- README for gdb-4.7 release
- Stu Grossman & John Gilmore 23 October 1992
+ README for gdb-6.3 release
+ Updated 20, November, 2006
-This is GDB, the GNU source-level debugger, presently running under un*x.
-A summary of new features is in the file `NEWS'.
+This is GDB, the GNU source-level debugger.
+A summary of new features is in the file `gdb/NEWS'.
-Unpacking and Installation -- quick overview
-==========================
-
-In this release, the GDB debugger sources, the generic GNU include
-files, the BFD ("binary file description") library, the readline library,
-and other libraries all have directories of their own underneath
-the gdb-4.7 directory. The idea is that a variety of GNU tools can
-share a common copy of these things. Configuration scripts and
-makefiles exist to cruise up and down this directory tree and
-automatically build all the pieces in the right order.
-
-When you unpack the gdb-4.7.tar.Z file, you'll get a directory called
-`gdb-4.7', which contains:
+Check the GDB home page at http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/ for up to
+date release information, mailing list links and archives, etc.
- COPYING.LIB config/ configure.texi mmalloc/
- Makefile.in config.sub* gdb/ move-if-change*
- README configure* glob/ opcodes/
- bfd/ configure.in include/ readline/
- cfg-paper.texi configure.man libiberty/ texinfo/
+The file `gdb/PROBLEMS' contains information on problems identified
+late in the release cycle. GDB's bug tracking data base at
+http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/ contains a more complete list of
+bugs.
-To build GDB, you can just do:
- cd gdb-4.7
- ./configure HOSTTYPE (e.g. sun4, decstation)
- make
- cp gdb/gdb /usr/local/bin/gdb (or wherever you want)
-
-This will configure and build all the libraries as well as GDB.
-If you get compiler warnings during this stage, see the `Reporting Bugs'
-section below; there are a few known problems.
+Unpacking and Installation -- quick overview
+==========================
-GDB can be used as a cross-debugger, running on a machine of one type
-while debugging a program running on a machine of another type. See below.
+ In this release, the GDB debugger sources, the generic GNU include
+files, the BFD ("binary file description") library, the readline
+library, and other libraries all have directories of their own
+underneath the gdb-6.3 directory. The idea is that a variety of GNU
+tools can share a common copy of these things. Be aware of variation
+over time--for example don't try to build gdb with a copy of bfd from
+a release other than the gdb release (such as a binutils release),
+especially if the releases are more than a few weeks apart.
+Configuration scripts and makefiles exist to cruise up and down this
+directory tree and automatically build all the pieces in the right
+order.
+
+ When you unpack the gdb-6.3.tar.gz file, you'll find a directory
+called `gdb-6.3', which contains:
+
+ COPYING config-ml.in gettext.m4 ltconfig sim
+ COPYING.LIB config.guess include ltmain.sh src-release
+ Makefile.def config.sub install-sh md5.sum symlink-tree
+ Makefile.in configure libiberty missing texinfo
+ Makefile.tpl configure.in libtool.m4 mkinstalldirs ylwrap
+ README djunpack.bat ltcf-c.sh move-if-change
+ bfd etc ltcf-cxx.sh opcodes
+ config gdb ltcf-gcj.sh readline
+
+You can build GDB right in the source directory:
+
+ cd gdb-6.3
+ ./configure
+ make
+ cp gdb/gdb /usr/local/bin/gdb (or wherever you want)
+
+However, we recommend that an empty directory be used instead.
+This way you do not clutter your source tree with binary files
+and will be able to create different builds with different
+configuration options.
+
+You can build GDB in any empty build directory:
+
+ mkdir build
+ cd build
+ <full path to your sources>/gdb-6.3/configure
+ make
+ cp gdb/gdb /usr/local/bin/gdb (or wherever you want)
+
+(Building GDB with DJGPP tools for MS-DOS/MS-Windows is slightly
+different; see the file gdb-6.3/gdb/config/djgpp/README for details.)
+
+ This will configure and build all the libraries as well as GDB. If
+`configure' can't determine your system type, specify one as its
+argument, e.g., `./configure sun4' or `./configure decstation'.
+
+ Make sure that your 'configure' line ends in 'gdb-6.3/configure':
+
+ /berman/migchain/source/gdb-6.3/configure # RIGHT
+ /berman/migchain/source/gdb-6.3/gdb/configure # WRONG
+
+ The gdb package contains several subdirectories, such as 'gdb',
+'bfd', and 'readline'. If your 'configure' line ends in
+'gdb-6.3/gdb/configure', then you are configuring only the gdb
+subdirectory, not the whole gdb package. This leads to build errors
+such as:
+
+ make: *** No rule to make target `../bfd/bfd.h', needed by `gdb.o'. Stop.
+
+ If you get other compiler errors during this stage, see the `Reporting
+Bugs' section below; there are a few known problems.
+
+ GDB requires an ISO C (ANSI C) compiler. If you do not have an ISO
+C compiler for your system, you may be able to download and install
+the GNU CC compiler. It is available via anonymous FTP from the
+directory `ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/gcc'. GDB also requires an ISO
+C standard library. The GDB remote server, gdbserver, builds with some
+non-ISO standard libraries - e.g. for Windows CE.
+
+ GDB uses Expat, an XML parsing library, to implement some target-specific
+features. Expat will be linked in if it is available at build time, or
+those features will be disabled. The latest version of Expat should be
+available from `http://expat.sourceforge.net'.
+
+ GDB can be used as a cross-debugger, running on a machine of one
+type while debugging a program running on a machine of another type.
+See below.
More Documentation
******************
- The GDB 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready
-for printing with PostScript or GhostScript, in the `gdb' subdirectory
-of the main source directory--in `gdb-4.7/gdb/refcard.ps' of the
-version 4.7 release. If you can use PostScript or GhostScript with your
-printer, you can print the reference card immediately with `refcard.ps'.
-
- The release also includes the source for the reference card. You
-can format it, using TeX, by typing:
-
- make refcard.dvi
-
- The GDB reference card is designed to print in landscape mode on US
-"letter" size paper; that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches
-high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to
-your DVI output program.
-
All the documentation for GDB comes as part of the machine-readable
-distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which is
-a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both
-on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info
-formatting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation
-and TeX (or `texi2roff') to typeset the printed version.
-
- GDB includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info version of
-this manual in the `gdb' subdirectory. The main Info file is
-`gdb-VERSION-NUMBER/gdb/gdb.info', and it refers to subordinate files
+distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which
+is a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce
+both on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the
+Info formatting commands to create the on-line version of the
+documentation and TeX (or `texi2roff') to typeset the printed version.
+
+ GDB includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info version
+of this manual in the `gdb/doc' subdirectory. The main Info file is
+`gdb-6.3/gdb/doc/gdb.info', and it refers to subordinate files
matching `gdb.info*' in the same directory. If necessary, you can
print out these files, or read them with any editor; but they are
easier to read using the `info' subsystem in GNU Emacs or the
distribution.
If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
-Info formatting programs, such as `texinfo-format-buffer' or `makeinfo'.
+Info formatting programs, such as `texinfo-format-buffer' or
+`makeinfo'.
If you have `makeinfo' installed, and are in the top level GDB
-source directory (`gdb-4.7', in the case of version 4.7), you can make
+source directory (`gdb-6.3', in the case of version 6.3), you can make
the Info file by typing:
- cd gdb
- make gdb.info
+ cd gdb/doc
+ make info
If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need
-TeX, a printing program such as `lpr', and `texinfo.tex', the Texinfo
-definitions file.
+TeX, a program to print its DVI output files, and `texinfo.tex', the
+Texinfo definitions file. This file is included in the GDB
+distribution, in the directory `gdb-6.3/texinfo'.
- TeX is typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
+ TeX is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
produces output files called DVI files. To print a typeset document,
you need a program to print DVI files. If your system has TeX
installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise command to
-use depends on your system; `lpr -d' is common; another is `dvips'.
-The DVI print command may require a file name without any extension or
-a `.dvi' extension.
+use depends on your system; `lpr -d' is common; another (for PostScript
+devices) is `dvips'. The DVI print command may require a file name
+without any extension or a `.dvi' extension.
TeX also requires a macro definitions file called `texinfo.tex'.
This file tells TeX how to typeset a document written in Texinfo
format. On its own, TeX cannot read, much less typeset a Texinfo file.
`texinfo.tex' is distributed with GDB and is located in the
-`gdb-VERSION-NUMBER/texinfo' directory.
+`gdb-6.3/texinfo' directory.
If you have TeX and a DVI printer program installed, you can typeset
and print this manual. First switch to the the `gdb' subdirectory of
-the main source directory (for example, to `gdb-4.7/gdb') and then type:
+the main source directory (for example, to `gdb-6.3/gdb') and then type:
+
+ make doc/gdb.dvi
+
+ If you prefer to have the manual in PDF format, type this from the
+`gdb/doc' subdirectory of the main source directory:
- make gdb.dvi
+ make gdb.pdf
+
+For this to work, you will need the PDFTeX package to be installed.
Installing GDB
-***************
+**************
GDB comes with a `configure' script that automates the process of
preparing GDB for installation; you can then use `make' to build the
-program.
+`gdb' program.
The GDB distribution includes all the source code you need for GDB in
a single directory, whose name is usually composed by appending the
version number to `gdb'.
- For example, the GDB version 4.7 distribution is in the `gdb-4.7'
+ For example, the GDB version 6.3 distribution is in the `gdb-6.3'
directory. That directory contains:
-`gdb-4.7/configure (and supporting files)'
- script for configuring GDB and all its supporting libraries.
-
-`gdb-4.7/gdb'
- the source specific to GDB itself
+`gdb-6.3/{COPYING,COPYING.LIB}'
+ Standard GNU license files. Please read them.
-`gdb-4.7/bfd'
+`gdb-6.3/bfd'
source for the Binary File Descriptor library
-`gdb-4.7/include'
+`gdb-6.3/config*'
+ script for configuring GDB, along with other support files
+
+`gdb-6.3/gdb'
+ the source specific to GDB itself
+
+`gdb-6.3/include'
GNU include files
-`gdb-4.7/libiberty'
+`gdb-6.3/libiberty'
source for the `-liberty' free software library
-`gdb-4.7/opcodes'
+`gdb-6.3/opcodes'
source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
-`gdb-4.7/readline'
+`gdb-6.3/readline'
source for the GNU command-line interface
+ NOTE: The readline library is compiled for use by GDB, but will
+ not be installed on your system when "make install" is issued.
-`gdb-4.7/glob'
- source for the GNU filename pattern-matching subroutine
+`gdb-6.3/sim'
+ source for some simulators (ARM, D10V, SPARC, M32R, MIPS, PPC, V850, etc)
-`gdb-4.7/mmalloc'
- source for the GNU memory-mapped malloc package
+`gdb-6.3/texinfo'
+ The `texinfo.tex' file, which you need in order to make a printed
+ manual using TeX.
+
+`gdb-6.3/etc'
+ Coding standards, useful files for editing GDB, and other
+ miscellanea.
+
+ Note: the following instructions are for building GDB on Unix or
+Unix-like systems. Instructions for building with DJGPP for
+MS-DOS/MS-Windows are in the file gdb/config/djgpp/README.
The simplest way to configure and build GDB is to run `configure'
from the `gdb-VERSION-NUMBER' source directory, which in this example
-is the `gdb-4.7' directory.
+is the `gdb-6.3' directory.
First switch to the `gdb-VERSION-NUMBER' source directory if you are
-not already in it; then run `configure'. Pass the identifier for the
-platform on which GDB will run as an argument.
+not already in it; then run `configure'.
For example:
- cd gdb-4.7
- ./configure HOST
- make
-
-where HOST is an identifier such as `sun4' or `decstation', that
-identifies the platform where GDB will run.
+ cd gdb-6.3
+ ./configure
+ make
- Running `configure HOST' followed by `make' builds the `bfd',
-`readline', `mmalloc', and `libiberty' libraries, then `gdb' itself.
+ Running `configure' followed by `make' builds the `bfd',
+`readline', `mmalloc', and `libiberty' libraries, then `gdb' itself.
The configured source files, and the binaries, are left in the
corresponding source directories.
does not recognize this automatically when you run a different shell,
you may need to run `sh' on it explicitly:
- sh configure HOST
+ sh configure
If you run `configure' from a directory that contains source
-directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the `gdb-4.7'
-source directory for version 4.7, `configure' creates configuration
+directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the `gdb-6.3'
+source directory for version 6.3, `configure' creates configuration
files for every directory level underneath (unless you tell it not to,
with the `--norecursion' option).
directories in the GDB distribution, if you only want to configure that
subdirectory; but be sure to specify a path to it.
- For example, with version 4.7, type the following to configure only
+ For example, with version 6.3, type the following to configure only
the `bfd' subdirectory:
- cd gdb-4.7/bfd
- ../configure HOST
+ cd gdb-6.3/bfd
+ ../configure
You can install `gdb' anywhere; it has no hardwired paths. However,
you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by the `SHELL'
processes whose programs are not readable.
-Compiling GDB in Another Directory
-===================================
+Compiling GDB in another directory
+==================================
If you want to run GDB versions for several host or target machines,
-you'll need a different `gdb' compiled for each combination of host and
+you need a different `gdb' compiled for each combination of host and
target. `configure' is designed to make this easy by allowing you to
generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory, rather than in
the source directory. If your `make' program handles the `VPATH'
-feature (GNU `make' does), running `make' in each of these directories
-then builds the `gdb' program specified there.
+feature correctly (GNU `make' and SunOS 'make' are two that should),
+running `make' in each of these directories builds the `gdb' program
+specified there.
To build `gdb' in a separate directory, run `configure' with the
-`--srcdir' option to specify where to find the source. (You'll also
-need to specify a path to find `configure' itself from your working
+`--srcdir' option to specify where to find the source. (You also need
+to specify a path to find `configure' itself from your working
directory. If the path to `configure' would be the same as the
argument to `--srcdir', you can leave out the `--srcdir' option; it
will be assumed.)
- For example, with version 4.7, you can build GDB in a separate
+ For example, with version 6.3, you can build GDB in a separate
directory for a Sun 4 like this:
- cd gdb-4.7
+ cd gdb-6.3
mkdir ../gdb-sun4
cd ../gdb-sun4
- ../gdb-4.7/configure sun4
+ ../gdb-6.3/configure
make
When `configure' builds a configuration using a remote source
in a configured directory--whatever directory you were in when you
called `configure' (or one of its subdirectories).
- The `Makefile' generated by `configure' for each source directory
+ The `Makefile' that `configure' generates in each source directory
also runs recursively. If you type `make' in a source directory such
-as `gdb-4.7' (or in a separate configured directory configured with
-`--srcdir=PATH/gdb-4.7'), you will build all the required libraries,
-then build GDB.
+as `gdb-6.3' (or in a separate configured directory configured with
+`--srcdir=PATH/gdb-6.3'), you will build all the required libraries,
+and then build GDB.
When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
directories, you can run `make' on them in parallel (for example, if
with each other.
-Specifying Names for Hosts and Targets
-=======================================
+Specifying names for hosts and targets
+======================================
The specifications used for hosts and targets in the `configure'
script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short
ARCHITECTURE-VENDOR-OS
For example, you can use the alias `sun4' as a HOST argument or in a
-`--target=TARGET' option, but the equivalent full name is
+`--target=TARGET' option. The equivalent full name is
`sparc-sun-sunos4'.
The `configure' script accompanying GDB does not provide any query
you can use it to test your guesses on abbreviations--for example:
% sh config.sub sun4
- sparc-sun-sunos411
+ sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
% sh config.sub sun3
- m68k-sun-sunos411
+ m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
% sh config.sub decstation
- mips-dec-ultrix42
+ mips-dec-ultrix4.2
% sh config.sub hp300bsd
m68k-hp-bsd
% sh config.sub i386v
- i386-unknown-sysv
+ i386-pc-sysv
% sh config.sub i786v
Invalid configuration `i786v': machine `i786v' not recognized
`config.sub' is also distributed in the GDB source directory
-(`gdb-4.7', for version 4.7).
+(`gdb-6.3', for version 6.3).
-`configure' Options
-====================
+`configure' options
+===================
Here is a summary of the `configure' options and arguments that are
most often useful for building GDB. `configure' also has several other
[--prefix=DIR]
[--srcdir=PATH]
[--norecursion] [--rm]
- [--target=TARGET] HOST
+ [--enable-build-warnings]
+ [--target=TARGET]
+ [--host=HOST]
+ [HOST]
You may introduce options with a single `-' rather than `--' if you
prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use `--'.
`--srcdir=PATH'
*Warning: using this option requires GNU `make', or another `make'
- that implements the `VPATH' feature.*
+ that compatibly implements the `VPATH' feature.*
Use this option to make configurations in directories separate
from the GDB source directories. Among other things, you can use
this to build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously,
`--rm'
Remove the configuration that the other arguments specify.
+`--enable-build-warnings'
+ When building the GDB sources, ask the compiler to warn about any
+ code which looks even vaguely suspicious. You should only using
+ this feature if you're compiling with GNU CC. It passes the
+ following flags:
+ -Wimplicit
+ -Wreturn-type
+ -Wcomment
+ -Wtrigraphs
+ -Wformat
+ -Wparentheses
+ -Wpointer-arith
+
`--target=TARGET'
Configure GDB for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
TARGET. Without this option, GDB is configured to debug programs
There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available
targets.
-`HOST ...'
+`--host=HOST'
Configure GDB to run on the specified HOST.
There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available
hosts.
+`HOST ...'
+ Same as `--host=HOST'. If you omit this, GDB will guess; it's
+ quite accurate.
+
`configure' accepts other options, for compatibility with configuring
other GNU tools recursively; but these are the only options that affect
GDB or its supporting libraries.
+Remote debugging
+=================
-Languages other than C
-=======================
+ The files m68k-stub.c, i386-stub.c, and sparc-stub.c are examples
+of remote stubs to be used with remote.c. They are designed to run
+standalone on an m68k, i386, or SPARC cpu and communicate properly
+with the remote.c stub over a serial line.
-GDB provides some support for debugging C++ progams. Partial Modula-2
-support is now in GDB. GDB should work with FORTRAN programs. (If you
-have problems, please send a bug report; you may have to refer to some
-FORTRAN variables with a trailing underscore). I am not aware of
-anyone who is working on getting gdb to use the syntax of any other
-language. Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables,
-or nested functions will not currently work.
+ The directory gdb/gdbserver/ contains `gdbserver', a program that
+allows remote debugging for Unix applications. gdbserver is only
+supported for some native configurations, including Sun 3, Sun 4, and
+Linux.
+ There are a number of remote interfaces for talking to existing ROM
+monitors and other hardware:
-Kernel debugging
-=================
+ remote-mips.c MIPS remote debugging protocol
+ remote-sds.c PowerPC SDS monitor
+ remote-sim.c Generalized simulator protocol
-I have't done this myself so I can't really offer any advice.
-Remote debugging over serial lines works fine, but the kernel debugging
-code in here has not been tested in years. Van Jacobson has
-better kernel debugging, but the UC lawyers won't let FSF have it.
+Reporting Bugs in GDB
+=====================
-Remote debugging
-=================
+ There are several ways of reporting bugs in GDB. The prefered
+method is to use the World Wide Web:
-The files m68k-stub.c, i386-stub.c, and sparc-stub.c are examples of
-remote stubs to be used with remote.c. They are designed to run
-standalone on a 68k, 386, or SPARC cpu and communicate properly with
-the remote.c stub over a serial line.
-
-The file rem-multi.shar contains a general stub that can probably
-run on various different flavors of unix to allow debugging over a
-serial line from one machine to another.
-
-Some working remote interfaces for talking to existing ROM monitors
-are:
- remote-eb.c AMD 29000 "EBMON"
- remote-hms.c Hitachi Micro Systems H8/300 monitor
- remote-nindy.c Intel 960 "Nindy"
- remote-adapt.c AMD 29000 "Adapt"
- remote-mm.c AMD 29000 "minimon"
-
-Remote-vx.c and the vx-share subdirectory contain a remote interface for the
-VxWorks realtime kernel, which communicates over TCP using the Sun
-RPC library. This would be a useful starting point for other remote-
-via-ethernet back ends.
-
-
-Reporting Bugs
-===============
-
-The correct address for reporting bugs found in gdb is
-"bug-gdb@prep.ai.mit.edu". Please email all bugs to that address.
-Please include the GDB version number (e.g. gdb-4.7), and how
-you configured it (e.g. "sun4" or "mach386 host, i586-intel-synopsys
-target").
-
-A known bug:
-
- * If you run with a watchpoint enabled, breakpoints will become
- erratic and might not stop the program. Disabling or deleting the
- watchpoint will fix the problem.
-
-GDB can produce warnings about symbols that it does not understand. By
-default, these warnings are disabled. You can enable them by executing
-`set complaint 10' (which you can put in your ~/.gdbinit if you like).
-I recommend doing this if you are working on a compiler, assembler,
-linker, or gdb, since it will point out problems that you may be able
-to fix. Warnings produced during symbol reading indicate some mismatch
-between the object file and GDB's symbol reading code. In many cases,
-it's a mismatch between the specs for the object file format, and what
-the compiler actually outputs or the debugger actually understands.
-
-If you port gdb to a new machine, please send the required changes to
-bug-gdb@prep.ai.mit.edu. There's lots of information about doing your
-own port in the file gdb-4.7/gdb/doc/gdbint.texinfo, which you can
-print out, or read with `info' (see the Makefile.in there). If your
-changes are more than a few lines, obtain and send in a copyright
-assignment from gnu@prep.ai.mit.edu, as described in the section
-`Writing Code for GDB' below.
-
-
-X Windows versus GDB
-=====================
+ http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/
+
+As an alternative, the bug report can be submitted, via e-mail, to the
+address "bug-gdb@gnu.org".
-xgdb is obsolete. We are not doing any development or support of it.
+ When submitting a bug, please include the GDB version number (e.g.,
+gdb-6.3), and how you configured it (e.g., "sun4" or "mach386 host,
+i586-intel-synopsys target"). Since GDB now supports so many
+different configurations, it is important that you be precise about
+this. If at all possible, you should include the actual banner that
+GDB prints when it starts up, or failing that, the actual configure
+command that you used when configuring GDB.
-There is an "xxgdb", which shows more promise, which was posted to
-comp.sources.x.
+ For more information on how/whether to report bugs, see the
+Reporting Bugs chapter of the GDB manual (gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo).
+
+
+Graphical interface to GDB -- X Windows, MS Windows
+==========================
-For those intersted in auto display of source and the availability of
-an editor while debugging I suggest trying gdb-mode in gnu-emacs
-(Try typing M-x gdb RETURN). Comments on this mode are welcome.
+ Several graphical interfaces to GDB are available. You should
+check:
+
+ http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/links/
+
+for an up-to-date list.
+
+ Emacs users will very likely enjoy the Grand Unified Debugger mode;
+try typing `M-x gdb RET'.
Writing Code for GDB
=====================
-Documentation about GDB's internals is in the subdirectory doc, as
-`gdbint.texinfo'. In particular, there is a `cookbook' there on how
-to port GDB to a new machine. You can read it by hand, print it
-by using TeX and texinfo, or process it into an `info' file for use
-with Emacs' info mode or the standalone `info' program.
-
-We appreciate having users contribute code that is of general use, but
-for it to be included in future GDB releases it must be cleanly
-written. We do not want to include changes that will needlessly make
-future maintainance difficult. It is not much harder to do things
-right, and in the long term it is worth it to the GNU project, and
-probably to you individually as well.
-
-If you make substantial changes, you'll have to file a copyright
-assignment with the Free Software Foundation before we can produce a
-release that includes your changes. Send mail requesting the copyright
-assignment to gnu@prep.ai.mit.edu. Do this early, like before the
-changes actually work, or even before you start them, because a manager
-or lawyer on your end will probably make this a slow process.
-
-Please code according to the GNU coding standards. If you do not have
-a copy, you can request one by sending mail to gnu@prep.ai.mit.edu.
-
-Please try to avoid making machine-specific changes to
-machine-independent files. If this is unavoidable, put a hook in the
-machine-independent file which calls a (possibly) machine-dependent
-macro (for example, the IGNORE_SYMBOL macro can be used for any
-symbols which need to be ignored on a specific machine. Calling
-IGNORE_SYMBOL in dbxread.c is a lot cleaner than a maze of #if
-defined's). The machine-independent code should do whatever "most"
-machines want if the macro is not defined in param.h. Using #if
-defined can sometimes be OK (e.g. SET_STACK_LIMIT_HUGE) but should be
-conditionalized on a specific feature of an operating system (set in
-tm.h or xm.h) rather than something like #if defined(vax) or #if
-defined(SYSV). If you use an #ifdef on some symbol that is defined
-in a header file (e.g. #ifdef TIOCSETP), *please* make sure that you
-have #include'd the relevant header file in that module!
-
-There is a list of all known `feature-test macros' in gdbint.texinfo.
-Each such macro should be defined (or left undefined) in a host-dependent,
-target-dependent, or native-dependent include file. Not all of the
-macros are cleanly separated this way, yet. As you make changes, move
-the code toward cleanliness.
-
-It is better to replace entire routines which may be system-specific,
-rather than put in a whole bunch of hooks which are probably not going
-to be helpful for any purpose other than your changes. For example,
-if you want to modify dbxread.c to deal with DBX debugging symbols
-which are in COFF files rather than BSD a.out files, do something
-along the lines of a macro GET_NEXT_SYMBOL, which could have
-different definitions for COFF and a.out, rather than trying to put
-the necessary changes throughout all the code in dbxread.c that
-currently assumes BSD format.
-
-When generalizing GDB along a particular interface, please use an
-attribute-struct rather than inserting tests or switch statements
-everywhere. For example, GDB has been generalized to handle multiple
-kinds of remote interfaces -- not by #ifdef's everywhere, but by
-defining the "target_ops" structure and having a current target (as
-well as a stack of targets below it, for memory references). Whenever
-something needs to be done that depends on which remote interface we
-are using, a flag in the current target_ops structure is tested (e.g.
-`target_has_stack'), or a function is called through a pointer in the
-current target_ops structure. In this way, when a new remote interface
-is added, only one module needs to be touched -- the one that actually
-implements the new remote interface. Other examples of
-attribute-structs are BFD access to multiple kinds of object file
-formats, or GDB's access to multiple source languages.
-
-Please avoid duplicating code. For example, in GDB 3.x all the stuff
-in infptrace.c was duplicated in *-dep.c, and so changing something
-was very painful. In GDB 4.x, these have all been consolidated
-into infptrace.c. infptrace.c can deal with variations between
-systems the same way any system-independent file would (hooks, #if
-defined, etc.), and machines which are radically different don't need
-to use infptrace.c at all. The same was true of core_file_command
-and exec_file_command.
-
-
-Debugging gdb with itself
-==========================
+ There is a lot of information about writing code for GDB in the
+internals manual, distributed with GDB in gdb/doc/gdbint.texinfo. You
+can read it by hand, print it by using TeX and texinfo, or process it
+into an `info' file for use with Emacs' info mode or the standalone
+`info' program.
+
+ If you are pondering writing anything but a short patch, especially
+take note of the information about copyrights in the node Submitting
+Patches. It can take quite a while to get all the paperwork done, so
+we encourage you to start that process as soon as you decide you are
+planning to work on something, or at least well ahead of when you
+think you will be ready to submit the patches.
+
+
+GDB Testsuite
+=============
+
+ Included with the GDB distribution is a DejaGNU based testsuite
+that can either be used to test your newly built GDB, or for
+regression testing a GDB with local modifications.
+
+ Running the testsuite requires the prior installation of DejaGNU,
+which is generally available via ftp. The directory
+ftp://sources.redhat.com/pub/dejagnu/ will contain a recent snapshot.
+Once DejaGNU is installed, you can run the tests in one of the
+following ways:
+
+ (1) cd gdb-6.3
+ make check-gdb
+
+or
+
+ (2) cd gdb-6.3/gdb
+ make check
-If gdb is limping on your machine, this is the preferred way to get it
-fully functional. Be warned that in some ancient Unix systems, like
-Ultrix 4.0, a program can't be running in one process while it is being
-debugged in another. Rather than doing "./gdb ./gdb", which works on
-Suns and such, you can copy gdb to gdb2 and then do "./gdb ./gdb2".
+or
-When you run gdb in the gdb source directory, it will read a ".gdbinit"
-file that sets up some simple things to make debugging gdb easier. The
-"info" command, when executed without a subcommand in a gdb being
-debugged by gdb, will pop you back up to the top level gdb. See
-.gdbinit for details.
+ (3) cd gdb-6.3/gdb/testsuite
+ make site.exp (builds the site specific file)
+ runtest -tool gdb GDB=../gdb (or GDB=<somepath> as appropriate)
-I strongly recommend printing out the reference card and using it.
-Send reference-card suggestions to bug-gdb@prep.ai.mit.edu, just like bugs.
+The last method gives you slightly more control in case of problems
+with building one or more test executables or if you are using the
+testsuite `standalone', without it being part of the GDB source tree.
-If you use emacs, you will probably want to do a "make TAGS" after you
-configure your distribution; this will put the machine dependent
-routines for your local machine where they will be accessed first by a
-M-period.
+See the DejaGNU documentation for further details.
-Also, make sure that you've either compiled gdb with your local cc, or
-have run `fixincludes' if you are compiling with gcc.
\f
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