page="0x000013c0",prev-page="0x00001380",memory=[
32787 @{addr="0x000013a0",data=["0x10","0x11","0x12","0x13"],ascii="xxxx"@},
32788 @{addr="0x000013a4",data=["0x14","0x15","0x16","0x17"],ascii="xxxx"@},
32789 @{addr="0x000013a8",data=["0x18","0x19","0x1a","0x1b"],ascii="xxxx"@},
32790 @{addr="0x000013ac",data=["0x1c","0x1d","0x1e","0x1f"],ascii="xxxx"@},
32791 @{addr="0x000013b0",data=["0x20","0x21","0x22","0x23"],ascii=" !\"#"@},
32792 @{addr="0x000013b4",data=["0x24","0x25","0x26","0x27"],ascii="$%&'"@},
32793 @{addr="0x000013b8",data=["0x28","0x29","0x2a","0x2b"],ascii="()*+"@},
32794 @{addr="0x000013bc",data=["0x2c","0x2d","0x2e","0x2f"],ascii=",-./"@}]
32795 (gdb)
32796 @end smallexample
32797
32798 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} Command
32799 @findex -data-read-memory-bytes
32800
32801 @subsubheading Synopsis
32802
32803 @smallexample
32804 -data-read-memory-bytes [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
32805 @var{address} @var{count}
32806 @end smallexample
32807
32808 @noindent
32809 where:
32810
32811 @table @samp
32812 @item @var{address}
32813 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
32814 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
32815 quoted using the C convention.
32816
32817 @item @var{count}
32818 The number of bytes to read. This should be an integer literal.
32819
32820 @item @var{byte-offset}
32821 The offsets in bytes relative to @var{address} at which to start
32822 reading. This should be an integer literal. This option is provided
32823 so that a frontend is not required to first evaluate address and then
32824 perform address arithmetics itself.
32825
32826 @end table
32827
32828 This command attempts to read all accessible memory regions in the
32829 specified range. First, all regions marked as unreadable in the memory
32830 map (if one is defined) will be skipped. @xref{Memory Region
32831 Attributes}. Second, @value{GDBN} will attempt to read the remaining
32832 regions. For each one, if reading full region results in an errors,
32833 @value{GDBN} will try to read a subset of the region.
32834
32835 In general, every single byte in the region may be readable or not,
32836 and the only way to read every readable byte is to try a read at
32837 every address, which is not practical. Therefore, @value{GDBN} will
32838 attempt to read all accessible bytes at either beginning or the end
32839 of the region, using a binary division scheme. This heuristic works
32840 well for reading accross a memory map boundary. Note that if a region
32841 has a readable range that is neither at the beginning or the end,
32842 @value{GDBN} will not read it.
32843
32844 The result record (@pxref{GDB/MI Result Records}) that is output of
32845 the command includes a field named @samp{memory} whose content is a
32846 list of tuples. Each tuple represent a successfully read memory block
32847 and has the following fields:
32848
32849 @table @code
32850 @item begin
32851 The start address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
32852
32853 @item end
32854 The end address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
32855
32856 @item offset
32857 The offset of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal, relative to
32858 the start address passed to @code{-data-read-memory-bytes}.
32859
32860 @item contents
32861 The contents of the memory block, in hex.
32862
32863 @end table
32864
32865
32866
32867 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32868
32869 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}.
32870
32871 @subsubheading Example
32872
32873 @smallexample
32874 (gdb)
32875 -data-read-memory-bytes &a 10
32876 ^done,memory=[@{begin="0xbffff154",offset="0x00000000",
32877 end="0xbffff15e",
32878 contents="01000000020000000300"@}]
32879 (gdb)
32880 @end smallexample
32881
32882
32883 @subheading The @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} Command
32884 @findex -data-write-memory-bytes
32885
32886 @subsubheading Synopsis
32887
32888 @smallexample
32889 -data-write-memory-bytes @var{address} @var{contents}
32890 -data-write-memory-bytes @var{address} @var{contents} @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
32891 @end smallexample
32892
32893 @noindent
32894 where:
32895
32896 @table @samp
32897 @item @var{address}
32898 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
32899 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
32900 quoted using the C convention.
32901
32902 @item @var{contents}
32903 The hex-encoded bytes to write.
32904
32905 @item @var{count}
32906 Optional argument indicating the number of bytes to be written. If @var{count}
32907 is greater than @var{contents}' length, @value{GDBN} will repeatedly
32908 write @var{contents} until it fills @var{count} bytes.
32909
32910 @end table
32911
32912 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32913
32914 There's no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
32915
32916 @subsubheading Example
32917
32918 @smallexample
32919 (gdb)
32920 -data-write-memory-bytes &a "aabbccdd"
32921 ^done
32922 (gdb)
32923 @end smallexample
32924
32925 @smallexample
32926 (gdb)
32927 -data-write-memory-bytes &a "aabbccdd" 16e
32928 ^done
32929 (gdb)
32930 @end smallexample
32931
32932 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
32933 @node GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands
32934 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Tracepoint Commands
32935
32936 The commands defined in this section implement MI support for
32937 tracepoints. For detailed introduction, see @ref{Tracepoints}.
32938
32939 @subheading The @code{-trace-find} Command
32940 @findex -trace-find
32941
32942 @subsubheading Synopsis
32943
32944 @smallexample
32945 -trace-find @var{mode} [@var{parameters}@dots{}]
32946 @end smallexample
32947
32948 Find a trace frame using criteria defined by @var{mode} and
32949 @var{parameters}. The following table lists permissible
32950 modes and their parameters. For details of operation, see @ref{tfind}.
32951
32952 @table @samp
32953
32954 @item none
32955 No parameters are required. Stops examining trace frames.
32956
32957 @item frame-number
32958 An integer is required as parameter. Selects tracepoint frame with
32959 that index.
32960
32961 @item tracepoint-number
32962 An integer is required as parameter. Finds next
32963 trace frame that corresponds to tracepoint with the specified number.
32964
32965 @item pc
32966 An address is required as parameter. Finds
32967 next trace frame that corresponds to any tracepoint at the specified
32968 address.
32969
32970 @item pc-inside-range
32971 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds next trace
32972 frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address inside the
32973 specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
32974
32975 @item pc-outside-range
32976 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds
32977 next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address outside
32978 the specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
32979
32980 @item line
32981 Line specification is required as parameter. @xref{Specify Location}.
32982 Finds next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at
32983 the specified location.
32984
32985 @end table
32986
32987 If @samp{none} was passed as @var{mode}, the response does not
32988 have fields. Otherwise, the response may have the following fields:
32989
32990 @table @samp
32991 @item found
32992 This field has either @samp{0} or @samp{1} as the value, depending
32993 on whether a matching tracepoint was found.
32994
32995 @item traceframe
32996 The index of the found traceframe. This field is present iff
32997 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
32998
32999 @item tracepoint
33000 The index of the found tracepoint. This field is present iff
33001 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
33002
33003 @item frame
33004 The information about the frame corresponding to the found trace
33005 frame. This field is present only if a trace frame was found.
33006 @xref{GDB/MI Frame Information}, for description of this field.
33007
33008 @end table
33009
33010 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33011
33012 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tfind}.
33013
33014 @subheading -trace-define-variable
33015 @findex -trace-define-variable
33016
33017 @subsubheading Synopsis
33018
33019 @smallexample
33020 -trace-define-variable @var{name} [ @var{value} ]
33021 @end smallexample
33022
33023 Create trace variable @var{name} if it does not exist. If
33024 @var{value} is specified, sets the initial value of the specified
33025 trace variable to that value. Note that the @var{name} should start
33026 with the @samp{$} character.
33027
33028 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33029
33030 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariable}.
33031
33032 @subheading -trace-list-variables
33033 @findex -trace-list-variables
33034
33035 @subsubheading Synopsis
33036
33037 @smallexample
33038 -trace-list-variables
33039 @end smallexample
33040
33041 Return a table of all defined trace variables. Each element of the
33042 table has the following fields:
33043
33044 @table @samp
33045 @item name
33046 The name of the trace variable. This field is always present.
33047
33048 @item initial
33049 The initial value. This is a 64-bit signed integer. This
33050 field is always present.
33051
33052 @item current
33053 The value the trace variable has at the moment. This is a 64-bit
33054 signed integer. This field is absent iff current value is
33055 not defined, for example if the trace was never run, or is
33056 presently running.
33057
33058 @end table
33059
33060 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33061
33062 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariables}.
33063
33064 @subsubheading Example
33065
33066 @smallexample
33067 (gdb)
33068 -trace-list-variables
33069 ^done,trace-variables=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="3",
33070 hdr=[@{width="15",alignment="-1",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@},
33071 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="initial",colhdr="Initial"@},
33072 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr="Current"@}],
33073 body=[variable=@{name="$trace_timestamp",initial="0"@}
33074 variable=@{name="$foo",initial="10",current="15"@}]@}
33075 (gdb)
33076 @end smallexample
33077
33078 @subheading -trace-save
33079 @findex -trace-save
33080
33081 @subsubheading Synopsis
33082
33083 @smallexample
33084 -trace-save [-r ] @var{filename}
33085 @end smallexample
33086
33087 Saves the collected trace data to @var{filename}. Without the
33088 @samp{-r} option, the data is downloaded from the target and saved
33089 in a local file. With the @samp{-r} option the target is asked
33090 to perform the save.
33091
33092 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33093
33094 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tsave}.
33095
33096
33097 @subheading -trace-start
33098 @findex -trace-start
33099
33100 @subsubheading Synopsis
33101
33102 @smallexample
33103 -trace-start
33104 @end smallexample
33105
33106 Starts a tracing experiments. The result of this command does not
33107 have any fields.
33108
33109 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33110
33111 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstart}.
33112
33113 @subheading -trace-status
33114 @findex -trace-status
33115
33116 @subsubheading Synopsis
33117
33118 @smallexample
33119 -trace-status
33120 @end smallexample
33121
33122 Obtains the status of a tracing experiment. The result may include
33123 the following fields:
33124
33125 @table @samp
33126
33127 @item supported
33128 May have a value of either @samp{0}, when no tracing operations are
33129 supported, @samp{1}, when all tracing operations are supported, or
33130 @samp{file} when examining trace file. In the latter case, examining
33131 of trace frame is possible but new tracing experiement cannot be
33132 started. This field is always present.
33133
33134 @item running
33135 May have a value of either @samp{0} or @samp{1} depending on whether
33136 tracing experiement is in progress on target. This field is present
33137 if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
33138
33139 @item stop-reason
33140 Report the reason why the tracing was stopped last time. This field
33141 may be absent iff tracing was never stopped on target yet. The
33142 value of @samp{request} means the tracing was stopped as result of
33143 the @code{-trace-stop} command. The value of @samp{overflow} means
33144 the tracing buffer is full. The value of @samp{disconnection} means
33145 tracing was automatically stopped when @value{GDBN} has disconnected.
33146 The value of @samp{passcount} means tracing was stopped when a
33147 tracepoint was passed a maximal number of times for that tracepoint.
33148 This field is present if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
33149
33150 @item stopping-tracepoint
33151 The number of tracepoint whose passcount as exceeded. This field is
33152 present iff the @samp{stop-reason} field has the value of
33153 @samp{passcount}.
33154
33155 @item frames
33156 @itemx frames-created
33157 The @samp{frames} field is a count of the total number of trace frames
33158 in the trace buffer, while @samp{frames-created} is the total created
33159 during the run, including ones that were discarded, such as when a
33160 circular trace buffer filled up. Both fields are optional.
33161
33162 @item buffer-size
33163 @itemx buffer-free
33164 These fields tell the current size of the tracing buffer and the
33165 remaining space. These fields are optional.
33166
33167 @item circular
33168 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
33169 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
33170 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
33171 and may fill up.
33172
33173 @item disconnected
33174 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
33175 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
33176 that the trace run will stop.
33177
33178 @item trace-file
33179 The filename of the trace file being examined. This field is
33180 optional, and only present when examining a trace file.
33181
33182 @end table
33183
33184 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33185
33186 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstatus}.
33187
33188 @subheading -trace-stop
33189 @findex -trace-stop
33190
33191 @subsubheading Synopsis
33192
33193 @smallexample
33194 -trace-stop
33195 @end smallexample
33196
33197 Stops a tracing experiment. The result of this command has the same
33198 fields as @code{-trace-status}, except that the @samp{supported} and
33199 @samp{running} fields are not output.
33200
33201 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33202
33203 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstop}.
33204
33205
33206 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33207 @node GDB/MI Symbol Query
33208 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Symbol Query Commands
33209
33210
33211 @ignore
33212 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-address} Command
33213 @findex -symbol-info-address
33214
33215 @subsubheading Synopsis
33216
33217 @smallexample
33218 -symbol-info-address @var{symbol}
33219 @end smallexample
33220
33221 Describe where @var{symbol} is stored.
33222
33223 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33224
33225 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info address}.
33226
33227 @subsubheading Example
33228 N.A.
33229
33230
33231 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-file} Command
33232 @findex -symbol-info-file
33233
33234 @subsubheading Synopsis
33235
33236 @smallexample
33237 -symbol-info-file
33238 @end smallexample
33239
33240 Show the file for the symbol.
33241
33242 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33243
33244 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command. @code{gdbtk} has
33245 @samp{gdb_find_file}.
33246
33247 @subsubheading Example
33248 N.A.
33249
33250
33251 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-function} Command
33252 @findex -symbol-info-function
33253
33254 @subsubheading Synopsis
33255
33256 @smallexample
33257 -symbol-info-function
33258 @end smallexample
33259
33260 Show which function the symbol lives in.
33261
33262 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33263
33264 @samp{gdb_get_function} in @code{gdbtk}.
33265
33266 @subsubheading Example
33267 N.A.
33268
33269
33270 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-line} Command
33271 @findex -symbol-info-line
33272
33273 @subsubheading Synopsis
33274
33275 @smallexample
33276 -symbol-info-line
33277 @end smallexample
33278
33279 Show the core addresses of the code for a source line.
33280
33281 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33282
33283 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info line}.
33284 @code{gdbtk} has the @samp{gdb_get_line} and @samp{gdb_get_file} commands.
33285
33286 @subsubheading Example
33287 N.A.
33288
33289
33290 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-symbol} Command
33291 @findex -symbol-info-symbol
33292
33293 @subsubheading Synopsis
33294
33295 @smallexample
33296 -symbol-info-symbol @var{addr}
33297 @end smallexample
33298
33299 Describe what symbol is at location @var{addr}.
33300
33301 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33302
33303 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info symbol}.
33304
33305 @subsubheading Example
33306 N.A.
33307
33308
33309 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-functions} Command
33310 @findex -symbol-list-functions
33311
33312 @subsubheading Synopsis
33313
33314 @smallexample
33315 -symbol-list-functions
33316 @end smallexample
33317
33318 List the functions in the executable.
33319
33320 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33321
33322 @samp{info functions} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_listfunc} and
33323 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
33324
33325 @subsubheading Example
33326 N.A.
33327 @end ignore
33328
33329
33330 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-lines} Command
33331 @findex -symbol-list-lines
33332
33333 @subsubheading Synopsis
33334
33335 @smallexample
33336 -symbol-list-lines @var{filename}
33337 @end smallexample
33338
33339 Print the list of lines that contain code and their associated program
33340 addresses for the given source filename. The entries are sorted in
33341 ascending PC order.
33342
33343 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33344
33345 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
33346
33347 @subsubheading Example
33348 @smallexample
33349 (gdb)
33350 -symbol-list-lines basics.c
33351 ^done,lines=[@{pc="0x08048554",line="7"@},@{pc="0x0804855a",line="8"@}]
33352 (gdb)
33353 @end smallexample
33354
33355
33356 @ignore
33357 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-types} Command
33358 @findex -symbol-list-types
33359
33360 @subsubheading Synopsis
33361
33362 @smallexample
33363 -symbol-list-types
33364 @end smallexample
33365
33366 List all the type names.
33367
33368 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33369
33370 The corresponding commands are @samp{info types} in @value{GDBN},
33371 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
33372
33373 @subsubheading Example
33374 N.A.
33375
33376
33377 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-variables} Command
33378 @findex -symbol-list-variables
33379
33380 @subsubheading Synopsis
33381
33382 @smallexample
33383 -symbol-list-variables
33384 @end smallexample
33385
33386 List all the global and static variable names.
33387
33388 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33389
33390 @samp{info variables} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
33391
33392 @subsubheading Example
33393 N.A.
33394
33395
33396 @subheading The @code{-symbol-locate} Command
33397 @findex -symbol-locate
33398
33399 @subsubheading Synopsis
33400
33401 @smallexample
33402 -symbol-locate
33403 @end smallexample
33404
33405 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33406
33407 @samp{gdb_loc} in @code{gdbtk}.
33408
33409 @subsubheading Example
33410 N.A.
33411
33412
33413 @subheading The @code{-symbol-type} Command
33414 @findex -symbol-type
33415
33416 @subsubheading Synopsis
33417
33418 @smallexample
33419 -symbol-type @var{variable}
33420 @end smallexample
33421
33422 Show type of @var{variable}.
33423
33424 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33425
33426 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ptype}, @code{gdbtk} has
33427 @samp{gdb_obj_variable}.
33428
33429 @subsubheading Example
33430 N.A.
33431 @end ignore
33432
33433
33434 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33435 @node GDB/MI File Commands
33436 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Commands
33437
33438 This section describes the GDB/MI commands to specify executable file names
33439 and to read in and obtain symbol table information.
33440
33441 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-and-symbols} Command
33442 @findex -file-exec-and-symbols
33443
33444 @subsubheading Synopsis
33445
33446 @smallexample
33447 -file-exec-and-symbols @var{file}
33448 @end smallexample
33449
33450 Specify the executable file to be debugged. This file is the one from
33451 which the symbol table is also read. If no file is specified, the
33452 command clears the executable and symbol information. If breakpoints
33453 are set when using this command with no arguments, @value{GDBN} will produce
33454 error messages. Otherwise, no output is produced, except a completion
33455 notification.
33456
33457 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33458
33459 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{file}.
33460
33461 @subsubheading Example
33462
33463 @smallexample
33464 (gdb)
33465 -file-exec-and-symbols /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
33466 ^done
33467 (gdb)
33468 @end smallexample
33469
33470
33471 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-file} Command
33472 @findex -file-exec-file
33473
33474 @subsubheading Synopsis
33475
33476 @smallexample
33477 -file-exec-file @var{file}
33478 @end smallexample
33479
33480 Specify the executable file to be debugged. Unlike
33481 @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols}, the symbol table is @emph{not} read
33482 from this file. If used without argument, @value{GDBN} clears the information
33483 about the executable file. No output is produced, except a completion
33484 notification.
33485
33486 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33487
33488 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{exec-file}.
33489
33490 @subsubheading Example
33491
33492 @smallexample
33493 (gdb)
33494 -file-exec-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
33495 ^done
33496 (gdb)
33497 @end smallexample
33498
33499
33500 @ignore
33501 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-sections} Command
33502 @findex -file-list-exec-sections
33503
33504 @subsubheading Synopsis
33505
33506 @smallexample
33507 -file-list-exec-sections
33508 @end smallexample
33509
33510 List the sections of the current executable file.
33511
33512 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33513
33514 The @value{GDBN} command @samp{info file} shows, among the rest, the same
33515 information as this command. @code{gdbtk} has a corresponding command
33516 @samp{gdb_load_info}.
33517
33518 @subsubheading Example
33519 N.A.
33520 @end ignore
33521
33522
33523 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-file} Command
33524 @findex -file-list-exec-source-file
33525
33526 @subsubheading Synopsis
33527
33528 @smallexample
33529 -file-list-exec-source-file
33530 @end smallexample
33531
33532 List the line number, the current source file, and the absolute path
33533 to the current source file for the current executable. The macro
33534 information field has a value of @samp{1} or @samp{0} depending on
33535 whether or not the file includes preprocessor macro information.
33536
33537 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33538
33539 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info source}
33540
33541 @subsubheading Example
33542
33543 @smallexample
33544 (gdb)
33545 123-file-list-exec-source-file
33546 123^done,line="1",file="foo.c",fullname="/home/bar/foo.c,macro-info="1"
33547 (gdb)
33548 @end smallexample
33549
33550
33551 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-files} Command
33552 @findex -file-list-exec-source-files
33553
33554 @subsubheading Synopsis
33555
33556 @smallexample
33557 -file-list-exec-source-files
33558 @end smallexample
33559
33560 List the source files for the current executable.
33561
33562 It will always output both the filename and fullname (absolute file
33563 name) of a source file.
33564
33565 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33566
33567 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info sources}.
33568 @code{gdbtk} has an analogous command @samp{gdb_listfiles}.
33569
33570 @subsubheading Example
33571 @smallexample
33572 (gdb)
33573 -file-list-exec-source-files
33574 ^done,files=[
33575 @{file=foo.c,fullname=/home/foo.c@},
33576 @{file=/home/bar.c,fullname=/home/bar.c@},
33577 @{file=gdb_could_not_find_fullpath.c@}]
33578 (gdb)
33579 @end smallexample
33580
33581 @ignore
33582 @subheading The @code{-file-list-shared-libraries} Command
33583 @findex -file-list-shared-libraries
33584
33585 @subsubheading Synopsis
33586
33587 @smallexample
33588 -file-list-shared-libraries
33589 @end smallexample
33590
33591 List the shared libraries in the program.
33592
33593 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33594
33595 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info shared}.
33596
33597 @subsubheading Example
33598 N.A.
33599
33600
33601 @subheading The @code{-file-list-symbol-files} Command
33602 @findex -file-list-symbol-files
33603
33604 @subsubheading Synopsis
33605
33606 @smallexample
33607 -file-list-symbol-files
33608 @end smallexample
33609
33610 List symbol files.
33611
33612 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33613
33614 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info file} (part of it).
33615
33616 @subsubheading Example
33617 N.A.
33618 @end ignore
33619
33620
33621 @subheading The @code{-file-symbol-file} Command
33622 @findex -file-symbol-file
33623
33624 @subsubheading Synopsis
33625
33626 @smallexample
33627 -file-symbol-file @var{file}
33628 @end smallexample
33629
33630 Read symbol table info from the specified @var{file} argument. When
33631 used without arguments, clears @value{GDBN}'s symbol table info. No output is
33632 produced, except for a completion notification.
33633
33634 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33635
33636 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{symbol-file}.
33637
33638 @subsubheading Example
33639
33640 @smallexample
33641 (gdb)
33642 -file-symbol-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
33643 ^done
33644 (gdb)
33645 @end smallexample
33646
33647 @ignore
33648 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33649 @node GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands
33650 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Memory Overlay Commands
33651
33652 The memory overlay commands are not implemented.
33653
33654 @c @subheading -overlay-auto
33655
33656 @c @subheading -overlay-list-mapping-state
33657
33658 @c @subheading -overlay-list-overlays
33659
33660 @c @subheading -overlay-map
33661
33662 @c @subheading -overlay-off
33663
33664 @c @subheading -overlay-on
33665
33666 @c @subheading -overlay-unmap
33667
33668 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33669 @node GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands
33670 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Signal Handling Commands
33671
33672 Signal handling commands are not implemented.
33673
33674 @c @subheading -signal-handle
33675
33676 @c @subheading -signal-list-handle-actions
33677
33678 @c @subheading -signal-list-signal-types
33679 @end ignore
33680
33681
33682 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33683 @node GDB/MI Target Manipulation
33684 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Target Manipulation Commands
33685
33686
33687 @subheading The @code{-target-attach} Command
33688 @findex -target-attach
33689
33690 @subsubheading Synopsis
33691
33692 @smallexample
33693 -target-attach @var{pid} | @var{gid} | @var{file}
33694 @end smallexample
33695
33696 Attach to a process @var{pid} or a file @var{file} outside of
33697 @value{GDBN}, or a thread group @var{gid}. If attaching to a thread
33698 group, the id previously returned by
33699 @samp{-list-thread-groups --available} must be used.
33700
33701 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33702
33703 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{attach}.
33704
33705 @subsubheading Example
33706 @smallexample
33707 (gdb)
33708 -target-attach 34
33709 =thread-created,id="1"
33710 *stopped,thread-id="1",frame=@{addr="0xb7f7e410",func="bar",args=[]@}
33711 ^done
33712 (gdb)
33713 @end smallexample
33714
33715 @ignore
33716 @subheading The @code{-target-compare-sections} Command
33717 @findex -target-compare-sections
33718
33719 @subsubheading Synopsis
33720
33721 @smallexample
33722 -target-compare-sections [ @var{section} ]
33723 @end smallexample
33724
33725 Compare data of section @var{section} on target to the exec file.
33726 Without the argument, all sections are compared.
33727
33728 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33729
33730 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{compare-sections}.
33731
33732 @subsubheading Example
33733 N.A.
33734 @end ignore
33735
33736
33737 @subheading The @code{-target-detach} Command
33738 @findex -target-detach
33739
33740 @subsubheading Synopsis
33741
33742 @smallexample
33743 -target-detach [ @var{pid} | @var{gid} ]
33744 @end smallexample
33745
33746 Detach from the remote target which normally resumes its execution.
33747 If either @var{pid} or @var{gid} is specified, detaches from either
33748 the specified process, or specified thread group. There's no output.
33749
33750 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33751
33752 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{detach}.
33753
33754 @subsubheading Example
33755
33756 @smallexample
33757 (gdb)
33758 -target-detach
33759 ^done
33760 (gdb)
33761 @end smallexample
33762
33763
33764 @subheading The @code{-target-disconnect} Command
33765 @findex -target-disconnect
33766
33767 @subsubheading Synopsis
33768
33769 @smallexample
33770 -target-disconnect
33771 @end smallexample
33772
33773 Disconnect from the remote target. There's no output and the target is
33774 generally not resumed.
33775
33776 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33777
33778 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disconnect}.
33779
33780 @subsubheading Example
33781
33782 @smallexample
33783 (gdb)
33784 -target-disconnect
33785 ^done
33786 (gdb)
33787 @end smallexample
33788
33789
33790 @subheading The @code{-target-download} Command
33791 @findex -target-download
33792
33793 @subsubheading Synopsis
33794
33795 @smallexample
33796 -target-download
33797 @end smallexample
33798
33799 Loads the executable onto the remote target.
33800 It prints out an update message every half second, which includes the fields:
33801
33802 @table @samp
33803 @item section
33804 The name of the section.
33805 @item section-sent
33806 The size of what has been sent so far for that section.
33807 @item section-size
33808 The size of the section.
33809 @item total-sent
33810 The total size of what was sent so far (the current and the previous sections).
33811 @item total-size
33812 The size of the overall executable to download.
33813 @end table
33814
33815 @noindent
33816 Each message is sent as status record (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, ,
33817 @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax}).
33818
33819 In addition, it prints the name and size of the sections, as they are
33820 downloaded. These messages include the following fields:
33821
33822 @table @samp
33823 @item section
33824 The name of the section.
33825 @item section-size
33826 The size of the section.
33827 @item total-size
33828 The size of the overall executable to download.
33829 @end table
33830
33831 @noindent
33832 At the end, a summary is printed.
33833
33834 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33835
33836 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{load}.
33837
33838 @subsubheading Example
33839
33840 Note: each status message appears on a single line. Here the messages
33841 have been broken down so that they can fit onto a page.
33842
33843 @smallexample
33844 (gdb)
33845 -target-download
33846 +download,@{section=".text",section-size="6668",total-size="9880"@}
33847 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="512",section-size="6668",
33848 total-sent="512",total-size="9880"@}
33849 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1024",section-size="6668",
33850 total-sent="1024",total-size="9880"@}
33851 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1536",section-size="6668",
33852 total-sent="1536",total-size="9880"@}
33853 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2048",section-size="6668",
33854 total-sent="2048",total-size="9880"@}
33855 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2560",section-size="6668",
33856 total-sent="2560",total-size="9880"@}
33857 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3072",section-size="6668",
33858 total-sent="3072",total-size="9880"@}
33859 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3584",section-size="6668",
33860 total-sent="3584",total-size="9880"@}
33861 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4096",section-size="6668",
33862 total-sent="4096",total-size="9880"@}
33863 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4608",section-size="6668",
33864 total-sent="4608",total-size="9880"@}
33865 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5120",section-size="6668",
33866 total-sent="5120",total-size="9880"@}
33867 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5632",section-size="6668",
33868 total-sent="5632",total-size="9880"@}
33869 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6144",section-size="6668",
33870 total-sent="6144",total-size="9880"@}
33871 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6656",section-size="6668",
33872 total-sent="6656",total-size="9880"@}
33873 +download,@{section=".init",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
33874 +download,@{section=".fini",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
33875 +download,@{section=".data",section-size="3156",total-size="9880"@}
33876 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="512",section-size="3156",
33877 total-sent="7236",total-size="9880"@}
33878 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1024",section-size="3156",
33879 total-sent="7748",total-size="9880"@}
33880 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1536",section-size="3156",
33881 total-sent="8260",total-size="9880"@}
33882 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2048",section-size="3156",
33883 total-sent="8772",total-size="9880"@}
33884 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2560",section-size="3156",
33885 total-sent="9284",total-size="9880"@}
33886 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="3072",section-size="3156",
33887 total-sent="9796",total-size="9880"@}
33888 ^done,address="0x10004",load-size="9880",transfer-rate="6586",
33889 write-rate="429"
33890 (gdb)
33891 @end smallexample
33892
33893
33894 @ignore
33895 @subheading The @code{-target-exec-status} Command
33896 @findex -target-exec-status
33897
33898 @subsubheading Synopsis
33899
33900 @smallexample
33901 -target-exec-status
33902 @end smallexample
33903
33904 Provide information on the state of the target (whether it is running or
33905 not, for instance).
33906
33907 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33908
33909 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
33910
33911 @subsubheading Example
33912 N.A.
33913
33914
33915 @subheading The @code{-target-list-available-targets} Command
33916 @findex -target-list-available-targets
33917
33918 @subsubheading Synopsis
33919
33920 @smallexample
33921 -target-list-available-targets
33922 @end smallexample
33923
33924 List the possible targets to connect to.
33925
33926 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33927
33928 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{help target}.
33929
33930 @subsubheading Example
33931 N.A.
33932
33933
33934 @subheading The @code{-target-list-current-targets} Command
33935 @findex -target-list-current-targets
33936
33937 @subsubheading Synopsis
33938
33939 @smallexample
33940 -target-list-current-targets
33941 @end smallexample
33942
33943 Describe the current target.
33944
33945 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33946
33947 The corresponding information is printed by @samp{info file} (among
33948 other things).
33949
33950 @subsubheading Example
33951 N.A.
33952
33953
33954 @subheading The @code{-target-list-parameters} Command
33955 @findex -target-list-parameters
33956
33957 @subsubheading Synopsis
33958
33959 @smallexample
33960 -target-list-parameters
33961 @end smallexample
33962
33963 @c ????
33964 @end ignore
33965
33966 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33967
33968 No equivalent.
33969
33970 @subsubheading Example
33971 N.A.
33972
33973
33974 @subheading The @code{-target-select} Command
33975 @findex -target-select
33976
33977 @subsubheading Synopsis
33978
33979 @smallexample
33980 -target-select @var{type} @var{parameters @dots{}}
33981 @end smallexample
33982
33983 Connect @value{GDBN} to the remote target. This command takes two args:
33984
33985 @table @samp
33986 @item @var{type}
33987 The type of target, for instance @samp{remote}, etc.
33988 @item @var{parameters}
33989 Device names, host names and the like. @xref{Target Commands, ,
33990 Commands for Managing Targets}, for more details.
33991 @end table
33992
33993 The output is a connection notification, followed by the address at
33994 which the target program is, in the following form:
33995
33996 @smallexample
33997 ^connected,addr="@var{address}",func="@var{function name}",
33998 args=[@var{arg list}]
33999 @end smallexample
34000
34001 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34002
34003 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{target}.
34004
34005 @subsubheading Example
34006
34007 @smallexample
34008 (gdb)
34009 -target-select remote /dev/ttya
34010 ^connected,addr="0xfe00a300",func="??",args=[]
34011 (gdb)
34012 @end smallexample
34013
34014 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34015 @node GDB/MI File Transfer Commands
34016 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Transfer Commands
34017
34018
34019 @subheading The @code{-target-file-put} Command
34020 @findex -target-file-put
34021
34022 @subsubheading Synopsis
34023
34024 @smallexample
34025 -target-file-put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
34026 @end smallexample
34027
34028 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
34029 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
34030
34031 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34032
34033 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote put}.
34034
34035 @subsubheading Example
34036
34037 @smallexample
34038 (gdb)
34039 -target-file-put localfile remotefile
34040 ^done
34041 (gdb)
34042 @end smallexample
34043
34044
34045 @subheading The @code{-target-file-get} Command
34046 @findex -target-file-get
34047
34048 @subsubheading Synopsis
34049
34050 @smallexample
34051 -target-file-get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
34052 @end smallexample
34053
34054 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
34055 on the host system.
34056
34057 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34058
34059 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote get}.
34060
34061 @subsubheading Example
34062
34063 @smallexample
34064 (gdb)
34065 -target-file-get remotefile localfile
34066 ^done
34067 (gdb)
34068 @end smallexample
34069
34070
34071 @subheading The @code{-target-file-delete} Command
34072 @findex -target-file-delete
34073
34074 @subsubheading Synopsis
34075
34076 @smallexample
34077 -target-file-delete @var{targetfile}
34078 @end smallexample
34079
34080 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
34081
34082 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34083
34084 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote delete}.
34085
34086 @subsubheading Example
34087
34088 @smallexample
34089 (gdb)
34090 -target-file-delete remotefile
34091 ^done
34092 (gdb)
34093 @end smallexample
34094
34095
34096 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34097 @node GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands
34098 @section Miscellaneous @sc{gdb/mi} Commands
34099
34100 @c @subheading -gdb-complete
34101
34102 @subheading The @code{-gdb-exit} Command
34103 @findex -gdb-exit
34104
34105 @subsubheading Synopsis
34106
34107 @smallexample
34108 -gdb-exit
34109 @end smallexample
34110
34111 Exit @value{GDBN} immediately.
34112
34113 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34114
34115 Approximately corresponds to @samp{quit}.
34116
34117 @subsubheading Example
34118
34119 @smallexample
34120 (gdb)
34121 -gdb-exit
34122 ^exit
34123 @end smallexample
34124
34125
34126 @ignore
34127 @subheading The @code{-exec-abort} Command
34128 @findex -exec-abort
34129
34130 @subsubheading Synopsis
34131
34132 @smallexample
34133 -exec-abort
34134 @end smallexample
34135
34136 Kill the inferior running program.
34137
34138 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34139
34140 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{kill}.
34141
34142 @subsubheading Example
34143 N.A.
34144 @end ignore
34145
34146
34147 @subheading The @code{-gdb-set} Command
34148 @findex -gdb-set
34149
34150 @subsubheading Synopsis
34151
34152 @smallexample
34153 -gdb-set
34154 @end smallexample
34155
34156 Set an internal @value{GDBN} variable.
34157 @c IS THIS A DOLLAR VARIABLE? OR SOMETHING LIKE ANNOTATE ?????
34158
34159 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34160
34161 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set}.
34162
34163 @subsubheading Example
34164
34165 @smallexample
34166 (gdb)
34167 -gdb-set $foo=3
34168 ^done
34169 (gdb)
34170 @end smallexample
34171
34172
34173 @subheading The @code{-gdb-show} Command
34174 @findex -gdb-show
34175
34176 @subsubheading Synopsis
34177
34178 @smallexample
34179 -gdb-show
34180 @end smallexample
34181
34182 Show the current value of a @value{GDBN} variable.
34183
34184 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34185
34186 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show}.
34187
34188 @subsubheading Example
34189
34190 @smallexample
34191 (gdb)
34192 -gdb-show annotate
34193 ^done,value="0"
34194 (gdb)
34195 @end smallexample
34196
34197 @c @subheading -gdb-source
34198
34199
34200 @subheading The @code{-gdb-version} Command
34201 @findex -gdb-version
34202
34203 @subsubheading Synopsis
34204
34205 @smallexample
34206 -gdb-version
34207 @end smallexample
34208
34209 Show version information for @value{GDBN}. Used mostly in testing.
34210
34211 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34212
34213 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{show version}. @value{GDBN} by
34214 default shows this information when you start an interactive session.
34215
34216 @subsubheading Example
34217
34218 @c This example modifies the actual output from GDB to avoid overfull
34219 @c box in TeX.
34220 @smallexample
34221 (gdb)
34222 -gdb-version
34223 ~GNU gdb 5.2.1
34224 ~Copyright 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
34225 ~GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and
34226 ~you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under
34227 ~ certain conditions.
34228 ~Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
34229 ~There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty" for
34230 ~ details.
34231 ~This GDB was configured as
34232 "--host=sparc-sun-solaris2.5.1 --target=ppc-eabi".
34233 ^done
34234 (gdb)
34235 @end smallexample
34236
34237 @subheading The @code{-list-features} Command
34238 @findex -list-features
34239
34240 Returns a list of particular features of the MI protocol that
34241 this version of gdb implements. A feature can be a command,
34242 or a new field in an output of some command, or even an
34243 important bugfix. While a frontend can sometimes detect presence
34244 of a feature at runtime, it is easier to perform detection at debugger
34245 startup.
34246
34247 The command returns a list of strings, with each string naming an
34248 available feature. Each returned string is just a name, it does not
34249 have any internal structure. The list of possible feature names
34250 is given below.
34251
34252 Example output:
34253
34254 @smallexample
34255 (gdb) -list-features
34256 ^done,result=["feature1","feature2"]
34257 @end smallexample
34258
34259 The current list of features is:
34260
34261 @table @samp
34262 @item frozen-varobjs
34263 Indicates support for the @code{-var-set-frozen} command, as well
34264 as possible presense of the @code{frozen} field in the output
34265 of @code{-varobj-create}.
34266 @item pending-breakpoints
34267 Indicates support for the @option{-f} option to the @code{-break-insert}
34268 command.
34269 @item python
34270 Indicates Python scripting support, Python-based
34271 pretty-printing commands, and possible presence of the
34272 @samp{display_hint} field in the output of @code{-var-list-children}
34273 @item thread-info
34274 Indicates support for the @code{-thread-info} command.
34275 @item data-read-memory-bytes
34276 Indicates support for the @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} and the
34277 @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} commands.
34278 @item breakpoint-notifications
34279 Indicates that changes to breakpoints and breakpoints created via the
34280 CLI will be announced via async records.
34281 @item ada-task-info
34282 Indicates support for the @code{-ada-task-info} command.
34283 @end table
34284
34285 @subheading The @code{-list-target-features} Command
34286 @findex -list-target-features
34287
34288 Returns a list of particular features that are supported by the
34289 target. Those features affect the permitted MI commands, but
34290 unlike the features reported by the @code{-list-features} command, the
34291 features depend on which target GDB is using at the moment. Whenever
34292 a target can change, due to commands such as @code{-target-select},
34293 @code{-target-attach} or @code{-exec-run}, the list of target features
34294 may change, and the frontend should obtain it again.
34295 Example output:
34296
34297 @smallexample
34298 (gdb) -list-features
34299 ^done,result=["async"]
34300 @end smallexample
34301
34302 The current list of features is:
34303
34304 @table @samp
34305 @item async
34306 Indicates that the target is capable of asynchronous command
34307 execution, which means that @value{GDBN} will accept further commands
34308 while the target is running.
34309
34310 @item reverse
34311 Indicates that the target is capable of reverse execution.
34312 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
34313
34314 @end table
34315
34316 @subheading The @code{-list-thread-groups} Command
34317 @findex -list-thread-groups
34318
34319 @subheading Synopsis
34320
34321 @smallexample
34322 -list-thread-groups [ --available ] [ --recurse 1 ] [ @var{group} ... ]
34323 @end smallexample
34324
34325 Lists thread groups (@pxref{Thread groups}). When a single thread
34326 group is passed as the argument, lists the children of that group.
34327 When several thread group are passed, lists information about those
34328 thread groups. Without any parameters, lists information about all
34329 top-level thread groups.
34330
34331 Normally, thread groups that are being debugged are reported.
34332 With the @samp{--available} option, @value{GDBN} reports thread groups
34333 available on the target.
34334
34335 The output of this command may have either a @samp{threads} result or
34336 a @samp{groups} result. The @samp{thread} result has a list of tuples
34337 as value, with each tuple describing a thread (@pxref{GDB/MI Thread
34338 Information}). The @samp{groups} result has a list of tuples as value,
34339 each tuple describing a thread group. If top-level groups are
34340 requested (that is, no parameter is passed), or when several groups
34341 are passed, the output always has a @samp{groups} result. The format
34342 of the @samp{group} result is described below.
34343
34344 To reduce the number of roundtrips it's possible to list thread groups
34345 together with their children, by passing the @samp{--recurse} option
34346 and the recursion depth. Presently, only recursion depth of 1 is
34347 permitted. If this option is present, then every reported thread group
34348 will also include its children, either as @samp{group} or
34349 @samp{threads} field.
34350
34351 In general, any combination of option and parameters is permitted, with
34352 the following caveats:
34353
34354 @itemize @bullet
34355 @item
34356 When a single thread group is passed, the output will typically
34357 be the @samp{threads} result. Because threads may not contain
34358 anything, the @samp{recurse} option will be ignored.
34359
34360 @item
34361 When the @samp{--available} option is passed, limited information may
34362 be available. In particular, the list of threads of a process might
34363 be inaccessible. Further, specifying specific thread groups might
34364 not give any performance advantage over listing all thread groups.
34365 The frontend should assume that @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}
34366 is always an expensive operation and cache the results.
34367
34368 @end itemize
34369
34370 The @samp{groups} result is a list of tuples, where each tuple may
34371 have the following fields:
34372
34373 @table @code
34374 @item id
34375 Identifier of the thread group. This field is always present.
34376 The identifier is an opaque string; frontends should not try to
34377 convert it to an integer, even though it might look like one.
34378
34379 @item type
34380 The type of the thread group. At present, only @samp{process} is a
34381 valid type.
34382
34383 @item pid
34384 The target-specific process identifier. This field is only present
34385 for thread groups of type @samp{process} and only if the process exists.
34386
34387 @item num_children
34388 The number of children this thread group has. This field may be
34389 absent for an available thread group.
34390
34391 @item threads
34392 This field has a list of tuples as value, each tuple describing a
34393 thread. It may be present if the @samp{--recurse} option is
34394 specified, and it's actually possible to obtain the threads.
34395
34396 @item cores
34397 This field is a list of integers, each identifying a core that one
34398 thread of the group is running on. This field may be absent if
34399 such information is not available.
34400
34401 @item executable
34402 The name of the executable file that corresponds to this thread group.
34403 The field is only present for thread groups of type @samp{process},
34404 and only if there is a corresponding executable file.
34405
34406 @end table
34407
34408 @subheading Example
34409
34410 @smallexample
34411 @value{GDBP}
34412 -list-thread-groups
34413 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2"@}]
34414 -list-thread-groups 17
34415 ^done,threads=[@{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
34416 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",args=[]@},state="running"@},
34417 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
34418 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
34419 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},state="running"@}]]
34420 -list-thread-groups --available
34421 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2]@}]
34422 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1
34423 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
34424 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
34425 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},..]
34426 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1 17 18
34427 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
34428 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
34429 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},...]
34430 @end smallexample
34431
34432 @subheading The @code{-info-os} Command
34433 @findex -info-os
34434
34435 @subsubheading Synopsis
34436
34437 @smallexample
34438 -info-os [ @var{type} ]
34439 @end smallexample
34440
34441 If no argument is supplied, the command returns a table of available
34442 operating-system-specific information types. If one of these types is
34443 supplied as an argument @var{type}, then the command returns a table
34444 of data of that type.
34445
34446 The types of information available depend on the target operating
34447 system.
34448
34449 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34450
34451 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info os}.
34452
34453 @subsubheading Example
34454
34455 When run on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, the output will look something
34456 like this:
34457
34458 @smallexample
34459 @value{GDBP}
34460 -info-os
34461 ^done,OSDataTable=@{nr_rows="9",nr_cols="3",
34462 hdr=[@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col0",colhdr="Type"@},
34463 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col1",colhdr="Description"@},
34464 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col2",colhdr="Title"@}],
34465 body=[item=@{col0="processes",col1="Listing of all processes",
34466 col2="Processes"@},
34467 item=@{col0="procgroups",col1="Listing of all process groups",
34468 col2="Process groups"@},
34469 item=@{col0="threads",col1="Listing of all threads",
34470 col2="Threads"@},
34471 item=@{col0="files",col1="Listing of all file descriptors",
34472 col2="File descriptors"@},
34473 item=@{col0="sockets",col1="Listing of all internet-domain sockets",
34474 col2="Sockets"@},
34475 item=@{col0="shm",col1="Listing of all shared-memory regions",
34476 col2="Shared-memory regions"@},
34477 item=@{col0="semaphores",col1="Listing of all semaphores",
34478 col2="Semaphores"@},
34479 item=@{col0="msg",col1="Listing of all message queues",
34480 col2="Message queues"@},
34481 item=@{col0="modules",col1="Listing of all loaded kernel modules",
34482 col2="Kernel modules"@}]@}
34483 @value{GDBP}
34484 -info-os processes
34485 ^done,OSDataTable=@{nr_rows="190",nr_cols="4",
34486 hdr=[@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col0",colhdr="pid"@},
34487 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col1",colhdr="user"@},
34488 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col2",colhdr="command"@},
34489 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col3",colhdr="cores"@}],
34490 body=[item=@{col0="1",col1="root",col2="/sbin/init",col3="0"@},
34491 item=@{col0="2",col1="root",col2="[kthreadd]",col3="1"@},
34492 item=@{col0="3",col1="root",col2="[ksoftirqd/0]",col3="0"@},
34493 ...
34494 item=@{col0="26446",col1="stan",col2="bash",col3="0"@},
34495 item=@{col0="28152",col1="stan",col2="bash",col3="1"@}]@}
34496 (gdb)
34497 @end smallexample
34498
34499 (Note that the MI output here includes a @code{"Title"} column that
34500 does not appear in command-line @code{info os}; this column is useful
34501 for MI clients that want to enumerate the types of data, such as in a
34502 popup menu, but is needless clutter on the command line, and
34503 @code{info os} omits it.)
34504
34505 @subheading The @code{-add-inferior} Command
34506 @findex -add-inferior
34507
34508 @subheading Synopsis
34509
34510 @smallexample
34511 -add-inferior
34512 @end smallexample
34513
34514 Creates a new inferior (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). The created
34515 inferior is not associated with any executable. Such association may
34516 be established with the @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols} command
34517 (@pxref{GDB/MI File Commands}). The command response has a single
34518 field, @samp{thread-group}, whose value is the identifier of the
34519 thread group corresponding to the new inferior.
34520
34521 @subheading Example
34522
34523 @smallexample
34524 @value{GDBP}
34525 -add-inferior
34526 ^done,thread-group="i3"
34527 @end smallexample
34528
34529 @subheading The @code{-interpreter-exec} Command
34530 @findex -interpreter-exec
34531
34532 @subheading Synopsis
34533
34534 @smallexample
34535 -interpreter-exec @var{interpreter} @var{command}
34536 @end smallexample
34537 @anchor{-interpreter-exec}
34538
34539 Execute the specified @var{command} in the given @var{interpreter}.
34540
34541 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
34542
34543 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interpreter-exec}.
34544
34545 @subheading Example
34546
34547 @smallexample
34548 (gdb)
34549 -interpreter-exec console "break main"
34550 &"During symbol reading, couldn't parse type; debugger out of date?.\n"
34551 &"During symbol reading, bad structure-type format.\n"
34552 ~"Breakpoint 1 at 0x8074fc6: file ../../src/gdb/main.c, line 743.\n"
34553 ^done
34554 (gdb)
34555 @end smallexample
34556
34557 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-set} Command
34558 @findex -inferior-tty-set
34559
34560 @subheading Synopsis
34561
34562 @smallexample
34563 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
34564 @end smallexample
34565
34566 Set terminal for future runs of the program being debugged.
34567
34568 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
34569
34570 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set inferior-tty} /dev/pts/1.
34571
34572 @subheading Example
34573
34574 @smallexample
34575 (gdb)
34576 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
34577 ^done
34578 (gdb)
34579 @end smallexample
34580
34581 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-show} Command
34582 @findex -inferior-tty-show
34583
34584 @subheading Synopsis
34585
34586 @smallexample
34587 -inferior-tty-show
34588 @end smallexample
34589
34590 Show terminal for future runs of program being debugged.
34591
34592 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
34593
34594 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show inferior-tty}.
34595
34596 @subheading Example
34597
34598 @smallexample
34599 (gdb)
34600 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
34601 ^done
34602 (gdb)
34603 -inferior-tty-show
34604 ^done,inferior_tty_terminal="/dev/pts/1"
34605 (gdb)
34606 @end smallexample
34607
34608 @subheading The @code{-enable-timings} Command
34609 @findex -enable-timings
34610
34611 @subheading Synopsis
34612
34613 @smallexample
34614 -enable-timings [yes | no]
34615 @end smallexample
34616
34617 Toggle the printing of the wallclock, user and system times for an MI
34618 command as a field in its output. This command is to help frontend
34619 developers optimize the performance of their code. No argument is
34620 equivalent to @samp{yes}.
34621
34622 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
34623
34624 No equivalent.
34625
34626 @subheading Example
34627
34628 @smallexample
34629 (gdb)
34630 -enable-timings
34631 ^done
34632 (gdb)
34633 -break-insert main
34634 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
34635 addr="0x080484ed",func="main",file="myprog.c",
34636 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73",thread-groups=["i1"],
34637 times="0"@},
34638 time=@{wallclock="0.05185",user="0.00800",system="0.00000"@}
34639 (gdb)
34640 -enable-timings no
34641 ^done
34642 (gdb)
34643 -exec-run
34644 ^running
34645 (gdb)
34646 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
34647 frame=@{addr="0x080484ed",func="main",args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},
34648 @{name="argv",value="0xbfb60364"@}],file="myprog.c",
34649 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73"@}
34650 (gdb)
34651 @end smallexample
34652
34653 @node Annotations
34654 @chapter @value{GDBN} Annotations
34655
34656 This chapter describes annotations in @value{GDBN}. Annotations were
34657 designed to interface @value{GDBN} to graphical user interfaces or other
34658 similar programs which want to interact with @value{GDBN} at a
34659 relatively high level.
34660
34661 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
34662 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
34663
34664 @ignore
34665 This is Edition @value{EDITION}, @value{DATE}.
34666 @end ignore
34667
34668 @menu
34669 * Annotations Overview:: What annotations are; the general syntax.
34670 * Server Prefix:: Issuing a command without affecting user state.
34671 * Prompting:: Annotations marking @value{GDBN}'s need for input.
34672 * Errors:: Annotations for error messages.
34673 * Invalidation:: Some annotations describe things now invalid.
34674 * Annotations for Running::
34675 Whether the program is running, how it stopped, etc.
34676 * Source Annotations:: Annotations describing source code.
34677 @end menu
34678
34679 @node Annotations Overview
34680 @section What is an Annotation?
34681 @cindex annotations
34682
34683 Annotations start with a newline character, two @samp{control-z}
34684 characters, and the name of the annotation. If there is no additional
34685 information associated with this annotation, the name of the annotation
34686 is followed immediately by a newline. If there is additional
34687 information, the name of the annotation is followed by a space, the
34688 additional information, and a newline. The additional information
34689 cannot contain newline characters.
34690
34691 Any output not beginning with a newline and two @samp{control-z}
34692 characters denotes literal output from @value{GDBN}. Currently there is
34693 no need for @value{GDBN} to output a newline followed by two
34694 @samp{control-z} characters, but if there was such a need, the
34695 annotations could be extended with an @samp{escape} annotation which
34696 means those three characters as output.
34697
34698 The annotation @var{level}, which is specified using the
34699 @option{--annotate} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}), controls
34700 how much information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt,
34701 values of expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0
34702 is for no annotations, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a
34703 subprocess of @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable
34704 for programs that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 annotations have
34705 been made obsolete (@pxref{Limitations, , Limitations of the Annotation
34706 Interface, annotate, GDB's Obsolete Annotations}).
34707
34708 @table @code
34709 @kindex set annotate
34710 @item set annotate @var{level}
34711 The @value{GDBN} command @code{set annotate} sets the level of
34712 annotations to the specified @var{level}.
34713
34714 @item show annotate
34715 @kindex show annotate
34716 Show the current annotation level.
34717 @end table
34718
34719 This chapter describes level 3 annotations.
34720
34721 A simple example of starting up @value{GDBN} with annotations is:
34722
34723 @smallexample
34724 $ @kbd{gdb --annotate=3}
34725 GNU gdb 6.0
34726 Copyright 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
34727 GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License,
34728 and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it
34729 under certain conditions.
34730 Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
34731 There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty"
34732 for details.
34733 This GDB was configured as "i386-pc-linux-gnu"
34734
34735 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
34736 (@value{GDBP})
34737 ^Z^Zprompt
34738 @kbd{quit}
34739
34740 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
34741 $
34742 @end smallexample
34743
34744 Here @samp{quit} is input to @value{GDBN}; the rest is output from
34745 @value{GDBN}. The three lines beginning @samp{^Z^Z} (where @samp{^Z}
34746 denotes a @samp{control-z} character) are annotations; the rest is
34747 output from @value{GDBN}.
34748
34749 @node Server Prefix
34750 @section The Server Prefix
34751 @cindex server prefix
34752
34753 If you prefix a command with @samp{server } then it will not affect
34754 the command history, nor will it affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which
34755 command to repeat if @key{RET} is pressed on a line by itself. This
34756 means that commands can be run behind a user's back by a front-end in
34757 a transparent manner.
34758
34759 The @code{server } prefix does not affect the recording of values into
34760 the value history; to print a value without recording it into the
34761 value history, use the @code{output} command instead of the
34762 @code{print} command.
34763
34764 Using this prefix also disables confirmation requests
34765 (@pxref{confirmation requests}).
34766
34767 @node Prompting
34768 @section Annotation for @value{GDBN} Input
34769
34770 @cindex annotations for prompts
34771 When @value{GDBN} prompts for input, it annotates this fact so it is possible
34772 to know when to send output, when the output from a given command is
34773 over, etc.
34774
34775 Different kinds of input each have a different @dfn{input type}. Each
34776 input type has three annotations: a @code{pre-} annotation, which
34777 denotes the beginning of any prompt which is being output, a plain
34778 annotation, which denotes the end of the prompt, and then a @code{post-}
34779 annotation which denotes the end of any echo which may (or may not) be
34780 associated with the input. For example, the @code{prompt} input type
34781 features the following annotations:
34782
34783 @smallexample
34784 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
34785 ^Z^Zprompt
34786 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
34787 @end smallexample
34788
34789 The input types are
34790
34791 @table @code
34792 @findex pre-prompt annotation
34793 @findex prompt annotation
34794 @findex post-prompt annotation
34795 @item prompt
34796 When @value{GDBN} is prompting for a command (the main @value{GDBN} prompt).
34797
34798 @findex pre-commands annotation
34799 @findex commands annotation
34800 @findex post-commands annotation
34801 @item commands
34802 When @value{GDBN} prompts for a set of commands, like in the @code{commands}
34803 command. The annotations are repeated for each command which is input.
34804
34805 @findex pre-overload-choice annotation
34806 @findex overload-choice annotation
34807 @findex post-overload-choice annotation
34808 @item overload-choice
34809 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to select between various overloaded functions.
34810
34811 @findex pre-query annotation
34812 @findex query annotation
34813 @findex post-query annotation
34814 @item query
34815 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to confirm a potentially dangerous operation.
34816
34817 @findex pre-prompt-for-continue annotation
34818 @findex prompt-for-continue annotation
34819 @findex post-prompt-for-continue annotation
34820 @item prompt-for-continue
34821 When @value{GDBN} is asking the user to press return to continue. Note: Don't
34822 expect this to work well; instead use @code{set height 0} to disable
34823 prompting. This is because the counting of lines is buggy in the
34824 presence of annotations.
34825 @end table
34826
34827 @node Errors
34828 @section Errors
34829 @cindex annotations for errors, warnings and interrupts
34830
34831 @findex quit annotation
34832 @smallexample
34833 ^Z^Zquit
34834 @end smallexample
34835
34836 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an interrupt.
34837
34838 @findex error annotation
34839 @smallexample
34840 ^Z^Zerror
34841 @end smallexample
34842
34843 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an error.
34844
34845 Quit and error annotations indicate that any annotations which @value{GDBN} was
34846 in the middle of may end abruptly. For example, if a
34847 @code{value-history-begin} annotation is followed by a @code{error}, one
34848 cannot expect to receive the matching @code{value-history-end}. One
34849 cannot expect not to receive it either, however; an error annotation
34850 does not necessarily mean that @value{GDBN} is immediately returning all the way
34851 to the top level.
34852
34853 @findex error-begin annotation
34854 A quit or error annotation may be preceded by
34855
34856 @smallexample
34857 ^Z^Zerror-begin
34858 @end smallexample
34859
34860 Any output between that and the quit or error annotation is the error
34861 message.
34862
34863 Warning messages are not yet annotated.
34864 @c If we want to change that, need to fix warning(), type_error(),
34865 @c range_error(), and possibly other places.
34866
34867 @node Invalidation
34868 @section Invalidation Notices
34869
34870 @cindex annotations for invalidation messages
34871 The following annotations say that certain pieces of state may have
34872 changed.
34873
34874 @table @code
34875 @findex frames-invalid annotation
34876 @item ^Z^Zframes-invalid
34877
34878 The frames (for example, output from the @code{backtrace} command) may
34879 have changed.
34880
34881 @findex breakpoints-invalid annotation
34882 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoints-invalid
34883
34884 The breakpoints may have changed. For example, the user just added or
34885 deleted a breakpoint.
34886 @end table
34887
34888 @node Annotations for Running
34889 @section Running the Program
34890 @cindex annotations for running programs
34891
34892 @findex starting annotation
34893 @findex stopping annotation
34894 When the program starts executing due to a @value{GDBN} command such as
34895 @code{step} or @code{continue},
34896
34897 @smallexample
34898 ^Z^Zstarting
34899 @end smallexample
34900
34901 is output. When the program stops,
34902
34903 @smallexample
34904 ^Z^Zstopped
34905 @end smallexample
34906
34907 is output. Before the @code{stopped} annotation, a variety of
34908 annotations describe how the program stopped.
34909
34910 @table @code
34911 @findex exited annotation
34912 @item ^Z^Zexited @var{exit-status}
34913 The program exited, and @var{exit-status} is the exit status (zero for
34914 successful exit, otherwise nonzero).
34915
34916 @findex signalled annotation
34917 @findex signal-name annotation
34918 @findex signal-name-end annotation
34919 @findex signal-string annotation
34920 @findex signal-string-end annotation
34921 @item ^Z^Zsignalled
34922 The program exited with a signal. After the @code{^Z^Zsignalled}, the
34923 annotation continues:
34924
34925 @smallexample
34926 @var{intro-text}
34927 ^Z^Zsignal-name
34928 @var{name}
34929 ^Z^Zsignal-name-end
34930 @var{middle-text}
34931 ^Z^Zsignal-string
34932 @var{string}
34933 ^Z^Zsignal-string-end
34934 @var{end-text}
34935 @end smallexample
34936
34937 @noindent
34938 where @var{name} is the name of the signal, such as @code{SIGILL} or
34939 @code{SIGSEGV}, and @var{string} is the explanation of the signal, such
34940 as @code{Illegal Instruction} or @code{Segmentation fault}.
34941 @var{intro-text}, @var{middle-text}, and @var{end-text} are for the
34942 user's benefit and have no particular format.
34943
34944 @findex signal annotation
34945 @item ^Z^Zsignal
34946 The syntax of this annotation is just like @code{signalled}, but @value{GDBN} is
34947 just saying that the program received the signal, not that it was
34948 terminated with it.
34949
34950 @findex breakpoint annotation
34951 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoint @var{number}
34952 The program hit breakpoint number @var{number}.
34953
34954 @findex watchpoint annotation
34955 @item ^Z^Zwatchpoint @var{number}
34956 The program hit watchpoint number @var{number}.
34957 @end table
34958
34959 @node Source Annotations
34960 @section Displaying Source
34961 @cindex annotations for source display
34962
34963 @findex source annotation
34964 The following annotation is used instead of displaying source code:
34965
34966 @smallexample
34967 ^Z^Zsource @var{filename}:@var{line}:@var{character}:@var{middle}:@var{addr}
34968 @end smallexample
34969
34970 where @var{filename} is an absolute file name indicating which source
34971 file, @var{line} is the line number within that file (where 1 is the
34972 first line in the file), @var{character} is the character position
34973 within the file (where 0 is the first character in the file) (for most
34974 debug formats this will necessarily point to the beginning of a line),
34975 @var{middle} is @samp{middle} if @var{addr} is in the middle of the
34976 line, or @samp{beg} if @var{addr} is at the beginning of the line, and
34977 @var{addr} is the address in the target program associated with the
34978 source which is being displayed. @var{addr} is in the form @samp{0x}
34979 followed by one or more lowercase hex digits (note that this does not
34980 depend on the language).
34981
34982 @node JIT Interface
34983 @chapter JIT Compilation Interface
34984 @cindex just-in-time compilation
34985 @cindex JIT compilation interface
34986
34987 This chapter documents @value{GDBN}'s @dfn{just-in-time} (JIT) compilation
34988 interface. A JIT compiler is a program or library that generates native
34989 executable code at runtime and executes it, usually in order to achieve good
34990 performance while maintaining platform independence.
34991
34992 Programs that use JIT compilation are normally difficult to debug because
34993 portions of their code are generated at runtime, instead of being loaded from
34994 object files, which is where @value{GDBN} normally finds the program's symbols
34995 and debug information. In order to debug programs that use JIT compilation,
34996 @value{GDBN} has an interface that allows the program to register in-memory
34997 symbol files with @value{GDBN} at runtime.
34998
34999 If you are using @value{GDBN} to debug a program that uses this interface, then
35000 it should work transparently so long as you have not stripped the binary. If
35001 you are developing a JIT compiler, then the interface is documented in the rest
35002 of this chapter. At this time, the only known client of this interface is the
35003 LLVM JIT.
35004
35005 Broadly speaking, the JIT interface mirrors the dynamic loader interface. The
35006 JIT compiler communicates with @value{GDBN} by writing data into a global
35007 variable and calling a fuction at a well-known symbol. When @value{GDBN}
35008 attaches, it reads a linked list of symbol files from the global variable to
35009 find existing code, and puts a breakpoint in the function so that it can find
35010 out about additional code.
35011
35012 @menu
35013 * Declarations:: Relevant C struct declarations
35014 * Registering Code:: Steps to register code
35015 * Unregistering Code:: Steps to unregister code
35016 * Custom Debug Info:: Emit debug information in a custom format
35017 @end menu
35018
35019 @node Declarations
35020 @section JIT Declarations
35021
35022 These are the relevant struct declarations that a C program should include to
35023 implement the interface:
35024
35025 @smallexample
35026 typedef enum
35027 @{
35028 JIT_NOACTION = 0,
35029 JIT_REGISTER_FN,
35030 JIT_UNREGISTER_FN
35031 @} jit_actions_t;
35032
35033 struct jit_code_entry
35034 @{
35035 struct jit_code_entry *next_entry;
35036 struct jit_code_entry *prev_entry;
35037 const char *symfile_addr;
35038 uint64_t symfile_size;
35039 @};
35040
35041 struct jit_descriptor
35042 @{
35043 uint32_t version;
35044 /* This type should be jit_actions_t, but we use uint32_t
35045 to be explicit about the bitwidth. */
35046 uint32_t action_flag;
35047 struct jit_code_entry *relevant_entry;
35048 struct jit_code_entry *first_entry;
35049 @};
35050
35051 /* GDB puts a breakpoint in this function. */
35052 void __attribute__((noinline)) __jit_debug_register_code() @{ @};
35053
35054 /* Make sure to specify the version statically, because the
35055 debugger may check the version before we can set it. */
35056 struct jit_descriptor __jit_debug_descriptor = @{ 1, 0, 0, 0 @};
35057 @end smallexample
35058
35059 If the JIT is multi-threaded, then it is important that the JIT synchronize any
35060 modifications to this global data properly, which can easily be done by putting
35061 a global mutex around modifications to these structures.
35062
35063 @node Registering Code
35064 @section Registering Code
35065
35066 To register code with @value{GDBN}, the JIT should follow this protocol:
35067
35068 @itemize @bullet
35069 @item
35070 Generate an object file in memory with symbols and other desired debug
35071 information. The file must include the virtual addresses of the sections.
35072
35073 @item
35074 Create a code entry for the file, which gives the start and size of the symbol
35075 file.
35076
35077 @item
35078 Add it to the linked list in the JIT descriptor.
35079
35080 @item
35081 Point the relevant_entry field of the descriptor at the entry.
35082
35083 @item
35084 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_REGISTER} and call
35085 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
35086 @end itemize
35087
35088 When @value{GDBN} is attached and the breakpoint fires, @value{GDBN} uses the
35089 @code{relevant_entry} pointer so it doesn't have to walk the list looking for
35090 new code. However, the linked list must still be maintained in order to allow
35091 @value{GDBN} to attach to a running process and still find the symbol files.
35092
35093 @node Unregistering Code
35094 @section Unregistering Code
35095
35096 If code is freed, then the JIT should use the following protocol:
35097
35098 @itemize @bullet
35099 @item
35100 Remove the code entry corresponding to the code from the linked list.
35101
35102 @item
35103 Point the @code{relevant_entry} field of the descriptor at the code entry.
35104
35105 @item
35106 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_UNREGISTER} and call
35107 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
35108 @end itemize
35109
35110 If the JIT frees or recompiles code without unregistering it, then @value{GDBN}
35111 and the JIT will leak the memory used for the associated symbol files.
35112
35113 @node Custom Debug Info
35114 @section Custom Debug Info
35115 @cindex custom JIT debug info
35116 @cindex JIT debug info reader
35117
35118 Generating debug information in platform-native file formats (like ELF
35119 or COFF) may be an overkill for JIT compilers; especially if all the
35120 debug info is used for is displaying a meaningful backtrace. The
35121 issue can be resolved by having the JIT writers decide on a debug info
35122 format and also provide a reader that parses the debug info generated
35123 by the JIT compiler. This section gives a brief overview on writing
35124 such a parser. More specific details can be found in the source file
35125 @file{gdb/jit-reader.in}, which is also installed as a header at
35126 @file{@var{includedir}/gdb/jit-reader.h} for easy inclusion.
35127
35128 The reader is implemented as a shared object (so this functionality is
35129 not available on platforms which don't allow loading shared objects at
35130 runtime). Two @value{GDBN} commands, @code{jit-reader-load} and
35131 @code{jit-reader-unload} are provided, to be used to load and unload
35132 the readers from a preconfigured directory. Once loaded, the shared
35133 object is used the parse the debug information emitted by the JIT
35134 compiler.
35135
35136 @menu
35137 * Using JIT Debug Info Readers:: How to use supplied readers correctly
35138 * Writing JIT Debug Info Readers:: Creating a debug-info reader
35139 @end menu
35140
35141 @node Using JIT Debug Info Readers
35142 @subsection Using JIT Debug Info Readers
35143 @kindex jit-reader-load
35144 @kindex jit-reader-unload
35145
35146 Readers can be loaded and unloaded using the @code{jit-reader-load}
35147 and @code{jit-reader-unload} commands.
35148
35149 @table @code
35150 @item jit-reader-load @var{reader}
35151 Load the JIT reader named @var{reader}. @var{reader} is a shared
35152 object specified as either an absolute or a relative file name. In
35153 the latter case, @value{GDBN} will try to load the reader from a
35154 pre-configured directory, usually @file{@var{libdir}/gdb/} on a UNIX
35155 system (here @var{libdir} is the system library directory, often
35156 @file{/usr/local/lib}).
35157
35158 Only one reader can be active at a time; trying to load a second
35159 reader when one is already loaded will result in @value{GDBN}
35160 reporting an error. A new JIT reader can be loaded by first unloading
35161 the current one using @code{jit-reader-unload} and then invoking
35162 @code{jit-reader-load}.
35163
35164 @item jit-reader-unload
35165 Unload the currently loaded JIT reader.
35166
35167 @end table
35168
35169 @node Writing JIT Debug Info Readers
35170 @subsection Writing JIT Debug Info Readers
35171 @cindex writing JIT debug info readers
35172
35173 As mentioned, a reader is essentially a shared object conforming to a
35174 certain ABI. This ABI is described in @file{jit-reader.h}.
35175
35176 @file{jit-reader.h} defines the structures, macros and functions
35177 required to write a reader. It is installed (along with
35178 @value{GDBN}), in @file{@var{includedir}/gdb} where @var{includedir} is
35179 the system include directory.
35180
35181 Readers need to be released under a GPL compatible license. A reader
35182 can be declared as released under such a license by placing the macro
35183 @code{GDB_DECLARE_GPL_COMPATIBLE_READER} in a source file.
35184
35185 The entry point for readers is the symbol @code{gdb_init_reader},
35186 which is expected to be a function with the prototype
35187
35188 @findex gdb_init_reader
35189 @smallexample
35190 extern struct gdb_reader_funcs *gdb_init_reader (void);
35191 @end smallexample
35192
35193 @cindex @code{struct gdb_reader_funcs}
35194
35195 @code{struct gdb_reader_funcs} contains a set of pointers to callback
35196 functions. These functions are executed to read the debug info
35197 generated by the JIT compiler (@code{read}), to unwind stack frames
35198 (@code{unwind}) and to create canonical frame IDs
35199 (@code{get_Frame_id}). It also has a callback that is called when the
35200 reader is being unloaded (@code{destroy}). The struct looks like this
35201
35202 @smallexample
35203 struct gdb_reader_funcs
35204 @{
35205 /* Must be set to GDB_READER_INTERFACE_VERSION. */
35206 int reader_version;
35207
35208 /* For use by the reader. */
35209 void *priv_data;
35210
35211 gdb_read_debug_info *read;
35212 gdb_unwind_frame *unwind;
35213 gdb_get_frame_id *get_frame_id;
35214 gdb_destroy_reader *destroy;
35215 @};
35216 @end smallexample
35217
35218 @cindex @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks}
35219 @cindex @code{struct gdb_unwind_callbacks}
35220
35221 The callbacks are provided with another set of callbacks by
35222 @value{GDBN} to do their job. For @code{read}, these callbacks are
35223 passed in a @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks} and for @code{unwind}
35224 and @code{get_frame_id}, in a @code{struct gdb_unwind_callbacks}.
35225 @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks} has callbacks to create new object
35226 files and new symbol tables inside those object files. @code{struct
35227 gdb_unwind_callbacks} has callbacks to read registers off the current
35228 frame and to write out the values of the registers in the previous
35229 frame. Both have a callback (@code{target_read}) to read bytes off the
35230 target's address space.
35231
35232 @node In-Process Agent
35233 @chapter In-Process Agent
35234 @cindex debugging agent
35235 The traditional debugging model is conceptually low-speed, but works fine,
35236 because most bugs can be reproduced in debugging-mode execution. However,
35237 as multi-core or many-core processors are becoming mainstream, and
35238 multi-threaded programs become more and more popular, there should be more
35239 and more bugs that only manifest themselves at normal-mode execution, for
35240 example, thread races, because debugger's interference with the program's
35241 timing may conceal the bugs. On the other hand, in some applications,
35242 it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt the program's execution
35243 long enough for the developer to learn anything helpful about its behavior.
35244 If the program's correctness depends on its real-time behavior, delays
35245 introduced by a debugger might cause the program to fail, even when the
35246 code itself is correct. It is useful to be able to observe the program's
35247 behavior without interrupting it.
35248
35249 Therefore, traditional debugging model is too intrusive to reproduce
35250 some bugs. In order to reduce the interference with the program, we can
35251 reduce the number of operations performed by debugger. The
35252 @dfn{In-Process Agent}, a shared library, is running within the same
35253 process with inferior, and is able to perform some debugging operations
35254 itself. As a result, debugger is only involved when necessary, and
35255 performance of debugging can be improved accordingly. Note that
35256 interference with program can be reduced but can't be removed completely,
35257 because the in-process agent will still stop or slow down the program.
35258
35259 The in-process agent can interpret and execute Agent Expressions
35260 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}) during performing debugging operations. The
35261 agent expressions can be used for different purposes, such as collecting
35262 data in tracepoints, and condition evaluation in breakpoints.
35263
35264 @anchor{Control Agent}
35265 You can control whether the in-process agent is used as an aid for
35266 debugging with the following commands:
35267
35268 @table @code
35269 @kindex set agent on
35270 @item set agent on
35271 Causes the in-process agent to perform some operations on behalf of the
35272 debugger. Just which operations requested by the user will be done
35273 by the in-process agent depends on the its capabilities. For example,
35274 if you request to evaluate breakpoint conditions in the in-process agent,
35275 and the in-process agent has such capability as well, then breakpoint
35276 conditions will be evaluated in the in-process agent.
35277
35278 @kindex set agent off
35279 @item set agent off
35280 Disables execution of debugging operations by the in-process agent. All
35281 of the operations will be performed by @value{GDBN}.
35282
35283 @kindex show agent
35284 @item show agent
35285 Display the current setting of execution of debugging operations by
35286 the in-process agent.
35287 @end table
35288
35289 @menu
35290 * In-Process Agent Protocol::
35291 @end menu
35292
35293 @node In-Process Agent Protocol
35294 @section In-Process Agent Protocol
35295 @cindex in-process agent protocol
35296
35297 The in-process agent is able to communicate with both @value{GDBN} and
35298 GDBserver (@pxref{In-Process Agent}). This section documents the protocol
35299 used for communications between @value{GDBN} or GDBserver and the IPA.
35300 In general, @value{GDBN} or GDBserver sends commands
35301 (@pxref{IPA Protocol Commands}) and data to in-process agent, and then
35302 in-process agent replies back with the return result of the command, or
35303 some other information. The data sent to in-process agent is composed
35304 of primitive data types, such as 4-byte or 8-byte type, and composite
35305 types, which are called objects (@pxref{IPA Protocol Objects}).
35306
35307 @menu
35308 * IPA Protocol Objects::
35309 * IPA Protocol Commands::
35310 @end menu
35311
35312 @node IPA Protocol Objects
35313 @subsection IPA Protocol Objects
35314 @cindex ipa protocol objects
35315
35316 The commands sent to and results received from agent may contain some
35317 complex data types called @dfn{objects}.
35318
35319 The in-process agent is running on the same machine with @value{GDBN}
35320 or GDBserver, so it doesn't have to handle as much differences between
35321 two ends as remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}) tries to handle.
35322 However, there are still some differences of two ends in two processes:
35323
35324 @enumerate
35325 @item
35326 word size. On some 64-bit machines, @value{GDBN} or GDBserver can be
35327 compiled as a 64-bit executable, while in-process agent is a 32-bit one.
35328 @item
35329 ABI. Some machines may have multiple types of ABI, @value{GDBN} or
35330 GDBserver is compiled with one, and in-process agent is compiled with
35331 the other one.
35332 @end enumerate
35333
35334 Here are the IPA Protocol Objects:
35335
35336 @enumerate
35337 @item
35338 agent expression object. It represents an agent expression
35339 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}).
35340 @anchor{agent expression object}
35341 @item
35342 tracepoint action object. It represents a tracepoint action
35343 (@pxref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}) to collect registers,
35344 memory, static trace data and to evaluate expression.
35345 @anchor{tracepoint action object}
35346 @item
35347 tracepoint object. It represents a tracepoint (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
35348 @anchor{tracepoint object}
35349
35350 @end enumerate
35351
35352 The following table describes important attributes of each IPA protocol
35353 object:
35354
35355 @multitable @columnfractions .30 .20 .50
35356 @headitem Name @tab Size @tab Description
35357 @item @emph{agent expression object} @tab @tab
35358 @item length @tab 4 @tab length of bytes code
35359 @item byte code @tab @var{length} @tab contents of byte code
35360 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting memory} @tab @tab
35361 @item 'M' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
35362 @item addr @tab 8 @tab if @var{basereg} is @samp{-1}, @var{addr} is the
35363 address of the lowest byte to collect, otherwise @var{addr} is the offset
35364 of @var{basereg} for memory collecting.
35365 @item len @tab 8 @tab length of memory for collecting
35366 @item basereg @tab 4 @tab the register number containing the starting
35367 memory address for collecting.
35368 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting registers} @tab @tab
35369 @item 'R' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
35370 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting static trace data} @tab @tab
35371 @item 'L' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
35372 @item @emph{tracepoint action for expression evaluation} @tab @tab
35373 @item 'X' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
35374 @item agent expression @tab length of @tab @ref{agent expression object}
35375 @item @emph{tracepoint object} @tab @tab
35376 @item number @tab 4 @tab number of tracepoint
35377 @item address @tab 8 @tab address of tracepoint inserted on
35378 @item type @tab 4 @tab type of tracepoint
35379 @item enabled @tab 1 @tab enable or disable of tracepoint
35380 @item step_count @tab 8 @tab step
35381 @item pass_count @tab 8 @tab pass
35382 @item numactions @tab 4 @tab number of tracepoint actions
35383 @item hit count @tab 8 @tab hit count
35384 @item trace frame usage @tab 8 @tab trace frame usage
35385 @item compiled_cond @tab 8 @tab compiled condition
35386 @item orig_size @tab 8 @tab orig size
35387 @item condition @tab 4 if condition is NULL otherwise length of
35388 @ref{agent expression object}
35389 @tab zero if condition is NULL, otherwise is
35390 @ref{agent expression object}
35391 @item actions @tab variable
35392 @tab numactions number of @ref{tracepoint action object}
35393 @end multitable
35394
35395 @node IPA Protocol Commands
35396 @subsection IPA Protocol Commands
35397 @cindex ipa protocol commands
35398
35399 The spaces in each command are delimiters to ease reading this commands
35400 specification. They don't exist in real commands.
35401
35402 @table @samp
35403
35404 @item FastTrace:@var{tracepoint_object} @var{gdb_jump_pad_head}
35405 Installs a new fast tracepoint described by @var{tracepoint_object}
35406 (@pxref{tracepoint object}). @var{gdb_jump_pad_head}, 8-byte long, is the
35407 head of @dfn{jumppad}, which is used to jump to data collection routine
35408 in IPA finally.
35409
35410 Replies:
35411 @table @samp
35412 @item OK @var{target_address} @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} @var{fjump_size} @var{fjump}
35413 @var{target_address} is address of tracepoint in the inferior.
35414 @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} is updated head of jumppad. Both of
35415 @var{target_address} and @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} are 8-byte long.
35416 @var{fjump} contains a sequence of instructions jump to jumppad entry.
35417 @var{fjump_size}, 4-byte long, is the size of @var{fjump}.
35418 @item E @var{NN}
35419 for an error
35420
35421 @end table
35422
35423 @item close
35424 Closes the in-process agent. This command is sent when @value{GDBN} or GDBserver
35425 is about to kill inferiors.
35426
35427 @item qTfSTM
35428 @xref{qTfSTM}.
35429 @item qTsSTM
35430 @xref{qTsSTM}.
35431 @item qTSTMat
35432 @xref{qTSTMat}.
35433 @item probe_marker_at:@var{address}
35434 Asks in-process agent to probe the marker at @var{address}.
35435
35436 Replies:
35437 @table @samp
35438 @item E @var{NN}
35439 for an error
35440 @end table
35441 @item unprobe_marker_at:@var{address}
35442 Asks in-process agent to unprobe the marker at @var{address}.
35443 @end table
35444
35445 @node GDB Bugs
35446 @chapter Reporting Bugs in @value{GDBN}
35447 @cindex bugs in @value{GDBN}
35448 @cindex reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
35449
35450 Your bug reports play an essential role in making @value{GDBN} reliable.
35451
35452 Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it
35453 may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is to help
35454 the entire community by making the next version of @value{GDBN} work better. Bug
35455 reports are your contribution to the maintenance of @value{GDBN}.
35456
35457 In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
35458 information that enables us to fix the bug.
35459
35460 @menu
35461 * Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
35462 * Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
35463 @end menu
35464
35465 @node Bug Criteria
35466 @section Have You Found a Bug?
35467 @cindex bug criteria
35468
35469 If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
35470
35471 @itemize @bullet
35472 @cindex fatal signal
35473 @cindex debugger crash
35474 @cindex crash of debugger
35475 @item
35476 If the debugger gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a
35477 @value{GDBN} bug. Reliable debuggers never crash.
35478
35479 @cindex error on valid input
35480 @item
35481 If @value{GDBN} produces an error message for valid input, that is a
35482 bug. (Note that if you're cross debugging, the problem may also be
35483 somewhere in the connection to the target.)
35484
35485 @cindex invalid input
35486 @item
35487 If @value{GDBN} does not produce an error message for invalid input,
35488 that is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of
35489 ``invalid input'' might be our idea of ``an extension'' or ``support
35490 for traditional practice''.
35491
35492 @item
35493 If you are an experienced user of debugging tools, your suggestions
35494 for improvement of @value{GDBN} are welcome in any case.
35495 @end itemize
35496
35497 @node Bug Reporting
35498 @section How to Report Bugs
35499 @cindex bug reports
35500 @cindex @value{GDBN} bugs, reporting
35501
35502 A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu} products.
35503 If you obtained @value{GDBN} from a support organization, we recommend you
35504 contact that organization first.
35505
35506 You can find contact information for many support companies and
35507 individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
35508 distribution.
35509 @c should add a web page ref...
35510
35511 @ifset BUGURL
35512 @ifset BUGURL_DEFAULT
35513 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
35514 @value{GDBN}. The preferred method is to submit them directly using
35515 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/, @value{GDBN}'s Bugs web
35516 page}. Alternatively, the @email{bug-gdb@@gnu.org, e-mail gateway} can
35517 be used.
35518
35519 @strong{Do not send bug reports to @samp{info-gdb}, or to
35520 @samp{help-gdb}, or to any newsgroups.} Most users of @value{GDBN} do
35521 not want to receive bug reports. Those that do have arranged to receive
35522 @samp{bug-gdb}.
35523
35524 The mailing list @samp{bug-gdb} has a newsgroup @samp{gnu.gdb.bug} which
35525 serves as a repeater. The mailing list and the newsgroup carry exactly
35526 the same messages. Often people think of posting bug reports to the
35527 newsgroup instead of mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one
35528 problem which can be crucial: a newsgroup posting often lacks a mail
35529 path back to the sender. Thus, if we need to ask for more information,
35530 we may be unable to reach you. For this reason, it is better to send
35531 bug reports to the mailing list.
35532 @end ifset
35533 @ifclear BUGURL_DEFAULT
35534 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
35535 @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.
35536 @end ifclear
35537 @end ifset
35538
35539 The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
35540 @strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
35541 fact or leave it out, state it!
35542
35543 Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
35544 problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
35545 assume that the name of the variable you use in an example does not matter.
35546 Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is a
35547 stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where that
35548 name is stored in memory; perhaps, if the name were different, the contents
35549 of that location would fool the debugger into doing the right thing despite
35550 the bug. Play it safe and give a specific, complete example. That is the
35551 easiest thing for you to do, and the most helpful.
35552
35553 Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the
35554 bug. It may be that the bug has been reported previously, but neither
35555 you nor we can know that unless your bug report is complete and
35556 self-contained.
35557
35558 Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
35559 bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
35560 @emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
35561 bugs properly.
35562
35563 To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
35564
35565 @itemize @bullet
35566 @item
35567 The version of @value{GDBN}. @value{GDBN} announces it if you start
35568 with no arguments; you can also print it at any time using @code{show
35569 version}.
35570
35571 Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
35572 the bug in the current version of @value{GDBN}.
35573
35574 @item
35575 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
35576 version number.
35577
35578 @item
35579 The details of the @value{GDBN} build-time configuration.
35580 @value{GDBN} shows these details if you invoke it with the
35581 @option{--configuration} command-line option, or if you type
35582 @code{show configuration} at @value{GDBN}'s prompt.
35583
35584 @item
35585 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile @value{GDBN}---e.g.@:
35586 ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1''.
35587
35588 @item
35589 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the program you are
35590 debugging---e.g.@: ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1'', or ``HP92453-01 A.10.32.03 HP
35591 C Compiler''. For @value{NGCC}, you can say @kbd{@value{GCC} --version}
35592 to get this information; for other compilers, see the documentation for
35593 those compilers.
35594
35595 @item
35596 The command arguments you gave the compiler to compile your example and
35597 observe the bug. For example, did you use @samp{-O}? To guarantee
35598 you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy of the
35599 Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
35600
35601 If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
35602 and then we might not encounter the bug.
35603
35604 @item
35605 A complete input script, and all necessary source files, that will
35606 reproduce the bug.
35607
35608 @item
35609 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
35610 incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
35611
35612 Of course, if the bug is that @value{GDBN} gets a fatal signal, then we
35613 will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
35614 not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us
35615 a chance to make a mistake.
35616
35617 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
35618 say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your
35619 copy of @value{GDBN} is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in
35620 the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
35621 crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when
35622 ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not happening for
35623 us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we would not be able
35624 to draw any conclusion from our observations.
35625
35626 @pindex script
35627 @cindex recording a session script
35628 To collect all this information, you can use a session recording program
35629 such as @command{script}, which is available on many Unix systems.
35630 Just run your @value{GDBN} session inside @command{script} and then
35631 include the @file{typescript} file with your bug report.
35632
35633 Another way to record a @value{GDBN} session is to run @value{GDBN}
35634 inside Emacs and then save the entire buffer to a file.
35635
35636 @item
35637 If you wish to suggest changes to the @value{GDBN} source, send us context
35638 diffs. If you even discuss something in the @value{GDBN} source, refer to
35639 it by context, not by line number.
35640
35641 The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
35642 sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
35643
35644 @end itemize
35645
35646 Here are some things that are not necessary:
35647
35648 @itemize @bullet
35649 @item
35650 A description of the envelope of the bug.
35651
35652 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
35653 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
35654 changes will not affect it.
35655
35656 This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
35657 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
35658 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
35659 We recommend that you save your time for something else.
35660
35661 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
35662 of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
35663 output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
35664 less time, and so on.
35665
35666 However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
35667 report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
35668
35669 @item
35670 A patch for the bug.
35671
35672 A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
35673 the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
35674 a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
35675 to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
35676
35677 Sometimes with a program as complicated as @value{GDBN} it is very hard to
35678 construct an example that will make the program follow a certain path
35679 through the code. If you do not send us the example, we will not be able
35680 to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is fixed.
35681
35682 And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
35683 patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
35684 help us to understand.
35685
35686 @item
35687 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
35688
35689 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
35690 things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
35691 @end itemize
35692
35693 @c The readline documentation is distributed with the readline code
35694 @c and consists of the two following files:
35695 @c rluser.texi
35696 @c hsuser.texi
35697 @c Use -I with makeinfo to point to the appropriate directory,
35698 @c environment var TEXINPUTS with TeX.
35699 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
35700 @include rluser.texi
35701 @include hsuser.texi
35702 @end ifclear
35703
35704 @node In Memoriam
35705 @appendix In Memoriam
35706
35707 The @value{GDBN} project mourns the loss of the following long-time
35708 contributors:
35709
35710 @table @code
35711 @item Fred Fish
35712 Fred was a long-standing contributor to @value{GDBN} (1991-2006), and
35713 to Free Software in general. Outside of @value{GDBN}, he was known in
35714 the Amiga world for his series of Fish Disks, and the GeekGadget project.
35715
35716 @item Michael Snyder
35717 Michael was one of the Global Maintainers of the @value{GDBN} project,
35718 with contributions recorded as early as 1996, until 2011. In addition
35719 to his day to day participation, he was a large driving force behind
35720 adding Reverse Debugging to @value{GDBN}.
35721 @end table
35722
35723 Beyond their technical contributions to the project, they were also
35724 enjoyable members of the Free Software Community. We will miss them.
35725
35726 @node Formatting Documentation
35727 @appendix Formatting Documentation
35728
35729 @cindex @value{GDBN} reference card
35730 @cindex reference card
35731 The @value{GDBN} 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready
35732 for printing with PostScript or Ghostscript, in the @file{gdb}
35733 subdirectory of the main source directory@footnote{In
35734 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/refcard.ps} of the version @value{GDBVN}
35735 release.}. If you can use PostScript or Ghostscript with your printer,
35736 you can print the reference card immediately with @file{refcard.ps}.
35737
35738 The release also includes the source for the reference card. You
35739 can format it, using @TeX{}, by typing:
35740
35741 @smallexample
35742 make refcard.dvi
35743 @end smallexample
35744
35745 The @value{GDBN} reference card is designed to print in @dfn{landscape}
35746 mode on US ``letter'' size paper;
35747 that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches
35748 high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to
35749 your @sc{dvi} output program.
35750
35751 @cindex documentation
35752
35753 All the documentation for @value{GDBN} comes as part of the machine-readable
35754 distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which is
35755 a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both
35756 on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info
35757 formatting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation
35758 and @TeX{} (or @code{texi2roff}) to typeset the printed version.
35759
35760 @value{GDBN} includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info
35761 version of this manual in the @file{gdb} subdirectory. The main Info
35762 file is @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/gdb.info}, and it refers to
35763 subordinate files matching @samp{gdb.info*} in the same directory. If
35764 necessary, you can print out these files, or read them with any editor;
35765 but they are easier to read using the @code{info} subsystem in @sc{gnu}
35766 Emacs or the standalone @code{info} program, available as part of the
35767 @sc{gnu} Texinfo distribution.
35768
35769 If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
35770 Info formatting programs, such as @code{texinfo-format-buffer} or
35771 @code{makeinfo}.
35772
35773 If you have @code{makeinfo} installed, and are in the top level
35774 @value{GDBN} source directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, in the case of
35775 version @value{GDBVN}), you can make the Info file by typing:
35776
35777 @smallexample
35778 cd gdb
35779 make gdb.info
35780 @end smallexample
35781
35782 If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need @TeX{},
35783 a program to print its @sc{dvi} output files, and @file{texinfo.tex}, the
35784 Texinfo definitions file.
35785
35786 @TeX{} is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
35787 produces output files called @sc{dvi} files. To print a typeset
35788 document, you need a program to print @sc{dvi} files. If your system
35789 has @TeX{} installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise
35790 command to use depends on your system; @kbd{lpr -d} is common; another
35791 (for PostScript devices) is @kbd{dvips}. The @sc{dvi} print command may
35792 require a file name without any extension or a @samp{.dvi} extension.
35793
35794 @TeX{} also requires a macro definitions file called
35795 @file{texinfo.tex}. This file tells @TeX{} how to typeset a document
35796 written in Texinfo format. On its own, @TeX{} cannot either read or
35797 typeset a Texinfo file. @file{texinfo.tex} is distributed with GDB
35798 and is located in the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}/texinfo}
35799 directory.
35800
35801 If you have @TeX{} and a @sc{dvi} printer program installed, you can
35802 typeset and print this manual. First switch to the @file{gdb}
35803 subdirectory of the main source directory (for example, to
35804 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb}) and type:
35805
35806 @smallexample
35807 make gdb.dvi
35808 @end smallexample
35809
35810 Then give @file{gdb.dvi} to your @sc{dvi} printing program.
35811
35812 @node Installing GDB
35813 @appendix Installing @value{GDBN}
35814 @cindex installation
35815
35816 @menu
35817 * Requirements:: Requirements for building @value{GDBN}
35818 * Running Configure:: Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} script
35819 * Separate Objdir:: Compiling @value{GDBN} in another directory
35820 * Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
35821 * Configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
35822 * System-wide configuration:: Having a system-wide init file
35823 @end menu
35824
35825 @node Requirements
35826 @section Requirements for Building @value{GDBN}
35827 @cindex building @value{GDBN}, requirements for
35828
35829 Building @value{GDBN} requires various tools and packages to be available.
35830 Other packages will be used only if they are found.
35831
35832 @heading Tools/Packages Necessary for Building @value{GDBN}
35833 @table @asis
35834 @item ISO C90 compiler
35835 @value{GDBN} is written in ISO C90. It should be buildable with any
35836 working C90 compiler, e.g.@: GCC.
35837
35838 @end table
35839
35840 @heading Tools/Packages Optional for Building @value{GDBN}
35841 @table @asis
35842 @item Expat
35843 @anchor{Expat}
35844 @value{GDBN} can use the Expat XML parsing library. This library may be
35845 included with your operating system distribution; if it is not, you
35846 can get the latest version from @url{http://expat.sourceforge.net}.
35847 The @file{configure} script will search for this library in several
35848 standard locations; if it is installed in an unusual path, you can
35849 use the @option{--with-libexpat-prefix} option to specify its location.
35850
35851 Expat is used for:
35852
35853 @itemize @bullet
35854 @item
35855 Remote protocol memory maps (@pxref{Memory Map Format})
35856 @item
35857 Target descriptions (@pxref{Target Descriptions})
35858 @item
35859 Remote shared library lists (@xref{Library List Format},
35860 or alternatively @pxref{Library List Format for SVR4 Targets})
35861 @item
35862 MS-Windows shared libraries (@pxref{Shared Libraries})
35863 @item
35864 Traceframe info (@pxref{Traceframe Info Format})
35865 @item
35866 Branch trace (@pxref{Branch Trace Format})
35867 @end itemize
35868
35869 @item zlib
35870 @cindex compressed debug sections
35871 @value{GDBN} will use the @samp{zlib} library, if available, to read
35872 compressed debug sections. Some linkers, such as GNU gold, are capable
35873 of producing binaries with compressed debug sections. If @value{GDBN}
35874 is compiled with @samp{zlib}, it will be able to read the debug
35875 information in such binaries.
35876
35877 The @samp{zlib} library is likely included with your operating system
35878 distribution; if it is not, you can get the latest version from
35879 @url{http://zlib.net}.
35880
35881 @item iconv
35882 @value{GDBN}'s features related to character sets (@pxref{Character
35883 Sets}) require a functioning @code{iconv} implementation. If you are
35884 on a GNU system, then this is provided by the GNU C Library. Some
35885 other systems also provide a working @code{iconv}.
35886
35887 If @value{GDBN} is using the @code{iconv} program which is installed
35888 in a non-standard place, you will need to tell @value{GDBN} where to find it.
35889 This is done with @option{--with-iconv-bin} which specifies the
35890 directory that contains the @code{iconv} program.
35891
35892 On systems without @code{iconv}, you can install GNU Libiconv. If you
35893 have previously installed Libiconv, you can use the
35894 @option{--with-libiconv-prefix} option to configure.
35895
35896 @value{GDBN}'s top-level @file{configure} and @file{Makefile} will
35897 arrange to build Libiconv if a directory named @file{libiconv} appears
35898 in the top-most source directory. If Libiconv is built this way, and
35899 if the operating system does not provide a suitable @code{iconv}
35900 implementation, then the just-built library will automatically be used
35901 by @value{GDBN}. One easy way to set this up is to download GNU
35902 Libiconv, unpack it, and then rename the directory holding the
35903 Libiconv source code to @samp{libiconv}.
35904 @end table
35905
35906 @node Running Configure
35907 @section Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} Script
35908 @cindex configuring @value{GDBN}
35909 @value{GDBN} comes with a @file{configure} script that automates the process
35910 of preparing @value{GDBN} for installation; you can then use @code{make} to
35911 build the @code{gdb} program.
35912 @iftex
35913 @c irrelevant in info file; it's as current as the code it lives with.
35914 @footnote{If you have a more recent version of @value{GDBN} than @value{GDBVN},
35915 look at the @file{README} file in the sources; we may have improved the
35916 installation procedures since publishing this manual.}
35917 @end iftex
35918
35919 The @value{GDBN} distribution includes all the source code you need for
35920 @value{GDBN} in a single directory, whose name is usually composed by
35921 appending the version number to @samp{gdb}.
35922
35923 For example, the @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN} distribution is in the
35924 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory. That directory contains:
35925
35926 @table @code
35927 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure @r{(and supporting files)}
35928 script for configuring @value{GDBN} and all its supporting libraries
35929
35930 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb
35931 the source specific to @value{GDBN} itself
35932
35933 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/bfd
35934 source for the Binary File Descriptor library
35935
35936 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/include
35937 @sc{gnu} include files
35938
35939 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/libiberty
35940 source for the @samp{-liberty} free software library
35941
35942 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/opcodes
35943 source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
35944
35945 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/readline
35946 source for the @sc{gnu} command-line interface
35947
35948 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/glob
35949 source for the @sc{gnu} filename pattern-matching subroutine
35950
35951 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/mmalloc
35952 source for the @sc{gnu} memory-mapped malloc package
35953 @end table
35954
35955 The simplest way to configure and build @value{GDBN} is to run @file{configure}
35956 from the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory, which in
35957 this example is the @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory.
35958
35959 First switch to the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory
35960 if you are not already in it; then run @file{configure}. Pass the
35961 identifier for the platform on which @value{GDBN} will run as an
35962 argument.
35963
35964 For example:
35965
35966 @smallexample
35967 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
35968 ./configure @var{host}
35969 make
35970 @end smallexample
35971
35972 @noindent
35973 where @var{host} is an identifier such as @samp{sun4} or
35974 @samp{decstation}, that identifies the platform where @value{GDBN} will run.
35975 (You can often leave off @var{host}; @file{configure} tries to guess the
35976 correct value by examining your system.)
35977
35978 Running @samp{configure @var{host}} and then running @code{make} builds the
35979 @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, @file{mmalloc}, and @file{libiberty}
35980 libraries, then @code{gdb} itself. The configured source files, and the
35981 binaries, are left in the corresponding source directories.
35982
35983 @need 750
35984 @file{configure} is a Bourne-shell (@code{/bin/sh}) script; if your
35985 system does not recognize this automatically when you run a different
35986 shell, you may need to run @code{sh} on it explicitly:
35987
35988 @smallexample
35989 sh configure @var{host}
35990 @end smallexample
35991
35992 If you run @file{configure} from a directory that contains source
35993 directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the
35994 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} source directory for version @value{GDBVN},
35995 @file{configure}
35996 creates configuration files for every directory level underneath (unless
35997 you tell it not to, with the @samp{--norecursion} option).
35998
35999 You should run the @file{configure} script from the top directory in the
36000 source tree, the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory. If you run
36001 @file{configure} from one of the subdirectories, you will configure only
36002 that subdirectory. That is usually not what you want. In particular,
36003 if you run the first @file{configure} from the @file{gdb} subdirectory
36004 of the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory, you will omit the
36005 configuration of @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, and other sibling
36006 directories of the @file{gdb} subdirectory. This leads to build errors
36007 about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
36008
36009 You can install @code{@value{GDBP}} anywhere; it has no hardwired paths.
36010 However, you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by
36011 the @samp{SHELL} environment variable) is publicly readable. Remember
36012 that @value{GDBN} uses the shell to start your program---some systems refuse to
36013 let @value{GDBN} debug child processes whose programs are not readable.
36014
36015 @node Separate Objdir
36016 @section Compiling @value{GDBN} in Another Directory
36017
36018 If you want to run @value{GDBN} versions for several host or target machines,
36019 you need a different @code{gdb} compiled for each combination of
36020 host and target. @file{configure} is designed to make this easy by
36021 allowing you to generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory,
36022 rather than in the source directory. If your @code{make} program
36023 handles the @samp{VPATH} feature (@sc{gnu} @code{make} does), running
36024 @code{make} in each of these directories builds the @code{gdb}
36025 program specified there.
36026
36027 To build @code{gdb} in a separate directory, run @file{configure}
36028 with the @samp{--srcdir} option to specify where to find the source.
36029 (You also need to specify a path to find @file{configure}
36030 itself from your working directory. If the path to @file{configure}
36031 would be the same as the argument to @samp{--srcdir}, you can leave out
36032 the @samp{--srcdir} option; it is assumed.)
36033
36034 For example, with version @value{GDBVN}, you can build @value{GDBN} in a
36035 separate directory for a Sun 4 like this:
36036
36037 @smallexample
36038 @group
36039 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
36040 mkdir ../gdb-sun4
36041 cd ../gdb-sun4
36042 ../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure sun4
36043 make
36044 @end group
36045 @end smallexample
36046
36047 When @file{configure} builds a configuration using a remote source
36048 directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
36049 (and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory. In
36050 the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library @file{libiberty.a} in the
36051 directory @file{gdb-sun4/libiberty}, and @value{GDBN} itself in
36052 @file{gdb-sun4/gdb}.
36053
36054 Make sure that your path to the @file{configure} script has just one
36055 instance of @file{gdb} in it. If your path to @file{configure} looks
36056 like @file{../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/configure}, you are configuring only
36057 one subdirectory of @value{GDBN}, not the whole package. This leads to
36058 build errors about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
36059
36060 One popular reason to build several @value{GDBN} configurations in separate
36061 directories is to configure @value{GDBN} for cross-compiling (where
36062 @value{GDBN} runs on one machine---the @dfn{host}---while debugging
36063 programs that run on another machine---the @dfn{target}).
36064 You specify a cross-debugging target by
36065 giving the @samp{--target=@var{target}} option to @file{configure}.
36066
36067 When you run @code{make} to build a program or library, you must run
36068 it in a configured directory---whatever directory you were in when you
36069 called @file{configure} (or one of its subdirectories).
36070
36071 The @code{Makefile} that @file{configure} generates in each source
36072 directory also runs recursively. If you type @code{make} in a source
36073 directory such as @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} (or in a separate configured
36074 directory configured with @samp{--srcdir=@var{dirname}/gdb-@value{GDBVN}}), you
36075 will build all the required libraries, and then build GDB.
36076
36077 When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
36078 directories, you can run @code{make} on them in parallel (for example,
36079 if they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
36080 with each other.
36081
36082 @node Config Names
36083 @section Specifying Names for Hosts and Targets
36084
36085 The specifications used for hosts and targets in the @file{configure}
36086 script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short predefined
36087 aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes three pieces
36088 of information in the following pattern:
36089
36090 @smallexample
36091 @var{architecture}-@var{vendor}-@var{os}
36092 @end smallexample
36093
36094 For example, you can use the alias @code{sun4} as a @var{host} argument,
36095 or as the value for @var{target} in a @code{--target=@var{target}}
36096 option. The equivalent full name is @samp{sparc-sun-sunos4}.
36097
36098 The @file{configure} script accompanying @value{GDBN} does not provide
36099 any query facility to list all supported host and target names or
36100 aliases. @file{configure} calls the Bourne shell script
36101 @code{config.sub} to map abbreviations to full names; you can read the
36102 script, if you wish, or you can use it to test your guesses on
36103 abbreviations---for example:
36104
36105 @smallexample
36106 % sh config.sub i386-linux
36107 i386-pc-linux-gnu
36108 % sh config.sub alpha-linux
36109 alpha-unknown-linux-gnu
36110 % sh config.sub hp9k700
36111 hppa1.1-hp-hpux
36112 % sh config.sub sun4
36113 sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
36114 % sh config.sub sun3
36115 m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
36116 % sh config.sub i986v
36117 Invalid configuration `i986v': machine `i986v' not recognized
36118 @end smallexample
36119
36120 @noindent
36121 @code{config.sub} is also distributed in the @value{GDBN} source
36122 directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, for version @value{GDBVN}).
36123
36124 @node Configure Options
36125 @section @file{configure} Options
36126
36127 Here is a summary of the @file{configure} options and arguments that
36128 are most often useful for building @value{GDBN}. @file{configure} also has
36129 several other options not listed here. @inforef{What Configure
36130 Does,,configure.info}, for a full explanation of @file{configure}.
36131
36132 @smallexample
36133 configure @r{[}--help@r{]}
36134 @r{[}--prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
36135 @r{[}--exec-prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
36136 @r{[}--srcdir=@var{dirname}@r{]}
36137 @r{[}--norecursion@r{]} @r{[}--rm@r{]}
36138 @r{[}--target=@var{target}@r{]}
36139 @var{host}
36140 @end smallexample
36141
36142 @noindent
36143 You may introduce options with a single @samp{-} rather than
36144 @samp{--} if you prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use
36145 @samp{--}.
36146
36147 @table @code
36148 @item --help
36149 Display a quick summary of how to invoke @file{configure}.
36150
36151 @item --prefix=@var{dir}
36152 Configure the source to install programs and files under directory
36153 @file{@var{dir}}.
36154
36155 @item --exec-prefix=@var{dir}
36156 Configure the source to install programs under directory
36157 @file{@var{dir}}.
36158
36159 @c avoid splitting the warning from the explanation:
36160 @need 2000
36161 @item --srcdir=@var{dirname}
36162 @strong{Warning: using this option requires @sc{gnu} @code{make}, or another
36163 @code{make} that implements the @code{VPATH} feature.}@*
36164 Use this option to make configurations in directories separate from the
36165 @value{GDBN} source directories. Among other things, you can use this to
36166 build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously, in separate
36167 directories. @file{configure} writes configuration-specific files in
36168 the current directory, but arranges for them to use the source in the
36169 directory @var{dirname}. @file{configure} creates directories under
36170 the working directory in parallel to the source directories below
36171 @var{dirname}.
36172
36173 @item --norecursion
36174 Configure only the directory level where @file{configure} is executed; do not
36175 propagate configuration to subdirectories.
36176
36177 @item --target=@var{target}
36178 Configure @value{GDBN} for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
36179 @var{target}. Without this option, @value{GDBN} is configured to debug
36180 programs that run on the same machine (@var{host}) as @value{GDBN} itself.
36181
36182 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available targets.
36183
36184 @item @var{host} @dots{}
36185 Configure @value{GDBN} to run on the specified @var{host}.
36186
36187 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available hosts.
36188 @end table
36189
36190 There are many other options available as well, but they are generally
36191 needed for special purposes only.
36192
36193 @node System-wide configuration
36194 @section System-wide configuration and settings
36195 @cindex system-wide init file
36196
36197 @value{GDBN} can be configured to have a system-wide init file;
36198 this file will be read and executed at startup (@pxref{Startup, , What
36199 @value{GDBN} does during startup}).
36200
36201 Here is the corresponding configure option:
36202
36203 @table @code
36204 @item --with-system-gdbinit=@var{file}
36205 Specify that the default location of the system-wide init file is
36206 @var{file}.
36207 @end table
36208
36209 If @value{GDBN} has been configured with the option @option{--prefix=$prefix},
36210 it may be subject to relocation. Two possible cases:
36211
36212 @itemize @bullet
36213 @item
36214 If the default location of this init file contains @file{$prefix},
36215 it will be subject to relocation. Suppose that the configure options
36216 are @option{--prefix=$prefix --with-system-gdbinit=$prefix/etc/gdbinit};
36217 if @value{GDBN} is moved from @file{$prefix} to @file{$install}, the system
36218 init file is looked for as @file{$install/etc/gdbinit} instead of
36219 @file{$prefix/etc/gdbinit}.
36220
36221 @item
36222 By contrast, if the default location does not contain the prefix,
36223 it will not be relocated. E.g.@: if @value{GDBN} has been configured with
36224 @option{--prefix=/usr/local --with-system-gdbinit=/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
36225 then @value{GDBN} will always look for @file{/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
36226 wherever @value{GDBN} is installed.
36227 @end itemize
36228
36229 If the configured location of the system-wide init file (as given by the
36230 @option{--with-system-gdbinit} option at configure time) is in the
36231 data-directory (as specified by @option{--with-gdb-datadir} at configure
36232 time) or in one of its subdirectories, then @value{GDBN} will look for the
36233 system-wide init file in the directory specified by the
36234 @option{--data-directory} command-line option.
36235 Note that the system-wide init file is only read once, during @value{GDBN}
36236 initialization. If the data-directory is changed after @value{GDBN} has
36237 started with the @code{set data-directory} command, the file will not be
36238 reread.
36239
36240 @node Maintenance Commands
36241 @appendix Maintenance Commands
36242 @cindex maintenance commands
36243 @cindex internal commands
36244
36245 In addition to commands intended for @value{GDBN} users, @value{GDBN}
36246 includes a number of commands intended for @value{GDBN} developers,
36247 that are not documented elsewhere in this manual. These commands are
36248 provided here for reference. (For commands that turn on debugging
36249 messages, see @ref{Debugging Output}.)
36250
36251 @table @code
36252 @kindex maint agent
36253 @kindex maint agent-eval
36254 @item maint agent @r{[}-at @var{location}@r{,}@r{]} @var{expression}
36255 @itemx maint agent-eval @r{[}-at @var{location}@r{,}@r{]} @var{expression}
36256 Translate the given @var{expression} into remote agent bytecodes.
36257 This command is useful for debugging the Agent Expression mechanism
36258 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}). The @samp{agent} version produces an
36259 expression useful for data collection, such as by tracepoints, while
36260 @samp{maint agent-eval} produces an expression that evaluates directly
36261 to a result. For instance, a collection expression for @code{globa +
36262 globb} will include bytecodes to record four bytes of memory at each
36263 of the addresses of @code{globa} and @code{globb}, while discarding
36264 the result of the addition, while an evaluation expression will do the
36265 addition and return the sum.
36266 If @code{-at} is given, generate remote agent bytecode for @var{location}.
36267 If not, generate remote agent bytecode for current frame PC address.
36268
36269 @kindex maint agent-printf
36270 @item maint agent-printf @var{format},@var{expr},...
36271 Translate the given format string and list of argument expressions
36272 into remote agent bytecodes and display them as a disassembled list.
36273 This command is useful for debugging the agent version of dynamic
36274 printf (@pxref{Dynamic Printf}).
36275
36276 @kindex maint info breakpoints
36277 @item @anchor{maint info breakpoints}maint info breakpoints
36278 Using the same format as @samp{info breakpoints}, display both the
36279 breakpoints you've set explicitly, and those @value{GDBN} is using for
36280 internal purposes. Internal breakpoints are shown with negative
36281 breakpoint numbers. The type column identifies what kind of breakpoint
36282 is shown:
36283
36284 @table @code
36285 @item breakpoint
36286 Normal, explicitly set breakpoint.
36287
36288 @item watchpoint
36289 Normal, explicitly set watchpoint.
36290
36291 @item longjmp
36292 Internal breakpoint, used to handle correctly stepping through
36293 @code{longjmp} calls.
36294
36295 @item longjmp resume
36296 Internal breakpoint at the target of a @code{longjmp}.
36297
36298 @item until
36299 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{until} command.
36300
36301 @item finish
36302 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{finish} command.
36303
36304 @item shlib events
36305 Shared library events.
36306
36307 @end table
36308
36309 @kindex maint info bfds
36310 @item maint info bfds
36311 This prints information about each @code{bfd} object that is known to
36312 @value{GDBN}. @xref{Top, , BFD, bfd, The Binary File Descriptor Library}.
36313
36314 @kindex set displaced-stepping
36315 @kindex show displaced-stepping
36316 @cindex displaced stepping support
36317 @cindex out-of-line single-stepping
36318 @item set displaced-stepping
36319 @itemx show displaced-stepping
36320 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will do @dfn{displaced stepping}
36321 if the target supports it. Displaced stepping is a way to single-step
36322 over breakpoints without removing them from the inferior, by executing
36323 an out-of-line copy of the instruction that was originally at the
36324 breakpoint location. It is also known as out-of-line single-stepping.
36325
36326 @table @code
36327 @item set displaced-stepping on
36328 If the target architecture supports it, @value{GDBN} will use
36329 displaced stepping to step over breakpoints.
36330
36331 @item set displaced-stepping off
36332 @value{GDBN} will not use displaced stepping to step over breakpoints,
36333 even if such is supported by the target architecture.
36334
36335 @cindex non-stop mode, and @samp{set displaced-stepping}
36336 @item set displaced-stepping auto
36337 This is the default mode. @value{GDBN} will use displaced stepping
36338 only if non-stop mode is active (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) and the target
36339 architecture supports displaced stepping.
36340 @end table
36341
36342 @kindex maint check-symtabs
36343 @item maint check-symtabs
36344 Check the consistency of psymtabs and symtabs.
36345
36346 @kindex maint cplus first_component
36347 @item maint cplus first_component @var{name}
36348 Print the first C@t{++} class/namespace component of @var{name}.
36349
36350 @kindex maint cplus namespace
36351 @item maint cplus namespace
36352 Print the list of possible C@t{++} namespaces.
36353
36354 @kindex maint demangle
36355 @item maint demangle @var{name}
36356 Demangle a C@t{++} or Objective-C mangled @var{name}.
36357
36358 @kindex maint deprecate
36359 @kindex maint undeprecate
36360 @cindex deprecated commands
36361 @item maint deprecate @var{command} @r{[}@var{replacement}@r{]}
36362 @itemx maint undeprecate @var{command}
36363 Deprecate or undeprecate the named @var{command}. Deprecated commands
36364 cause @value{GDBN} to issue a warning when you use them. The optional
36365 argument @var{replacement} says which newer command should be used in
36366 favor of the deprecated one; if it is given, @value{GDBN} will mention
36367 the replacement as part of the warning.
36368
36369 @kindex maint dump-me
36370 @item maint dump-me
36371 @cindex @code{SIGQUIT} signal, dump core of @value{GDBN}
36372 Cause a fatal signal in the debugger and force it to dump its core.
36373 This is supported only on systems which support aborting a program
36374 with the @code{SIGQUIT} signal.
36375
36376 @kindex maint internal-error
36377 @kindex maint internal-warning
36378 @item maint internal-error @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
36379 @itemx maint internal-warning @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
36380 Cause @value{GDBN} to call the internal function @code{internal_error}
36381 or @code{internal_warning} and hence behave as though an internal error
36382 or internal warning has been detected. In addition to reporting the
36383 internal problem, these functions give the user the opportunity to
36384 either quit @value{GDBN} or create a core file of the current
36385 @value{GDBN} session.
36386
36387 These commands take an optional parameter @var{message-text} that is
36388 used as the text of the error or warning message.
36389
36390 Here's an example of using @code{internal-error}:
36391
36392 @smallexample
36393 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint internal-error testing, 1, 2}
36394 @dots{}/maint.c:121: internal-error: testing, 1, 2
36395 A problem internal to GDB has been detected. Further
36396 debugging may prove unreliable.
36397 Quit this debugging session? (y or n) @kbd{n}
36398 Create a core file? (y or n) @kbd{n}
36399 (@value{GDBP})
36400 @end smallexample
36401
36402 @cindex @value{GDBN} internal error
36403 @cindex internal errors, control of @value{GDBN} behavior
36404
36405 @kindex maint set internal-error
36406 @kindex maint show internal-error
36407 @kindex maint set internal-warning
36408 @kindex maint show internal-warning
36409 @item maint set internal-error @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
36410 @itemx maint show internal-error @var{action}
36411 @itemx maint set internal-warning @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
36412 @itemx maint show internal-warning @var{action}
36413 When @value{GDBN} reports an internal problem (error or warning) it
36414 gives the user the opportunity to both quit @value{GDBN} and create a
36415 core file of the current @value{GDBN} session. These commands let you
36416 override the default behaviour for each particular @var{action},
36417 described in the table below.
36418
36419 @table @samp
36420 @item quit
36421 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
36422 quit. The default is to ask the user what to do.
36423
36424 @item corefile
36425 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
36426 create a core file. The default is to ask the user what to do.
36427 @end table
36428
36429 @kindex maint packet
36430 @item maint packet @var{text}
36431 If @value{GDBN} is talking to an inferior via the serial protocol,
36432 then this command sends the string @var{text} to the inferior, and
36433 displays the response packet. @value{GDBN} supplies the initial
36434 @samp{$} character, the terminating @samp{#} character, and the
36435 checksum.
36436
36437 @kindex maint print architecture
36438 @item maint print architecture @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
36439 Print the entire architecture configuration. The optional argument
36440 @var{file} names the file where the output goes.
36441
36442 @kindex maint print c-tdesc
36443 @item maint print c-tdesc
36444 Print the current target description (@pxref{Target Descriptions}) as
36445 a C source file. The created source file can be used in @value{GDBN}
36446 when an XML parser is not available to parse the description.
36447
36448 @kindex maint print dummy-frames
36449 @item maint print dummy-frames
36450 Prints the contents of @value{GDBN}'s internal dummy-frame stack.
36451
36452 @smallexample
36453 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{b add}
36454 @dots{}
36455 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{print add(2,3)}
36456 Breakpoint 2, add (a=2, b=3) at @dots{}
36457 58 return (a + b);
36458 The program being debugged stopped while in a function called from GDB.
36459 @dots{}
36460 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print dummy-frames}
36461 0x1a57c80: pc=0x01014068 fp=0x0200bddc sp=0x0200bdd6
36462 top=0x0200bdd4 id=@{stack=0x200bddc,code=0x101405c@}
36463 call_lo=0x01014000 call_hi=0x01014001
36464 (@value{GDBP})
36465 @end smallexample
36466
36467 Takes an optional file parameter.
36468
36469 @kindex maint print registers
36470 @kindex maint print raw-registers
36471 @kindex maint print cooked-registers
36472 @kindex maint print register-groups
36473 @kindex maint print remote-registers
36474 @item maint print registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
36475 @itemx maint print raw-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
36476 @itemx maint print cooked-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
36477 @itemx maint print register-groups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
36478 @itemx maint print remote-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
36479 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register data structures.
36480
36481 The command @code{maint print raw-registers} includes the contents of
36482 the raw register cache; the command @code{maint print
36483 cooked-registers} includes the (cooked) value of all registers,
36484 including registers which aren't available on the target nor visible
36485 to user; the command @code{maint print register-groups} includes the
36486 groups that each register is a member of; and the command @code{maint
36487 print remote-registers} includes the remote target's register numbers
36488 and offsets in the `G' packets. @xref{Registers,, Registers, gdbint,
36489 @value{GDBN} Internals}.
36490
36491 These commands take an optional parameter, a file name to which to
36492 write the information.
36493
36494 @kindex maint print reggroups
36495 @item maint print reggroups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
36496 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register group data structures. The
36497 optional argument @var{file} tells to what file to write the
36498 information.
36499
36500 The register groups info looks like this:
36501
36502 @smallexample
36503 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print reggroups}
36504 Group Type
36505 general user
36506 float user
36507 all user
36508 vector user
36509 system user
36510 save internal
36511 restore internal
36512 @end smallexample
36513
36514 @kindex flushregs
36515 @item flushregs
36516 This command forces @value{GDBN} to flush its internal register cache.
36517
36518 @kindex maint print objfiles
36519 @cindex info for known object files
36520 @item maint print objfiles
36521 Print a dump of all known object files. For each object file, this
36522 command prints its name, address in memory, and all of its psymtabs
36523 and symtabs.
36524
36525 @kindex maint print section-scripts
36526 @cindex info for known .debug_gdb_scripts-loaded scripts
36527 @item maint print section-scripts [@var{regexp}]
36528 Print a dump of scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_section} section.
36529 If @var{regexp} is specified, only print scripts loaded by object files
36530 matching @var{regexp}.
36531 For each script, this command prints its name as specified in the objfile,
36532 and the full path if known.
36533 @xref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}.
36534
36535 @kindex maint print statistics
36536 @cindex bcache statistics
36537 @item maint print statistics
36538 This command prints, for each object file in the program, various data
36539 about that object file followed by the byte cache (@dfn{bcache})
36540 statistics for the object file. The objfile data includes the number
36541 of minimal, partial, full, and stabs symbols, the number of types
36542 defined by the objfile, the number of as yet unexpanded psym tables,
36543 the number of line tables and string tables, and the amount of memory
36544 used by the various tables. The bcache statistics include the counts,
36545 sizes, and counts of duplicates of all and unique objects, max,
36546 average, and median entry size, total memory used and its overhead and
36547 savings, and various measures of the hash table size and chain
36548 lengths.
36549
36550 @kindex maint print target-stack
36551 @cindex target stack description
36552 @item maint print target-stack
36553 A @dfn{target} is an interface between the debugger and a particular
36554 kind of file or process. Targets can be stacked in @dfn{strata},
36555 so that more than one target can potentially respond to a request.
36556 In particular, memory accesses will walk down the stack of targets
36557 until they find a target that is interested in handling that particular
36558 address.
36559
36560 This command prints a short description of each layer that was pushed on
36561 the @dfn{target stack}, starting from the top layer down to the bottom one.
36562
36563 @kindex maint print type
36564 @cindex type chain of a data type
36565 @item maint print type @var{expr}
36566 Print the type chain for a type specified by @var{expr}. The argument
36567 can be either a type name or a symbol. If it is a symbol, the type of
36568 that symbol is described. The type chain produced by this command is
36569 a recursive definition of the data type as stored in @value{GDBN}'s
36570 data structures, including its flags and contained types.
36571
36572 @kindex maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
36573 @kindex maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
36574 @item maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
36575 @item maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
36576 Control the behavior of @code{info address} when using DWARF debugging
36577 information.
36578
36579 The default is @code{off}, which means that @value{GDBN} should try to
36580 describe a variable's location in an easily readable format. When
36581 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will instead display the DWARF location
36582 expression in an assembly-like format. Note that some locations are
36583 too complex for @value{GDBN} to describe simply; in this case you will
36584 always see the disassembly form.
36585
36586 Here is an example of the resulting disassembly:
36587
36588 @smallexample
36589 (gdb) info addr argc
36590 Symbol "argc" is a complex DWARF expression:
36591 1: DW_OP_fbreg 0
36592 @end smallexample
36593
36594 For more information on these expressions, see
36595 @uref{http://www.dwarfstd.org/, the DWARF standard}.
36596
36597 @kindex maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
36598 @kindex maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
36599 @item maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
36600 @itemx maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
36601 Control the DWARF 2 compilation unit cache.
36602
36603 @cindex DWARF 2 compilation units cache
36604 In object files with inter-compilation-unit references, such as those
36605 produced by the GCC option @samp{-feliminate-dwarf2-dups}, the DWARF 2
36606 reader needs to frequently refer to previously read compilation units.
36607 This setting controls how long a compilation unit will remain in the
36608 cache if it is not referenced. A higher limit means that cached
36609 compilation units will be stored in memory longer, and more total
36610 memory will be used. Setting it to zero disables caching, which will
36611 slow down @value{GDBN} startup, but reduce memory consumption.
36612
36613 @kindex maint set profile
36614 @kindex maint show profile
36615 @cindex profiling GDB
36616 @item maint set profile
36617 @itemx maint show profile
36618 Control profiling of @value{GDBN}.
36619
36620 Profiling will be disabled until you use the @samp{maint set profile}
36621 command to enable it. When you enable profiling, the system will begin
36622 collecting timing and execution count data; when you disable profiling or
36623 exit @value{GDBN}, the results will be written to a log file. Remember that
36624 if you use profiling, @value{GDBN} will overwrite the profiling log file
36625 (often called @file{gmon.out}). If you have a record of important profiling
36626 data in a @file{gmon.out} file, be sure to move it to a safe location.
36627
36628 Configuring with @samp{--enable-profiling} arranges for @value{GDBN} to be
36629 compiled with the @samp{-pg} compiler option.
36630
36631 @kindex maint set show-debug-regs
36632 @kindex maint show show-debug-regs
36633 @cindex hardware debug registers
36634 @item maint set show-debug-regs
36635 @itemx maint show show-debug-regs
36636 Control whether to show variables that mirror the hardware debug
36637 registers. Use @code{ON} to enable, @code{OFF} to disable. If
36638 enabled, the debug registers values are shown when @value{GDBN} inserts or
36639 removes a hardware breakpoint or watchpoint, and when the inferior
36640 triggers a hardware-assisted breakpoint or watchpoint.
36641
36642 @kindex maint set show-all-tib
36643 @kindex maint show show-all-tib
36644 @item maint set show-all-tib
36645 @itemx maint show show-all-tib
36646 Control whether to show all non zero areas within a 1k block starting
36647 at thread local base, when using the @samp{info w32 thread-information-block}
36648 command.
36649
36650 @kindex maint set per-command
36651 @kindex maint show per-command
36652 @item maint set per-command
36653 @itemx maint show per-command
36654 @cindex resources used by commands
36655
36656 @value{GDBN} can display the resources used by each command.
36657 This is useful in debugging performance problems.
36658
36659 @table @code
36660 @item maint set per-command space [on|off]
36661 @itemx maint show per-command space
36662 Enable or disable the printing of the memory used by GDB for each command.
36663 If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display how much memory each command
36664 took, following the command's own output.
36665 This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
36666 @option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
36667
36668 @item maint set per-command time [on|off]
36669 @itemx maint show per-command time
36670 Enable or disable the printing of the execution time of @value{GDBN}
36671 for each command.
36672 If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display how much time it
36673 took to execute each command, following the command's own output.
36674 Both CPU time and wallclock time are printed.
36675 Printing both is useful when trying to determine whether the cost is
36676 CPU or, e.g., disk/network latency.
36677 Note that the CPU time printed is for @value{GDBN} only, it does not include
36678 the execution time of the inferior because there's no mechanism currently
36679 to compute how much time was spent by @value{GDBN} and how much time was
36680 spent by the program been debugged.
36681 This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
36682 @option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
36683
36684 @item maint set per-command symtab [on|off]
36685 @itemx maint show per-command symtab
36686 Enable or disable the printing of basic symbol table statistics
36687 for each command.
36688 If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display the following information:
36689
36690 @enumerate a
36691 @item
36692 number of symbol tables
36693 @item
36694 number of primary symbol tables
36695 @item
36696 number of blocks in the blockvector
36697 @end enumerate
36698 @end table
36699
36700 @kindex maint space
36701 @cindex memory used by commands
36702 @item maint space @var{value}
36703 An alias for @code{maint set per-command space}.
36704 A non-zero value enables it, zero disables it.
36705
36706 @kindex maint time
36707 @cindex time of command execution
36708 @item maint time @var{value}
36709 An alias for @code{maint set per-command time}.
36710 A non-zero value enables it, zero disables it.
36711
36712 @kindex maint translate-address
36713 @item maint translate-address @r{[}@var{section}@r{]} @var{addr}
36714 Find the symbol stored at the location specified by the address
36715 @var{addr} and an optional section name @var{section}. If found,
36716 @value{GDBN} prints the name of the closest symbol and an offset from
36717 the symbol's location to the specified address. This is similar to
36718 the @code{info address} command (@pxref{Symbols}), except that this
36719 command also allows to find symbols in other sections.
36720
36721 If section was not specified, the section in which the symbol was found
36722 is also printed. For dynamically linked executables, the name of
36723 executable or shared library containing the symbol is printed as well.
36724
36725 @end table
36726
36727 The following command is useful for non-interactive invocations of
36728 @value{GDBN}, such as in the test suite.
36729
36730 @table @code
36731 @item set watchdog @var{nsec}
36732 @kindex set watchdog
36733 @cindex watchdog timer
36734 @cindex timeout for commands
36735 Set the maximum number of seconds @value{GDBN} will wait for the
36736 target operation to finish. If this time expires, @value{GDBN}
36737 reports and error and the command is aborted.
36738
36739 @item show watchdog
36740 Show the current setting of the target wait timeout.
36741 @end table
36742
36743 @node Remote Protocol
36744 @appendix @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol
36745
36746 @menu
36747 * Overview::
36748 * Packets::
36749 * Stop Reply Packets::
36750 * General Query Packets::
36751 * Architecture-Specific Protocol Details::
36752 * Tracepoint Packets::
36753 * Host I/O Packets::
36754 * Interrupts::
36755 * Notification Packets::
36756 * Remote Non-Stop::
36757 * Packet Acknowledgment::
36758 * Examples::
36759 * File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension::
36760 * Library List Format::
36761 * Library List Format for SVR4 Targets::
36762 * Memory Map Format::
36763 * Thread List Format::
36764 * Traceframe Info Format::
36765 * Branch Trace Format::
36766 @end menu
36767
36768 @node Overview
36769 @section Overview
36770
36771 There may be occasions when you need to know something about the
36772 protocol---for example, if there is only one serial port to your target
36773 machine, you might want your program to do something special if it
36774 recognizes a packet meant for @value{GDBN}.
36775
36776 In the examples below, @samp{->} and @samp{<-} are used to indicate
36777 transmitted and received data, respectively.
36778
36779 @cindex protocol, @value{GDBN} remote serial
36780 @cindex serial protocol, @value{GDBN} remote
36781 @cindex remote serial protocol
36782 All @value{GDBN} commands and responses (other than acknowledgments
36783 and notifications, see @ref{Notification Packets}) are sent as a
36784 @var{packet}. A @var{packet} is introduced with the character
36785 @samp{$}, the actual @var{packet-data}, and the terminating character
36786 @samp{#} followed by a two-digit @var{checksum}:
36787
36788 @smallexample
36789 @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
36790 @end smallexample
36791 @noindent
36792
36793 @cindex checksum, for @value{GDBN} remote
36794 @noindent
36795 The two-digit @var{checksum} is computed as the modulo 256 sum of all
36796 characters between the leading @samp{$} and the trailing @samp{#} (an
36797 eight bit unsigned checksum).
36798
36799 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0 the protocol
36800 specification also included an optional two-digit @var{sequence-id}:
36801
36802 @smallexample
36803 @code{$}@var{sequence-id}@code{:}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
36804 @end smallexample
36805
36806 @cindex sequence-id, for @value{GDBN} remote
36807 @noindent
36808 That @var{sequence-id} was appended to the acknowledgment. @value{GDBN}
36809 has never output @var{sequence-id}s. Stubs that handle packets added
36810 since @value{GDBN} 5.0 must not accept @var{sequence-id}.
36811
36812 When either the host or the target machine receives a packet, the first
36813 response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
36814 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request
36815 retransmission):
36816
36817 @smallexample
36818 -> @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
36819 <- @code{+}
36820 @end smallexample
36821 @noindent
36822
36823 The @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments can be disabled
36824 once a connection is established.
36825 @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}, for details.
36826
36827 The host (@value{GDBN}) sends @var{command}s, and the target (the
36828 debugging stub incorporated in your program) sends a @var{response}. In
36829 the case of step and continue @var{command}s, the response is only sent
36830 when the operation has completed, and the target has again stopped all
36831 threads in all attached processes. This is the default all-stop mode
36832 behavior, but the remote protocol also supports @value{GDBN}'s non-stop
36833 execution mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}, for details.
36834
36835 @var{packet-data} consists of a sequence of characters with the
36836 exception of @samp{#} and @samp{$} (see @samp{X} packet for additional
36837 exceptions).
36838
36839 @cindex remote protocol, field separator
36840 Fields within the packet should be separated using @samp{,} @samp{;} or
36841 @samp{:}. Except where otherwise noted all numbers are represented in
36842 @sc{hex} with leading zeros suppressed.
36843
36844 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0, the character
36845 @samp{:} could not appear as the third character in a packet (as it
36846 would potentially conflict with the @var{sequence-id}).
36847
36848 @cindex remote protocol, binary data
36849 @anchor{Binary Data}
36850 Binary data in most packets is encoded either as two hexadecimal
36851 digits per byte of binary data. This allowed the traditional remote
36852 protocol to work over connections which were only seven-bit clean.
36853 Some packets designed more recently assume an eight-bit clean
36854 connection, and use a more efficient encoding to send and receive
36855 binary data.
36856
36857 The binary data representation uses @code{7d} (@sc{ascii} @samp{@}})
36858 as an escape character. Any escaped byte is transmitted as the escape
36859 character followed by the original character XORed with @code{0x20}.
36860 For example, the byte @code{0x7d} would be transmitted as the two
36861 bytes @code{0x7d 0x5d}. The bytes @code{0x23} (@sc{ascii} @samp{#}),
36862 @code{0x24} (@sc{ascii} @samp{$}), and @code{0x7d} (@sc{ascii}
36863 @samp{@}}) must always be escaped. Responses sent by the stub
36864 must also escape @code{0x2a} (@sc{ascii} @samp{*}), so that it
36865 is not interpreted as the start of a run-length encoded sequence
36866 (described next).
36867
36868 Response @var{data} can be run-length encoded to save space.
36869 Run-length encoding replaces runs of identical characters with one
36870 instance of the repeated character, followed by a @samp{*} and a
36871 repeat count. The repeat count is itself sent encoded, to avoid
36872 binary characters in @var{data}: a value of @var{n} is sent as
36873 @code{@var{n}+29}. For a repeat count greater or equal to 3, this
36874 produces a printable @sc{ascii} character, e.g.@: a space (@sc{ascii}
36875 code 32) for a repeat count of 3. (This is because run-length
36876 encoding starts to win for counts 3 or more.) Thus, for example,
36877 @samp{0* } is a run-length encoding of ``0000'': the space character
36878 after @samp{*} means repeat the leading @code{0} @w{@code{32 - 29 =
36879 3}} more times.
36880
36881 The printable characters @samp{#} and @samp{$} or with a numeric value
36882 greater than 126 must not be used. Runs of six repeats (@samp{#}) or
36883 seven repeats (@samp{$}) can be expanded using a repeat count of only
36884 five (@samp{"}). For example, @samp{00000000} can be encoded as
36885 @samp{0*"00}.
36886
36887 The error response returned for some packets includes a two character
36888 error number. That number is not well defined.
36889
36890 @cindex empty response, for unsupported packets
36891 For any @var{command} not supported by the stub, an empty response
36892 (@samp{$#00}) should be returned. That way it is possible to extend the
36893 protocol. A newer @value{GDBN} can tell if a packet is supported based
36894 on that response.
36895
36896 At a minimum, a stub is required to support the @samp{g} and @samp{G}
36897 commands for register access, and the @samp{m} and @samp{M} commands
36898 for memory access. Stubs that only control single-threaded targets
36899 can implement run control with the @samp{c} (continue), and @samp{s}
36900 (step) commands. Stubs that support multi-threading targets should
36901 support the @samp{vCont} command. All other commands are optional.
36902
36903 @node Packets
36904 @section Packets
36905
36906 The following table provides a complete list of all currently defined
36907 @var{command}s and their corresponding response @var{data}.
36908 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for details about the File
36909 I/O extension of the remote protocol.
36910
36911 Each packet's description has a template showing the packet's overall
36912 syntax, followed by an explanation of the packet's meaning. We
36913 include spaces in some of the templates for clarity; these are not
36914 part of the packet's syntax. No @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to
36915 separate its components. For example, a template like @samp{foo
36916 @var{bar} @var{baz}} describes a packet beginning with the three ASCII
36917 bytes @samp{foo}, followed by a @var{bar}, followed directly by a
36918 @var{baz}. @value{GDBN} does not transmit a space character between the
36919 @samp{foo} and the @var{bar}, or between the @var{bar} and the
36920 @var{baz}.
36921
36922 @cindex @var{thread-id}, in remote protocol
36923 @anchor{thread-id syntax}
36924 Several packets and replies include a @var{thread-id} field to identify
36925 a thread. Normally these are positive numbers with a target-specific
36926 interpretation, formatted as big-endian hex strings. A @var{thread-id}
36927 can also be a literal @samp{-1} to indicate all threads, or @samp{0} to
36928 pick any thread.
36929
36930 In addition, the remote protocol supports a multiprocess feature in
36931 which the @var{thread-id} syntax is extended to optionally include both
36932 process and thread ID fields, as @samp{p@var{pid}.@var{tid}}.
36933 The @var{pid} (process) and @var{tid} (thread) components each have the
36934 format described above: a positive number with target-specific
36935 interpretation formatted as a big-endian hex string, literal @samp{-1}
36936 to indicate all processes or threads (respectively), or @samp{0} to
36937 indicate an arbitrary process or thread. Specifying just a process, as
36938 @samp{p@var{pid}}, is equivalent to @samp{p@var{pid}.-1}. It is an
36939 error to specify all processes but a specific thread, such as
36940 @samp{p-1.@var{tid}}. Note that the @samp{p} prefix is @emph{not} used
36941 for those packets and replies explicitly documented to include a process
36942 ID, rather than a @var{thread-id}.
36943
36944 The multiprocess @var{thread-id} syntax extensions are only used if both
36945 @value{GDBN} and the stub report support for the @samp{multiprocess}
36946 feature using @samp{qSupported}. @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for
36947 more information.
36948
36949 Note that all packet forms beginning with an upper- or lower-case
36950 letter, other than those described here, are reserved for future use.
36951
36952 Here are the packet descriptions.
36953
36954 @table @samp
36955
36956 @item !
36957 @cindex @samp{!} packet
36958 @anchor{extended mode}
36959 Enable extended mode. In extended mode, the remote server is made
36960 persistent. The @samp{R} packet is used to restart the program being
36961 debugged.
36962
36963 Reply:
36964 @table @samp
36965 @item OK
36966 The remote target both supports and has enabled extended mode.
36967 @end table
36968
36969 @item ?
36970 @cindex @samp{?} packet
36971 Indicate the reason the target halted. The reply is the same as for
36972 step and continue. This packet has a special interpretation when the
36973 target is in non-stop mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}.
36974
36975 Reply:
36976 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
36977
36978 @item A @var{arglen},@var{argnum},@var{arg},@dots{}
36979 @cindex @samp{A} packet
36980 Initialized @code{argv[]} array passed into program. @var{arglen}
36981 specifies the number of bytes in the hex encoded byte stream
36982 @var{arg}. See @code{gdbserver} for more details.
36983
36984 Reply:
36985 @table @samp
36986 @item OK
36987 The arguments were set.
36988 @item E @var{NN}
36989 An error occurred.
36990 @end table
36991
36992 @item b @var{baud}
36993 @cindex @samp{b} packet
36994 (Don't use this packet; its behavior is not well-defined.)
36995 Change the serial line speed to @var{baud}.
36996
36997 JTC: @emph{When does the transport layer state change? When it's
36998 received, or after the ACK is transmitted. In either case, there are
36999 problems if the command or the acknowledgment packet is dropped.}
37000
37001 Stan: @emph{If people really wanted to add something like this, and get
37002 it working for the first time, they ought to modify ser-unix.c to send
37003 some kind of out-of-band message to a specially-setup stub and have the
37004 switch happen "in between" packets, so that from remote protocol's point
37005 of view, nothing actually happened.}
37006
37007 @item B @var{addr},@var{mode}
37008 @cindex @samp{B} packet
37009 Set (@var{mode} is @samp{S}) or clear (@var{mode} is @samp{C}) a
37010 breakpoint at @var{addr}.
37011
37012 Don't use this packet. Use the @samp{Z} and @samp{z} packets instead
37013 (@pxref{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}).
37014
37015 @cindex @samp{bc} packet
37016 @anchor{bc}
37017 @item bc
37018 Backward continue. Execute the target system in reverse. No parameter.
37019 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
37020
37021 Reply:
37022 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37023
37024 @cindex @samp{bs} packet
37025 @anchor{bs}
37026 @item bs
37027 Backward single step. Execute one instruction in reverse. No parameter.
37028 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
37029
37030 Reply:
37031 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37032
37033 @item c @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
37034 @cindex @samp{c} packet
37035 Continue. @var{addr} is address to resume. If @var{addr} is omitted,
37036 resume at current address.
37037
37038 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
37039 packet}.
37040
37041 Reply:
37042 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37043
37044 @item C @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
37045 @cindex @samp{C} packet
37046 Continue with signal @var{sig} (hex signal number). If
37047 @samp{;@var{addr}} is omitted, resume at same address.
37048
37049 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
37050 packet}.
37051
37052 Reply:
37053 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37054
37055 @item d
37056 @cindex @samp{d} packet
37057 Toggle debug flag.
37058
37059 Don't use this packet; instead, define a general set packet
37060 (@pxref{General Query Packets}).
37061
37062 @item D
37063 @itemx D;@var{pid}
37064 @cindex @samp{D} packet
37065 The first form of the packet is used to detach @value{GDBN} from the
37066 remote system. It is sent to the remote target
37067 before @value{GDBN} disconnects via the @code{detach} command.
37068
37069 The second form, including a process ID, is used when multiprocess
37070 protocol extensions are enabled (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}), to
37071 detach only a specific process. The @var{pid} is specified as a
37072 big-endian hex string.
37073
37074 Reply:
37075 @table @samp
37076 @item OK
37077 for success
37078 @item E @var{NN}
37079 for an error
37080 @end table
37081
37082 @item F @var{RC},@var{EE},@var{CF};@var{XX}
37083 @cindex @samp{F} packet
37084 A reply from @value{GDBN} to an @samp{F} packet sent by the target.
37085 This is part of the File-I/O protocol extension. @xref{File-I/O
37086 Remote Protocol Extension}, for the specification.
37087
37088 @item g
37089 @anchor{read registers packet}
37090 @cindex @samp{g} packet
37091 Read general registers.
37092
37093 Reply:
37094 @table @samp
37095 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
37096 Each byte of register data is described by two hex digits. The bytes
37097 with the register are transmitted in target byte order. The size of
37098 each register and their position within the @samp{g} packet are
37099 determined by the @value{GDBN} internal gdbarch functions
37100 @code{DEPRECATED_REGISTER_RAW_SIZE} and @code{gdbarch_register_name}. The
37101 specification of several standard @samp{g} packets is specified below.
37102
37103 When reading registers from a trace frame (@pxref{Analyze Collected
37104 Data,,Using the Collected Data}), the stub may also return a string of
37105 literal @samp{x}'s in place of the register data digits, to indicate
37106 that the corresponding register has not been collected, thus its value
37107 is unavailable. For example, for an architecture with 4 registers of
37108 4 bytes each, the following reply indicates to @value{GDBN} that
37109 registers 0 and 2 have not been collected, while registers 1 and 3
37110 have been collected, and both have zero value:
37111
37112 @smallexample
37113 -> @code{g}
37114 <- @code{xxxxxxxx00000000xxxxxxxx00000000}
37115 @end smallexample
37116
37117 @item E @var{NN}
37118 for an error.
37119 @end table
37120
37121 @item G @var{XX@dots{}}
37122 @cindex @samp{G} packet
37123 Write general registers. @xref{read registers packet}, for a
37124 description of the @var{XX@dots{}} data.
37125
37126 Reply:
37127 @table @samp
37128 @item OK
37129 for success
37130 @item E @var{NN}
37131 for an error
37132 @end table
37133
37134 @item H @var{op} @var{thread-id}
37135 @cindex @samp{H} packet
37136 Set thread for subsequent operations (@samp{m}, @samp{M}, @samp{g},
37137 @samp{G}, et.al.). @var{op} depends on the operation to be performed:
37138 it should be @samp{c} for step and continue operations (note that this
37139 is deprecated, supporting the @samp{vCont} command is a better
37140 option), @samp{g} for other operations. The thread designator
37141 @var{thread-id} has the format and interpretation described in
37142 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
37143
37144 Reply:
37145 @table @samp
37146 @item OK
37147 for success
37148 @item E @var{NN}
37149 for an error
37150 @end table
37151
37152 @c FIXME: JTC:
37153 @c 'H': How restrictive (or permissive) is the thread model. If a
37154 @c thread is selected and stopped, are other threads allowed
37155 @c to continue to execute? As I mentioned above, I think the
37156 @c semantics of each command when a thread is selected must be
37157 @c described. For example:
37158 @c
37159 @c 'g': If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
37160 @c selected, returns the register block from that thread;
37161 @c otherwise returns current registers.
37162 @c
37163 @c 'G' If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
37164 @c selected, sets the registers of the register block of
37165 @c that thread; otherwise sets current registers.
37166
37167 @item i @r{[}@var{addr}@r{[},@var{nnn}@r{]]}
37168 @anchor{cycle step packet}
37169 @cindex @samp{i} packet
37170 Step the remote target by a single clock cycle. If @samp{,@var{nnn}} is
37171 present, cycle step @var{nnn} cycles. If @var{addr} is present, cycle
37172 step starting at that address.
37173
37174 @item I
37175 @cindex @samp{I} packet
37176 Signal, then cycle step. @xref{step with signal packet}. @xref{cycle
37177 step packet}.
37178
37179 @item k
37180 @cindex @samp{k} packet
37181 Kill request.
37182
37183 FIXME: @emph{There is no description of how to operate when a specific
37184 thread context has been selected (i.e.@: does 'k' kill only that
37185 thread?)}.
37186
37187 @item m @var{addr},@var{length}
37188 @cindex @samp{m} packet
37189 Read @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
37190 Note that @var{addr} may not be aligned to any particular boundary.
37191
37192 The stub need not use any particular size or alignment when gathering
37193 data from memory for the response; even if @var{addr} is word-aligned
37194 and @var{length} is a multiple of the word size, the stub is free to
37195 use byte accesses, or not. For this reason, this packet may not be
37196 suitable for accessing memory-mapped I/O devices.
37197 @cindex alignment of remote memory accesses
37198 @cindex size of remote memory accesses
37199 @cindex memory, alignment and size of remote accesses
37200
37201 Reply:
37202 @table @samp
37203 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
37204 Memory contents; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit hexadecimal
37205 number. The reply may contain fewer bytes than requested if the
37206 server was able to read only part of the region of memory.
37207 @item E @var{NN}
37208 @var{NN} is errno
37209 @end table
37210
37211 @item M @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
37212 @cindex @samp{M} packet
37213 Write @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
37214 @var{XX@dots{}} is the data; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit
37215 hexadecimal number.
37216
37217 Reply:
37218 @table @samp
37219 @item OK
37220 for success
37221 @item E @var{NN}
37222 for an error (this includes the case where only part of the data was
37223 written).
37224 @end table
37225
37226 @item p @var{n}
37227 @cindex @samp{p} packet
37228 Read the value of register @var{n}; @var{n} is in hex.
37229 @xref{read registers packet}, for a description of how the returned
37230 register value is encoded.
37231
37232 Reply:
37233 @table @samp
37234 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
37235 the register's value
37236 @item E @var{NN}
37237 for an error
37238 @item @w{}
37239 Indicating an unrecognized @var{query}.
37240 @end table
37241
37242 @item P @var{n@dots{}}=@var{r@dots{}}
37243 @anchor{write register packet}
37244 @cindex @samp{P} packet
37245 Write register @var{n@dots{}} with value @var{r@dots{}}. The register
37246 number @var{n} is in hexadecimal, and @var{r@dots{}} contains two hex
37247 digits for each byte in the register (target byte order).
37248
37249 Reply:
37250 @table @samp
37251 @item OK
37252 for success
37253 @item E @var{NN}
37254 for an error
37255 @end table
37256
37257 @item q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
37258 @itemx Q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
37259 @cindex @samp{q} packet
37260 @cindex @samp{Q} packet
37261 General query (@samp{q}) and set (@samp{Q}). These packets are
37262 described fully in @ref{General Query Packets}.
37263
37264 @item r
37265 @cindex @samp{r} packet
37266 Reset the entire system.
37267
37268 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{R} packet instead.
37269
37270 @item R @var{XX}
37271 @cindex @samp{R} packet
37272 Restart the program being debugged. @var{XX}, while needed, is ignored.
37273 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
37274
37275 The @samp{R} packet has no reply.
37276
37277 @item s @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
37278 @cindex @samp{s} packet
37279 Single step. @var{addr} is the address at which to resume. If
37280 @var{addr} is omitted, resume at same address.
37281
37282 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
37283 packet}.
37284
37285 Reply:
37286 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37287
37288 @item S @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
37289 @anchor{step with signal packet}
37290 @cindex @samp{S} packet
37291 Step with signal. This is analogous to the @samp{C} packet, but
37292 requests a single-step, rather than a normal resumption of execution.
37293
37294 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
37295 packet}.
37296
37297 Reply:
37298 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37299
37300 @item t @var{addr}:@var{PP},@var{MM}
37301 @cindex @samp{t} packet
37302 Search backwards starting at address @var{addr} for a match with pattern
37303 @var{PP} and mask @var{MM}. @var{PP} and @var{MM} are 4 bytes.
37304 @var{addr} must be at least 3 digits.
37305
37306 @item T @var{thread-id}
37307 @cindex @samp{T} packet
37308 Find out if the thread @var{thread-id} is alive. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
37309
37310 Reply:
37311 @table @samp
37312 @item OK
37313 thread is still alive
37314 @item E @var{NN}
37315 thread is dead
37316 @end table
37317
37318 @item v
37319 Packets starting with @samp{v} are identified by a multi-letter name,
37320 up to the first @samp{;} or @samp{?} (or the end of the packet).
37321
37322 @item vAttach;@var{pid}
37323 @cindex @samp{vAttach} packet
37324 Attach to a new process with the specified process ID @var{pid}.
37325 The process ID is a
37326 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. In all-stop mode, all
37327 threads in the attached process are stopped; in non-stop mode, it may be
37328 attached without being stopped if that is supported by the target.
37329
37330 @c In non-stop mode, on a successful vAttach, the stub should set the
37331 @c current thread to a thread of the newly-attached process. After
37332 @c attaching, GDB queries for the attached process's thread ID with qC.
37333 @c Also note that, from a user perspective, whether or not the
37334 @c target is stopped on attach in non-stop mode depends on whether you
37335 @c use the foreground or background version of the attach command, not
37336 @c on what vAttach does; GDB does the right thing with respect to either
37337 @c stopping or restarting threads.
37338
37339 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
37340
37341 Reply:
37342 @table @samp
37343 @item E @var{nn}
37344 for an error
37345 @item @r{Any stop packet}
37346 for success in all-stop mode (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
37347 @item OK
37348 for success in non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop})
37349 @end table
37350
37351 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@r{[}:@var{thread-id}@r{]]}@dots{}
37352 @cindex @samp{vCont} packet
37353 @anchor{vCont packet}
37354 Resume the inferior, specifying different actions for each thread.
37355 If an action is specified with no @var{thread-id}, then it is applied to any
37356 threads that don't have a specific action specified; if no default action is
37357 specified then other threads should remain stopped in all-stop mode and
37358 in their current state in non-stop mode.
37359 Specifying multiple
37360 default actions is an error; specifying no actions is also an error.
37361 Thread IDs are specified using the syntax described in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
37362
37363 Currently supported actions are:
37364
37365 @table @samp
37366 @item c
37367 Continue.
37368 @item C @var{sig}
37369 Continue with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
37370 @item s
37371 Step.
37372 @item S @var{sig}
37373 Step with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
37374 @item t
37375 Stop.
37376 @end table
37377
37378 The optional argument @var{addr} normally associated with the
37379 @samp{c}, @samp{C}, @samp{s}, and @samp{S} packets is
37380 not supported in @samp{vCont}.
37381
37382 The @samp{t} action is only relevant in non-stop mode
37383 (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}) and may be ignored by the stub otherwise.
37384 A stop reply should be generated for any affected thread not already stopped.
37385 When a thread is stopped by means of a @samp{t} action,
37386 the corresponding stop reply should indicate that the thread has stopped with
37387 signal @samp{0}, regardless of whether the target uses some other signal
37388 as an implementation detail.
37389
37390 The stub must support @samp{vCont} if it reports support for
37391 multiprocess extensions (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}). Note that in
37392 this case @samp{vCont} actions can be specified to apply to all threads
37393 in a process by using the @samp{p@var{pid}.-1} form of the
37394 @var{thread-id}.
37395
37396 Reply:
37397 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37398
37399 @item vCont?
37400 @cindex @samp{vCont?} packet
37401 Request a list of actions supported by the @samp{vCont} packet.
37402
37403 Reply:
37404 @table @samp
37405 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@dots{}@r{]}
37406 The @samp{vCont} packet is supported. Each @var{action} is a supported
37407 command in the @samp{vCont} packet.
37408 @item @w{}
37409 The @samp{vCont} packet is not supported.
37410 @end table
37411
37412 @item vFile:@var{operation}:@var{parameter}@dots{}
37413 @cindex @samp{vFile} packet
37414 Perform a file operation on the target system. For details,
37415 see @ref{Host I/O Packets}.
37416
37417 @item vFlashErase:@var{addr},@var{length}
37418 @cindex @samp{vFlashErase} packet
37419 Direct the stub to erase @var{length} bytes of flash starting at
37420 @var{addr}. The region may enclose any number of flash blocks, but
37421 its start and end must fall on block boundaries, as indicated by the
37422 flash block size appearing in the memory map (@pxref{Memory Map
37423 Format}). @value{GDBN} groups flash memory programming operations
37424 together, and sends a @samp{vFlashDone} request after each group; the
37425 stub is allowed to delay erase operation until the @samp{vFlashDone}
37426 packet is received.
37427
37428 Reply:
37429 @table @samp
37430 @item OK
37431 for success
37432 @item E @var{NN}
37433 for an error
37434 @end table
37435
37436 @item vFlashWrite:@var{addr}:@var{XX@dots{}}
37437 @cindex @samp{vFlashWrite} packet
37438 Direct the stub to write data to flash address @var{addr}. The data
37439 is passed in binary form using the same encoding as for the @samp{X}
37440 packet (@pxref{Binary Data}). The memory ranges specified by
37441 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets preceding a @samp{vFlashDone} packet must
37442 not overlap, and must appear in order of increasing addresses
37443 (although @samp{vFlashErase} packets for higher addresses may already
37444 have been received; the ordering is guaranteed only between
37445 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets). If a packet writes to an address that was
37446 neither erased by a preceding @samp{vFlashErase} packet nor by some other
37447 target-specific method, the results are unpredictable.
37448
37449
37450 Reply:
37451 @table @samp
37452 @item OK
37453 for success
37454 @item E.memtype
37455 for vFlashWrite addressing non-flash memory
37456 @item E @var{NN}
37457 for an error
37458 @end table
37459
37460 @item vFlashDone
37461 @cindex @samp{vFlashDone} packet
37462 Indicate to the stub that flash programming operation is finished.
37463 The stub is permitted to delay or batch the effects of a group of
37464 @samp{vFlashErase} and @samp{vFlashWrite} packets until a
37465 @samp{vFlashDone} packet is received. The contents of the affected
37466 regions of flash memory are unpredictable until the @samp{vFlashDone}
37467 request is completed.
37468
37469 @item vKill;@var{pid}
37470 @cindex @samp{vKill} packet
37471 Kill the process with the specified process ID. @var{pid} is a
37472 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. This packet is used in
37473 preference to @samp{k} when multiprocess protocol extensions are
37474 supported; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
37475
37476 Reply:
37477 @table @samp
37478 @item E @var{nn}
37479 for an error
37480 @item OK
37481 for success
37482 @end table
37483
37484 @item vRun;@var{filename}@r{[};@var{argument}@r{]}@dots{}
37485 @cindex @samp{vRun} packet
37486 Run the program @var{filename}, passing it each @var{argument} on its
37487 command line. The file and arguments are hex-encoded strings. If
37488 @var{filename} is an empty string, the stub may use a default program
37489 (e.g.@: the last program run). The program is created in the stopped
37490 state.
37491
37492 @c FIXME: What about non-stop mode?
37493
37494 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
37495
37496 Reply:
37497 @table @samp
37498 @item E @var{nn}
37499 for an error
37500 @item @r{Any stop packet}
37501 for success (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
37502 @end table
37503
37504 @item vStopped
37505 @cindex @samp{vStopped} packet
37506 @xref{Notification Packets}.
37507
37508 @item X @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
37509 @anchor{X packet}
37510 @cindex @samp{X} packet
37511 Write data to memory, where the data is transmitted in binary.
37512 @var{addr} is address, @var{length} is number of bytes,
37513 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
37514
37515 Reply:
37516 @table @samp
37517 @item OK
37518 for success
37519 @item E @var{NN}
37520 for an error
37521 @end table
37522
37523 @item z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
37524 @itemx Z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
37525 @anchor{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}
37526 @cindex @samp{z} packet
37527 @cindex @samp{Z} packets
37528 Insert (@samp{Z}) or remove (@samp{z}) a @var{type} breakpoint or
37529 watchpoint starting at address @var{address} of kind @var{kind}.
37530
37531 Each breakpoint and watchpoint packet @var{type} is documented
37532 separately.
37533
37534 @emph{Implementation notes: A remote target shall return an empty string
37535 for an unrecognized breakpoint or watchpoint packet @var{type}. A
37536 remote target shall support either both or neither of a given
37537 @samp{Z@var{type}@dots{}} and @samp{z@var{type}@dots{}} packet pair. To
37538 avoid potential problems with duplicate packets, the operations should
37539 be implemented in an idempotent way.}
37540
37541 @item z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}
37542 @itemx Z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}@r{[};@var{cond_list}@dots{}@r{]}@r{[};cmds:@var{persist},@var{cmd_list}@dots{}@r{]}
37543 @cindex @samp{z0} packet
37544 @cindex @samp{Z0} packet
37545 Insert (@samp{Z0}) or remove (@samp{z0}) a memory breakpoint at address
37546 @var{addr} of type @var{kind}.
37547
37548 A memory breakpoint is implemented by replacing the instruction at
37549 @var{addr} with a software breakpoint or trap instruction. The
37550 @var{kind} is target-specific and typically indicates the size of
37551 the breakpoint in bytes that should be inserted. E.g., the @sc{arm}
37552 and @sc{mips} can insert either a 2 or 4 byte breakpoint. Some
37553 architectures have additional meanings for @var{kind};
37554 @var{cond_list} is an optional list of conditional expressions in bytecode
37555 form that should be evaluated on the target's side. These are the
37556 conditions that should be taken into consideration when deciding if
37557 the breakpoint trigger should be reported back to @var{GDBN}.
37558
37559 The @var{cond_list} parameter is comprised of a series of expressions,
37560 concatenated without separators. Each expression has the following form:
37561
37562 @table @samp
37563
37564 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
37565 @var{len} is the length of the bytecode expression and @var{expr} is the
37566 actual conditional expression in bytecode form.
37567
37568 @end table
37569
37570 The optional @var{cmd_list} parameter introduces commands that may be
37571 run on the target, rather than being reported back to @value{GDBN}.
37572 The parameter starts with a numeric flag @var{persist}; if the flag is
37573 nonzero, then the breakpoint may remain active and the commands
37574 continue to be run even when @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target.
37575 Following this flag is a series of expressions concatenated with no
37576 separators. Each expression has the following form:
37577
37578 @table @samp
37579
37580 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
37581 @var{len} is the length of the bytecode expression and @var{expr} is the
37582 actual conditional expression in bytecode form.
37583
37584 @end table
37585
37586 see @ref{Architecture-Specific Protocol Details}.
37587
37588 @emph{Implementation note: It is possible for a target to copy or move
37589 code that contains memory breakpoints (e.g., when implementing
37590 overlays). The behavior of this packet, in the presence of such a
37591 target, is not defined.}
37592
37593 Reply:
37594 @table @samp
37595 @item OK
37596 success
37597 @item @w{}
37598 not supported
37599 @item E @var{NN}
37600 for an error
37601 @end table
37602
37603 @item z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}
37604 @itemx Z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}@r{[};@var{cond_list}@dots{}@r{]}
37605 @cindex @samp{z1} packet
37606 @cindex @samp{Z1} packet
37607 Insert (@samp{Z1}) or remove (@samp{z1}) a hardware breakpoint at
37608 address @var{addr}.
37609
37610 A hardware breakpoint is implemented using a mechanism that is not
37611 dependant on being able to modify the target's memory. @var{kind}
37612 and @var{cond_list} have the same meaning as in @samp{Z0} packets.
37613
37614 @emph{Implementation note: A hardware breakpoint is not affected by code
37615 movement.}
37616
37617 Reply:
37618 @table @samp
37619 @item OK
37620 success
37621 @item @w{}
37622 not supported
37623 @item E @var{NN}
37624 for an error
37625 @end table
37626
37627 @item z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
37628 @itemx Z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
37629 @cindex @samp{z2} packet
37630 @cindex @samp{Z2} packet
37631 Insert (@samp{Z2}) or remove (@samp{z2}) a write watchpoint at @var{addr}.
37632 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
37633
37634 Reply:
37635 @table @samp
37636 @item OK
37637 success
37638 @item @w{}
37639 not supported
37640 @item E @var{NN}
37641 for an error
37642 @end table
37643
37644 @item z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
37645 @itemx Z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
37646 @cindex @samp{z3} packet
37647 @cindex @samp{Z3} packet
37648 Insert (@samp{Z3}) or remove (@samp{z3}) a read watchpoint at @var{addr}.
37649 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
37650
37651 Reply:
37652 @table @samp
37653 @item OK
37654 success
37655 @item @w{}
37656 not supported
37657 @item E @var{NN}
37658 for an error
37659 @end table
37660
37661 @item z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
37662 @itemx Z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
37663 @cindex @samp{z4} packet
37664 @cindex @samp{Z4} packet
37665 Insert (@samp{Z4}) or remove (@samp{z4}) an access watchpoint at @var{addr}.
37666 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
37667
37668 Reply:
37669 @table @samp
37670 @item OK
37671 success
37672 @item @w{}
37673 not supported
37674 @item E @var{NN}
37675 for an error
37676 @end table
37677
37678 @end table
37679
37680 @node Stop Reply Packets
37681 @section Stop Reply Packets
37682 @cindex stop reply packets
37683
37684 The @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}, @samp{s}, @samp{vCont},
37685 @samp{vAttach}, @samp{vRun}, @samp{vStopped}, and @samp{?} packets can
37686 receive any of the below as a reply. Except for @samp{?}
37687 and @samp{vStopped}, that reply is only returned
37688 when the target halts. In the below the exact meaning of @dfn{signal
37689 number} is defined by the header @file{include/gdb/signals.h} in the
37690 @value{GDBN} source code.
37691
37692 As in the description of request packets, we include spaces in the
37693 reply templates for clarity; these are not part of the reply packet's
37694 syntax. No @value{GDBN} stop reply packet uses spaces to separate its
37695 components.
37696
37697 @table @samp
37698
37699 @item S @var{AA}
37700 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
37701 number). This is equivalent to a @samp{T} response with no
37702 @var{n}:@var{r} pairs.
37703
37704 @item T @var{AA} @var{n1}:@var{r1};@var{n2}:@var{r2};@dots{}
37705 @cindex @samp{T} packet reply
37706 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
37707 number). This is equivalent to an @samp{S} response, except that the
37708 @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pairs can carry values of important registers
37709 and other information directly in the stop reply packet, reducing
37710 round-trip latency. Single-step and breakpoint traps are reported
37711 this way. Each @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair is interpreted as follows:
37712
37713 @itemize @bullet
37714 @item
37715 If @var{n} is a hexadecimal number, it is a register number, and the
37716 corresponding @var{r} gives that register's value. @var{r} is a
37717 series of bytes in target byte order, with each byte given by a
37718 two-digit hex number.
37719
37720 @item
37721 If @var{n} is @samp{thread}, then @var{r} is the @var{thread-id} of
37722 the stopped thread, as specified in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
37723
37724 @item
37725 If @var{n} is @samp{core}, then @var{r} is the hexadecimal number of
37726 the core on which the stop event was detected.
37727
37728 @item
37729 If @var{n} is a recognized @dfn{stop reason}, it describes a more
37730 specific event that stopped the target. The currently defined stop
37731 reasons are listed below. @var{aa} should be @samp{05}, the trap
37732 signal. At most one stop reason should be present.
37733
37734 @item
37735 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} should ignore this @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair
37736 and go on to the next; this allows us to extend the protocol in the
37737 future.
37738 @end itemize
37739
37740 The currently defined stop reasons are:
37741
37742 @table @samp
37743 @item watch
37744 @itemx rwatch
37745 @itemx awatch
37746 The packet indicates a watchpoint hit, and @var{r} is the data address, in
37747 hex.
37748
37749 @cindex shared library events, remote reply
37750 @item library
37751 The packet indicates that the loaded libraries have changed.
37752 @value{GDBN} should use @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} to fetch a new
37753 list of loaded libraries. @var{r} is ignored.
37754
37755 @cindex replay log events, remote reply
37756 @item replaylog
37757 The packet indicates that the target cannot continue replaying
37758 logged execution events, because it has reached the end (or the
37759 beginning when executing backward) of the log. The value of @var{r}
37760 will be either @samp{begin} or @samp{end}. @xref{Reverse Execution},
37761 for more information.
37762 @end table
37763
37764 @item W @var{AA}
37765 @itemx W @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
37766 The process exited, and @var{AA} is the exit status. This is only
37767 applicable to certain targets.
37768
37769 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the exited
37770 process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported support for
37771 multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
37772 The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
37773
37774 @item X @var{AA}
37775 @itemx X @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
37776 The process terminated with signal @var{AA}.
37777
37778 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the
37779 terminated process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported
37780 support for multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess
37781 extensions}. The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
37782
37783 @item O @var{XX}@dots{}
37784 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data, to be
37785 written as the program's console output. This can happen at any time
37786 while the program is running and the debugger should continue to wait
37787 for @samp{W}, @samp{T}, etc. This reply is not permitted in non-stop mode.
37788
37789 @item F @var{call-id},@var{parameter}@dots{}
37790 @var{call-id} is the identifier which says which host system call should
37791 be called. This is just the name of the function. Translation into the
37792 correct system call is only applicable as it's defined in @value{GDBN}.
37793 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for a list of implemented
37794 system calls.
37795
37796 @samp{@var{parameter}@dots{}} is a list of parameters as defined for
37797 this very system call.
37798
37799 The target replies with this packet when it expects @value{GDBN} to
37800 call a host system call on behalf of the target. @value{GDBN} replies
37801 with an appropriate @samp{F} packet and keeps up waiting for the next
37802 reply packet from the target. The latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
37803 or @samp{s} action is expected to be continued. @xref{File-I/O Remote
37804 Protocol Extension}, for more details.
37805
37806 @end table
37807
37808 @node General Query Packets
37809 @section General Query Packets
37810 @cindex remote query requests
37811
37812 Packets starting with @samp{q} are @dfn{general query packets};
37813 packets starting with @samp{Q} are @dfn{general set packets}. General
37814 query and set packets are a semi-unified form for retrieving and
37815 sending information to and from the stub.
37816
37817 The initial letter of a query or set packet is followed by a name
37818 indicating what sort of thing the packet applies to. For example,
37819 @value{GDBN} may use a @samp{qSymbol} packet to exchange symbol
37820 definitions with the stub. These packet names follow some
37821 conventions:
37822
37823 @itemize @bullet
37824 @item
37825 The name must not contain commas, colons or semicolons.
37826 @item
37827 Most @value{GDBN} query and set packets have a leading upper case
37828 letter.
37829 @item
37830 The names of custom vendor packets should use a company prefix, in
37831 lower case, followed by a period. For example, packets designed at
37832 the Acme Corporation might begin with @samp{qacme.foo} (for querying
37833 foos) or @samp{Qacme.bar} (for setting bars).
37834 @end itemize
37835
37836 The name of a query or set packet should be separated from any
37837 parameters by a @samp{:}; the parameters themselves should be
37838 separated by @samp{,} or @samp{;}. Stubs must be careful to match the
37839 full packet name, and check for a separator or the end of the packet,
37840 in case two packet names share a common prefix. New packets should not begin
37841 with @samp{qC}, @samp{qP}, or @samp{qL}@footnote{The @samp{qP} and @samp{qL}
37842 packets predate these conventions, and have arguments without any terminator
37843 for the packet name; we suspect they are in widespread use in places that
37844 are difficult to upgrade. The @samp{qC} packet has no arguments, but some
37845 existing stubs (e.g.@: RedBoot) are known to not check for the end of the
37846 packet.}.
37847
37848 Like the descriptions of the other packets, each description here
37849 has a template showing the packet's overall syntax, followed by an
37850 explanation of the packet's meaning. We include spaces in some of the
37851 templates for clarity; these are not part of the packet's syntax. No
37852 @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to separate its components.
37853
37854 Here are the currently defined query and set packets:
37855
37856 @table @samp
37857
37858 @item QAgent:1
37859 @itemx QAgent:0
37860 Turn on or off the agent as a helper to perform some debugging operations
37861 delegated from @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Control Agent}).
37862
37863 @item QAllow:@var{op}:@var{val}@dots{}
37864 @cindex @samp{QAllow} packet
37865 Specify which operations @value{GDBN} expects to request of the
37866 target, as a semicolon-separated list of operation name and value
37867 pairs. Possible values for @var{op} include @samp{WriteReg},
37868 @samp{WriteMem}, @samp{InsertBreak}, @samp{InsertTrace},
37869 @samp{InsertFastTrace}, and @samp{Stop}. @var{val} is either 0,
37870 indicating that @value{GDBN} will not request the operation, or 1,
37871 indicating that it may. (The target can then use this to set up its
37872 own internals optimally, for instance if the debugger never expects to
37873 insert breakpoints, it may not need to install its own trap handler.)
37874
37875 @item qC
37876 @cindex current thread, remote request
37877 @cindex @samp{qC} packet
37878 Return the current thread ID.
37879
37880 Reply:
37881 @table @samp
37882 @item QC @var{thread-id}
37883 Where @var{thread-id} is a thread ID as documented in
37884 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
37885 @item @r{(anything else)}
37886 Any other reply implies the old thread ID.
37887 @end table
37888
37889 @item qCRC:@var{addr},@var{length}
37890 @cindex CRC of memory block, remote request
37891 @cindex @samp{qCRC} packet
37892 Compute the CRC checksum of a block of memory using CRC-32 defined in
37893 IEEE 802.3. The CRC is computed byte at a time, taking the most
37894 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern code
37895 @code{0xffffffff} is used to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC.
37896
37897 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC used in validating separate debug
37898 files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files, , Debugging Information in Separate
37899 Files}). However the algorithm is slightly different. When validating
37900 separate debug files, the CRC is computed taking the @emph{least}
37901 significant bit of each byte first, and the final result is inverted to
37902 detect trailing zeros.
37903
37904 Reply:
37905 @table @samp
37906 @item E @var{NN}
37907 An error (such as memory fault)
37908 @item C @var{crc32}
37909 The specified memory region's checksum is @var{crc32}.
37910 @end table
37911
37912 @item QDisableRandomization:@var{value}
37913 @cindex disable address space randomization, remote request
37914 @cindex @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet
37915 Some target operating systems will randomize the virtual address space
37916 of the inferior process as a security feature, but provide a feature
37917 to disable such randomization, e.g.@: to allow for a more deterministic
37918 debugging experience. On such systems, this packet with a @var{value}
37919 of 1 directs the target to disable address space randomization for
37920 processes subsequently started via @samp{vRun} packets, while a packet
37921 with a @var{value} of 0 tells the target to enable address space
37922 randomization.
37923
37924 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
37925
37926 Reply:
37927 @table @samp
37928 @item OK
37929 The request succeeded.
37930
37931 @item E @var{nn}
37932 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
37933
37934 @item @w{}
37935 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QDisableRandomization} is not supported
37936 by the stub.
37937 @end table
37938
37939 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
37940 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
37941 This should only be done on targets that actually support disabling
37942 address space randomization.
37943
37944 @item qfThreadInfo
37945 @itemx qsThreadInfo
37946 @cindex list active threads, remote request
37947 @cindex @samp{qfThreadInfo} packet
37948 @cindex @samp{qsThreadInfo} packet
37949 Obtain a list of all active thread IDs from the target (OS). Since there
37950 may be too many active threads to fit into one reply packet, this query
37951 works iteratively: it may require more than one query/reply sequence to
37952 obtain the entire list of threads. The first query of the sequence will
37953 be the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query; subsequent queries in the
37954 sequence will be the @samp{qsThreadInfo} query.
37955
37956 NOTE: This packet replaces the @samp{qL} query (see below).
37957
37958 Reply:
37959 @table @samp
37960 @item m @var{thread-id}
37961 A single thread ID
37962 @item m @var{thread-id},@var{thread-id}@dots{}
37963 a comma-separated list of thread IDs
37964 @item l
37965 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
37966 @end table
37967
37968 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
37969 more thread IDs, separated by commas.
37970 @value{GDBN} will respond to each reply with a request for more thread
37971 ids (using the @samp{qs} form of the query), until the target responds
37972 with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for @dfn{last}).
37973 Refer to @ref{thread-id syntax}, for the format of the @var{thread-id}
37974 fields.
37975
37976 @item qGetTLSAddr:@var{thread-id},@var{offset},@var{lm}
37977 @cindex get thread-local storage address, remote request
37978 @cindex @samp{qGetTLSAddr} packet
37979 Fetch the address associated with thread local storage specified
37980 by @var{thread-id}, @var{offset}, and @var{lm}.
37981
37982 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the
37983 thread for which to fetch the TLS address. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
37984
37985 @var{offset} is the (big endian, hex encoded) offset associated with the
37986 thread local variable. (This offset is obtained from the debug
37987 information associated with the variable.)
37988
37989 @var{lm} is the (big endian, hex encoded) OS/ABI-specific encoding of the
37990 load module associated with the thread local storage. For example,
37991 a @sc{gnu}/Linux system will pass the link map address of the shared
37992 object associated with the thread local storage under consideration.
37993 Other operating environments may choose to represent the load module
37994 differently, so the precise meaning of this parameter will vary.
37995
37996 Reply:
37997 @table @samp
37998 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
37999 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the address of the thread
38000 local storage requested.
38001
38002 @item E @var{nn}
38003 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
38004
38005 @item @w{}
38006 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTLSAddr} is not supported by the stub.
38007 @end table
38008
38009 @item qGetTIBAddr:@var{thread-id}
38010 @cindex get thread information block address
38011 @cindex @samp{qGetTIBAddr} packet
38012 Fetch address of the Windows OS specific Thread Information Block.
38013
38014 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the thread.
38015
38016 Reply:
38017 @table @samp
38018 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
38019 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the linear address of the
38020 thread information block.
38021
38022 @item E @var{nn}
38023 An error occured. This means that either the thread was not found, or the
38024 address could not be retrieved.
38025
38026 @item @w{}
38027 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTIBAddr} is not supported by the stub.
38028 @end table
38029
38030 @item qL @var{startflag} @var{threadcount} @var{nextthread}
38031 Obtain thread information from RTOS. Where: @var{startflag} (one hex
38032 digit) is one to indicate the first query and zero to indicate a
38033 subsequent query; @var{threadcount} (two hex digits) is the maximum
38034 number of threads the response packet can contain; and @var{nextthread}
38035 (eight hex digits), for subsequent queries (@var{startflag} is zero), is
38036 returned in the response as @var{argthread}.
38037
38038 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query instead (see above).
38039
38040 Reply:
38041 @table @samp
38042 @item qM @var{count} @var{done} @var{argthread} @var{thread}@dots{}
38043 Where: @var{count} (two hex digits) is the number of threads being
38044 returned; @var{done} (one hex digit) is zero to indicate more threads
38045 and one indicates no further threads; @var{argthreadid} (eight hex
38046 digits) is @var{nextthread} from the request packet; @var{thread}@dots{}
38047 is a sequence of thread IDs from the target. @var{threadid} (eight hex
38048 digits). See @code{remote.c:parse_threadlist_response()}.
38049 @end table
38050
38051 @item qOffsets
38052 @cindex section offsets, remote request
38053 @cindex @samp{qOffsets} packet
38054 Get section offsets that the target used when relocating the downloaded
38055 image.
38056
38057 Reply:
38058 @table @samp
38059 @item Text=@var{xxx};Data=@var{yyy}@r{[};Bss=@var{zzz}@r{]}
38060 Relocate the @code{Text} section by @var{xxx} from its original address.
38061 Relocate the @code{Data} section by @var{yyy} from its original address.
38062 If the object file format provides segment information (e.g.@: @sc{elf}
38063 @samp{PT_LOAD} program headers), @value{GDBN} will relocate entire
38064 segments by the supplied offsets.
38065
38066 @emph{Note: while a @code{Bss} offset may be included in the response,
38067 @value{GDBN} ignores this and instead applies the @code{Data} offset
38068 to the @code{Bss} section.}
38069
38070 @item TextSeg=@var{xxx}@r{[};DataSeg=@var{yyy}@r{]}
38071 Relocate the first segment of the object file, which conventionally
38072 contains program code, to a starting address of @var{xxx}. If
38073 @samp{DataSeg} is specified, relocate the second segment, which
38074 conventionally contains modifiable data, to a starting address of
38075 @var{yyy}. @value{GDBN} will report an error if the object file
38076 does not contain segment information, or does not contain at least
38077 as many segments as mentioned in the reply. Extra segments are
38078 kept at fixed offsets relative to the last relocated segment.
38079 @end table
38080
38081 @item qP @var{mode} @var{thread-id}
38082 @cindex thread information, remote request
38083 @cindex @samp{qP} packet
38084 Returns information on @var{thread-id}. Where: @var{mode} is a hex
38085 encoded 32 bit mode; @var{thread-id} is a thread ID
38086 (@pxref{thread-id syntax}).
38087
38088 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} query instead
38089 (see below).
38090
38091 Reply: see @code{remote.c:remote_unpack_thread_info_response()}.
38092
38093 @item QNonStop:1
38094 @itemx QNonStop:0
38095 @cindex non-stop mode, remote request
38096 @cindex @samp{QNonStop} packet
38097 @anchor{QNonStop}
38098 Enter non-stop (@samp{QNonStop:1}) or all-stop (@samp{QNonStop:0}) mode.
38099 @xref{Remote Non-Stop}, for more information.
38100
38101 Reply:
38102 @table @samp
38103 @item OK
38104 The request succeeded.
38105
38106 @item E @var{nn}
38107 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
38108
38109 @item @w{}
38110 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QNonStop} is not supported by
38111 the stub.
38112 @end table
38113
38114 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38115 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38116 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set non-stop} command;
38117 @pxref{Non-Stop Mode}.
38118
38119 @item QPassSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
38120 @cindex pass signals to inferior, remote request
38121 @cindex @samp{QPassSignals} packet
38122 @anchor{QPassSignals}
38123 Each listed @var{signal} should be passed directly to the inferior process.
38124 Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
38125 (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
38126 strictly greater than the previous item. These signals do not need to stop
38127 the inferior, or be reported to @value{GDBN}. All other signals should be
38128 reported to @value{GDBN}. Multiple @samp{QPassSignals} packets do not
38129 combine; any earlier @samp{QPassSignals} list is completely replaced by the
38130 new list. This packet improves performance when using @samp{handle
38131 @var{signal} nostop noprint pass}.
38132
38133 Reply:
38134 @table @samp
38135 @item OK
38136 The request succeeded.
38137
38138 @item E @var{nn}
38139 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
38140
38141 @item @w{}
38142 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QPassSignals} is not supported by
38143 the stub.
38144 @end table
38145
38146 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote pass-signals}
38147 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote pass-signals}).
38148 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38149 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38150
38151 @item QProgramSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
38152 @cindex signals the inferior may see, remote request
38153 @cindex @samp{QProgramSignals} packet
38154 @anchor{QProgramSignals}
38155 Each listed @var{signal} may be delivered to the inferior process.
38156 Others should be silently discarded.
38157
38158 In some cases, the remote stub may need to decide whether to deliver a
38159 signal to the program or not without @value{GDBN} involvement. One
38160 example of that is while detaching --- the program's threads may have
38161 stopped for signals that haven't yet had a chance of being reported to
38162 @value{GDBN}, and so the remote stub can use the signal list specified
38163 by this packet to know whether to deliver or ignore those pending
38164 signals.
38165
38166 This does not influence whether to deliver a signal as requested by a
38167 resumption packet (@pxref{vCont packet}).
38168
38169 Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
38170 (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
38171 strictly greater than the previous item. Multiple
38172 @samp{QProgramSignals} packets do not combine; any earlier
38173 @samp{QProgramSignals} list is completely replaced by the new list.
38174
38175 Reply:
38176 @table @samp
38177 @item OK
38178 The request succeeded.
38179
38180 @item E @var{nn}
38181 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
38182
38183 @item @w{}
38184 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QProgramSignals} is not supported
38185 by the stub.
38186 @end table
38187
38188 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote program-signals}
38189 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote program-signals}).
38190 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38191 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38192
38193 @item qRcmd,@var{command}
38194 @cindex execute remote command, remote request
38195 @cindex @samp{qRcmd} packet
38196 @var{command} (hex encoded) is passed to the local interpreter for
38197 execution. Invalid commands should be reported using the output
38198 string. Before the final result packet, the target may also respond
38199 with a number of intermediate @samp{O@var{output}} console output
38200 packets. @emph{Implementors should note that providing access to a
38201 stubs's interpreter may have security implications}.
38202
38203 Reply:
38204 @table @samp
38205 @item OK
38206 A command response with no output.
38207 @item @var{OUTPUT}
38208 A command response with the hex encoded output string @var{OUTPUT}.
38209 @item E @var{NN}
38210 Indicate a badly formed request.
38211 @item @w{}
38212 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qRcmd} is not recognized.
38213 @end table
38214
38215 (Note that the @code{qRcmd} packet's name is separated from the
38216 command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
38217 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
38218 packets.)
38219
38220 @item qSearch:memory:@var{address};@var{length};@var{search-pattern}
38221 @cindex searching memory, in remote debugging
38222 @ifnotinfo
38223 @cindex @samp{qSearch:memory} packet
38224 @end ifnotinfo
38225 @cindex @samp{qSearch memory} packet
38226 @anchor{qSearch memory}
38227 Search @var{length} bytes at @var{address} for @var{search-pattern}.
38228 @var{address} and @var{length} are encoded in hex.
38229 @var{search-pattern} is a sequence of bytes, hex encoded.
38230
38231 Reply:
38232 @table @samp
38233 @item 0
38234 The pattern was not found.
38235 @item 1,address
38236 The pattern was found at @var{address}.
38237 @item E @var{NN}
38238 A badly formed request or an error was encountered while searching memory.
38239 @item @w{}
38240 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSearch:memory} is not recognized.
38241 @end table
38242
38243 @item QStartNoAckMode
38244 @cindex @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet
38245 @anchor{QStartNoAckMode}
38246 Request that the remote stub disable the normal @samp{+}/@samp{-}
38247 protocol acknowledgments (@pxref{Packet Acknowledgment}).
38248
38249 Reply:
38250 @table @samp
38251 @item OK
38252 The stub has switched to no-acknowledgment mode.
38253 @value{GDBN} acknowledges this reponse,
38254 but neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or expect further
38255 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments in the current connection.
38256 @item @w{}
38257 An empty reply indicates that the stub does not support no-acknowledgment mode.
38258 @end table
38259
38260 @item qSupported @r{[}:@var{gdbfeature} @r{[};@var{gdbfeature}@r{]}@dots{} @r{]}
38261 @cindex supported packets, remote query
38262 @cindex features of the remote protocol
38263 @cindex @samp{qSupported} packet
38264 @anchor{qSupported}
38265 Tell the remote stub about features supported by @value{GDBN}, and
38266 query the stub for features it supports. This packet allows
38267 @value{GDBN} and the remote stub to take advantage of each others'
38268 features. @samp{qSupported} also consolidates multiple feature probes
38269 at startup, to improve @value{GDBN} performance---a single larger
38270 packet performs better than multiple smaller probe packets on
38271 high-latency links. Some features may enable behavior which must not
38272 be on by default, e.g.@: because it would confuse older clients or
38273 stubs. Other features may describe packets which could be
38274 automatically probed for, but are not. These features must be
38275 reported before @value{GDBN} will use them. This ``default
38276 unsupported'' behavior is not appropriate for all packets, but it
38277 helps to keep the initial connection time under control with new
38278 versions of @value{GDBN} which support increasing numbers of packets.
38279
38280 Reply:
38281 @table @samp
38282 @item @var{stubfeature} @r{[};@var{stubfeature}@r{]}@dots{}
38283 The stub supports or does not support each returned @var{stubfeature},
38284 depending on the form of each @var{stubfeature} (see below for the
38285 possible forms).
38286 @item @w{}
38287 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSupported} is not recognized,
38288 or that no features needed to be reported to @value{GDBN}.
38289 @end table
38290
38291 The allowed forms for each feature (either a @var{gdbfeature} in the
38292 @samp{qSupported} packet, or a @var{stubfeature} in the response)
38293 are:
38294
38295 @table @samp
38296 @item @var{name}=@var{value}
38297 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and associated
38298 with the specified @var{value}. The format of @var{value} depends
38299 on the feature, but it must not include a semicolon.
38300 @item @var{name}+
38301 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and does not
38302 need an associated value.
38303 @item @var{name}-
38304 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is not supported.
38305 @item @var{name}?
38306 The remote protocol feature @var{name} may be supported, and
38307 @value{GDBN} should auto-detect support in some other way when it is
38308 needed. This form will not be used for @var{gdbfeature} notifications,
38309 but may be used for @var{stubfeature} responses.
38310 @end table
38311
38312 Whenever the stub receives a @samp{qSupported} request, the
38313 supplied set of @value{GDBN} features should override any previous
38314 request. This allows @value{GDBN} to put the stub in a known
38315 state, even if the stub had previously been communicating with
38316 a different version of @value{GDBN}.
38317
38318 The following values of @var{gdbfeature} (for the packet sent by @value{GDBN})
38319 are defined:
38320
38321 @table @samp
38322 @item multiprocess
38323 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports multiprocess
38324 extensions to the remote protocol. @value{GDBN} does not use such
38325 extensions unless the stub also reports that it supports them by
38326 including @samp{multiprocess+} in its @samp{qSupported} reply.
38327 @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for details.
38328
38329 @item xmlRegisters
38330 This feature indicates that @value{GDBN} supports the XML target
38331 description. If the stub sees @samp{xmlRegisters=} with target
38332 specific strings separated by a comma, it will report register
38333 description.
38334
38335 @item qRelocInsn
38336 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports the
38337 @samp{qRelocInsn} packet (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
38338 instruction reply packet}).
38339 @end table
38340
38341 Stubs should ignore any unknown values for
38342 @var{gdbfeature}. Any @value{GDBN} which sends a @samp{qSupported}
38343 packet supports receiving packets of unlimited length (earlier
38344 versions of @value{GDBN} may reject overly long responses). Additional values
38345 for @var{gdbfeature} may be defined in the future to let the stub take
38346 advantage of new features in @value{GDBN}, e.g.@: incompatible
38347 improvements in the remote protocol---the @samp{multiprocess} feature is
38348 an example of such a feature. The stub's reply should be independent
38349 of the @var{gdbfeature} entries sent by @value{GDBN}; first @value{GDBN}
38350 describes all the features it supports, and then the stub replies with
38351 all the features it supports.
38352
38353 Similarly, @value{GDBN} will silently ignore unrecognized stub feature
38354 responses, as long as each response uses one of the standard forms.
38355
38356 Some features are flags. A stub which supports a flag feature
38357 should respond with a @samp{+} form response. Other features
38358 require values, and the stub should respond with an @samp{=}
38359 form response.
38360
38361 Each feature has a default value, which @value{GDBN} will use if
38362 @samp{qSupported} is not available or if the feature is not mentioned
38363 in the @samp{qSupported} response. The default values are fixed; a
38364 stub is free to omit any feature responses that match the defaults.
38365
38366 Not all features can be probed, but for those which can, the probing
38367 mechanism is useful: in some cases, a stub's internal
38368 architecture may not allow the protocol layer to know some information
38369 about the underlying target in advance. This is especially common in
38370 stubs which may be configured for multiple targets.
38371
38372 These are the currently defined stub features and their properties:
38373
38374 @multitable @columnfractions 0.35 0.2 0.12 0.2
38375 @c NOTE: The first row should be @headitem, but we do not yet require
38376 @c a new enough version of Texinfo (4.7) to use @headitem.
38377 @item Feature Name
38378 @tab Value Required
38379 @tab Default
38380 @tab Probe Allowed
38381
38382 @item @samp{PacketSize}
38383 @tab Yes
38384 @tab @samp{-}
38385 @tab No
38386
38387 @item @samp{qXfer:auxv:read}
38388 @tab No
38389 @tab @samp{-}
38390 @tab Yes
38391
38392 @item @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
38393 @tab No
38394 @tab @samp{-}
38395 @tab Yes
38396
38397 @item @samp{qXfer:features:read}
38398 @tab No
38399 @tab @samp{-}
38400 @tab Yes
38401
38402 @item @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
38403 @tab No
38404 @tab @samp{-}
38405 @tab Yes
38406
38407 @item @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
38408 @tab No
38409 @tab @samp{-}
38410 @tab Yes
38411
38412 @item @samp{qXfer:sdata:read}
38413 @tab No
38414 @tab @samp{-}
38415 @tab Yes
38416
38417 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:read}
38418 @tab No
38419 @tab @samp{-}
38420 @tab Yes
38421
38422 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:write}
38423 @tab No
38424 @tab @samp{-}
38425 @tab Yes
38426
38427 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read}
38428 @tab No
38429 @tab @samp{-}
38430 @tab Yes
38431
38432 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write}
38433 @tab No
38434 @tab @samp{-}
38435 @tab Yes
38436
38437 @item @samp{qXfer:threads:read}
38438 @tab No
38439 @tab @samp{-}
38440 @tab Yes
38441
38442 @item @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
38443 @tab No
38444 @tab @samp{-}
38445 @tab Yes
38446
38447 @item @samp{qXfer:uib:read}
38448 @tab No
38449 @tab @samp{-}
38450 @tab Yes
38451
38452 @item @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
38453 @tab No
38454 @tab @samp{-}
38455 @tab Yes
38456
38457 @item @samp{Qbtrace:off}
38458 @tab Yes
38459 @tab @samp{-}
38460 @tab Yes
38461
38462 @item @samp{Qbtrace:bts}
38463 @tab Yes
38464 @tab @samp{-}
38465 @tab Yes
38466
38467 @item @samp{QNonStop}
38468 @tab No
38469 @tab @samp{-}
38470 @tab Yes
38471
38472 @item @samp{QPassSignals}
38473 @tab No
38474 @tab @samp{-}
38475 @tab Yes
38476
38477 @item @samp{QStartNoAckMode}
38478 @tab No
38479 @tab @samp{-}
38480 @tab Yes
38481
38482 @item @samp{multiprocess}
38483 @tab No
38484 @tab @samp{-}
38485 @tab No
38486
38487 @item @samp{ConditionalBreakpoints}
38488 @tab No
38489 @tab @samp{-}
38490 @tab No
38491
38492 @item @samp{ConditionalTracepoints}
38493 @tab No
38494 @tab @samp{-}
38495 @tab No
38496
38497 @item @samp{ReverseContinue}
38498 @tab No
38499 @tab @samp{-}
38500 @tab No
38501
38502 @item @samp{ReverseStep}
38503 @tab No
38504 @tab @samp{-}
38505 @tab No
38506
38507 @item @samp{TracepointSource}
38508 @tab No
38509 @tab @samp{-}
38510 @tab No
38511
38512 @item @samp{QAgent}
38513 @tab No
38514 @tab @samp{-}
38515 @tab No
38516
38517 @item @samp{QAllow}
38518 @tab No
38519 @tab @samp{-}
38520 @tab No
38521
38522 @item @samp{QDisableRandomization}
38523 @tab No
38524 @tab @samp{-}
38525 @tab No
38526
38527 @item @samp{EnableDisableTracepoints}
38528 @tab No
38529 @tab @samp{-}
38530 @tab No
38531
38532 @item @samp{QTBuffer:size}
38533 @tab No
38534 @tab @samp{-}
38535 @tab No
38536
38537 @item @samp{tracenz}
38538 @tab No
38539 @tab @samp{-}
38540 @tab No
38541
38542 @item @samp{BreakpointCommands}
38543 @tab No
38544 @tab @samp{-}
38545 @tab No
38546
38547 @end multitable
38548
38549 These are the currently defined stub features, in more detail:
38550
38551 @table @samp
38552 @cindex packet size, remote protocol
38553 @item PacketSize=@var{bytes}
38554 The remote stub can accept packets up to at least @var{bytes} in
38555 length. @value{GDBN} will send packets up to this size for bulk
38556 transfers, and will never send larger packets. This is a limit on the
38557 data characters in the packet, including the frame and checksum.
38558 There is no trailing NUL byte in a remote protocol packet; if the stub
38559 stores packets in a NUL-terminated format, it should allow an extra
38560 byte in its buffer for the NUL. If this stub feature is not supported,
38561 @value{GDBN} guesses based on the size of the @samp{g} packet response.
38562
38563 @item qXfer:auxv:read
38564 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet
38565 (@pxref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}).
38566
38567 @item qXfer:btrace:read
38568 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
38569 packet (@pxref{qXfer btrace read}).
38570
38571 @item qXfer:features:read
38572 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:features:read} packet
38573 (@pxref{qXfer target description read}).
38574
38575 @item qXfer:libraries:read
38576 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet
38577 (@pxref{qXfer library list read}).
38578
38579 @item qXfer:libraries-svr4:read
38580 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet
38581 (@pxref{qXfer svr4 library list read}).
38582
38583 @item qXfer:memory-map:read
38584 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read} packet
38585 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}).
38586
38587 @item qXfer:sdata:read
38588 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:sdata:read} packet
38589 (@pxref{qXfer sdata read}).
38590
38591 @item qXfer:spu:read
38592 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:read} packet
38593 (@pxref{qXfer spu read}).
38594
38595 @item qXfer:spu:write
38596 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:write} packet
38597 (@pxref{qXfer spu write}).
38598
38599 @item qXfer:siginfo:read
38600 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read} packet
38601 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo read}).
38602
38603 @item qXfer:siginfo:write
38604 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write} packet
38605 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo write}).
38606
38607 @item qXfer:threads:read
38608 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
38609 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}).
38610
38611 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read
38612 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
38613 packet (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}).
38614
38615 @item qXfer:uib:read
38616 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:uib:read}
38617 packet (@pxref{qXfer unwind info block}).
38618
38619 @item qXfer:fdpic:read
38620 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
38621 packet (@pxref{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}).
38622
38623 @item QNonStop
38624 The remote stub understands the @samp{QNonStop} packet
38625 (@pxref{QNonStop}).
38626
38627 @item QPassSignals
38628 The remote stub understands the @samp{QPassSignals} packet
38629 (@pxref{QPassSignals}).
38630
38631 @item QStartNoAckMode
38632 The remote stub understands the @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet and
38633 prefers to operate in no-acknowledgment mode. @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}.
38634
38635 @item multiprocess
38636 @anchor{multiprocess extensions}
38637 @cindex multiprocess extensions, in remote protocol
38638 The remote stub understands the multiprocess extensions to the remote
38639 protocol syntax. The multiprocess extensions affect the syntax of
38640 thread IDs in both packets and replies (@pxref{thread-id syntax}), and
38641 add process IDs to the @samp{D} packet and @samp{W} and @samp{X}
38642 replies. Note that reporting this feature indicates support for the
38643 syntactic extensions only, not that the stub necessarily supports
38644 debugging of more than one process at a time. The stub must not use
38645 multiprocess extensions in packet replies unless @value{GDBN} has also
38646 indicated it supports them in its @samp{qSupported} request.
38647
38648 @item qXfer:osdata:read
38649 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet
38650 ((@pxref{qXfer osdata read}).
38651
38652 @item ConditionalBreakpoints
38653 The target accepts and implements evaluation of conditional expressions
38654 defined for breakpoints. The target will only report breakpoint triggers
38655 when such conditions are true (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
38656
38657 @item ConditionalTracepoints
38658 The remote stub accepts and implements conditional expressions defined
38659 for tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoint Conditions}).
38660
38661 @item ReverseContinue
38662 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse continue packet
38663 (@pxref{bc}).
38664
38665 @item ReverseStep
38666 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse step packet
38667 (@pxref{bs}).
38668
38669 @item TracepointSource
38670 The remote stub understands the @samp{QTDPsrc} packet that supplies
38671 the source form of tracepoint definitions.
38672
38673 @item QAgent
38674 The remote stub understands the @samp{QAgent} packet.
38675
38676 @item QAllow
38677 The remote stub understands the @samp{QAllow} packet.
38678
38679 @item QDisableRandomization
38680 The remote stub understands the @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet.
38681
38682 @item StaticTracepoint
38683 @cindex static tracepoints, in remote protocol
38684 The remote stub supports static tracepoints.
38685
38686 @item InstallInTrace
38687 @anchor{install tracepoint in tracing}
38688 The remote stub supports installing tracepoint in tracing.
38689
38690 @item EnableDisableTracepoints
38691 The remote stub supports the @samp{QTEnable} (@pxref{QTEnable}) and
38692 @samp{QTDisable} (@pxref{QTDisable}) packets that allow tracepoints
38693 to be enabled and disabled while a trace experiment is running.
38694
38695 @item QTBuffer:size
38696 The remote stub supports the @samp{QTBuffer:size} (@pxref{QTBuffer-size})
38697 packet that allows to change the size of the trace buffer.
38698
38699 @item tracenz
38700 @cindex string tracing, in remote protocol
38701 The remote stub supports the @samp{tracenz} bytecode for collecting strings.
38702 See @ref{Bytecode Descriptions} for details about the bytecode.
38703
38704 @item BreakpointCommands
38705 @cindex breakpoint commands, in remote protocol
38706 The remote stub supports running a breakpoint's command list itself,
38707 rather than reporting the hit to @value{GDBN}.
38708
38709 @item Qbtrace:off
38710 The remote stub understands the @samp{Qbtrace:off} packet.
38711
38712 @item Qbtrace:bts
38713 The remote stub understands the @samp{Qbtrace:bts} packet.
38714
38715 @end table
38716
38717 @item qSymbol::
38718 @cindex symbol lookup, remote request
38719 @cindex @samp{qSymbol} packet
38720 Notify the target that @value{GDBN} is prepared to serve symbol lookup
38721 requests. Accept requests from the target for the values of symbols.
38722
38723 Reply:
38724 @table @samp
38725 @item OK
38726 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
38727 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
38728 The target requests the value of symbol @var{sym_name} (hex encoded).
38729 @value{GDBN} may provide the value by using the
38730 @samp{qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}} message, described
38731 below.
38732 @end table
38733
38734 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}
38735 Set the value of @var{sym_name} to @var{sym_value}.
38736
38737 @var{sym_name} (hex encoded) is the name of a symbol whose value the
38738 target has previously requested.
38739
38740 @var{sym_value} (hex) is the value for symbol @var{sym_name}. If
38741 @value{GDBN} cannot supply a value for @var{sym_name}, then this field
38742 will be empty.
38743
38744 Reply:
38745 @table @samp
38746 @item OK
38747 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
38748 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
38749 The target requests the value of a new symbol @var{sym_name} (hex
38750 encoded). @value{GDBN} will continue to supply the values of symbols
38751 (if available), until the target ceases to request them.
38752 @end table
38753
38754 @item qTBuffer
38755 @itemx QTBuffer
38756 @itemx QTDisconnected
38757 @itemx QTDP
38758 @itemx QTDPsrc
38759 @itemx QTDV
38760 @itemx qTfP
38761 @itemx qTfV
38762 @itemx QTFrame
38763 @itemx qTMinFTPILen
38764
38765 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
38766
38767 @item qThreadExtraInfo,@var{thread-id}
38768 @cindex thread attributes info, remote request
38769 @cindex @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} packet
38770 Obtain a printable string description of a thread's attributes from
38771 the target OS. @var{thread-id} is a thread ID;
38772 see @ref{thread-id syntax}. This
38773 string may contain anything that the target OS thinks is interesting
38774 for @value{GDBN} to tell the user about the thread. The string is
38775 displayed in @value{GDBN}'s @code{info threads} display. Some
38776 examples of possible thread extra info strings are @samp{Runnable}, or
38777 @samp{Blocked on Mutex}.
38778
38779 Reply:
38780 @table @samp
38781 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
38782 Where @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is a hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data,
38783 comprising the printable string containing the extra information about
38784 the thread's attributes.
38785 @end table
38786
38787 (Note that the @code{qThreadExtraInfo} packet's name is separated from
38788 the command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
38789 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
38790 packets.)
38791
38792 @item QTNotes
38793 @itemx qTP
38794 @itemx QTSave
38795 @itemx qTsP
38796 @itemx qTsV
38797 @itemx QTStart
38798 @itemx QTStop
38799 @itemx QTEnable
38800 @itemx QTDisable
38801 @itemx QTinit
38802 @itemx QTro
38803 @itemx qTStatus
38804 @itemx qTV
38805 @itemx qTfSTM
38806 @itemx qTsSTM
38807 @itemx qTSTMat
38808 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
38809
38810 @item qXfer:@var{object}:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
38811 @cindex read special object, remote request
38812 @cindex @samp{qXfer} packet
38813 @anchor{qXfer read}
38814 Read uninterpreted bytes from the target's special data area
38815 identified by the keyword @var{object}. Request @var{length} bytes
38816 starting at @var{offset} bytes into the data. The content and
38817 encoding of @var{annex} is specific to @var{object}; it can supply
38818 additional details about what data to access.
38819
38820 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
38821 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:read:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
38822 formats, listed below.
38823
38824 @table @samp
38825 @item qXfer:auxv:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
38826 @anchor{qXfer auxiliary vector read}
38827 Access the target's @dfn{auxiliary vector}. @xref{OS Information,
38828 auxiliary vector}. Note @var{annex} must be empty.
38829
38830 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38831 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38832
38833 @item qXfer:btrace:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
38834 @anchor{qXfer btrace read}
38835
38836 Return a description of the current branch trace.
38837 @xref{Branch Trace Format}. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer}
38838 packet may have one of the following values:
38839
38840 @table @code
38841 @item all
38842 Returns all available branch trace.
38843
38844 @item new
38845 Returns all available branch trace if the branch trace changed since
38846 the last read request.
38847 @end table
38848
38849 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it
38850 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38851
38852 @item qXfer:features:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
38853 @anchor{qXfer target description read}
38854 Access the @dfn{target description}. @xref{Target Descriptions}. The
38855 annex specifies which XML document to access. The main description is
38856 always loaded from the @samp{target.xml} annex.
38857
38858 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38859 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38860
38861 @item qXfer:libraries:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
38862 @anchor{qXfer library list read}
38863 Access the target's list of loaded libraries. @xref{Library List Format}.
38864 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
38865 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
38866
38867 Targets which maintain a list of libraries in the program's memory do
38868 not need to implement this packet; it is designed for platforms where
38869 the operating system manages the list of loaded libraries.
38870
38871 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38872 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38873
38874 @item qXfer:libraries-svr4:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
38875 @anchor{qXfer svr4 library list read}
38876 Access the target's list of loaded libraries when the target is an SVR4
38877 platform. @xref{Library List Format for SVR4 Targets}. The annex part
38878 of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
38879
38880 This packet is optional for better performance on SVR4 targets.
38881 @value{GDBN} uses memory read packets to read the SVR4 library list otherwise.
38882
38883 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38884 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38885
38886 @item qXfer:memory-map:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
38887 @anchor{qXfer memory map read}
38888 Access the target's @dfn{memory-map}. @xref{Memory Map Format}. The
38889 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
38890 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
38891
38892 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38893 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38894
38895 @item qXfer:sdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
38896 @anchor{qXfer sdata read}
38897
38898 Read contents of the extra collected static tracepoint marker
38899 information. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must
38900 be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}). @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint
38901 Action Lists}.
38902
38903 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38904 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
38905 (@pxref{qSupported}).
38906
38907 @item qXfer:siginfo:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
38908 @anchor{qXfer siginfo read}
38909 Read contents of the extra signal information on the target
38910 system. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
38911 empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
38912
38913 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38914 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
38915 (@pxref{qSupported}).
38916
38917 @item qXfer:spu:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
38918 @anchor{qXfer spu read}
38919 Read contents of an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
38920 annex specifies which file to read; it must be of the form
38921 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
38922 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
38923 in that context to be accessed.
38924
38925 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38926 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
38927 (@pxref{qSupported}).
38928
38929 @item qXfer:threads:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
38930 @anchor{qXfer threads read}
38931 Access the list of threads on target. @xref{Thread List Format}. The
38932 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
38933 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
38934
38935 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38936 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38937
38938 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
38939 @anchor{qXfer traceframe info read}
38940
38941 Return a description of the current traceframe's contents.
38942 @xref{Traceframe Info Format}. The annex part of the generic
38943 @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
38944
38945 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38946 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38947
38948 @item qXfer:uib:read:@var{pc}:@var{offset},@var{length}
38949 @anchor{qXfer unwind info block}
38950
38951 Return the unwind information block for @var{pc}. This packet is used
38952 on OpenVMS/ia64 to ask the kernel unwind information.
38953
38954 This packet is not probed by default.
38955
38956 @item qXfer:fdpic:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
38957 @anchor{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}
38958 Read contents of @code{loadmap}s on the target system. The
38959 annex, either @samp{exec} or @samp{interp}, specifies which @code{loadmap},
38960 executable @code{loadmap} or interpreter @code{loadmap} to read.
38961
38962 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38963 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38964
38965 @item qXfer:osdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
38966 @anchor{qXfer osdata read}
38967 Access the target's @dfn{operating system information}.
38968 @xref{Operating System Information}.
38969
38970 @end table
38971
38972 Reply:
38973 @table @samp
38974 @item m @var{data}
38975 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the
38976 target. There may be more data at a higher address (although
38977 it is permitted to return @samp{m} even for the last valid
38978 block of data, as long as at least one byte of data was read).
38979 @var{data} may have fewer bytes than the @var{length} in the
38980 request.
38981
38982 @item l @var{data}
38983 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the target.
38984 There is no more data to be read. @var{data} may have fewer bytes
38985 than the @var{length} in the request.
38986
38987 @item l
38988 The @var{offset} in the request is at the end of the data.
38989 There is no more data to be read.
38990
38991 @item E00
38992 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
38993
38994 @item E @var{nn}
38995 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered reading the data.
38996 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
38997
38998 @item @w{}
38999 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not recognized by
39000 the stub, or that the object does not support reading.
39001 @end table
39002
39003 @item qXfer:@var{object}:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
39004 @cindex write data into object, remote request
39005 @anchor{qXfer write}
39006 Write uninterpreted bytes into the target's special data area
39007 identified by the keyword @var{object}, starting at @var{offset} bytes
39008 into the data. @var{data}@dots{} is the binary-encoded data
39009 (@pxref{Binary Data}) to be written. The content and encoding of @var{annex}
39010 is specific to @var{object}; it can supply additional details about what data
39011 to access.
39012
39013 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
39014 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:write:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
39015 formats, listed below.
39016
39017 @table @samp
39018 @item qXfer:siginfo:write::@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
39019 @anchor{qXfer siginfo write}
39020 Write @var{data} to the extra signal information on the target system.
39021 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
39022 empty (@pxref{qXfer write}).
39023
39024 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39025 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
39026 (@pxref{qSupported}).
39027
39028 @item qXfer:spu:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
39029 @anchor{qXfer spu write}
39030 Write @var{data} to an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
39031 annex specifies which file to write; it must be of the form
39032 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
39033 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
39034 in that context to be accessed.
39035
39036 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39037 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39038 @end table
39039
39040 Reply:
39041 @table @samp
39042 @item @var{nn}
39043 @var{nn} (hex encoded) is the number of bytes written.
39044 This may be fewer bytes than supplied in the request.
39045
39046 @item E00
39047 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
39048
39049 @item E @var{nn}
39050 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered writing the data.
39051 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
39052
39053 @item @w{}
39054 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not
39055 recognized by the stub, or that the object does not support writing.
39056 @end table
39057
39058 @item qXfer:@var{object}:@var{operation}:@dots{}
39059 Requests of this form may be added in the future. When a stub does
39060 not recognize the @var{object} keyword, or its support for
39061 @var{object} does not recognize the @var{operation} keyword, the stub
39062 must respond with an empty packet.
39063
39064 @item qAttached:@var{pid}
39065 @cindex query attached, remote request
39066 @cindex @samp{qAttached} packet
39067 Return an indication of whether the remote server attached to an
39068 existing process or created a new process. When the multiprocess
39069 protocol extensions are supported (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}),
39070 @var{pid} is an integer in hexadecimal format identifying the target
39071 process. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} will omit the @var{pid} field and
39072 the query packet will be simplified as @samp{qAttached}.
39073
39074 This query is used, for example, to know whether the remote process
39075 should be detached or killed when a @value{GDBN} session is ended with
39076 the @code{quit} command.
39077
39078 Reply:
39079 @table @samp
39080 @item 1
39081 The remote server attached to an existing process.
39082 @item 0
39083 The remote server created a new process.
39084 @item E @var{NN}
39085 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
39086 @end table
39087
39088 @item Qbtrace:bts
39089 Enable branch tracing for the current thread using bts tracing.
39090
39091 Reply:
39092 @table @samp
39093 @item OK
39094 Branch tracing has been enabled.
39095 @item E.errtext
39096 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
39097 @end table
39098
39099 @item Qbtrace:off
39100 Disable branch tracing for the current thread.
39101
39102 Reply:
39103 @table @samp
39104 @item OK
39105 Branch tracing has been disabled.
39106 @item E.errtext
39107 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
39108 @end table
39109
39110 @end table
39111
39112 @node Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
39113 @section Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
39114
39115 This section describes how the remote protocol is applied to specific
39116 target architectures. Also see @ref{Standard Target Features}, for
39117 details of XML target descriptions for each architecture.
39118
39119 @menu
39120 * ARM-Specific Protocol Details::
39121 * MIPS-Specific Protocol Details::
39122 @end menu
39123
39124 @node ARM-Specific Protocol Details
39125 @subsection @acronym{ARM}-specific Protocol Details
39126
39127 @menu
39128 * ARM Breakpoint Kinds::
39129 @end menu
39130
39131 @node ARM Breakpoint Kinds
39132 @subsubsection @acronym{ARM} Breakpoint Kinds
39133 @cindex breakpoint kinds, @acronym{ARM}
39134
39135 These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
39136
39137 @table @r
39138
39139 @item 2
39140 16-bit Thumb mode breakpoint.
39141
39142 @item 3
39143 32-bit Thumb mode (Thumb-2) breakpoint.
39144
39145 @item 4
39146 32-bit @acronym{ARM} mode breakpoint.
39147
39148 @end table
39149
39150 @node MIPS-Specific Protocol Details
39151 @subsection @acronym{MIPS}-specific Protocol Details
39152
39153 @menu
39154 * MIPS Register packet Format::
39155 * MIPS Breakpoint Kinds::
39156 @end menu
39157
39158 @node MIPS Register packet Format
39159 @subsubsection @acronym{MIPS} Register Packet Format
39160 @cindex register packet format, @acronym{MIPS}
39161
39162 The following @code{g}/@code{G} packets have previously been defined.
39163 In the below, some thirty-two bit registers are transferred as
39164 sixty-four bits. Those registers should be zero/sign extended (which?)
39165 to fill the space allocated. Register bytes are transferred in target
39166 byte order. The two nibbles within a register byte are transferred
39167 most-significant -- least-significant.
39168
39169 @table @r
39170
39171 @item MIPS32
39172 All registers are transferred as thirty-two bit quantities in the order:
39173 32 general-purpose; sr; lo; hi; bad; cause; pc; 32 floating-point
39174 registers; fsr; fir; fp.
39175
39176 @item MIPS64
39177 All registers are transferred as sixty-four bit quantities (including
39178 thirty-two bit registers such as @code{sr}). The ordering is the same
39179 as @code{MIPS32}.
39180
39181 @end table
39182
39183 @node MIPS Breakpoint Kinds
39184 @subsubsection @acronym{MIPS} Breakpoint Kinds
39185 @cindex breakpoint kinds, @acronym{MIPS}
39186
39187 These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
39188
39189 @table @r
39190
39191 @item 2
39192 16-bit @acronym{MIPS16} mode breakpoint.
39193
39194 @item 3
39195 16-bit @acronym{microMIPS} mode breakpoint.
39196
39197 @item 4
39198 32-bit standard @acronym{MIPS} mode breakpoint.
39199
39200 @item 5
39201 32-bit @acronym{microMIPS} mode breakpoint.
39202
39203 @end table
39204
39205 @node Tracepoint Packets
39206 @section Tracepoint Packets
39207 @cindex tracepoint packets
39208 @cindex packets, tracepoint
39209
39210 Here we describe the packets @value{GDBN} uses to implement
39211 tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
39212
39213 @table @samp
39214
39215 @item QTDP:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{ena}:@var{step}:@var{pass}[:F@var{flen}][:X@var{len},@var{bytes}]@r{[}-@r{]}
39216 @cindex @samp{QTDP} packet
39217 Create a new tracepoint, number @var{n}, at @var{addr}. If @var{ena}
39218 is @samp{E}, then the tracepoint is enabled; if it is @samp{D}, then
39219 the tracepoint is disabled. @var{step} is the tracepoint's step
39220 count, and @var{pass} is its pass count. If an @samp{F} is present,
39221 then the tracepoint is to be a fast tracepoint, and the @var{flen} is
39222 the number of bytes that the target should copy elsewhere to make room
39223 for the tracepoint. If an @samp{X} is present, it introduces a
39224 tracepoint condition, which consists of a hexadecimal length, followed
39225 by a comma and hex-encoded bytes, in a manner similar to action
39226 encodings as described below. If the trailing @samp{-} is present,
39227 further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow to specify this tracepoint's
39228 actions.
39229
39230 Replies:
39231 @table @samp
39232 @item OK
39233 The packet was understood and carried out.
39234 @item qRelocInsn
39235 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
39236 @item @w{}
39237 The packet was not recognized.
39238 @end table
39239
39240 @item QTDP:-@var{n}:@var{addr}:@r{[}S@r{]}@var{action}@dots{}@r{[}-@r{]}
39241 Define actions to be taken when a tracepoint is hit. @var{n} and
39242 @var{addr} must be the same as in the initial @samp{QTDP} packet for
39243 this tracepoint. This packet may only be sent immediately after
39244 another @samp{QTDP} packet that ended with a @samp{-}. If the
39245 trailing @samp{-} is present, further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow,
39246 specifying more actions for this tracepoint.
39247
39248 In the series of action packets for a given tracepoint, at most one
39249 can have an @samp{S} before its first @var{action}. If such a packet
39250 is sent, it and the following packets define ``while-stepping''
39251 actions. Any prior packets define ordinary actions --- that is, those
39252 taken when the tracepoint is first hit. If no action packet has an
39253 @samp{S}, then all the packets in the series specify ordinary
39254 tracepoint actions.
39255
39256 The @samp{@var{action}@dots{}} portion of the packet is a series of
39257 actions, concatenated without separators. Each action has one of the
39258 following forms:
39259
39260 @table @samp
39261
39262 @item R @var{mask}
39263 Collect the registers whose bits are set in @var{mask}. @var{mask} is
39264 a hexadecimal number whose @var{i}'th bit is set if register number
39265 @var{i} should be collected. (The least significant bit is numbered
39266 zero.) Note that @var{mask} may be any number of digits long; it may
39267 not fit in a 32-bit word.
39268
39269 @item M @var{basereg},@var{offset},@var{len}
39270 Collect @var{len} bytes of memory starting at the address in register
39271 number @var{basereg}, plus @var{offset}. If @var{basereg} is
39272 @samp{-1}, then the range has a fixed address: @var{offset} is the
39273 address of the lowest byte to collect. The @var{basereg},
39274 @var{offset}, and @var{len} parameters are all unsigned hexadecimal
39275 values (the @samp{-1} value for @var{basereg} is a special case).
39276
39277 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
39278 Evaluate @var{expr}, whose length is @var{len}, and collect memory as
39279 it directs. @var{expr} is an agent expression, as described in
39280 @ref{Agent Expressions}. Each byte of the expression is encoded as a
39281 two-digit hex number in the packet; @var{len} is the number of bytes
39282 in the expression (and thus one-half the number of hex digits in the
39283 packet).
39284
39285 @end table
39286
39287 Any number of actions may be packed together in a single @samp{QTDP}
39288 packet, as long as the packet does not exceed the maximum packet
39289 length (400 bytes, for many stubs). There may be only one @samp{R}
39290 action per tracepoint, and it must precede any @samp{M} or @samp{X}
39291 actions. Any registers referred to by @samp{M} and @samp{X} actions
39292 must be collected by a preceding @samp{R} action. (The
39293 ``while-stepping'' actions are treated as if they were attached to a
39294 separate tracepoint, as far as these restrictions are concerned.)
39295
39296 Replies:
39297 @table @samp
39298 @item OK
39299 The packet was understood and carried out.
39300 @item qRelocInsn
39301 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
39302 @item @w{}
39303 The packet was not recognized.
39304 @end table
39305
39306 @item QTDPsrc:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{type}:@var{start}:@var{slen}:@var{bytes}
39307 @cindex @samp{QTDPsrc} packet
39308 Specify a source string of tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr}.
39309 This is useful to get accurate reproduction of the tracepoints
39310 originally downloaded at the beginning of the trace run. @var{type}
39311 is the name of the tracepoint part, such as @samp{cond} for the
39312 tracepoint's conditional expression (see below for a list of types), while
39313 @var{bytes} is the string, encoded in hexadecimal.
39314
39315 @var{start} is the offset of the @var{bytes} within the overall source
39316 string, while @var{slen} is the total length of the source string.
39317 This is intended for handling source strings that are longer than will
39318 fit in a single packet.
39319 @c Add detailed example when this info is moved into a dedicated
39320 @c tracepoint descriptions section.
39321
39322 The available string types are @samp{at} for the location,
39323 @samp{cond} for the conditional, and @samp{cmd} for an action command.
39324 @value{GDBN} sends a separate packet for each command in the action
39325 list, in the same order in which the commands are stored in the list.
39326
39327 The target does not need to do anything with source strings except
39328 report them back as part of the replies to the @samp{qTfP}/@samp{qTsP}
39329 query packets.
39330
39331 Although this packet is optional, and @value{GDBN} will only send it
39332 if the target replies with @samp{TracepointSource} @xref{General
39333 Query Packets}, it makes both disconnected tracing and trace files
39334 much easier to use. Otherwise the user must be careful that the
39335 tracepoints in effect while looking at trace frames are identical to
39336 the ones in effect during the trace run; even a small discrepancy
39337 could cause @samp{tdump} not to work, or a particular trace frame not
39338 be found.
39339
39340 @item QTDV:@var{n}:@var{value}
39341 @cindex define trace state variable, remote request
39342 @cindex @samp{QTDV} packet
39343 Create a new trace state variable, number @var{n}, with an initial
39344 value of @var{value}, which is a 64-bit signed integer. Both @var{n}
39345 and @var{value} are encoded as hexadecimal values. @value{GDBN} has
39346 the option of not using this packet for initial values of zero; the
39347 target should simply create the trace state variables as they are
39348 mentioned in expressions.
39349
39350 @item QTFrame:@var{n}
39351 @cindex @samp{QTFrame} packet
39352 Select the @var{n}'th tracepoint frame from the buffer, and use the
39353 register and memory contents recorded there to answer subsequent
39354 request packets from @value{GDBN}.
39355
39356 A successful reply from the stub indicates that the stub has found the
39357 requested frame. The response is a series of parts, concatenated
39358 without separators, describing the frame we selected. Each part has
39359 one of the following forms:
39360
39361 @table @samp
39362 @item F @var{f}
39363 The selected frame is number @var{n} in the trace frame buffer;
39364 @var{f} is a hexadecimal number. If @var{f} is @samp{-1}, then there
39365 was no frame matching the criteria in the request packet.
39366
39367 @item T @var{t}
39368 The selected trace frame records a hit of tracepoint number @var{t};
39369 @var{t} is a hexadecimal number.
39370
39371 @end table
39372
39373 @item QTFrame:pc:@var{addr}
39374 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
39375 currently selected frame whose PC is @var{addr};
39376 @var{addr} is a hexadecimal number.
39377
39378 @item QTFrame:tdp:@var{t}
39379 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
39380 currently selected frame that is a hit of tracepoint @var{t}; @var{t}
39381 is a hexadecimal number.
39382
39383 @item QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}
39384 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
39385 currently selected frame whose PC is between @var{start} (inclusive)
39386 and @var{end} (inclusive); @var{start} and @var{end} are hexadecimal
39387 numbers.
39388
39389 @item QTFrame:outside:@var{start}:@var{end}
39390 Like @samp{QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}}, but select the first
39391 frame @emph{outside} the given range of addresses (exclusive).
39392
39393 @item qTMinFTPILen
39394 @cindex @samp{qTMinFTPILen} packet
39395 This packet requests the minimum length of instruction at which a fast
39396 tracepoint (@pxref{Set Tracepoints}) may be placed. For instance, on
39397 the 32-bit x86 architecture, it is possible to use a 4-byte jump, but
39398 it depends on the target system being able to create trampolines in
39399 the first 64K of memory, which might or might not be possible for that
39400 system. So the reply to this packet will be 4 if it is able to
39401 arrange for that.
39402
39403 Replies:
39404
39405 @table @samp
39406 @item 0
39407 The minimum instruction length is currently unknown.
39408 @item @var{length}
39409 The minimum instruction length is @var{length}, where @var{length} is greater
39410 or equal to 1. @var{length} is a hexadecimal number. A reply of 1 means
39411 that a fast tracepoint may be placed on any instruction regardless of size.
39412 @item E
39413 An error has occurred.
39414 @item @w{}
39415 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the stub.
39416 @end table
39417
39418 @item QTStart
39419 @cindex @samp{QTStart} packet
39420 Begin the tracepoint experiment. Begin collecting data from
39421 tracepoint hits in the trace frame buffer. This packet supports the
39422 @samp{qRelocInsn} reply (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
39423 instruction reply packet}).
39424
39425 @item QTStop
39426 @cindex @samp{QTStop} packet
39427 End the tracepoint experiment. Stop collecting trace frames.
39428
39429 @item QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
39430 @anchor{QTEnable}
39431 @cindex @samp{QTEnable} packet
39432 Enable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
39433 experiment. If the tracepoint was previously disabled, then collection
39434 of data from it will resume.
39435
39436 @item QTDisable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
39437 @anchor{QTDisable}
39438 @cindex @samp{QTDisable} packet
39439 Disable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
39440 experiment. No more data will be collected from the tracepoint unless
39441 @samp{QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}} is subsequently issued.
39442
39443 @item QTinit
39444 @cindex @samp{QTinit} packet
39445 Clear the table of tracepoints, and empty the trace frame buffer.
39446
39447 @item QTro:@var{start1},@var{end1}:@var{start2},@var{end2}:@dots{}
39448 @cindex @samp{QTro} packet
39449 Establish the given ranges of memory as ``transparent''. The stub
39450 will answer requests for these ranges from memory's current contents,
39451 if they were not collected as part of the tracepoint hit.
39452
39453 @value{GDBN} uses this to mark read-only regions of memory, like those
39454 containing program code. Since these areas never change, they should
39455 still have the same contents they did when the tracepoint was hit, so
39456 there's no reason for the stub to refuse to provide their contents.
39457
39458 @item QTDisconnected:@var{value}
39459 @cindex @samp{QTDisconnected} packet
39460 Set the choice to what to do with the tracing run when @value{GDBN}
39461 disconnects from the target. A @var{value} of 1 directs the target to
39462 continue the tracing run, while 0 tells the target to stop tracing if
39463 @value{GDBN} is no longer in the picture.
39464
39465 @item qTStatus
39466 @cindex @samp{qTStatus} packet
39467 Ask the stub if there is a trace experiment running right now.
39468
39469 The reply has the form:
39470
39471 @table @samp
39472
39473 @item T@var{running}@r{[};@var{field}@r{]}@dots{}
39474 @var{running} is a single digit @code{1} if the trace is presently
39475 running, or @code{0} if not. It is followed by semicolon-separated
39476 optional fields that an agent may use to report additional status.
39477
39478 @end table
39479
39480 If the trace is not running, the agent may report any of several
39481 explanations as one of the optional fields:
39482
39483 @table @samp
39484
39485 @item tnotrun:0
39486 No trace has been run yet.
39487
39488 @item tstop[:@var{text}]:0
39489 The trace was stopped by a user-originated stop command. The optional
39490 @var{text} field is a user-supplied string supplied as part of the
39491 stop command (for instance, an explanation of why the trace was
39492 stopped manually). It is hex-encoded.
39493
39494 @item tfull:0
39495 The trace stopped because the trace buffer filled up.
39496
39497 @item tdisconnected:0
39498 The trace stopped because @value{GDBN} disconnected from the target.
39499
39500 @item tpasscount:@var{tpnum}
39501 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} exceeded its pass count.
39502
39503 @item terror:@var{text}:@var{tpnum}
39504 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} had an error. The
39505 string @var{text} is available to describe the nature of the error
39506 (for instance, a divide by zero in the condition expression).
39507 @var{text} is hex encoded.
39508
39509 @item tunknown:0
39510 The trace stopped for some other reason.
39511
39512 @end table
39513
39514 Additional optional fields supply statistical and other information.
39515 Although not required, they are extremely useful for users monitoring
39516 the progress of a trace run. If a trace has stopped, and these
39517 numbers are reported, they must reflect the state of the just-stopped
39518 trace.
39519
39520 @table @samp
39521
39522 @item tframes:@var{n}
39523 The number of trace frames in the buffer.
39524
39525 @item tcreated:@var{n}
39526 The total number of trace frames created during the run. This may
39527 be larger than the trace frame count, if the buffer is circular.
39528
39529 @item tsize:@var{n}
39530 The total size of the trace buffer, in bytes.
39531
39532 @item tfree:@var{n}
39533 The number of bytes still unused in the buffer.
39534
39535 @item circular:@var{n}
39536 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
39537 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
39538 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
39539 and may fill up.
39540
39541 @item disconn:@var{n}
39542 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
39543 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
39544 that the trace run will stop.
39545
39546 @end table
39547
39548 @item qTP:@var{tp}:@var{addr}
39549 @cindex tracepoint status, remote request
39550 @cindex @samp{qTP} packet
39551 Ask the stub for the current state of tracepoint number @var{tp} at
39552 address @var{addr}.
39553
39554 Replies:
39555 @table @samp
39556 @item V@var{hits}:@var{usage}
39557 The tracepoint has been hit @var{hits} times so far during the trace
39558 run, and accounts for @var{usage} in the trace buffer. Note that
39559 @code{while-stepping} steps are not counted as separate hits, but the
39560 steps' space consumption is added into the usage number.
39561
39562 @end table
39563
39564 @item qTV:@var{var}
39565 @cindex trace state variable value, remote request
39566 @cindex @samp{qTV} packet
39567 Ask the stub for the value of the trace state variable number @var{var}.
39568
39569 Replies:
39570 @table @samp
39571 @item V@var{value}
39572 The value of the variable is @var{value}. This will be the current
39573 value of the variable if the user is examining a running target, or a
39574 saved value if the variable was collected in the trace frame that the
39575 user is looking at. Note that multiple requests may result in
39576 different reply values, such as when requesting values while the
39577 program is running.
39578
39579 @item U
39580 The value of the variable is unknown. This would occur, for example,
39581 if the user is examining a trace frame in which the requested variable
39582 was not collected.
39583 @end table
39584
39585 @item qTfP
39586 @cindex @samp{qTfP} packet
39587 @itemx qTsP
39588 @cindex @samp{qTsP} packet
39589 These packets request data about tracepoints that are being used by
39590 the target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfP} to get the first piece
39591 of data, and multiple @code{qTsP} to get additional pieces. Replies
39592 to these packets generally take the form of the @code{QTDP} packets
39593 that define tracepoints. (FIXME add detailed syntax)
39594
39595 @item qTfV
39596 @cindex @samp{qTfV} packet
39597 @itemx qTsV
39598 @cindex @samp{qTsV} packet
39599 These packets request data about trace state variables that are on the
39600 target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfV} to get the first vari of data,
39601 and multiple @code{qTsV} to get additional variables. Replies to
39602 these packets follow the syntax of the @code{QTDV} packets that define
39603 trace state variables.
39604
39605 @item qTfSTM
39606 @itemx qTsSTM
39607 @anchor{qTfSTM}
39608 @anchor{qTsSTM}
39609 @cindex @samp{qTfSTM} packet
39610 @cindex @samp{qTsSTM} packet
39611 These packets request data about static tracepoint markers that exist
39612 in the target program. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfSTM} to get the
39613 first piece of data, and multiple @code{qTsSTM} to get additional
39614 pieces. Replies to these packets take the following form:
39615
39616 Reply:
39617 @table @samp
39618 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}
39619 A single marker
39620 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra},@var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}@dots{}
39621 a comma-separated list of markers
39622 @item l
39623 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
39624 @item E @var{nn}
39625 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
39626 @item @w{}
39627 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the
39628 stub.
39629 @end table
39630
39631 @var{address} is encoded in hex.
39632 @var{id} and @var{extra} are strings encoded in hex.
39633
39634 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
39635 more markers, separated by commas. @value{GDBN} will respond to each
39636 reply with a request for more markers (using the @samp{qs} form of the
39637 query), until the target responds with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for
39638 @dfn{last}).
39639
39640 @item qTSTMat:@var{address}
39641 @anchor{qTSTMat}
39642 @cindex @samp{qTSTMat} packet
39643 This packets requests data about static tracepoint markers in the
39644 target program at @var{address}. Replies to this packet follow the
39645 syntax of the @samp{qTfSTM} and @code{qTsSTM} packets that list static
39646 tracepoint markers.
39647
39648 @item QTSave:@var{filename}
39649 @cindex @samp{QTSave} packet
39650 This packet directs the target to save trace data to the file name
39651 @var{filename} in the target's filesystem. @var{filename} is encoded
39652 as a hex string; the interpretation of the file name (relative vs
39653 absolute, wild cards, etc) is up to the target.
39654
39655 @item qTBuffer:@var{offset},@var{len}
39656 @cindex @samp{qTBuffer} packet
39657 Return up to @var{len} bytes of the current contents of trace buffer,
39658 starting at @var{offset}. The trace buffer is treated as if it were
39659 a contiguous collection of traceframes, as per the trace file format.
39660 The reply consists as many hex-encoded bytes as the target can deliver
39661 in a packet; it is not an error to return fewer than were asked for.
39662 A reply consisting of just @code{l} indicates that no bytes are
39663 available.
39664
39665 @item QTBuffer:circular:@var{value}
39666 This packet directs the target to use a circular trace buffer if
39667 @var{value} is 1, or a linear buffer if the value is 0.
39668
39669 @item QTBuffer:size:@var{size}
39670 @anchor{QTBuffer-size}
39671 @cindex @samp{QTBuffer size} packet
39672 This packet directs the target to make the trace buffer be of size
39673 @var{size} if possible. A value of @code{-1} tells the target to
39674 use whatever size it prefers.
39675
39676 @item QTNotes:@r{[}@var{type}:@var{text}@r{]}@r{[};@var{type}:@var{text}@r{]}@dots{}
39677 @cindex @samp{QTNotes} packet
39678 This packet adds optional textual notes to the trace run. Allowable
39679 types include @code{user}, @code{notes}, and @code{tstop}, the
39680 @var{text} fields are arbitrary strings, hex-encoded.
39681
39682 @end table
39683
39684 @subsection Relocate instruction reply packet
39685 When installing fast tracepoints in memory, the target may need to
39686 relocate the instruction currently at the tracepoint address to a
39687 different address in memory. For most instructions, a simple copy is
39688 enough, but, for example, call instructions that implicitly push the
39689 return address on the stack, and relative branches or other
39690 PC-relative instructions require offset adjustment, so that the effect
39691 of executing the instruction at a different address is the same as if
39692 it had executed in the original location.
39693
39694 In response to several of the tracepoint packets, the target may also
39695 respond with a number of intermediate @samp{qRelocInsn} request
39696 packets before the final result packet, to have @value{GDBN} handle
39697 this relocation operation. If a packet supports this mechanism, its
39698 documentation will explicitly say so. See for example the above
39699 descriptions for the @samp{QTStart} and @samp{QTDP} packets. The
39700 format of the request is:
39701
39702 @table @samp
39703 @item qRelocInsn:@var{from};@var{to}
39704
39705 This requests @value{GDBN} to copy instruction at address @var{from}
39706 to address @var{to}, possibly adjusted so that executing the
39707 instruction at @var{to} has the same effect as executing it at
39708 @var{from}. @value{GDBN} writes the adjusted instruction to target
39709 memory starting at @var{to}.
39710 @end table
39711
39712 Replies:
39713 @table @samp
39714 @item qRelocInsn:@var{adjusted_size}
39715 Informs the stub the relocation is complete. @var{adjusted_size} is
39716 the length in bytes of resulting relocated instruction sequence.
39717 @item E @var{NN}
39718 A badly formed request was detected, or an error was encountered while
39719 relocating the instruction.
39720 @end table
39721
39722 @node Host I/O Packets
39723 @section Host I/O Packets
39724 @cindex Host I/O, remote protocol
39725 @cindex file transfer, remote protocol
39726
39727 The @dfn{Host I/O} packets allow @value{GDBN} to perform I/O
39728 operations on the far side of a remote link. For example, Host I/O is
39729 used to upload and download files to a remote target with its own
39730 filesystem. Host I/O uses the same constant values and data structure
39731 layout as the target-initiated File-I/O protocol. However, the
39732 Host I/O packets are structured differently. The target-initiated
39733 protocol relies on target memory to store parameters and buffers.
39734 Host I/O requests are initiated by @value{GDBN}, and the
39735 target's memory is not involved. @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol
39736 Extension}, for more details on the target-initiated protocol.
39737
39738 The Host I/O request packets all encode a single operation along with
39739 its arguments. They have this format:
39740
39741 @table @samp
39742
39743 @item vFile:@var{operation}: @var{parameter}@dots{}
39744 @var{operation} is the name of the particular request; the target
39745 should compare the entire packet name up to the second colon when checking
39746 for a supported operation. The format of @var{parameter} depends on
39747 the operation. Numbers are always passed in hexadecimal. Negative
39748 numbers have an explicit minus sign (i.e.@: two's complement is not
39749 used). Strings (e.g.@: filenames) are encoded as a series of
39750 hexadecimal bytes. The last argument to a system call may be a
39751 buffer of escaped binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
39752
39753 @end table
39754
39755 The valid responses to Host I/O packets are:
39756
39757 @table @samp
39758
39759 @item F @var{result} [, @var{errno}] [; @var{attachment}]
39760 @var{result} is the integer value returned by this operation, usually
39761 non-negative for success and -1 for errors. If an error has occured,
39762 @var{errno} will be included in the result. @var{errno} will have a
39763 value defined by the File-I/O protocol (@pxref{Errno Values}). For
39764 operations which return data, @var{attachment} supplies the data as a
39765 binary buffer. Binary buffers in response packets are escaped in the
39766 normal way (@pxref{Binary Data}). See the individual packet
39767 documentation for the interpretation of @var{result} and
39768 @var{attachment}.
39769
39770 @item @w{}
39771 An empty response indicates that this operation is not recognized.
39772
39773 @end table
39774
39775 These are the supported Host I/O operations:
39776
39777 @table @samp
39778 @item vFile:open: @var{pathname}, @var{flags}, @var{mode}
39779 Open a file at @var{pathname} and return a file descriptor for it, or
39780 return -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string,
39781 @var{flags} is an integer indicating a mask of open flags
39782 (@pxref{Open Flags}), and @var{mode} is an integer indicating a mask
39783 of mode bits to use if the file is created (@pxref{mode_t Values}).
39784 @xref{open}, for details of the open flags and mode values.
39785
39786 @item vFile:close: @var{fd}
39787 Close the open file corresponding to @var{fd} and return 0, or
39788 -1 if an error occurs.
39789
39790 @item vFile:pread: @var{fd}, @var{count}, @var{offset}
39791 Read data from the open file corresponding to @var{fd}. Up to
39792 @var{count} bytes will be read from the file, starting at @var{offset}
39793 relative to the start of the file. The target may read fewer bytes;
39794 common reasons include packet size limits and an end-of-file
39795 condition. The number of bytes read is returned. Zero should only be
39796 returned for a successful read at the end of the file, or if
39797 @var{count} was zero.
39798
39799 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
39800 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
39801 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
39802 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
39803 some characters were escaped.
39804
39805 @item vFile:pwrite: @var{fd}, @var{offset}, @var{data}
39806 Write @var{data} (a binary buffer) to the open file corresponding
39807 to @var{fd}. Start the write at @var{offset} from the start of the
39808 file. Unlike many @code{write} system calls, there is no
39809 separate @var{count} argument; the length of @var{data} in the
39810 packet is used. @samp{vFile:write} returns the number of bytes written,
39811 which may be shorter than the length of @var{data}, or -1 if an
39812 error occurred.
39813
39814 @item vFile:unlink: @var{pathname}
39815 Delete the file at @var{pathname} on the target. Return 0,
39816 or -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string.
39817
39818 @item vFile:readlink: @var{filename}
39819 Read value of symbolic link @var{filename} on the target. Return
39820 the number of bytes read, or -1 if an error occurs.
39821
39822 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
39823 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
39824 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
39825 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
39826 some characters were escaped.
39827
39828 @end table
39829
39830 @node Interrupts
39831 @section Interrupts
39832 @cindex interrupts (remote protocol)
39833
39834 When a program on the remote target is running, @value{GDBN} may
39835 attempt to interrupt it by sending a @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or
39836 a @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g},
39837 control of which is specified via @value{GDBN}'s @samp{interrupt-sequence}.
39838
39839 The precise meaning of @code{BREAK} is defined by the transport
39840 mechanism and may, in fact, be undefined. @value{GDBN} does not
39841 currently define a @code{BREAK} mechanism for any of the network
39842 interfaces except for TCP, in which case @value{GDBN} sends the
39843 @code{telnet} BREAK sequence.
39844
39845 @samp{Ctrl-C}, on the other hand, is defined and implemented for all
39846 transport mechanisms. It is represented by sending the single byte
39847 @code{0x03} without any of the usual packet overhead described in
39848 the Overview section (@pxref{Overview}). When a @code{0x03} byte is
39849 transmitted as part of a packet, it is considered to be packet data
39850 and does @emph{not} represent an interrupt. E.g., an @samp{X} packet
39851 (@pxref{X packet}), used for binary downloads, may include an unescaped
39852 @code{0x03} as part of its packet.
39853
39854 @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g} is also known as Magic SysRq g.
39855 When Linux kernel receives this sequence from serial port,
39856 it stops execution and connects to gdb.
39857
39858 Stubs are not required to recognize these interrupt mechanisms and the
39859 precise meaning associated with receipt of the interrupt is
39860 implementation defined. If the target supports debugging of multiple
39861 threads and/or processes, it should attempt to interrupt all
39862 currently-executing threads and processes.
39863 If the stub is successful at interrupting the
39864 running program, it should send one of the stop
39865 reply packets (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}) to @value{GDBN} as a result
39866 of successfully stopping the program in all-stop mode, and a stop reply
39867 for each stopped thread in non-stop mode.
39868 Interrupts received while the
39869 program is stopped are discarded.
39870
39871 @node Notification Packets
39872 @section Notification Packets
39873 @cindex notification packets
39874 @cindex packets, notification
39875
39876 The @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol includes @dfn{notifications},
39877 packets that require no acknowledgment. Both the GDB and the stub
39878 may send notifications (although the only notifications defined at
39879 present are sent by the stub). Notifications carry information
39880 without incurring the round-trip latency of an acknowledgment, and so
39881 are useful for low-impact communications where occasional packet loss
39882 is not a problem.
39883
39884 A notification packet has the form @samp{% @var{data} #
39885 @var{checksum}}, where @var{data} is the content of the notification,
39886 and @var{checksum} is a checksum of @var{data}, computed and formatted
39887 as for ordinary @value{GDBN} packets. A notification's @var{data}
39888 never contains @samp{$}, @samp{%} or @samp{#} characters. Upon
39889 receiving a notification, the recipient sends no @samp{+} or @samp{-}
39890 to acknowledge the notification's receipt or to report its corruption.
39891
39892 Every notification's @var{data} begins with a name, which contains no
39893 colon characters, followed by a colon character.
39894
39895 Recipients should silently ignore corrupted notifications and
39896 notifications they do not understand. Recipients should restart
39897 timeout periods on receipt of a well-formed notification, whether or
39898 not they understand it.
39899
39900 Senders should only send the notifications described here when this
39901 protocol description specifies that they are permitted. In the
39902 future, we may extend the protocol to permit existing notifications in
39903 new contexts; this rule helps older senders avoid confusing newer
39904 recipients.
39905
39906 (Older versions of @value{GDBN} ignore bytes received until they see
39907 the @samp{$} byte that begins an ordinary packet, so new stubs may
39908 transmit notifications without fear of confusing older clients. There
39909 are no notifications defined for @value{GDBN} to send at the moment, but we
39910 assume that most older stubs would ignore them, as well.)
39911
39912 Each notification is comprised of three parts:
39913 @table @samp
39914 @item @var{name}:@var{event}
39915 The notification packet is sent by the side that initiates the
39916 exchange (currently, only the stub does that), with @var{event}
39917 carrying the specific information about the notification.
39918 @var{name} is the name of the notification.
39919 @item @var{ack}
39920 The acknowledge sent by the other side, usually @value{GDBN}, to
39921 acknowledge the exchange and request the event.
39922 @end table
39923
39924 The purpose of an asynchronous notification mechanism is to report to
39925 @value{GDBN} that something interesting happened in the remote stub.
39926
39927 The remote stub may send notification @var{name}:@var{event}
39928 at any time, but @value{GDBN} acknowledges the notification when
39929 appropriate. The notification event is pending before @value{GDBN}
39930 acknowledges. Only one notification at a time may be pending; if
39931 additional events occur before @value{GDBN} has acknowledged the
39932 previous notification, they must be queued by the stub for later
39933 synchronous transmission in response to @var{ack} packets from
39934 @value{GDBN}. Because the notification mechanism is unreliable,
39935 the stub is permitted to resend a notification if it believes
39936 @value{GDBN} may not have received it.
39937
39938 Specifically, notifications may appear when @value{GDBN} is not
39939 otherwise reading input from the stub, or when @value{GDBN} is
39940 expecting to read a normal synchronous response or a
39941 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgment to a packet it has sent.
39942 Notification packets are distinct from any other communication from
39943 the stub so there is no ambiguity.
39944
39945 After receiving a notification, @value{GDBN} shall acknowledge it by
39946 sending a @var{ack} packet as a regular, synchronous request to the
39947 stub. Such acknowledgment is not required to happen immediately, as
39948 @value{GDBN} is permitted to send other, unrelated packets to the
39949 stub first, which the stub should process normally.
39950
39951 Upon receiving a @var{ack} packet, if the stub has other queued
39952 events to report to @value{GDBN}, it shall respond by sending a
39953 normal @var{event}. @value{GDBN} shall then send another @var{ack}
39954 packet to solicit further responses; again, it is permitted to send
39955 other, unrelated packets as well which the stub should process
39956 normally.
39957
39958 If the stub receives a @var{ack} packet and there are no additional
39959 @var{event} to report, the stub shall return an @samp{OK} response.
39960 At this point, @value{GDBN} has finished processing a notification
39961 and the stub has completed sending any queued events. @value{GDBN}
39962 won't accept any new notifications until the final @samp{OK} is
39963 received . If further notification events occur, the stub shall send
39964 a new notification, @value{GDBN} shall accept the notification, and
39965 the process shall be repeated.
39966
39967 The process of asynchronous notification can be illustrated by the
39968 following example:
39969 @smallexample
39970 <- @code{%%Stop:T0505:98e7ffbf;04:4ce6ffbf;08:b1b6e54c;thread:p7526.7526;core:0;}
39971 @code{...}
39972 -> @code{vStopped}
39973 <- @code{T0505:68f37db7;04:40f37db7;08:63850408;thread:p7526.7528;core:0;}
39974 -> @code{vStopped}
39975 <- @code{T0505:68e3fdb6;04:40e3fdb6;08:63850408;thread:p7526.7529;core:0;}
39976 -> @code{vStopped}
39977 <- @code{OK}
39978 @end smallexample
39979
39980 The following notifications are defined:
39981 @multitable @columnfractions 0.12 0.12 0.38 0.38
39982
39983 @item Notification
39984 @tab Ack
39985 @tab Event
39986 @tab Description
39987
39988 @item Stop
39989 @tab vStopped
39990 @tab @var{reply}. The @var{reply} has the form of a stop reply, as
39991 described in @ref{Stop Reply Packets}. Refer to @ref{Remote Non-Stop},
39992 for information on how these notifications are acknowledged by
39993 @value{GDBN}.
39994 @tab Report an asynchronous stop event in non-stop mode.
39995
39996 @end multitable
39997
39998 @node Remote Non-Stop
39999 @section Remote Protocol Support for Non-Stop Mode
40000
40001 @value{GDBN}'s remote protocol supports non-stop debugging of
40002 multi-threaded programs, as described in @ref{Non-Stop Mode}. If the stub
40003 supports non-stop mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN} by including
40004 @samp{QNonStop+} in its @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40005
40006 @value{GDBN} typically sends a @samp{QNonStop} packet only when
40007 establishing a new connection with the stub. Entering non-stop mode
40008 does not alter the state of any currently-running threads, but targets
40009 must stop all threads in any already-attached processes when entering
40010 all-stop mode. @value{GDBN} uses the @samp{?} packet as necessary to
40011 probe the target state after a mode change.
40012
40013 In non-stop mode, when an attached process encounters an event that
40014 would otherwise be reported with a stop reply, it uses the
40015 asynchronous notification mechanism (@pxref{Notification Packets}) to
40016 inform @value{GDBN}. In contrast to all-stop mode, where all threads
40017 in all processes are stopped when a stop reply is sent, in non-stop
40018 mode only the thread reporting the stop event is stopped. That is,
40019 when reporting a @samp{S} or @samp{T} response to indicate completion
40020 of a step operation, hitting a breakpoint, or a fault, only the
40021 affected thread is stopped; any other still-running threads continue
40022 to run. When reporting a @samp{W} or @samp{X} response, all running
40023 threads belonging to other attached processes continue to run.
40024
40025 In non-stop mode, the target shall respond to the @samp{?} packet as
40026 follows. First, any incomplete stop reply notification/@samp{vStopped}
40027 sequence in progress is abandoned. The target must begin a new
40028 sequence reporting stop events for all stopped threads, whether or not
40029 it has previously reported those events to @value{GDBN}. The first
40030 stop reply is sent as a synchronous reply to the @samp{?} packet, and
40031 subsequent stop replies are sent as responses to @samp{vStopped} packets
40032 using the mechanism described above. The target must not send
40033 asynchronous stop reply notifications until the sequence is complete.
40034 If all threads are running when the target receives the @samp{?} packet,
40035 or if the target is not attached to any process, it shall respond
40036 @samp{OK}.
40037
40038 @node Packet Acknowledgment
40039 @section Packet Acknowledgment
40040
40041 @cindex acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
40042 @cindex packet acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
40043 By default, when either the host or the target machine receives a packet,
40044 the first response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
40045 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request retransmission).
40046 This mechanism allows the @value{GDBN} remote protocol to operate over
40047 unreliable transport mechanisms, such as a serial line.
40048
40049 In cases where the transport mechanism is itself reliable (such as a pipe or
40050 TCP connection), the @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are redundant.
40051 It may be desirable to disable them in that case to reduce communication
40052 overhead, or for other reasons. This can be accomplished by means of the
40053 @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet; @pxref{QStartNoAckMode}.
40054
40055 When in no-acknowledgment mode, neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or
40056 expect @samp{+}/@samp{-} protocol acknowledgments. The packet
40057 and response format still includes the normal checksum, as described in
40058 @ref{Overview}, but the checksum may be ignored by the receiver.
40059
40060 If the stub supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and prefers to operate in
40061 no-acknowledgment mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN}
40062 by including @samp{QStartNoAckMode+} in its response to @samp{qSupported};
40063 @pxref{qSupported}.
40064 If @value{GDBN} also supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and it has not been
40065 disabled via the @code{set remote noack-packet off} command
40066 (@pxref{Remote Configuration}),
40067 @value{GDBN} may then send a @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet to the stub.
40068 Only then may the stub actually turn off packet acknowledgments.
40069 @value{GDBN} sends a final @samp{+} acknowledgment of the stub's @samp{OK}
40070 response, which can be safely ignored by the stub.
40071
40072 Note that @code{set remote noack-packet} command only affects negotiation
40073 between @value{GDBN} and the stub when subsequent connections are made;
40074 it does not affect the protocol acknowledgment state for any current
40075 connection.
40076 Since @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are enabled by default when a
40077 new connection is established,
40078 there is also no protocol request to re-enable the acknowledgments
40079 for the current connection, once disabled.
40080
40081 @node Examples
40082 @section Examples
40083
40084 Example sequence of a target being re-started. Notice how the restart
40085 does not get any direct output:
40086
40087 @smallexample
40088 -> @code{R00}
40089 <- @code{+}
40090 @emph{target restarts}
40091 -> @code{?}
40092 <- @code{+}
40093 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
40094 -> @code{+}
40095 @end smallexample
40096
40097 Example sequence of a target being stepped by a single instruction:
40098
40099 @smallexample
40100 -> @code{G1445@dots{}}
40101 <- @code{+}
40102 -> @code{s}
40103 <- @code{+}
40104 @emph{time passes}
40105 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
40106 -> @code{+}
40107 -> @code{g}
40108 <- @code{+}
40109 <- @code{1455@dots{}}
40110 -> @code{+}
40111 @end smallexample
40112
40113 @node File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
40114 @section File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
40115 @cindex File-I/O remote protocol extension
40116
40117 @menu
40118 * File-I/O Overview::
40119 * Protocol Basics::
40120 * The F Request Packet::
40121 * The F Reply Packet::
40122 * The Ctrl-C Message::
40123 * Console I/O::
40124 * List of Supported Calls::
40125 * Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes::
40126 * Constants::
40127 * File-I/O Examples::
40128 @end menu
40129
40130 @node File-I/O Overview
40131 @subsection File-I/O Overview
40132 @cindex file-i/o overview
40133
40134 The @dfn{File I/O remote protocol extension} (short: File-I/O) allows the
40135 target to use the host's file system and console I/O to perform various
40136 system calls. System calls on the target system are translated into a
40137 remote protocol packet to the host system, which then performs the needed
40138 actions and returns a response packet to the target system.
40139 This simulates file system operations even on targets that lack file systems.
40140
40141 The protocol is defined to be independent of both the host and target systems.
40142 It uses its own internal representation of datatypes and values. Both
40143 @value{GDBN} and the target's @value{GDBN} stub are responsible for
40144 translating the system-dependent value representations into the internal
40145 protocol representations when data is transmitted.
40146
40147 The communication is synchronous. A system call is possible only when
40148 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
40149 or @samp{s} packets. While @value{GDBN} handles the request for a system call,
40150 the target is stopped to allow deterministic access to the target's
40151 memory. Therefore File-I/O is not interruptible by target signals. On
40152 the other hand, it is possible to interrupt File-I/O by a user interrupt
40153 (@samp{Ctrl-C}) within @value{GDBN}.
40154
40155 The target's request to perform a host system call does not finish
40156 the latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} action. That means,
40157 after finishing the system call, the target returns to continuing the
40158 previous activity (continue, step). No additional continue or step
40159 request from @value{GDBN} is required.
40160
40161 @smallexample
40162 (@value{GDBP}) continue
40163 <- target requests 'system call X'
40164 target is stopped, @value{GDBN} executes system call
40165 -> @value{GDBN} returns result
40166 ... target continues, @value{GDBN} returns to wait for the target
40167 <- target hits breakpoint and sends a Txx packet
40168 @end smallexample
40169
40170 The protocol only supports I/O on the console and to regular files on
40171 the host file system. Character or block special devices, pipes,
40172 named pipes, sockets or any other communication method on the host
40173 system are not supported by this protocol.
40174
40175 File I/O is not supported in non-stop mode.
40176
40177 @node Protocol Basics
40178 @subsection Protocol Basics
40179 @cindex protocol basics, file-i/o
40180
40181 The File-I/O protocol uses the @code{F} packet as the request as well
40182 as reply packet. Since a File-I/O system call can only occur when
40183 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the continuing or stepping target,
40184 the File-I/O request is a reply that @value{GDBN} has to expect as a result
40185 of a previous @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} packet.
40186 This @code{F} packet contains all information needed to allow @value{GDBN}
40187 to call the appropriate host system call:
40188
40189 @itemize @bullet
40190 @item
40191 A unique identifier for the requested system call.
40192
40193 @item
40194 All parameters to the system call. Pointers are given as addresses
40195 in the target memory address space. Pointers to strings are given as
40196 pointer/length pair. Numerical values are given as they are.
40197 Numerical control flags are given in a protocol-specific representation.
40198
40199 @end itemize
40200
40201 At this point, @value{GDBN} has to perform the following actions.
40202
40203 @itemize @bullet
40204 @item
40205 If the parameters include pointer values to data needed as input to a
40206 system call, @value{GDBN} requests this data from the target with a
40207 standard @code{m} packet request. This additional communication has to be
40208 expected by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{m}
40209 packet.
40210
40211 @item
40212 @value{GDBN} translates all value from protocol representation to host
40213 representation as needed. Datatypes are coerced into the host types.
40214
40215 @item
40216 @value{GDBN} calls the system call.
40217
40218 @item
40219 It then coerces datatypes back to protocol representation.
40220
40221 @item
40222 If the system call is expected to return data in buffer space specified
40223 by pointer parameters to the call, the data is transmitted to the
40224 target using a @code{M} or @code{X} packet. This packet has to be expected
40225 by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{M} or @code{X}
40226 packet.
40227
40228 @end itemize
40229
40230 Eventually @value{GDBN} replies with another @code{F} packet which contains all
40231 necessary information for the target to continue. This at least contains
40232
40233 @itemize @bullet
40234 @item
40235 Return value.
40236
40237 @item
40238 @code{errno}, if has been changed by the system call.
40239
40240 @item
40241 ``Ctrl-C'' flag.
40242
40243 @end itemize
40244
40245 After having done the needed type and value coercion, the target continues
40246 the latest continue or step action.
40247
40248 @node The F Request Packet
40249 @subsection The @code{F} Request Packet
40250 @cindex file-i/o request packet
40251 @cindex @code{F} request packet
40252
40253 The @code{F} request packet has the following format:
40254
40255 @table @samp
40256 @item F@var{call-id},@var{parameter@dots{}}
40257
40258 @var{call-id} is the identifier to indicate the host system call to be called.
40259 This is just the name of the function.
40260
40261 @var{parameter@dots{}} are the parameters to the system call.
40262 Parameters are hexadecimal integer values, either the actual values in case
40263 of scalar datatypes, pointers to target buffer space in case of compound
40264 datatypes and unspecified memory areas, or pointer/length pairs in case
40265 of string parameters. These are appended to the @var{call-id} as a
40266 comma-delimited list. All values are transmitted in ASCII
40267 string representation, pointer/length pairs separated by a slash.
40268
40269 @end table
40270
40271
40272
40273 @node The F Reply Packet
40274 @subsection The @code{F} Reply Packet
40275 @cindex file-i/o reply packet
40276 @cindex @code{F} reply packet
40277
40278 The @code{F} reply packet has the following format:
40279
40280 @table @samp
40281
40282 @item F@var{retcode},@var{errno},@var{Ctrl-C flag};@var{call-specific attachment}
40283
40284 @var{retcode} is the return code of the system call as hexadecimal value.
40285
40286 @var{errno} is the @code{errno} set by the call, in protocol-specific
40287 representation.
40288 This parameter can be omitted if the call was successful.
40289
40290 @var{Ctrl-C flag} is only sent if the user requested a break. In this
40291 case, @var{errno} must be sent as well, even if the call was successful.
40292 The @var{Ctrl-C flag} itself consists of the character @samp{C}:
40293
40294 @smallexample
40295 F0,0,C
40296 @end smallexample
40297
40298 @noindent
40299 or, if the call was interrupted before the host call has been performed:
40300
40301 @smallexample
40302 F-1,4,C
40303 @end smallexample
40304
40305 @noindent
40306 assuming 4 is the protocol-specific representation of @code{EINTR}.
40307
40308 @end table
40309
40310
40311 @node The Ctrl-C Message
40312 @subsection The @samp{Ctrl-C} Message
40313 @cindex ctrl-c message, in file-i/o protocol
40314
40315 If the @samp{Ctrl-C} flag is set in the @value{GDBN}
40316 reply packet (@pxref{The F Reply Packet}),
40317 the target should behave as if it had
40318 gotten a break message. The meaning for the target is ``system call
40319 interrupted by @code{SIGINT}''. Consequentially, the target should actually stop
40320 (as with a break message) and return to @value{GDBN} with a @code{T02}
40321 packet.
40322
40323 It's important for the target to know in which
40324 state the system call was interrupted. There are two possible cases:
40325
40326 @itemize @bullet
40327 @item
40328 The system call hasn't been performed on the host yet.
40329
40330 @item
40331 The system call on the host has been finished.
40332
40333 @end itemize
40334
40335 These two states can be distinguished by the target by the value of the
40336 returned @code{errno}. If it's the protocol representation of @code{EINTR}, the system
40337 call hasn't been performed. This is equivalent to the @code{EINTR} handling
40338 on POSIX systems. In any other case, the target may presume that the
40339 system call has been finished --- successfully or not --- and should behave
40340 as if the break message arrived right after the system call.
40341
40342 @value{GDBN} must behave reliably. If the system call has not been called
40343 yet, @value{GDBN} may send the @code{F} reply immediately, setting @code{EINTR} as
40344 @code{errno} in the packet. If the system call on the host has been finished
40345 before the user requests a break, the full action must be finished by
40346 @value{GDBN}. This requires sending @code{M} or @code{X} packets as necessary.
40347 The @code{F} packet may only be sent when either nothing has happened
40348 or the full action has been completed.
40349
40350 @node Console I/O
40351 @subsection Console I/O
40352 @cindex console i/o as part of file-i/o
40353
40354 By default and if not explicitly closed by the target system, the file
40355 descriptors 0, 1 and 2 are connected to the @value{GDBN} console. Output
40356 on the @value{GDBN} console is handled as any other file output operation
40357 (@code{write(1, @dots{})} or @code{write(2, @dots{})}). Console input is handled
40358 by @value{GDBN} so that after the target read request from file descriptor
40359 0 all following typing is buffered until either one of the following
40360 conditions is met:
40361
40362 @itemize @bullet
40363 @item
40364 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The behaviour is as explained above, and the
40365 @code{read}
40366 system call is treated as finished.
40367
40368 @item
40369 The user presses @key{RET}. This is treated as end of input with a trailing
40370 newline.
40371
40372 @item
40373 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-d}. This is treated as end of input. No trailing
40374 character (neither newline nor @samp{Ctrl-D}) is appended to the input.
40375
40376 @end itemize
40377
40378 If the user has typed more characters than fit in the buffer given to
40379 the @code{read} call, the trailing characters are buffered in @value{GDBN} until
40380 either another @code{read(0, @dots{})} is requested by the target, or debugging
40381 is stopped at the user's request.
40382
40383
40384 @node List of Supported Calls
40385 @subsection List of Supported Calls
40386 @cindex list of supported file-i/o calls
40387
40388 @menu
40389 * open::
40390 * close::
40391 * read::
40392 * write::
40393 * lseek::
40394 * rename::
40395 * unlink::
40396 * stat/fstat::
40397 * gettimeofday::
40398 * isatty::
40399 * system::
40400 @end menu
40401
40402 @node open
40403 @unnumberedsubsubsec open
40404 @cindex open, file-i/o system call
40405
40406 @table @asis
40407 @item Synopsis:
40408 @smallexample
40409 int open(const char *pathname, int flags);
40410 int open(const char *pathname, int flags, mode_t mode);
40411 @end smallexample
40412
40413 @item Request:
40414 @samp{Fopen,@var{pathptr}/@var{len},@var{flags},@var{mode}}
40415
40416 @noindent
40417 @var{flags} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
40418
40419 @table @code
40420 @item O_CREAT
40421 If the file does not exist it will be created. The host
40422 rules apply as far as file ownership and time stamps
40423 are concerned.
40424
40425 @item O_EXCL
40426 When used with @code{O_CREAT}, if the file already exists it is
40427 an error and open() fails.
40428
40429 @item O_TRUNC
40430 If the file already exists and the open mode allows
40431 writing (@code{O_RDWR} or @code{O_WRONLY} is given) it will be
40432 truncated to zero length.
40433
40434 @item O_APPEND
40435 The file is opened in append mode.
40436
40437 @item O_RDONLY
40438 The file is opened for reading only.
40439
40440 @item O_WRONLY
40441 The file is opened for writing only.
40442
40443 @item O_RDWR
40444 The file is opened for reading and writing.
40445 @end table
40446
40447 @noindent
40448 Other bits are silently ignored.
40449
40450
40451 @noindent
40452 @var{mode} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
40453
40454 @table @code
40455 @item S_IRUSR
40456 User has read permission.
40457
40458 @item S_IWUSR
40459 User has write permission.
40460
40461 @item S_IRGRP
40462 Group has read permission.
40463
40464 @item S_IWGRP
40465 Group has write permission.
40466
40467 @item S_IROTH
40468 Others have read permission.
40469
40470 @item S_IWOTH
40471 Others have write permission.
40472 @end table
40473
40474 @noindent
40475 Other bits are silently ignored.
40476
40477
40478 @item Return value:
40479 @code{open} returns the new file descriptor or -1 if an error
40480 occurred.
40481
40482 @item Errors:
40483
40484 @table @code
40485 @item EEXIST
40486 @var{pathname} already exists and @code{O_CREAT} and @code{O_EXCL} were used.
40487
40488 @item EISDIR
40489 @var{pathname} refers to a directory.
40490
40491 @item EACCES
40492 The requested access is not allowed.
40493
40494 @item ENAMETOOLONG
40495 @var{pathname} was too long.
40496
40497 @item ENOENT
40498 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
40499
40500 @item ENODEV
40501 @var{pathname} refers to a device, pipe, named pipe or socket.
40502
40503 @item EROFS
40504 @var{pathname} refers to a file on a read-only filesystem and
40505 write access was requested.
40506
40507 @item EFAULT
40508 @var{pathname} is an invalid pointer value.
40509
40510 @item ENOSPC
40511 No space on device to create the file.
40512
40513 @item EMFILE
40514 The process already has the maximum number of files open.
40515
40516 @item ENFILE
40517 The limit on the total number of files open on the system
40518 has been reached.
40519
40520 @item EINTR
40521 The call was interrupted by the user.
40522 @end table
40523
40524 @end table
40525
40526 @node close
40527 @unnumberedsubsubsec close
40528 @cindex close, file-i/o system call
40529
40530 @table @asis
40531 @item Synopsis:
40532 @smallexample
40533 int close(int fd);
40534 @end smallexample
40535
40536 @item Request:
40537 @samp{Fclose,@var{fd}}
40538
40539 @item Return value:
40540 @code{close} returns zero on success, or -1 if an error occurred.
40541
40542 @item Errors:
40543
40544 @table @code
40545 @item EBADF
40546 @var{fd} isn't a valid open file descriptor.
40547
40548 @item EINTR
40549 The call was interrupted by the user.
40550 @end table
40551
40552 @end table
40553
40554 @node read
40555 @unnumberedsubsubsec read
40556 @cindex read, file-i/o system call
40557
40558 @table @asis
40559 @item Synopsis:
40560 @smallexample
40561 int read(int fd, void *buf, unsigned int count);
40562 @end smallexample
40563
40564 @item Request:
40565 @samp{Fread,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
40566
40567 @item Return value:
40568 On success, the number of bytes read is returned.
40569 Zero indicates end of file. If count is zero, read
40570 returns zero as well. On error, -1 is returned.
40571
40572 @item Errors:
40573
40574 @table @code
40575 @item EBADF
40576 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
40577 reading.
40578
40579 @item EFAULT
40580 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
40581
40582 @item EINTR
40583 The call was interrupted by the user.
40584 @end table
40585
40586 @end table
40587
40588 @node write
40589 @unnumberedsubsubsec write
40590 @cindex write, file-i/o system call
40591
40592 @table @asis
40593 @item Synopsis:
40594 @smallexample
40595 int write(int fd, const void *buf, unsigned int count);
40596 @end smallexample
40597
40598 @item Request:
40599 @samp{Fwrite,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
40600
40601 @item Return value:
40602 On success, the number of bytes written are returned.
40603 Zero indicates nothing was written. On error, -1
40604 is returned.
40605
40606 @item Errors:
40607
40608 @table @code
40609 @item EBADF
40610 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
40611 writing.
40612
40613 @item EFAULT
40614 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
40615
40616 @item EFBIG
40617 An attempt was made to write a file that exceeds the
40618 host-specific maximum file size allowed.
40619
40620 @item ENOSPC
40621 No space on device to write the data.
40622
40623 @item EINTR
40624 The call was interrupted by the user.
40625 @end table
40626
40627 @end table
40628
40629 @node lseek
40630 @unnumberedsubsubsec lseek
40631 @cindex lseek, file-i/o system call
40632
40633 @table @asis
40634 @item Synopsis:
40635 @smallexample
40636 long lseek (int fd, long offset, int flag);
40637 @end smallexample
40638
40639 @item Request:
40640 @samp{Flseek,@var{fd},@var{offset},@var{flag}}
40641
40642 @var{flag} is one of:
40643
40644 @table @code
40645 @item SEEK_SET
40646 The offset is set to @var{offset} bytes.
40647
40648 @item SEEK_CUR
40649 The offset is set to its current location plus @var{offset}
40650 bytes.
40651
40652 @item SEEK_END
40653 The offset is set to the size of the file plus @var{offset}
40654 bytes.
40655 @end table
40656
40657 @item Return value:
40658 On success, the resulting unsigned offset in bytes from
40659 the beginning of the file is returned. Otherwise, a
40660 value of -1 is returned.
40661
40662 @item Errors:
40663
40664 @table @code
40665 @item EBADF
40666 @var{fd} is not a valid open file descriptor.
40667
40668 @item ESPIPE
40669 @var{fd} is associated with the @value{GDBN} console.
40670
40671 @item EINVAL
40672 @var{flag} is not a proper value.
40673
40674 @item EINTR
40675 The call was interrupted by the user.
40676 @end table
40677
40678 @end table
40679
40680 @node rename
40681 @unnumberedsubsubsec rename
40682 @cindex rename, file-i/o system call
40683
40684 @table @asis
40685 @item Synopsis:
40686 @smallexample
40687 int rename(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);
40688 @end smallexample
40689
40690 @item Request:
40691 @samp{Frename,@var{oldpathptr}/@var{len},@var{newpathptr}/@var{len}}
40692
40693 @item Return value:
40694 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
40695
40696 @item Errors:
40697
40698 @table @code
40699 @item EISDIR
40700 @var{newpath} is an existing directory, but @var{oldpath} is not a
40701 directory.
40702
40703 @item EEXIST
40704 @var{newpath} is a non-empty directory.
40705
40706 @item EBUSY
40707 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} is a directory that is in use by some
40708 process.
40709
40710 @item EINVAL
40711 An attempt was made to make a directory a subdirectory
40712 of itself.
40713
40714 @item ENOTDIR
40715 A component used as a directory in @var{oldpath} or new
40716 path is not a directory. Or @var{oldpath} is a directory
40717 and @var{newpath} exists but is not a directory.
40718
40719 @item EFAULT
40720 @var{oldpathptr} or @var{newpathptr} are invalid pointer values.
40721
40722 @item EACCES
40723 No access to the file or the path of the file.
40724
40725 @item ENAMETOOLONG
40726
40727 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} was too long.
40728
40729 @item ENOENT
40730 A directory component in @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} does not exist.
40731
40732 @item EROFS
40733 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
40734
40735 @item ENOSPC
40736 The device containing the file has no room for the new
40737 directory entry.
40738
40739 @item EINTR
40740 The call was interrupted by the user.
40741 @end table
40742
40743 @end table
40744
40745 @node unlink
40746 @unnumberedsubsubsec unlink
40747 @cindex unlink, file-i/o system call
40748
40749 @table @asis
40750 @item Synopsis:
40751 @smallexample
40752 int unlink(const char *pathname);
40753 @end smallexample
40754
40755 @item Request:
40756 @samp{Funlink,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len}}
40757
40758 @item Return value:
40759 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
40760
40761 @item Errors:
40762
40763 @table @code
40764 @item EACCES
40765 No access to the file or the path of the file.
40766
40767 @item EPERM
40768 The system does not allow unlinking of directories.
40769
40770 @item EBUSY
40771 The file @var{pathname} cannot be unlinked because it's
40772 being used by another process.
40773
40774 @item EFAULT
40775 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
40776
40777 @item ENAMETOOLONG
40778 @var{pathname} was too long.
40779
40780 @item ENOENT
40781 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
40782
40783 @item ENOTDIR
40784 A component of the path is not a directory.
40785
40786 @item EROFS
40787 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
40788
40789 @item EINTR
40790 The call was interrupted by the user.
40791 @end table
40792
40793 @end table
40794
40795 @node stat/fstat
40796 @unnumberedsubsubsec stat/fstat
40797 @cindex fstat, file-i/o system call
40798 @cindex stat, file-i/o system call
40799
40800 @table @asis
40801 @item Synopsis:
40802 @smallexample
40803 int stat(const char *pathname, struct stat *buf);
40804 int fstat(int fd, struct stat *buf);
40805 @end smallexample
40806
40807 @item Request:
40808 @samp{Fstat,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len},@var{bufptr}}@*
40809 @samp{Ffstat,@var{fd},@var{bufptr}}
40810
40811 @item Return value:
40812 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
40813
40814 @item Errors:
40815
40816 @table @code
40817 @item EBADF
40818 @var{fd} is not a valid open file.
40819
40820 @item ENOENT
40821 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist or the
40822 path is an empty string.
40823
40824 @item ENOTDIR
40825 A component of the path is not a directory.
40826
40827 @item EFAULT
40828 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
40829
40830 @item EACCES
40831 No access to the file or the path of the file.
40832
40833 @item ENAMETOOLONG
40834 @var{pathname} was too long.
40835
40836 @item EINTR
40837 The call was interrupted by the user.
40838 @end table
40839
40840 @end table
40841
40842 @node gettimeofday
40843 @unnumberedsubsubsec gettimeofday
40844 @cindex gettimeofday, file-i/o system call
40845
40846 @table @asis
40847 @item Synopsis:
40848 @smallexample
40849 int gettimeofday(struct timeval *tv, void *tz);
40850 @end smallexample
40851
40852 @item Request:
40853 @samp{Fgettimeofday,@var{tvptr},@var{tzptr}}
40854
40855 @item Return value:
40856 On success, 0 is returned, -1 otherwise.
40857
40858 @item Errors:
40859
40860 @table @code
40861 @item EINVAL
40862 @var{tz} is a non-NULL pointer.
40863
40864 @item EFAULT
40865 @var{tvptr} and/or @var{tzptr} is an invalid pointer value.
40866 @end table
40867
40868 @end table
40869
40870 @node isatty
40871 @unnumberedsubsubsec isatty
40872 @cindex isatty, file-i/o system call
40873
40874 @table @asis
40875 @item Synopsis:
40876 @smallexample
40877 int isatty(int fd);
40878 @end smallexample
40879
40880 @item Request:
40881 @samp{Fisatty,@var{fd}}
40882
40883 @item Return value:
40884 Returns 1 if @var{fd} refers to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise.
40885
40886 @item Errors:
40887
40888 @table @code
40889 @item EINTR
40890 The call was interrupted by the user.
40891 @end table
40892
40893 @end table
40894
40895 Note that the @code{isatty} call is treated as a special case: it returns
40896 1 to the target if the file descriptor is attached
40897 to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise. Implementing through system calls
40898 would require implementing @code{ioctl} and would be more complex than
40899 needed.
40900
40901
40902 @node system
40903 @unnumberedsubsubsec system
40904 @cindex system, file-i/o system call
40905
40906 @table @asis
40907 @item Synopsis:
40908 @smallexample
40909 int system(const char *command);
40910 @end smallexample
40911
40912 @item Request:
40913 @samp{Fsystem,@var{commandptr}/@var{len}}
40914
40915 @item Return value:
40916 If @var{len} is zero, the return value indicates whether a shell is
40917 available. A zero return value indicates a shell is not available.
40918 For non-zero @var{len}, the value returned is -1 on error and the
40919 return status of the command otherwise. Only the exit status of the
40920 command is returned, which is extracted from the host's @code{system}
40921 return value by calling @code{WEXITSTATUS(retval)}. In case
40922 @file{/bin/sh} could not be executed, 127 is returned.
40923
40924 @item Errors:
40925
40926 @table @code
40927 @item EINTR
40928 The call was interrupted by the user.
40929 @end table
40930
40931 @end table
40932
40933 @value{GDBN} takes over the full task of calling the necessary host calls
40934 to perform the @code{system} call. The return value of @code{system} on
40935 the host is simplified before it's returned
40936 to the target. Any termination signal information from the child process
40937 is discarded, and the return value consists
40938 entirely of the exit status of the called command.
40939
40940 Due to security concerns, the @code{system} call is by default refused
40941 by @value{GDBN}. The user has to allow this call explicitly with the
40942 @code{set remote system-call-allowed 1} command.
40943
40944 @table @code
40945 @item set remote system-call-allowed
40946 @kindex set remote system-call-allowed
40947 Control whether to allow the @code{system} calls in the File I/O
40948 protocol for the remote target. The default is zero (disabled).
40949
40950 @item show remote system-call-allowed
40951 @kindex show remote system-call-allowed
40952 Show whether the @code{system} calls are allowed in the File I/O
40953 protocol.
40954 @end table
40955
40956 @node Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
40957 @subsection Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
40958 @cindex protocol-specific representation of datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
40959
40960 @menu
40961 * Integral Datatypes::
40962 * Pointer Values::
40963 * Memory Transfer::
40964 * struct stat::
40965 * struct timeval::
40966 @end menu
40967
40968 @node Integral Datatypes
40969 @unnumberedsubsubsec Integral Datatypes
40970 @cindex integral datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
40971
40972 The integral datatypes used in the system calls are @code{int},
40973 @code{unsigned int}, @code{long}, @code{unsigned long},
40974 @code{mode_t}, and @code{time_t}.
40975
40976 @code{int}, @code{unsigned int}, @code{mode_t} and @code{time_t} are
40977 implemented as 32 bit values in this protocol.
40978
40979 @code{long} and @code{unsigned long} are implemented as 64 bit types.
40980
40981 @xref{Limits}, for corresponding MIN and MAX values (similar to those
40982 in @file{limits.h}) to allow range checking on host and target.
40983
40984 @code{time_t} datatypes are defined as seconds since the Epoch.
40985
40986 All integral datatypes transferred as part of a memory read or write of a
40987 structured datatype e.g.@: a @code{struct stat} have to be given in big endian
40988 byte order.
40989
40990 @node Pointer Values
40991 @unnumberedsubsubsec Pointer Values
40992 @cindex pointer values, in file-i/o protocol
40993
40994 Pointers to target data are transmitted as they are. An exception
40995 is made for pointers to buffers for which the length isn't
40996 transmitted as part of the function call, namely strings. Strings
40997 are transmitted as a pointer/length pair, both as hex values, e.g.@:
40998
40999 @smallexample
41000 @code{1aaf/12}
41001 @end smallexample
41002
41003 @noindent
41004 which is a pointer to data of length 18 bytes at position 0x1aaf.
41005 The length is defined as the full string length in bytes, including
41006 the trailing null byte. For example, the string @code{"hello world"}
41007 at address 0x123456 is transmitted as
41008
41009 @smallexample
41010 @code{123456/d}
41011 @end smallexample
41012
41013 @node Memory Transfer
41014 @unnumberedsubsubsec Memory Transfer
41015 @cindex memory transfer, in file-i/o protocol
41016
41017 Structured data which is transferred using a memory read or write (for
41018 example, a @code{struct stat}) is expected to be in a protocol-specific format
41019 with all scalar multibyte datatypes being big endian. Translation to
41020 this representation needs to be done both by the target before the @code{F}
41021 packet is sent, and by @value{GDBN} before
41022 it transfers memory to the target. Transferred pointers to structured
41023 data should point to the already-coerced data at any time.
41024
41025
41026 @node struct stat
41027 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct stat
41028 @cindex struct stat, in file-i/o protocol
41029
41030 The buffer of type @code{struct stat} used by the target and @value{GDBN}
41031 is defined as follows:
41032
41033 @smallexample
41034 struct stat @{
41035 unsigned int st_dev; /* device */
41036 unsigned int st_ino; /* inode */
41037 mode_t st_mode; /* protection */
41038 unsigned int st_nlink; /* number of hard links */
41039 unsigned int st_uid; /* user ID of owner */
41040 unsigned int st_gid; /* group ID of owner */
41041 unsigned int st_rdev; /* device type (if inode device) */
41042 unsigned long st_size; /* total size, in bytes */
41043 unsigned long st_blksize; /* blocksize for filesystem I/O */
41044 unsigned long st_blocks; /* number of blocks allocated */
41045 time_t st_atime; /* time of last access */
41046 time_t st_mtime; /* time of last modification */
41047 time_t st_ctime; /* time of last change */
41048 @};
41049 @end smallexample
41050
41051 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
41052 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
41053 structure is of size 64 bytes.
41054
41055 The values of several fields have a restricted meaning and/or
41056 range of values.
41057
41058 @table @code
41059
41060 @item st_dev
41061 A value of 0 represents a file, 1 the console.
41062
41063 @item st_ino
41064 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
41065
41066 @item st_mode
41067 Valid mode bits are described in @ref{Constants}. Any other
41068 bits have currently no meaning for the target.
41069
41070 @item st_uid
41071 @itemx st_gid
41072 @itemx st_rdev
41073 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
41074
41075 @item st_atime
41076 @itemx st_mtime
41077 @itemx st_ctime
41078 These values have a host and file system dependent
41079 accuracy. Especially on Windows hosts, the file system may not
41080 support exact timing values.
41081 @end table
41082
41083 The target gets a @code{struct stat} of the above representation and is
41084 responsible for coercing it to the target representation before
41085 continuing.
41086
41087 Note that due to size differences between the host, target, and protocol
41088 representations of @code{struct stat} members, these members could eventually
41089 get truncated on the target.
41090
41091 @node struct timeval
41092 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct timeval
41093 @cindex struct timeval, in file-i/o protocol
41094
41095 The buffer of type @code{struct timeval} used by the File-I/O protocol
41096 is defined as follows:
41097
41098 @smallexample
41099 struct timeval @{
41100 time_t tv_sec; /* second */
41101 long tv_usec; /* microsecond */
41102 @};
41103 @end smallexample
41104
41105 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
41106 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
41107 structure is of size 8 bytes.
41108
41109 @node Constants
41110 @subsection Constants
41111 @cindex constants, in file-i/o protocol
41112
41113 The following values are used for the constants inside of the
41114 protocol. @value{GDBN} and target are responsible for translating these
41115 values before and after the call as needed.
41116
41117 @menu
41118 * Open Flags::
41119 * mode_t Values::
41120 * Errno Values::
41121 * Lseek Flags::
41122 * Limits::
41123 @end menu
41124
41125 @node Open Flags
41126 @unnumberedsubsubsec Open Flags
41127 @cindex open flags, in file-i/o protocol
41128
41129 All values are given in hexadecimal representation.
41130
41131 @smallexample
41132 O_RDONLY 0x0
41133 O_WRONLY 0x1
41134 O_RDWR 0x2
41135 O_APPEND 0x8
41136 O_CREAT 0x200
41137 O_TRUNC 0x400
41138 O_EXCL 0x800
41139 @end smallexample
41140
41141 @node mode_t Values
41142 @unnumberedsubsubsec mode_t Values
41143 @cindex mode_t values, in file-i/o protocol
41144
41145 All values are given in octal representation.
41146
41147 @smallexample
41148 S_IFREG 0100000
41149 S_IFDIR 040000
41150 S_IRUSR 0400
41151 S_IWUSR 0200
41152 S_IXUSR 0100
41153 S_IRGRP 040
41154 S_IWGRP 020
41155 S_IXGRP 010
41156 S_IROTH 04
41157 S_IWOTH 02
41158 S_IXOTH 01
41159 @end smallexample
41160
41161 @node Errno Values
41162 @unnumberedsubsubsec Errno Values
41163 @cindex errno values, in file-i/o protocol
41164
41165 All values are given in decimal representation.
41166
41167 @smallexample
41168 EPERM 1
41169 ENOENT 2
41170 EINTR 4
41171 EBADF 9
41172 EACCES 13
41173 EFAULT 14
41174 EBUSY 16
41175 EEXIST 17
41176 ENODEV 19
41177 ENOTDIR 20
41178 EISDIR 21
41179 EINVAL 22
41180 ENFILE 23
41181 EMFILE 24
41182 EFBIG 27
41183 ENOSPC 28
41184 ESPIPE 29
41185 EROFS 30
41186 ENAMETOOLONG 91
41187 EUNKNOWN 9999
41188 @end smallexample
41189
41190 @code{EUNKNOWN} is used as a fallback error value if a host system returns
41191 any error value not in the list of supported error numbers.
41192
41193 @node Lseek Flags
41194 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lseek Flags
41195 @cindex lseek flags, in file-i/o protocol
41196
41197 @smallexample
41198 SEEK_SET 0
41199 SEEK_CUR 1
41200 SEEK_END 2
41201 @end smallexample
41202
41203 @node Limits
41204 @unnumberedsubsubsec Limits
41205 @cindex limits, in file-i/o protocol
41206
41207 All values are given in decimal representation.
41208
41209 @smallexample
41210 INT_MIN -2147483648
41211 INT_MAX 2147483647
41212 UINT_MAX 4294967295
41213 LONG_MIN -9223372036854775808
41214 LONG_MAX 9223372036854775807
41215 ULONG_MAX 18446744073709551615
41216 @end smallexample
41217
41218 @node File-I/O Examples
41219 @subsection File-I/O Examples
41220 @cindex file-i/o examples
41221
41222 Example sequence of a write call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
41223 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be written:
41224
41225 @smallexample
41226 <- @code{Fwrite,3,1234,6}
41227 @emph{request memory read from target}
41228 -> @code{m1234,6}
41229 <- XXXXXX
41230 @emph{return "6 bytes written"}
41231 -> @code{F6}
41232 @end smallexample
41233
41234 Example sequence of a read call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
41235 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be read:
41236
41237 @smallexample
41238 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
41239 @emph{request memory write to target}
41240 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
41241 @emph{return "6 bytes read"}
41242 -> @code{F6}
41243 @end smallexample
41244
41245 Example sequence of a read call, call fails on the host due to invalid
41246 file descriptor (@code{EBADF}):
41247
41248 @smallexample
41249 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
41250 -> @code{F-1,9}
41251 @end smallexample
41252
41253 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} before syscall on
41254 host is called:
41255
41256 @smallexample
41257 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
41258 -> @code{F-1,4,C}
41259 <- @code{T02}
41260 @end smallexample
41261
41262 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} after syscall on
41263 host is called:
41264
41265 @smallexample
41266 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
41267 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
41268 <- @code{T02}
41269 @end smallexample
41270
41271 @node Library List Format
41272 @section Library List Format
41273 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
41274
41275 On some platforms, a dynamic loader (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) runs in the
41276 same process as your application to manage libraries. In this case,
41277 @value{GDBN} can use the loader's symbol table and normal memory
41278 operations to maintain a list of shared libraries. On other
41279 platforms, the operating system manages loaded libraries.
41280 @value{GDBN} can not retrieve the list of currently loaded libraries
41281 through memory operations, so it uses the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
41282 packet (@pxref{qXfer library list read}) instead. The remote stub
41283 queries the target's operating system and reports which libraries
41284 are loaded.
41285
41286 The @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet returns an XML document which
41287 lists loaded libraries and their offsets. Each library has an
41288 associated name and one or more segment or section base addresses,
41289 which report where the library was loaded in memory.
41290
41291 For the common case of libraries that are fully linked binaries, the
41292 library should have a list of segments. If the target supports
41293 dynamic linking of a relocatable object file, its library XML element
41294 should instead include a list of allocated sections. The segment or
41295 section bases are start addresses, not relocation offsets; they do not
41296 depend on the library's link-time base addresses.
41297
41298 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
41299 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
41300
41301 A simple memory map, with one loaded library relocated by a single
41302 offset, looks like this:
41303
41304 @smallexample
41305 <library-list>
41306 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6">
41307 <segment address="0x10000000"/>
41308 </library>
41309 </library-list>
41310 @end smallexample
41311
41312 Another simple memory map, with one loaded library with three
41313 allocated sections (.text, .data, .bss), looks like this:
41314
41315 @smallexample
41316 <library-list>
41317 <library name="sharedlib.o">
41318 <section address="0x10000000"/>
41319 <section address="0x20000000"/>
41320 <section address="0x30000000"/>
41321 </library>
41322 </library-list>
41323 @end smallexample
41324
41325 The format of a library list is described by this DTD:
41326
41327 @smallexample
41328 <!-- library-list: Root element with versioning -->
41329 <!ELEMENT library-list (library)*>
41330 <!ATTLIST library-list version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
41331 <!ELEMENT library (segment*, section*)>
41332 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
41333 <!ELEMENT segment EMPTY>
41334 <!ATTLIST segment address CDATA #REQUIRED>
41335 <!ELEMENT section EMPTY>
41336 <!ATTLIST section address CDATA #REQUIRED>
41337 @end smallexample
41338
41339 In addition, segments and section descriptors cannot be mixed within a
41340 single library element, and you must supply at least one segment or
41341 section for each library.
41342
41343 @node Library List Format for SVR4 Targets
41344 @section Library List Format for SVR4 Targets
41345 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
41346
41347 On SVR4 platforms @value{GDBN} can use the symbol table of a dynamic loader
41348 (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) and normal memory operations to maintain a list of
41349 shared libraries. Still a special library list provided by this packet is
41350 more efficient for the @value{GDBN} remote protocol.
41351
41352 The @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet returns an XML document which lists
41353 loaded libraries and their SVR4 linker parameters. For each library on SVR4
41354 target, the following parameters are reported:
41355
41356 @itemize @minus
41357 @item
41358 @code{name}, the absolute file name from the @code{l_name} field of
41359 @code{struct link_map}.
41360 @item
41361 @code{lm} with address of @code{struct link_map} used for TLS
41362 (Thread Local Storage) access.
41363 @item
41364 @code{l_addr}, the displacement as read from the field @code{l_addr} of
41365 @code{struct link_map}. For prelinked libraries this is not an absolute
41366 memory address. It is a displacement of absolute memory address against
41367 address the file was prelinked to during the library load.
41368 @item
41369 @code{l_ld}, which is memory address of the @code{PT_DYNAMIC} segment
41370 @end itemize
41371
41372 Additionally the single @code{main-lm} attribute specifies address of
41373 @code{struct link_map} used for the main executable. This parameter is used
41374 for TLS access and its presence is optional.
41375
41376 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
41377 SVR4 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
41378
41379 A simple memory map, with two loaded libraries (which do not use prelink),
41380 looks like this:
41381
41382 @smallexample
41383 <library-list-svr4 version="1.0" main-lm="0xe4f8f8">
41384 <library name="/lib/ld-linux.so.2" lm="0xe4f51c" l_addr="0xe2d000"
41385 l_ld="0xe4eefc"/>
41386 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6" lm="0xe4fbe8" l_addr="0x154000"
41387 l_ld="0x152350"/>
41388 </library-list-svr>
41389 @end smallexample
41390
41391 The format of an SVR4 library list is described by this DTD:
41392
41393 @smallexample
41394 <!-- library-list-svr4: Root element with versioning -->
41395 <!ELEMENT library-list-svr4 (library)*>
41396 <!ATTLIST library-list-svr4 version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
41397 <!ATTLIST library-list-svr4 main-lm CDATA #IMPLIED>
41398 <!ELEMENT library EMPTY>
41399 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
41400 <!ATTLIST library lm CDATA #REQUIRED>
41401 <!ATTLIST library l_addr CDATA #REQUIRED>
41402 <!ATTLIST library l_ld CDATA #REQUIRED>
41403 @end smallexample
41404
41405 @node Memory Map Format
41406 @section Memory Map Format
41407 @cindex memory map format
41408
41409 To be able to write into flash memory, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain a
41410 memory map from the target. This section describes the format of the
41411 memory map.
41412
41413 The memory map is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
41414 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}) packet and is an XML document that
41415 lists memory regions.
41416
41417 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
41418 memory maps. @xref{Expat}.
41419
41420 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
41421
41422 @smallexample
41423 <?xml version="1.0"?>
41424 <!DOCTYPE memory-map
41425 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
41426 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-memory-map.dtd">
41427 <memory-map>
41428 region...
41429 </memory-map>
41430 @end smallexample
41431
41432 Each region can be either:
41433
41434 @itemize
41435
41436 @item
41437 A region of RAM starting at @var{addr} and extending for @var{length}
41438 bytes from there:
41439
41440 @smallexample
41441 <memory type="ram" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
41442 @end smallexample
41443
41444
41445 @item
41446 A region of read-only memory:
41447
41448 @smallexample
41449 <memory type="rom" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
41450 @end smallexample
41451
41452
41453 @item
41454 A region of flash memory, with erasure blocks @var{blocksize}
41455 bytes in length:
41456
41457 @smallexample
41458 <memory type="flash" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}">
41459 <property name="blocksize">@var{blocksize}</property>
41460 </memory>
41461 @end smallexample
41462
41463 @end itemize
41464
41465 Regions must not overlap. @value{GDBN} assumes that areas of memory not covered
41466 by the memory map are RAM, and uses the ordinary @samp{M} and @samp{X}
41467 packets to write to addresses in such ranges.
41468
41469 The formal DTD for memory map format is given below:
41470
41471 @smallexample
41472 <!-- ................................................... -->
41473 <!-- Memory Map XML DTD ................................ -->
41474 <!-- File: memory-map.dtd .............................. -->
41475 <!-- .................................... .............. -->
41476 <!-- memory-map.dtd -->
41477 <!-- memory-map: Root element with versioning -->
41478 <!ELEMENT memory-map (memory | property)>
41479 <!ATTLIST memory-map version CDATA #FIXED "1.0.0">
41480 <!ELEMENT memory (property)>
41481 <!-- memory: Specifies a memory region,
41482 and its type, or device. -->
41483 <!ATTLIST memory type CDATA #REQUIRED
41484 start CDATA #REQUIRED
41485 length CDATA #REQUIRED
41486 device CDATA #IMPLIED>
41487 <!-- property: Generic attribute tag -->
41488 <!ELEMENT property (#PCDATA | property)*>
41489 <!ATTLIST property name CDATA #REQUIRED>
41490 @end smallexample
41491
41492 @node Thread List Format
41493 @section Thread List Format
41494 @cindex thread list format
41495
41496 To efficiently update the list of threads and their attributes,
41497 @value{GDBN} issues the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
41498 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}) and obtains the XML document with
41499 the following structure:
41500
41501 @smallexample
41502 <?xml version="1.0"?>
41503 <threads>
41504 <thread id="id" core="0">
41505 ... description ...
41506 </thread>
41507 </threads>
41508 @end smallexample
41509
41510 Each @samp{thread} element must have the @samp{id} attribute that
41511 identifies the thread (@pxref{thread-id syntax}). The
41512 @samp{core} attribute, if present, specifies which processor core
41513 the thread was last executing on. The content of the of @samp{thread}
41514 element is interpreted as human-readable auxilliary information.
41515
41516 @node Traceframe Info Format
41517 @section Traceframe Info Format
41518 @cindex traceframe info format
41519
41520 To be able to know which objects in the inferior can be examined when
41521 inspecting a tracepoint hit, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain the list of
41522 memory ranges, registers and trace state variables that have been
41523 collected in a traceframe.
41524
41525 This list is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
41526 (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}) packet and is an XML document.
41527
41528 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
41529 traceframe info discovery. @xref{Expat}.
41530
41531 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
41532
41533 @smallexample
41534 <?xml version="1.0"?>
41535 <!DOCTYPE traceframe-info
41536 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
41537 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-traceframe-info.dtd">
41538 <traceframe-info>
41539 block...
41540 </traceframe-info>
41541 @end smallexample
41542
41543 Each traceframe block can be either:
41544
41545 @itemize
41546
41547 @item
41548 A region of collected memory starting at @var{addr} and extending for
41549 @var{length} bytes from there:
41550
41551 @smallexample
41552 <memory start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
41553 @end smallexample
41554
41555 @end itemize
41556
41557 The formal DTD for the traceframe info format is given below:
41558
41559 @smallexample
41560 <!ELEMENT traceframe-info (memory)* >
41561 <!ATTLIST traceframe-info version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
41562
41563 <!ELEMENT memory EMPTY>
41564 <!ATTLIST memory start CDATA #REQUIRED
41565 length CDATA #REQUIRED>
41566 @end smallexample
41567
41568 @node Branch Trace Format
41569 @section Branch Trace Format
41570 @cindex branch trace format
41571
41572 In order to display the branch trace of an inferior thread,
41573 @value{GDBN} needs to obtain the list of branches. This list is
41574 represented as list of sequential code blocks that are connected via
41575 branches. The code in each block has been executed sequentially.
41576
41577 This list is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
41578 (@pxref{qXfer btrace read}) packet and is an XML document.
41579
41580 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
41581 traceframe info discovery. @xref{Expat}.
41582
41583 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
41584
41585 @smallexample
41586 <?xml version="1.0"?>
41587 <!DOCTYPE btrace
41588 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Branch Trace V1.0//EN"
41589 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-btrace.dtd">
41590 <btrace>
41591 block...
41592 </btrace>
41593 @end smallexample
41594
41595 @itemize
41596
41597 @item
41598 A block of sequentially executed instructions starting at @var{begin}
41599 and ending at @var{end}:
41600
41601 @smallexample
41602 <block begin="@var{begin}" end="@var{end}"/>
41603 @end smallexample
41604
41605 @end itemize
41606
41607 The formal DTD for the branch trace format is given below:
41608
41609 @smallexample
41610 <!ELEMENT btrace (block)* >
41611 <!ATTLIST btrace version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
41612
41613 <!ELEMENT block EMPTY>
41614 <!ATTLIST block begin CDATA #REQUIRED
41615 end CDATA #REQUIRED>
41616 @end smallexample
41617
41618 @include agentexpr.texi
41619
41620 @node Target Descriptions
41621 @appendix Target Descriptions
41622 @cindex target descriptions
41623
41624 One of the challenges of using @value{GDBN} to debug embedded systems
41625 is that there are so many minor variants of each processor
41626 architecture in use. It is common practice for vendors to start with
41627 a standard processor core --- ARM, PowerPC, or @acronym{MIPS}, for example ---
41628 and then make changes to adapt it to a particular market niche. Some
41629 architectures have hundreds of variants, available from dozens of
41630 vendors. This leads to a number of problems:
41631
41632 @itemize @bullet
41633 @item
41634 With so many different customized processors, it is difficult for
41635 the @value{GDBN} maintainers to keep up with the changes.
41636 @item
41637 Since individual variants may have short lifetimes or limited
41638 audiences, it may not be worthwhile to carry information about every
41639 variant in the @value{GDBN} source tree.
41640 @item
41641 When @value{GDBN} does support the architecture of the embedded system
41642 at hand, the task of finding the correct architecture name to give the
41643 @command{set architecture} command can be error-prone.
41644 @end itemize
41645
41646 To address these problems, the @value{GDBN} remote protocol allows a
41647 target system to not only identify itself to @value{GDBN}, but to
41648 actually describe its own features. This lets @value{GDBN} support
41649 processor variants it has never seen before --- to the extent that the
41650 descriptions are accurate, and that @value{GDBN} understands them.
41651
41652 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
41653 target descriptions. @xref{Expat}.
41654
41655 @menu
41656 * Retrieving Descriptions:: How descriptions are fetched from a target.
41657 * Target Description Format:: The contents of a target description.
41658 * Predefined Target Types:: Standard types available for target
41659 descriptions.
41660 * Standard Target Features:: Features @value{GDBN} knows about.
41661 @end menu
41662
41663 @node Retrieving Descriptions
41664 @section Retrieving Descriptions
41665
41666 Target descriptions can be read from the target automatically, or
41667 specified by the user manually. The default behavior is to read the
41668 description from the target. @value{GDBN} retrieves it via the remote
41669 protocol using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{General Query Packets,
41670 qXfer}). The @var{annex} in the @samp{qXfer} packet will be
41671 @samp{target.xml}. The contents of the @samp{target.xml} annex are an
41672 XML document, of the form described in @ref{Target Description
41673 Format}.
41674
41675 Alternatively, you can specify a file to read for the target description.
41676 If a file is set, the target will not be queried. The commands to
41677 specify a file are:
41678
41679 @table @code
41680 @cindex set tdesc filename
41681 @item set tdesc filename @var{path}
41682 Read the target description from @var{path}.
41683
41684 @cindex unset tdesc filename
41685 @item unset tdesc filename
41686 Do not read the XML target description from a file. @value{GDBN}
41687 will use the description supplied by the current target.
41688
41689 @cindex show tdesc filename
41690 @item show tdesc filename
41691 Show the filename to read for a target description, if any.
41692 @end table
41693
41694
41695 @node Target Description Format
41696 @section Target Description Format
41697 @cindex target descriptions, XML format
41698
41699 A target description annex is an @uref{http://www.w3.org/XML/, XML}
41700 document which complies with the Document Type Definition provided in
41701 the @value{GDBN} sources in @file{gdb/features/gdb-target.dtd}. This
41702 means you can use generally available tools like @command{xmllint} to
41703 check that your feature descriptions are well-formed and valid.
41704 However, to help people unfamiliar with XML write descriptions for
41705 their targets, we also describe the grammar here.
41706
41707 Target descriptions can identify the architecture of the remote target
41708 and (for some architectures) provide information about custom register
41709 sets. They can also identify the OS ABI of the remote target.
41710 @value{GDBN} can use this information to autoconfigure for your
41711 target, or to warn you if you connect to an unsupported target.
41712
41713 Here is a simple target description:
41714
41715 @smallexample
41716 <target version="1.0">
41717 <architecture>i386:x86-64</architecture>
41718 </target>
41719 @end smallexample
41720
41721 @noindent
41722 This minimal description only says that the target uses
41723 the x86-64 architecture.
41724
41725 A target description has the following overall form, with [ ] marking
41726 optional elements and @dots{} marking repeatable elements. The elements
41727 are explained further below.
41728
41729 @smallexample
41730 <?xml version="1.0"?>
41731 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "gdb-target.dtd">
41732 <target version="1.0">
41733 @r{[}@var{architecture}@r{]}
41734 @r{[}@var{osabi}@r{]}
41735 @r{[}@var{compatible}@r{]}
41736 @r{[}@var{feature}@dots{}@r{]}
41737 </target>
41738 @end smallexample
41739
41740 @noindent
41741 The description is generally insensitive to whitespace and line
41742 breaks, under the usual common-sense rules. The XML version
41743 declaration and document type declaration can generally be omitted
41744 (@value{GDBN} does not require them), but specifying them may be
41745 useful for XML validation tools. The @samp{version} attribute for
41746 @samp{<target>} may also be omitted, but we recommend
41747 including it; if future versions of @value{GDBN} use an incompatible
41748 revision of @file{gdb-target.dtd}, they will detect and report
41749 the version mismatch.
41750
41751 @subsection Inclusion
41752 @cindex target descriptions, inclusion
41753 @cindex XInclude
41754 @ifnotinfo
41755 @cindex <xi:include>
41756 @end ifnotinfo
41757
41758 It can sometimes be valuable to split a target description up into
41759 several different annexes, either for organizational purposes, or to
41760 share files between different possible target descriptions. You can
41761 divide a description into multiple files by replacing any element of
41762 the target description with an inclusion directive of the form:
41763
41764 @smallexample
41765 <xi:include href="@var{document}"/>
41766 @end smallexample
41767
41768 @noindent
41769 When @value{GDBN} encounters an element of this form, it will retrieve
41770 the named XML @var{document}, and replace the inclusion directive with
41771 the contents of that document. If the current description was read
41772 using @samp{qXfer}, then so will be the included document;
41773 @var{document} will be interpreted as the name of an annex. If the
41774 current description was read from a file, @value{GDBN} will look for
41775 @var{document} as a file in the same directory where it found the
41776 original description.
41777
41778 @subsection Architecture
41779 @cindex <architecture>
41780
41781 An @samp{<architecture>} element has this form:
41782
41783 @smallexample
41784 <architecture>@var{arch}</architecture>
41785 @end smallexample
41786
41787 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
41788 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
41789
41790 @subsection OS ABI
41791 @cindex @code{<osabi>}
41792
41793 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
41794 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
41795
41796 An @samp{<osabi>} element has this form:
41797
41798 @smallexample
41799 <osabi>@var{abi-name}</osabi>
41800 @end smallexample
41801
41802 @var{abi-name} is an OS ABI name from the same selection accepted by
41803 @w{@code{set osabi}} (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
41804
41805 @subsection Compatible Architecture
41806 @cindex @code{<compatible>}
41807
41808 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
41809 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
41810
41811 A @samp{<compatible>} element has this form:
41812
41813 @smallexample
41814 <compatible>@var{arch}</compatible>
41815 @end smallexample
41816
41817 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
41818 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
41819
41820 A @samp{<compatible>} element is used to specify that the target
41821 is able to run binaries in some other than the main target architecture
41822 given by the @samp{<architecture>} element. For example, on the
41823 Cell Broadband Engine, the main architecture is @code{powerpc:common}
41824 or @code{powerpc:common64}, but the system is able to run binaries
41825 in the @code{spu} architecture as well. The way to describe this
41826 capability with @samp{<compatible>} is as follows:
41827
41828 @smallexample
41829 <architecture>powerpc:common</architecture>
41830 <compatible>spu</compatible>
41831 @end smallexample
41832
41833 @subsection Features
41834 @cindex <feature>
41835
41836 Each @samp{<feature>} describes some logical portion of the target
41837 system. Features are currently used to describe available CPU
41838 registers and the types of their contents. A @samp{<feature>} element
41839 has this form:
41840
41841 @smallexample
41842 <feature name="@var{name}">
41843 @r{[}@var{type}@dots{}@r{]}
41844 @var{reg}@dots{}
41845 </feature>
41846 @end smallexample
41847
41848 @noindent
41849 Each feature's name should be unique within the description. The name
41850 of a feature does not matter unless @value{GDBN} has some special
41851 knowledge of the contents of that feature; if it does, the feature
41852 should have its standard name. @xref{Standard Target Features}.
41853
41854 @subsection Types
41855
41856 Any register's value is a collection of bits which @value{GDBN} must
41857 interpret. The default interpretation is a two's complement integer,
41858 but other types can be requested by name in the register description.
41859 Some predefined types are provided by @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Predefined
41860 Target Types}), and the description can define additional composite types.
41861
41862 Each type element must have an @samp{id} attribute, which gives
41863 a unique (within the containing @samp{<feature>}) name to the type.
41864 Types must be defined before they are used.
41865
41866 @cindex <vector>
41867 Some targets offer vector registers, which can be treated as arrays
41868 of scalar elements. These types are written as @samp{<vector>} elements,
41869 specifying the array element type, @var{type}, and the number of elements,
41870 @var{count}:
41871
41872 @smallexample
41873 <vector id="@var{id}" type="@var{type}" count="@var{count}"/>
41874 @end smallexample
41875
41876 @cindex <union>
41877 If a register's value is usefully viewed in multiple ways, define it
41878 with a union type containing the useful representations. The
41879 @samp{<union>} element contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements,
41880 each of which has a @var{name} and a @var{type}:
41881
41882 @smallexample
41883 <union id="@var{id}">
41884 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
41885 @dots{}
41886 </union>
41887 @end smallexample
41888
41889 @cindex <struct>
41890 If a register's value is composed from several separate values, define
41891 it with a structure type. There are two forms of the @samp{<struct>}
41892 element; a @samp{<struct>} element must either contain only bitfields
41893 or contain no bitfields. If the structure contains only bitfields,
41894 its total size in bytes must be specified, each bitfield must have an
41895 explicit start and end, and bitfields are automatically assigned an
41896 integer type. The field's @var{start} should be less than or
41897 equal to its @var{end}, and zero represents the least significant bit.
41898
41899 @smallexample
41900 <struct id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
41901 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
41902 @dots{}
41903 </struct>
41904 @end smallexample
41905
41906 If the structure contains no bitfields, then each field has an
41907 explicit type, and no implicit padding is added.
41908
41909 @smallexample
41910 <struct id="@var{id}">
41911 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
41912 @dots{}
41913 </struct>
41914 @end smallexample
41915
41916 @cindex <flags>
41917 If a register's value is a series of single-bit flags, define it with
41918 a flags type. The @samp{<flags>} element has an explicit @var{size}
41919 and contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements. Each field has a
41920 @var{name}, a @var{start}, and an @var{end}. Only single-bit flags
41921 are supported.
41922
41923 @smallexample
41924 <flags id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
41925 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
41926 @dots{}
41927 </flags>
41928 @end smallexample
41929
41930 @subsection Registers
41931 @cindex <reg>
41932
41933 Each register is represented as an element with this form:
41934
41935 @smallexample
41936 <reg name="@var{name}"
41937 bitsize="@var{size}"
41938 @r{[}regnum="@var{num}"@r{]}
41939 @r{[}save-restore="@var{save-restore}"@r{]}
41940 @r{[}type="@var{type}"@r{]}
41941 @r{[}group="@var{group}"@r{]}/>
41942 @end smallexample
41943
41944 @noindent
41945 The components are as follows:
41946
41947 @table @var
41948
41949 @item name
41950 The register's name; it must be unique within the target description.
41951
41952 @item bitsize
41953 The register's size, in bits.
41954
41955 @item regnum
41956 The register's number. If omitted, a register's number is one greater
41957 than that of the previous register (either in the current feature or in
41958 a preceding feature); the first register in the target description
41959 defaults to zero. This register number is used to read or write
41960 the register; e.g.@: it is used in the remote @code{p} and @code{P}
41961 packets, and registers appear in the @code{g} and @code{G} packets
41962 in order of increasing register number.
41963
41964 @item save-restore
41965 Whether the register should be preserved across inferior function
41966 calls; this must be either @code{yes} or @code{no}. The default is
41967 @code{yes}, which is appropriate for most registers except for
41968 some system control registers; this is not related to the target's
41969 ABI.
41970
41971 @item type
41972 The type of the register. @var{type} may be a predefined type, a type
41973 defined in the current feature, or one of the special types @code{int}
41974 and @code{float}. @code{int} is an integer type of the correct size
41975 for @var{bitsize}, and @code{float} is a floating point type (in the
41976 architecture's normal floating point format) of the correct size for
41977 @var{bitsize}. The default is @code{int}.
41978
41979 @item group
41980 The register group to which this register belongs. @var{group} must
41981 be either @code{general}, @code{float}, or @code{vector}. If no
41982 @var{group} is specified, @value{GDBN} will not display the register
41983 in @code{info registers}.
41984
41985 @end table
41986
41987 @node Predefined Target Types
41988 @section Predefined Target Types
41989 @cindex target descriptions, predefined types
41990
41991 Type definitions in the self-description can build up composite types
41992 from basic building blocks, but can not define fundamental types. Instead,
41993 standard identifiers are provided by @value{GDBN} for the fundamental
41994 types. The currently supported types are:
41995
41996 @table @code
41997
41998 @item int8
41999 @itemx int16
42000 @itemx int32
42001 @itemx int64
42002 @itemx int128
42003 Signed integer types holding the specified number of bits.
42004
42005 @item uint8
42006 @itemx uint16
42007 @itemx uint32
42008 @itemx uint64
42009 @itemx uint128
42010 Unsigned integer types holding the specified number of bits.
42011
42012 @item code_ptr
42013 @itemx data_ptr
42014 Pointers to unspecified code and data. The program counter and
42015 any dedicated return address register may be marked as code
42016 pointers; printing a code pointer converts it into a symbolic
42017 address. The stack pointer and any dedicated address registers
42018 may be marked as data pointers.
42019
42020 @item ieee_single
42021 Single precision IEEE floating point.
42022
42023 @item ieee_double
42024 Double precision IEEE floating point.
42025
42026 @item arm_fpa_ext
42027 The 12-byte extended precision format used by ARM FPA registers.
42028
42029 @item i387_ext
42030 The 10-byte extended precision format used by x87 registers.
42031
42032 @item i386_eflags
42033 32bit @sc{eflags} register used by x86.
42034
42035 @item i386_mxcsr
42036 32bit @sc{mxcsr} register used by x86.
42037
42038 @end table
42039
42040 @node Standard Target Features
42041 @section Standard Target Features
42042 @cindex target descriptions, standard features
42043
42044 A target description must contain either no registers or all the
42045 target's registers. If the description contains no registers, then
42046 @value{GDBN} will assume a default register layout, selected based on
42047 the architecture. If the description contains any registers, the
42048 default layout will not be used; the standard registers must be
42049 described in the target description, in such a way that @value{GDBN}
42050 can recognize them.
42051
42052 This is accomplished by giving specific names to feature elements
42053 which contain standard registers. @value{GDBN} will look for features
42054 with those names and verify that they contain the expected registers;
42055 if any known feature is missing required registers, or if any required
42056 feature is missing, @value{GDBN} will reject the target
42057 description. You can add additional registers to any of the
42058 standard features --- @value{GDBN} will display them just as if
42059 they were added to an unrecognized feature.
42060
42061 This section lists the known features and their expected contents.
42062 Sample XML documents for these features are included in the
42063 @value{GDBN} source tree, in the directory @file{gdb/features}.
42064
42065 Names recognized by @value{GDBN} should include the name of the
42066 company or organization which selected the name, and the overall
42067 architecture to which the feature applies; so e.g.@: the feature
42068 containing ARM core registers is named @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}.
42069
42070 The names of registers are not case sensitive for the purpose
42071 of recognizing standard features, but @value{GDBN} will only display
42072 registers using the capitalization used in the description.
42073
42074 @menu
42075 * AArch64 Features::
42076 * ARM Features::
42077 * i386 Features::
42078 * MIPS Features::
42079 * M68K Features::
42080 * Nios II Features::
42081 * PowerPC Features::
42082 * TIC6x Features::
42083 @end menu
42084
42085
42086 @node AArch64 Features
42087 @subsection AArch64 Features
42088 @cindex target descriptions, AArch64 features
42089
42090 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.aarch64.core} feature is required for AArch64
42091 targets. It should contain registers @samp{x0} through @samp{x30},
42092 @samp{sp}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
42093
42094 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.aarch64.fpu} feature is optional. If present,
42095 it should contain registers @samp{v0} through @samp{v31}, @samp{fpsr},
42096 and @samp{fpcr}.
42097
42098 @node ARM Features
42099 @subsection ARM Features
42100 @cindex target descriptions, ARM features
42101
42102 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core} feature is required for non-M-profile
42103 ARM targets.
42104 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp},
42105 @samp{lr}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
42106
42107 For M-profile targets (e.g. Cortex-M3), the @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}
42108 feature is replaced by @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.m-profile}. It should contain
42109 registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp}, @samp{lr}, @samp{pc},
42110 and @samp{xpsr}.
42111
42112 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.fpa} feature is optional. If present, it
42113 should contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f7} and @samp{fps}.
42114
42115 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.xscale.iwmmxt} feature is optional. If present,
42116 it should contain at least registers @samp{wR0} through @samp{wR15} and
42117 @samp{wCGR0} through @samp{wCGR3}. The @samp{wCID}, @samp{wCon},
42118 @samp{wCSSF}, and @samp{wCASF} registers are optional.
42119
42120 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} feature is optional. If present, it
42121 should contain at least registers @samp{d0} through @samp{d15}. If
42122 they are present, @samp{d16} through @samp{d31} should also be included.
42123 @value{GDBN} will synthesize the single-precision registers from
42124 halves of the double-precision registers.
42125
42126 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.neon} feature is optional. It does not
42127 need to contain registers; it instructs @value{GDBN} to display the
42128 VFP double-precision registers as vectors and to synthesize the
42129 quad-precision registers from pairs of double-precision registers.
42130 If this feature is present, @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} must also
42131 be present and include 32 double-precision registers.
42132
42133 @node i386 Features
42134 @subsection i386 Features
42135 @cindex target descriptions, i386 features
42136
42137 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.core} feature is required for i386/amd64
42138 targets. It should describe the following registers:
42139
42140 @itemize @minus
42141 @item
42142 @samp{eax} through @samp{edi} plus @samp{eip} for i386
42143 @item
42144 @samp{rax} through @samp{r15} plus @samp{rip} for amd64
42145 @item
42146 @samp{eflags}, @samp{cs}, @samp{ss}, @samp{ds}, @samp{es},
42147 @samp{fs}, @samp{gs}
42148 @item
42149 @samp{st0} through @samp{st7}
42150 @item
42151 @samp{fctrl}, @samp{fstat}, @samp{ftag}, @samp{fiseg}, @samp{fioff},
42152 @samp{foseg}, @samp{fooff} and @samp{fop}
42153 @end itemize
42154
42155 The register sets may be different, depending on the target.
42156
42157 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature is optional. It should
42158 describe registers:
42159
42160 @itemize @minus
42161 @item
42162 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm7} for i386
42163 @item
42164 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm15} for amd64
42165 @item
42166 @samp{mxcsr}
42167 @end itemize
42168
42169 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.avx} feature is optional and requires the
42170 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature. It should
42171 describe the upper 128 bits of @sc{ymm} registers:
42172
42173 @itemize @minus
42174 @item
42175 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm7h} for i386
42176 @item
42177 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm15h} for amd64
42178 @end itemize
42179
42180 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.linux} feature is optional. It should
42181 describe a single register, @samp{orig_eax}.
42182
42183 @node MIPS Features
42184 @subsection @acronym{MIPS} Features
42185 @cindex target descriptions, @acronym{MIPS} features
42186
42187 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cpu} feature is required for @acronym{MIPS} targets.
42188 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31}, @samp{lo},
42189 @samp{hi}, and @samp{pc}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending
42190 on the target.
42191
42192 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cp0} feature is also required. It should
42193 contain at least the @samp{status}, @samp{badvaddr}, and @samp{cause}
42194 registers. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
42195
42196 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.fpu} feature is currently required, though
42197 it may be optional in a future version of @value{GDBN}. It should
42198 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31}, @samp{fcsr}, and
42199 @samp{fir}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
42200
42201 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.dsp} feature is optional. It should
42202 contain registers @samp{hi1} through @samp{hi3}, @samp{lo1} through
42203 @samp{lo3}, and @samp{dspctl}. The @samp{dspctl} register should
42204 be 32-bit and the rest may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
42205
42206 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.linux} feature is optional. It should
42207 contain a single register, @samp{restart}, which is used by the
42208 Linux kernel to control restartable syscalls.
42209
42210 @node M68K Features
42211 @subsection M68K Features
42212 @cindex target descriptions, M68K features
42213
42214 @table @code
42215 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.m68k.core}
42216 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.core}
42217 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.fido.core}
42218 One of those features must be always present.
42219 The feature that is present determines which flavor of m68k is
42220 used. The feature that is present should contain registers
42221 @samp{d0} through @samp{d7}, @samp{a0} through @samp{a5}, @samp{fp},
42222 @samp{sp}, @samp{ps} and @samp{pc}.
42223
42224 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.fp}
42225 This feature is optional. If present, it should contain registers
42226 @samp{fp0} through @samp{fp7}, @samp{fpcontrol}, @samp{fpstatus} and
42227 @samp{fpiaddr}.
42228 @end table
42229
42230 @node Nios II Features
42231 @subsection Nios II Features
42232 @cindex target descriptions, Nios II features
42233
42234 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.nios2.cpu} feature is required for Nios II
42235 targets. It should contain the 32 core registers (@samp{zero},
42236 @samp{at}, @samp{r2} through @samp{r23}, @samp{et} through @samp{ra}),
42237 @samp{pc}, and the 16 control registers (@samp{status} through
42238 @samp{mpuacc}).
42239
42240 @node PowerPC Features
42241 @subsection PowerPC Features
42242 @cindex target descriptions, PowerPC features
42243
42244 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} feature is required for PowerPC
42245 targets. It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31},
42246 @samp{pc}, @samp{msr}, @samp{cr}, @samp{lr}, @samp{ctr}, and
42247 @samp{xer}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
42248
42249 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.fpu} feature is optional. It should
42250 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31} and @samp{fpscr}.
42251
42252 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.altivec} feature is optional. It should
42253 contain registers @samp{vr0} through @samp{vr31}, @samp{vscr},
42254 and @samp{vrsave}.
42255
42256 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.vsx} feature is optional. It should
42257 contain registers @samp{vs0h} through @samp{vs31h}. @value{GDBN}
42258 will combine these registers with the floating point registers
42259 (@samp{f0} through @samp{f31}) and the altivec registers (@samp{vr0}
42260 through @samp{vr31}) to present the 128-bit wide registers @samp{vs0}
42261 through @samp{vs63}, the set of vector registers for POWER7.
42262
42263 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.spe} feature is optional. It should
42264 contain registers @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}, @samp{acc}, and
42265 @samp{spefscr}. SPE targets should provide 32-bit registers in
42266 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} and provide the upper halves in
42267 @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}. @value{GDBN} will combine
42268 these to present registers @samp{ev0} through @samp{ev31} to the
42269 user.
42270
42271 @node TIC6x Features
42272 @subsection TMS320C6x Features
42273 @cindex target descriptions, TIC6x features
42274 @cindex target descriptions, TMS320C6x features
42275 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.core} feature is required for TMS320C6x
42276 targets. It should contain registers @samp{A0} through @samp{A15},
42277 registers @samp{B0} through @samp{B15}, @samp{CSR} and @samp{PC}.
42278
42279 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.gp} feature is optional. It should
42280 contain registers @samp{A16} through @samp{A31} and @samp{B16}
42281 through @samp{B31}.
42282
42283 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.c6xp} feature is optional. It should
42284 contain registers @samp{TSR}, @samp{ILC} and @samp{RILC}.
42285
42286 @node Operating System Information
42287 @appendix Operating System Information
42288 @cindex operating system information
42289
42290 @menu
42291 * Process list::
42292 @end menu
42293
42294 Users of @value{GDBN} often wish to obtain information about the state of
42295 the operating system running on the target---for example the list of
42296 processes, or the list of open files. This section describes the
42297 mechanism that makes it possible. This mechanism is similar to the
42298 target features mechanism (@pxref{Target Descriptions}), but focuses
42299 on a different aspect of target.
42300
42301 Operating system information is retrived from the target via the
42302 remote protocol, using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{qXfer osdata
42303 read}). The object name in the request should be @samp{osdata}, and
42304 the @var{annex} identifies the data to be fetched.
42305
42306 @node Process list
42307 @appendixsection Process list
42308 @cindex operating system information, process list
42309
42310 When requesting the process list, the @var{annex} field in the
42311 @samp{qXfer} request should be @samp{processes}. The returned data is
42312 an XML document. The formal syntax of this document is defined in
42313 @file{gdb/features/osdata.dtd}.
42314
42315 An example document is:
42316
42317 @smallexample
42318 <?xml version="1.0"?>
42319 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "osdata.dtd">
42320 <osdata type="processes">
42321 <item>
42322 <column name="pid">1</column>
42323 <column name="user">root</column>
42324 <column name="command">/sbin/init</column>
42325 <column name="cores">1,2,3</column>
42326 </item>
42327 </osdata>
42328 @end smallexample
42329
42330 Each item should include a column whose name is @samp{pid}. The value
42331 of that column should identify the process on the target. The
42332 @samp{user} and @samp{command} columns are optional, and will be
42333 displayed by @value{GDBN}. The @samp{cores} column, if present,
42334 should contain a comma-separated list of cores that this process
42335 is running on. Target may provide additional columns,
42336 which @value{GDBN} currently ignores.
42337
42338 @node Trace File Format
42339 @appendix Trace File Format
42340 @cindex trace file format
42341
42342 The trace file comes in three parts: a header, a textual description
42343 section, and a trace frame section with binary data.
42344
42345 The header has the form @code{\x7fTRACE0\n}. The first byte is
42346 @code{0x7f} so as to indicate that the file contains binary data,
42347 while the @code{0} is a version number that may have different values
42348 in the future.
42349
42350 The description section consists of multiple lines of @sc{ascii} text
42351 separated by newline characters (@code{0xa}). The lines may include a
42352 variety of optional descriptive or context-setting information, such
42353 as tracepoint definitions or register set size. @value{GDBN} will
42354 ignore any line that it does not recognize. An empty line marks the end
42355 of this section.
42356
42357 @c FIXME add some specific types of data
42358
42359 The trace frame section consists of a number of consecutive frames.
42360 Each frame begins with a two-byte tracepoint number, followed by a
42361 four-byte size giving the amount of data in the frame. The data in
42362 the frame consists of a number of blocks, each introduced by a
42363 character indicating its type (at least register, memory, and trace
42364 state variable). The data in this section is raw binary, not a
42365 hexadecimal or other encoding; its endianness matches the target's
42366 endianness.
42367
42368 @c FIXME bi-arch may require endianness/arch info in description section
42369
42370 @table @code
42371 @item R @var{bytes}
42372 Register block. The number and ordering of bytes matches that of a
42373 @code{g} packet in the remote protocol. Note that these are the
42374 actual bytes, in target order and @value{GDBN} register order, not a
42375 hexadecimal encoding.
42376
42377 @item M @var{address} @var{length} @var{bytes}...
42378 Memory block. This is a contiguous block of memory, at the 8-byte
42379 address @var{address}, with a 2-byte length @var{length}, followed by
42380 @var{length} bytes.
42381
42382 @item V @var{number} @var{value}
42383 Trace state variable block. This records the 8-byte signed value
42384 @var{value} of trace state variable numbered @var{number}.
42385
42386 @end table
42387
42388 Future enhancements of the trace file format may include additional types
42389 of blocks.
42390
42391 @node Index Section Format
42392 @appendix @code{.gdb_index} section format
42393 @cindex .gdb_index section format
42394 @cindex index section format
42395
42396 This section documents the index section that is created by @code{save
42397 gdb-index} (@pxref{Index Files}). The index section is
42398 DWARF-specific; some knowledge of DWARF is assumed in this
42399 description.
42400
42401 The mapped index file format is designed to be directly
42402 @code{mmap}able on any architecture. In most cases, a datum is
42403 represented using a little-endian 32-bit integer value, called an
42404 @code{offset_type}. Big endian machines must byte-swap the values
42405 before using them. Exceptions to this rule are noted. The data is
42406 laid out such that alignment is always respected.
42407
42408 A mapped index consists of several areas, laid out in order.
42409
42410 @enumerate
42411 @item
42412 The file header. This is a sequence of values, of @code{offset_type}
42413 unless otherwise noted:
42414
42415 @enumerate
42416 @item
42417 The version number, currently 8. Versions 1, 2 and 3 are obsolete.
42418 Version 4 uses a different hashing function from versions 5 and 6.
42419 Version 6 includes symbols for inlined functions, whereas versions 4
42420 and 5 do not. Version 7 adds attributes to the CU indices in the
42421 symbol table. Version 8 specifies that symbols from DWARF type units
42422 (@samp{DW_TAG_type_unit}) refer to the type unit's symbol table and not the
42423 compilation unit (@samp{DW_TAG_comp_unit}) using the type.
42424
42425 @value{GDBN} will only read version 4, 5, or 6 indices
42426 by specifying @code{set use-deprecated-index-sections on}.
42427 GDB has a workaround for potentially broken version 7 indices so it is
42428 currently not flagged as deprecated.
42429
42430 @item
42431 The offset, from the start of the file, of the CU list.
42432
42433 @item
42434 The offset, from the start of the file, of the types CU list. Note
42435 that this area can be empty, in which case this offset will be equal
42436 to the next offset.
42437
42438 @item
42439 The offset, from the start of the file, of the address area.
42440
42441 @item
42442 The offset, from the start of the file, of the symbol table.
42443
42444 @item
42445 The offset, from the start of the file, of the constant pool.
42446 @end enumerate
42447
42448 @item
42449 The CU list. This is a sequence of pairs of 64-bit little-endian
42450 values, sorted by the CU offset. The first element in each pair is
42451 the offset of a CU in the @code{.debug_info} section. The second
42452 element in each pair is the length of that CU. References to a CU
42453 elsewhere in the map are done using a CU index, which is just the
42454 0-based index into this table. Note that if there are type CUs, then
42455 conceptually CUs and type CUs form a single list for the purposes of
42456 CU indices.
42457
42458 @item
42459 The types CU list. This is a sequence of triplets of 64-bit
42460 little-endian values. In a triplet, the first value is the CU offset,
42461 the second value is the type offset in the CU, and the third value is
42462 the type signature. The types CU list is not sorted.
42463
42464 @item
42465 The address area. The address area consists of a sequence of address
42466 entries. Each address entry has three elements:
42467
42468 @enumerate
42469 @item
42470 The low address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value.
42471
42472 @item
42473 The high address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value. Like
42474 @code{DW_AT_high_pc}, the value is one byte beyond the end.
42475
42476 @item
42477 The CU index. This is an @code{offset_type} value.
42478 @end enumerate
42479
42480 @item
42481 The symbol table. This is an open-addressed hash table. The size of
42482 the hash table is always a power of 2.
42483
42484 Each slot in the hash table consists of a pair of @code{offset_type}
42485 values. The first value is the offset of the symbol's name in the
42486 constant pool. The second value is the offset of the CU vector in the
42487 constant pool.
42488
42489 If both values are 0, then this slot in the hash table is empty. This
42490 is ok because while 0 is a valid constant pool index, it cannot be a
42491 valid index for both a string and a CU vector.
42492
42493 The hash value for a table entry is computed by applying an
42494 iterative hash function to the symbol's name. Starting with an
42495 initial value of @code{r = 0}, each (unsigned) character @samp{c} in
42496 the string is incorporated into the hash using the formula depending on the
42497 index version:
42498
42499 @table @asis
42500 @item Version 4
42501 The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + c - 113}.
42502
42503 @item Versions 5 to 7
42504 The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + tolower (c) - 113}.
42505 @end table
42506
42507 The terminating @samp{\0} is not incorporated into the hash.
42508
42509 The step size used in the hash table is computed via
42510 @code{((hash * 17) & (size - 1)) | 1}, where @samp{hash} is the hash
42511 value, and @samp{size} is the size of the hash table. The step size
42512 is used to find the next candidate slot when handling a hash
42513 collision.
42514
42515 The names of C@t{++} symbols in the hash table are canonicalized. We
42516 don't currently have a simple description of the canonicalization
42517 algorithm; if you intend to create new index sections, you must read
42518 the code.
42519
42520 @item
42521 The constant pool. This is simply a bunch of bytes. It is organized
42522 so that alignment is correct: CU vectors are stored first, followed by
42523 strings.
42524
42525 A CU vector in the constant pool is a sequence of @code{offset_type}
42526 values. The first value is the number of CU indices in the vector.
42527 Each subsequent value is the index and symbol attributes of a CU in
42528 the CU list. This element in the hash table is used to indicate which
42529 CUs define the symbol and how the symbol is used.
42530 See below for the format of each CU index+attributes entry.
42531
42532 A string in the constant pool is zero-terminated.
42533 @end enumerate
42534
42535 Attributes were added to CU index values in @code{.gdb_index} version 7.
42536 If a symbol has multiple uses within a CU then there is one
42537 CU index+attributes value for each use.
42538
42539 The format of each CU index+attributes entry is as follows
42540 (bit 0 = LSB):
42541
42542 @table @asis
42543
42544 @item Bits 0-23
42545 This is the index of the CU in the CU list.
42546 @item Bits 24-27
42547 These bits are reserved for future purposes and must be zero.
42548 @item Bits 28-30
42549 The kind of the symbol in the CU.
42550
42551 @table @asis
42552 @item 0
42553 This value is reserved and should not be used.
42554 By reserving zero the full @code{offset_type} value is backwards compatible
42555 with previous versions of the index.
42556 @item 1
42557 The symbol is a type.
42558 @item 2
42559 The symbol is a variable or an enum value.
42560 @item 3
42561 The symbol is a function.
42562 @item 4
42563 Any other kind of symbol.
42564 @item 5,6,7
42565 These values are reserved.
42566 @end table
42567
42568 @item Bit 31
42569 This bit is zero if the value is global and one if it is static.
42570
42571 The determination of whether a symbol is global or static is complicated.
42572 The authorative reference is the file @file{dwarf2read.c} in
42573 @value{GDBN} sources.
42574
42575 @end table
42576
42577 This pseudo-code describes the computation of a symbol's kind and
42578 global/static attributes in the index.
42579
42580 @smallexample
42581 is_external = get_attribute (die, DW_AT_external);
42582 language = get_attribute (cu_die, DW_AT_language);
42583 switch (die->tag)
42584 @{
42585 case DW_TAG_typedef:
42586 case DW_TAG_base_type:
42587 case DW_TAG_subrange_type:
42588 kind = TYPE;
42589 is_static = 1;
42590 break;
42591 case DW_TAG_enumerator:
42592 kind = VARIABLE;
42593 is_static = (language != CPLUS && language != JAVA);
42594 break;
42595 case DW_TAG_subprogram:
42596 kind = FUNCTION;
42597 is_static = ! (is_external || language == ADA);
42598 break;
42599 case DW_TAG_constant:
42600 kind = VARIABLE;
42601 is_static = ! is_external;
42602 break;
42603 case DW_TAG_variable:
42604 kind = VARIABLE;
42605 is_static = ! is_external;
42606 break;
42607 case DW_TAG_namespace:
42608 kind = TYPE;
42609 is_static = 0;
42610 break;
42611 case DW_TAG_class_type:
42612 case DW_TAG_interface_type:
42613 case DW_TAG_structure_type:
42614 case DW_TAG_union_type:
42615 case DW_TAG_enumeration_type:
42616 kind = TYPE;
42617 is_static = (language != CPLUS && language != JAVA);
42618 break;
42619 default:
42620 assert (0);
42621 @}
42622 @end smallexample
42623
42624 @node Man Pages
42625 @appendix Manual pages
42626 @cindex Man pages
42627
42628 @menu
42629 * gdb man:: The GNU Debugger man page
42630 * gdbserver man:: Remote Server for the GNU Debugger man page
42631 * gcore man:: Generate a core file of a running program
42632 * gdbinit man:: gdbinit scripts
42633 @end menu
42634
42635 @node gdb man
42636 @heading gdb man
42637
42638 @c man title gdb The GNU Debugger
42639
42640 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gdb
42641 gdb [@option{-help}] [@option{-nh}] [@option{-nx}] [@option{-q}]
42642 [@option{-batch}] [@option{-cd=}@var{dir}] [@option{-f}]
42643 [@option{-b}@w{ }@var{bps}]
42644 [@option{-tty=}@var{dev}] [@option{-s} @var{symfile}]
42645 [@option{-e}@w{ }@var{prog}] [@option{-se}@w{ }@var{prog}]
42646 [@option{-c}@w{ }@var{core}] [@option{-p}@w{ }@var{procID}]
42647 [@option{-x}@w{ }@var{cmds}] [@option{-d}@w{ }@var{dir}]
42648 [@var{prog}|@var{prog} @var{procID}|@var{prog} @var{core}]
42649 @c man end
42650
42651 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gdb
42652 The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
42653 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes -- or what another
42654 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
42655
42656 @value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
42657 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
42658
42659 @itemize @bullet
42660 @item
42661 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
42662
42663 @item
42664 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
42665
42666 @item
42667 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
42668
42669 @item
42670 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
42671 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
42672 @end itemize
42673
42674 You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C, C@t{++}, Fortran and
42675 Modula-2.
42676
42677 @value{GDBN} is invoked with the shell command @code{gdb}. Once started, it reads
42678 commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit with the @value{GDBN}
42679 command @code{quit}. You can get online help from @value{GDBN} itself
42680 by using the command @code{help}.
42681
42682 You can run @code{gdb} with no arguments or options; but the most
42683 usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument or two, specifying an
42684 executable program as the argument:
42685
42686 @smallexample
42687 gdb program
42688 @end smallexample
42689
42690 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file specified:
42691
42692 @smallexample
42693 gdb program core
42694 @end smallexample
42695
42696 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
42697 to debug a running process:
42698
42699 @smallexample
42700 gdb program 1234
42701 gdb -p 1234
42702 @end smallexample
42703
42704 @noindent
42705 would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
42706 named @file{1234}; @value{GDBN} does check for a core file first).
42707 With option @option{-p} you can omit the @var{program} filename.
42708
42709 Here are some of the most frequently needed @value{GDBN} commands:
42710
42711 @c pod2man highlights the right hand side of the @item lines.
42712 @table @env
42713 @item break [@var{file}:]@var{functiop}
42714 Set a breakpoint at @var{function} (in @var{file}).
42715
42716 @item run [@var{arglist}]
42717 Start your program (with @var{arglist}, if specified).
42718
42719 @item bt
42720 Backtrace: display the program stack.
42721
42722 @item print @var{expr}
42723 Display the value of an expression.
42724
42725 @item c
42726 Continue running your program (after stopping, e.g. at a breakpoint).
42727
42728 @item next
42729 Execute next program line (after stopping); step @emph{over} any
42730 function calls in the line.
42731
42732 @item edit [@var{file}:]@var{function}
42733 look at the program line where it is presently stopped.
42734
42735 @item list [@var{file}:]@var{function}
42736 type the text of the program in the vicinity of where it is presently stopped.
42737
42738 @item step
42739 Execute next program line (after stopping); step @emph{into} any
42740 function calls in the line.
42741
42742 @item help [@var{name}]
42743 Show information about @value{GDBN} command @var{name}, or general information
42744 about using @value{GDBN}.
42745
42746 @item quit
42747 Exit from @value{GDBN}.
42748 @end table
42749
42750 @ifset man
42751 For full details on @value{GDBN},
42752 see @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
42753 by Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch. The same text is available online
42754 as the @code{gdb} entry in the @code{info} program.
42755 @end ifset
42756 @c man end
42757
42758 @c man begin OPTIONS gdb
42759 Any arguments other than options specify an executable
42760 file and core file (or process ID); that is, the first argument
42761 encountered with no
42762 associated option flag is equivalent to a @option{-se} option, and the second,
42763 if any, is equivalent to a @option{-c} option if it's the name of a file.
42764 Many options have
42765 both long and short forms; both are shown here. The long forms are also
42766 recognized if you truncate them, so long as enough of the option is
42767 present to be unambiguous. (If you prefer, you can flag option
42768 arguments with @option{+} rather than @option{-}, though we illustrate the
42769 more usual convention.)
42770
42771 All the options and command line arguments you give are processed
42772 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the @option{-x}
42773 option is used.
42774
42775 @table @env
42776 @item -help
42777 @itemx -h
42778 List all options, with brief explanations.
42779
42780 @item -symbols=@var{file}
42781 @itemx -s @var{file}
42782 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
42783
42784 @item -write
42785 Enable writing into executable and core files.
42786
42787 @item -exec=@var{file}
42788 @itemx -e @var{file}
42789 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when
42790 appropriate, and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core
42791 dump.
42792
42793 @item -se=@var{file}
42794 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
42795 file.
42796
42797 @item -core=@var{file}
42798 @itemx -c @var{file}
42799 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
42800
42801 @item -command=@var{file}
42802 @itemx -x @var{file}
42803 Execute @value{GDBN} commands from file @var{file}.
42804
42805 @item -ex @var{command}
42806 Execute given @value{GDBN} @var{command}.
42807
42808 @item -directory=@var{directory}
42809 @itemx -d @var{directory}
42810 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source files.
42811
42812 @item -nh
42813 Do not execute commands from @file{~/.gdbinit}.
42814
42815 @item -nx
42816 @itemx -n
42817 Do not execute commands from any @file{.gdbinit} initialization files.
42818
42819 @item -quiet
42820 @itemx -q
42821 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
42822 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
42823
42824 @item -batch
42825 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the command
42826 files specified with @option{-x} (and @file{.gdbinit}, if not inhibited).
42827 Exit with nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN}
42828 commands in the command files.
42829
42830 Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for example to
42831 download and run a program on another computer; in order to make this
42832 more useful, the message
42833
42834 @smallexample
42835 Program exited normally.
42836 @end smallexample
42837
42838 @noindent
42839 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under @value{GDBN} control
42840 terminates) is not issued when running in batch mode.
42841
42842 @item -cd=@var{directory}
42843 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
42844 instead of the current directory.
42845
42846 @item -fullname
42847 @itemx -f
42848 Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a subprocess. It tells
42849 @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line number in a standard,
42850 recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is displayed (which
42851 includes each time the program stops). This recognizable format looks
42852 like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by the file name, line number
42853 and character position separated by colons, and a newline. The
42854 Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two @samp{\032}
42855 characters as a signal to display the source code for the frame.
42856
42857 @item -b @var{bps}
42858 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
42859 interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
42860
42861 @item -tty=@var{device}
42862 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
42863 @end table
42864 @c man end
42865
42866 @c man begin SEEALSO gdb
42867 @ifset man
42868 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
42869 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
42870 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
42871
42872 @smallexample
42873 info gdb
42874 @end smallexample
42875
42876 @noindent
42877 should give you access to the complete manual.
42878
42879 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
42880 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
42881 @end ifset
42882 @c man end
42883
42884 @node gdbserver man
42885 @heading gdbserver man
42886
42887 @c man title gdbserver Remote Server for the GNU Debugger
42888 @format
42889 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gdbserver
42890 gdbserver @var{comm} @var{prog} [@var{args}@dots{}]
42891
42892 gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
42893
42894 gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
42895 @c man end
42896 @end format
42897
42898 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gdbserver
42899 @command{gdbserver} is a program that allows you to run @value{GDBN} on a different machine
42900 than the one which is running the program being debugged.
42901
42902 @ifclear man
42903 @subheading Usage (server (target) side)
42904 @end ifclear
42905 @ifset man
42906 Usage (server (target) side):
42907 @end ifset
42908
42909 First, you need to have a copy of the program you want to debug put onto
42910 the target system. The program can be stripped to save space if needed, as
42911 @command{gdbserver} doesn't care about symbols. All symbol handling is taken care of by
42912 the @value{GDBN} running on the host system.
42913
42914 To use the server, you log on to the target system, and run the @command{gdbserver}
42915 program. You must tell it (a) how to communicate with @value{GDBN}, (b) the name of
42916 your program, and (c) its arguments. The general syntax is:
42917
42918 @smallexample
42919 target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [@var{args} ...]
42920 @end smallexample
42921
42922 For example, using a serial port, you might say:
42923
42924 @smallexample
42925 @ifset man
42926 @c @file would wrap it as F</dev/com1>.
42927 target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
42928 @end ifset
42929 @ifclear man
42930 target> gdbserver @file{/dev/com1} emacs foo.txt
42931 @end ifclear
42932 @end smallexample
42933
42934 This tells @command{gdbserver} to debug emacs with an argument of foo.txt, and
42935 to communicate with @value{GDBN} via @file{/dev/com1}. @command{gdbserver} now
42936 waits patiently for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate with it.
42937
42938 To use a TCP connection, you could say:
42939
42940 @smallexample
42941 target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
42942 @end smallexample
42943
42944 This says pretty much the same thing as the last example, except that we are
42945 going to communicate with the @code{host} @value{GDBN} via TCP. The @code{host:2345} argument means
42946 that we are expecting to see a TCP connection from @code{host} to local TCP port
42947 2345. (Currently, the @code{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number you
42948 want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any existing TCP
42949 ports on the target system. This same port number must be used in the host
42950 @value{GDBN}s @code{target remote} command, which will be described shortly. Note that if
42951 you chose a port number that conflicts with another service, @command{gdbserver} will
42952 print an error message and exit.
42953
42954 @command{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
42955 This is accomplished via the @option{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
42956
42957 @smallexample
42958 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
42959 @end smallexample
42960
42961 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't
42962 necessary to point @command{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
42963
42964 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
42965 or process ID to attach, use the @option{--multi} command line option.
42966 In such case you should connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} to start
42967 the program you want to debug.
42968
42969 @smallexample
42970 target> gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
42971 @end smallexample
42972
42973 @ifclear man
42974 @subheading Usage (host side)
42975 @end ifclear
42976 @ifset man
42977 Usage (host side):
42978 @end ifset
42979
42980 You need an unstripped copy of the target program on your host system, since
42981 @value{GDBN} needs to examine it's symbol tables and such. Start up @value{GDBN} as you normally
42982 would, with the target program as the first argument. (You may need to use the
42983 @option{--baud} option if the serial line is running at anything except 9600 baud.)
42984 That is @code{gdb TARGET-PROG}, or @code{gdb --baud BAUD TARGET-PROG}. After that, the only
42985 new command you need to know about is @code{target remote}
42986 (or @code{target extended-remote}). Its argument is either
42987 a device name (usually a serial device, like @file{/dev/ttyb}), or a @code{HOST:PORT}
42988 descriptor. For example:
42989
42990 @smallexample
42991 @ifset man
42992 @c @file would wrap it as F</dev/ttyb>.
42993 (gdb) target remote /dev/ttyb
42994 @end ifset
42995 @ifclear man
42996 (gdb) target remote @file{/dev/ttyb}
42997 @end ifclear
42998 @end smallexample
42999
43000 @noindent
43001 communicates with the server via serial line @file{/dev/ttyb}, and:
43002
43003 @smallexample
43004 (gdb) target remote the-target:2345
43005 @end smallexample
43006
43007 @noindent
43008 communicates via a TCP connection to port 2345 on host `the-target', where
43009 you previously started up @command{gdbserver} with the same port number. Note that for
43010 TCP connections, you must start up @command{gdbserver} prior to using the `target remote'
43011 command, otherwise you may get an error that looks something like
43012 `Connection refused'.
43013
43014 @command{gdbserver} can also debug multiple inferiors at once,
43015 described in
43016 @ifset man
43017 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Inferiors and Programs}
43018 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'Inferiors and Programs'}.
43019 @end ifset
43020 @ifclear man
43021 @ref{Inferiors and Programs}.
43022 @end ifclear
43023 In such case use the @code{extended-remote} @value{GDBN} command variant:
43024
43025 @smallexample
43026 (gdb) target extended-remote the-target:2345
43027 @end smallexample
43028
43029 The @command{gdbserver} option @option{--multi} may or may not be used in such
43030 case.
43031 @c man end
43032
43033 @c man begin OPTIONS gdbserver
43034 There are three different modes for invoking @command{gdbserver}:
43035
43036 @itemize @bullet
43037
43038 @item
43039 Debug a specific program specified by its program name:
43040
43041 @smallexample
43042 gdbserver @var{comm} @var{prog} [@var{args}@dots{}]
43043 @end smallexample
43044
43045 The @var{comm} parameter specifies how should the server communicate
43046 with @value{GDBN}; it is either a device name (to use a serial line),
43047 a TCP port number (@code{:1234}), or @code{-} or @code{stdio} to use
43048 stdin/stdout of @code{gdbserver}. Specify the name of the program to
43049 debug in @var{prog}. Any remaining arguments will be passed to the
43050 program verbatim. When the program exits, @value{GDBN} will close the
43051 connection, and @code{gdbserver} will exit.
43052
43053 @item
43054 Debug a specific program by specifying the process ID of a running
43055 program:
43056
43057 @smallexample
43058 gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
43059 @end smallexample
43060
43061 The @var{comm} parameter is as described above. Supply the process ID
43062 of a running program in @var{pid}; @value{GDBN} will do everything
43063 else. Like with the previous mode, when the process @var{pid} exits,
43064 @value{GDBN} will close the connection, and @code{gdbserver} will exit.
43065
43066 @item
43067 Multi-process mode -- debug more than one program/process:
43068
43069 @smallexample
43070 gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
43071 @end smallexample
43072
43073 In this mode, @value{GDBN} can instruct @command{gdbserver} which
43074 command(s) to run. Unlike the other 2 modes, @value{GDBN} will not
43075 close the connection when a process being debugged exits, so you can
43076 debug several processes in the same session.
43077 @end itemize
43078
43079 In each of the modes you may specify these options:
43080
43081 @table @env
43082
43083 @item --help
43084 List all options, with brief explanations.
43085
43086 @item --version
43087 This option causes @command{gdbserver} to print its version number and exit.
43088
43089 @item --attach
43090 @command{gdbserver} will attach to a running program. The syntax is:
43091
43092 @smallexample
43093 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
43094 @end smallexample
43095
43096 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't
43097 necessary to point @command{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
43098
43099 @item --multi
43100 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
43101 or process ID to attach, use this command line option.
43102 Then you can connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} and start
43103 the program you want to debug. The syntax is:
43104
43105 @smallexample
43106 target> gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
43107 @end smallexample
43108
43109 @item --debug
43110 Instruct @code{gdbserver} to display extra status information about the debugging
43111 process.
43112 This option is intended for @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to
43113 the developers.
43114
43115 @item --remote-debug
43116 Instruct @code{gdbserver} to display remote protocol debug output.
43117 This option is intended for @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to
43118 the developers.
43119
43120 @item --wrapper
43121 Specify a wrapper to launch programs
43122 for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
43123 wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
43124 @kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
43125
43126 @item --once
43127 By default, @command{gdbserver} keeps the listening TCP port open, so that
43128 additional connections are possible. However, if you start @code{gdbserver}
43129 with the @option{--once} option, it will stop listening for any further
43130 connection attempts after connecting to the first @value{GDBN} session.
43131
43132 @c --disable-packet is not documented for users.
43133
43134 @c --disable-randomization and --no-disable-randomization are superseded by
43135 @c QDisableRandomization.
43136
43137 @end table
43138 @c man end
43139
43140 @c man begin SEEALSO gdbserver
43141 @ifset man
43142 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
43143 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
43144 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
43145
43146 @smallexample
43147 info gdb
43148 @end smallexample
43149
43150 should give you access to the complete manual.
43151
43152 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
43153 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
43154 @end ifset
43155 @c man end
43156
43157 @node gcore man
43158 @heading gcore
43159
43160 @c man title gcore Generate a core file of a running program
43161
43162 @format
43163 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gcore
43164 gcore [-o @var{filename}] @var{pid}
43165 @c man end
43166 @end format
43167
43168 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gcore
43169 Generate a core dump of a running program with process ID @var{pid}.
43170 Produced file is equivalent to a kernel produced core file as if the process
43171 crashed (and if @kbd{ulimit -c} were used to set up an appropriate core dump
43172 limit). Unlike after a crash, after @command{gcore} the program remains
43173 running without any change.
43174 @c man end
43175
43176 @c man begin OPTIONS gcore
43177 @table @env
43178 @item -o @var{filename}
43179 The optional argument
43180 @var{filename} specifies the file name where to put the core dump.
43181 If not specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}},
43182 where @var{pid} is the running program process ID.
43183 @end table
43184 @c man end
43185
43186 @c man begin SEEALSO gcore
43187 @ifset man
43188 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
43189 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
43190 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
43191
43192 @smallexample
43193 info gdb
43194 @end smallexample
43195
43196 @noindent
43197 should give you access to the complete manual.
43198
43199 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
43200 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
43201 @end ifset
43202 @c man end
43203
43204 @node gdbinit man
43205 @heading gdbinit
43206
43207 @c man title gdbinit GDB initialization scripts
43208
43209 @format
43210 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gdbinit
43211 @ifset SYSTEM_GDBINIT
43212 @value{SYSTEM_GDBINIT}
43213 @end ifset
43214
43215 ~/.gdbinit
43216
43217 ./.gdbinit
43218 @c man end
43219 @end format
43220
43221 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gdbinit
43222 These files contain @value{GDBN} commands to automatically execute during
43223 @value{GDBN} startup. The lines of contents are canned sequences of commands,
43224 described in
43225 @ifset man
43226 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Sequences}
43227 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n Sequences}.
43228 @end ifset
43229 @ifclear man
43230 @ref{Sequences}.
43231 @end ifclear
43232
43233 Please read more in
43234 @ifset man
43235 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Startup}
43236 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n Startup}.
43237 @end ifset
43238 @ifclear man
43239 @ref{Startup}.
43240 @end ifclear
43241
43242 @table @env
43243 @ifset SYSTEM_GDBINIT
43244 @item @value{SYSTEM_GDBINIT}
43245 @end ifset
43246 @ifclear SYSTEM_GDBINIT
43247 @item (not enabled with @code{--with-system-gdbinit} during compilation)
43248 @end ifclear
43249 System-wide initialization file. It is executed unless user specified
43250 @value{GDBN} option @code{-nx} or @code{-n}.
43251 See more in
43252 @ifset man
43253 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{System-wide configuration}
43254 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'System-wide configuration'}.
43255 @end ifset
43256 @ifclear man
43257 @ref{System-wide configuration}.
43258 @end ifclear
43259
43260 @item ~/.gdbinit
43261 User initialization file. It is executed unless user specified
43262 @value{GDBN} options @code{-nx}, @code{-n} or @code{-nh}.
43263
43264 @item ./.gdbinit
43265 Initialization file for current directory. It may need to be enabled with
43266 @value{GDBN} security command @code{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
43267 See more in
43268 @ifset man
43269 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Init File in the Current Directory}
43270 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'Init File in the Current Directory'}.
43271 @end ifset
43272 @ifclear man
43273 @ref{Init File in the Current Directory}.
43274 @end ifclear
43275 @end table
43276 @c man end
43277
43278 @c man begin SEEALSO gdbinit
43279 @ifset man
43280 gdb(1), @code{info -f gdb -n Startup}
43281
43282 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
43283 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
43284 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
43285
43286 @smallexample
43287 info gdb
43288 @end smallexample
43289
43290 should give you access to the complete manual.
43291
43292 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
43293 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
43294 @end ifset
43295 @c man end
43296
43297 @include gpl.texi
43298
43299 @node GNU Free Documentation License
43300 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License
43301 @include fdl.texi
43302
43303 @node Concept Index
43304 @unnumbered Concept Index
43305
43306 @printindex cp
43307
43308 @node Command and Variable Index
43309 @unnumbered Command, Variable, and Function Index
43310
43311 @printindex fn
43312
43313 @tex
43314 % I think something like @@colophon should be in texinfo. In the
43315 % meantime:
43316 \long\def\colophon{\hbox to0pt{}\vfill
43317 \centerline{The body of this manual is set in}
43318 \centerline{\fontname\tenrm,}
43319 \centerline{with headings in {\bf\fontname\tenbf}}
43320 \centerline{and examples in {\tt\fontname\tentt}.}
43321 \centerline{{\it\fontname\tenit\/},}
43322 \centerline{{\bf\fontname\tenbf}, and}
43323 \centerline{{\sl\fontname\tensl\/}}
43324 \centerline{are used for emphasis.}\vfill}
43325 \page\colophon
43326 % Blame: doc@@cygnus.com, 1991.
43327 @end tex
43328
43329 @bye
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