find out whether anyone else is working on it.
- Known problems in GDB 5.0
- =========================
+ Known problems in GDB 5.0
+ =========================
Below is a list of problems identified during the GDB 5.0 release
cycle. People hope to have these problems fixed in a follow-on
release.
-(The names in paren indicate people that posted the original problem.)
-
---
-
-GDB doesn't build under IRIX6.4
-
-Benjamin Gamsa wrote:
-
-Has anyone successfully built the latest (from cvs) gdb on IRIX6.4 or
-later? The first problem I hit is that proc-api.c includes
-sys/user.h, which no longer exists under IRIX6.4. If I comment out
-that include, the next problem I hit is that PIOCGETPR and PIOCGETU
-are no longer defined in IRIX6.4 (presumably related to the
-disappearance of user.h).
-
--
The BFD directory requires bug-fixed AUTOMAKE et.al.
--
-gdb-cvs fails to build on freebsd-elf
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-04/msg00004.html
+RFD: infrun.c: No bpstat_stop_status call after proceed over break?
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00665.html
-Either the FreeBSD group need to contribute their local GDB changes
-back to the master sources or someone needs to provides a new
-(clean-room) implementation. Since the former involves a fairly
-complicated assignment the latter may be easier. [cagney]
+GDB misses watchpoint triggers after proceeding over a breakpoint on
+x86 targets.
--
-Generic: lin-thread cannot handle thread exit (Mark Kettenis, Michael
-Snyder) http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00525.html
+x86 linux GDB and SIGALRM (???)
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00803.html
-The thread_db assisted debugging code doesn't handle exiting threads
-properly, at least in combination with glibc 2.1.3 (the framework is
-there, just not the actual code). There are at least two problems
-that prevent this from working.
+I know there are problems with single stepping through signal
+handlers. These problems were present in 4.18. They were just masked
+because 4.18 failed to recognize signal handlers. Fixing it is not
+easy, and will require changes to handle_inferior_event(), that I
+prefer not to make before the 5.0 release.
-As an additional reference point, the pre thread_db code did not work
-either.
+Mark
--
-Java (Anthony Green, David Taylor)
+Revised UDP support (was: Re: [Fwd: [patch] UDP transport support])
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-04/msg00000.html
-Anthony Green has a number of Java patches that did not make it into
-the 5.0 release.
+(Broken) support for GDB's remote protocol across UDP is to be
+included in the follow-on release.
-Patch: java tests
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00512.html
+--
-Patch: java booleans
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00515.html
+Can't build IRIX -> arm GDB.
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-04/msg00356.html
-Patch: handle N_MAIN stab
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00527.html
+David Whedon writes:
+> Now I'm building for an embedded arm target. If there is a way of turning
+> remote-rdi off, I couldn't find it. It looks like it gets built by default
+> in gdb/configure.tgt(line 58) Anyway, the build dies in
+> gdb/rdi-share/unixcomm.c. SERPORT1 et. al. never get defined because we
+> aren't one of the architectures supported.
--
-Pascal (Pierre Muller, David Taylor)
+Problem with weak functions
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-05/msg00060.html
-Pierre Muller has contributed patches for adding Pascal Language
-support to GDB.
+Dan Nicolaescu writes:
+> It seems that gdb-4.95.1 does not display correctly the function when
+> stoping in weak functions.
+>
+> It stops in a function that is defined as weak, not in the function
+> that is actualy run...
-2 pascal language patches inserted in database
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00521.html
+--
-Indent -gnu ?
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00496.html
+GDB 5.0 doesn't work on Linux/SPARC
--
-GNU/Linux/x86 and random thread signals (and Solaris/SPARC but not
-Solaris/x86).
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00336.html
+ Code Cleanups: Next Release
+ ===========================
-Christopher Blizzard writes:
+The following are small cleanups that will hopefully be completed by
+the follow on to 5.0.
-So, I've done some more digging into this and it looks like Jim
-Kingdon has reported this problem in the past:
+--
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/bug-gdb/1999-10/msg00058.html
+Delete macro TARGET_BYTE_ORDER_SELECTABLE.
-I can reproduce this problem both with and without Tom's patch. Has
-anyone seen this before? Maybe have a solution for it hanging around?
-:)
+Patches in the database.
-There's a test case for this documented at:
+--
-when debugging threaded applications you get extra SIGTRAPs
-http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=9565
+Purge PARAMS.
-[There should be a GDB testcase - cagney]
+Eliminate all uses of PARAMS in GDB's source code.
--
-Possible regressions with some devel GCCs.
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00475.html
+Fix copyright notices.
-gcc-2.95.2 outputs a line note *before* the prologue (and one for the
-closing brace after the epilogue, instead of before it, as it used to
-be). By disabling the RTL-style prologue generating mechanism
-(undocumented GCC option -mno-schedule-prologue), you get back the
-traditional behaviour.
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00510.html
+Turns out that ``1998-2000'' isn't considered valid :-(
-This should now be fixed.
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-05/msg00467.html
--
-RFD: infrun.c: No bpstat_stop_status call after proceed over break?
-(Peter Schauer)
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00665.html
+Find something better than DEFAULT_BFD_ARCH, DEFAULT_BFD_VEC to
+determine the default isa/byte-order.
-GDB misses watchpoint triggers after proceeding over a breakpoint on
-x86 targets.
+--
+
+Rely on BFD_BIG_ENDIAN and BFD_LITTLE_ENDIAN instead of host dependant
+BIG_ENDIAN and LITTLE_ENDIAN.
--
-x86 linux GDB and SIGALRM (???)
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00803.html
+ Code Cleanups: General
+ ======================
-I know there are problems with single stepping through signal
-handlers. These problems were present in 4.18. They were just masked
-because 4.18 failed to recognize signal handlers. Fixing it is not
-easy, and will require changes to handle_inferior_event(), that I
-prefer not to make before the 5.0 release.
+The following are more general cleanups and fixes. They are not tied
+to any specific release.
-Mark
+--
+
+Eliminate more compiler warnings.
+
+Of course there also needs to be the usual debate over which warnings
+are valid and how to best go about this.
+
+One method: choose a single option; get agreement that it is
+reasonable; try it out to see if there isn't anything silly about it
+(-Wunused-parameters is an example of that) then incrementally hack
+away.
+
+The other method is to enable all warnings and eliminate them from one
+file at a time.
--
-Revised UDP support (was: Re: [Fwd: [patch] UDP transport support])
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-04/msg00000.html
+Elimination of ``(catch_errors_ftype *) func''.
+
+Like make_cleanup_func it isn't portable.
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00791.html
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00814.html
-(Broken) support for GDB's remote protocol across UDP is to be
-included in the follow-on release.
--
-Can't build IRIX -> arm GDB.
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-04/msg00356.html
+Nuke USG define.
-David Whedon writes:
-> Now I'm building for an embedded arm target. If there is a way of turning
-> remote-rdi off, I couldn't find it. It looks like it gets built by default
-> in gdb/configure.tgt(line 58) Anyway, the build dies in
-> gdb/rdi-share/unixcomm.c. SERPORT1 et. al. never get defined because we
-> aren't one of the architectures supported.
+--
+
+[PATCH/5] src/intl/Makefile.in:distclean additions
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-04/msg00363.html
+
+Do not forget to merge the patch back into the trunk.
--
-Problem with weak functions
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-05/msg00060.html
+Rationalize the host-endian code (grep for HOST_BYTE_ORDER).
-Dan Nicolaescu writes:
-> It seems that gdb-4.95.1 does not display correctly the function when
-> stoping in weak functions.
->
-> It stops in a function that is defined as weak, not in the function
-> that is actualy run...
+At present defs.h includes <endian.h> (which is linux specific) yet
+almost nothing depends on it. Suggest "gdb_endian.h" which can also
+handle <machine/endian.h> and only include that where it is really
+needed.
--
-GDB5 TOT on unixware 7
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-04/msg00119.html
+Replace asprintf() calls with xasprintf() calls.
-Robert Lipe writes:
-> I just spun the top of tree of the GDB5 branch on UnixWare 7. As a
-> practical matter, the current thread support is somewhat more annoying
-> than when GDB was thread-unaware.
+As with things like strdup() most calls to asprintf() don't check the
+return value.
--
- Code Cleanups
- =============
+Replace strsave() + mstrsave() with libiberty:xstrdup().
-The following are small cleanups that will hopefully be completed by
-the follow on to 5.0.
+--
+
+Replace savestring() with something from libiberty.
+
+An xstrldup()? but that would have different semantics.
--
-ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED
+Rationalize use of floatformat_unknown in GDB sources.
+
+Instead of defaulting to floatformat_unknown, should hosts/targets
+specify the value explicitly?
-The need for this as almost been eliminated. The next version of GCC
-(assuming cagney gets the relevant patch committed) will be able to
-supress unused parameter warnings.
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-05/msg00447.html
--
-Delete macro TARGET_BYTE_ORDER_SELECTABLE.
+Add a ``name'' member to include/floatformat.h:struct floatformat.
+Print that name in gdbarch.c.
-Patches in the database.
+--
+
+Sort out the harris mess in include/floatformat.h (it hardwires two
+different floating point formats).
+
+--
+
+See of the GDB local floatformat_do_doublest() and libiberty's
+floatformat_to_double (which was once GDB's ...) can be merged some
+how.
+
+--
+
+Eliminate mmalloc() from GDB.
+
+Also eliminate it from defs.h.
+
+--
+
+Eliminate PTR. ISO-C allows ``void *''.
+
+--
+
+Eliminate abort ().
+
+GDB should never abort. GDB should either throw ``error ()'' or
+``internal_error ()''. Better still GDB should naturally unwind with
+an error status.
+
+--
+
+GDB probably doesn't build on FreeBSD pre 2.2.x
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-05/msg00378.html
+
+Fixes to get FreeBSD working on 2.2.x, 3.x and 4.x caused the code to
+suffer bit rot.
--
Updated readline
-Readline 4.? is out. A merge wouldn't hurt.
+Readline 4.? is out. A merge wouldn't hurt. Patches are in:
+
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-05/msg00436.html
--
-Purge PARAMS
+Deprecate "fg". Apparently ``fg'' is actually continue.
-Eliminate all uses of PARAMS in GDB's source code.
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-05/msg00417.html
--
-Elimination of make_cleanup_func. (Andrew Cagney)
+Deprecate current use of ``floatformat_unknown''.
-make_cleanup_func elimination
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00791.html
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00814.html
+Require all targets to explicitly provide their float format instead
+of defaulting to floatformat unknown. Doing the latter leads to nasty
+bugs.
+
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-05/msg00447.html
--
-Re: Various C++ things
+Rationalize floatformat_to_double() vs floatformat_to_doublest().
-value_headof/value_from_vtable_info are worthless, and should be removed.
-The one place in printcmd.c that uses it should use the RTTI functions.
+Looks like GDB migrated floatformat_to_double() to libiberty but then
+turned around and created a ..._to_doublest() the latter containing
+several bug fixes.
-RTTI for g++ should be using the typeinfo functions rather than the vtables.
-The typeinfo functions are always at offset 4 from the beginning of the vtable,
-and are always right. The vtables will have weird names like E::VB sometimes.
-The typeinfo function will always be "E type_info function", or somesuch.
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-05/msg00472.html
-value_virtual_fn_field needs to be fixed so there are no failures for virtual
-functions for C++ using g++.
+--
+
+Move floatformat_ia64_ext to libiberty/include floatformat.[ch].
-Testsuite cases are the major priority right now for C++ support, since i have
-to make a lot of changes that could potentially break each other.
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-05/msg00466.html
--
-Fix ``set architecture <tab>''
+Follow through `make check' with --enable-shared.
+
+When the srcware tree is configured with --enable-shared, the `expect'
+program won't run properly. Jim Wilson found out gdb has a local hack
+to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH, but, AFAIK, no other project has been hacked
+similarly.
-This command should expand to a list of all supported architectures.
-At present ``info architecture'' needs to be used. That is simply
-wrong. It involves the use of add_set_enum_cmd().
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00845.html
--
-GDBARCH cleanup (Andrew Cagney)
+The ``maintenance deprecate set endian big'' command doesn't notice
+that it is deprecating ``set endian'' and not ``set endian big'' (big
+is implemented using an enum). Is anyone going to notice this?
-The non-generated parts of gdbarch.{sh,h,c} should be separated out
-into arch-utils.[hc].
+--
-Document that gdbarch_init_ftype could easily fail because it didn't
-identify an architecture.
+When tab expanding something like ``set arch<tab>'' ignore the
+deprecated ``set archdebug'' and expand to ``set architecture''.
+
+--
+
+Eliminate ``arm_register_names[j] = (char *) regnames[j]'' and the
+like from arm-tdep.c.
+
+--
+
+Fix uses of ->function.cfunc = set_function().
+
+The command.c code calls sfunc() when a set command. Rather than
+change it suggest fixing the callback function so that it is more
+useful. See:
+
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-06/msg00062.html
+
+See also ``Fix implementation of ``target xxx''.'' below.
+
+--
+
+IRIX 3.x support is probably broken.
+
+--
+
+ New Features and Fixes
+ ======================
+
+These are harder than cleanups but easier than work involving
+fundamental architectural change.
+
+--
+
+Add built-by, build-date, tm, xm, nm and anything else into gdb binary
+so that you can see how the GDB was created.
+
+Some of these (*m.h) would be added to the generated config.h. That
+in turn would fix a long standing bug where by the build process many
+not notice a changed tm.h file. Since everything depends on config.h,
+a change to *m.h forces a change to config.h and, consequently forces
+a rebuild.
+
+--
+
+Add an "info bfd" command that displays supported object formats,
+similarly to objdump -i.
+
+Is there a command already?
+
+--
+
+Fix ``I'm sorry, Dave, I can't do that.'' from symfile.c.
+
+This requires internationalization.
+
+--
+
+Convert GDB build process to AUTOMAKE.
+
+See also sub-directory configure below.
+
+The current convention is (kind of) to use $(<header>_h) in all
+dependency lists. It isn't done in a consistent way.
+
+--
+
+Cleanup configury support for optional sub-directories.
+
+Check how GCC handles multiple front ends for an example of how things
+could work. A tentative first step is to rationalize things so that
+all sub directories are handled in a fashion similar to gdb/mi.
+
+See also automake above.
+
+--
+
+Restructure gdb directory tree so that it avoids any 8.3 and 14
+filename problems.
+
+--
+
+Add a transcript mechanism to GDB.
+
+Such a mechanism might log all gdb input and output to a file in a
+form that would allow it to be replayed. It could involve ``gdb
+--transcript=FILE'' or it could involve ``(gdb) transcript file''.
+
+--
+
+Can the xdep files be replaced by autoconf?
+
+--
+
+Document trace machinery
+
+--
+
+Document ui-out and ui-file.
+
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-04/msg00121.html
+
+--
+
+Update texinfo.tex to latest?
+
+
+
+--
+
+Incorporate agentexpr.texi into gdb.texinfo
+
+agentexpr.texi mostly describes the details of the byte code used for
+tracepoints, not the internals of the support for this in GDB. So it
+looks like gdb.texinfo is a better place for this information.
+
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-04/msg00566.html
+
+--
+
+Document overlay machinery.
+
+--
+
+``(gdb) catch signal SIGNAL''
+
+Overlaps with ``handle SIGNAL'' but the implied behavour is different.
+You can attach commands to a catch but not a handle. A handle has a
+limited number of hardwired actions.
+
+--
+
+Get the TUI working on all platforms.
+
+--
+
+Add support for ``gdb --- PROGRAM ARGS ...''.
+Add support for ``gdb -cmd=...''
+
+Along with many variations. Check:
+
+????? for a full discussion.
+
+for a discussion.
+
+--
+
+Implement ``(gdb) !ls''.
+
+Which is very different from ``(gdb) ! ls''. Implementing the latter
+is trivial.
+
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00034.html
+
+--
+
+Change the (char *list[]) to (const char (*)[]) so that dynamic lists can
+be passed.
+
+--
+
+When tab expanding something like ``set arch<tab>'' ignore the
+deprecated ``set archdebug'' and expand to ``set architecture''.
+
+--
+
+Replace the code that uses the host FPU with an emulator of the target
+FPU.
+
+--
+
+ Thread Support
+ ==============
+
+--
+
+Generic: lin-thread cannot handle thread exit (Mark Kettenis, Michael
+Snyder) http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00525.html
+
+The thread_db assisted debugging code doesn't handle exiting threads
+properly, at least in combination with glibc 2.1.3 (the framework is
+there, just not the actual code). There are at least two problems
+that prevent this from working.
+
+As an additional reference point, the pre thread_db code did not work
+either.
+
+--
+
+GNU/Linux/x86 and random thread signals (and Solaris/SPARC but not
+Solaris/x86).
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00336.html
+
+Christopher Blizzard writes:
+
+So, I've done some more digging into this and it looks like Jim
+Kingdon has reported this problem in the past:
+
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/bug-gdb/1999-10/msg00058.html
+
+I can reproduce this problem both with and without Tom's patch. Has
+anyone seen this before? Maybe have a solution for it hanging around?
+:)
+
+There's a test case for this documented at:
+
+when debugging threaded applications you get extra SIGTRAPs
+http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=9565
+
+[There should be a GDB testcase - cagney]
+
+--
+
+GDB5 TOT on unixware 7
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-04/msg00119.html
+
+Robert Lipe writes:
+> I just spun the top of tree of the GDB5 branch on UnixWare 7. As a
+> practical matter, the current thread support is somewhat more annoying
+> than when GDB was thread-unaware.
--
--
- General Cleanups / Fixes
- ========================
+ Language Support
+ ================
-The following are more general cleanups and fixes. They are not tied
-to any specific release.
+New languages come onto the scene all the time.
--
-Nuke USG define.
+Pascal (Pierre Muller, David Taylor)
+
+Pierre Muller has contributed patches for adding Pascal Language
+support to GDB.
+
+2 pascal language patches inserted in database
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00521.html
+
+Indent -gnu ?
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00496.html
--
-Eliminate gdb/tui/Makefile.in.
-Cleanup configury support for optional sub-directories.
+Java (Anthony Green, David Taylor)
-Check how GCC handles multiple front ends for an example of how things
-could work. A tentative first step is to rationalize things so that
-all sub directories are handled in a fashion similar to gdb/mi.
+Anthony Green has a number of Java patches that did not make it into
+the 5.0 release.
+
+Patch: java tests
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00512.html
+
+Patch: java booleans
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00515.html
+
+Patch: handle N_MAIN stab
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00527.html
--
-[PATCH/5] src/intl/Makefile.in:distclean additions
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-04/msg00363.html
+[Comming...]
-Do not forget to merge the patch back into the trunk.
+Modify gdb to work correctly with Pascal.
--
-Update ALPHA so that it uses ``struct frame_extra_info'' instead of
-EXTRA_FRAME_INFO.
+Re: Various C++ things
-This is a barrier to replacing mips_extra_func_info with something
-that works with multi-arch.
+value_headof/value_from_vtable_info are worthless, and should be
+removed. The one place in printcmd.c that uses it should use the RTTI
+functions.
+
+RTTI for g++ should be using the typeinfo functions rather than the
+vtables. The typeinfo functions are always at offset 4 from the
+beginning of the vtable, and are always right. The vtables will have
+weird names like E::VB sometimes. The typeinfo function will always
+be "E type_info function", or somesuch.
+
+value_virtual_fn_field needs to be fixed so there are no failures for
+virtual functions for C++ using g++.
+
+Testsuite cases are the major priority right now for C++ support,
+since i have to make a lot of changes that could potentially break
+each other.
--
-Multi-arch mips_extra_func_info.
+Add support for Modula3
-This first needs the alpha to be updated so that it uses ``struct
-frame_extra_info''.
+Get DEC/Compaq to contribute their Modula-3 support.
--
-Send normal output to gdb_stdout.
-Send error messages to gdb_stderror.
-Send debug and log output log gdb_stdlog.
+ Remote Protocol Support
+ =======================
-GDB still contains many cases where (f)printf or printf_filtered () is
-used when it should be sending the messages to gdb_stderror or
-gdb_stdlog.
+--
+
+set/show remote X-packet ...
+
+``(gdb) help set remote X-packet'' doesn't list the applicable
+responses. The help message needs to be expanded.
--
-Rationalize the host-endian code (grep for HOST_BYTE_ORDER).
+Remote protocol doco feedback.
-At preent defs.h includes <endian.h> (which is linux specific) yet
-almost nothing depends on it. Suggest "gdb_endian.h" which can also
-handle <machine/endian.h> and only include that where it is really
-needed.
+Too much feedback to mention needs to be merged in (901660). Search
+for the word ``remote''.
+
+
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00023.html
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00056.html
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00382.html
--
-Replace asprintf() calls with xasprintf() calls.
+GDB doesn't recover gracefully from remote protocol errors.
-As with things like strdup() most calls to asprintf() don't check the
-return value.
+GDB wasn't checking for NAKs from the remote target. Instead a NAK is
+ignored and a timeout is required before GDB retries. A pre-cursor to
+fixing this this is making GDB's remote protocol packet more robust.
+
+While downloading to a remote protocol target, gdb ignores packet
+errors in so far as it will continue to edownload with chunk N+1 even
+if chunk N was not correctly sent. This causes gdb.base/remote.exp to
+take a painfully long time to run. As a PS that test needs to be
+fixed so that it builds on 16 bit machines.
--
-Rationaize savestring(), msavestring() and mstrsave().
+Add the cycle step command.
-In general libiberty's xstrdup () can be used.
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00237.html
--
-Eliminate mmalloc() from GDB.
-
-Also eliminate it from defs.h.
+Resolve how to scale things to support very large packets.
--
-Check/cleanup MI documentation.
+Resolve how to handle a target that changes things like its endianess
+on the fly - should it be returned in the ``T'' packet?
-The list of commands specified in the documentation needs to be
-checked against the mi-cmds.c table in a mechanical way (so that they
-two can be kept up-to-date).
+Underlying problem is that the register file is target endian. If the
+target endianess changes gdb doesn't know.
--
-Eliminate error_begin().
+ Symbol Support
+ ==============
-With ui_file, there is no need for the statefull error_begin ()
-function.
+If / when GDB starts to support the debugging of multi-processor
+(rather than multi-thread) applications the symtab code will need to
+be updated a little so that several independant symbol tables are
+active at a given time.
+
+The other interesting change is a clarification of the exact meaning
+of CORE_ADDR and that has had consequences for a few targets (that
+were abusing that data type).
--
-Add built-by, build-date, tm, xm, nm and anything else into gdb binary
-so that you can see how the GDB was created.
+Investiagate ways of reducing memory.
-Some of these (*m.h) would be added to the generated config.h. That
-in turn would fix a long standing bug where by the build process many
-not notice a changed tm.h file. Since everything depends on config.h,
-a change to *m.h forces a change to config.h and, consequently forces
-a rebuild.
+--
+
+Investigate ways of improving load time.
--
-Replace gdb_stdtarg with gdb_targout (and possibly gdb_targerr).
+Get the d10v to use POINTER_TO_ADDRESS and ADDRESS_TO_POINTER.
-gdb_stdtarg is easily confused with gdb_stdarg.
+Consequence of recent symtab clarification. No marks for figuring out
+who maintains the d10v.
--
-Remote protocol doco feedback.
+Get the MIPS to correctly sign extend all address <-> pointer
+conversions.
-Too much feedback to mention needs to be merged in (901660). Search
-for the word ``remote''.
+Consequence of recent symtab clarification. No marks for figuring out
+who maintains the MIPS.
--
-set/show remote X-packet ...
+ Testsuite Support
+ =================
-``(gdb) help set remote X-packet'' doesn't list the applicable
-responses. The help message needs to be expanded.
+There are never to many testcases.
--
-Extra ui_file methods - dump.
+Better thread testsuite.
+
+--
-These are for debugging / testing. An aside is to set up a whitebox
-testsuite for key internals such as ui_file.
+Better C++ testsuite.
--
-Add an "info bfd" command that displays supported object formats,
-similarly to objdump -i.
+Look at adding a GDB specific testsuite directory so that white box
+tests of key internals can be added (eg ui_file).
-Is there a command already?
+--
+
+Separate out tests that involve the floating point (FP).
+
+(Something for people brining up new targets). FP and non-fp tests
+are combined. I think there should be set of basic tests that
+exercise pure integer support and then a more expanded set that
+exercise FP and FP/integer interactions.
+
+As an example, the MIPS, for n32 as problems with passing FP's and
+structs. Since most inferior call tests include FP it is difficult to
+determine of the integer tests are ok.
--
- Architectural Changes
- =====================
+ Architectural Changes: General
+ ==============================
These are harder than simple cleanups / fixes and, consequently
involve more work. Typically an Architectural Change will be broken
--
+Cleanup software single step.
+
+At present many targets implement software single step by directly
+blatting memory (see rs6000-tdep.c). Those targets should register
+the applicable breakpoints using the breakpoint framework. Perhaphs a
+new internal breakpoint class ``step'' is needed.
+
+--
+
Replace READ_FP() with FRAME_HANDLE().
READ_FP() is a hangover from the days of the vax when the ABI really
--
-MI's input does not use buffering.
-
-At present the MI interface reads raw characters of from an unbuffered
-FD. This is to avoid several nasty buffer/race conditions. That code
-should be changed so that it registers its self with the event loop
-(on the input FD) and then push commands up to MI as they arrive.
-
-The serial code already does this.
-
---
-
Register Cache Cleanup (below from Andrew Cagney)
I would depict the current register architecture as something like:
--
-Add support for Modula3
+ Architectural Change: Multi-arch et al.
+ =======================================
-Get DEC/Compaq to contribute their Modula-3 support.
+The long term objective is to remove all assumptions that there is a
+single target with a single address space with a single instruction
+set architecture and single application binary interface.
+
+This is an ongoing effort. The first milestone is to enable
+``multi-arch'' where by all architectural decisions are made at
+runtime.
+
+It should be noted that ``gdbarch'' is really ``gdbabi'' and
+``gdbisa''. Once things are multi-arched breaking that down correctly
+will become much easier.
--
-Convert ALL architectures to MULTI-ARCH.
+GDBARCH cleanup (Andrew Cagney)
+
+The non-generated parts of gdbarch.{sh,h,c} should be separated out
+into arch-utils.[hc].
+
+Document that gdbarch_init_ftype could easily fail because it didn't
+identify an architecture.
--
-Convert GDB build process to AUTOMAKE.
+Fix BELIEVE_PPC_PROMOTION. Change it to BELIEVE_PPC_PROMOTION_P?
+
+At present there is still #ifdef BELIEVE_PPC_PROMOTION code in the
+symtab file.
--
-Restructure gdb directory tree so that it avoids any 8.3 and 14
-filename problems.
+Fix target_signal_from_host() etc.
+
+The name is wrong for starters. ``target_signal'' should probably be
+``gdb_signal''. ``from_host'' should be ``from_target_signal''.
+After that it needs to be multi-arched and made independant of any
+host signal numbering.
--
-Can the xdep files be replaced by autoconf?
-Can the tm.h and nm.h files be eliminated by multi-arch.
+Update ALPHA so that it uses ``struct frame_extra_info'' instead of
+EXTRA_FRAME_INFO.
+
+This is a barrier to replacing mips_extra_func_info with something
+that works with multi-arch.
--
-Add a transcript mechanism to GDB.
+Multi-arch mips_extra_func_info.
-Such a mechanism might log all gdb input and output to a file in a
-form that would allow it to be replayed. It could involve ``gdb
---transcript=FILE'' or it could involve ``(gdb) transcript file''.
+This first needs the alpha to be updated so that it uses ``struct
+frame_extra_info''.
--
-Make MI interface accessable from existing CLI.
+Rationalize TARGET_SINGLE_FORMAT and TARGET_SINGLE_BIT et al.
+
+Surely one of them is redundant.
+
+--
+
+Convert ALL architectures to MULTI-ARCH.
--
--
+Make MIPS pure multi-arch.
+
+It is only at the multi-arch enabled stage.
+
+--
+
Truly multi-arch.
Enable the code to recognize --enable-targets=.... like BINUTILS does.
+Can the tm.h and nm.h files be eliminated by multi-arch.
+
--
-Add a breakpoint-edit command to MI.
+ Architectural Change: MI, LIBGDB and scripting languages
+ ========================================================
-It would be similar to MI's breakpoint create but would apply to an
-existing breakpoint. It saves the need to delete/create breakpoints
-when ever they are changed.
+See also architectural changes related to the event loop. LIBGDB
+can't be finished until there is a generic event loop being used by
+all targets.
+
+The long term objective is it to be possible to integrate GDB into
+scripting languages.
--
-Add directory path to MI breakpoint.
+Implement generic ``(gdb) commmand > file''
-That way the GUI's task of finding the file within which the
-breakpoint was set is simplified.
+Once everything is going through ui_file it should be come fairly
+easy.
+
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-04/msg00104.html
+
+--
+
+Replace gdb_stdtarg with gdb_targout (and possibly gdb_targerr).
+
+gdb_stdtarg is easily confused with gdb_stdarg.
+
+--
+
+Extra ui_file methods - dump.
+
+Very useful for whitebox testing.
+
+--
+
+Eliminate error_begin().
+
+With ui_file, there is no need for the statefull error_begin ()
+function.
+
+--
+
+Send normal output to gdb_stdout.
+Send error messages to gdb_stderror.
+Send debug and log output log gdb_stdlog.
+
+GDB still contains many cases where (f)printf or printf_filtered () is
+used when it should be sending the messages to gdb_stderror or
+gdb_stdlog. The thought of #defining printf to something has crossed
+peoples minds ;-)
--
--
-Add mechanism to reject expression classes to MI
+Check/cleanup MI documentation.
+
+The list of commands specified in the documentation needs to be
+checked against the mi-cmds.c table in a mechanical way (so that they
+two can be kept up-to-date).
+
+--
+
+Convert MI into libgdb
+
+MI provides a text interface into what should be many of the libgdb
+functions. The implementation of those functions should be separated
+into the MI interface and the functions proper. Those functions being
+moved to gdb/lib say.
+
+--
+
+Create libgdb.h
+
+The first part can already be found in defs.h.
+
+--
+
+MI's input does not use buffering.
+
+At present the MI interface reads raw characters of from an unbuffered
+FD. This is to avoid several nasty buffer/race conditions. That code
+should be changed so that it registers its self with the event loop
+(on the input FD) and then push commands up to MI as they arrive.
+
+The serial code already does this.
+
+--
+
+Make MI interface accessable from existing CLI.
+
+--
+
+Add a breakpoint-edit command to MI.
+
+It would be similar to MI's breakpoint create but would apply to an
+existing breakpoint. It saves the need to delete/create breakpoints
+when ever they are changed.
+
+--
+
+Add directory path to MI breakpoint.
+
+That way the GUI's task of finding the file within which the
+breakpoint was set is simplified.
+
+--
+
+Add a mechanism to reject certain expression classes to MI
There are situtations where you don't want GDB's expression
parser/evaluator to perform inferior function calls or variable
-assignments.
+assignments. A way of restricting the expression parser so that such
+operations are not accepted would be very helpful.
--
--
-GDB doesn't recover gracefully from remote protocol errors.
+Move gdb_lasterr to ui_out?
-GDB wasn't checking for NAKs from the remote target. Instead a NAK is
-ignored and a timeout is required before GDB retries. A pre-cursor to
-fixing this this is making GDB's remote protocol packet more robust.
+The way GDB throws errors and records them needs a re-think. ui_out
+handles the correct output well. It doesn't resolve what to do with
+output / error-messages when things go wrong.
-While downloading to a remote protocol target, gdb ignores packet
-errors in so far as it will continue to edownload with chunk N+1 even
-if chunk N was not correctly sent. This causes gdb.base/remote.exp to
-take a painfully long time to run. As a PS that test needs to be
-fixed so that it builds on 16 bit machines.
+--
+
+do_setshow_command contains a 1024 byte buffer.
+
+The function assumes that there will never be any more than 1024 bytes
+of enum. It should use mem_file.
--
-Move gdb_lasterr to ui_out?
+Should struct cmd_list_element . completer take the command as an
+argument?
-The way GDB throws errors and records them needs a re-think. ui_out
-handles the correct output well. It doesn't resolve what to do with
-output / error-messages when things go wrong.
+--
+
+Should the bulk of top.c:line_completion_function() be moved to
+command.[hc]? complete_on_cmdlist() and complete_on_enums() could
+then be made private.
+
+--
+
+top.c (execute_command): Should a command being valid when the target
+is running be made an attribute (predicate) to the command rather than
+an explicit set of tests.
+
+--
+
+top.c (execute_command): Should the bulk of this function be moved
+into command.[hc] so that top.c doesn't grub around in the command
+internals?
+
+--
+
+ Architectural Change: Async
+ ===========================
+
+While GDB uses an event loop when prompting the user for input. That
+event loop is not exploited by targets when they allow the target
+program to continue. Typically targets still block in (target_wait())
+until the program again halts.
+
+The closest a target comes to supporting full asynchronous mode are
+the remote targets ``async'' and ``extended-async''.
+
+--
+
+Asynchronous expression evaluator
+
+Inferior function calls hang GDB.
--
for that command. Other changes such as making ``struct command''
opaque may also help.
+See also:
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-06/msg00062.html
+
--
-Document trace machinery
+Make "target xxx" command interruptible.
+
+As things become async this becomes possible. A target would start
+the connect and then return control to the event loop. A cntrl-c
+would notify the target that the operation is to be abandoned and the
+target code could respond.
--
-Document overlay machinery.
+Add a "suspend" subcommand of the "continue" command to suspend gdb
+while continuing execution of the subprocess. Useful when you are
+debugging servers and you want to dodge out and initiate a connection
+to a server running under gdb.
+
+[hey async!!]
+
+--
+
+ TODO FAQ
+ ========
+
+Frequently requested but not approved requests.
+
+--
+
+Eliminate unused argument warnings using ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED.
+
+The benefits on this one are thought to be marginal - GDBs design
+means that unused parameters are very common. GCC 3.0 will also
+include the option -Wno-unused-parameter which means that ``-Wall
+-Wno-unused-parameters -Werror'' can be specified.
--
+
+
Legacy Wish List
================
Make single_step() insert and remove breakpoints in one operation.
+[If this is talking about having single_step() insert the breakpoints,
+run the target then pull the breakpoints then it is wrong. The
+function has to return as control has to eventually be passed back to
+the main event loop.]
+
--
Speed up single stepping by avoiding extraneous ptrace calls.
--
-Make "target xxx" command interruptible.
-
---
-
[elena - delete this]
Handle add_file with separate text, data, and bss addresses. Maybe
--
-Add a "suspend" subcommand of the "continue" command to suspend gdb
-while continuing execution of the subprocess. Useful when you are
-debugging servers and you want to dodge out and initiate a connection
-to a server running under gdb.
-
-[hey async!!]
-
---
-
Modify the handling of symbols grouped through BINCL/EINCL stabs to
allocate a partial symtab for each BINCL/EINCL grouping. This will
seriously decrease the size of inter-psymtab dependencies and hence
--
-[Comming...]
-
-Modify gdb to work correctly with Pascal.
-
---
-
Add a command for searching memory, a la adb. It specifies size,
mask, value, start address. ADB searches until it finds it or hits
an error (or is interrupted).
projects / deliverable / binutils-gdb.git / blobdiff