1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
2 @c Copyright (C) 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998,
3 @c 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
4 @c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
7 @c makeinfo ignores cmds prev to setfilename, so its arg cannot make use
8 @c of @set vars. However, you can override filename with makeinfo -o.
13 @settitle Debugging with @value{GDBN}
14 @setchapternewpage odd
25 @c readline appendices use @vindex, @findex and @ftable,
26 @c annotate.texi and gdbmi use @findex.
30 @c !!set GDB manual's edition---not the same as GDB version!
31 @c This is updated by GNU Press.
34 @c !!set GDB edit command default editor
37 @c THIS MANUAL REQUIRES TEXINFO 4.0 OR LATER.
39 @c This is a dir.info fragment to support semi-automated addition of
40 @c manuals to an info tree.
41 @dircategory Software development
43 * Gdb: (gdb). The GNU debugger.
47 This file documents the @sc{gnu} debugger @value{GDBN}.
50 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, of @cite{Debugging with
51 @value{GDBN}: the @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger} for @value{GDBN}
52 Version @value{GDBVN}.
54 Copyright (C) 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998,@*
55 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006@*
56 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
58 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
59 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
60 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
61 Invariant Sections being ``Free Software'' and ``Free Software Needs
62 Free Documentation'', with the Front-Cover Texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
63 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below.
65 (a) The Free Software Foundation's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have
66 freedom to copy and modify this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies
67 published by the Free Software Foundation raise funds for GNU
72 @title Debugging with @value{GDBN}
73 @subtitle The @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger
75 @subtitle @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN}
76 @author Richard Stallman, Roland Pesch, Stan Shebs, et al.
80 \hfill (Send bugs and comments on @value{GDBN} to bug-gdb\@gnu.org.)\par
81 \hfill {\it Debugging with @value{GDBN}}\par
82 \hfill \TeX{}info \texinfoversion\par
86 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
87 Copyright @copyright{} 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995,
88 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006
89 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
91 Published by the Free Software Foundation @*
92 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
93 Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA@*
96 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
97 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
98 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
99 Invariant Sections being ``Free Software'' and ``Free Software Needs
100 Free Documentation'', with the Front-Cover Texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
101 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below.
103 (a) The Free Software Foundation's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have
104 freedom to copy and modify this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies
105 published by the Free Software Foundation raise funds for GNU
111 @node Top, Summary, (dir), (dir)
113 @top Debugging with @value{GDBN}
115 This file describes @value{GDBN}, the @sc{gnu} symbolic debugger.
117 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN} Version
120 Copyright (C) 1988-2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
123 * Summary:: Summary of @value{GDBN}
124 * Sample Session:: A sample @value{GDBN} session
126 * Invocation:: Getting in and out of @value{GDBN}
127 * Commands:: @value{GDBN} commands
128 * Running:: Running programs under @value{GDBN}
129 * Stopping:: Stopping and continuing
130 * Stack:: Examining the stack
131 * Source:: Examining source files
132 * Data:: Examining data
133 * Macros:: Preprocessor Macros
134 * Tracepoints:: Debugging remote targets non-intrusively
135 * Overlays:: Debugging programs that use overlays
137 * Languages:: Using @value{GDBN} with different languages
139 * Symbols:: Examining the symbol table
140 * Altering:: Altering execution
141 * GDB Files:: @value{GDBN} files
142 * Targets:: Specifying a debugging target
143 * Remote Debugging:: Debugging remote programs
144 * Configurations:: Configuration-specific information
145 * Controlling GDB:: Controlling @value{GDBN}
146 * Sequences:: Canned sequences of commands
147 * TUI:: @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
148 * Interpreters:: Command Interpreters
149 * Emacs:: Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
150 * Annotations:: @value{GDBN}'s annotation interface.
151 * GDB/MI:: @value{GDBN}'s Machine Interface.
153 * GDB Bugs:: Reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
154 * Formatting Documentation:: How to format and print @value{GDBN} documentation
156 * Command Line Editing:: Command Line Editing
157 * Using History Interactively:: Using History Interactively
158 * Installing GDB:: Installing GDB
159 * Maintenance Commands:: Maintenance Commands
160 * Remote Protocol:: GDB Remote Serial Protocol
161 * Agent Expressions:: The GDB Agent Expression Mechanism
162 * Copying:: GNU General Public License says
163 how you can copy and share GDB
164 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation
173 @unnumbered Summary of @value{GDBN}
175 The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
176 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes---or what another
177 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
179 @value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
180 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
184 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
187 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
190 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
193 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
194 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
197 You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C and C@t{++}.
198 For more information, see @ref{Supported languages,,Supported languages}.
199 For more information, see @ref{C,,C and C++}.
202 Support for Modula-2 is partial. For information on Modula-2, see
203 @ref{Modula-2,,Modula-2}.
206 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
207 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
208 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
212 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, although
213 it may be necessary to refer to some variables with a trailing
216 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Objective-C,
217 using either the Apple/NeXT or the GNU Objective-C runtime.
220 * Free Software:: Freely redistributable software
221 * Contributors:: Contributors to GDB
225 @unnumberedsec Free software
227 @value{GDBN} is @dfn{free software}, protected by the @sc{gnu}
228 General Public License
229 (GPL). The GPL gives you the freedom to copy or adapt a licensed
230 program---but every person getting a copy also gets with it the
231 freedom to modify that copy (which means that they must get access to
232 the source code), and the freedom to distribute further copies.
233 Typical software companies use copyrights to limit your freedoms; the
234 Free Software Foundation uses the GPL to preserve these freedoms.
236 Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which says that
237 you have these freedoms and that you cannot take these freedoms away
240 @unnumberedsec Free Software Needs Free Documentation
242 The biggest deficiency in the free software community today is not in
243 the software---it is the lack of good free documentation that we can
244 include with the free software. Many of our most important
245 programs do not come with free reference manuals and free introductory
246 texts. Documentation is an essential part of any software package;
247 when an important free software package does not come with a free
248 manual and a free tutorial, that is a major gap. We have many such
251 Consider Perl, for instance. The tutorial manuals that people
252 normally use are non-free. How did this come about? Because the
253 authors of those manuals published them with restrictive terms---no
254 copying, no modification, source files not available---which exclude
255 them from the free software world.
257 That wasn't the first time this sort of thing happened, and it was far
258 from the last. Many times we have heard a GNU user eagerly describe a
259 manual that he is writing, his intended contribution to the community,
260 only to learn that he had ruined everything by signing a publication
261 contract to make it non-free.
263 Free documentation, like free software, is a matter of freedom, not
264 price. The problem with the non-free manual is not that publishers
265 charge a price for printed copies---that in itself is fine. (The Free
266 Software Foundation sells printed copies of manuals, too.) The
267 problem is the restrictions on the use of the manual. Free manuals
268 are available in source code form, and give you permission to copy and
269 modify. Non-free manuals do not allow this.
271 The criteria of freedom for a free manual are roughly the same as for
272 free software. Redistribution (including the normal kinds of
273 commercial redistribution) must be permitted, so that the manual can
274 accompany every copy of the program, both on-line and on paper.
276 Permission for modification of the technical content is crucial too.
277 When people modify the software, adding or changing features, if they
278 are conscientious they will change the manual too---so they can
279 provide accurate and clear documentation for the modified program. A
280 manual that leaves you no choice but to write a new manual to document
281 a changed version of the program is not really available to our
284 Some kinds of limits on the way modification is handled are
285 acceptable. For example, requirements to preserve the original
286 author's copyright notice, the distribution terms, or the list of
287 authors, are ok. It is also no problem to require modified versions
288 to include notice that they were modified. Even entire sections that
289 may not be deleted or changed are acceptable, as long as they deal
290 with nontechnical topics (like this one). These kinds of restrictions
291 are acceptable because they don't obstruct the community's normal use
294 However, it must be possible to modify all the @emph{technical}
295 content of the manual, and then distribute the result in all the usual
296 media, through all the usual channels. Otherwise, the restrictions
297 obstruct the use of the manual, it is not free, and we need another
298 manual to replace it.
300 Please spread the word about this issue. Our community continues to
301 lose manuals to proprietary publishing. If we spread the word that
302 free software needs free reference manuals and free tutorials, perhaps
303 the next person who wants to contribute by writing documentation will
304 realize, before it is too late, that only free manuals contribute to
305 the free software community.
307 If you are writing documentation, please insist on publishing it under
308 the GNU Free Documentation License or another free documentation
309 license. Remember that this decision requires your approval---you
310 don't have to let the publisher decide. Some commercial publishers
311 will use a free license if you insist, but they will not propose the
312 option; it is up to you to raise the issue and say firmly that this is
313 what you want. If the publisher you are dealing with refuses, please
314 try other publishers. If you're not sure whether a proposed license
315 is free, write to @email{licensing@@gnu.org}.
317 You can encourage commercial publishers to sell more free, copylefted
318 manuals and tutorials by buying them, and particularly by buying
319 copies from the publishers that paid for their writing or for major
320 improvements. Meanwhile, try to avoid buying non-free documentation
321 at all. Check the distribution terms of a manual before you buy it,
322 and insist that whoever seeks your business must respect your freedom.
323 Check the history of the book, and try to reward the publishers that
324 have paid or pay the authors to work on it.
326 The Free Software Foundation maintains a list of free documentation
327 published by other publishers, at
328 @url{http://www.fsf.org/doc/other-free-books.html}.
331 @unnumberedsec Contributors to @value{GDBN}
333 Richard Stallman was the original author of @value{GDBN}, and of many
334 other @sc{gnu} programs. Many others have contributed to its
335 development. This section attempts to credit major contributors. One
336 of the virtues of free software is that everyone is free to contribute
337 to it; with regret, we cannot actually acknowledge everyone here. The
338 file @file{ChangeLog} in the @value{GDBN} distribution approximates a
339 blow-by-blow account.
341 Changes much prior to version 2.0 are lost in the mists of time.
344 @emph{Plea:} Additions to this section are particularly welcome. If you
345 or your friends (or enemies, to be evenhanded) have been unfairly
346 omitted from this list, we would like to add your names!
349 So that they may not regard their many labors as thankless, we
350 particularly thank those who shepherded @value{GDBN} through major
352 Andrew Cagney (releases 6.3, 6.2, 6.1, 6.0, 5.3, 5.2, 5.1 and 5.0);
353 Jim Blandy (release 4.18);
354 Jason Molenda (release 4.17);
355 Stan Shebs (release 4.14);
356 Fred Fish (releases 4.16, 4.15, 4.13, 4.12, 4.11, 4.10, and 4.9);
357 Stu Grossman and John Gilmore (releases 4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, and 4.4);
358 John Gilmore (releases 4.3, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, and 3.9);
359 Jim Kingdon (releases 3.5, 3.4, and 3.3);
360 and Randy Smith (releases 3.2, 3.1, and 3.0).
362 Richard Stallman, assisted at various times by Peter TerMaat, Chris
363 Hanson, and Richard Mlynarik, handled releases through 2.8.
365 Michael Tiemann is the author of most of the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} support
366 in @value{GDBN}, with significant additional contributions from Per
367 Bothner and Daniel Berlin. James Clark wrote the @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
368 demangler. Early work on C@t{++} was by Peter TerMaat (who also did
369 much general update work leading to release 3.0).
371 @value{GDBN} uses the BFD subroutine library to examine multiple
372 object-file formats; BFD was a joint project of David V.
373 Henkel-Wallace, Rich Pixley, Steve Chamberlain, and John Gilmore.
375 David Johnson wrote the original COFF support; Pace Willison did
376 the original support for encapsulated COFF.
378 Brent Benson of Harris Computer Systems contributed DWARF 2 support.
380 Adam de Boor and Bradley Davis contributed the ISI Optimum V support.
381 Per Bothner, Noboyuki Hikichi, and Alessandro Forin contributed MIPS
383 Jean-Daniel Fekete contributed Sun 386i support.
384 Chris Hanson improved the HP9000 support.
385 Noboyuki Hikichi and Tomoyuki Hasei contributed Sony/News OS 3 support.
386 David Johnson contributed Encore Umax support.
387 Jyrki Kuoppala contributed Altos 3068 support.
388 Jeff Law contributed HP PA and SOM support.
389 Keith Packard contributed NS32K support.
390 Doug Rabson contributed Acorn Risc Machine support.
391 Bob Rusk contributed Harris Nighthawk CX-UX support.
392 Chris Smith contributed Convex support (and Fortran debugging).
393 Jonathan Stone contributed Pyramid support.
394 Michael Tiemann contributed SPARC support.
395 Tim Tucker contributed support for the Gould NP1 and Gould Powernode.
396 Pace Willison contributed Intel 386 support.
397 Jay Vosburgh contributed Symmetry support.
398 Marko Mlinar contributed OpenRISC 1000 support.
400 Andreas Schwab contributed M68K @sc{gnu}/Linux support.
402 Rich Schaefer and Peter Schauer helped with support of SunOS shared
405 Jay Fenlason and Roland McGrath ensured that @value{GDBN} and GAS agree
406 about several machine instruction sets.
408 Patrick Duval, Ted Goldstein, Vikram Koka and Glenn Engel helped develop
409 remote debugging. Intel Corporation, Wind River Systems, AMD, and ARM
410 contributed remote debugging modules for the i960, VxWorks, A29K UDI,
411 and RDI targets, respectively.
413 Brian Fox is the author of the readline libraries providing
414 command-line editing and command history.
416 Andrew Beers of SUNY Buffalo wrote the language-switching code, the
417 Modula-2 support, and contributed the Languages chapter of this manual.
419 Fred Fish wrote most of the support for Unix System Vr4.
420 He also enhanced the command-completion support to cover C@t{++} overloaded
423 Hitachi America (now Renesas America), Ltd. sponsored the support for
424 H8/300, H8/500, and Super-H processors.
426 NEC sponsored the support for the v850, Vr4xxx, and Vr5xxx processors.
428 Mitsubishi (now Renesas) sponsored the support for D10V, D30V, and M32R/D
431 Toshiba sponsored the support for the TX39 Mips processor.
433 Matsushita sponsored the support for the MN10200 and MN10300 processors.
435 Fujitsu sponsored the support for SPARClite and FR30 processors.
437 Kung Hsu, Jeff Law, and Rick Sladkey added support for hardware
440 Michael Snyder added support for tracepoints.
442 Stu Grossman wrote gdbserver.
444 Jim Kingdon, Peter Schauer, Ian Taylor, and Stu Grossman made
445 nearly innumerable bug fixes and cleanups throughout @value{GDBN}.
447 The following people at the Hewlett-Packard Company contributed
448 support for the PA-RISC 2.0 architecture, HP-UX 10.20, 10.30, and 11.0
449 (narrow mode), HP's implementation of kernel threads, HP's aC@t{++}
450 compiler, and the Text User Interface (nee Terminal User Interface):
451 Ben Krepp, Richard Title, John Bishop, Susan Macchia, Kathy Mann,
452 Satish Pai, India Paul, Steve Rehrauer, and Elena Zannoni. Kim Haase
453 provided HP-specific information in this manual.
455 DJ Delorie ported @value{GDBN} to MS-DOS, for the DJGPP project.
456 Robert Hoehne made significant contributions to the DJGPP port.
458 Cygnus Solutions has sponsored @value{GDBN} maintenance and much of its
459 development since 1991. Cygnus engineers who have worked on @value{GDBN}
460 fulltime include Mark Alexander, Jim Blandy, Per Bothner, Kevin
461 Buettner, Edith Epstein, Chris Faylor, Fred Fish, Martin Hunt, Jim
462 Ingham, John Gilmore, Stu Grossman, Kung Hsu, Jim Kingdon, John Metzler,
463 Fernando Nasser, Geoffrey Noer, Dawn Perchik, Rich Pixley, Zdenek
464 Radouch, Keith Seitz, Stan Shebs, David Taylor, and Elena Zannoni. In
465 addition, Dave Brolley, Ian Carmichael, Steve Chamberlain, Nick Clifton,
466 JT Conklin, Stan Cox, DJ Delorie, Ulrich Drepper, Frank Eigler, Doug
467 Evans, Sean Fagan, David Henkel-Wallace, Richard Henderson, Jeff
468 Holcomb, Jeff Law, Jim Lemke, Tom Lord, Bob Manson, Michael Meissner,
469 Jason Merrill, Catherine Moore, Drew Moseley, Ken Raeburn, Gavin
470 Romig-Koch, Rob Savoye, Jamie Smith, Mike Stump, Ian Taylor, Angela
471 Thomas, Michael Tiemann, Tom Tromey, Ron Unrau, Jim Wilson, and David
472 Zuhn have made contributions both large and small.
474 Andrew Cagney, Fernando Nasser, and Elena Zannoni, while working for
475 Cygnus Solutions, implemented the original @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
477 Jim Blandy added support for preprocessor macros, while working for Red
480 Andrew Cagney designed @value{GDBN}'s architecture vector. Many
481 people including Andrew Cagney, Stephane Carrez, Randolph Chung, Nick
482 Duffek, Richard Henderson, Mark Kettenis, Grace Sainsbury, Kei
483 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Andreas Schwab, Jason
484 Thorpe, Corinna Vinschen, Ulrich Weigand, and Elena Zannoni, helped
485 with the migration of old architectures to this new framework.
487 Andrew Cagney completely re-designed and re-implemented @value{GDBN}'s
488 unwinder framework, this consisting of a fresh new design featuring
489 frame IDs, independent frame sniffers, and the sentinel frame. Mark
490 Kettenis implemented the @sc{dwarf 2} unwinder, Jeff Johnston the
491 libunwind unwinder, and Andrew Cagney the dummy, sentinel, tramp, and
492 trad unwinders. The architecture specific changes, each involving a
493 complete rewrite of the architecture's frame code, were carried out by
494 Jim Blandy, Joel Brobecker, Kevin Buettner, Andrew Cagney, Stephane
495 Carrez, Randolph Chung, Orjan Friberg, Richard Henderson, Daniel
496 Jacobowitz, Jeff Johnston, Mark Kettenis, Theodore A. Roth, Kei
497 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Corinna Vinschen, and Ulrich
501 @chapter A Sample @value{GDBN} Session
503 You can use this manual at your leisure to read all about @value{GDBN}.
504 However, a handful of commands are enough to get started using the
505 debugger. This chapter illustrates those commands.
508 In this sample session, we emphasize user input like this: @b{input},
509 to make it easier to pick out from the surrounding output.
512 @c FIXME: this example may not be appropriate for some configs, where
513 @c FIXME...primary interest is in remote use.
515 One of the preliminary versions of @sc{gnu} @code{m4} (a generic macro
516 processor) exhibits the following bug: sometimes, when we change its
517 quote strings from the default, the commands used to capture one macro
518 definition within another stop working. In the following short @code{m4}
519 session, we define a macro @code{foo} which expands to @code{0000}; we
520 then use the @code{m4} built-in @code{defn} to define @code{bar} as the
521 same thing. However, when we change the open quote string to
522 @code{<QUOTE>} and the close quote string to @code{<UNQUOTE>}, the same
523 procedure fails to define a new synonym @code{baz}:
532 @b{define(bar,defn(`foo'))}
536 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
538 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
541 m4: End of input: 0: fatal error: EOF in string
545 Let us use @value{GDBN} to try to see what is going on.
548 $ @b{@value{GDBP} m4}
549 @c FIXME: this falsifies the exact text played out, to permit smallbook
550 @c FIXME... format to come out better.
551 @value{GDBN} is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
552 of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
554 There is absolutely no warranty for @value{GDBN}; type "show warranty"
557 @value{GDBN} @value{GDBVN}, Copyright 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
562 @value{GDBN} reads only enough symbol data to know where to find the
563 rest when needed; as a result, the first prompt comes up very quickly.
564 We now tell @value{GDBN} to use a narrower display width than usual, so
565 that examples fit in this manual.
568 (@value{GDBP}) @b{set width 70}
572 We need to see how the @code{m4} built-in @code{changequote} works.
573 Having looked at the source, we know the relevant subroutine is
574 @code{m4_changequote}, so we set a breakpoint there with the @value{GDBN}
575 @code{break} command.
578 (@value{GDBP}) @b{break m4_changequote}
579 Breakpoint 1 at 0x62f4: file builtin.c, line 879.
583 Using the @code{run} command, we start @code{m4} running under @value{GDBN}
584 control; as long as control does not reach the @code{m4_changequote}
585 subroutine, the program runs as usual:
588 (@value{GDBP}) @b{run}
589 Starting program: /work/Editorial/gdb/gnu/m4/m4
597 To trigger the breakpoint, we call @code{changequote}. @value{GDBN}
598 suspends execution of @code{m4}, displaying information about the
599 context where it stops.
602 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
604 Breakpoint 1, m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
606 879 if (bad_argc(TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[0]),argc,1,3))
610 Now we use the command @code{n} (@code{next}) to advance execution to
611 the next line of the current function.
615 882 set_quotes((argc >= 2) ? TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[1])\
620 @code{set_quotes} looks like a promising subroutine. We can go into it
621 by using the command @code{s} (@code{step}) instead of @code{next}.
622 @code{step} goes to the next line to be executed in @emph{any}
623 subroutine, so it steps into @code{set_quotes}.
627 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
629 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
633 The display that shows the subroutine where @code{m4} is now
634 suspended (and its arguments) is called a stack frame display. It
635 shows a summary of the stack. We can use the @code{backtrace}
636 command (which can also be spelled @code{bt}), to see where we are
637 in the stack as a whole: the @code{backtrace} command displays a
638 stack frame for each active subroutine.
641 (@value{GDBP}) @b{bt}
642 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
644 #1 0x6344 in m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
646 #2 0x8174 in expand_macro (sym=0x33320) at macro.c:242
647 #3 0x7a88 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=209696, td=0xf7fffa30)
649 #4 0x79dc in expand_input () at macro.c:40
650 #5 0x2930 in main (argc=0, argv=0xf7fffb20) at m4.c:195
654 We step through a few more lines to see what happens. The first two
655 times, we can use @samp{s}; the next two times we use @code{n} to avoid
656 falling into the @code{xstrdup} subroutine.
660 0x3b5c 532 if (rquote != def_rquote)
662 0x3b80 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? \
663 def_lquote : xstrdup(lq);
665 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
668 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
672 The last line displayed looks a little odd; we can examine the variables
673 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} to see if they are in fact the new left
674 and right quotes we specified. We use the command @code{p}
675 (@code{print}) to see their values.
678 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p lquote}
679 $1 = 0x35d40 "<QUOTE>"
680 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p rquote}
681 $2 = 0x35d50 "<UNQUOTE>"
685 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} are indeed the new left and right quotes.
686 To look at some context, we can display ten lines of source
687 surrounding the current line with the @code{l} (@code{list}) command.
693 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? def_lquote\
695 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
698 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
699 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
706 Let us step past the two lines that set @code{len_lquote} and
707 @code{len_rquote}, and then examine the values of those variables.
711 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
714 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote}
716 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote}
721 That certainly looks wrong, assuming @code{len_lquote} and
722 @code{len_rquote} are meant to be the lengths of @code{lquote} and
723 @code{rquote} respectively. We can set them to better values using
724 the @code{p} command, since it can print the value of
725 any expression---and that expression can include subroutine calls and
729 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote=strlen(lquote)}
731 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote=strlen(rquote)}
736 Is that enough to fix the problem of using the new quotes with the
737 @code{m4} built-in @code{defn}? We can allow @code{m4} to continue
738 executing with the @code{c} (@code{continue}) command, and then try the
739 example that caused trouble initially:
745 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
752 Success! The new quotes now work just as well as the default ones. The
753 problem seems to have been just the two typos defining the wrong
754 lengths. We allow @code{m4} exit by giving it an EOF as input:
758 Program exited normally.
762 The message @samp{Program exited normally.} is from @value{GDBN}; it
763 indicates @code{m4} has finished executing. We can end our @value{GDBN}
764 session with the @value{GDBN} @code{quit} command.
767 (@value{GDBP}) @b{quit}
771 @chapter Getting In and Out of @value{GDBN}
773 This chapter discusses how to start @value{GDBN}, and how to get out of it.
777 type @samp{@value{GDBP}} to start @value{GDBN}.
779 type @kbd{quit} or @kbd{Ctrl-d} to exit.
783 * Invoking GDB:: How to start @value{GDBN}
784 * Quitting GDB:: How to quit @value{GDBN}
785 * Shell Commands:: How to use shell commands inside @value{GDBN}
786 * Logging output:: How to log @value{GDBN}'s output to a file
790 @section Invoking @value{GDBN}
792 Invoke @value{GDBN} by running the program @code{@value{GDBP}}. Once started,
793 @value{GDBN} reads commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit.
795 You can also run @code{@value{GDBP}} with a variety of arguments and options,
796 to specify more of your debugging environment at the outset.
798 The command-line options described here are designed
799 to cover a variety of situations; in some environments, some of these
800 options may effectively be unavailable.
802 The most usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument,
803 specifying an executable program:
806 @value{GDBP} @var{program}
810 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file
814 @value{GDBP} @var{program} @var{core}
817 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
818 to debug a running process:
821 @value{GDBP} @var{program} 1234
825 would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
826 named @file{1234}; @value{GDBN} does check for a core file first).
828 Taking advantage of the second command-line argument requires a fairly
829 complete operating system; when you use @value{GDBN} as a remote
830 debugger attached to a bare board, there may not be any notion of
831 ``process'', and there is often no way to get a core dump. @value{GDBN}
832 will warn you if it is unable to attach or to read core dumps.
834 You can optionally have @code{@value{GDBP}} pass any arguments after the
835 executable file to the inferior using @code{--args}. This option stops
838 gdb --args gcc -O2 -c foo.c
840 This will cause @code{@value{GDBP}} to debug @code{gcc}, and to set
841 @code{gcc}'s command-line arguments (@pxref{Arguments}) to @samp{-O2 -c foo.c}.
843 You can run @code{@value{GDBP}} without printing the front material, which describes
844 @value{GDBN}'s non-warranty, by specifying @code{-silent}:
851 You can further control how @value{GDBN} starts up by using command-line
852 options. @value{GDBN} itself can remind you of the options available.
862 to display all available options and briefly describe their use
863 (@samp{@value{GDBP} -h} is a shorter equivalent).
865 All options and command line arguments you give are processed
866 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the
867 @samp{-x} option is used.
871 * File Options:: Choosing files
872 * Mode Options:: Choosing modes
873 * Startup:: What @value{GDBN} does during startup
877 @subsection Choosing files
879 When @value{GDBN} starts, it reads any arguments other than options as
880 specifying an executable file and core file (or process ID). This is
881 the same as if the arguments were specified by the @samp{-se} and
882 @samp{-c} (or @samp{-p} options respectively. (@value{GDBN} reads the
883 first argument that does not have an associated option flag as
884 equivalent to the @samp{-se} option followed by that argument; and the
885 second argument that does not have an associated option flag, if any, as
886 equivalent to the @samp{-c}/@samp{-p} option followed by that argument.)
887 If the second argument begins with a decimal digit, @value{GDBN} will
888 first attempt to attach to it as a process, and if that fails, attempt
889 to open it as a corefile. If you have a corefile whose name begins with
890 a digit, you can prevent @value{GDBN} from treating it as a pid by
891 prefixing it with @file{./}, e.g.@: @file{./12345}.
893 If @value{GDBN} has not been configured to included core file support,
894 such as for most embedded targets, then it will complain about a second
895 argument and ignore it.
897 Many options have both long and short forms; both are shown in the
898 following list. @value{GDBN} also recognizes the long forms if you truncate
899 them, so long as enough of the option is present to be unambiguous.
900 (If you prefer, you can flag option arguments with @samp{--} rather
901 than @samp{-}, though we illustrate the more usual convention.)
903 @c NOTE: the @cindex entries here use double dashes ON PURPOSE. This
904 @c way, both those who look for -foo and --foo in the index, will find
908 @item -symbols @var{file}
910 @cindex @code{--symbols}
912 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
914 @item -exec @var{file}
916 @cindex @code{--exec}
918 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when appropriate,
919 and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core dump.
923 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
926 @item -core @var{file}
928 @cindex @code{--core}
930 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
932 @item -c @var{number}
933 @item -pid @var{number}
934 @itemx -p @var{number}
937 Connect to process ID @var{number}, as with the @code{attach} command.
938 If there is no such process, @value{GDBN} will attempt to open a core
939 file named @var{number}.
941 @item -command @var{file}
943 @cindex @code{--command}
945 Execute @value{GDBN} commands from file @var{file}. @xref{Command
946 Files,, Command files}.
948 @item -eval-command @var{command}
949 @itemx -ex @var{command}
950 @cindex @code{--eval-command}
952 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command.
954 This option may be used multiple times to call multiple commands. It may
955 also be interleaved with @samp{-command} as required.
958 @value{GDBP} -ex 'target sim' -ex 'load' \
959 -x setbreakpoints -ex 'run' a.out
962 @item -directory @var{directory}
963 @itemx -d @var{directory}
964 @cindex @code{--directory}
966 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source and script files.
970 @cindex @code{--readnow}
972 Read each symbol file's entire symbol table immediately, rather than
973 the default, which is to read it incrementally as it is needed.
974 This makes startup slower, but makes future operations faster.
979 @subsection Choosing modes
981 You can run @value{GDBN} in various alternative modes---for example, in
982 batch mode or quiet mode.
989 Do not execute commands found in any initialization files. Normally,
990 @value{GDBN} executes the commands in these files after all the command
991 options and arguments have been processed. @xref{Command Files,,Command
997 @cindex @code{--quiet}
998 @cindex @code{--silent}
1000 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
1001 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
1004 @cindex @code{--batch}
1005 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the
1006 command files specified with @samp{-x} (and all commands from
1007 initialization files, if not inhibited with @samp{-n}). Exit with
1008 nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN} commands
1009 in the command files.
1011 Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for
1012 example to download and run a program on another computer; in order to
1013 make this more useful, the message
1016 Program exited normally.
1020 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under
1021 @value{GDBN} control terminates) is not issued when running in batch
1025 @cindex @code{--batch-silent}
1026 Run in batch mode exactly like @samp{-batch}, but totally silently. All
1027 @value{GDBN} output to @code{stdout} is prevented (@code{stderr} is
1028 unaffected). This is much quieter than @samp{-silent} and would be useless
1029 for an interactive session.
1031 This is particularly useful when using targets that give @samp{Loading section}
1032 messages, for example.
1034 Note that targets that give their output via @value{GDBN}, as opposed to
1035 writing directly to @code{stdout}, will also be made silent.
1037 @item -return-child-result
1038 @cindex @code{--return-child-result}
1039 The return code from @value{GDBN} will be the return code from the child
1040 process (the process being debugged), with the following exceptions:
1044 @value{GDBN} exits abnormally. E.g., due to an incorrect argument or an
1045 internal error. In this case the exit code is the same as it would have been
1046 without @samp{-return-child-result}.
1048 The user quits with an explicit value. E.g., @samp{quit 1}.
1050 The child process never runs, or is not allowed to terminate, in which case
1051 the exit code will be -1.
1054 This option is useful in conjunction with @samp{-batch} or @samp{-batch-silent},
1055 when @value{GDBN} is being used as a remote program loader or simulator
1060 @cindex @code{--nowindows}
1062 ``No windows''. If @value{GDBN} comes with a graphical user interface
1063 (GUI) built in, then this option tells @value{GDBN} to only use the command-line
1064 interface. If no GUI is available, this option has no effect.
1068 @cindex @code{--windows}
1070 If @value{GDBN} includes a GUI, then this option requires it to be
1073 @item -cd @var{directory}
1075 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
1076 instead of the current directory.
1080 @cindex @code{--fullname}
1082 @sc{gnu} Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a
1083 subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line
1084 number in a standard, recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is
1085 displayed (which includes each time your program stops). This
1086 recognizable format looks like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by
1087 the file name, line number and character position separated by colons,
1088 and a newline. The Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two
1089 @samp{\032} characters as a signal to display the source code for the
1093 @cindex @code{--epoch}
1094 The Epoch Emacs-@value{GDBN} interface sets this option when it runs
1095 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to modify its print
1096 routines so as to allow Epoch to display values of expressions in a
1099 @item -annotate @var{level}
1100 @cindex @code{--annotate}
1101 This option sets the @dfn{annotation level} inside @value{GDBN}. Its
1102 effect is identical to using @samp{set annotate @var{level}}
1103 (@pxref{Annotations}). The annotation @var{level} controls how much
1104 information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt, values of
1105 expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0 is the
1106 normal, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a subprocess of
1107 @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable for programs
1108 that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 has been deprecated.
1110 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
1114 @cindex @code{--args}
1115 Change interpretation of command line so that arguments following the
1116 executable file are passed as command line arguments to the inferior.
1117 This option stops option processing.
1119 @item -baud @var{bps}
1121 @cindex @code{--baud}
1123 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
1124 interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
1126 @item -l @var{timeout}
1128 Set the timeout (in seconds) of any communication used by @value{GDBN}
1129 for remote debugging.
1131 @item -tty @var{device}
1132 @itemx -t @var{device}
1133 @cindex @code{--tty}
1135 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
1136 @c FIXME: kingdon thinks there is more to -tty. Investigate.
1138 @c resolve the situation of these eventually
1140 @cindex @code{--tui}
1141 Activate the @dfn{Text User Interface} when starting. The Text User
1142 Interface manages several text windows on the terminal, showing
1143 source, assembly, registers and @value{GDBN} command outputs
1144 (@pxref{TUI, ,@value{GDBN} Text User Interface}). Alternatively, the
1145 Text User Interface can be enabled by invoking the program
1146 @samp{gdbtui}. Do not use this option if you run @value{GDBN} from
1147 Emacs (@pxref{Emacs, ,Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}).
1150 @c @cindex @code{--xdb}
1151 @c Run in XDB compatibility mode, allowing the use of certain XDB commands.
1152 @c For information, see the file @file{xdb_trans.html}, which is usually
1153 @c installed in the directory @code{/opt/langtools/wdb/doc} on HP-UX
1156 @item -interpreter @var{interp}
1157 @cindex @code{--interpreter}
1158 Use the interpreter @var{interp} for interface with the controlling
1159 program or device. This option is meant to be set by programs which
1160 communicate with @value{GDBN} using it as a back end.
1161 @xref{Interpreters, , Command Interpreters}.
1163 @samp{--interpreter=mi} (or @samp{--interpreter=mi2}) causes
1164 @value{GDBN} to use the @dfn{@sc{gdb/mi} interface} (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,
1165 The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}) included since @value{GDBN} version 6.0. The
1166 previous @sc{gdb/mi} interface, included in @value{GDBN} version 5.3 and
1167 selected with @samp{--interpreter=mi1}, is deprecated. Earlier
1168 @sc{gdb/mi} interfaces are no longer supported.
1171 @cindex @code{--write}
1172 Open the executable and core files for both reading and writing. This
1173 is equivalent to the @samp{set write on} command inside @value{GDBN}
1177 @cindex @code{--statistics}
1178 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print statistics about time and
1179 memory usage after it completes each command and returns to the prompt.
1182 @cindex @code{--version}
1183 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print its version number and
1184 no-warranty blurb, and exit.
1189 @subsection What @value{GDBN} does during startup
1190 @cindex @value{GDBN} startup
1192 Here's the description of what @value{GDBN} does during session startup:
1196 Sets up the command interpreter as specified by the command line
1197 (@pxref{Mode Options, interpreter}).
1201 Reads the @dfn{init file} (if any) in your home directory@footnote{On
1202 DOS/Windows systems, the home directory is the one pointed to by the
1203 @code{HOME} environment variable.} and executes all the commands in
1207 Processes command line options and operands.
1210 Reads and executes the commands from init file (if any) in the current
1211 working directory. This is only done if the current directory is
1212 different from your home directory. Thus, you can have more than one
1213 init file, one generic in your home directory, and another, specific
1214 to the program you are debugging, in the directory where you invoke
1218 Reads command files specified by the @samp{-x} option. @xref{Command
1219 Files}, for more details about @value{GDBN} command files.
1222 Reads the command history recorded in the @dfn{history file}.
1223 @xref{Command History}, for more details about the command history and the
1224 files where @value{GDBN} records it.
1227 Init files use the same syntax as @dfn{command files} (@pxref{Command
1228 Files}) and are processed by @value{GDBN} in the same way. The init
1229 file in your home directory can set options (such as @samp{set
1230 complaints}) that affect subsequent processing of command line options
1231 and operands. Init files are not executed if you use the @samp{-nx}
1232 option (@pxref{Mode Options, ,Choosing modes}).
1234 @cindex init file name
1235 @cindex @file{.gdbinit}
1236 The @value{GDBN} init files are normally called @file{.gdbinit}.
1237 On some configurations of @value{GDBN}, the init file is known by a
1238 different name (these are typically environments where a specialized
1239 form of @value{GDBN} may need to coexist with other forms, hence a
1240 different name for the specialized version's init file). These are the
1241 environments with special init file names:
1244 @cindex @file{gdb.ini}
1246 The DJGPP port of @value{GDBN} uses the name @file{gdb.ini}, due to
1247 the limitations of file names imposed by DOS filesystems. The Windows
1248 ports of @value{GDBN} use the standard name, but if they find a
1249 @file{gdb.ini} file, they warn you about that and suggest to rename
1250 the file to the standard name.
1252 @cindex @file{.vxgdbinit}
1254 VxWorks (Wind River Systems real-time OS): @file{.vxgdbinit}
1256 @cindex @file{.os68gdbinit}
1258 OS68K (Enea Data Systems real-time OS): @file{.os68gdbinit}
1260 @cindex @file{.esgdbinit}
1262 ES-1800 (Ericsson Telecom AB M68000 emulator): @file{.esgdbinit}
1265 CISCO 68k: @file{.cisco-gdbinit}
1270 @section Quitting @value{GDBN}
1271 @cindex exiting @value{GDBN}
1272 @cindex leaving @value{GDBN}
1275 @kindex quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1276 @kindex q @r{(@code{quit})}
1277 @item quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1279 To exit @value{GDBN}, use the @code{quit} command (abbreviated
1280 @code{q}), or type an end-of-file character (usually @kbd{Ctrl-d}). If you
1281 do not supply @var{expression}, @value{GDBN} will terminate normally;
1282 otherwise it will terminate using the result of @var{expression} as the
1287 An interrupt (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}) does not exit from @value{GDBN}, but rather
1288 terminates the action of any @value{GDBN} command that is in progress and
1289 returns to @value{GDBN} command level. It is safe to type the interrupt
1290 character at any time because @value{GDBN} does not allow it to take effect
1291 until a time when it is safe.
1293 If you have been using @value{GDBN} to control an attached process or
1294 device, you can release it with the @code{detach} command
1295 (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an already-running process}).
1297 @node Shell Commands
1298 @section Shell commands
1300 If you need to execute occasional shell commands during your
1301 debugging session, there is no need to leave or suspend @value{GDBN}; you can
1302 just use the @code{shell} command.
1306 @cindex shell escape
1307 @item shell @var{command string}
1308 Invoke a standard shell to execute @var{command string}.
1309 If it exists, the environment variable @code{SHELL} determines which
1310 shell to run. Otherwise @value{GDBN} uses the default shell
1311 (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix systems, @file{COMMAND.COM} on MS-DOS, etc.).
1314 The utility @code{make} is often needed in development environments.
1315 You do not have to use the @code{shell} command for this purpose in
1320 @cindex calling make
1321 @item make @var{make-args}
1322 Execute the @code{make} program with the specified
1323 arguments. This is equivalent to @samp{shell make @var{make-args}}.
1326 @node Logging output
1327 @section Logging output
1328 @cindex logging @value{GDBN} output
1329 @cindex save @value{GDBN} output to a file
1331 You may want to save the output of @value{GDBN} commands to a file.
1332 There are several commands to control @value{GDBN}'s logging.
1336 @item set logging on
1338 @item set logging off
1340 @cindex logging file name
1341 @item set logging file @var{file}
1342 Change the name of the current logfile. The default logfile is @file{gdb.txt}.
1343 @item set logging overwrite [on|off]
1344 By default, @value{GDBN} will append to the logfile. Set @code{overwrite} if
1345 you want @code{set logging on} to overwrite the logfile instead.
1346 @item set logging redirect [on|off]
1347 By default, @value{GDBN} output will go to both the terminal and the logfile.
1348 Set @code{redirect} if you want output to go only to the log file.
1349 @kindex show logging
1351 Show the current values of the logging settings.
1355 @chapter @value{GDBN} Commands
1357 You can abbreviate a @value{GDBN} command to the first few letters of the command
1358 name, if that abbreviation is unambiguous; and you can repeat certain
1359 @value{GDBN} commands by typing just @key{RET}. You can also use the @key{TAB}
1360 key to get @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest of a word in a command (or to
1361 show you the alternatives available, if there is more than one possibility).
1364 * Command Syntax:: How to give commands to @value{GDBN}
1365 * Completion:: Command completion
1366 * Help:: How to ask @value{GDBN} for help
1369 @node Command Syntax
1370 @section Command syntax
1372 A @value{GDBN} command is a single line of input. There is no limit on
1373 how long it can be. It starts with a command name, which is followed by
1374 arguments whose meaning depends on the command name. For example, the
1375 command @code{step} accepts an argument which is the number of times to
1376 step, as in @samp{step 5}. You can also use the @code{step} command
1377 with no arguments. Some commands do not allow any arguments.
1379 @cindex abbreviation
1380 @value{GDBN} command names may always be truncated if that abbreviation is
1381 unambiguous. Other possible command abbreviations are listed in the
1382 documentation for individual commands. In some cases, even ambiguous
1383 abbreviations are allowed; for example, @code{s} is specially defined as
1384 equivalent to @code{step} even though there are other commands whose
1385 names start with @code{s}. You can test abbreviations by using them as
1386 arguments to the @code{help} command.
1388 @cindex repeating commands
1389 @kindex RET @r{(repeat last command)}
1390 A blank line as input to @value{GDBN} (typing just @key{RET}) means to
1391 repeat the previous command. Certain commands (for example, @code{run})
1392 will not repeat this way; these are commands whose unintentional
1393 repetition might cause trouble and which you are unlikely to want to
1394 repeat. User-defined commands can disable this feature; see
1395 @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
1397 The @code{list} and @code{x} commands, when you repeat them with
1398 @key{RET}, construct new arguments rather than repeating
1399 exactly as typed. This permits easy scanning of source or memory.
1401 @value{GDBN} can also use @key{RET} in another way: to partition lengthy
1402 output, in a way similar to the common utility @code{more}
1403 (@pxref{Screen Size,,Screen size}). Since it is easy to press one
1404 @key{RET} too many in this situation, @value{GDBN} disables command
1405 repetition after any command that generates this sort of display.
1407 @kindex # @r{(a comment)}
1409 Any text from a @kbd{#} to the end of the line is a comment; it does
1410 nothing. This is useful mainly in command files (@pxref{Command
1411 Files,,Command files}).
1413 @cindex repeating command sequences
1414 @kindex Ctrl-o @r{(operate-and-get-next)}
1415 The @kbd{Ctrl-o} binding is useful for repeating a complex sequence of
1416 commands. This command accepts the current line, like @key{RET}, and
1417 then fetches the next line relative to the current line from the history
1421 @section Command completion
1424 @cindex word completion
1425 @value{GDBN} can fill in the rest of a word in a command for you, if there is
1426 only one possibility; it can also show you what the valid possibilities
1427 are for the next word in a command, at any time. This works for @value{GDBN}
1428 commands, @value{GDBN} subcommands, and the names of symbols in your program.
1430 Press the @key{TAB} key whenever you want @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest
1431 of a word. If there is only one possibility, @value{GDBN} fills in the
1432 word, and waits for you to finish the command (or press @key{RET} to
1433 enter it). For example, if you type
1435 @c FIXME "@key" does not distinguish its argument sufficiently to permit
1436 @c complete accuracy in these examples; space introduced for clarity.
1437 @c If texinfo enhancements make it unnecessary, it would be nice to
1438 @c replace " @key" by "@key" in the following...
1440 (@value{GDBP}) info bre @key{TAB}
1444 @value{GDBN} fills in the rest of the word @samp{breakpoints}, since that is
1445 the only @code{info} subcommand beginning with @samp{bre}:
1448 (@value{GDBP}) info breakpoints
1452 You can either press @key{RET} at this point, to run the @code{info
1453 breakpoints} command, or backspace and enter something else, if
1454 @samp{breakpoints} does not look like the command you expected. (If you
1455 were sure you wanted @code{info breakpoints} in the first place, you
1456 might as well just type @key{RET} immediately after @samp{info bre},
1457 to exploit command abbreviations rather than command completion).
1459 If there is more than one possibility for the next word when you press
1460 @key{TAB}, @value{GDBN} sounds a bell. You can either supply more
1461 characters and try again, or just press @key{TAB} a second time;
1462 @value{GDBN} displays all the possible completions for that word. For
1463 example, you might want to set a breakpoint on a subroutine whose name
1464 begins with @samp{make_}, but when you type @kbd{b make_@key{TAB}} @value{GDBN}
1465 just sounds the bell. Typing @key{TAB} again displays all the
1466 function names in your program that begin with those characters, for
1470 (@value{GDBP}) b make_ @key{TAB}
1471 @exdent @value{GDBN} sounds bell; press @key{TAB} again, to see:
1472 make_a_section_from_file make_environ
1473 make_abs_section make_function_type
1474 make_blockvector make_pointer_type
1475 make_cleanup make_reference_type
1476 make_command make_symbol_completion_list
1477 (@value{GDBP}) b make_
1481 After displaying the available possibilities, @value{GDBN} copies your
1482 partial input (@samp{b make_} in the example) so you can finish the
1485 If you just want to see the list of alternatives in the first place, you
1486 can press @kbd{M-?} rather than pressing @key{TAB} twice. @kbd{M-?}
1487 means @kbd{@key{META} ?}. You can type this either by holding down a
1488 key designated as the @key{META} shift on your keyboard (if there is
1489 one) while typing @kbd{?}, or as @key{ESC} followed by @kbd{?}.
1491 @cindex quotes in commands
1492 @cindex completion of quoted strings
1493 Sometimes the string you need, while logically a ``word'', may contain
1494 parentheses or other characters that @value{GDBN} normally excludes from
1495 its notion of a word. To permit word completion to work in this
1496 situation, you may enclose words in @code{'} (single quote marks) in
1497 @value{GDBN} commands.
1499 The most likely situation where you might need this is in typing the
1500 name of a C@t{++} function. This is because C@t{++} allows function
1501 overloading (multiple definitions of the same function, distinguished
1502 by argument type). For example, when you want to set a breakpoint you
1503 may need to distinguish whether you mean the version of @code{name}
1504 that takes an @code{int} parameter, @code{name(int)}, or the version
1505 that takes a @code{float} parameter, @code{name(float)}. To use the
1506 word-completion facilities in this situation, type a single quote
1507 @code{'} at the beginning of the function name. This alerts
1508 @value{GDBN} that it may need to consider more information than usual
1509 when you press @key{TAB} or @kbd{M-?} to request word completion:
1512 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble( @kbd{M-?}
1513 bubble(double,double) bubble(int,int)
1514 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1517 In some cases, @value{GDBN} can tell that completing a name requires using
1518 quotes. When this happens, @value{GDBN} inserts the quote for you (while
1519 completing as much as it can) if you do not type the quote in the first
1523 (@value{GDBP}) b bub @key{TAB}
1524 @exdent @value{GDBN} alters your input line to the following, and rings a bell:
1525 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1529 In general, @value{GDBN} can tell that a quote is needed (and inserts it) if
1530 you have not yet started typing the argument list when you ask for
1531 completion on an overloaded symbol.
1533 For more information about overloaded functions, see @ref{C plus plus
1534 expressions, ,C@t{++} expressions}. You can use the command @code{set
1535 overload-resolution off} to disable overload resolution;
1536 see @ref{Debugging C plus plus, ,@value{GDBN} features for C@t{++}}.
1540 @section Getting help
1541 @cindex online documentation
1544 You can always ask @value{GDBN} itself for information on its commands,
1545 using the command @code{help}.
1548 @kindex h @r{(@code{help})}
1551 You can use @code{help} (abbreviated @code{h}) with no arguments to
1552 display a short list of named classes of commands:
1556 List of classes of commands:
1558 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1559 breakpoints -- Making program stop at certain points
1560 data -- Examining data
1561 files -- Specifying and examining files
1562 internals -- Maintenance commands
1563 obscure -- Obscure features
1564 running -- Running the program
1565 stack -- Examining the stack
1566 status -- Status inquiries
1567 support -- Support facilities
1568 tracepoints -- Tracing of program execution without@*
1569 stopping the program
1570 user-defined -- User-defined commands
1572 Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of
1573 commands in that class.
1574 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1576 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1579 @c the above line break eliminates huge line overfull...
1581 @item help @var{class}
1582 Using one of the general help classes as an argument, you can get a
1583 list of the individual commands in that class. For example, here is the
1584 help display for the class @code{status}:
1587 (@value{GDBP}) help status
1592 @c Line break in "show" line falsifies real output, but needed
1593 @c to fit in smallbook page size.
1594 info -- Generic command for showing things
1595 about the program being debugged
1596 show -- Generic command for showing things
1599 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1601 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1605 @item help @var{command}
1606 With a command name as @code{help} argument, @value{GDBN} displays a
1607 short paragraph on how to use that command.
1610 @item apropos @var{args}
1611 The @code{apropos} command searches through all of the @value{GDBN}
1612 commands, and their documentation, for the regular expression specified in
1613 @var{args}. It prints out all matches found. For example:
1624 set symbol-reloading -- Set dynamic symbol table reloading
1625 multiple times in one run
1626 show symbol-reloading -- Show dynamic symbol table reloading
1627 multiple times in one run
1632 @item complete @var{args}
1633 The @code{complete @var{args}} command lists all the possible completions
1634 for the beginning of a command. Use @var{args} to specify the beginning of the
1635 command you want completed. For example:
1641 @noindent results in:
1652 @noindent This is intended for use by @sc{gnu} Emacs.
1655 In addition to @code{help}, you can use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{info}
1656 and @code{show} to inquire about the state of your program, or the state
1657 of @value{GDBN} itself. Each command supports many topics of inquiry; this
1658 manual introduces each of them in the appropriate context. The listings
1659 under @code{info} and under @code{show} in the Index point to
1660 all the sub-commands. @xref{Index}.
1665 @kindex i @r{(@code{info})}
1667 This command (abbreviated @code{i}) is for describing the state of your
1668 program. For example, you can list the arguments given to your program
1669 with @code{info args}, list the registers currently in use with @code{info
1670 registers}, or list the breakpoints you have set with @code{info breakpoints}.
1671 You can get a complete list of the @code{info} sub-commands with
1672 @w{@code{help info}}.
1676 You can assign the result of an expression to an environment variable with
1677 @code{set}. For example, you can set the @value{GDBN} prompt to a $-sign with
1678 @code{set prompt $}.
1682 In contrast to @code{info}, @code{show} is for describing the state of
1683 @value{GDBN} itself.
1684 You can change most of the things you can @code{show}, by using the
1685 related command @code{set}; for example, you can control what number
1686 system is used for displays with @code{set radix}, or simply inquire
1687 which is currently in use with @code{show radix}.
1690 To display all the settable parameters and their current
1691 values, you can use @code{show} with no arguments; you may also use
1692 @code{info set}. Both commands produce the same display.
1693 @c FIXME: "info set" violates the rule that "info" is for state of
1694 @c FIXME...program. Ck w/ GNU: "info set" to be called something else,
1695 @c FIXME...or change desc of rule---eg "state of prog and debugging session"?
1699 Here are three miscellaneous @code{show} subcommands, all of which are
1700 exceptional in lacking corresponding @code{set} commands:
1703 @kindex show version
1704 @cindex @value{GDBN} version number
1706 Show what version of @value{GDBN} is running. You should include this
1707 information in @value{GDBN} bug-reports. If multiple versions of
1708 @value{GDBN} are in use at your site, you may need to determine which
1709 version of @value{GDBN} you are running; as @value{GDBN} evolves, new
1710 commands are introduced, and old ones may wither away. Also, many
1711 system vendors ship variant versions of @value{GDBN}, and there are
1712 variant versions of @value{GDBN} in @sc{gnu}/Linux distributions as well.
1713 The version number is the same as the one announced when you start
1716 @kindex show copying
1717 @kindex info copying
1718 @cindex display @value{GDBN} copyright
1721 Display information about permission for copying @value{GDBN}.
1723 @kindex show warranty
1724 @kindex info warranty
1726 @itemx info warranty
1727 Display the @sc{gnu} ``NO WARRANTY'' statement, or a warranty,
1728 if your version of @value{GDBN} comes with one.
1733 @chapter Running Programs Under @value{GDBN}
1735 When you run a program under @value{GDBN}, you must first generate
1736 debugging information when you compile it.
1738 You may start @value{GDBN} with its arguments, if any, in an environment
1739 of your choice. If you are doing native debugging, you may redirect
1740 your program's input and output, debug an already running process, or
1741 kill a child process.
1744 * Compilation:: Compiling for debugging
1745 * Starting:: Starting your program
1746 * Arguments:: Your program's arguments
1747 * Environment:: Your program's environment
1749 * Working Directory:: Your program's working directory
1750 * Input/Output:: Your program's input and output
1751 * Attach:: Debugging an already-running process
1752 * Kill Process:: Killing the child process
1754 * Threads:: Debugging programs with multiple threads
1755 * Processes:: Debugging programs with multiple processes
1756 * Checkpoint/Restart:: Setting a @emph{bookmark} to return to later
1760 @section Compiling for debugging
1762 In order to debug a program effectively, you need to generate
1763 debugging information when you compile it. This debugging information
1764 is stored in the object file; it describes the data type of each
1765 variable or function and the correspondence between source line numbers
1766 and addresses in the executable code.
1768 To request debugging information, specify the @samp{-g} option when you run
1771 Programs that are to be shipped to your customers are compiled with
1772 optimizations, using the @samp{-O} compiler option. However, many
1773 compilers are unable to handle the @samp{-g} and @samp{-O} options
1774 together. Using those compilers, you cannot generate optimized
1775 executables containing debugging information.
1777 @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler, supports @samp{-g} with or
1778 without @samp{-O}, making it possible to debug optimized code. We
1779 recommend that you @emph{always} use @samp{-g} whenever you compile a
1780 program. You may think your program is correct, but there is no sense
1781 in pushing your luck.
1783 @cindex optimized code, debugging
1784 @cindex debugging optimized code
1785 When you debug a program compiled with @samp{-g -O}, remember that the
1786 optimizer is rearranging your code; the debugger shows you what is
1787 really there. Do not be too surprised when the execution path does not
1788 exactly match your source file! An extreme example: if you define a
1789 variable, but never use it, @value{GDBN} never sees that
1790 variable---because the compiler optimizes it out of existence.
1792 Some things do not work as well with @samp{-g -O} as with just
1793 @samp{-g}, particularly on machines with instruction scheduling. If in
1794 doubt, recompile with @samp{-g} alone, and if this fixes the problem,
1795 please report it to us as a bug (including a test case!).
1796 @xref{Variables}, for more information about debugging optimized code.
1798 Older versions of the @sc{gnu} C compiler permitted a variant option
1799 @w{@samp{-gg}} for debugging information. @value{GDBN} no longer supports this
1800 format; if your @sc{gnu} C compiler has this option, do not use it.
1802 @value{GDBN} knows about preprocessor macros and can show you their
1803 expansion (@pxref{Macros}). Most compilers do not include information
1804 about preprocessor macros in the debugging information if you specify
1805 the @option{-g} flag alone, because this information is rather large.
1806 Version 3.1 and later of @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C compiler,
1807 provides macro information if you specify the options
1808 @option{-gdwarf-2} and @option{-g3}; the former option requests
1809 debugging information in the Dwarf 2 format, and the latter requests
1810 ``extra information''. In the future, we hope to find more compact
1811 ways to represent macro information, so that it can be included with
1816 @section Starting your program
1822 @kindex r @r{(@code{run})}
1825 Use the @code{run} command to start your program under @value{GDBN}.
1826 You must first specify the program name (except on VxWorks) with an
1827 argument to @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Invocation, ,Getting In and Out of
1828 @value{GDBN}}), or by using the @code{file} or @code{exec-file} command
1829 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to specify files}).
1833 If you are running your program in an execution environment that
1834 supports processes, @code{run} creates an inferior process and makes
1835 that process run your program. (In environments without processes,
1836 @code{run} jumps to the start of your program.)
1838 The execution of a program is affected by certain information it
1839 receives from its superior. @value{GDBN} provides ways to specify this
1840 information, which you must do @emph{before} starting your program. (You
1841 can change it after starting your program, but such changes only affect
1842 your program the next time you start it.) This information may be
1843 divided into four categories:
1846 @item The @emph{arguments.}
1847 Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the
1848 @code{run} command. If a shell is available on your target, the shell
1849 is used to pass the arguments, so that you may use normal conventions
1850 (such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution) in describing
1852 In Unix systems, you can control which shell is used with the
1853 @code{SHELL} environment variable.
1854 @xref{Arguments, ,Your program's arguments}.
1856 @item The @emph{environment.}
1857 Your program normally inherits its environment from @value{GDBN}, but you can
1858 use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{set environment} and @code{unset
1859 environment} to change parts of the environment that affect
1860 your program. @xref{Environment, ,Your program's environment}.
1862 @item The @emph{working directory.}
1863 Your program inherits its working directory from @value{GDBN}. You can set
1864 the @value{GDBN} working directory with the @code{cd} command in @value{GDBN}.
1865 @xref{Working Directory, ,Your program's working directory}.
1867 @item The @emph{standard input and output.}
1868 Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and
1869 standard output as @value{GDBN} is using. You can redirect input and output
1870 in the @code{run} command line, or you can use the @code{tty} command to
1871 set a different device for your program.
1872 @xref{Input/Output, ,Your program's input and output}.
1875 @emph{Warning:} While input and output redirection work, you cannot use
1876 pipes to pass the output of the program you are debugging to another
1877 program; if you attempt this, @value{GDBN} is likely to wind up debugging the
1881 When you issue the @code{run} command, your program begins to execute
1882 immediately. @xref{Stopping, ,Stopping and continuing}, for discussion
1883 of how to arrange for your program to stop. Once your program has
1884 stopped, you may call functions in your program, using the @code{print}
1885 or @code{call} commands. @xref{Data, ,Examining Data}.
1887 If the modification time of your symbol file has changed since the last
1888 time @value{GDBN} read its symbols, @value{GDBN} discards its symbol
1889 table, and reads it again. When it does this, @value{GDBN} tries to retain
1890 your current breakpoints.
1895 @cindex run to main procedure
1896 The name of the main procedure can vary from language to language.
1897 With C or C@t{++}, the main procedure name is always @code{main}, but
1898 other languages such as Ada do not require a specific name for their
1899 main procedure. The debugger provides a convenient way to start the
1900 execution of the program and to stop at the beginning of the main
1901 procedure, depending on the language used.
1903 The @samp{start} command does the equivalent of setting a temporary
1904 breakpoint at the beginning of the main procedure and then invoking
1905 the @samp{run} command.
1907 @cindex elaboration phase
1908 Some programs contain an @dfn{elaboration} phase where some startup code is
1909 executed before the main procedure is called. This depends on the
1910 languages used to write your program. In C@t{++}, for instance,
1911 constructors for static and global objects are executed before
1912 @code{main} is called. It is therefore possible that the debugger stops
1913 before reaching the main procedure. However, the temporary breakpoint
1914 will remain to halt execution.
1916 Specify the arguments to give to your program as arguments to the
1917 @samp{start} command. These arguments will be given verbatim to the
1918 underlying @samp{run} command. Note that the same arguments will be
1919 reused if no argument is provided during subsequent calls to
1920 @samp{start} or @samp{run}.
1922 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration. In
1923 these cases, using the @code{start} command would stop the execution of
1924 your program too late, as the program would have already completed the
1925 elaboration phase. Under these circumstances, insert breakpoints in your
1926 elaboration code before running your program.
1930 @section Your program's arguments
1932 @cindex arguments (to your program)
1933 The arguments to your program can be specified by the arguments of the
1935 They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard characters and
1936 performs redirection of I/O, and thence to your program. Your
1937 @code{SHELL} environment variable (if it exists) specifies what shell
1938 @value{GDBN} uses. If you do not define @code{SHELL}, @value{GDBN} uses
1939 the default shell (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix).
1941 On non-Unix systems, the program is usually invoked directly by
1942 @value{GDBN}, which emulates I/O redirection via the appropriate system
1943 calls, and the wildcard characters are expanded by the startup code of
1944 the program, not by the shell.
1946 @code{run} with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
1947 @code{run}, or those set by the @code{set args} command.
1952 Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is run. If
1953 @code{set args} has no arguments, @code{run} executes your program
1954 with no arguments. Once you have run your program with arguments,
1955 using @code{set args} before the next @code{run} is the only way to run
1956 it again without arguments.
1960 Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
1964 @section Your program's environment
1966 @cindex environment (of your program)
1967 The @dfn{environment} consists of a set of environment variables and
1968 their values. Environment variables conventionally record such things as
1969 your user name, your home directory, your terminal type, and your search
1970 path for programs to run. Usually you set up environment variables with
1971 the shell and they are inherited by all the other programs you run. When
1972 debugging, it can be useful to try running your program with a modified
1973 environment without having to start @value{GDBN} over again.
1977 @item path @var{directory}
1978 Add @var{directory} to the front of the @code{PATH} environment variable
1979 (the search path for executables) that will be passed to your program.
1980 The value of @code{PATH} used by @value{GDBN} does not change.
1981 You may specify several directory names, separated by whitespace or by a
1982 system-dependent separator character (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on
1983 MS-DOS and MS-Windows). If @var{directory} is already in the path, it
1984 is moved to the front, so it is searched sooner.
1986 You can use the string @samp{$cwd} to refer to whatever is the current
1987 working directory at the time @value{GDBN} searches the path. If you
1988 use @samp{.} instead, it refers to the directory where you executed the
1989 @code{path} command. @value{GDBN} replaces @samp{.} in the
1990 @var{directory} argument (with the current path) before adding
1991 @var{directory} to the search path.
1992 @c 'path' is explicitly nonrepeatable, but RMS points out it is silly to
1993 @c document that, since repeating it would be a no-op.
1997 Display the list of search paths for executables (the @code{PATH}
1998 environment variable).
2000 @kindex show environment
2001 @item show environment @r{[}@var{varname}@r{]}
2002 Print the value of environment variable @var{varname} to be given to
2003 your program when it starts. If you do not supply @var{varname},
2004 print the names and values of all environment variables to be given to
2005 your program. You can abbreviate @code{environment} as @code{env}.
2007 @kindex set environment
2008 @item set environment @var{varname} @r{[}=@var{value}@r{]}
2009 Set environment variable @var{varname} to @var{value}. The value
2010 changes for your program only, not for @value{GDBN} itself. @var{value} may
2011 be any string; the values of environment variables are just strings, and
2012 any interpretation is supplied by your program itself. The @var{value}
2013 parameter is optional; if it is eliminated, the variable is set to a
2015 @c "any string" here does not include leading, trailing
2016 @c blanks. Gnu asks: does anyone care?
2018 For example, this command:
2025 tells the debugged program, when subsequently run, that its user is named
2026 @samp{foo}. (The spaces around @samp{=} are used for clarity here; they
2027 are not actually required.)
2029 @kindex unset environment
2030 @item unset environment @var{varname}
2031 Remove variable @var{varname} from the environment to be passed to your
2032 program. This is different from @samp{set env @var{varname} =};
2033 @code{unset environment} removes the variable from the environment,
2034 rather than assigning it an empty value.
2037 @emph{Warning:} On Unix systems, @value{GDBN} runs your program using
2039 by your @code{SHELL} environment variable if it exists (or
2040 @code{/bin/sh} if not). If your @code{SHELL} variable names a shell
2041 that runs an initialization file---such as @file{.cshrc} for C-shell, or
2042 @file{.bashrc} for BASH---any variables you set in that file affect
2043 your program. You may wish to move setting of environment variables to
2044 files that are only run when you sign on, such as @file{.login} or
2047 @node Working Directory
2048 @section Your program's working directory
2050 @cindex working directory (of your program)
2051 Each time you start your program with @code{run}, it inherits its
2052 working directory from the current working directory of @value{GDBN}.
2053 The @value{GDBN} working directory is initially whatever it inherited
2054 from its parent process (typically the shell), but you can specify a new
2055 working directory in @value{GDBN} with the @code{cd} command.
2057 The @value{GDBN} working directory also serves as a default for the commands
2058 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2063 @cindex change working directory
2064 @item cd @var{directory}
2065 Set the @value{GDBN} working directory to @var{directory}.
2069 Print the @value{GDBN} working directory.
2072 It is generally impossible to find the current working directory of
2073 the process being debugged (since a program can change its directory
2074 during its run). If you work on a system where @value{GDBN} is
2075 configured with the @file{/proc} support, you can use the @code{info
2076 proc} command (@pxref{SVR4 Process Information}) to find out the
2077 current working directory of the debuggee.
2080 @section Your program's input and output
2085 By default, the program you run under @value{GDBN} does input and output to
2086 the same terminal that @value{GDBN} uses. @value{GDBN} switches the terminal
2087 to its own terminal modes to interact with you, but it records the terminal
2088 modes your program was using and switches back to them when you continue
2089 running your program.
2092 @kindex info terminal
2094 Displays information recorded by @value{GDBN} about the terminal modes your
2098 You can redirect your program's input and/or output using shell
2099 redirection with the @code{run} command. For example,
2106 starts your program, diverting its output to the file @file{outfile}.
2109 @cindex controlling terminal
2110 Another way to specify where your program should do input and output is
2111 with the @code{tty} command. This command accepts a file name as
2112 argument, and causes this file to be the default for future @code{run}
2113 commands. It also resets the controlling terminal for the child
2114 process, for future @code{run} commands. For example,
2121 directs that processes started with subsequent @code{run} commands
2122 default to do input and output on the terminal @file{/dev/ttyb} and have
2123 that as their controlling terminal.
2125 An explicit redirection in @code{run} overrides the @code{tty} command's
2126 effect on the input/output device, but not its effect on the controlling
2129 When you use the @code{tty} command or redirect input in the @code{run}
2130 command, only the input @emph{for your program} is affected. The input
2131 for @value{GDBN} still comes from your terminal. @code{tty} is an alias
2132 for @code{set inferior-tty}.
2134 @cindex inferior tty
2135 @cindex set inferior controlling terminal
2136 You can use the @code{show inferior-tty} command to tell @value{GDBN} to
2137 display the name of the terminal that will be used for future runs of your
2141 @item set inferior-tty /dev/ttyb
2142 @kindex set inferior-tty
2143 Set the tty for the program being debugged to /dev/ttyb.
2145 @item show inferior-tty
2146 @kindex show inferior-tty
2147 Show the current tty for the program being debugged.
2151 @section Debugging an already-running process
2156 @item attach @var{process-id}
2157 This command attaches to a running process---one that was started
2158 outside @value{GDBN}. (@code{info files} shows your active
2159 targets.) The command takes as argument a process ID. The usual way to
2160 find out the @var{process-id} of a Unix process is with the @code{ps} utility,
2161 or with the @samp{jobs -l} shell command.
2163 @code{attach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} a second time after
2164 executing the command.
2167 To use @code{attach}, your program must be running in an environment
2168 which supports processes; for example, @code{attach} does not work for
2169 programs on bare-board targets that lack an operating system. You must
2170 also have permission to send the process a signal.
2172 When you use @code{attach}, the debugger finds the program running in
2173 the process first by looking in the current working directory, then (if
2174 the program is not found) by using the source file search path
2175 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying source directories}). You can also use
2176 the @code{file} command to load the program. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2179 The first thing @value{GDBN} does after arranging to debug the specified
2180 process is to stop it. You can examine and modify an attached process
2181 with all the @value{GDBN} commands that are ordinarily available when
2182 you start processes with @code{run}. You can insert breakpoints; you
2183 can step and continue; you can modify storage. If you would rather the
2184 process continue running, you may use the @code{continue} command after
2185 attaching @value{GDBN} to the process.
2190 When you have finished debugging the attached process, you can use the
2191 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control. Detaching
2192 the process continues its execution. After the @code{detach} command,
2193 that process and @value{GDBN} become completely independent once more, and you
2194 are ready to @code{attach} another process or start one with @code{run}.
2195 @code{detach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
2196 executing the command.
2199 If you exit @value{GDBN} or use the @code{run} command while you have an
2200 attached process, you kill that process. By default, @value{GDBN} asks
2201 for confirmation if you try to do either of these things; you can
2202 control whether or not you need to confirm by using the @code{set
2203 confirm} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional warnings and
2207 @section Killing the child process
2212 Kill the child process in which your program is running under @value{GDBN}.
2215 This command is useful if you wish to debug a core dump instead of a
2216 running process. @value{GDBN} ignores any core dump file while your program
2219 On some operating systems, a program cannot be executed outside @value{GDBN}
2220 while you have breakpoints set on it inside @value{GDBN}. You can use the
2221 @code{kill} command in this situation to permit running your program
2222 outside the debugger.
2224 The @code{kill} command is also useful if you wish to recompile and
2225 relink your program, since on many systems it is impossible to modify an
2226 executable file while it is running in a process. In this case, when you
2227 next type @code{run}, @value{GDBN} notices that the file has changed, and
2228 reads the symbol table again (while trying to preserve your current
2229 breakpoint settings).
2232 @section Debugging programs with multiple threads
2234 @cindex threads of execution
2235 @cindex multiple threads
2236 @cindex switching threads
2237 In some operating systems, such as HP-UX and Solaris, a single program
2238 may have more than one @dfn{thread} of execution. The precise semantics
2239 of threads differ from one operating system to another, but in general
2240 the threads of a single program are akin to multiple processes---except
2241 that they share one address space (that is, they can all examine and
2242 modify the same variables). On the other hand, each thread has its own
2243 registers and execution stack, and perhaps private memory.
2245 @value{GDBN} provides these facilities for debugging multi-thread
2249 @item automatic notification of new threads
2250 @item @samp{thread @var{threadno}}, a command to switch among threads
2251 @item @samp{info threads}, a command to inquire about existing threads
2252 @item @samp{thread apply [@var{threadno}] [@var{all}] @var{args}},
2253 a command to apply a command to a list of threads
2254 @item thread-specific breakpoints
2258 @emph{Warning:} These facilities are not yet available on every
2259 @value{GDBN} configuration where the operating system supports threads.
2260 If your @value{GDBN} does not support threads, these commands have no
2261 effect. For example, a system without thread support shows no output
2262 from @samp{info threads}, and always rejects the @code{thread} command,
2266 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2267 (@value{GDBP}) thread 1
2268 Thread ID 1 not known. Use the "info threads" command to
2269 see the IDs of currently known threads.
2271 @c FIXME to implementors: how hard would it be to say "sorry, this GDB
2272 @c doesn't support threads"?
2275 @cindex focus of debugging
2276 @cindex current thread
2277 The @value{GDBN} thread debugging facility allows you to observe all
2278 threads while your program runs---but whenever @value{GDBN} takes
2279 control, one thread in particular is always the focus of debugging.
2280 This thread is called the @dfn{current thread}. Debugging commands show
2281 program information from the perspective of the current thread.
2283 @cindex @code{New} @var{systag} message
2284 @cindex thread identifier (system)
2285 @c FIXME-implementors!! It would be more helpful if the [New...] message
2286 @c included GDB's numeric thread handle, so you could just go to that
2287 @c thread without first checking `info threads'.
2288 Whenever @value{GDBN} detects a new thread in your program, it displays
2289 the target system's identification for the thread with a message in the
2290 form @samp{[New @var{systag}]}. @var{systag} is a thread identifier
2291 whose form varies depending on the particular system. For example, on
2292 LynxOS, you might see
2295 [New process 35 thread 27]
2299 when @value{GDBN} notices a new thread. In contrast, on an SGI system,
2300 the @var{systag} is simply something like @samp{process 368}, with no
2303 @c FIXME!! (1) Does the [New...] message appear even for the very first
2304 @c thread of a program, or does it only appear for the
2305 @c second---i.e.@: when it becomes obvious we have a multithread
2307 @c (2) *Is* there necessarily a first thread always? Or do some
2308 @c multithread systems permit starting a program with multiple
2309 @c threads ab initio?
2311 @cindex thread number
2312 @cindex thread identifier (GDB)
2313 For debugging purposes, @value{GDBN} associates its own thread
2314 number---always a single integer---with each thread in your program.
2317 @kindex info threads
2319 Display a summary of all threads currently in your
2320 program. @value{GDBN} displays for each thread (in this order):
2324 the thread number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2327 the target system's thread identifier (@var{systag})
2330 the current stack frame summary for that thread
2334 An asterisk @samp{*} to the left of the @value{GDBN} thread number
2335 indicates the current thread.
2339 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2342 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2343 3 process 35 thread 27 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2344 2 process 35 thread 23 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2345 * 1 process 35 thread 13 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
2351 @cindex debugging multithreaded programs (on HP-UX)
2352 @cindex thread identifier (GDB), on HP-UX
2353 For debugging purposes, @value{GDBN} associates its own thread
2354 number---a small integer assigned in thread-creation order---with each
2355 thread in your program.
2357 @cindex @code{New} @var{systag} message, on HP-UX
2358 @cindex thread identifier (system), on HP-UX
2359 @c FIXME-implementors!! It would be more helpful if the [New...] message
2360 @c included GDB's numeric thread handle, so you could just go to that
2361 @c thread without first checking `info threads'.
2362 Whenever @value{GDBN} detects a new thread in your program, it displays
2363 both @value{GDBN}'s thread number and the target system's identification for the thread with a message in the
2364 form @samp{[New @var{systag}]}. @var{systag} is a thread identifier
2365 whose form varies depending on the particular system. For example, on
2369 [New thread 2 (system thread 26594)]
2373 when @value{GDBN} notices a new thread.
2376 @kindex info threads (HP-UX)
2378 Display a summary of all threads currently in your
2379 program. @value{GDBN} displays for each thread (in this order):
2382 @item the thread number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2384 @item the target system's thread identifier (@var{systag})
2386 @item the current stack frame summary for that thread
2390 An asterisk @samp{*} to the left of the @value{GDBN} thread number
2391 indicates the current thread.
2395 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2398 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2399 * 3 system thread 26607 worker (wptr=0x7b09c318 "@@") \@*
2401 2 system thread 26606 0x7b0030d8 in __ksleep () \@*
2402 from /usr/lib/libc.2
2403 1 system thread 27905 0x7b003498 in _brk () \@*
2404 from /usr/lib/libc.2
2407 On Solaris, you can display more information about user threads with a
2408 Solaris-specific command:
2411 @item maint info sol-threads
2412 @kindex maint info sol-threads
2413 @cindex thread info (Solaris)
2414 Display info on Solaris user threads.
2418 @kindex thread @var{threadno}
2419 @item thread @var{threadno}
2420 Make thread number @var{threadno} the current thread. The command
2421 argument @var{threadno} is the internal @value{GDBN} thread number, as
2422 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display.
2423 @value{GDBN} responds by displaying the system identifier of the thread
2424 you selected, and its current stack frame summary:
2427 @c FIXME!! This example made up; find a @value{GDBN} w/threads and get real one
2428 (@value{GDBP}) thread 2
2429 [Switching to process 35 thread 23]
2430 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2434 As with the @samp{[New @dots{}]} message, the form of the text after
2435 @samp{Switching to} depends on your system's conventions for identifying
2438 @kindex thread apply
2439 @cindex apply command to several threads
2440 @item thread apply [@var{threadno}] [@var{all}] @var{command}
2441 The @code{thread apply} command allows you to apply the named
2442 @var{command} to one or more threads. Specify the numbers of the
2443 threads that you want affected with the command argument
2444 @var{threadno}. It can be a single thread number, one of the numbers
2445 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display; or it
2446 could be a range of thread numbers, as in @code{2-4}. To apply a
2447 command to all threads, type @kbd{thread apply all @var{command}}.
2450 @cindex automatic thread selection
2451 @cindex switching threads automatically
2452 @cindex threads, automatic switching
2453 Whenever @value{GDBN} stops your program, due to a breakpoint or a
2454 signal, it automatically selects the thread where that breakpoint or
2455 signal happened. @value{GDBN} alerts you to the context switch with a
2456 message of the form @samp{[Switching to @var{systag}]} to identify the
2459 @xref{Thread Stops,,Stopping and starting multi-thread programs}, for
2460 more information about how @value{GDBN} behaves when you stop and start
2461 programs with multiple threads.
2463 @xref{Set Watchpoints,,Setting watchpoints}, for information about
2464 watchpoints in programs with multiple threads.
2467 @section Debugging programs with multiple processes
2469 @cindex fork, debugging programs which call
2470 @cindex multiple processes
2471 @cindex processes, multiple
2472 On most systems, @value{GDBN} has no special support for debugging
2473 programs which create additional processes using the @code{fork}
2474 function. When a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug the
2475 parent process and the child process will run unimpeded. If you have
2476 set a breakpoint in any code which the child then executes, the child
2477 will get a @code{SIGTRAP} signal which (unless it catches the signal)
2478 will cause it to terminate.
2480 However, if you want to debug the child process there is a workaround
2481 which isn't too painful. Put a call to @code{sleep} in the code which
2482 the child process executes after the fork. It may be useful to sleep
2483 only if a certain environment variable is set, or a certain file exists,
2484 so that the delay need not occur when you don't want to run @value{GDBN}
2485 on the child. While the child is sleeping, use the @code{ps} program to
2486 get its process ID. Then tell @value{GDBN} (a new invocation of
2487 @value{GDBN} if you are also debugging the parent process) to attach to
2488 the child process (@pxref{Attach}). From that point on you can debug
2489 the child process just like any other process which you attached to.
2491 On some systems, @value{GDBN} provides support for debugging programs that
2492 create additional processes using the @code{fork} or @code{vfork} functions.
2493 Currently, the only platforms with this feature are HP-UX (11.x and later
2494 only?) and GNU/Linux (kernel version 2.5.60 and later).
2496 By default, when a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug
2497 the parent process and the child process will run unimpeded.
2499 If you want to follow the child process instead of the parent process,
2500 use the command @w{@code{set follow-fork-mode}}.
2503 @kindex set follow-fork-mode
2504 @item set follow-fork-mode @var{mode}
2505 Set the debugger response to a program call of @code{fork} or
2506 @code{vfork}. A call to @code{fork} or @code{vfork} creates a new
2507 process. The @var{mode} argument can be:
2511 The original process is debugged after a fork. The child process runs
2512 unimpeded. This is the default.
2515 The new process is debugged after a fork. The parent process runs
2520 @kindex show follow-fork-mode
2521 @item show follow-fork-mode
2522 Display the current debugger response to a @code{fork} or @code{vfork} call.
2525 @cindex debugging multiple processes
2526 On Linux, if you want to debug both the parent and child processes, use the
2527 command @w{@code{set detach-on-fork}}.
2530 @kindex set detach-on-fork
2531 @item set detach-on-fork @var{mode}
2532 Tells gdb whether to detach one of the processes after a fork, or
2533 retain debugger control over them both.
2537 The child process (or parent process, depending on the value of
2538 @code{follow-fork-mode}) will be detached and allowed to run
2539 independently. This is the default.
2542 Both processes will be held under the control of @value{GDBN}.
2543 One process (child or parent, depending on the value of
2544 @code{follow-fork-mode}) is debugged as usual, while the other
2549 @kindex show detach-on-follow
2550 @item show detach-on-follow
2551 Show whether detach-on-follow mode is on/off.
2554 If you choose to set @var{detach-on-follow} mode off, then
2555 @value{GDBN} will retain control of all forked processes (including
2556 nested forks). You can list the forked processes under the control of
2557 @value{GDBN} by using the @w{@code{info forks}} command, and switch
2558 from one fork to another by using the @w{@code{fork}} command.
2563 Print a list of all forked processes under the control of @value{GDBN}.
2564 The listing will include a fork id, a process id, and the current
2565 position (program counter) of the process.
2568 @kindex fork @var{fork-id}
2569 @item fork @var{fork-id}
2570 Make fork number @var{fork-id} the current process. The argument
2571 @var{fork-id} is the internal fork number assigned by @value{GDBN},
2572 as shown in the first field of the @samp{info forks} display.
2576 To quit debugging one of the forked processes, you can either detach
2577 from it by using the @w{@code{detach-fork}} command (allowing it to
2578 run independently), or delete (and kill) it using the
2579 @w{@code{delete fork}} command.
2582 @kindex detach-fork @var{fork-id}
2583 @item detach-fork @var{fork-id}
2584 Detach from the process identified by @value{GDBN} fork number
2585 @var{fork-id}, and remove it from the fork list. The process will be
2586 allowed to run independently.
2588 @kindex delete fork @var{fork-id}
2589 @item delete fork @var{fork-id}
2590 Kill the process identified by @value{GDBN} fork number @var{fork-id},
2591 and remove it from the fork list.
2595 If you ask to debug a child process and a @code{vfork} is followed by an
2596 @code{exec}, @value{GDBN} executes the new target up to the first
2597 breakpoint in the new target. If you have a breakpoint set on
2598 @code{main} in your original program, the breakpoint will also be set on
2599 the child process's @code{main}.
2601 When a child process is spawned by @code{vfork}, you cannot debug the
2602 child or parent until an @code{exec} call completes.
2604 If you issue a @code{run} command to @value{GDBN} after an @code{exec}
2605 call executes, the new target restarts. To restart the parent process,
2606 use the @code{file} command with the parent executable name as its
2609 You can use the @code{catch} command to make @value{GDBN} stop whenever
2610 a @code{fork}, @code{vfork}, or @code{exec} call is made. @xref{Set
2611 Catchpoints, ,Setting catchpoints}.
2613 @node Checkpoint/Restart
2614 @section Setting a @emph{bookmark} to return to later
2619 @cindex snapshot of a process
2620 @cindex rewind program state
2622 On certain operating systems@footnote{Currently, only
2623 @sc{gnu}/Linux.}, @value{GDBN} is able to save a @dfn{snapshot} of a
2624 program's state, called a @dfn{checkpoint}, and come back to it
2627 Returning to a checkpoint effectively undoes everything that has
2628 happened in the program since the @code{checkpoint} was saved. This
2629 includes changes in memory, registers, and even (within some limits)
2630 system state. Effectively, it is like going back in time to the
2631 moment when the checkpoint was saved.
2633 Thus, if you're stepping thru a program and you think you're
2634 getting close to the point where things go wrong, you can save
2635 a checkpoint. Then, if you accidentally go too far and miss
2636 the critical statement, instead of having to restart your program
2637 from the beginning, you can just go back to the checkpoint and
2638 start again from there.
2640 This can be especially useful if it takes a lot of time or
2641 steps to reach the point where you think the bug occurs.
2643 To use the @code{checkpoint}/@code{restart} method of debugging:
2648 Save a snapshot of the debugged program's current execution state.
2649 The @code{checkpoint} command takes no arguments, but each checkpoint
2650 is assigned a small integer id, similar to a breakpoint id.
2652 @kindex info checkpoints
2653 @item info checkpoints
2654 List the checkpoints that have been saved in the current debugging
2655 session. For each checkpoint, the following information will be
2662 @item Source line, or label
2665 @kindex restart @var{checkpoint-id}
2666 @item restart @var{checkpoint-id}
2667 Restore the program state that was saved as checkpoint number
2668 @var{checkpoint-id}. All program variables, registers, stack frames
2669 etc.@: will be returned to the values that they had when the checkpoint
2670 was saved. In essence, gdb will ``wind back the clock'' to the point
2671 in time when the checkpoint was saved.
2673 Note that breakpoints, @value{GDBN} variables, command history etc.
2674 are not affected by restoring a checkpoint. In general, a checkpoint
2675 only restores things that reside in the program being debugged, not in
2678 @kindex delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
2679 @item delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
2680 Delete the previously-saved checkpoint identified by @var{checkpoint-id}.
2684 Returning to a previously saved checkpoint will restore the user state
2685 of the program being debugged, plus a significant subset of the system
2686 (OS) state, including file pointers. It won't ``un-write'' data from
2687 a file, but it will rewind the file pointer to the previous location,
2688 so that the previously written data can be overwritten. For files
2689 opened in read mode, the pointer will also be restored so that the
2690 previously read data can be read again.
2692 Of course, characters that have been sent to a printer (or other
2693 external device) cannot be ``snatched back'', and characters received
2694 from eg.@: a serial device can be removed from internal program buffers,
2695 but they cannot be ``pushed back'' into the serial pipeline, ready to
2696 be received again. Similarly, the actual contents of files that have
2697 been changed cannot be restored (at this time).
2699 However, within those constraints, you actually can ``rewind'' your
2700 program to a previously saved point in time, and begin debugging it
2701 again --- and you can change the course of events so as to debug a
2702 different execution path this time.
2704 @cindex checkpoints and process id
2705 Finally, there is one bit of internal program state that will be
2706 different when you return to a checkpoint --- the program's process
2707 id. Each checkpoint will have a unique process id (or @var{pid}),
2708 and each will be different from the program's original @var{pid}.
2709 If your program has saved a local copy of its process id, this could
2710 potentially pose a problem.
2712 @subsection A non-obvious benefit of using checkpoints
2714 On some systems such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, address space randomization
2715 is performed on new processes for security reasons. This makes it
2716 difficult or impossible to set a breakpoint, or watchpoint, on an
2717 absolute address if you have to restart the program, since the
2718 absolute location of a symbol will change from one execution to the
2721 A checkpoint, however, is an @emph{identical} copy of a process.
2722 Therefore if you create a checkpoint at (eg.@:) the start of main,
2723 and simply return to that checkpoint instead of restarting the
2724 process, you can avoid the effects of address randomization and
2725 your symbols will all stay in the same place.
2728 @chapter Stopping and Continuing
2730 The principal purposes of using a debugger are so that you can stop your
2731 program before it terminates; or so that, if your program runs into
2732 trouble, you can investigate and find out why.
2734 Inside @value{GDBN}, your program may stop for any of several reasons,
2735 such as a signal, a breakpoint, or reaching a new line after a
2736 @value{GDBN} command such as @code{step}. You may then examine and
2737 change variables, set new breakpoints or remove old ones, and then
2738 continue execution. Usually, the messages shown by @value{GDBN} provide
2739 ample explanation of the status of your program---but you can also
2740 explicitly request this information at any time.
2743 @kindex info program
2745 Display information about the status of your program: whether it is
2746 running or not, what process it is, and why it stopped.
2750 * Breakpoints:: Breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints
2751 * Continuing and Stepping:: Resuming execution
2753 * Thread Stops:: Stopping and starting multi-thread programs
2757 @section Breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints
2760 A @dfn{breakpoint} makes your program stop whenever a certain point in
2761 the program is reached. For each breakpoint, you can add conditions to
2762 control in finer detail whether your program stops. You can set
2763 breakpoints with the @code{break} command and its variants (@pxref{Set
2764 Breaks, ,Setting breakpoints}), to specify the place where your program
2765 should stop by line number, function name or exact address in the
2768 On some systems, you can set breakpoints in shared libraries before
2769 the executable is run. There is a minor limitation on HP-UX systems:
2770 you must wait until the executable is run in order to set breakpoints
2771 in shared library routines that are not called directly by the program
2772 (for example, routines that are arguments in a @code{pthread_create}
2776 @cindex memory tracing
2777 @cindex breakpoint on memory address
2778 @cindex breakpoint on variable modification
2779 A @dfn{watchpoint} is a special breakpoint that stops your program
2780 when the value of an expression changes. You must use a different
2781 command to set watchpoints (@pxref{Set Watchpoints, ,Setting
2782 watchpoints}), but aside from that, you can manage a watchpoint like
2783 any other breakpoint: you enable, disable, and delete both breakpoints
2784 and watchpoints using the same commands.
2786 You can arrange to have values from your program displayed automatically
2787 whenever @value{GDBN} stops at a breakpoint. @xref{Auto Display,,
2791 @cindex breakpoint on events
2792 A @dfn{catchpoint} is another special breakpoint that stops your program
2793 when a certain kind of event occurs, such as the throwing of a C@t{++}
2794 exception or the loading of a library. As with watchpoints, you use a
2795 different command to set a catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints, ,Setting
2796 catchpoints}), but aside from that, you can manage a catchpoint like any
2797 other breakpoint. (To stop when your program receives a signal, use the
2798 @code{handle} command; see @ref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
2800 @cindex breakpoint numbers
2801 @cindex numbers for breakpoints
2802 @value{GDBN} assigns a number to each breakpoint, watchpoint, or
2803 catchpoint when you create it; these numbers are successive integers
2804 starting with one. In many of the commands for controlling various
2805 features of breakpoints you use the breakpoint number to say which
2806 breakpoint you want to change. Each breakpoint may be @dfn{enabled} or
2807 @dfn{disabled}; if disabled, it has no effect on your program until you
2810 @cindex breakpoint ranges
2811 @cindex ranges of breakpoints
2812 Some @value{GDBN} commands accept a range of breakpoints on which to
2813 operate. A breakpoint range is either a single breakpoint number, like
2814 @samp{5}, or two such numbers, in increasing order, separated by a
2815 hyphen, like @samp{5-7}. When a breakpoint range is given to a command,
2816 all breakpoint in that range are operated on.
2819 * Set Breaks:: Setting breakpoints
2820 * Set Watchpoints:: Setting watchpoints
2821 * Set Catchpoints:: Setting catchpoints
2822 * Delete Breaks:: Deleting breakpoints
2823 * Disabling:: Disabling breakpoints
2824 * Conditions:: Break conditions
2825 * Break Commands:: Breakpoint command lists
2826 * Breakpoint Menus:: Breakpoint menus
2827 * Error in Breakpoints:: ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
2828 * Breakpoint related warnings:: ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
2832 @subsection Setting breakpoints
2834 @c FIXME LMB what does GDB do if no code on line of breakpt?
2835 @c consider in particular declaration with/without initialization.
2837 @c FIXME 2 is there stuff on this already? break at fun start, already init?
2840 @kindex b @r{(@code{break})}
2841 @vindex $bpnum@r{, convenience variable}
2842 @cindex latest breakpoint
2843 Breakpoints are set with the @code{break} command (abbreviated
2844 @code{b}). The debugger convenience variable @samp{$bpnum} records the
2845 number of the breakpoint you've set most recently; see @ref{Convenience
2846 Vars,, Convenience variables}, for a discussion of what you can do with
2847 convenience variables.
2849 You have several ways to say where the breakpoint should go.
2852 @item break @var{function}
2853 Set a breakpoint at entry to function @var{function}.
2854 When using source languages that permit overloading of symbols, such as
2855 C@t{++}, @var{function} may refer to more than one possible place to break.
2856 @xref{Breakpoint Menus,,Breakpoint menus}, for a discussion of that situation.
2858 @item break +@var{offset}
2859 @itemx break -@var{offset}
2860 Set a breakpoint some number of lines forward or back from the position
2861 at which execution stopped in the currently selected @dfn{stack frame}.
2862 (@xref{Frames, ,Frames}, for a description of stack frames.)
2864 @item break @var{linenum}
2865 Set a breakpoint at line @var{linenum} in the current source file.
2866 The current source file is the last file whose source text was printed.
2867 The breakpoint will stop your program just before it executes any of the
2870 @item break @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
2871 Set a breakpoint at line @var{linenum} in source file @var{filename}.
2873 @item break @var{filename}:@var{function}
2874 Set a breakpoint at entry to function @var{function} found in file
2875 @var{filename}. Specifying a file name as well as a function name is
2876 superfluous except when multiple files contain similarly named
2879 @item break *@var{address}
2880 Set a breakpoint at address @var{address}. You can use this to set
2881 breakpoints in parts of your program which do not have debugging
2882 information or source files.
2885 When called without any arguments, @code{break} sets a breakpoint at
2886 the next instruction to be executed in the selected stack frame
2887 (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}). In any selected frame but the
2888 innermost, this makes your program stop as soon as control
2889 returns to that frame. This is similar to the effect of a
2890 @code{finish} command in the frame inside the selected frame---except
2891 that @code{finish} does not leave an active breakpoint. If you use
2892 @code{break} without an argument in the innermost frame, @value{GDBN} stops
2893 the next time it reaches the current location; this may be useful
2896 @value{GDBN} normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until at
2897 least one instruction has been executed. If it did not do this, you
2898 would be unable to proceed past a breakpoint without first disabling the
2899 breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not the breakpoint already
2900 existed when your program stopped.
2902 @item break @dots{} if @var{cond}
2903 Set a breakpoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
2904 @var{cond} each time the breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the
2905 value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
2906 @samp{@dots{}} stands for one of the possible arguments described
2907 above (or no argument) specifying where to break. @xref{Conditions,
2908 ,Break conditions}, for more information on breakpoint conditions.
2911 @item tbreak @var{args}
2912 Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args} are the
2913 same as for the @code{break} command, and the breakpoint is set in the same
2914 way, but the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the first time your
2915 program stops there. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling breakpoints}.
2918 @cindex hardware breakpoints
2919 @item hbreak @var{args}
2920 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint. @var{args} are the same as for the
2921 @code{break} command and the breakpoint is set in the same way, but the
2922 breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware may not
2923 have this support. The main purpose of this is EPROM/ROM code
2924 debugging, so you can set a breakpoint at an instruction without
2925 changing the instruction. This can be used with the new trap-generation
2926 provided by SPARClite DSU and most x86-based targets. These targets
2927 will generate traps when a program accesses some data or instruction
2928 address that is assigned to the debug registers. However the hardware
2929 breakpoint registers can take a limited number of breakpoints. For
2930 example, on the DSU, only two data breakpoints can be set at a time, and
2931 @value{GDBN} will reject this command if more than two are used. Delete
2932 or disable unused hardware breakpoints before setting new ones
2933 (@pxref{Disabling, ,Disabling}). @xref{Conditions, ,Break conditions}.
2934 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
2935 breakpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
2936 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
2940 @item thbreak @var{args}
2941 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args}
2942 are the same as for the @code{hbreak} command and the breakpoint is set in
2943 the same way. However, like the @code{tbreak} command,
2944 the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the
2945 first time your program stops there. Also, like the @code{hbreak}
2946 command, the breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware
2947 may not have this support. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling breakpoints}.
2948 See also @ref{Conditions, ,Break conditions}.
2951 @cindex regular expression
2952 @cindex breakpoints in functions matching a regexp
2953 @cindex set breakpoints in many functions
2954 @item rbreak @var{regex}
2955 Set breakpoints on all functions matching the regular expression
2956 @var{regex}. This command sets an unconditional breakpoint on all
2957 matches, printing a list of all breakpoints it set. Once these
2958 breakpoints are set, they are treated just like the breakpoints set with
2959 the @code{break} command. You can delete them, disable them, or make
2960 them conditional the same way as any other breakpoint.
2962 The syntax of the regular expression is the standard one used with tools
2963 like @file{grep}. Note that this is different from the syntax used by
2964 shells, so for instance @code{foo*} matches all functions that include
2965 an @code{fo} followed by zero or more @code{o}s. There is an implicit
2966 @code{.*} leading and trailing the regular expression you supply, so to
2967 match only functions that begin with @code{foo}, use @code{^foo}.
2969 @cindex non-member C@t{++} functions, set breakpoint in
2970 When debugging C@t{++} programs, @code{rbreak} is useful for setting
2971 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
2974 @cindex set breakpoints on all functions
2975 The @code{rbreak} command can be used to set breakpoints in
2976 @strong{all} the functions in a program, like this:
2979 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak .
2982 @kindex info breakpoints
2983 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info breakpoints}
2984 @item info breakpoints @r{[}@var{n}@r{]}
2985 @itemx info break @r{[}@var{n}@r{]}
2986 @itemx info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@r{]}
2987 Print a table of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints set and
2988 not deleted. Optional argument @var{n} means print information only
2989 about the specified breakpoint (or watchpoint or catchpoint). For
2990 each breakpoint, following columns are printed:
2993 @item Breakpoint Numbers
2995 Breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint.
2997 Whether the breakpoint is marked to be disabled or deleted when hit.
2998 @item Enabled or Disabled
2999 Enabled breakpoints are marked with @samp{y}. @samp{n} marks breakpoints
3000 that are not enabled.
3002 Where the breakpoint is in your program, as a memory address. If the
3003 breakpoint is pending (see below for details) on a future load of a shared library, the address
3004 will be listed as @samp{<PENDING>}.
3006 Where the breakpoint is in the source for your program, as a file and
3007 line number. For a pending breakpoint, the original string passed to
3008 the breakpoint command will be listed as it cannot be resolved until
3009 the appropriate shared library is loaded in the future.
3013 If a breakpoint is conditional, @code{info break} shows the condition on
3014 the line following the affected breakpoint; breakpoint commands, if any,
3015 are listed after that. A pending breakpoint is allowed to have a condition
3016 specified for it. The condition is not parsed for validity until a shared
3017 library is loaded that allows the pending breakpoint to resolve to a
3021 @code{info break} with a breakpoint
3022 number @var{n} as argument lists only that breakpoint. The
3023 convenience variable @code{$_} and the default examining-address for
3024 the @code{x} command are set to the address of the last breakpoint
3025 listed (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining memory}).
3028 @code{info break} displays a count of the number of times the breakpoint
3029 has been hit. This is especially useful in conjunction with the
3030 @code{ignore} command. You can ignore a large number of breakpoint
3031 hits, look at the breakpoint info to see how many times the breakpoint
3032 was hit, and then run again, ignoring one less than that number. This
3033 will get you quickly to the last hit of that breakpoint.
3036 @value{GDBN} allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in
3037 your program. There is nothing silly or meaningless about this. When
3038 the breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful
3039 (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break conditions}).
3041 @cindex pending breakpoints
3042 If a specified breakpoint location cannot be found, it may be due to the fact
3043 that the location is in a shared library that is yet to be loaded. In such
3044 a case, you may want @value{GDBN} to create a special breakpoint (known as
3045 a @dfn{pending breakpoint}) that
3046 attempts to resolve itself in the future when an appropriate shared library
3049 Pending breakpoints are useful to set at the start of your
3050 @value{GDBN} session for locations that you know will be dynamically loaded
3051 later by the program being debugged. When shared libraries are loaded,
3052 a check is made to see if the load resolves any pending breakpoint locations.
3053 If a pending breakpoint location gets resolved,
3054 a regular breakpoint is created and the original pending breakpoint is removed.
3056 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling pending
3059 @kindex set breakpoint pending
3060 @kindex show breakpoint pending
3062 @item set breakpoint pending auto
3063 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} cannot find the breakpoint
3064 location, it queries you whether a pending breakpoint should be created.
3066 @item set breakpoint pending on
3067 This indicates that an unrecognized breakpoint location should automatically
3068 result in a pending breakpoint being created.
3070 @item set breakpoint pending off
3071 This indicates that pending breakpoints are not to be created. Any
3072 unrecognized breakpoint location results in an error. This setting does
3073 not affect any pending breakpoints previously created.
3075 @item show breakpoint pending
3076 Show the current behavior setting for creating pending breakpoints.
3079 @cindex operations allowed on pending breakpoints
3080 Normal breakpoint operations apply to pending breakpoints as well. You may
3081 specify a condition for a pending breakpoint and/or commands to run when the
3082 breakpoint is reached. You can also enable or disable
3083 the pending breakpoint. When you specify a condition for a pending breakpoint,
3084 the parsing of the condition will be deferred until the point where the
3085 pending breakpoint location is resolved. Disabling a pending breakpoint
3086 tells @value{GDBN} to not attempt to resolve the breakpoint on any subsequent
3087 shared library load. When a pending breakpoint is re-enabled,
3088 @value{GDBN} checks to see if the location is already resolved.
3089 This is done because any number of shared library loads could have
3090 occurred since the time the breakpoint was disabled and one or more
3091 of these loads could resolve the location.
3093 @cindex negative breakpoint numbers
3094 @cindex internal @value{GDBN} breakpoints
3095 @value{GDBN} itself sometimes sets breakpoints in your program for
3096 special purposes, such as proper handling of @code{longjmp} (in C
3097 programs). These internal breakpoints are assigned negative numbers,
3098 starting with @code{-1}; @samp{info breakpoints} does not display them.
3099 You can see these breakpoints with the @value{GDBN} maintenance command
3100 @samp{maint info breakpoints} (@pxref{maint info breakpoints}).
3103 @node Set Watchpoints
3104 @subsection Setting watchpoints
3106 @cindex setting watchpoints
3107 You can use a watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an
3108 expression changes, without having to predict a particular place where
3111 @cindex software watchpoints
3112 @cindex hardware watchpoints
3113 Depending on your system, watchpoints may be implemented in software or
3114 hardware. @value{GDBN} does software watchpointing by single-stepping your
3115 program and testing the variable's value each time, which is hundreds of
3116 times slower than normal execution. (But this may still be worth it, to
3117 catch errors where you have no clue what part of your program is the
3120 On some systems, such as HP-UX, @sc{gnu}/Linux and most other
3121 x86-based targets, @value{GDBN} includes support for hardware
3122 watchpoints, which do not slow down the running of your program.
3126 @item watch @var{expr}
3127 Set a watchpoint for an expression. @value{GDBN} will break when @var{expr}
3128 is written into by the program and its value changes.
3131 @item rwatch @var{expr}
3132 Set a watchpoint that will break when the value of @var{expr} is read
3136 @item awatch @var{expr}
3137 Set a watchpoint that will break when @var{expr} is either read from
3138 or written into by the program.
3140 @kindex info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@r{]}
3141 @item info watchpoints
3142 This command prints a list of watchpoints, breakpoints, and catchpoints;
3143 it is the same as @code{info break} (@pxref{Set Breaks}).
3146 @value{GDBN} sets a @dfn{hardware watchpoint} if possible. Hardware
3147 watchpoints execute very quickly, and the debugger reports a change in
3148 value at the exact instruction where the change occurs. If @value{GDBN}
3149 cannot set a hardware watchpoint, it sets a software watchpoint, which
3150 executes more slowly and reports the change in value at the next
3151 @emph{statement}, not the instruction, after the change occurs.
3153 @cindex use only software watchpoints
3154 You can force @value{GDBN} to use only software watchpoints with the
3155 @kbd{set can-use-hw-watchpoints 0} command. With this variable set to
3156 zero, @value{GDBN} will never try to use hardware watchpoints, even if
3157 the underlying system supports them. (Note that hardware-assisted
3158 watchpoints that were set @emph{before} setting
3159 @code{can-use-hw-watchpoints} to zero will still use the hardware
3160 mechanism of watching expressiion values.)
3163 @item set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3164 @kindex set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3165 Set whether or not to use hardware watchpoints.
3167 @item show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3168 @kindex show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3169 Show the current mode of using hardware watchpoints.
3172 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3173 watchpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3174 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3176 When you issue the @code{watch} command, @value{GDBN} reports
3179 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: @var{expr}
3183 if it was able to set a hardware watchpoint.
3185 Currently, the @code{awatch} and @code{rwatch} commands can only set
3186 hardware watchpoints, because accesses to data that don't change the
3187 value of the watched expression cannot be detected without examining
3188 every instruction as it is being executed, and @value{GDBN} does not do
3189 that currently. If @value{GDBN} finds that it is unable to set a
3190 hardware breakpoint with the @code{awatch} or @code{rwatch} command, it
3191 will print a message like this:
3194 Expression cannot be implemented with read/access watchpoint.
3197 Sometimes, @value{GDBN} cannot set a hardware watchpoint because the
3198 data type of the watched expression is wider than what a hardware
3199 watchpoint on the target machine can handle. For example, some systems
3200 can only watch regions that are up to 4 bytes wide; on such systems you
3201 cannot set hardware watchpoints for an expression that yields a
3202 double-precision floating-point number (which is typically 8 bytes
3203 wide). As a work-around, it might be possible to break the large region
3204 into a series of smaller ones and watch them with separate watchpoints.
3206 If you set too many hardware watchpoints, @value{GDBN} might be unable
3207 to insert all of them when you resume the execution of your program.
3208 Since the precise number of active watchpoints is unknown until such
3209 time as the program is about to be resumed, @value{GDBN} might not be
3210 able to warn you about this when you set the watchpoints, and the
3211 warning will be printed only when the program is resumed:
3214 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: Could not insert watchpoint
3218 If this happens, delete or disable some of the watchpoints.
3220 The SPARClite DSU will generate traps when a program accesses some data
3221 or instruction address that is assigned to the debug registers. For the
3222 data addresses, DSU facilitates the @code{watch} command. However the
3223 hardware breakpoint registers can only take two data watchpoints, and
3224 both watchpoints must be the same kind. For example, you can set two
3225 watchpoints with @code{watch} commands, two with @code{rwatch} commands,
3226 @strong{or} two with @code{awatch} commands, but you cannot set one
3227 watchpoint with one command and the other with a different command.
3228 @value{GDBN} will reject the command if you try to mix watchpoints.
3229 Delete or disable unused watchpoint commands before setting new ones.
3231 If you call a function interactively using @code{print} or @code{call},
3232 any watchpoints you have set will be inactive until @value{GDBN} reaches another
3233 kind of breakpoint or the call completes.
3235 @value{GDBN} automatically deletes watchpoints that watch local
3236 (automatic) variables, or expressions that involve such variables, when
3237 they go out of scope, that is, when the execution leaves the block in
3238 which these variables were defined. In particular, when the program
3239 being debugged terminates, @emph{all} local variables go out of scope,
3240 and so only watchpoints that watch global variables remain set. If you
3241 rerun the program, you will need to set all such watchpoints again. One
3242 way of doing that would be to set a code breakpoint at the entry to the
3243 @code{main} function and when it breaks, set all the watchpoints.
3246 @cindex watchpoints and threads
3247 @cindex threads and watchpoints
3248 @emph{Warning:} In multi-thread programs, watchpoints have only limited
3249 usefulness. With the current watchpoint implementation, @value{GDBN}
3250 can only watch the value of an expression @emph{in a single thread}. If
3251 you are confident that the expression can only change due to the current
3252 thread's activity (and if you are also confident that no other thread
3253 can become current), then you can use watchpoints as usual. However,
3254 @value{GDBN} may not notice when a non-current thread's activity changes
3257 @c FIXME: this is almost identical to the previous paragraph.
3258 @emph{HP-UX Warning:} In multi-thread programs, software watchpoints
3259 have only limited usefulness. If @value{GDBN} creates a software
3260 watchpoint, it can only watch the value of an expression @emph{in a
3261 single thread}. If you are confident that the expression can only
3262 change due to the current thread's activity (and if you are also
3263 confident that no other thread can become current), then you can use
3264 software watchpoints as usual. However, @value{GDBN} may not notice
3265 when a non-current thread's activity changes the expression. (Hardware
3266 watchpoints, in contrast, watch an expression in all threads.)
3269 @xref{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}.
3271 @node Set Catchpoints
3272 @subsection Setting catchpoints
3273 @cindex catchpoints, setting
3274 @cindex exception handlers
3275 @cindex event handling
3277 You can use @dfn{catchpoints} to cause the debugger to stop for certain
3278 kinds of program events, such as C@t{++} exceptions or the loading of a
3279 shared library. Use the @code{catch} command to set a catchpoint.
3283 @item catch @var{event}
3284 Stop when @var{event} occurs. @var{event} can be any of the following:
3287 @cindex stop on C@t{++} exceptions
3288 The throwing of a C@t{++} exception.
3291 The catching of a C@t{++} exception.
3294 @cindex break on fork/exec
3295 A call to @code{exec}. This is currently only available for HP-UX.
3298 A call to @code{fork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX.
3301 A call to @code{vfork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX.
3304 @itemx load @var{libname}
3305 @cindex break on load/unload of shared library
3306 The dynamic loading of any shared library, or the loading of the library
3307 @var{libname}. This is currently only available for HP-UX.
3310 @itemx unload @var{libname}
3311 The unloading of any dynamically loaded shared library, or the unloading
3312 of the library @var{libname}. This is currently only available for HP-UX.
3315 @item tcatch @var{event}
3316 Set a catchpoint that is enabled only for one stop. The catchpoint is
3317 automatically deleted after the first time the event is caught.
3321 Use the @code{info break} command to list the current catchpoints.
3323 There are currently some limitations to C@t{++} exception handling
3324 (@code{catch throw} and @code{catch catch}) in @value{GDBN}:
3328 If you call a function interactively, @value{GDBN} normally returns
3329 control to you when the function has finished executing. If the call
3330 raises an exception, however, the call may bypass the mechanism that
3331 returns control to you and cause your program either to abort or to
3332 simply continue running until it hits a breakpoint, catches a signal
3333 that @value{GDBN} is listening for, or exits. This is the case even if
3334 you set a catchpoint for the exception; catchpoints on exceptions are
3335 disabled within interactive calls.
3338 You cannot raise an exception interactively.
3341 You cannot install an exception handler interactively.
3344 @cindex raise exceptions
3345 Sometimes @code{catch} is not the best way to debug exception handling:
3346 if you need to know exactly where an exception is raised, it is better to
3347 stop @emph{before} the exception handler is called, since that way you
3348 can see the stack before any unwinding takes place. If you set a
3349 breakpoint in an exception handler instead, it may not be easy to find
3350 out where the exception was raised.
3352 To stop just before an exception handler is called, you need some
3353 knowledge of the implementation. In the case of @sc{gnu} C@t{++}, exceptions are
3354 raised by calling a library function named @code{__raise_exception}
3355 which has the following ANSI C interface:
3358 /* @var{addr} is where the exception identifier is stored.
3359 @var{id} is the exception identifier. */
3360 void __raise_exception (void **addr, void *id);
3364 To make the debugger catch all exceptions before any stack
3365 unwinding takes place, set a breakpoint on @code{__raise_exception}
3366 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; watchpoints; and exceptions}).
3368 With a conditional breakpoint (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break conditions})
3369 that depends on the value of @var{id}, you can stop your program when
3370 a specific exception is raised. You can use multiple conditional
3371 breakpoints to stop your program when any of a number of exceptions are
3376 @subsection Deleting breakpoints
3378 @cindex clearing breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
3379 @cindex deleting breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
3380 It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint, watchpoint, or
3381 catchpoint once it has done its job and you no longer want your program
3382 to stop there. This is called @dfn{deleting} the breakpoint. A
3383 breakpoint that has been deleted no longer exists; it is forgotten.
3385 With the @code{clear} command you can delete breakpoints according to
3386 where they are in your program. With the @code{delete} command you can
3387 delete individual breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints by specifying
3388 their breakpoint numbers.
3390 It is not necessary to delete a breakpoint to proceed past it. @value{GDBN}
3391 automatically ignores breakpoints on the first instruction to be executed
3392 when you continue execution without changing the execution address.
3397 Delete any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in the
3398 selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a frame}). When
3399 the innermost frame is selected, this is a good way to delete a
3400 breakpoint where your program just stopped.
3402 @item clear @var{function}
3403 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{function}
3404 Delete any breakpoints set at entry to the named @var{function}.
3406 @item clear @var{linenum}
3407 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
3408 Delete any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specified
3409 @var{linenum} of the specified @var{filename}.
3411 @cindex delete breakpoints
3413 @kindex d @r{(@code{delete})}
3414 @item delete @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
3415 Delete the breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints of the breakpoint
3416 ranges specified as arguments. If no argument is specified, delete all
3417 breakpoints (@value{GDBN} asks confirmation, unless you have @code{set
3418 confirm off}). You can abbreviate this command as @code{d}.
3422 @subsection Disabling breakpoints
3424 @cindex enable/disable a breakpoint
3425 Rather than deleting a breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint, you might
3426 prefer to @dfn{disable} it. This makes the breakpoint inoperative as if
3427 it had been deleted, but remembers the information on the breakpoint so
3428 that you can @dfn{enable} it again later.
3430 You disable and enable breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints with
3431 the @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands, optionally specifying one
3432 or more breakpoint numbers as arguments. Use @code{info break} or
3433 @code{info watch} to print a list of breakpoints, watchpoints, and
3434 catchpoints if you do not know which numbers to use.
3436 A breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint can have any of four different
3437 states of enablement:
3441 Enabled. The breakpoint stops your program. A breakpoint set
3442 with the @code{break} command starts out in this state.
3444 Disabled. The breakpoint has no effect on your program.
3446 Enabled once. The breakpoint stops your program, but then becomes
3449 Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint stops your program, but
3450 immediately after it does so it is deleted permanently. A breakpoint
3451 set with the @code{tbreak} command starts out in this state.
3454 You can use the following commands to enable or disable breakpoints,
3455 watchpoints, and catchpoints:
3459 @kindex dis @r{(@code{disable})}
3460 @item disable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
3461 Disable the specified breakpoints---or all breakpoints, if none are
3462 listed. A disabled breakpoint has no effect but is not forgotten. All
3463 options such as ignore-counts, conditions and commands are remembered in
3464 case the breakpoint is enabled again later. You may abbreviate
3465 @code{disable} as @code{dis}.
3468 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
3469 Enable the specified breakpoints (or all defined breakpoints). They
3470 become effective once again in stopping your program.
3472 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} once @var{range}@dots{}
3473 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} disables any
3474 of these breakpoints immediately after stopping your program.
3476 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} delete @var{range}@dots{}
3477 Enable the specified breakpoints to work once, then die. @value{GDBN}
3478 deletes any of these breakpoints as soon as your program stops there.
3479 Breakpoints set by the @code{tbreak} command start out in this state.
3482 @c FIXME: I think the following ``Except for [...] @code{tbreak}'' is
3483 @c confusing: tbreak is also initially enabled.
3484 Except for a breakpoint set with @code{tbreak} (@pxref{Set Breaks,
3485 ,Setting breakpoints}), breakpoints that you set are initially enabled;
3486 subsequently, they become disabled or enabled only when you use one of
3487 the commands above. (The command @code{until} can set and delete a
3488 breakpoint of its own, but it does not change the state of your other
3489 breakpoints; see @ref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and
3493 @subsection Break conditions
3494 @cindex conditional breakpoints
3495 @cindex breakpoint conditions
3497 @c FIXME what is scope of break condition expr? Context where wanted?
3498 @c in particular for a watchpoint?
3499 The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time your program reaches a
3500 specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for a
3501 breakpoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
3502 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A breakpoint with
3503 a condition evaluates the expression each time your program reaches it,
3504 and your program stops only if the condition is @emph{true}.
3506 This is the converse of using assertions for program validation; in that
3507 situation, you want to stop when the assertion is violated---that is,
3508 when the condition is false. In C, if you want to test an assertion expressed
3509 by the condition @var{assert}, you should set the condition
3510 @samp{! @var{assert}} on the appropriate breakpoint.
3512 Conditions are also accepted for watchpoints; you may not need them,
3513 since a watchpoint is inspecting the value of an expression anyhow---but
3514 it might be simpler, say, to just set a watchpoint on a variable name,
3515 and specify a condition that tests whether the new value is an interesting
3518 Break conditions can have side effects, and may even call functions in
3519 your program. This can be useful, for example, to activate functions
3520 that log program progress, or to use your own print functions to
3521 format special data structures. The effects are completely predictable
3522 unless there is another enabled breakpoint at the same address. (In
3523 that case, @value{GDBN} might see the other breakpoint first and stop your
3524 program without checking the condition of this one.) Note that
3525 breakpoint commands are usually more convenient and flexible than break
3527 purpose of performing side effects when a breakpoint is reached
3528 (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint command lists}).
3530 Break conditions can be specified when a breakpoint is set, by using
3531 @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{break} command. @xref{Set
3532 Breaks, ,Setting breakpoints}. They can also be changed at any time
3533 with the @code{condition} command.
3535 You can also use the @code{if} keyword with the @code{watch} command.
3536 The @code{catch} command does not recognize the @code{if} keyword;
3537 @code{condition} is the only way to impose a further condition on a
3542 @item condition @var{bnum} @var{expression}
3543 Specify @var{expression} as the break condition for breakpoint,
3544 watchpoint, or catchpoint number @var{bnum}. After you set a condition,
3545 breakpoint @var{bnum} stops your program only if the value of
3546 @var{expression} is true (nonzero, in C). When you use
3547 @code{condition}, @value{GDBN} checks @var{expression} immediately for
3548 syntactic correctness, and to determine whether symbols in it have
3549 referents in the context of your breakpoint. If @var{expression} uses
3550 symbols not referenced in the context of the breakpoint, @value{GDBN}
3551 prints an error message:
3554 No symbol "foo" in current context.
3559 not actually evaluate @var{expression} at the time the @code{condition}
3560 command (or a command that sets a breakpoint with a condition, like
3561 @code{break if @dots{}}) is given, however. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
3563 @item condition @var{bnum}
3564 Remove the condition from breakpoint number @var{bnum}. It becomes
3565 an ordinary unconditional breakpoint.
3568 @cindex ignore count (of breakpoint)
3569 A special case of a breakpoint condition is to stop only when the
3570 breakpoint has been reached a certain number of times. This is so
3571 useful that there is a special way to do it, using the @dfn{ignore
3572 count} of the breakpoint. Every breakpoint has an ignore count, which
3573 is an integer. Most of the time, the ignore count is zero, and
3574 therefore has no effect. But if your program reaches a breakpoint whose
3575 ignore count is positive, then instead of stopping, it just decrements
3576 the ignore count by one and continues. As a result, if the ignore count
3577 value is @var{n}, the breakpoint does not stop the next @var{n} times
3578 your program reaches it.
3582 @item ignore @var{bnum} @var{count}
3583 Set the ignore count of breakpoint number @var{bnum} to @var{count}.
3584 The next @var{count} times the breakpoint is reached, your program's
3585 execution does not stop; other than to decrement the ignore count, @value{GDBN}
3588 To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify
3591 When you use @code{continue} to resume execution of your program from a
3592 breakpoint, you can specify an ignore count directly as an argument to
3593 @code{continue}, rather than using @code{ignore}. @xref{Continuing and
3594 Stepping,,Continuing and stepping}.
3596 If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the
3597 condition is not checked. Once the ignore count reaches zero,
3598 @value{GDBN} resumes checking the condition.
3600 You could achieve the effect of the ignore count with a condition such
3601 as @w{@samp{$foo-- <= 0}} using a debugger convenience variable that
3602 is decremented each time. @xref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
3606 Ignore counts apply to breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints.
3609 @node Break Commands
3610 @subsection Breakpoint command lists
3612 @cindex breakpoint commands
3613 You can give any breakpoint (or watchpoint or catchpoint) a series of
3614 commands to execute when your program stops due to that breakpoint. For
3615 example, you might want to print the values of certain expressions, or
3616 enable other breakpoints.
3620 @kindex end@r{ (breakpoint commands)}
3621 @item commands @r{[}@var{bnum}@r{]}
3622 @itemx @dots{} @var{command-list} @dots{}
3624 Specify a list of commands for breakpoint number @var{bnum}. The commands
3625 themselves appear on the following lines. Type a line containing just
3626 @code{end} to terminate the commands.
3628 To remove all commands from a breakpoint, type @code{commands} and
3629 follow it immediately with @code{end}; that is, give no commands.
3631 With no @var{bnum} argument, @code{commands} refers to the last
3632 breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint set (not to the breakpoint most
3633 recently encountered).
3636 Pressing @key{RET} as a means of repeating the last @value{GDBN} command is
3637 disabled within a @var{command-list}.
3639 You can use breakpoint commands to start your program up again. Simply
3640 use the @code{continue} command, or @code{step}, or any other command
3641 that resumes execution.
3643 Any other commands in the command list, after a command that resumes
3644 execution, are ignored. This is because any time you resume execution
3645 (even with a simple @code{next} or @code{step}), you may encounter
3646 another breakpoint---which could have its own command list, leading to
3647 ambiguities about which list to execute.
3650 If the first command you specify in a command list is @code{silent}, the
3651 usual message about stopping at a breakpoint is not printed. This may
3652 be desirable for breakpoints that are to print a specific message and
3653 then continue. If none of the remaining commands print anything, you
3654 see no sign that the breakpoint was reached. @code{silent} is
3655 meaningful only at the beginning of a breakpoint command list.
3657 The commands @code{echo}, @code{output}, and @code{printf} allow you to
3658 print precisely controlled output, and are often useful in silent
3659 breakpoints. @xref{Output, ,Commands for controlled output}.
3661 For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print the
3662 value of @code{x} at entry to @code{foo} whenever @code{x} is positive.
3668 printf "x is %d\n",x
3673 One application for breakpoint commands is to compensate for one bug so
3674 you can test for another. Put a breakpoint just after the erroneous line
3675 of code, give it a condition to detect the case in which something
3676 erroneous has been done, and give it commands to assign correct values
3677 to any variables that need them. End with the @code{continue} command
3678 so that your program does not stop, and start with the @code{silent}
3679 command so that no output is produced. Here is an example:
3690 @node Breakpoint Menus
3691 @subsection Breakpoint menus
3693 @cindex symbol overloading
3695 Some programming languages (notably C@t{++} and Objective-C) permit a
3696 single function name
3697 to be defined several times, for application in different contexts.
3698 This is called @dfn{overloading}. When a function name is overloaded,
3699 @samp{break @var{function}} is not enough to tell @value{GDBN} where you want
3700 a breakpoint. If you realize this is a problem, you can use
3701 something like @samp{break @var{function}(@var{types})} to specify which
3702 particular version of the function you want. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} offers
3703 you a menu of numbered choices for different possible breakpoints, and
3704 waits for your selection with the prompt @samp{>}. The first two
3705 options are always @samp{[0] cancel} and @samp{[1] all}. Typing @kbd{1}
3706 sets a breakpoint at each definition of @var{function}, and typing
3707 @kbd{0} aborts the @code{break} command without setting any new
3710 For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a
3711 breakpoint at the overloaded symbol @code{String::after}.
3712 We choose three particular definitions of that function name:
3714 @c FIXME! This is likely to change to show arg type lists, at least
3717 (@value{GDBP}) b String::after
3720 [2] file:String.cc; line number:867
3721 [3] file:String.cc; line number:860
3722 [4] file:String.cc; line number:875
3723 [5] file:String.cc; line number:853
3724 [6] file:String.cc; line number:846
3725 [7] file:String.cc; line number:735
3727 Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
3728 Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
3729 Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
3730 Multiple breakpoints were set.
3731 Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted
3737 @c @ifclear BARETARGET
3738 @node Error in Breakpoints
3739 @subsection ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
3741 @c FIXME!! 14/6/95 Is there a real example of this? Let's use it.
3743 Under some operating systems, breakpoints cannot be used in a program if
3744 any other process is running that program. In this situation,
3745 attempting to run or continue a program with a breakpoint causes
3746 @value{GDBN} to print an error message:
3749 Cannot insert breakpoints.
3750 The same program may be running in another process.
3753 When this happens, you have three ways to proceed:
3757 Remove or disable the breakpoints, then continue.
3760 Suspend @value{GDBN}, and copy the file containing your program to a new
3761 name. Resume @value{GDBN} and use the @code{exec-file} command to specify
3762 that @value{GDBN} should run your program under that name.
3763 Then start your program again.
3766 Relink your program so that the text segment is nonsharable, using the
3767 linker option @samp{-N}. The operating system limitation may not apply
3768 to nonsharable executables.
3772 A similar message can be printed if you request too many active
3773 hardware-assisted breakpoints and watchpoints:
3775 @c FIXME: the precise wording of this message may change; the relevant
3776 @c source change is not committed yet (Sep 3, 1999).
3778 Stopped; cannot insert breakpoints.
3779 You may have requested too many hardware breakpoints and watchpoints.
3783 This message is printed when you attempt to resume the program, since
3784 only then @value{GDBN} knows exactly how many hardware breakpoints and
3785 watchpoints it needs to insert.
3787 When this message is printed, you need to disable or remove some of the
3788 hardware-assisted breakpoints and watchpoints, and then continue.
3790 @node Breakpoint related warnings
3791 @subsection ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
3792 @cindex breakpoint address adjusted
3794 Some processor architectures place constraints on the addresses at
3795 which breakpoints may be placed. For architectures thus constrained,
3796 @value{GDBN} will attempt to adjust the breakpoint's address to comply
3797 with the constraints dictated by the architecture.
3799 One example of such an architecture is the Fujitsu FR-V. The FR-V is
3800 a VLIW architecture in which a number of RISC-like instructions may be
3801 bundled together for parallel execution. The FR-V architecture
3802 constrains the location of a breakpoint instruction within such a
3803 bundle to the instruction with the lowest address. @value{GDBN}
3804 honors this constraint by adjusting a breakpoint's address to the
3805 first in the bundle.
3807 It is not uncommon for optimized code to have bundles which contain
3808 instructions from different source statements, thus it may happen that
3809 a breakpoint's address will be adjusted from one source statement to
3810 another. Since this adjustment may significantly alter @value{GDBN}'s
3811 breakpoint related behavior from what the user expects, a warning is
3812 printed when the breakpoint is first set and also when the breakpoint
3815 A warning like the one below is printed when setting a breakpoint
3816 that's been subject to address adjustment:
3819 warning: Breakpoint address adjusted from 0x00010414 to 0x00010410.
3822 Such warnings are printed both for user settable and @value{GDBN}'s
3823 internal breakpoints. If you see one of these warnings, you should
3824 verify that a breakpoint set at the adjusted address will have the
3825 desired affect. If not, the breakpoint in question may be removed and
3826 other breakpoints may be set which will have the desired behavior.
3827 E.g., it may be sufficient to place the breakpoint at a later
3828 instruction. A conditional breakpoint may also be useful in some
3829 cases to prevent the breakpoint from triggering too often.
3831 @value{GDBN} will also issue a warning when stopping at one of these
3832 adjusted breakpoints:
3835 warning: Breakpoint 1 address previously adjusted from 0x00010414
3839 When this warning is encountered, it may be too late to take remedial
3840 action except in cases where the breakpoint is hit earlier or more
3841 frequently than expected.
3843 @node Continuing and Stepping
3844 @section Continuing and stepping
3848 @cindex resuming execution
3849 @dfn{Continuing} means resuming program execution until your program
3850 completes normally. In contrast, @dfn{stepping} means executing just
3851 one more ``step'' of your program, where ``step'' may mean either one
3852 line of source code, or one machine instruction (depending on what
3853 particular command you use). Either when continuing or when stepping,
3854 your program may stop even sooner, due to a breakpoint or a signal. (If
3855 it stops due to a signal, you may want to use @code{handle}, or use
3856 @samp{signal 0} to resume execution. @xref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
3860 @kindex c @r{(@code{continue})}
3861 @kindex fg @r{(resume foreground execution)}
3862 @item continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
3863 @itemx c @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
3864 @itemx fg @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
3865 Resume program execution, at the address where your program last stopped;
3866 any breakpoints set at that address are bypassed. The optional argument
3867 @var{ignore-count} allows you to specify a further number of times to
3868 ignore a breakpoint at this location; its effect is like that of
3869 @code{ignore} (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break conditions}).
3871 The argument @var{ignore-count} is meaningful only when your program
3872 stopped due to a breakpoint. At other times, the argument to
3873 @code{continue} is ignored.
3875 The synonyms @code{c} and @code{fg} (for @dfn{foreground}, as the
3876 debugged program is deemed to be the foreground program) are provided
3877 purely for convenience, and have exactly the same behavior as
3881 To resume execution at a different place, you can use @code{return}
3882 (@pxref{Returning, ,Returning from a function}) to go back to the
3883 calling function; or @code{jump} (@pxref{Jumping, ,Continuing at a
3884 different address}) to go to an arbitrary location in your program.
3886 A typical technique for using stepping is to set a breakpoint
3887 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; watchpoints; and catchpoints}) at the
3888 beginning of the function or the section of your program where a problem
3889 is believed to lie, run your program until it stops at that breakpoint,
3890 and then step through the suspect area, examining the variables that are
3891 interesting, until you see the problem happen.
3895 @kindex s @r{(@code{step})}
3897 Continue running your program until control reaches a different source
3898 line, then stop it and return control to @value{GDBN}. This command is
3899 abbreviated @code{s}.
3902 @c "without debugging information" is imprecise; actually "without line
3903 @c numbers in the debugging information". (gcc -g1 has debugging info but
3904 @c not line numbers). But it seems complex to try to make that
3905 @c distinction here.
3906 @emph{Warning:} If you use the @code{step} command while control is
3907 within a function that was compiled without debugging information,
3908 execution proceeds until control reaches a function that does have
3909 debugging information. Likewise, it will not step into a function which
3910 is compiled without debugging information. To step through functions
3911 without debugging information, use the @code{stepi} command, described
3915 The @code{step} command only stops at the first instruction of a source
3916 line. This prevents the multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
3917 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc. @code{step} continues
3918 to stop if a function that has debugging information is called within
3919 the line. In other words, @code{step} @emph{steps inside} any functions
3920 called within the line.
3922 Also, the @code{step} command only enters a function if there is line
3923 number information for the function. Otherwise it acts like the
3924 @code{next} command. This avoids problems when using @code{cc -gl}
3925 on MIPS machines. Previously, @code{step} entered subroutines if there
3926 was any debugging information about the routine.
3928 @item step @var{count}
3929 Continue running as in @code{step}, but do so @var{count} times. If a
3930 breakpoint is reached, or a signal not related to stepping occurs before
3931 @var{count} steps, stepping stops right away.
3934 @kindex n @r{(@code{next})}
3935 @item next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
3936 Continue to the next source line in the current (innermost) stack frame.
3937 This is similar to @code{step}, but function calls that appear within
3938 the line of code are executed without stopping. Execution stops when
3939 control reaches a different line of code at the original stack level
3940 that was executing when you gave the @code{next} command. This command
3941 is abbreviated @code{n}.
3943 An argument @var{count} is a repeat count, as for @code{step}.
3946 @c FIX ME!! Do we delete this, or is there a way it fits in with
3947 @c the following paragraph? --- Vctoria
3949 @c @code{next} within a function that lacks debugging information acts like
3950 @c @code{step}, but any function calls appearing within the code of the
3951 @c function are executed without stopping.
3953 The @code{next} command only stops at the first instruction of a
3954 source line. This prevents multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
3955 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc.
3957 @kindex set step-mode
3959 @cindex functions without line info, and stepping
3960 @cindex stepping into functions with no line info
3961 @itemx set step-mode on
3962 The @code{set step-mode on} command causes the @code{step} command to
3963 stop at the first instruction of a function which contains no debug line
3964 information rather than stepping over it.
3966 This is useful in cases where you may be interested in inspecting the
3967 machine instructions of a function which has no symbolic info and do not
3968 want @value{GDBN} to automatically skip over this function.
3970 @item set step-mode off
3971 Causes the @code{step} command to step over any functions which contains no
3972 debug information. This is the default.
3974 @item show step-mode
3975 Show whether @value{GDBN} will stop in or step over functions without
3976 source line debug information.
3980 Continue running until just after function in the selected stack frame
3981 returns. Print the returned value (if any).
3983 Contrast this with the @code{return} command (@pxref{Returning,
3984 ,Returning from a function}).
3987 @kindex u @r{(@code{until})}
3988 @cindex run until specified location
3991 Continue running until a source line past the current line, in the
3992 current stack frame, is reached. This command is used to avoid single
3993 stepping through a loop more than once. It is like the @code{next}
3994 command, except that when @code{until} encounters a jump, it
3995 automatically continues execution until the program counter is greater
3996 than the address of the jump.
3998 This means that when you reach the end of a loop after single stepping
3999 though it, @code{until} makes your program continue execution until it
4000 exits the loop. In contrast, a @code{next} command at the end of a loop
4001 simply steps back to the beginning of the loop, which forces you to step
4002 through the next iteration.
4004 @code{until} always stops your program if it attempts to exit the current
4007 @code{until} may produce somewhat counterintuitive results if the order
4008 of machine code does not match the order of the source lines. For
4009 example, in the following excerpt from a debugging session, the @code{f}
4010 (@code{frame}) command shows that execution is stopped at line
4011 @code{206}; yet when we use @code{until}, we get to line @code{195}:
4015 #0 main (argc=4, argv=0xf7fffae8) at m4.c:206
4017 (@value{GDBP}) until
4018 195 for ( ; argc > 0; NEXTARG) @{
4021 This happened because, for execution efficiency, the compiler had
4022 generated code for the loop closure test at the end, rather than the
4023 start, of the loop---even though the test in a C @code{for}-loop is
4024 written before the body of the loop. The @code{until} command appeared
4025 to step back to the beginning of the loop when it advanced to this
4026 expression; however, it has not really gone to an earlier
4027 statement---not in terms of the actual machine code.
4029 @code{until} with no argument works by means of single
4030 instruction stepping, and hence is slower than @code{until} with an
4033 @item until @var{location}
4034 @itemx u @var{location}
4035 Continue running your program until either the specified location is
4036 reached, or the current stack frame returns. @var{location} is any of
4037 the forms of argument acceptable to @code{break} (@pxref{Set Breaks,
4038 ,Setting breakpoints}). This form of the command uses breakpoints, and
4039 hence is quicker than @code{until} without an argument. The specified
4040 location is actually reached only if it is in the current frame. This
4041 implies that @code{until} can be used to skip over recursive function
4042 invocations. For instance in the code below, if the current location is
4043 line @code{96}, issuing @code{until 99} will execute the program up to
4044 line @code{99} in the same invocation of factorial, i.e. after the inner
4045 invocations have returned.
4048 94 int factorial (int value)
4050 96 if (value > 1) @{
4051 97 value *= factorial (value - 1);
4058 @kindex advance @var{location}
4059 @itemx advance @var{location}
4060 Continue running the program up to the given @var{location}. An argument is
4061 required, which should be of the same form as arguments for the @code{break}
4062 command. Execution will also stop upon exit from the current stack
4063 frame. This command is similar to @code{until}, but @code{advance} will
4064 not skip over recursive function calls, and the target location doesn't
4065 have to be in the same frame as the current one.
4069 @kindex si @r{(@code{stepi})}
4071 @itemx stepi @var{arg}
4073 Execute one machine instruction, then stop and return to the debugger.
4075 It is often useful to do @samp{display/i $pc} when stepping by machine
4076 instructions. This makes @value{GDBN} automatically display the next
4077 instruction to be executed, each time your program stops. @xref{Auto
4078 Display,, Automatic display}.
4080 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{step}.
4084 @kindex ni @r{(@code{nexti})}
4086 @itemx nexti @var{arg}
4088 Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call,
4089 proceed until the function returns.
4091 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{next}.
4098 A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The
4099 operating system defines the possible kinds of signals, and gives each
4100 kind a name and a number. For example, in Unix @code{SIGINT} is the
4101 signal a program gets when you type an interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c});
4102 @code{SIGSEGV} is the signal a program gets from referencing a place in
4103 memory far away from all the areas in use; @code{SIGALRM} occurs when
4104 the alarm clock timer goes off (which happens only if your program has
4105 requested an alarm).
4107 @cindex fatal signals
4108 Some signals, including @code{SIGALRM}, are a normal part of the
4109 functioning of your program. Others, such as @code{SIGSEGV}, indicate
4110 errors; these signals are @dfn{fatal} (they kill your program immediately) if the
4111 program has not specified in advance some other way to handle the signal.
4112 @code{SIGINT} does not indicate an error in your program, but it is normally
4113 fatal so it can carry out the purpose of the interrupt: to kill the program.
4115 @value{GDBN} has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in your
4116 program. You can tell @value{GDBN} in advance what to do for each kind of
4119 @cindex handling signals
4120 Normally, @value{GDBN} is set up to let the non-erroneous signals like
4121 @code{SIGALRM} be silently passed to your program
4122 (so as not to interfere with their role in the program's functioning)
4123 but to stop your program immediately whenever an error signal happens.
4124 You can change these settings with the @code{handle} command.
4127 @kindex info signals
4131 Print a table of all the kinds of signals and how @value{GDBN} has been told to
4132 handle each one. You can use this to see the signal numbers of all
4133 the defined types of signals.
4135 @item info signals @var{sig}
4136 Similar, but print information only about the specified signal number.
4138 @code{info handle} is an alias for @code{info signals}.
4141 @item handle @var{signal} @r{[}@var{keywords}@dots{}@r{]}
4142 Change the way @value{GDBN} handles signal @var{signal}. @var{signal}
4143 can be the number of a signal or its name (with or without the
4144 @samp{SIG} at the beginning); a list of signal numbers of the form
4145 @samp{@var{low}-@var{high}}; or the word @samp{all}, meaning all the
4146 known signals. Optional arguments @var{keywords}, described below,
4147 say what change to make.
4151 The keywords allowed by the @code{handle} command can be abbreviated.
4152 Their full names are:
4156 @value{GDBN} should not stop your program when this signal happens. It may
4157 still print a message telling you that the signal has come in.
4160 @value{GDBN} should stop your program when this signal happens. This implies
4161 the @code{print} keyword as well.
4164 @value{GDBN} should print a message when this signal happens.
4167 @value{GDBN} should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This
4168 implies the @code{nostop} keyword as well.
4172 @value{GDBN} should allow your program to see this signal; your program
4173 can handle the signal, or else it may terminate if the signal is fatal
4174 and not handled. @code{pass} and @code{noignore} are synonyms.
4178 @value{GDBN} should not allow your program to see this signal.
4179 @code{nopass} and @code{ignore} are synonyms.
4183 When a signal stops your program, the signal is not visible to the
4185 continue. Your program sees the signal then, if @code{pass} is in
4186 effect for the signal in question @emph{at that time}. In other words,
4187 after @value{GDBN} reports a signal, you can use the @code{handle}
4188 command with @code{pass} or @code{nopass} to control whether your
4189 program sees that signal when you continue.
4191 The default is set to @code{nostop}, @code{noprint}, @code{pass} for
4192 non-erroneous signals such as @code{SIGALRM}, @code{SIGWINCH} and
4193 @code{SIGCHLD}, and to @code{stop}, @code{print}, @code{pass} for the
4196 You can also use the @code{signal} command to prevent your program from
4197 seeing a signal, or cause it to see a signal it normally would not see,
4198 or to give it any signal at any time. For example, if your program stopped
4199 due to some sort of memory reference error, you might store correct
4200 values into the erroneous variables and continue, hoping to see more
4201 execution; but your program would probably terminate immediately as
4202 a result of the fatal signal once it saw the signal. To prevent this,
4203 you can continue with @samp{signal 0}. @xref{Signaling, ,Giving your
4207 @section Stopping and starting multi-thread programs
4209 When your program has multiple threads (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging
4210 programs with multiple threads}), you can choose whether to set
4211 breakpoints on all threads, or on a particular thread.
4214 @cindex breakpoints and threads
4215 @cindex thread breakpoints
4216 @kindex break @dots{} thread @var{threadno}
4217 @item break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno}
4218 @itemx break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno} if @dots{}
4219 @var{linespec} specifies source lines; there are several ways of
4220 writing them, but the effect is always to specify some source line.
4222 Use the qualifier @samp{thread @var{threadno}} with a breakpoint command
4223 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
4224 particular thread reaches this breakpoint. @var{threadno} is one of the
4225 numeric thread identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
4226 column of the @samp{info threads} display.
4228 If you do not specify @samp{thread @var{threadno}} when you set a
4229 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} threads of your
4232 You can use the @code{thread} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
4233 well; in this case, place @samp{thread @var{threadno}} before the
4234 breakpoint condition, like this:
4237 (@value{GDBP}) break frik.c:13 thread 28 if bartab > lim
4242 @cindex stopped threads
4243 @cindex threads, stopped
4244 Whenever your program stops under @value{GDBN} for any reason,
4245 @emph{all} threads of execution stop, not just the current thread. This
4246 allows you to examine the overall state of the program, including
4247 switching between threads, without worrying that things may change
4250 @cindex thread breakpoints and system calls
4251 @cindex system calls and thread breakpoints
4252 @cindex premature return from system calls
4253 There is an unfortunate side effect. If one thread stops for a
4254 breakpoint, or for some other reason, and another thread is blocked in a
4255 system call, then the system call may return prematurely. This is a
4256 consequence of the interaction between multiple threads and the signals
4257 that @value{GDBN} uses to implement breakpoints and other events that
4260 To handle this problem, your program should check the return value of
4261 each system call and react appropriately. This is good programming
4264 For example, do not write code like this:
4270 The call to @code{sleep} will return early if a different thread stops
4271 at a breakpoint or for some other reason.
4273 Instead, write this:
4278 unslept = sleep (unslept);
4281 A system call is allowed to return early, so the system is still
4282 conforming to its specification. But @value{GDBN} does cause your
4283 multi-threaded program to behave differently than it would without
4286 Also, @value{GDBN} uses internal breakpoints in the thread library to
4287 monitor certain events such as thread creation and thread destruction.
4288 When such an event happens, a system call in another thread may return
4289 prematurely, even though your program does not appear to stop.
4291 @cindex continuing threads
4292 @cindex threads, continuing
4293 Conversely, whenever you restart the program, @emph{all} threads start
4294 executing. @emph{This is true even when single-stepping} with commands
4295 like @code{step} or @code{next}.
4297 In particular, @value{GDBN} cannot single-step all threads in lockstep.
4298 Since thread scheduling is up to your debugging target's operating
4299 system (not controlled by @value{GDBN}), other threads may
4300 execute more than one statement while the current thread completes a
4301 single step. Moreover, in general other threads stop in the middle of a
4302 statement, rather than at a clean statement boundary, when the program
4305 You might even find your program stopped in another thread after
4306 continuing or even single-stepping. This happens whenever some other
4307 thread runs into a breakpoint, a signal, or an exception before the
4308 first thread completes whatever you requested.
4310 On some OSes, you can lock the OS scheduler and thus allow only a single
4314 @item set scheduler-locking @var{mode}
4315 @cindex scheduler locking mode
4316 @cindex lock scheduler
4317 Set the scheduler locking mode. If it is @code{off}, then there is no
4318 locking and any thread may run at any time. If @code{on}, then only the
4319 current thread may run when the inferior is resumed. The @code{step}
4320 mode optimizes for single-stepping. It stops other threads from
4321 ``seizing the prompt'' by preempting the current thread while you are
4322 stepping. Other threads will only rarely (or never) get a chance to run
4323 when you step. They are more likely to run when you @samp{next} over a
4324 function call, and they are completely free to run when you use commands
4325 like @samp{continue}, @samp{until}, or @samp{finish}. However, unless another
4326 thread hits a breakpoint during its timeslice, they will never steal the
4327 @value{GDBN} prompt away from the thread that you are debugging.
4329 @item show scheduler-locking
4330 Display the current scheduler locking mode.
4335 @chapter Examining the Stack
4337 When your program has stopped, the first thing you need to know is where it
4338 stopped and how it got there.
4341 Each time your program performs a function call, information about the call
4343 That information includes the location of the call in your program,
4344 the arguments of the call,
4345 and the local variables of the function being called.
4346 The information is saved in a block of data called a @dfn{stack frame}.
4347 The stack frames are allocated in a region of memory called the @dfn{call
4350 When your program stops, the @value{GDBN} commands for examining the
4351 stack allow you to see all of this information.
4353 @cindex selected frame
4354 One of the stack frames is @dfn{selected} by @value{GDBN} and many
4355 @value{GDBN} commands refer implicitly to the selected frame. In
4356 particular, whenever you ask @value{GDBN} for the value of a variable in
4357 your program, the value is found in the selected frame. There are
4358 special @value{GDBN} commands to select whichever frame you are
4359 interested in. @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a frame}.
4361 When your program stops, @value{GDBN} automatically selects the
4362 currently executing frame and describes it briefly, similar to the
4363 @code{frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info, ,Information about a frame}).
4366 * Frames:: Stack frames
4367 * Backtrace:: Backtraces
4368 * Selection:: Selecting a frame
4369 * Frame Info:: Information on a frame
4374 @section Stack frames
4376 @cindex frame, definition
4378 The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called @dfn{stack
4379 frames}, or @dfn{frames} for short; each frame is the data associated
4380 with one call to one function. The frame contains the arguments given
4381 to the function, the function's local variables, and the address at
4382 which the function is executing.
4384 @cindex initial frame
4385 @cindex outermost frame
4386 @cindex innermost frame
4387 When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of the
4388 function @code{main}. This is called the @dfn{initial} frame or the
4389 @dfn{outermost} frame. Each time a function is called, a new frame is
4390 made. Each time a function returns, the frame for that function invocation
4391 is eliminated. If a function is recursive, there can be many frames for
4392 the same function. The frame for the function in which execution is
4393 actually occurring is called the @dfn{innermost} frame. This is the most
4394 recently created of all the stack frames that still exist.
4396 @cindex frame pointer
4397 Inside your program, stack frames are identified by their addresses. A
4398 stack frame consists of many bytes, each of which has its own address; each
4399 kind of computer has a convention for choosing one byte whose
4400 address serves as the address of the frame. Usually this address is kept
4401 in a register called the @dfn{frame pointer register}
4402 (@pxref{Registers, $fp}) while execution is going on in that frame.
4404 @cindex frame number
4405 @value{GDBN} assigns numbers to all existing stack frames, starting with
4406 zero for the innermost frame, one for the frame that called it,
4407 and so on upward. These numbers do not really exist in your program;
4408 they are assigned by @value{GDBN} to give you a way of designating stack
4409 frames in @value{GDBN} commands.
4411 @c The -fomit-frame-pointer below perennially causes hbox overflow
4412 @c underflow problems.
4413 @cindex frameless execution
4414 Some compilers provide a way to compile functions so that they operate
4415 without stack frames. (For example, the @value{GCC} option
4417 @samp{-fomit-frame-pointer}
4419 generates functions without a frame.)
4420 This is occasionally done with heavily used library functions to save
4421 the frame setup time. @value{GDBN} has limited facilities for dealing
4422 with these function invocations. If the innermost function invocation
4423 has no stack frame, @value{GDBN} nevertheless regards it as though
4424 it had a separate frame, which is numbered zero as usual, allowing
4425 correct tracing of the function call chain. However, @value{GDBN} has
4426 no provision for frameless functions elsewhere in the stack.
4429 @kindex frame@r{, command}
4430 @cindex current stack frame
4431 @item frame @var{args}
4432 The @code{frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame to another,
4433 and to print the stack frame you select. @var{args} may be either the
4434 address of the frame or the stack frame number. Without an argument,
4435 @code{frame} prints the current stack frame.
4437 @kindex select-frame
4438 @cindex selecting frame silently
4440 The @code{select-frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame
4441 to another without printing the frame. This is the silent version of
4449 @cindex call stack traces
4450 A backtrace is a summary of how your program got where it is. It shows one
4451 line per frame, for many frames, starting with the currently executing
4452 frame (frame zero), followed by its caller (frame one), and on up the
4457 @kindex bt @r{(@code{backtrace})}
4460 Print a backtrace of the entire stack: one line per frame for all
4461 frames in the stack.
4463 You can stop the backtrace at any time by typing the system interrupt
4464 character, normally @kbd{Ctrl-c}.
4466 @item backtrace @var{n}
4468 Similar, but print only the innermost @var{n} frames.
4470 @item backtrace -@var{n}
4472 Similar, but print only the outermost @var{n} frames.
4474 @item backtrace full
4476 @itemx bt full @var{n}
4477 @itemx bt full -@var{n}
4478 Print the values of the local variables also. @var{n} specifies the
4479 number of frames to print, like described above.
4484 The names @code{where} and @code{info stack} (abbreviated @code{info s})
4485 are additional aliases for @code{backtrace}.
4487 @cindex multiple threads, backtrace
4488 In a multi-threaded program, @value{GDBN} by default shows the
4489 backtrace only for the current thread. To display the backtrace for
4490 several or all of the threads, use the command @code{thread apply}
4491 (@pxref{Threads, thread apply}). For example, if you type @kbd{thread
4492 apply all backtrace}, @value{GDBN} will display the backtrace for all
4493 the threads; this is handy when you debug a core dump of a
4494 multi-threaded program.
4496 Each line in the backtrace shows the frame number and the function name.
4497 The program counter value is also shown---unless you use @code{set
4498 print address off}. The backtrace also shows the source file name and
4499 line number, as well as the arguments to the function. The program
4500 counter value is omitted if it is at the beginning of the code for that
4503 Here is an example of a backtrace. It was made with the command
4504 @samp{bt 3}, so it shows the innermost three frames.
4508 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
4510 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=0x2b600) at macro.c:242
4511 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=177664, td=0xf7fffb08)
4513 (More stack frames follow...)
4518 The display for frame zero does not begin with a program counter
4519 value, indicating that your program has stopped at the beginning of the
4520 code for line @code{993} of @code{builtin.c}.
4522 @cindex value optimized out, in backtrace
4523 @cindex function call arguments, optimized out
4524 If your program was compiled with optimizations, some compilers will
4525 optimize away arguments passed to functions if those arguments are
4526 never used after the call. Such optimizations generate code that
4527 passes arguments through registers, but doesn't store those arguments
4528 in the stack frame. @value{GDBN} has no way of displaying such
4529 arguments in stack frames other than the innermost one. Here's what
4530 such a backtrace might look like:
4534 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
4536 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=<value optimized out>) at macro.c:242
4537 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=<value optimized out>, td=0xf7fffb08)
4539 (More stack frames follow...)
4544 The values of arguments that were not saved in their stack frames are
4545 shown as @samp{<value optimized out>}.
4547 If you need to display the values of such optimized-out arguments,
4548 either deduce that from other variables whose values depend on the one
4549 you are interested in, or recompile without optimizations.
4551 @cindex backtrace beyond @code{main} function
4552 @cindex program entry point
4553 @cindex startup code, and backtrace
4554 Most programs have a standard user entry point---a place where system
4555 libraries and startup code transition into user code. For C this is
4556 @code{main}@footnote{
4557 Note that embedded programs (the so-called ``free-standing''
4558 environment) are not required to have a @code{main} function as the
4559 entry point. They could even have multiple entry points.}.
4560 When @value{GDBN} finds the entry function in a backtrace
4561 it will terminate the backtrace, to avoid tracing into highly
4562 system-specific (and generally uninteresting) code.
4564 If you need to examine the startup code, or limit the number of levels
4565 in a backtrace, you can change this behavior:
4568 @item set backtrace past-main
4569 @itemx set backtrace past-main on
4570 @kindex set backtrace
4571 Backtraces will continue past the user entry point.
4573 @item set backtrace past-main off
4574 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the user entry point. This is the
4577 @item show backtrace past-main
4578 @kindex show backtrace
4579 Display the current user entry point backtrace policy.
4581 @item set backtrace past-entry
4582 @itemx set backtrace past-entry on
4583 Backtraces will continue past the internal entry point of an application.
4584 This entry point is encoded by the linker when the application is built,
4585 and is likely before the user entry point @code{main} (or equivalent) is called.
4587 @item set backtrace past-entry off
4588 Backtraces will stop when they encouter the internal entry point of an
4589 application. This is the default.
4591 @item show backtrace past-entry
4592 Display the current internal entry point backtrace policy.
4594 @item set backtrace limit @var{n}
4595 @itemx set backtrace limit 0
4596 @cindex backtrace limit
4597 Limit the backtrace to @var{n} levels. A value of zero means
4600 @item show backtrace limit
4601 Display the current limit on backtrace levels.
4605 @section Selecting a frame
4607 Most commands for examining the stack and other data in your program work on
4608 whichever stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the commands for
4609 selecting a stack frame; all of them finish by printing a brief description
4610 of the stack frame just selected.
4613 @kindex frame@r{, selecting}
4614 @kindex f @r{(@code{frame})}
4617 Select frame number @var{n}. Recall that frame zero is the innermost
4618 (currently executing) frame, frame one is the frame that called the
4619 innermost one, and so on. The highest-numbered frame is the one for
4622 @item frame @var{addr}
4624 Select the frame at address @var{addr}. This is useful mainly if the
4625 chaining of stack frames has been damaged by a bug, making it
4626 impossible for @value{GDBN} to assign numbers properly to all frames. In
4627 addition, this can be useful when your program has multiple stacks and
4628 switches between them.
4630 On the SPARC architecture, @code{frame} needs two addresses to
4631 select an arbitrary frame: a frame pointer and a stack pointer.
4633 On the MIPS and Alpha architecture, it needs two addresses: a stack
4634 pointer and a program counter.
4636 On the 29k architecture, it needs three addresses: a register stack
4637 pointer, a program counter, and a memory stack pointer.
4641 Move @var{n} frames up the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
4642 advances toward the outermost frame, to higher frame numbers, to frames
4643 that have existed longer. @var{n} defaults to one.
4646 @kindex do @r{(@code{down})}
4648 Move @var{n} frames down the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
4649 advances toward the innermost frame, to lower frame numbers, to frames
4650 that were created more recently. @var{n} defaults to one. You may
4651 abbreviate @code{down} as @code{do}.
4654 All of these commands end by printing two lines of output describing the
4655 frame. The first line shows the frame number, the function name, the
4656 arguments, and the source file and line number of execution in that
4657 frame. The second line shows the text of that source line.
4665 #1 0x22f0 in main (argc=1, argv=0xf7fffbf4, env=0xf7fffbfc)
4667 10 read_input_file (argv[i]);
4671 After such a printout, the @code{list} command with no arguments
4672 prints ten lines centered on the point of execution in the frame.
4673 You can also edit the program at the point of execution with your favorite
4674 editing program by typing @code{edit}.
4675 @xref{List, ,Printing source lines},
4679 @kindex down-silently
4681 @item up-silently @var{n}
4682 @itemx down-silently @var{n}
4683 These two commands are variants of @code{up} and @code{down},
4684 respectively; they differ in that they do their work silently, without
4685 causing display of the new frame. They are intended primarily for use
4686 in @value{GDBN} command scripts, where the output might be unnecessary and
4691 @section Information about a frame
4693 There are several other commands to print information about the selected
4699 When used without any argument, this command does not change which
4700 frame is selected, but prints a brief description of the currently
4701 selected stack frame. It can be abbreviated @code{f}. With an
4702 argument, this command is used to select a stack frame.
4703 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a frame}.
4706 @kindex info f @r{(@code{info frame})}
4709 This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack frame,
4714 the address of the frame
4716 the address of the next frame down (called by this frame)
4718 the address of the next frame up (caller of this frame)
4720 the language in which the source code corresponding to this frame is written
4722 the address of the frame's arguments
4724 the address of the frame's local variables
4726 the program counter saved in it (the address of execution in the caller frame)
4728 which registers were saved in the frame
4731 @noindent The verbose description is useful when
4732 something has gone wrong that has made the stack format fail to fit
4733 the usual conventions.
4735 @item info frame @var{addr}
4736 @itemx info f @var{addr}
4737 Print a verbose description of the frame at address @var{addr}, without
4738 selecting that frame. The selected frame remains unchanged by this
4739 command. This requires the same kind of address (more than one for some
4740 architectures) that you specify in the @code{frame} command.
4741 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a frame}.
4745 Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
4749 Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate
4750 line. These are all variables (declared either static or automatic)
4751 accessible at the point of execution of the selected frame.
4754 @cindex catch exceptions, list active handlers
4755 @cindex exception handlers, how to list
4757 Print a list of all the exception handlers that are active in the
4758 current stack frame at the current point of execution. To see other
4759 exception handlers, visit the associated frame (using the @code{up},
4760 @code{down}, or @code{frame} commands); then type @code{info catch}.
4761 @xref{Set Catchpoints, , Setting catchpoints}.
4767 @chapter Examining Source Files
4769 @value{GDBN} can print parts of your program's source, since the debugging
4770 information recorded in the program tells @value{GDBN} what source files were
4771 used to build it. When your program stops, @value{GDBN} spontaneously prints
4772 the line where it stopped. Likewise, when you select a stack frame
4773 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a frame}), @value{GDBN} prints the line where
4774 execution in that frame has stopped. You can print other portions of
4775 source files by explicit command.
4777 If you use @value{GDBN} through its @sc{gnu} Emacs interface, you may
4778 prefer to use Emacs facilities to view source; see @ref{Emacs, ,Using
4779 @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}.
4782 * List:: Printing source lines
4783 * Edit:: Editing source files
4784 * Search:: Searching source files
4785 * Source Path:: Specifying source directories
4786 * Machine Code:: Source and machine code
4790 @section Printing source lines
4793 @kindex l @r{(@code{list})}
4794 To print lines from a source file, use the @code{list} command
4795 (abbreviated @code{l}). By default, ten lines are printed.
4796 There are several ways to specify what part of the file you want to print.
4798 Here are the forms of the @code{list} command most commonly used:
4801 @item list @var{linenum}
4802 Print lines centered around line number @var{linenum} in the
4803 current source file.
4805 @item list @var{function}
4806 Print lines centered around the beginning of function
4810 Print more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a
4811 @code{list} command, this prints lines following the last lines
4812 printed; however, if the last line printed was a solitary line printed
4813 as part of displaying a stack frame (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the
4814 Stack}), this prints lines centered around that line.
4817 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
4820 @cindex @code{list}, how many lines to display
4821 By default, @value{GDBN} prints ten source lines with any of these forms of
4822 the @code{list} command. You can change this using @code{set listsize}:
4825 @kindex set listsize
4826 @item set listsize @var{count}
4827 Make the @code{list} command display @var{count} source lines (unless
4828 the @code{list} argument explicitly specifies some other number).
4830 @kindex show listsize
4832 Display the number of lines that @code{list} prints.
4835 Repeating a @code{list} command with @key{RET} discards the argument,
4836 so it is equivalent to typing just @code{list}. This is more useful
4837 than listing the same lines again. An exception is made for an
4838 argument of @samp{-}; that argument is preserved in repetition so that
4839 each repetition moves up in the source file.
4842 In general, the @code{list} command expects you to supply zero, one or two
4843 @dfn{linespecs}. Linespecs specify source lines; there are several ways
4844 of writing them, but the effect is always to specify some source line.
4845 Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for @code{list}:
4848 @item list @var{linespec}
4849 Print lines centered around the line specified by @var{linespec}.
4851 @item list @var{first},@var{last}
4852 Print lines from @var{first} to @var{last}. Both arguments are
4855 @item list ,@var{last}
4856 Print lines ending with @var{last}.
4858 @item list @var{first},
4859 Print lines starting with @var{first}.
4862 Print lines just after the lines last printed.
4865 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
4868 As described in the preceding table.
4871 Here are the ways of specifying a single source line---all the
4876 Specifies line @var{number} of the current source file.
4877 When a @code{list} command has two linespecs, this refers to
4878 the same source file as the first linespec.
4881 Specifies the line @var{offset} lines after the last line printed.
4882 When used as the second linespec in a @code{list} command that has
4883 two, this specifies the line @var{offset} lines down from the
4887 Specifies the line @var{offset} lines before the last line printed.
4889 @item @var{filename}:@var{number}
4890 Specifies line @var{number} in the source file @var{filename}.
4892 @item @var{function}
4893 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}.
4894 For example: in C, this is the line with the open brace.
4896 @item @var{filename}:@var{function}
4897 Specifies the line of the open-brace that begins the body of the
4898 function @var{function} in the file @var{filename}. You only need the
4899 file name with a function name to avoid ambiguity when there are
4900 identically named functions in different source files.
4902 @item *@var{address}
4903 Specifies the line containing the program address @var{address}.
4904 @var{address} may be any expression.
4908 @section Editing source files
4909 @cindex editing source files
4912 @kindex e @r{(@code{edit})}
4913 To edit the lines in a source file, use the @code{edit} command.
4914 The editing program of your choice
4915 is invoked with the current line set to
4916 the active line in the program.
4917 Alternatively, there are several ways to specify what part of the file you
4918 want to print if you want to see other parts of the program.
4920 Here are the forms of the @code{edit} command most commonly used:
4924 Edit the current source file at the active line number in the program.
4926 @item edit @var{number}
4927 Edit the current source file with @var{number} as the active line number.
4929 @item edit @var{function}
4930 Edit the file containing @var{function} at the beginning of its definition.
4932 @item edit @var{filename}:@var{number}
4933 Specifies line @var{number} in the source file @var{filename}.
4935 @item edit @var{filename}:@var{function}
4936 Specifies the line that begins the body of the
4937 function @var{function} in the file @var{filename}. You only need the
4938 file name with a function name to avoid ambiguity when there are
4939 identically named functions in different source files.
4941 @item edit *@var{address}
4942 Specifies the line containing the program address @var{address}.
4943 @var{address} may be any expression.
4946 @subsection Choosing your editor
4947 You can customize @value{GDBN} to use any editor you want
4949 The only restriction is that your editor (say @code{ex}), recognizes the
4950 following command-line syntax:
4952 ex +@var{number} file
4954 The optional numeric value +@var{number} specifies the number of the line in
4955 the file where to start editing.}.
4956 By default, it is @file{@value{EDITOR}}, but you can change this
4957 by setting the environment variable @code{EDITOR} before using
4958 @value{GDBN}. For example, to configure @value{GDBN} to use the
4959 @code{vi} editor, you could use these commands with the @code{sh} shell:
4965 or in the @code{csh} shell,
4967 setenv EDITOR /usr/bin/vi
4972 @section Searching source files
4973 @cindex searching source files
4975 There are two commands for searching through the current source file for a
4980 @kindex forward-search
4981 @item forward-search @var{regexp}
4982 @itemx search @var{regexp}
4983 The command @samp{forward-search @var{regexp}} checks each line,
4984 starting with the one following the last line listed, for a match for
4985 @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can use the
4986 synonym @samp{search @var{regexp}} or abbreviate the command name as
4989 @kindex reverse-search
4990 @item reverse-search @var{regexp}
4991 The command @samp{reverse-search @var{regexp}} checks each line, starting
4992 with the one before the last line listed and going backward, for a match
4993 for @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can abbreviate
4994 this command as @code{rev}.
4998 @section Specifying source directories
5001 @cindex directories for source files
5002 Executable programs sometimes do not record the directories of the source
5003 files from which they were compiled, just the names. Even when they do,
5004 the directories could be moved between the compilation and your debugging
5005 session. @value{GDBN} has a list of directories to search for source files;
5006 this is called the @dfn{source path}. Each time @value{GDBN} wants a source file,
5007 it tries all the directories in the list, in the order they are present
5008 in the list, until it finds a file with the desired name.
5010 For example, suppose an executable references the file
5011 @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}, and our source path is
5012 @file{/mnt/cross}. The file is first looked up literally; if this
5013 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} is tried; if this
5014 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/foo.c} is opened; if this fails, an error
5015 message is printed. @value{GDBN} does not look up the parts of the
5016 source file name, such as @file{/mnt/cross/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}.
5017 Likewise, the subdirectories of the source path are not searched: if
5018 the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the binary refers to
5019 @file{foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would not find it under
5020 @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib}.
5022 Plain file names, relative file names with leading directories, file
5023 names containing dots, etc.@: are all treated as described above; for
5024 instance, if the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the source file
5025 is recorded as @file{../lib/foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would first try
5026 @file{../lib/foo.c}, then @file{/mnt/cross/../lib/foo.c}, and after
5027 that---@file{/mnt/cross/foo.c}.
5029 Note that the executable search path is @emph{not} used to locate the
5032 Whenever you reset or rearrange the source path, @value{GDBN} clears out
5033 any information it has cached about where source files are found and where
5034 each line is in the file.
5038 When you start @value{GDBN}, its source path includes only @samp{cdir}
5039 and @samp{cwd}, in that order.
5040 To add other directories, use the @code{directory} command.
5042 The search path is used to find both program source files and @value{GDBN}
5043 script files (read using the @samp{-command} option and @samp{source} command).
5045 In addition to the source path, @value{GDBN} provides a set of commands
5046 that manage a list of source path substitution rules. A @dfn{substitution
5047 rule} specifies how to rewrite source directories stored in the program's
5048 debug information in case the sources were moved to a different
5049 directory between compilation and debugging. A rule is made of
5050 two strings, the first specifying what needs to be rewritten in
5051 the path, and the second specifying how it should be rewritten.
5052 In @ref{set substitute-path}, we name these two parts @var{from} and
5053 @var{to} respectively. @value{GDBN} does a simple string replacement
5054 of @var{from} with @var{to} at the start of the directory part of the
5055 source file name, and uses that result instead of the original file
5056 name to look up the sources.
5058 Using the previous example, suppose the @file{foo-1.0} tree has been
5059 moved from @file{/usr/src} to @file{/mnt/cross}, then you can tell
5060 GDB to replace @file{/usr/src} in all source path names with
5061 @file{/mnt/cross}. The first lookup will then be
5062 @file{/mnt/cross/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} in place of the original location
5063 of @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}. To define a source path
5064 substitution rule, use the @code{set substitute-path} command
5065 (@pxref{set substitute-path}).
5067 To avoid unexpected substitution results, a rule is applied only if the
5068 @var{from} part of the directory name ends at a directory separator.
5069 For instance, a rule substituting @file{/usr/source} into
5070 @file{/mnt/cross} will be applied to @file{/usr/source/foo-1.0} but
5071 not to @file{/usr/sourceware/foo-2.0}. And because the substitution
5072 is applied only at the begining of the directory name, this rule will
5073 not be applied to @file{/root/usr/source/baz.c} either.
5075 In many cases, you can achieve the same result using the @code{directory}
5076 command. However, @code{set substitute-path} can be more efficient in
5077 the case where the sources are organized in a complex tree with multiple
5078 subdirectories. With the @code{directory} command, you need to add each
5079 subdirectory of your project. If you moved the entire tree while
5080 preserving its internal organization, then @code{set substitute-path}
5081 allows you to direct the debugger to all the sources with one single
5084 @code{set substitute-path} is also more than just a shortcut command.
5085 The source path is only used if the file at the original location no
5086 longer exists. On the other hand, @code{set substitute-path} modifies
5087 the debugger behavior to look at the rewritten location instead. So, if
5088 for any reason a source file that is not relevant to your executable is
5089 located at the original location, a substitution rule is the only
5090 method available to point GDB at the new location.
5093 @item directory @var{dirname} @dots{}
5094 @item dir @var{dirname} @dots{}
5095 Add directory @var{dirname} to the front of the source path. Several
5096 directory names may be given to this command, separated by @samp{:}
5097 (@samp{;} on MS-DOS and MS-Windows, where @samp{:} usually appears as
5098 part of absolute file names) or
5099 whitespace. You may specify a directory that is already in the source
5100 path; this moves it forward, so @value{GDBN} searches it sooner.
5104 @vindex $cdir@r{, convenience variable}
5105 @vindex $cwdr@r{, convenience variable}
5106 @cindex compilation directory
5107 @cindex current directory
5108 @cindex working directory
5109 @cindex directory, current
5110 @cindex directory, compilation
5111 You can use the string @samp{$cdir} to refer to the compilation
5112 directory (if one is recorded), and @samp{$cwd} to refer to the current
5113 working directory. @samp{$cwd} is not the same as @samp{.}---the former
5114 tracks the current working directory as it changes during your @value{GDBN}
5115 session, while the latter is immediately expanded to the current
5116 directory at the time you add an entry to the source path.
5119 Reset the source path to its default value (@samp{$cdir:$cwd} on Unix systems). This requires confirmation.
5121 @c RET-repeat for @code{directory} is explicitly disabled, but since
5122 @c repeating it would be a no-op we do not say that. (thanks to RMS)
5124 @item show directories
5125 @kindex show directories
5126 Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
5128 @anchor{set substitute-path}
5129 @item set substitute-path @var{from} @var{to}
5130 @kindex set substitute-path
5131 Define a source path substitution rule, and add it at the end of the
5132 current list of existing substitution rules. If a rule with the same
5133 @var{from} was already defined, then the old rule is also deleted.
5135 For example, if the file @file{/foo/bar/baz.c} was moved to
5136 @file{/mnt/cross/baz.c}, then the command
5139 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/cross
5143 will tell @value{GDBN} to replace @samp{/usr/src} with
5144 @samp{/mnt/cross}, which will allow @value{GDBN} to find the file
5145 @file{baz.c} even though it was moved.
5147 In the case when more than one substitution rule have been defined,
5148 the rules are evaluated one by one in the order where they have been
5149 defined. The first one matching, if any, is selected to perform
5152 For instance, if we had entered the following commands:
5155 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src/include /mnt/include
5156 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/src
5160 @value{GDBN} would then rewrite @file{/usr/src/include/defs.h} into
5161 @file{/mnt/include/defs.h} by using the first rule. However, it would
5162 use the second rule to rewrite @file{/usr/src/lib/foo.c} into
5163 @file{/mnt/src/lib/foo.c}.
5166 @item unset substitute-path [path]
5167 @kindex unset substitute-path
5168 If a path is specified, search the current list of substitution rules
5169 for a rule that would rewrite that path. Delete that rule if found.
5170 A warning is emitted by the debugger if no rule could be found.
5172 If no path is specified, then all substitution rules are deleted.
5174 @item show substitute-path [path]
5175 @kindex show substitute-path
5176 If a path is specified, then print the source path substitution rule
5177 which would rewrite that path, if any.
5179 If no path is specified, then print all existing source path substitution
5184 If your source path is cluttered with directories that are no longer of
5185 interest, @value{GDBN} may sometimes cause confusion by finding the wrong
5186 versions of source. You can correct the situation as follows:
5190 Use @code{directory} with no argument to reset the source path to its default value.
5193 Use @code{directory} with suitable arguments to reinstall the
5194 directories you want in the source path. You can add all the
5195 directories in one command.
5199 @section Source and machine code
5200 @cindex source line and its code address
5202 You can use the command @code{info line} to map source lines to program
5203 addresses (and vice versa), and the command @code{disassemble} to display
5204 a range of addresses as machine instructions. When run under @sc{gnu} Emacs
5205 mode, the @code{info line} command causes the arrow to point to the
5206 line specified. Also, @code{info line} prints addresses in symbolic form as
5211 @item info line @var{linespec}
5212 Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for
5213 source line @var{linespec}. You can specify source lines in any of
5214 the ways understood by the @code{list} command (@pxref{List, ,Printing
5218 For example, we can use @code{info line} to discover the location of
5219 the object code for the first line of function
5220 @code{m4_changequote}:
5222 @c FIXME: I think this example should also show the addresses in
5223 @c symbolic form, as they usually would be displayed.
5225 (@value{GDBP}) info line m4_changequote
5226 Line 895 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x634c and ends at 0x6350.
5230 @cindex code address and its source line
5231 We can also inquire (using @code{*@var{addr}} as the form for
5232 @var{linespec}) what source line covers a particular address:
5234 (@value{GDBP}) info line *0x63ff
5235 Line 926 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x63e4 and ends at 0x6404.
5238 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info line}
5239 @cindex @code{x} command, default address
5240 @kindex x@r{(examine), and} info line
5241 After @code{info line}, the default address for the @code{x} command
5242 is changed to the starting address of the line, so that @samp{x/i} is
5243 sufficient to begin examining the machine code (@pxref{Memory,
5244 ,Examining memory}). Also, this address is saved as the value of the
5245 convenience variable @code{$_} (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
5250 @cindex assembly instructions
5251 @cindex instructions, assembly
5252 @cindex machine instructions
5253 @cindex listing machine instructions
5255 This specialized command dumps a range of memory as machine
5256 instructions. The default memory range is the function surrounding the
5257 program counter of the selected frame. A single argument to this
5258 command is a program counter value; @value{GDBN} dumps the function
5259 surrounding this value. Two arguments specify a range of addresses
5260 (first inclusive, second exclusive) to dump.
5263 The following example shows the disassembly of a range of addresses of
5264 HP PA-RISC 2.0 code:
5267 (@value{GDBP}) disas 0x32c4 0x32e4
5268 Dump of assembler code from 0x32c4 to 0x32e4:
5269 0x32c4 <main+204>: addil 0,dp
5270 0x32c8 <main+208>: ldw 0x22c(sr0,r1),r26
5271 0x32cc <main+212>: ldil 0x3000,r31
5272 0x32d0 <main+216>: ble 0x3f8(sr4,r31)
5273 0x32d4 <main+220>: ldo 0(r31),rp
5274 0x32d8 <main+224>: addil -0x800,dp
5275 0x32dc <main+228>: ldo 0x588(r1),r26
5276 0x32e0 <main+232>: ldil 0x3000,r31
5277 End of assembler dump.
5280 Some architectures have more than one commonly-used set of instruction
5281 mnemonics or other syntax.
5283 For programs that were dynamically linked and use shared libraries,
5284 instructions that call functions or branch to locations in the shared
5285 libraries might show a seemingly bogus location---it's actually a
5286 location of the relocation table. On some architectures, @value{GDBN}
5287 might be able to resolve these to actual function names.
5290 @kindex set disassembly-flavor
5291 @cindex Intel disassembly flavor
5292 @cindex AT&T disassembly flavor
5293 @item set disassembly-flavor @var{instruction-set}
5294 Select the instruction set to use when disassembling the
5295 program via the @code{disassemble} or @code{x/i} commands.
5297 Currently this command is only defined for the Intel x86 family. You
5298 can set @var{instruction-set} to either @code{intel} or @code{att}.
5299 The default is @code{att}, the AT&T flavor used by default by Unix
5300 assemblers for x86-based targets.
5302 @kindex show disassembly-flavor
5303 @item show disassembly-flavor
5304 Show the current setting of the disassembly flavor.
5309 @chapter Examining Data
5311 @cindex printing data
5312 @cindex examining data
5315 @c "inspect" is not quite a synonym if you are using Epoch, which we do not
5316 @c document because it is nonstandard... Under Epoch it displays in a
5317 @c different window or something like that.
5318 The usual way to examine data in your program is with the @code{print}
5319 command (abbreviated @code{p}), or its synonym @code{inspect}. It
5320 evaluates and prints the value of an expression of the language your
5321 program is written in (@pxref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with
5322 Different Languages}).
5325 @item print @var{expr}
5326 @itemx print /@var{f} @var{expr}
5327 @var{expr} is an expression (in the source language). By default the
5328 value of @var{expr} is printed in a format appropriate to its data type;
5329 you can choose a different format by specifying @samp{/@var{f}}, where
5330 @var{f} is a letter specifying the format; see @ref{Output Formats,,Output
5334 @itemx print /@var{f}
5335 @cindex reprint the last value
5336 If you omit @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} displays the last value again (from the
5337 @dfn{value history}; @pxref{Value History, ,Value history}). This allows you to
5338 conveniently inspect the same value in an alternative format.
5341 A more low-level way of examining data is with the @code{x} command.
5342 It examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
5343 specified format. @xref{Memory, ,Examining memory}.
5345 If you are interested in information about types, or about how the
5346 fields of a struct or a class are declared, use the @code{ptype @var{exp}}
5347 command rather than @code{print}. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol
5351 * Expressions:: Expressions
5352 * Variables:: Program variables
5353 * Arrays:: Artificial arrays
5354 * Output Formats:: Output formats
5355 * Memory:: Examining memory
5356 * Auto Display:: Automatic display
5357 * Print Settings:: Print settings
5358 * Value History:: Value history
5359 * Convenience Vars:: Convenience variables
5360 * Registers:: Registers
5361 * Floating Point Hardware:: Floating point hardware
5362 * Vector Unit:: Vector Unit
5363 * OS Information:: Auxiliary data provided by operating system
5364 * Memory Region Attributes:: Memory region attributes
5365 * Dump/Restore Files:: Copy between memory and a file
5366 * Core File Generation:: Cause a program dump its core
5367 * Character Sets:: Debugging programs that use a different
5368 character set than GDB does
5369 * Caching Remote Data:: Data caching for remote targets
5373 @section Expressions
5376 @code{print} and many other @value{GDBN} commands accept an expression and
5377 compute its value. Any kind of constant, variable or operator defined
5378 by the programming language you are using is valid in an expression in
5379 @value{GDBN}. This includes conditional expressions, function calls,
5380 casts, and string constants. It also includes preprocessor macros, if
5381 you compiled your program to include this information; see
5384 @cindex arrays in expressions
5385 @value{GDBN} supports array constants in expressions input by
5386 the user. The syntax is @{@var{element}, @var{element}@dots{}@}. For example,
5387 you can use the command @code{print @{1, 2, 3@}} to build up an array in
5388 memory that is @code{malloc}ed in the target program.
5390 Because C is so widespread, most of the expressions shown in examples in
5391 this manual are in C. @xref{Languages, , Using @value{GDBN} with Different
5392 Languages}, for information on how to use expressions in other
5395 In this section, we discuss operators that you can use in @value{GDBN}
5396 expressions regardless of your programming language.
5398 @cindex casts, in expressions
5399 Casts are supported in all languages, not just in C, because it is so
5400 useful to cast a number into a pointer in order to examine a structure
5401 at that address in memory.
5402 @c FIXME: casts supported---Mod2 true?
5404 @value{GDBN} supports these operators, in addition to those common
5405 to programming languages:
5409 @samp{@@} is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays.
5410 @xref{Arrays, ,Artificial arrays}, for more information.
5413 @samp{::} allows you to specify a variable in terms of the file or
5414 function where it is defined. @xref{Variables, ,Program variables}.
5416 @cindex @{@var{type}@}
5417 @cindex type casting memory
5418 @cindex memory, viewing as typed object
5419 @cindex casts, to view memory
5420 @item @{@var{type}@} @var{addr}
5421 Refers to an object of type @var{type} stored at address @var{addr} in
5422 memory. @var{addr} may be any expression whose value is an integer or
5423 pointer (but parentheses are required around binary operators, just as in
5424 a cast). This construct is allowed regardless of what kind of data is
5425 normally supposed to reside at @var{addr}.
5429 @section Program variables
5431 The most common kind of expression to use is the name of a variable
5434 Variables in expressions are understood in the selected stack frame
5435 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a frame}); they must be either:
5439 global (or file-static)
5446 visible according to the scope rules of the
5447 programming language from the point of execution in that frame
5450 @noindent This means that in the function
5465 you can examine and use the variable @code{a} whenever your program is
5466 executing within the function @code{foo}, but you can only use or
5467 examine the variable @code{b} while your program is executing inside
5468 the block where @code{b} is declared.
5470 @cindex variable name conflict
5471 There is an exception: you can refer to a variable or function whose
5472 scope is a single source file even if the current execution point is not
5473 in this file. But it is possible to have more than one such variable or
5474 function with the same name (in different source files). If that
5475 happens, referring to that name has unpredictable effects. If you wish,
5476 you can specify a static variable in a particular function or file,
5477 using the colon-colon (@code{::}) notation:
5479 @cindex colon-colon, context for variables/functions
5481 @c info cannot cope with a :: index entry, but why deprive hard copy readers?
5482 @cindex @code{::}, context for variables/functions
5485 @var{file}::@var{variable}
5486 @var{function}::@var{variable}
5490 Here @var{file} or @var{function} is the name of the context for the
5491 static @var{variable}. In the case of file names, you can use quotes to
5492 make sure @value{GDBN} parses the file name as a single word---for example,
5493 to print a global value of @code{x} defined in @file{f2.c}:
5496 (@value{GDBP}) p 'f2.c'::x
5499 @cindex C@t{++} scope resolution
5500 This use of @samp{::} is very rarely in conflict with the very similar
5501 use of the same notation in C@t{++}. @value{GDBN} also supports use of the C@t{++}
5502 scope resolution operator in @value{GDBN} expressions.
5503 @c FIXME: Um, so what happens in one of those rare cases where it's in
5506 @cindex wrong values
5507 @cindex variable values, wrong
5508 @cindex function entry/exit, wrong values of variables
5509 @cindex optimized code, wrong values of variables
5511 @emph{Warning:} Occasionally, a local variable may appear to have the
5512 wrong value at certain points in a function---just after entry to a new
5513 scope, and just before exit.
5515 You may see this problem when you are stepping by machine instructions.
5516 This is because, on most machines, it takes more than one instruction to
5517 set up a stack frame (including local variable definitions); if you are
5518 stepping by machine instructions, variables may appear to have the wrong
5519 values until the stack frame is completely built. On exit, it usually
5520 also takes more than one machine instruction to destroy a stack frame;
5521 after you begin stepping through that group of instructions, local
5522 variable definitions may be gone.
5524 This may also happen when the compiler does significant optimizations.
5525 To be sure of always seeing accurate values, turn off all optimization
5528 @cindex ``No symbol "foo" in current context''
5529 Another possible effect of compiler optimizations is to optimize
5530 unused variables out of existence, or assign variables to registers (as
5531 opposed to memory addresses). Depending on the support for such cases
5532 offered by the debug info format used by the compiler, @value{GDBN}
5533 might not be able to display values for such local variables. If that
5534 happens, @value{GDBN} will print a message like this:
5537 No symbol "foo" in current context.
5540 To solve such problems, either recompile without optimizations, or use a
5541 different debug info format, if the compiler supports several such
5542 formats. For example, @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler,
5543 usually supports the @option{-gstabs+} option. @option{-gstabs+}
5544 produces debug info in a format that is superior to formats such as
5545 COFF. You may be able to use DWARF 2 (@option{-gdwarf-2}), which is also
5546 an effective form for debug info. @xref{Debugging Options,,Options
5547 for Debugging Your Program or @sc{gnu} CC, gcc.info, Using @sc{gnu} CC}.
5548 @xref{C, , Debugging C++}, for more info about debug info formats
5549 that are best suited to C@t{++} programs.
5551 If you ask to print an object whose contents are unknown to
5552 @value{GDBN}, e.g., because its data type is not completely specified
5553 by the debug information, @value{GDBN} will say @samp{<incomplete
5554 type>}. @xref{Symbols, incomplete type}, for more about this.
5557 @section Artificial arrays
5559 @cindex artificial array
5561 @kindex @@@r{, referencing memory as an array}
5562 It is often useful to print out several successive objects of the
5563 same type in memory; a section of an array, or an array of
5564 dynamically determined size for which only a pointer exists in the
5567 You can do this by referring to a contiguous span of memory as an
5568 @dfn{artificial array}, using the binary operator @samp{@@}. The left
5569 operand of @samp{@@} should be the first element of the desired array
5570 and be an individual object. The right operand should be the desired length
5571 of the array. The result is an array value whose elements are all of
5572 the type of the left argument. The first element is actually the left
5573 argument; the second element comes from bytes of memory immediately
5574 following those that hold the first element, and so on. Here is an
5575 example. If a program says
5578 int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
5582 you can print the contents of @code{array} with
5588 The left operand of @samp{@@} must reside in memory. Array values made
5589 with @samp{@@} in this way behave just like other arrays in terms of
5590 subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
5591 Artificial arrays most often appear in expressions via the value history
5592 (@pxref{Value History, ,Value history}), after printing one out.
5594 Another way to create an artificial array is to use a cast.
5595 This re-interprets a value as if it were an array.
5596 The value need not be in memory:
5598 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[2])0x12345678
5599 $1 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
5602 As a convenience, if you leave the array length out (as in
5603 @samp{(@var{type}[])@var{value}}) @value{GDBN} calculates the size to fill
5604 the value (as @samp{sizeof(@var{value})/sizeof(@var{type})}:
5606 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[])0x12345678
5607 $2 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
5610 Sometimes the artificial array mechanism is not quite enough; in
5611 moderately complex data structures, the elements of interest may not
5612 actually be adjacent---for example, if you are interested in the values
5613 of pointers in an array. One useful work-around in this situation is
5614 to use a convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
5615 variables}) as a counter in an expression that prints the first
5616 interesting value, and then repeat that expression via @key{RET}. For
5617 instance, suppose you have an array @code{dtab} of pointers to
5618 structures, and you are interested in the values of a field @code{fv}
5619 in each structure. Here is an example of what you might type:
5629 @node Output Formats
5630 @section Output formats
5632 @cindex formatted output
5633 @cindex output formats
5634 By default, @value{GDBN} prints a value according to its data type. Sometimes
5635 this is not what you want. For example, you might want to print a number
5636 in hex, or a pointer in decimal. Or you might want to view data in memory
5637 at a certain address as a character string or as an instruction. To do
5638 these things, specify an @dfn{output format} when you print a value.
5640 The simplest use of output formats is to say how to print a value
5641 already computed. This is done by starting the arguments of the
5642 @code{print} command with a slash and a format letter. The format
5643 letters supported are:
5647 Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer in
5651 Print as integer in signed decimal.
5654 Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
5657 Print as integer in octal.
5660 Print as integer in binary. The letter @samp{t} stands for ``two''.
5661 @footnote{@samp{b} cannot be used because these format letters are also
5662 used with the @code{x} command, where @samp{b} stands for ``byte'';
5663 see @ref{Memory,,Examining memory}.}
5666 @cindex unknown address, locating
5667 @cindex locate address
5668 Print as an address, both absolute in hexadecimal and as an offset from
5669 the nearest preceding symbol. You can use this format used to discover
5670 where (in what function) an unknown address is located:
5673 (@value{GDBP}) p/a 0x54320
5674 $3 = 0x54320 <_initialize_vx+396>
5678 The command @code{info symbol 0x54320} yields similar results.
5679 @xref{Symbols, info symbol}.
5682 Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant. This
5683 prints both the numerical value and its character representation. The
5684 character representation is replaced with the octal escape @samp{\nnn}
5685 for characters outside the 7-bit @sc{ascii} range.
5688 Regard the bits of the value as a floating point number and print
5689 using typical floating point syntax.
5692 For example, to print the program counter in hex (@pxref{Registers}), type
5699 Note that no space is required before the slash; this is because command
5700 names in @value{GDBN} cannot contain a slash.
5702 To reprint the last value in the value history with a different format,
5703 you can use the @code{print} command with just a format and no
5704 expression. For example, @samp{p/x} reprints the last value in hex.
5707 @section Examining memory
5709 You can use the command @code{x} (for ``examine'') to examine memory in
5710 any of several formats, independently of your program's data types.
5712 @cindex examining memory
5714 @kindex x @r{(examine memory)}
5715 @item x/@var{nfu} @var{addr}
5718 Use the @code{x} command to examine memory.
5721 @var{n}, @var{f}, and @var{u} are all optional parameters that specify how
5722 much memory to display and how to format it; @var{addr} is an
5723 expression giving the address where you want to start displaying memory.
5724 If you use defaults for @var{nfu}, you need not type the slash @samp{/}.
5725 Several commands set convenient defaults for @var{addr}.
5728 @item @var{n}, the repeat count
5729 The repeat count is a decimal integer; the default is 1. It specifies
5730 how much memory (counting by units @var{u}) to display.
5731 @c This really is **decimal**; unaffected by 'set radix' as of GDB
5734 @item @var{f}, the display format
5735 The display format is one of the formats used by @code{print}
5736 (@samp{x}, @samp{d}, @samp{u}, @samp{o}, @samp{t}, @samp{a}, @samp{c},
5737 @samp{f}), and in addition @samp{s} (for null-terminated strings) and
5738 @samp{i} (for machine instructions). The default is @samp{x}
5739 (hexadecimal) initially. The default changes each time you use either
5740 @code{x} or @code{print}.
5742 @item @var{u}, the unit size
5743 The unit size is any of
5749 Halfwords (two bytes).
5751 Words (four bytes). This is the initial default.
5753 Giant words (eight bytes).
5756 Each time you specify a unit size with @code{x}, that size becomes the
5757 default unit the next time you use @code{x}. (For the @samp{s} and
5758 @samp{i} formats, the unit size is ignored and is normally not written.)
5760 @item @var{addr}, starting display address
5761 @var{addr} is the address where you want @value{GDBN} to begin displaying
5762 memory. The expression need not have a pointer value (though it may);
5763 it is always interpreted as an integer address of a byte of memory.
5764 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information on expressions. The default for
5765 @var{addr} is usually just after the last address examined---but several
5766 other commands also set the default address: @code{info breakpoints} (to
5767 the address of the last breakpoint listed), @code{info line} (to the
5768 starting address of a line), and @code{print} (if you use it to display
5769 a value from memory).
5772 For example, @samp{x/3uh 0x54320} is a request to display three halfwords
5773 (@code{h}) of memory, formatted as unsigned decimal integers (@samp{u}),
5774 starting at address @code{0x54320}. @samp{x/4xw $sp} prints the four
5775 words (@samp{w}) of memory above the stack pointer (here, @samp{$sp};
5776 @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}) in hexadecimal (@samp{x}).
5778 Since the letters indicating unit sizes are all distinct from the
5779 letters specifying output formats, you do not have to remember whether
5780 unit size or format comes first; either order works. The output
5781 specifications @samp{4xw} and @samp{4wx} mean exactly the same thing.
5782 (However, the count @var{n} must come first; @samp{wx4} does not work.)
5784 Even though the unit size @var{u} is ignored for the formats @samp{s}
5785 and @samp{i}, you might still want to use a count @var{n}; for example,
5786 @samp{3i} specifies that you want to see three machine instructions,
5787 including any operands. The command @code{disassemble} gives an
5788 alternative way of inspecting machine instructions; see @ref{Machine
5789 Code,,Source and machine code}.
5791 All the defaults for the arguments to @code{x} are designed to make it
5792 easy to continue scanning memory with minimal specifications each time
5793 you use @code{x}. For example, after you have inspected three machine
5794 instructions with @samp{x/3i @var{addr}}, you can inspect the next seven
5795 with just @samp{x/7}. If you use @key{RET} to repeat the @code{x} command,
5796 the repeat count @var{n} is used again; the other arguments default as
5797 for successive uses of @code{x}.
5799 @cindex @code{$_}, @code{$__}, and value history
5800 The addresses and contents printed by the @code{x} command are not saved
5801 in the value history because there is often too much of them and they
5802 would get in the way. Instead, @value{GDBN} makes these values available for
5803 subsequent use in expressions as values of the convenience variables
5804 @code{$_} and @code{$__}. After an @code{x} command, the last address
5805 examined is available for use in expressions in the convenience variable
5806 @code{$_}. The contents of that address, as examined, are available in
5807 the convenience variable @code{$__}.
5809 If the @code{x} command has a repeat count, the address and contents saved
5810 are from the last memory unit printed; this is not the same as the last
5811 address printed if several units were printed on the last line of output.
5813 @cindex remote memory comparison
5814 @cindex verify remote memory image
5815 When you are debugging a program running on a remote target machine
5816 (@pxref{Remote}), you may wish to verify the program's image in the
5817 remote machine's memory against the executable file you downloaded to
5818 the target. The @code{compare-sections} command is provided for such
5822 @kindex compare-sections
5823 @item compare-sections @r{[}@var{section-name}@r{]}
5824 Compare the data of a loadable section @var{section-name} in the
5825 executable file of the program being debugged with the same section in
5826 the remote machine's memory, and report any mismatches. With no
5827 arguments, compares all loadable sections. This command's
5828 availability depends on the target's support for the @code{"qCRC"}
5833 @section Automatic display
5834 @cindex automatic display
5835 @cindex display of expressions
5837 If you find that you want to print the value of an expression frequently
5838 (to see how it changes), you might want to add it to the @dfn{automatic
5839 display list} so that @value{GDBN} prints its value each time your program stops.
5840 Each expression added to the list is given a number to identify it;
5841 to remove an expression from the list, you specify that number.
5842 The automatic display looks like this:
5846 3: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
5850 This display shows item numbers, expressions and their current values. As with
5851 displays you request manually using @code{x} or @code{print}, you can
5852 specify the output format you prefer; in fact, @code{display} decides
5853 whether to use @code{print} or @code{x} depending on how elaborate your
5854 format specification is---it uses @code{x} if you specify a unit size,
5855 or one of the two formats (@samp{i} and @samp{s}) that are only
5856 supported by @code{x}; otherwise it uses @code{print}.
5860 @item display @var{expr}
5861 Add the expression @var{expr} to the list of expressions to display
5862 each time your program stops. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
5864 @code{display} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
5866 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{expr}
5867 For @var{fmt} specifying only a display format and not a size or
5868 count, add the expression @var{expr} to the auto-display list but
5869 arrange to display it each time in the specified format @var{fmt}.
5870 @xref{Output Formats,,Output formats}.
5872 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{addr}
5873 For @var{fmt} @samp{i} or @samp{s}, or including a unit-size or a
5874 number of units, add the expression @var{addr} as a memory address to
5875 be examined each time your program stops. Examining means in effect
5876 doing @samp{x/@var{fmt} @var{addr}}. @xref{Memory, ,Examining memory}.
5879 For example, @samp{display/i $pc} can be helpful, to see the machine
5880 instruction about to be executed each time execution stops (@samp{$pc}
5881 is a common name for the program counter; @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
5884 @kindex delete display
5886 @item undisplay @var{dnums}@dots{}
5887 @itemx delete display @var{dnums}@dots{}
5888 Remove item numbers @var{dnums} from the list of expressions to display.
5890 @code{undisplay} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
5891 (Otherwise you would just get the error @samp{No display number @dots{}}.)
5893 @kindex disable display
5894 @item disable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
5895 Disable the display of item numbers @var{dnums}. A disabled display
5896 item is not printed automatically, but is not forgotten. It may be
5897 enabled again later.
5899 @kindex enable display
5900 @item enable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
5901 Enable display of item numbers @var{dnums}. It becomes effective once
5902 again in auto display of its expression, until you specify otherwise.
5905 Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as is
5906 done when your program stops.
5908 @kindex info display
5910 Print the list of expressions previously set up to display
5911 automatically, each one with its item number, but without showing the
5912 values. This includes disabled expressions, which are marked as such.
5913 It also includes expressions which would not be displayed right now
5914 because they refer to automatic variables not currently available.
5917 @cindex display disabled out of scope
5918 If a display expression refers to local variables, then it does not make
5919 sense outside the lexical context for which it was set up. Such an
5920 expression is disabled when execution enters a context where one of its
5921 variables is not defined. For example, if you give the command
5922 @code{display last_char} while inside a function with an argument
5923 @code{last_char}, @value{GDBN} displays this argument while your program
5924 continues to stop inside that function. When it stops elsewhere---where
5925 there is no variable @code{last_char}---the display is disabled
5926 automatically. The next time your program stops where @code{last_char}
5927 is meaningful, you can enable the display expression once again.
5929 @node Print Settings
5930 @section Print settings
5932 @cindex format options
5933 @cindex print settings
5934 @value{GDBN} provides the following ways to control how arrays, structures,
5935 and symbols are printed.
5938 These settings are useful for debugging programs in any language:
5942 @item set print address
5943 @itemx set print address on
5944 @cindex print/don't print memory addresses
5945 @value{GDBN} prints memory addresses showing the location of stack
5946 traces, structure values, pointer values, breakpoints, and so forth,
5947 even when it also displays the contents of those addresses. The default
5948 is @code{on}. For example, this is what a stack frame display looks like with
5949 @code{set print address on}:
5954 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<<", rq=0x34c88 ">>")
5956 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
5960 @item set print address off
5961 Do not print addresses when displaying their contents. For example,
5962 this is the same stack frame displayed with @code{set print address off}:
5966 (@value{GDBP}) set print addr off
5968 #0 set_quotes (lq="<<", rq=">>") at input.c:530
5969 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
5973 You can use @samp{set print address off} to eliminate all machine
5974 dependent displays from the @value{GDBN} interface. For example, with
5975 @code{print address off}, you should get the same text for backtraces on
5976 all machines---whether or not they involve pointer arguments.
5979 @item show print address
5980 Show whether or not addresses are to be printed.
5983 When @value{GDBN} prints a symbolic address, it normally prints the
5984 closest earlier symbol plus an offset. If that symbol does not uniquely
5985 identify the address (for example, it is a name whose scope is a single
5986 source file), you may need to clarify. One way to do this is with
5987 @code{info line}, for example @samp{info line *0x4537}. Alternately,
5988 you can set @value{GDBN} to print the source file and line number when
5989 it prints a symbolic address:
5992 @item set print symbol-filename on
5993 @cindex source file and line of a symbol
5994 @cindex symbol, source file and line
5995 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the source file name and line number of a
5996 symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
5998 @item set print symbol-filename off
5999 Do not print source file name and line number of a symbol. This is the
6002 @item show print symbol-filename
6003 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} will print the source file name and
6004 line number of a symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
6007 Another situation where it is helpful to show symbol filenames and line
6008 numbers is when disassembling code; @value{GDBN} shows you the line
6009 number and source file that corresponds to each instruction.
6011 Also, you may wish to see the symbolic form only if the address being
6012 printed is reasonably close to the closest earlier symbol:
6015 @item set print max-symbolic-offset @var{max-offset}
6016 @cindex maximum value for offset of closest symbol
6017 Tell @value{GDBN} to only display the symbolic form of an address if the
6018 offset between the closest earlier symbol and the address is less than
6019 @var{max-offset}. The default is 0, which tells @value{GDBN}
6020 to always print the symbolic form of an address if any symbol precedes it.
6022 @item show print max-symbolic-offset
6023 Ask how large the maximum offset is that @value{GDBN} prints in a
6027 @cindex wild pointer, interpreting
6028 @cindex pointer, finding referent
6029 If you have a pointer and you are not sure where it points, try
6030 @samp{set print symbol-filename on}. Then you can determine the name
6031 and source file location of the variable where it points, using
6032 @samp{p/a @var{pointer}}. This interprets the address in symbolic form.
6033 For example, here @value{GDBN} shows that a variable @code{ptt} points
6034 at another variable @code{t}, defined in @file{hi2.c}:
6037 (@value{GDBP}) set print symbol-filename on
6038 (@value{GDBP}) p/a ptt
6039 $4 = 0xe008 <t in hi2.c>
6043 @emph{Warning:} For pointers that point to a local variable, @samp{p/a}
6044 does not show the symbol name and filename of the referent, even with
6045 the appropriate @code{set print} options turned on.
6048 Other settings control how different kinds of objects are printed:
6051 @item set print array
6052 @itemx set print array on
6053 @cindex pretty print arrays
6054 Pretty print arrays. This format is more convenient to read,
6055 but uses more space. The default is off.
6057 @item set print array off
6058 Return to compressed format for arrays.
6060 @item show print array
6061 Show whether compressed or pretty format is selected for displaying
6064 @cindex print array indexes
6065 @item set print array-indexes
6066 @itemx set print array-indexes on
6067 Print the index of each element when displaying arrays. May be more
6068 convenient to locate a given element in the array or quickly find the
6069 index of a given element in that printed array. The default is off.
6071 @item set print array-indexes off
6072 Stop printing element indexes when displaying arrays.
6074 @item show print array-indexes
6075 Show whether the index of each element is printed when displaying
6078 @item set print elements @var{number-of-elements}
6079 @cindex number of array elements to print
6080 @cindex limit on number of printed array elements
6081 Set a limit on how many elements of an array @value{GDBN} will print.
6082 If @value{GDBN} is printing a large array, it stops printing after it has
6083 printed the number of elements set by the @code{set print elements} command.
6084 This limit also applies to the display of strings.
6085 When @value{GDBN} starts, this limit is set to 200.
6086 Setting @var{number-of-elements} to zero means that the printing is unlimited.
6088 @item show print elements
6089 Display the number of elements of a large array that @value{GDBN} will print.
6090 If the number is 0, then the printing is unlimited.
6092 @item set print repeats
6093 @cindex repeated array elements
6094 Set the threshold for suppressing display of repeated array
6095 elelments. When the number of consecutive identical elements of an
6096 array exceeds the threshold, @value{GDBN} prints the string
6097 @code{"<repeats @var{n} times>"}, where @var{n} is the number of
6098 identical repetitions, instead of displaying the identical elements
6099 themselves. Setting the threshold to zero will cause all elements to
6100 be individually printed. The default threshold is 10.
6102 @item show print repeats
6103 Display the current threshold for printing repeated identical
6106 @item set print null-stop
6107 @cindex @sc{null} elements in arrays
6108 Cause @value{GDBN} to stop printing the characters of an array when the first
6109 @sc{null} is encountered. This is useful when large arrays actually
6110 contain only short strings.
6113 @item show print null-stop
6114 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops printing an array on the first
6115 @sc{null} character.
6117 @item set print pretty on
6118 @cindex print structures in indented form
6119 @cindex indentation in structure display
6120 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in an indented format with one member
6121 per line, like this:
6136 @item set print pretty off
6137 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in a compact format, like this:
6141 $1 = @{next = 0x0, flags = @{sweet = 1, sour = 1@}, \
6142 meat = 0x54 "Pork"@}
6147 This is the default format.
6149 @item show print pretty
6150 Show which format @value{GDBN} is using to print structures.
6152 @item set print sevenbit-strings on
6153 @cindex eight-bit characters in strings
6154 @cindex octal escapes in strings
6155 Print using only seven-bit characters; if this option is set,
6156 @value{GDBN} displays any eight-bit characters (in strings or
6157 character values) using the notation @code{\}@var{nnn}. This setting is
6158 best if you are working in English (@sc{ascii}) and you use the
6159 high-order bit of characters as a marker or ``meta'' bit.
6161 @item set print sevenbit-strings off
6162 Print full eight-bit characters. This allows the use of more
6163 international character sets, and is the default.
6165 @item show print sevenbit-strings
6166 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} is printing only seven-bit characters.
6168 @item set print union on
6169 @cindex unions in structures, printing
6170 Tell @value{GDBN} to print unions which are contained in structures
6171 and other unions. This is the default setting.
6173 @item set print union off
6174 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print unions which are contained in
6175 structures and other unions. @value{GDBN} will print @code{"@{...@}"}
6178 @item show print union
6179 Ask @value{GDBN} whether or not it will print unions which are contained in
6180 structures and other unions.
6182 For example, given the declarations
6185 typedef enum @{Tree, Bug@} Species;
6186 typedef enum @{Big_tree, Acorn, Seedling@} Tree_forms;
6187 typedef enum @{Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly@}
6198 struct thing foo = @{Tree, @{Acorn@}@};
6202 with @code{set print union on} in effect @samp{p foo} would print
6205 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{tree = Acorn, bug = Cocoon@}@}
6209 and with @code{set print union off} in effect it would print
6212 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{...@}@}
6216 @code{set print union} affects programs written in C-like languages
6222 These settings are of interest when debugging C@t{++} programs:
6225 @cindex demangling C@t{++} names
6226 @item set print demangle
6227 @itemx set print demangle on
6228 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than in the encoded
6229 (``mangled'') form passed to the assembler and linker for type-safe
6230 linkage. The default is on.
6232 @item show print demangle
6233 Show whether C@t{++} names are printed in mangled or demangled form.
6235 @item set print asm-demangle
6236 @itemx set print asm-demangle on
6237 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than their mangled form, even
6238 in assembler code printouts such as instruction disassemblies.
6241 @item show print asm-demangle
6242 Show whether C@t{++} names in assembly listings are printed in mangled
6245 @cindex C@t{++} symbol decoding style
6246 @cindex symbol decoding style, C@t{++}
6247 @kindex set demangle-style
6248 @item set demangle-style @var{style}
6249 Choose among several encoding schemes used by different compilers to
6250 represent C@t{++} names. The choices for @var{style} are currently:
6254 Allow @value{GDBN} to choose a decoding style by inspecting your program.
6257 Decode based on the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler (@code{g++}) encoding algorithm.
6258 This is the default.
6261 Decode based on the HP ANSI C@t{++} (@code{aCC}) encoding algorithm.
6264 Decode based on the Lucid C@t{++} compiler (@code{lcc}) encoding algorithm.
6267 Decode using the algorithm in the @cite{C@t{++} Annotated Reference Manual}.
6268 @strong{Warning:} this setting alone is not sufficient to allow
6269 debugging @code{cfront}-generated executables. @value{GDBN} would
6270 require further enhancement to permit that.
6273 If you omit @var{style}, you will see a list of possible formats.
6275 @item show demangle-style
6276 Display the encoding style currently in use for decoding C@t{++} symbols.
6278 @item set print object
6279 @itemx set print object on
6280 @cindex derived type of an object, printing
6281 @cindex display derived types
6282 When displaying a pointer to an object, identify the @emph{actual}
6283 (derived) type of the object rather than the @emph{declared} type, using
6284 the virtual function table.
6286 @item set print object off
6287 Display only the declared type of objects, without reference to the
6288 virtual function table. This is the default setting.
6290 @item show print object
6291 Show whether actual, or declared, object types are displayed.
6293 @item set print static-members
6294 @itemx set print static-members on
6295 @cindex static members of C@t{++} objects
6296 Print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object. The default is on.
6298 @item set print static-members off
6299 Do not print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object.
6301 @item show print static-members
6302 Show whether C@t{++} static members are printed or not.
6304 @item set print pascal_static-members
6305 @itemx set print pascal_static-members on
6306 @cindex static members of Pacal objects
6307 @cindex Pacal objects, static members display
6308 Print static members when displaying a Pascal object. The default is on.
6310 @item set print pascal_static-members off
6311 Do not print static members when displaying a Pascal object.
6313 @item show print pascal_static-members
6314 Show whether Pascal static members are printed or not.
6316 @c These don't work with HP ANSI C++ yet.
6317 @item set print vtbl
6318 @itemx set print vtbl on
6319 @cindex pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables
6320 @cindex virtual functions (C@t{++}) display
6321 @cindex VTBL display
6322 Pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables. The default is off.
6323 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
6324 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
6326 @item set print vtbl off
6327 Do not pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables.
6329 @item show print vtbl
6330 Show whether C@t{++} virtual function tables are pretty printed, or not.
6334 @section Value history
6336 @cindex value history
6337 @cindex history of values printed by @value{GDBN}
6338 Values printed by the @code{print} command are saved in the @value{GDBN}
6339 @dfn{value history}. This allows you to refer to them in other expressions.
6340 Values are kept until the symbol table is re-read or discarded
6341 (for example with the @code{file} or @code{symbol-file} commands).
6342 When the symbol table changes, the value history is discarded,
6343 since the values may contain pointers back to the types defined in the
6348 @cindex history number
6349 The values printed are given @dfn{history numbers} by which you can
6350 refer to them. These are successive integers starting with one.
6351 @code{print} shows you the history number assigned to a value by
6352 printing @samp{$@var{num} = } before the value; here @var{num} is the
6355 To refer to any previous value, use @samp{$} followed by the value's
6356 history number. The way @code{print} labels its output is designed to
6357 remind you of this. Just @code{$} refers to the most recent value in
6358 the history, and @code{$$} refers to the value before that.
6359 @code{$$@var{n}} refers to the @var{n}th value from the end; @code{$$2}
6360 is the value just prior to @code{$$}, @code{$$1} is equivalent to
6361 @code{$$}, and @code{$$0} is equivalent to @code{$}.
6363 For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure and
6364 want to see the contents of the structure. It suffices to type
6370 If you have a chain of structures where the component @code{next} points
6371 to the next one, you can print the contents of the next one with this:
6378 You can print successive links in the chain by repeating this
6379 command---which you can do by just typing @key{RET}.
6381 Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value of
6382 @code{x} is 4 and you type these commands:
6390 then the value recorded in the value history by the @code{print} command
6391 remains 4 even though the value of @code{x} has changed.
6396 Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item numbers.
6397 This is like @samp{p@ $$9} repeated ten times, except that @code{show
6398 values} does not change the history.
6400 @item show values @var{n}
6401 Print ten history values centered on history item number @var{n}.
6404 Print ten history values just after the values last printed. If no more
6405 values are available, @code{show values +} produces no display.
6408 Pressing @key{RET} to repeat @code{show values @var{n}} has exactly the
6409 same effect as @samp{show values +}.
6411 @node Convenience Vars
6412 @section Convenience variables
6414 @cindex convenience variables
6415 @cindex user-defined variables
6416 @value{GDBN} provides @dfn{convenience variables} that you can use within
6417 @value{GDBN} to hold on to a value and refer to it later. These variables
6418 exist entirely within @value{GDBN}; they are not part of your program, and
6419 setting a convenience variable has no direct effect on further execution
6420 of your program. That is why you can use them freely.
6422 Convenience variables are prefixed with @samp{$}. Any name preceded by
6423 @samp{$} can be used for a convenience variable, unless it is one of
6424 the predefined machine-specific register names (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
6425 (Value history references, in contrast, are @emph{numbers} preceded
6426 by @samp{$}. @xref{Value History, ,Value history}.)
6428 You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment
6429 expression, just as you would set a variable in your program.
6433 set $foo = *object_ptr
6437 would save in @code{$foo} the value contained in the object pointed to by
6440 Using a convenience variable for the first time creates it, but its
6441 value is @code{void} until you assign a new value. You can alter the
6442 value with another assignment at any time.
6444 Convenience variables have no fixed types. You can assign a convenience
6445 variable any type of value, including structures and arrays, even if
6446 that variable already has a value of a different type. The convenience
6447 variable, when used as an expression, has the type of its current value.
6450 @kindex show convenience
6451 @cindex show all user variables
6452 @item show convenience
6453 Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their values.
6454 Abbreviated @code{show conv}.
6456 @kindex init-if-undefined
6457 @cindex convenience variables, initializing
6458 @item init-if-undefined $@var{variable} = @var{expression}
6459 Set a convenience variable if it has not already been set. This is useful
6460 for user-defined commands that keep some state. It is similar, in concept,
6461 to using local static variables with initializers in C (except that
6462 convenience variables are global). It can also be used to allow users to
6463 override default values used in a command script.
6465 If the variable is already defined then the expression is not evaluated so
6466 any side-effects do not occur.
6469 One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be
6470 incremented or a pointer to be advanced. For example, to print
6471 a field from successive elements of an array of structures:
6475 print bar[$i++]->contents
6479 Repeat that command by typing @key{RET}.
6481 Some convenience variables are created automatically by @value{GDBN} and given
6482 values likely to be useful.
6485 @vindex $_@r{, convenience variable}
6487 The variable @code{$_} is automatically set by the @code{x} command to
6488 the last address examined (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining memory}). Other
6489 commands which provide a default address for @code{x} to examine also
6490 set @code{$_} to that address; these commands include @code{info line}
6491 and @code{info breakpoint}. The type of @code{$_} is @code{void *}
6492 except when set by the @code{x} command, in which case it is a pointer
6493 to the type of @code{$__}.
6495 @vindex $__@r{, convenience variable}
6497 The variable @code{$__} is automatically set by the @code{x} command
6498 to the value found in the last address examined. Its type is chosen
6499 to match the format in which the data was printed.
6502 @vindex $_exitcode@r{, convenience variable}
6503 The variable @code{$_exitcode} is automatically set to the exit code when
6504 the program being debugged terminates.
6507 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
6508 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
6509 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
6515 You can refer to machine register contents, in expressions, as variables
6516 with names starting with @samp{$}. The names of registers are different
6517 for each machine; use @code{info registers} to see the names used on
6521 @kindex info registers
6522 @item info registers
6523 Print the names and values of all registers except floating-point
6524 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
6526 @kindex info all-registers
6527 @cindex floating point registers
6528 @item info all-registers
6529 Print the names and values of all registers, including floating-point
6530 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
6532 @item info registers @var{regname} @dots{}
6533 Print the @dfn{relativized} value of each specified register @var{regname}.
6534 As discussed in detail below, register values are normally relative to
6535 the selected stack frame. @var{regname} may be any register name valid on
6536 the machine you are using, with or without the initial @samp{$}.
6539 @cindex stack pointer register
6540 @cindex program counter register
6541 @cindex process status register
6542 @cindex frame pointer register
6543 @cindex standard registers
6544 @value{GDBN} has four ``standard'' register names that are available (in
6545 expressions) on most machines---whenever they do not conflict with an
6546 architecture's canonical mnemonics for registers. The register names
6547 @code{$pc} and @code{$sp} are used for the program counter register and
6548 the stack pointer. @code{$fp} is used for a register that contains a
6549 pointer to the current stack frame, and @code{$ps} is used for a
6550 register that contains the processor status. For example,
6551 you could print the program counter in hex with
6558 or print the instruction to be executed next with
6565 or add four to the stack pointer@footnote{This is a way of removing
6566 one word from the stack, on machines where stacks grow downward in
6567 memory (most machines, nowadays). This assumes that the innermost
6568 stack frame is selected; setting @code{$sp} is not allowed when other
6569 stack frames are selected. To pop entire frames off the stack,
6570 regardless of machine architecture, use @code{return};
6571 see @ref{Returning, ,Returning from a function}.} with
6577 Whenever possible, these four standard register names are available on
6578 your machine even though the machine has different canonical mnemonics,
6579 so long as there is no conflict. The @code{info registers} command
6580 shows the canonical names. For example, on the SPARC, @code{info
6581 registers} displays the processor status register as @code{$psr} but you
6582 can also refer to it as @code{$ps}; and on x86-based machines @code{$ps}
6583 is an alias for the @sc{eflags} register.
6585 @value{GDBN} always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an
6586 integer when the register is examined in this way. Some machines have
6587 special registers which can hold nothing but floating point; these
6588 registers are considered to have floating point values. There is no way
6589 to refer to the contents of an ordinary register as floating point value
6590 (although you can @emph{print} it as a floating point value with
6591 @samp{print/f $@var{regname}}).
6593 Some registers have distinct ``raw'' and ``virtual'' data formats. This
6594 means that the data format in which the register contents are saved by
6595 the operating system is not the same one that your program normally
6596 sees. For example, the registers of the 68881 floating point
6597 coprocessor are always saved in ``extended'' (raw) format, but all C
6598 programs expect to work with ``double'' (virtual) format. In such
6599 cases, @value{GDBN} normally works with the virtual format only (the format
6600 that makes sense for your program), but the @code{info registers} command
6601 prints the data in both formats.
6603 @cindex SSE registers (x86)
6604 @cindex MMX registers (x86)
6605 Some machines have special registers whose contents can be interpreted
6606 in several different ways. For example, modern x86-based machines
6607 have SSE and MMX registers that can hold several values packed
6608 together in several different formats. @value{GDBN} refers to such
6609 registers in @code{struct} notation:
6612 (@value{GDBP}) print $xmm1
6614 v4_float = @{0, 3.43859137e-038, 1.54142831e-044, 1.821688e-044@},
6615 v2_double = @{9.92129282474342e-303, 2.7585945287983262e-313@},
6616 v16_int8 = "\000\000\000\000\3706;\001\v\000\000\000\r\000\000",
6617 v8_int16 = @{0, 0, 14072, 315, 11, 0, 13, 0@},
6618 v4_int32 = @{0, 20657912, 11, 13@},
6619 v2_int64 = @{88725056443645952, 55834574859@},
6620 uint128 = 0x0000000d0000000b013b36f800000000
6625 To set values of such registers, you need to tell @value{GDBN} which
6626 view of the register you wish to change, as if you were assigning
6627 value to a @code{struct} member:
6630 (@value{GDBP}) set $xmm1.uint128 = 0x000000000000000000000000FFFFFFFF
6633 Normally, register values are relative to the selected stack frame
6634 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a frame}). This means that you get the
6635 value that the register would contain if all stack frames farther in
6636 were exited and their saved registers restored. In order to see the
6637 true contents of hardware registers, you must select the innermost
6638 frame (with @samp{frame 0}).
6640 However, @value{GDBN} must deduce where registers are saved, from the machine
6641 code generated by your compiler. If some registers are not saved, or if
6642 @value{GDBN} is unable to locate the saved registers, the selected stack
6643 frame makes no difference.
6645 @node Floating Point Hardware
6646 @section Floating point hardware
6647 @cindex floating point
6649 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give
6650 you more information about the status of the floating point hardware.
6655 Display hardware-dependent information about the floating
6656 point unit. The exact contents and layout vary depending on the
6657 floating point chip. Currently, @samp{info float} is supported on
6658 the ARM and x86 machines.
6662 @section Vector Unit
6665 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give you
6666 more information about the status of the vector unit.
6671 Display information about the vector unit. The exact contents and
6672 layout vary depending on the hardware.
6675 @node OS Information
6676 @section Operating system auxiliary information
6677 @cindex OS information
6679 @value{GDBN} provides interfaces to useful OS facilities that can help
6680 you debug your program.
6682 @cindex @code{ptrace} system call
6683 @cindex @code{struct user} contents
6684 When @value{GDBN} runs on a @dfn{Posix system} (such as GNU or Unix
6685 machines), it interfaces with the inferior via the @code{ptrace}
6686 system call. The operating system creates a special sata structure,
6687 called @code{struct user}, for this interface. You can use the
6688 command @code{info udot} to display the contents of this data
6694 Display the contents of the @code{struct user} maintained by the OS
6695 kernel for the program being debugged. @value{GDBN} displays the
6696 contents of @code{struct user} as a list of hex numbers, similar to
6697 the @code{examine} command.
6700 @cindex auxiliary vector
6701 @cindex vector, auxiliary
6702 Some operating systems supply an @dfn{auxiliary vector} to programs at
6703 startup. This is akin to the arguments and environment that you
6704 specify for a program, but contains a system-dependent variety of
6705 binary values that tell system libraries important details about the
6706 hardware, operating system, and process. Each value's purpose is
6707 identified by an integer tag; the meanings are well-known but system-specific.
6708 Depending on the configuration and operating system facilities,
6709 @value{GDBN} may be able to show you this information. For remote
6710 targets, this functionality may further depend on the remote stub's
6711 support of the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet, see @ref{Remote
6712 configuration, auxiliary vector}.
6717 Display the auxiliary vector of the inferior, which can be either a
6718 live process or a core dump file. @value{GDBN} prints each tag value
6719 numerically, and also shows names and text descriptions for recognized
6720 tags. Some values in the vector are numbers, some bit masks, and some
6721 pointers to strings or other data. @value{GDBN} displays each value in the
6722 most appropriate form for a recognized tag, and in hexadecimal for
6723 an unrecognized tag.
6727 @node Memory Region Attributes
6728 @section Memory region attributes
6729 @cindex memory region attributes
6731 @dfn{Memory region attributes} allow you to describe special handling
6732 required by regions of your target's memory. @value{GDBN} uses
6733 attributes to determine whether to allow certain types of memory
6734 accesses; whether to use specific width accesses; and whether to cache
6735 target memory. By default the description of memory regions is
6736 fetched from the target (if the current target supports this), but the
6737 user can override the fetched regions.
6739 Defined memory regions can be individually enabled and disabled. When a
6740 memory region is disabled, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when
6741 accessing memory in that region. Similarly, if no memory regions have
6742 been defined, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when accessing
6745 When a memory region is defined, it is given a number to identify it;
6746 to enable, disable, or remove a memory region, you specify that number.
6750 @item mem @var{lower} @var{upper} @var{attributes}@dots{}
6751 Define a memory region bounded by @var{lower} and @var{upper} with
6752 attributes @var{attributes}@dots{}, and add it to the list of regions
6753 monitored by @value{GDBN}. Note that @var{upper} == 0 is a special
6754 case: it is treated as the the target's maximum memory address.
6755 (0xffff on 16 bit targets, 0xffffffff on 32 bit targets, etc.)
6758 Discard any user changes to the memory regions and use target-supplied
6759 regions, if available, or no regions if the target does not support.
6762 @item delete mem @var{nums}@dots{}
6763 Remove memory regions @var{nums}@dots{} from the list of regions
6764 monitored by @value{GDBN}.
6767 @item disable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
6768 Disable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
6769 A disabled memory region is not forgotten.
6770 It may be enabled again later.
6773 @item enable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
6774 Enable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
6778 Print a table of all defined memory regions, with the following columns
6782 @item Memory Region Number
6783 @item Enabled or Disabled.
6784 Enabled memory regions are marked with @samp{y}.
6785 Disabled memory regions are marked with @samp{n}.
6788 The address defining the inclusive lower bound of the memory region.
6791 The address defining the exclusive upper bound of the memory region.
6794 The list of attributes set for this memory region.
6799 @subsection Attributes
6801 @subsubsection Memory Access Mode
6802 The access mode attributes set whether @value{GDBN} may make read or
6803 write accesses to a memory region.
6805 While these attributes prevent @value{GDBN} from performing invalid
6806 memory accesses, they do nothing to prevent the target system, I/O DMA,
6807 etc.@: from accessing memory.
6811 Memory is read only.
6813 Memory is write only.
6815 Memory is read/write. This is the default.
6818 @subsubsection Memory Access Size
6819 The acccess size attributes tells @value{GDBN} to use specific sized
6820 accesses in the memory region. Often memory mapped device registers
6821 require specific sized accesses. If no access size attribute is
6822 specified, @value{GDBN} may use accesses of any size.
6826 Use 8 bit memory accesses.
6828 Use 16 bit memory accesses.
6830 Use 32 bit memory accesses.
6832 Use 64 bit memory accesses.
6835 @c @subsubsection Hardware/Software Breakpoints
6836 @c The hardware/software breakpoint attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
6837 @c will use hardware or software breakpoints for the internal breakpoints
6838 @c used by the step, next, finish, until, etc. commands.
6842 @c Always use hardware breakpoints
6843 @c @item swbreak (default)
6846 @subsubsection Data Cache
6847 The data cache attributes set whether @value{GDBN} will cache target
6848 memory. While this generally improves performance by reducing debug
6849 protocol overhead, it can lead to incorrect results because @value{GDBN}
6850 does not know about volatile variables or memory mapped device
6855 Enable @value{GDBN} to cache target memory.
6857 Disable @value{GDBN} from caching target memory. This is the default.
6860 @c @subsubsection Memory Write Verification
6861 @c The memory write verification attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
6862 @c will re-reads data after each write to verify the write was successful.
6866 @c @item noverify (default)
6869 @node Dump/Restore Files
6870 @section Copy between memory and a file
6871 @cindex dump/restore files
6872 @cindex append data to a file
6873 @cindex dump data to a file
6874 @cindex restore data from a file
6876 You can use the commands @code{dump}, @code{append}, and
6877 @code{restore} to copy data between target memory and a file. The
6878 @code{dump} and @code{append} commands write data to a file, and the
6879 @code{restore} command reads data from a file back into the inferior's
6880 memory. Files may be in binary, Motorola S-record, Intel hex, or
6881 Tektronix Hex format; however, @value{GDBN} can only append to binary
6887 @item dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
6888 @itemx dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
6889 Dump the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
6890 or the value of @var{expr}, to @var{filename} in the given format.
6892 The @var{format} parameter may be any one of:
6899 Motorola S-record format.
6901 Tektronix Hex format.
6904 @value{GDBN} uses the same definitions of these formats as the
6905 @sc{gnu} binary utilities, like @samp{objdump} and @samp{objcopy}. If
6906 @var{format} is omitted, @value{GDBN} dumps the data in raw binary
6910 @item append @r{[}binary@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
6911 @itemx append @r{[}binary@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
6912 Append the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
6913 or the value of @var{expr}, to the file @var{filename}, in raw binary form.
6914 (@value{GDBN} can only append data to files in raw binary form.)
6917 @item restore @var{filename} @r{[}binary@r{]} @var{bias} @var{start} @var{end}
6918 Restore the contents of file @var{filename} into memory. The
6919 @code{restore} command can automatically recognize any known @sc{bfd}
6920 file format, except for raw binary. To restore a raw binary file you
6921 must specify the optional keyword @code{binary} after the filename.
6923 If @var{bias} is non-zero, its value will be added to the addresses
6924 contained in the file. Binary files always start at address zero, so
6925 they will be restored at address @var{bias}. Other bfd files have
6926 a built-in location; they will be restored at offset @var{bias}
6929 If @var{start} and/or @var{end} are non-zero, then only data between
6930 file offset @var{start} and file offset @var{end} will be restored.
6931 These offsets are relative to the addresses in the file, before
6932 the @var{bias} argument is applied.
6936 @node Core File Generation
6937 @section How to Produce a Core File from Your Program
6938 @cindex dump core from inferior
6940 A @dfn{core file} or @dfn{core dump} is a file that records the memory
6941 image of a running process and its process status (register values
6942 etc.). Its primary use is post-mortem debugging of a program that
6943 crashed while it ran outside a debugger. A program that crashes
6944 automatically produces a core file, unless this feature is disabled by
6945 the user. @xref{Files}, for information on invoking @value{GDBN} in
6946 the post-mortem debugging mode.
6948 Occasionally, you may wish to produce a core file of the program you
6949 are debugging in order to preserve a snapshot of its state.
6950 @value{GDBN} has a special command for that.
6954 @kindex generate-core-file
6955 @item generate-core-file [@var{file}]
6956 @itemx gcore [@var{file}]
6957 Produce a core dump of the inferior process. The optional argument
6958 @var{file} specifies the file name where to put the core dump. If not
6959 specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}}, where
6960 @var{pid} is the inferior process ID.
6962 Note that this command is implemented only for some systems (as of
6963 this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, Unixware, and S390).
6966 @node Character Sets
6967 @section Character Sets
6968 @cindex character sets
6970 @cindex translating between character sets
6971 @cindex host character set
6972 @cindex target character set
6974 If the program you are debugging uses a different character set to
6975 represent characters and strings than the one @value{GDBN} uses itself,
6976 @value{GDBN} can automatically translate between the character sets for
6977 you. The character set @value{GDBN} uses we call the @dfn{host
6978 character set}; the one the inferior program uses we call the
6979 @dfn{target character set}.
6981 For example, if you are running @value{GDBN} on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, which
6982 uses the ISO Latin 1 character set, but you are using @value{GDBN}'s
6983 remote protocol (@pxref{Remote,Remote Debugging}) to debug a program
6984 running on an IBM mainframe, which uses the @sc{ebcdic} character set,
6985 then the host character set is Latin-1, and the target character set is
6986 @sc{ebcdic}. If you give @value{GDBN} the command @code{set
6987 target-charset EBCDIC-US}, then @value{GDBN} translates between
6988 @sc{ebcdic} and Latin 1 as you print character or string values, or use
6989 character and string literals in expressions.
6991 @value{GDBN} has no way to automatically recognize which character set
6992 the inferior program uses; you must tell it, using the @code{set
6993 target-charset} command, described below.
6995 Here are the commands for controlling @value{GDBN}'s character set
6999 @item set target-charset @var{charset}
7000 @kindex set target-charset
7001 Set the current target character set to @var{charset}. We list the
7002 character set names @value{GDBN} recognizes below, but if you type
7003 @code{set target-charset} followed by @key{TAB}@key{TAB}, @value{GDBN} will
7004 list the target character sets it supports.
7008 @item set host-charset @var{charset}
7009 @kindex set host-charset
7010 Set the current host character set to @var{charset}.
7012 By default, @value{GDBN} uses a host character set appropriate to the
7013 system it is running on; you can override that default using the
7014 @code{set host-charset} command.
7016 @value{GDBN} can only use certain character sets as its host character
7017 set. We list the character set names @value{GDBN} recognizes below, and
7018 indicate which can be host character sets, but if you type
7019 @code{set target-charset} followed by @key{TAB}@key{TAB}, @value{GDBN} will
7020 list the host character sets it supports.
7022 @item set charset @var{charset}
7024 Set the current host and target character sets to @var{charset}. As
7025 above, if you type @code{set charset} followed by @key{TAB}@key{TAB},
7026 @value{GDBN} will list the name of the character sets that can be used
7027 for both host and target.
7031 @kindex show charset
7032 Show the names of the current host and target charsets.
7034 @itemx show host-charset
7035 @kindex show host-charset
7036 Show the name of the current host charset.
7038 @itemx show target-charset
7039 @kindex show target-charset
7040 Show the name of the current target charset.
7044 @value{GDBN} currently includes support for the following character
7050 @cindex ASCII character set
7051 Seven-bit U.S. @sc{ascii}. @value{GDBN} can use this as its host
7055 @cindex ISO 8859-1 character set
7056 @cindex ISO Latin 1 character set
7057 The ISO Latin 1 character set. This extends @sc{ascii} with accented
7058 characters needed for French, German, and Spanish. @value{GDBN} can use
7059 this as its host character set.
7063 @cindex EBCDIC character set
7064 @cindex IBM1047 character set
7065 Variants of the @sc{ebcdic} character set, used on some of IBM's
7066 mainframe operating systems. (@sc{gnu}/Linux on the S/390 uses U.S. @sc{ascii}.)
7067 @value{GDBN} cannot use these as its host character set.
7071 Note that these are all single-byte character sets. More work inside
7072 GDB is needed to support multi-byte or variable-width character
7073 encodings, like the UTF-8 and UCS-2 encodings of Unicode.
7075 Here is an example of @value{GDBN}'s character set support in action.
7076 Assume that the following source code has been placed in the file
7077 @file{charset-test.c}:
7083 = @{72, 101, 108, 108, 111, 44, 32, 119,
7084 111, 114, 108, 100, 33, 10, 0@};
7085 char ibm1047_hello[]
7086 = @{200, 133, 147, 147, 150, 107, 64, 166,
7087 150, 153, 147, 132, 90, 37, 0@};
7091 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
7095 In this program, @code{ascii_hello} and @code{ibm1047_hello} are arrays
7096 containing the string @samp{Hello, world!} followed by a newline,
7097 encoded in the @sc{ascii} and @sc{ibm1047} character sets.
7099 We compile the program, and invoke the debugger on it:
7102 $ gcc -g charset-test.c -o charset-test
7103 $ gdb -nw charset-test
7104 GNU gdb 2001-12-19-cvs
7105 Copyright 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
7110 We can use the @code{show charset} command to see what character sets
7111 @value{GDBN} is currently using to interpret and display characters and
7115 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
7116 The current host and target character set is `ISO-8859-1'.
7120 For the sake of printing this manual, let's use @sc{ascii} as our
7121 initial character set:
7123 (@value{GDBP}) set charset ASCII
7124 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
7125 The current host and target character set is `ASCII'.
7129 Let's assume that @sc{ascii} is indeed the correct character set for our
7130 host system --- in other words, let's assume that if @value{GDBN} prints
7131 characters using the @sc{ascii} character set, our terminal will display
7132 them properly. Since our current target character set is also
7133 @sc{ascii}, the contents of @code{ascii_hello} print legibly:
7136 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
7137 $1 = 0x401698 "Hello, world!\n"
7138 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
7143 @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and string
7144 literals you use in expressions:
7147 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
7152 The @sc{ascii} character set uses the number 43 to encode the @samp{+}
7155 @value{GDBN} relies on the user to tell it which character set the
7156 target program uses. If we print @code{ibm1047_hello} while our target
7157 character set is still @sc{ascii}, we get jibberish:
7160 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
7161 $4 = 0x4016a8 "\310\205\223\223\226k@@\246\226\231\223\204Z%"
7162 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
7167 If we invoke the @code{set target-charset} followed by @key{TAB}@key{TAB},
7168 @value{GDBN} tells us the character sets it supports:
7171 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
7172 ASCII EBCDIC-US IBM1047 ISO-8859-1
7173 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
7176 We can select @sc{ibm1047} as our target character set, and examine the
7177 program's strings again. Now the @sc{ascii} string is wrong, but
7178 @value{GDBN} translates the contents of @code{ibm1047_hello} from the
7179 target character set, @sc{ibm1047}, to the host character set,
7180 @sc{ascii}, and they display correctly:
7183 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset IBM1047
7184 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
7185 The current host character set is `ASCII'.
7186 The current target character set is `IBM1047'.
7187 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
7188 $6 = 0x401698 "\110\145%%?\054\040\167?\162%\144\041\012"
7189 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
7191 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
7192 $8 = 0x4016a8 "Hello, world!\n"
7193 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
7198 As above, @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and
7199 string literals you use in expressions:
7202 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
7207 The @sc{ibm1047} character set uses the number 78 to encode the @samp{+}
7210 @node Caching Remote Data
7211 @section Caching Data of Remote Targets
7212 @cindex caching data of remote targets
7214 @value{GDBN} can cache data exchanged between the debugger and a
7215 remote target (@pxref{Remote}). Such caching generally improves
7216 performance, because it reduces the overhead of the remote protocol by
7217 bundling memory reads and writes into large chunks. Unfortunately,
7218 @value{GDBN} does not currently know anything about volatile
7219 registers, and thus data caching will produce incorrect results when
7220 volatile registers are in use.
7223 @kindex set remotecache
7224 @item set remotecache on
7225 @itemx set remotecache off
7226 Set caching state for remote targets. When @code{ON}, use data
7227 caching. By default, this option is @code{OFF}.
7229 @kindex show remotecache
7230 @item show remotecache
7231 Show the current state of data caching for remote targets.
7235 Print the information about the data cache performance. The
7236 information displayed includes: the dcache width and depth; and for
7237 each cache line, how many times it was referenced, and its data and
7238 state (dirty, bad, ok, etc.). This command is useful for debugging
7239 the data cache operation.
7244 @chapter C Preprocessor Macros
7246 Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, provide a way to define and invoke
7247 ``preprocessor macros'' which expand into strings of tokens.
7248 @value{GDBN} can evaluate expressions containing macro invocations, show
7249 the result of macro expansion, and show a macro's definition, including
7250 where it was defined.
7252 You may need to compile your program specially to provide @value{GDBN}
7253 with information about preprocessor macros. Most compilers do not
7254 include macros in their debugging information, even when you compile
7255 with the @option{-g} flag. @xref{Compilation}.
7257 A program may define a macro at one point, remove that definition later,
7258 and then provide a different definition after that. Thus, at different
7259 points in the program, a macro may have different definitions, or have
7260 no definition at all. If there is a current stack frame, @value{GDBN}
7261 uses the macros in scope at that frame's source code line. Otherwise,
7262 @value{GDBN} uses the macros in scope at the current listing location;
7265 At the moment, @value{GDBN} does not support the @code{##}
7266 token-splicing operator, the @code{#} stringification operator, or
7267 variable-arity macros.
7269 Whenever @value{GDBN} evaluates an expression, it always expands any
7270 macro invocations present in the expression. @value{GDBN} also provides
7271 the following commands for working with macros explicitly.
7275 @kindex macro expand
7276 @cindex macro expansion, showing the results of preprocessor
7277 @cindex preprocessor macro expansion, showing the results of
7278 @cindex expanding preprocessor macros
7279 @item macro expand @var{expression}
7280 @itemx macro exp @var{expression}
7281 Show the results of expanding all preprocessor macro invocations in
7282 @var{expression}. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does
7283 not parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression;
7284 it can be any string of tokens.
7287 @item macro expand-once @var{expression}
7288 @itemx macro exp1 @var{expression}
7289 @cindex expand macro once
7290 @i{(This command is not yet implemented.)} Show the results of
7291 expanding those preprocessor macro invocations that appear explicitly in
7292 @var{expression}. Macro invocations appearing in that expansion are
7293 left unchanged. This command allows you to see the effect of a
7294 particular macro more clearly, without being confused by further
7295 expansions. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does not
7296 parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression; it
7297 can be any string of tokens.
7300 @cindex macro definition, showing
7301 @cindex definition, showing a macro's
7302 @item info macro @var{macro}
7303 Show the definition of the macro named @var{macro}, and describe the
7304 source location where that definition was established.
7306 @kindex macro define
7307 @cindex user-defined macros
7308 @cindex defining macros interactively
7309 @cindex macros, user-defined
7310 @item macro define @var{macro} @var{replacement-list}
7311 @itemx macro define @var{macro}(@var{arglist}) @var{replacement-list}
7312 @i{(This command is not yet implemented.)} Introduce a definition for a
7313 preprocessor macro named @var{macro}, invocations of which are replaced
7314 by the tokens given in @var{replacement-list}. The first form of this
7315 command defines an ``object-like'' macro, which takes no arguments; the
7316 second form defines a ``function-like'' macro, which takes the arguments
7317 given in @var{arglist}.
7319 A definition introduced by this command is in scope in every expression
7320 evaluated in @value{GDBN}, until it is removed with the @command{macro
7321 undef} command, described below. The definition overrides all
7322 definitions for @var{macro} present in the program being debugged, as
7323 well as any previous user-supplied definition.
7326 @item macro undef @var{macro}
7327 @i{(This command is not yet implemented.)} Remove any user-supplied
7328 definition for the macro named @var{macro}. This command only affects
7329 definitions provided with the @command{macro define} command, described
7330 above; it cannot remove definitions present in the program being
7335 @i{(This command is not yet implemented.)} List all the macros
7336 defined using the @code{macro define} command.
7339 @cindex macros, example of debugging with
7340 Here is a transcript showing the above commands in action. First, we
7341 show our source files:
7349 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
7354 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
7356 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
7358 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
7365 Now, we compile the program using the @sc{gnu} C compiler, @value{NGCC}.
7366 We pass the @option{-gdwarf-2} and @option{-g3} flags to ensure the
7367 compiler includes information about preprocessor macros in the debugging
7371 $ gcc -gdwarf-2 -g3 sample.c -o sample
7375 Now, we start @value{GDBN} on our sample program:
7379 GNU gdb 2002-05-06-cvs
7380 Copyright 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
7381 GDB is free software, @dots{}
7385 We can expand macros and examine their definitions, even when the
7386 program is not running. @value{GDBN} uses the current listing position
7387 to decide which macro definitions are in scope:
7390 (@value{GDBP}) list main
7393 5 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
7398 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
7400 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
7401 (@value{GDBP}) info macro ADD
7402 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:5
7403 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
7404 (@value{GDBP}) info macro Q
7405 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.h:1
7406 included at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:2
7408 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand ADD(1)
7409 expands to: (42 + 1)
7410 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand-once ADD(1)
7411 expands to: once (M + 1)
7415 In the example above, note that @command{macro expand-once} expands only
7416 the macro invocation explicit in the original text --- the invocation of
7417 @code{ADD} --- but does not expand the invocation of the macro @code{M},
7418 which was introduced by @code{ADD}.
7420 Once the program is running, GDB uses the macro definitions in force at
7421 the source line of the current stack frame:
7424 (@value{GDBP}) break main
7425 Breakpoint 1 at 0x8048370: file sample.c, line 10.
7427 Starting program: /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample
7429 Breakpoint 1, main () at sample.c:10
7430 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
7434 At line 10, the definition of the macro @code{N} at line 9 is in force:
7437 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
7438 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:9
7440 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
7442 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
7447 As we step over directives that remove @code{N}'s definition, and then
7448 give it a new definition, @value{GDBN} finds the definition (or lack
7449 thereof) in force at each point:
7454 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
7455 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
7456 The symbol `N' has no definition as a C/C++ preprocessor macro
7457 at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:12
7460 14 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
7461 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
7462 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:13
7464 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
7465 expands to: 1729 < 42
7466 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
7473 @chapter Tracepoints
7474 @c This chapter is based on the documentation written by Michael
7475 @c Snyder, David Taylor, Jim Blandy, and Elena Zannoni.
7478 In some applications, it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt
7479 the program's execution long enough for the developer to learn
7480 anything helpful about its behavior. If the program's correctness
7481 depends on its real-time behavior, delays introduced by a debugger
7482 might cause the program to change its behavior drastically, or perhaps
7483 fail, even when the code itself is correct. It is useful to be able
7484 to observe the program's behavior without interrupting it.
7486 Using @value{GDBN}'s @code{trace} and @code{collect} commands, you can
7487 specify locations in the program, called @dfn{tracepoints}, and
7488 arbitrary expressions to evaluate when those tracepoints are reached.
7489 Later, using the @code{tfind} command, you can examine the values
7490 those expressions had when the program hit the tracepoints. The
7491 expressions may also denote objects in memory---structures or arrays,
7492 for example---whose values @value{GDBN} should record; while visiting
7493 a particular tracepoint, you may inspect those objects as if they were
7494 in memory at that moment. However, because @value{GDBN} records these
7495 values without interacting with you, it can do so quickly and
7496 unobtrusively, hopefully not disturbing the program's behavior.
7498 The tracepoint facility is currently available only for remote
7499 targets. @xref{Targets}. In addition, your remote target must know
7500 how to collect trace data. This functionality is implemented in the
7501 remote stub; however, none of the stubs distributed with @value{GDBN}
7502 support tracepoints as of this writing. The format of the remote
7503 packets used to implement tracepoints are described in @ref{Tracepoint
7506 This chapter describes the tracepoint commands and features.
7510 * Analyze Collected Data::
7511 * Tracepoint Variables::
7514 @node Set Tracepoints
7515 @section Commands to Set Tracepoints
7517 Before running such a @dfn{trace experiment}, an arbitrary number of
7518 tracepoints can be set. Like a breakpoint (@pxref{Set Breaks}), a
7519 tracepoint has a number assigned to it by @value{GDBN}. Like with
7520 breakpoints, tracepoint numbers are successive integers starting from
7521 one. Many of the commands associated with tracepoints take the
7522 tracepoint number as their argument, to identify which tracepoint to
7525 For each tracepoint, you can specify, in advance, some arbitrary set
7526 of data that you want the target to collect in the trace buffer when
7527 it hits that tracepoint. The collected data can include registers,
7528 local variables, or global data. Later, you can use @value{GDBN}
7529 commands to examine the values these data had at the time the
7532 This section describes commands to set tracepoints and associated
7533 conditions and actions.
7536 * Create and Delete Tracepoints::
7537 * Enable and Disable Tracepoints::
7538 * Tracepoint Passcounts::
7539 * Tracepoint Actions::
7540 * Listing Tracepoints::
7541 * Starting and Stopping Trace Experiment::
7544 @node Create and Delete Tracepoints
7545 @subsection Create and Delete Tracepoints
7548 @cindex set tracepoint
7551 The @code{trace} command is very similar to the @code{break} command.
7552 Its argument can be a source line, a function name, or an address in
7553 the target program. @xref{Set Breaks}. The @code{trace} command
7554 defines a tracepoint, which is a point in the target program where the
7555 debugger will briefly stop, collect some data, and then allow the
7556 program to continue. Setting a tracepoint or changing its commands
7557 doesn't take effect until the next @code{tstart} command; thus, you
7558 cannot change the tracepoint attributes once a trace experiment is
7561 Here are some examples of using the @code{trace} command:
7564 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo.c:121} // a source file and line number
7566 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace +2} // 2 lines forward
7568 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace my_function} // first source line of function
7570 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *my_function} // EXACT start address of function
7572 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *0x2117c4} // an address
7576 You can abbreviate @code{trace} as @code{tr}.
7579 @cindex last tracepoint number
7580 @cindex recent tracepoint number
7581 @cindex tracepoint number
7582 The convenience variable @code{$tpnum} records the tracepoint number
7583 of the most recently set tracepoint.
7585 @kindex delete tracepoint
7586 @cindex tracepoint deletion
7587 @item delete tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
7588 Permanently delete one or more tracepoints. With no argument, the
7589 default is to delete all tracepoints.
7594 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace 1 2 3} // remove three tracepoints
7596 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace} // remove all tracepoints
7600 You can abbreviate this command as @code{del tr}.
7603 @node Enable and Disable Tracepoints
7604 @subsection Enable and Disable Tracepoints
7607 @kindex disable tracepoint
7608 @item disable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
7609 Disable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints if no argument
7610 @var{num} is given. A disabled tracepoint will have no effect during
7611 the next trace experiment, but it is not forgotten. You can re-enable
7612 a disabled tracepoint using the @code{enable tracepoint} command.
7614 @kindex enable tracepoint
7615 @item enable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
7616 Enable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints. The enabled
7617 tracepoints will become effective the next time a trace experiment is
7621 @node Tracepoint Passcounts
7622 @subsection Tracepoint Passcounts
7626 @cindex tracepoint pass count
7627 @item passcount @r{[}@var{n} @r{[}@var{num}@r{]]}
7628 Set the @dfn{passcount} of a tracepoint. The passcount is a way to
7629 automatically stop a trace experiment. If a tracepoint's passcount is
7630 @var{n}, then the trace experiment will be automatically stopped on
7631 the @var{n}'th time that tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number
7632 @var{num} is not specified, the @code{passcount} command sets the
7633 passcount of the most recently defined tracepoint. If no passcount is
7634 given, the trace experiment will run until stopped explicitly by the
7640 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 5 2} // Stop on the 5th execution of
7641 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// tracepoint 2}
7643 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 12} // Stop on the 12th execution of the
7644 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// most recently defined tracepoint.}
7645 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
7646 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 3}
7647 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace bar}
7648 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 2}
7649 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace baz}
7650 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 1} // Stop tracing when foo has been
7651 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// executed 3 times OR when bar has}
7652 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// been executed 2 times}
7653 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// OR when baz has been executed 1 time.}
7657 @node Tracepoint Actions
7658 @subsection Tracepoint Action Lists
7662 @cindex tracepoint actions
7663 @item actions @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
7664 This command will prompt for a list of actions to be taken when the
7665 tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number @var{num} is not
7666 specified, this command sets the actions for the one that was most
7667 recently defined (so that you can define a tracepoint and then say
7668 @code{actions} without bothering about its number). You specify the
7669 actions themselves on the following lines, one action at a time, and
7670 terminate the actions list with a line containing just @code{end}. So
7671 far, the only defined actions are @code{collect} and
7672 @code{while-stepping}.
7674 @cindex remove actions from a tracepoint
7675 To remove all actions from a tracepoint, type @samp{actions @var{num}}
7676 and follow it immediately with @samp{end}.
7679 (@value{GDBP}) @b{collect @var{data}} // collect some data
7681 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while-stepping 5} // single-step 5 times, collect data
7683 (@value{GDBP}) @b{end} // signals the end of actions.
7686 In the following example, the action list begins with @code{collect}
7687 commands indicating the things to be collected when the tracepoint is
7688 hit. Then, in order to single-step and collect additional data
7689 following the tracepoint, a @code{while-stepping} command is used,
7690 followed by the list of things to be collected while stepping. The
7691 @code{while-stepping} command is terminated by its own separate
7692 @code{end} command. Lastly, the action list is terminated by an
7696 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
7697 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
7698 Enter actions for tracepoint 1, one per line:
7707 @kindex collect @r{(tracepoints)}
7708 @item collect @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
7709 Collect values of the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit.
7710 This command accepts a comma-separated list of any valid expressions.
7711 In addition to global, static, or local variables, the following
7712 special arguments are supported:
7716 collect all registers
7719 collect all function arguments
7722 collect all local variables.
7725 You can give several consecutive @code{collect} commands, each one
7726 with a single argument, or one @code{collect} command with several
7727 arguments separated by commas: the effect is the same.
7729 The command @code{info scope} (@pxref{Symbols, info scope}) is
7730 particularly useful for figuring out what data to collect.
7732 @kindex while-stepping @r{(tracepoints)}
7733 @item while-stepping @var{n}
7734 Perform @var{n} single-step traces after the tracepoint, collecting
7735 new data at each step. The @code{while-stepping} command is
7736 followed by the list of what to collect while stepping (followed by
7737 its own @code{end} command):
7741 > collect $regs, myglobal
7747 You may abbreviate @code{while-stepping} as @code{ws} or
7751 @node Listing Tracepoints
7752 @subsection Listing Tracepoints
7755 @kindex info tracepoints
7757 @cindex information about tracepoints
7758 @item info tracepoints @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
7759 Display information about the tracepoint @var{num}. If you don't specify
7760 a tracepoint number, displays information about all the tracepoints
7761 defined so far. For each tracepoint, the following information is
7768 whether it is enabled or disabled
7772 its passcount as given by the @code{passcount @var{n}} command
7774 its step count as given by the @code{while-stepping @var{n}} command
7776 where in the source files is the tracepoint set
7778 its action list as given by the @code{actions} command
7782 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info trace}
7783 Num Enb Address PassC StepC What
7784 1 y 0x002117c4 0 0 <gdb_asm>
7785 2 y 0x0020dc64 0 0 in g_test at g_test.c:1375
7786 3 y 0x0020b1f4 0 0 in get_data at ../foo.c:41
7791 This command can be abbreviated @code{info tp}.
7794 @node Starting and Stopping Trace Experiment
7795 @subsection Starting and Stopping Trace Experiment
7799 @cindex start a new trace experiment
7800 @cindex collected data discarded
7802 This command takes no arguments. It starts the trace experiment, and
7803 begins collecting data. This has the side effect of discarding all
7804 the data collected in the trace buffer during the previous trace
7808 @cindex stop a running trace experiment
7810 This command takes no arguments. It ends the trace experiment, and
7811 stops collecting data.
7813 @strong{Note}: a trace experiment and data collection may stop
7814 automatically if any tracepoint's passcount is reached
7815 (@pxref{Tracepoint Passcounts}), or if the trace buffer becomes full.
7818 @cindex status of trace data collection
7819 @cindex trace experiment, status of
7821 This command displays the status of the current trace data
7825 Here is an example of the commands we described so far:
7828 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace gdb_c_test}
7829 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
7830 Enter actions for tracepoint #1, one per line.
7831 > collect $regs,$locals,$args
7836 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
7837 [time passes @dots{}]
7838 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstop}
7842 @node Analyze Collected Data
7843 @section Using the collected data
7845 After the tracepoint experiment ends, you use @value{GDBN} commands
7846 for examining the trace data. The basic idea is that each tracepoint
7847 collects a trace @dfn{snapshot} every time it is hit and another
7848 snapshot every time it single-steps. All these snapshots are
7849 consecutively numbered from zero and go into a buffer, and you can
7850 examine them later. The way you examine them is to @dfn{focus} on a
7851 specific trace snapshot. When the remote stub is focused on a trace
7852 snapshot, it will respond to all @value{GDBN} requests for memory and
7853 registers by reading from the buffer which belongs to that snapshot,
7854 rather than from @emph{real} memory or registers of the program being
7855 debugged. This means that @strong{all} @value{GDBN} commands
7856 (@code{print}, @code{info registers}, @code{backtrace}, etc.) will
7857 behave as if we were currently debugging the program state as it was
7858 when the tracepoint occurred. Any requests for data that are not in
7859 the buffer will fail.
7862 * tfind:: How to select a trace snapshot
7863 * tdump:: How to display all data for a snapshot
7864 * save-tracepoints:: How to save tracepoints for a future run
7868 @subsection @code{tfind @var{n}}
7871 @cindex select trace snapshot
7872 @cindex find trace snapshot
7873 The basic command for selecting a trace snapshot from the buffer is
7874 @code{tfind @var{n}}, which finds trace snapshot number @var{n},
7875 counting from zero. If no argument @var{n} is given, the next
7876 snapshot is selected.
7878 Here are the various forms of using the @code{tfind} command.
7882 Find the first snapshot in the buffer. This is a synonym for
7883 @code{tfind 0} (since 0 is the number of the first snapshot).
7886 Stop debugging trace snapshots, resume @emph{live} debugging.
7889 Same as @samp{tfind none}.
7892 No argument means find the next trace snapshot.
7895 Find the previous trace snapshot before the current one. This permits
7896 retracing earlier steps.
7898 @item tfind tracepoint @var{num}
7899 Find the next snapshot associated with tracepoint @var{num}. Search
7900 proceeds forward from the last examined trace snapshot. If no
7901 argument @var{num} is given, it means find the next snapshot collected
7902 for the same tracepoint as the current snapshot.
7904 @item tfind pc @var{addr}
7905 Find the next snapshot associated with the value @var{addr} of the
7906 program counter. Search proceeds forward from the last examined trace
7907 snapshot. If no argument @var{addr} is given, it means find the next
7908 snapshot with the same value of PC as the current snapshot.
7910 @item tfind outside @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
7911 Find the next snapshot whose PC is outside the given range of
7914 @item tfind range @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
7915 Find the next snapshot whose PC is between @var{addr1} and
7916 @var{addr2}. @c FIXME: Is the range inclusive or exclusive?
7918 @item tfind line @r{[}@var{file}:@r{]}@var{n}
7919 Find the next snapshot associated with the source line @var{n}. If
7920 the optional argument @var{file} is given, refer to line @var{n} in
7921 that source file. Search proceeds forward from the last examined
7922 trace snapshot. If no argument @var{n} is given, it means find the
7923 next line other than the one currently being examined; thus saying
7924 @code{tfind line} repeatedly can appear to have the same effect as
7925 stepping from line to line in a @emph{live} debugging session.
7928 The default arguments for the @code{tfind} commands are specifically
7929 designed to make it easy to scan through the trace buffer. For
7930 instance, @code{tfind} with no argument selects the next trace
7931 snapshot, and @code{tfind -} with no argument selects the previous
7932 trace snapshot. So, by giving one @code{tfind} command, and then
7933 simply hitting @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine all the trace
7934 snapshots in order. Or, by saying @code{tfind -} and then hitting
7935 @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine the snapshots in reverse order.
7936 The @code{tfind line} command with no argument selects the snapshot
7937 for the next source line executed. The @code{tfind pc} command with
7938 no argument selects the next snapshot with the same program counter
7939 (PC) as the current frame. The @code{tfind tracepoint} command with
7940 no argument selects the next trace snapshot collected by the same
7941 tracepoint as the current one.
7943 In addition to letting you scan through the trace buffer manually,
7944 these commands make it easy to construct @value{GDBN} scripts that
7945 scan through the trace buffer and print out whatever collected data
7946 you are interested in. Thus, if we want to examine the PC, FP, and SP
7947 registers from each trace frame in the buffer, we can say this:
7950 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
7951 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
7952 > printf "Frame %d, PC = %08X, SP = %08X, FP = %08X\n", \
7953 $trace_frame, $pc, $sp, $fp
7957 Frame 0, PC = 0020DC64, SP = 0030BF3C, FP = 0030BF44
7958 Frame 1, PC = 0020DC6C, SP = 0030BF38, FP = 0030BF44
7959 Frame 2, PC = 0020DC70, SP = 0030BF34, FP = 0030BF44
7960 Frame 3, PC = 0020DC74, SP = 0030BF30, FP = 0030BF44
7961 Frame 4, PC = 0020DC78, SP = 0030BF2C, FP = 0030BF44
7962 Frame 5, PC = 0020DC7C, SP = 0030BF28, FP = 0030BF44
7963 Frame 6, PC = 0020DC80, SP = 0030BF24, FP = 0030BF44
7964 Frame 7, PC = 0020DC84, SP = 0030BF20, FP = 0030BF44
7965 Frame 8, PC = 0020DC88, SP = 0030BF1C, FP = 0030BF44
7966 Frame 9, PC = 0020DC8E, SP = 0030BF18, FP = 0030BF44
7967 Frame 10, PC = 00203F6C, SP = 0030BE3C, FP = 0030BF14
7970 Or, if we want to examine the variable @code{X} at each source line in
7974 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
7975 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
7976 > printf "Frame %d, X == %d\n", $trace_frame, X
7986 @subsection @code{tdump}
7988 @cindex dump all data collected at tracepoint
7989 @cindex tracepoint data, display
7991 This command takes no arguments. It prints all the data collected at
7992 the current trace snapshot.
7995 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace 444}
7996 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
7997 Enter actions for tracepoint #2, one per line:
7998 > collect $regs, $locals, $args, gdb_long_test
8001 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
8003 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind line 444}
8004 #0 gdb_test (p1=0x11, p2=0x22, p3=0x33, p4=0x44, p5=0x55, p6=0x66)
8006 444 printp( "%s: arguments = 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X\n", )
8008 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tdump}
8009 Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 1:
8010 d0 0xc4aa0085 -995491707
8014 d4 0x71aea3d 119204413
8019 a1 0x3000668 50333288
8022 a4 0x3000698 50333336
8024 fp 0x30bf3c 0x30bf3c
8025 sp 0x30bf34 0x30bf34
8027 pc 0x20b2c8 0x20b2c8
8031 p = 0x20e5b4 "gdb-test"
8038 gdb_long_test = 17 '\021'
8043 @node save-tracepoints
8044 @subsection @code{save-tracepoints @var{filename}}
8045 @kindex save-tracepoints
8046 @cindex save tracepoints for future sessions
8048 This command saves all current tracepoint definitions together with
8049 their actions and passcounts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
8050 suitable for use in a later debugging session. To read the saved
8051 tracepoint definitions, use the @code{source} command (@pxref{Command
8054 @node Tracepoint Variables
8055 @section Convenience Variables for Tracepoints
8056 @cindex tracepoint variables
8057 @cindex convenience variables for tracepoints
8060 @vindex $trace_frame
8061 @item (int) $trace_frame
8062 The current trace snapshot (a.k.a.@: @dfn{frame}) number, or -1 if no
8063 snapshot is selected.
8066 @item (int) $tracepoint
8067 The tracepoint for the current trace snapshot.
8070 @item (int) $trace_line
8071 The line number for the current trace snapshot.
8074 @item (char []) $trace_file
8075 The source file for the current trace snapshot.
8078 @item (char []) $trace_func
8079 The name of the function containing @code{$tracepoint}.
8082 Note: @code{$trace_file} is not suitable for use in @code{printf},
8083 use @code{output} instead.
8085 Here's a simple example of using these convenience variables for
8086 stepping through all the trace snapshots and printing some of their
8090 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
8092 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while $trace_frame != -1}
8093 > output $trace_file
8094 > printf ", line %d (tracepoint #%d)\n", $trace_line, $tracepoint
8100 @chapter Debugging Programs That Use Overlays
8103 If your program is too large to fit completely in your target system's
8104 memory, you can sometimes use @dfn{overlays} to work around this
8105 problem. @value{GDBN} provides some support for debugging programs that
8109 * How Overlays Work:: A general explanation of overlays.
8110 * Overlay Commands:: Managing overlays in @value{GDBN}.
8111 * Automatic Overlay Debugging:: @value{GDBN} can find out which overlays are
8112 mapped by asking the inferior.
8113 * Overlay Sample Program:: A sample program using overlays.
8116 @node How Overlays Work
8117 @section How Overlays Work
8118 @cindex mapped overlays
8119 @cindex unmapped overlays
8120 @cindex load address, overlay's
8121 @cindex mapped address
8122 @cindex overlay area
8124 Suppose you have a computer whose instruction address space is only 64
8125 kilobytes long, but which has much more memory which can be accessed by
8126 other means: special instructions, segment registers, or memory
8127 management hardware, for example. Suppose further that you want to
8128 adapt a program which is larger than 64 kilobytes to run on this system.
8130 One solution is to identify modules of your program which are relatively
8131 independent, and need not call each other directly; call these modules
8132 @dfn{overlays}. Separate the overlays from the main program, and place
8133 their machine code in the larger memory. Place your main program in
8134 instruction memory, but leave at least enough space there to hold the
8135 largest overlay as well.
8137 Now, to call a function located in an overlay, you must first copy that
8138 overlay's machine code from the large memory into the space set aside
8139 for it in the instruction memory, and then jump to its entry point
8142 @c NB: In the below the mapped area's size is greater or equal to the
8143 @c size of all overlays. This is intentional to remind the developer
8144 @c that overlays don't necessarily need to be the same size.
8148 Data Instruction Larger
8149 Address Space Address Space Address Space
8150 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+
8152 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+<-- overlay 1
8153 | program | | main | .----| overlay 1 | load address
8154 | variables | | program | | +-----------+
8155 | and heap | | | | | |
8156 +-----------+ | | | +-----------+<-- overlay 2
8157 | | +-----------+ | | | load address
8158 +-----------+ | | | .-| overlay 2 |
8160 mapped --->+-----------+ | | +-----------+
8162 | overlay | <-' | | |
8163 | area | <---' +-----------+<-- overlay 3
8164 | | <---. | | load address
8165 +-----------+ `--| overlay 3 |
8172 @anchor{A code overlay}A code overlay
8176 The diagram (@pxref{A code overlay}) shows a system with separate data
8177 and instruction address spaces. To map an overlay, the program copies
8178 its code from the larger address space to the instruction address space.
8179 Since the overlays shown here all use the same mapped address, only one
8180 may be mapped at a time. For a system with a single address space for
8181 data and instructions, the diagram would be similar, except that the
8182 program variables and heap would share an address space with the main
8183 program and the overlay area.
8185 An overlay loaded into instruction memory and ready for use is called a
8186 @dfn{mapped} overlay; its @dfn{mapped address} is its address in the
8187 instruction memory. An overlay not present (or only partially present)
8188 in instruction memory is called @dfn{unmapped}; its @dfn{load address}
8189 is its address in the larger memory. The mapped address is also called
8190 the @dfn{virtual memory address}, or @dfn{VMA}; the load address is also
8191 called the @dfn{load memory address}, or @dfn{LMA}.
8193 Unfortunately, overlays are not a completely transparent way to adapt a
8194 program to limited instruction memory. They introduce a new set of
8195 global constraints you must keep in mind as you design your program:
8200 Before calling or returning to a function in an overlay, your program
8201 must make sure that overlay is actually mapped. Otherwise, the call or
8202 return will transfer control to the right address, but in the wrong
8203 overlay, and your program will probably crash.
8206 If the process of mapping an overlay is expensive on your system, you
8207 will need to choose your overlays carefully to minimize their effect on
8208 your program's performance.
8211 The executable file you load onto your system must contain each
8212 overlay's instructions, appearing at the overlay's load address, not its
8213 mapped address. However, each overlay's instructions must be relocated
8214 and its symbols defined as if the overlay were at its mapped address.
8215 You can use GNU linker scripts to specify different load and relocation
8216 addresses for pieces of your program; see @ref{Overlay Description,,,
8217 ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}.
8220 The procedure for loading executable files onto your system must be able
8221 to load their contents into the larger address space as well as the
8222 instruction and data spaces.
8226 The overlay system described above is rather simple, and could be
8227 improved in many ways:
8232 If your system has suitable bank switch registers or memory management
8233 hardware, you could use those facilities to make an overlay's load area
8234 contents simply appear at their mapped address in instruction space.
8235 This would probably be faster than copying the overlay to its mapped
8236 area in the usual way.
8239 If your overlays are small enough, you could set aside more than one
8240 overlay area, and have more than one overlay mapped at a time.
8243 You can use overlays to manage data, as well as instructions. In
8244 general, data overlays are even less transparent to your design than
8245 code overlays: whereas code overlays only require care when you call or
8246 return to functions, data overlays require care every time you access
8247 the data. Also, if you change the contents of a data overlay, you
8248 must copy its contents back out to its load address before you can copy a
8249 different data overlay into the same mapped area.
8254 @node Overlay Commands
8255 @section Overlay Commands
8257 To use @value{GDBN}'s overlay support, each overlay in your program must
8258 correspond to a separate section of the executable file. The section's
8259 virtual memory address and load memory address must be the overlay's
8260 mapped and load addresses. Identifying overlays with sections allows
8261 @value{GDBN} to determine the appropriate address of a function or
8262 variable, depending on whether the overlay is mapped or not.
8264 @value{GDBN}'s overlay commands all start with the word @code{overlay};
8265 you can abbreviate this as @code{ov} or @code{ovly}. The commands are:
8270 Disable @value{GDBN}'s overlay support. When overlay support is
8271 disabled, @value{GDBN} assumes that all functions and variables are
8272 always present at their mapped addresses. By default, @value{GDBN}'s
8273 overlay support is disabled.
8275 @item overlay manual
8276 @cindex manual overlay debugging
8277 Enable @dfn{manual} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
8278 relies on you to tell it which overlays are mapped, and which are not,
8279 using the @code{overlay map-overlay} and @code{overlay unmap-overlay}
8280 commands described below.
8282 @item overlay map-overlay @var{overlay}
8283 @itemx overlay map @var{overlay}
8284 @cindex map an overlay
8285 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is now mapped; @var{overlay} must
8286 be the name of the object file section containing the overlay. When an
8287 overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the overlay's
8288 functions and variables at their mapped addresses. @value{GDBN} assumes
8289 that any other overlays whose mapped ranges overlap that of
8290 @var{overlay} are now unmapped.
8292 @item overlay unmap-overlay @var{overlay}
8293 @itemx overlay unmap @var{overlay}
8294 @cindex unmap an overlay
8295 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is no longer mapped; @var{overlay}
8296 must be the name of the object file section containing the overlay.
8297 When an overlay is unmapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the
8298 overlay's functions and variables at their load addresses.
8301 Enable @dfn{automatic} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
8302 consults a data structure the overlay manager maintains in the inferior
8303 to see which overlays are mapped. For details, see @ref{Automatic
8306 @item overlay load-target
8308 @cindex reloading the overlay table
8309 Re-read the overlay table from the inferior. Normally, @value{GDBN}
8310 re-reads the table @value{GDBN} automatically each time the inferior
8311 stops, so this command should only be necessary if you have changed the
8312 overlay mapping yourself using @value{GDBN}. This command is only
8313 useful when using automatic overlay debugging.
8315 @item overlay list-overlays
8317 @cindex listing mapped overlays
8318 Display a list of the overlays currently mapped, along with their mapped
8319 addresses, load addresses, and sizes.
8323 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a code address, it includes the name
8324 of the function the address falls in:
8327 (@value{GDBP}) print main
8328 $3 = @{int ()@} 0x11a0 <main>
8331 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} recognizes code in
8332 unmapped overlays, and prints the names of unmapped functions with
8333 asterisks around them. For example, if @code{foo} is a function in an
8334 unmapped overlay, @value{GDBN} prints it this way:
8337 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
8338 No sections are mapped.
8339 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
8340 $5 = @{int (int)@} 0x100000 <*foo*>
8343 When @code{foo}'s overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} prints the function's
8347 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
8348 Section .ov.foo.text, loaded at 0x100000 - 0x100034,
8349 mapped at 0x1016 - 0x104a
8350 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
8351 $6 = @{int (int)@} 0x1016 <foo>
8354 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} can find the correct
8355 address for functions and variables in an overlay, whether or not the
8356 overlay is mapped. This allows most @value{GDBN} commands, like
8357 @code{break} and @code{disassemble}, to work normally, even on unmapped
8358 code. However, @value{GDBN}'s breakpoint support has some limitations:
8362 @cindex breakpoints in overlays
8363 @cindex overlays, setting breakpoints in
8364 You can set breakpoints in functions in unmapped overlays, as long as
8365 @value{GDBN} can write to the overlay at its load address.
8367 @value{GDBN} can not set hardware or simulator-based breakpoints in
8368 unmapped overlays. However, if you set a breakpoint at the end of your
8369 overlay manager (and tell @value{GDBN} which overlays are now mapped, if
8370 you are using manual overlay management), @value{GDBN} will re-set its
8371 breakpoints properly.
8375 @node Automatic Overlay Debugging
8376 @section Automatic Overlay Debugging
8377 @cindex automatic overlay debugging
8379 @value{GDBN} can automatically track which overlays are mapped and which
8380 are not, given some simple co-operation from the overlay manager in the
8381 inferior. If you enable automatic overlay debugging with the
8382 @code{overlay auto} command (@pxref{Overlay Commands}), @value{GDBN}
8383 looks in the inferior's memory for certain variables describing the
8384 current state of the overlays.
8386 Here are the variables your overlay manager must define to support
8387 @value{GDBN}'s automatic overlay debugging:
8391 @item @code{_ovly_table}:
8392 This variable must be an array of the following structures:
8397 /* The overlay's mapped address. */
8400 /* The size of the overlay, in bytes. */
8403 /* The overlay's load address. */
8406 /* Non-zero if the overlay is currently mapped;
8408 unsigned long mapped;
8412 @item @code{_novlys}:
8413 This variable must be a four-byte signed integer, holding the total
8414 number of elements in @code{_ovly_table}.
8418 To decide whether a particular overlay is mapped or not, @value{GDBN}
8419 looks for an entry in @w{@code{_ovly_table}} whose @code{vma} and
8420 @code{lma} members equal the VMA and LMA of the overlay's section in the
8421 executable file. When @value{GDBN} finds a matching entry, it consults
8422 the entry's @code{mapped} member to determine whether the overlay is
8425 In addition, your overlay manager may define a function called
8426 @code{_ovly_debug_event}. If this function is defined, @value{GDBN}
8427 will silently set a breakpoint there. If the overlay manager then
8428 calls this function whenever it has changed the overlay table, this
8429 will enable @value{GDBN} to accurately keep track of which overlays
8430 are in program memory, and update any breakpoints that may be set
8431 in overlays. This will allow breakpoints to work even if the
8432 overlays are kept in ROM or other non-writable memory while they
8433 are not being executed.
8435 @node Overlay Sample Program
8436 @section Overlay Sample Program
8437 @cindex overlay example program
8439 When linking a program which uses overlays, you must place the overlays
8440 at their load addresses, while relocating them to run at their mapped
8441 addresses. To do this, you must write a linker script (@pxref{Overlay
8442 Description,,, ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}). Unfortunately,
8443 since linker scripts are specific to a particular host system, target
8444 architecture, and target memory layout, this manual cannot provide
8445 portable sample code demonstrating @value{GDBN}'s overlay support.
8447 However, the @value{GDBN} source distribution does contain an overlaid
8448 program, with linker scripts for a few systems, as part of its test
8449 suite. The program consists of the following files from
8450 @file{gdb/testsuite/gdb.base}:
8454 The main program file.
8456 A simple overlay manager, used by @file{overlays.c}.
8461 Overlay modules, loaded and used by @file{overlays.c}.
8464 Linker scripts for linking the test program on the @code{d10v-elf}
8465 and @code{m32r-elf} targets.
8468 You can build the test program using the @code{d10v-elf} GCC
8469 cross-compiler like this:
8472 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c overlays.c
8473 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c ovlymgr.c
8474 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c foo.c
8475 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c bar.c
8476 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c baz.c
8477 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c grbx.c
8478 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g overlays.o ovlymgr.o foo.o bar.o \
8479 baz.o grbx.o -Wl,-Td10v.ld -o overlays
8482 The build process is identical for any other architecture, except that
8483 you must substitute the appropriate compiler and linker script for the
8484 target system for @code{d10v-elf-gcc} and @code{d10v.ld}.
8488 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages
8491 Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they are
8492 rarely expressed in the same manner. For instance, in ANSI C,
8493 dereferencing a pointer @code{p} is accomplished by @code{*p}, but in
8494 Modula-2, it is accomplished by @code{p^}. Values can also be
8495 represented (and displayed) differently. Hex numbers in C appear as
8496 @samp{0x1ae}, while in Modula-2 they appear as @samp{1AEH}.
8498 @cindex working language
8499 Language-specific information is built into @value{GDBN} for some languages,
8500 allowing you to express operations like the above in your program's
8501 native language, and allowing @value{GDBN} to output values in a manner
8502 consistent with the syntax of your program's native language. The
8503 language you use to build expressions is called the @dfn{working
8507 * Setting:: Switching between source languages
8508 * Show:: Displaying the language
8509 * Checks:: Type and range checks
8510 * Supported languages:: Supported languages
8511 * Unsupported languages:: Unsupported languages
8515 @section Switching between source languages
8517 There are two ways to control the working language---either have @value{GDBN}
8518 set it automatically, or select it manually yourself. You can use the
8519 @code{set language} command for either purpose. On startup, @value{GDBN}
8520 defaults to setting the language automatically. The working language is
8521 used to determine how expressions you type are interpreted, how values
8524 In addition to the working language, every source file that
8525 @value{GDBN} knows about has its own working language. For some object
8526 file formats, the compiler might indicate which language a particular
8527 source file is in. However, most of the time @value{GDBN} infers the
8528 language from the name of the file. The language of a source file
8529 controls whether C@t{++} names are demangled---this way @code{backtrace} can
8530 show each frame appropriately for its own language. There is no way to
8531 set the language of a source file from within @value{GDBN}, but you can
8532 set the language associated with a filename extension. @xref{Show, ,
8533 Displaying the language}.
8535 This is most commonly a problem when you use a program, such
8536 as @code{cfront} or @code{f2c}, that generates C but is written in
8537 another language. In that case, make the
8538 program use @code{#line} directives in its C output; that way
8539 @value{GDBN} will know the correct language of the source code of the original
8540 program, and will display that source code, not the generated C code.
8543 * Filenames:: Filename extensions and languages.
8544 * Manually:: Setting the working language manually
8545 * Automatically:: Having @value{GDBN} infer the source language
8549 @subsection List of filename extensions and languages
8551 If a source file name ends in one of the following extensions, then
8552 @value{GDBN} infers that its language is the one indicated.
8573 Objective-C source file
8580 Modula-2 source file
8584 Assembler source file. This actually behaves almost like C, but
8585 @value{GDBN} does not skip over function prologues when stepping.
8588 In addition, you may set the language associated with a filename
8589 extension. @xref{Show, , Displaying the language}.
8592 @subsection Setting the working language
8594 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically,
8595 expressions are interpreted the same way in your debugging session and
8598 @kindex set language
8599 If you wish, you may set the language manually. To do this, issue the
8600 command @samp{set language @var{lang}}, where @var{lang} is the name of
8602 @code{c} or @code{modula-2}.
8603 For a list of the supported languages, type @samp{set language}.
8605 Setting the language manually prevents @value{GDBN} from updating the working
8606 language automatically. This can lead to confusion if you try
8607 to debug a program when the working language is not the same as the
8608 source language, when an expression is acceptable to both
8609 languages---but means different things. For instance, if the current
8610 source file were written in C, and @value{GDBN} was parsing Modula-2, a
8618 might not have the effect you intended. In C, this means to add
8619 @code{b} and @code{c} and place the result in @code{a}. The result
8620 printed would be the value of @code{a}. In Modula-2, this means to compare
8621 @code{a} to the result of @code{b+c}, yielding a @code{BOOLEAN} value.
8624 @subsection Having @value{GDBN} infer the source language
8626 To have @value{GDBN} set the working language automatically, use
8627 @samp{set language local} or @samp{set language auto}. @value{GDBN}
8628 then infers the working language. That is, when your program stops in a
8629 frame (usually by encountering a breakpoint), @value{GDBN} sets the
8630 working language to the language recorded for the function in that
8631 frame. If the language for a frame is unknown (that is, if the function
8632 or block corresponding to the frame was defined in a source file that
8633 does not have a recognized extension), the current working language is
8634 not changed, and @value{GDBN} issues a warning.
8636 This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written
8637 entirely in one source language. However, program modules and libraries
8638 written in one source language can be used by a main program written in
8639 a different source language. Using @samp{set language auto} in this
8640 case frees you from having to set the working language manually.
8643 @section Displaying the language
8645 The following commands help you find out which language is the
8646 working language, and also what language source files were written in.
8650 @kindex show language
8651 Display the current working language. This is the
8652 language you can use with commands such as @code{print} to
8653 build and compute expressions that may involve variables in your program.
8656 @kindex info frame@r{, show the source language}
8657 Display the source language for this frame. This language becomes the
8658 working language if you use an identifier from this frame.
8659 @xref{Frame Info, ,Information about a frame}, to identify the other
8660 information listed here.
8663 @kindex info source@r{, show the source language}
8664 Display the source language of this source file.
8665 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, to identify the other
8666 information listed here.
8669 In unusual circumstances, you may have source files with extensions
8670 not in the standard list. You can then set the extension associated
8671 with a language explicitly:
8674 @item set extension-language @var{ext} @var{language}
8675 @kindex set extension-language
8676 Tell @value{GDBN} that source files with extension @var{ext} are to be
8677 assumed as written in the source language @var{language}.
8679 @item info extensions
8680 @kindex info extensions
8681 List all the filename extensions and the associated languages.
8685 @section Type and range checking
8688 @emph{Warning:} In this release, the @value{GDBN} commands for type and range
8689 checking are included, but they do not yet have any effect. This
8690 section documents the intended facilities.
8692 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range code added
8694 Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly common
8695 errors through a series of compile- and run-time checks. These include
8696 checking the type of arguments to functions and operators, and making
8697 sure mathematical overflows are caught at run time. Checks such as
8698 these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been compiled
8699 by eliminating type mismatches, and providing active checks for range
8700 errors when your program is running.
8702 @value{GDBN} can check for conditions like the above if you wish.
8703 Although @value{GDBN} does not check the statements in your program,
8704 it can check expressions entered directly into @value{GDBN} for
8705 evaluation via the @code{print} command, for example. As with the
8706 working language, @value{GDBN} can also decide whether or not to check
8707 automatically based on your program's source language.
8708 @xref{Supported languages, ,Supported languages}, for the default
8709 settings of supported languages.
8712 * Type Checking:: An overview of type checking
8713 * Range Checking:: An overview of range checking
8716 @cindex type checking
8717 @cindex checks, type
8719 @subsection An overview of type checking
8721 Some languages, such as Modula-2, are strongly typed, meaning that the
8722 arguments to operators and functions have to be of the correct type,
8723 otherwise an error occurs. These checks prevent type mismatch
8724 errors from ever causing any run-time problems. For example,
8732 The second example fails because the @code{CARDINAL} 1 is not
8733 type-compatible with the @code{REAL} 2.3.
8735 For the expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell the
8736 @value{GDBN} type checker to skip checking;
8737 to treat any mismatches as errors and abandon the expression;
8738 or to only issue warnings when type mismatches occur,
8739 but evaluate the expression anyway. When you choose the last of
8740 these, @value{GDBN} evaluates expressions like the second example above, but
8741 also issues a warning.
8743 Even if you turn type checking off, there may be other reasons
8744 related to type that prevent @value{GDBN} from evaluating an expression.
8745 For instance, @value{GDBN} does not know how to add an @code{int} and
8746 a @code{struct foo}. These particular type errors have nothing to do
8747 with the language in use, and usually arise from expressions, such as
8748 the one described above, which make little sense to evaluate anyway.
8750 Each language defines to what degree it is strict about type. For
8751 instance, both Modula-2 and C require the arguments to arithmetical
8752 operators to be numbers. In C, enumerated types and pointers can be
8753 represented as numbers, so that they are valid arguments to mathematical
8754 operators. @xref{Supported languages, ,Supported languages}, for further
8755 details on specific languages.
8757 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the type checker:
8759 @kindex set check type
8760 @kindex show check type
8762 @item set check type auto
8763 Set type checking on or off based on the current working language.
8764 @xref{Supported languages, ,Supported languages}, for the default settings for
8767 @item set check type on
8768 @itemx set check type off
8769 Set type checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
8770 current working language. Issue a warning if the setting does not
8771 match the language default. If any type mismatches occur in
8772 evaluating an expression while type checking is on, @value{GDBN} prints a
8773 message and aborts evaluation of the expression.
8775 @item set check type warn
8776 Cause the type checker to issue warnings, but to always attempt to
8777 evaluate the expression. Evaluating the expression may still
8778 be impossible for other reasons. For example, @value{GDBN} cannot add
8779 numbers and structures.
8782 Show the current setting of the type checker, and whether or not @value{GDBN}
8783 is setting it automatically.
8786 @cindex range checking
8787 @cindex checks, range
8788 @node Range Checking
8789 @subsection An overview of range checking
8791 In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the
8792 bounds of a type; this is enforced with run-time checks. Such range
8793 checking is meant to ensure program correctness by making sure
8794 computations do not overflow, or indices on an array element access do
8795 not exceed the bounds of the array.
8797 For expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
8798 @value{GDBN} to treat range errors in one of three ways: ignore them,
8799 always treat them as errors and abandon the expression, or issue
8800 warnings but evaluate the expression anyway.
8802 A range error can result from numerical overflow, from exceeding an
8803 array index bound, or when you type a constant that is not a member
8804 of any type. Some languages, however, do not treat overflows as an
8805 error. In many implementations of C, mathematical overflow causes the
8806 result to ``wrap around'' to lower values---for example, if @var{m} is
8807 the largest integer value, and @var{s} is the smallest, then
8810 @var{m} + 1 @result{} @var{s}
8813 This, too, is specific to individual languages, and in some cases
8814 specific to individual compilers or machines. @xref{Supported languages, ,
8815 Supported languages}, for further details on specific languages.
8817 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the range checker:
8819 @kindex set check range
8820 @kindex show check range
8822 @item set check range auto
8823 Set range checking on or off based on the current working language.
8824 @xref{Supported languages, ,Supported languages}, for the default settings for
8827 @item set check range on
8828 @itemx set check range off
8829 Set range checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
8830 current working language. A warning is issued if the setting does not
8831 match the language default. If a range error occurs and range checking is on,
8832 then a message is printed and evaluation of the expression is aborted.
8834 @item set check range warn
8835 Output messages when the @value{GDBN} range checker detects a range error,
8836 but attempt to evaluate the expression anyway. Evaluating the
8837 expression may still be impossible for other reasons, such as accessing
8838 memory that the process does not own (a typical example from many Unix
8842 Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not it is
8843 being set automatically by @value{GDBN}.
8846 @node Supported languages
8847 @section Supported languages
8849 @value{GDBN} supports C, C@t{++}, Objective-C, Fortran, Java, Pascal,
8850 assembly, Modula-2, and Ada.
8851 @c This is false ...
8852 Some @value{GDBN} features may be used in expressions regardless of the
8853 language you use: the @value{GDBN} @code{@@} and @code{::} operators,
8854 and the @samp{@{type@}addr} construct (@pxref{Expressions,
8855 ,Expressions}) can be used with the constructs of any supported
8858 The following sections detail to what degree each source language is
8859 supported by @value{GDBN}. These sections are not meant to be language
8860 tutorials or references, but serve only as a reference guide to what the
8861 @value{GDBN} expression parser accepts, and what input and output
8862 formats should look like for different languages. There are many good
8863 books written on each of these languages; please look to these for a
8864 language reference or tutorial.
8868 * Objective-C:: Objective-C
8871 * Modula-2:: Modula-2
8876 @subsection C and C@t{++}
8878 @cindex C and C@t{++}
8879 @cindex expressions in C or C@t{++}
8881 Since C and C@t{++} are so closely related, many features of @value{GDBN} apply
8882 to both languages. Whenever this is the case, we discuss those languages
8886 @cindex @code{g++}, @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler
8887 @cindex @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
8888 The C@t{++} debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the C@t{++}
8889 compiler and @value{GDBN}. Therefore, to debug your C@t{++} code
8890 effectively, you must compile your C@t{++} programs with a supported
8891 C@t{++} compiler, such as @sc{gnu} @code{g++}, or the HP ANSI C@t{++}
8892 compiler (@code{aCC}).
8894 For best results when using @sc{gnu} C@t{++}, use the DWARF 2 debugging
8895 format; if it doesn't work on your system, try the stabs+ debugging
8896 format. You can select those formats explicitly with the @code{g++}
8897 command-line options @option{-gdwarf-2} and @option{-gstabs+}.
8898 @xref{Debugging Options,,Options for Debugging Your Program or @sc{gnu}
8899 CC, gcc.info, Using @sc{gnu} CC}.
8902 * C Operators:: C and C@t{++} operators
8903 * C Constants:: C and C@t{++} constants
8904 * C plus plus expressions:: C@t{++} expressions
8905 * C Defaults:: Default settings for C and C@t{++}
8906 * C Checks:: C and C@t{++} type and range checks
8907 * Debugging C:: @value{GDBN} and C
8908 * Debugging C plus plus:: @value{GDBN} features for C@t{++}
8912 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} operators
8914 @cindex C and C@t{++} operators
8916 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
8917 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
8918 often defined on groups of types.
8920 For the purposes of C and C@t{++}, the following definitions hold:
8925 @emph{Integral types} include @code{int} with any of its storage-class
8926 specifiers; @code{char}; @code{enum}; and, for C@t{++}, @code{bool}.
8929 @emph{Floating-point types} include @code{float}, @code{double}, and
8930 @code{long double} (if supported by the target platform).
8933 @emph{Pointer types} include all types defined as @code{(@var{type} *)}.
8936 @emph{Scalar types} include all of the above.
8941 The following operators are supported. They are listed here
8942 in order of increasing precedence:
8946 The comma or sequencing operator. Expressions in a comma-separated list
8947 are evaluated from left to right, with the result of the entire
8948 expression being the last expression evaluated.
8951 Assignment. The value of an assignment expression is the value
8952 assigned. Defined on scalar types.
8955 Used in an expression of the form @w{@code{@var{a} @var{op}= @var{b}}},
8956 and translated to @w{@code{@var{a} = @var{a op b}}}.
8957 @w{@code{@var{op}=}} and @code{=} have the same precedence.
8958 @var{op} is any one of the operators @code{|}, @code{^}, @code{&},
8959 @code{<<}, @code{>>}, @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{%}.
8962 The ternary operator. @code{@var{a} ? @var{b} : @var{c}} can be thought
8963 of as: if @var{a} then @var{b} else @var{c}. @var{a} should be of an
8967 Logical @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
8970 Logical @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
8973 Bitwise @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
8976 Bitwise exclusive-@sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
8979 Bitwise @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
8982 Equality and inequality. Defined on scalar types. The value of these
8983 expressions is 0 for false and non-zero for true.
8985 @item <@r{, }>@r{, }<=@r{, }>=
8986 Less than, greater than, less than or equal, greater than or equal.
8987 Defined on scalar types. The value of these expressions is 0 for false
8988 and non-zero for true.
8991 left shift, and right shift. Defined on integral types.
8994 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
8997 Addition and subtraction. Defined on integral types, floating-point types and
9000 @item *@r{, }/@r{, }%
9001 Multiplication, division, and modulus. Multiplication and division are
9002 defined on integral and floating-point types. Modulus is defined on
9006 Increment and decrement. When appearing before a variable, the
9007 operation is performed before the variable is used in an expression;
9008 when appearing after it, the variable's value is used before the
9009 operation takes place.
9012 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types. Same precedence as
9016 Address operator. Defined on variables. Same precedence as @code{++}.
9018 For debugging C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} implements a use of @samp{&} beyond what is
9019 allowed in the C@t{++} language itself: you can use @samp{&(&@var{ref})}
9020 (or, if you prefer, simply @samp{&&@var{ref}}) to examine the address
9021 where a C@t{++} reference variable (declared with @samp{&@var{ref}}) is
9025 Negative. Defined on integral and floating-point types. Same
9026 precedence as @code{++}.
9029 Logical negation. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
9033 Bitwise complement operator. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
9038 Structure member, and pointer-to-structure member. For convenience,
9039 @value{GDBN} regards the two as equivalent, choosing whether to dereference a
9040 pointer based on the stored type information.
9041 Defined on @code{struct} and @code{union} data.
9044 Dereferences of pointers to members.
9047 Array indexing. @code{@var{a}[@var{i}]} is defined as
9048 @code{*(@var{a}+@var{i})}. Same precedence as @code{->}.
9051 Function parameter list. Same precedence as @code{->}.
9054 C@t{++} scope resolution operator. Defined on @code{struct}, @code{union},
9055 and @code{class} types.
9058 Doubled colons also represent the @value{GDBN} scope operator
9059 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). Same precedence as @code{::},
9063 If an operator is redefined in the user code, @value{GDBN} usually
9064 attempts to invoke the redefined version instead of using the operator's
9072 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} constants
9074 @cindex C and C@t{++} constants
9076 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of C and C@t{++} in the
9081 Integer constants are a sequence of digits. Octal constants are
9082 specified by a leading @samp{0} (i.e.@: zero), and hexadecimal constants
9083 by a leading @samp{0x} or @samp{0X}. Constants may also end with a letter
9084 @samp{l}, specifying that the constant should be treated as a
9088 Floating point constants are a sequence of digits, followed by a decimal
9089 point, followed by a sequence of digits, and optionally followed by an
9090 exponent. An exponent is of the form:
9091 @samp{@w{e@r{[[}+@r{]|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}}, where @var{nnn} is another
9092 sequence of digits. The @samp{+} is optional for positive exponents.
9093 A floating-point constant may also end with a letter @samp{f} or
9094 @samp{F}, specifying that the constant should be treated as being of
9095 the @code{float} (as opposed to the default @code{double}) type; or with
9096 a letter @samp{l} or @samp{L}, which specifies a @code{long double}
9100 Enumerated constants consist of enumerated identifiers, or their
9101 integral equivalents.
9104 Character constants are a single character surrounded by single quotes
9105 (@code{'}), or a number---the ordinal value of the corresponding character
9106 (usually its @sc{ascii} value). Within quotes, the single character may
9107 be represented by a letter or by @dfn{escape sequences}, which are of
9108 the form @samp{\@var{nnn}}, where @var{nnn} is the octal representation
9109 of the character's ordinal value; or of the form @samp{\@var{x}}, where
9110 @samp{@var{x}} is a predefined special character---for example,
9111 @samp{\n} for newline.
9114 String constants are a sequence of character constants surrounded by
9115 double quotes (@code{"}). Any valid character constant (as described
9116 above) may appear. Double quotes within the string must be preceded by
9117 a backslash, so for instance @samp{"a\"b'c"} is a string of five
9121 Pointer constants are an integral value. You can also write pointers
9122 to constants using the C operator @samp{&}.
9125 Array constants are comma-separated lists surrounded by braces @samp{@{}
9126 and @samp{@}}; for example, @samp{@{1,2,3@}} is a three-element array of
9127 integers, @samp{@{@{1,2@}, @{3,4@}, @{5,6@}@}} is a three-by-two array,
9128 and @samp{@{&"hi", &"there", &"fred"@}} is a three-element array of pointers.
9132 * C plus plus expressions::
9139 @node C plus plus expressions
9140 @subsubsection C@t{++} expressions
9142 @cindex expressions in C@t{++}
9143 @value{GDBN} expression handling can interpret most C@t{++} expressions.
9145 @cindex debugging C@t{++} programs
9146 @cindex C@t{++} compilers
9147 @cindex debug formats and C@t{++}
9148 @cindex @value{NGCC} and C@t{++}
9150 @emph{Warning:} @value{GDBN} can only debug C@t{++} code if you use the
9151 proper compiler and the proper debug format. Currently, @value{GDBN}
9152 works best when debugging C@t{++} code that is compiled with
9153 @value{NGCC} 2.95.3 or with @value{NGCC} 3.1 or newer, using the options
9154 @option{-gdwarf-2} or @option{-gstabs+}. DWARF 2 is preferred over
9155 stabs+. Most configurations of @value{NGCC} emit either DWARF 2 or
9156 stabs+ as their default debug format, so you usually don't need to
9157 specify a debug format explicitly. Other compilers and/or debug formats
9158 are likely to work badly or not at all when using @value{GDBN} to debug
9164 @cindex member functions
9166 Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
9169 count = aml->GetOriginal(x, y)
9172 @vindex this@r{, inside C@t{++} member functions}
9173 @cindex namespace in C@t{++}
9175 While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame), your
9176 expressions have the same namespace available as the member function;
9177 that is, @value{GDBN} allows implicit references to the class instance
9178 pointer @code{this} following the same rules as C@t{++}.
9180 @cindex call overloaded functions
9181 @cindex overloaded functions, calling
9182 @cindex type conversions in C@t{++}
9184 You can call overloaded functions; @value{GDBN} resolves the function
9185 call to the right definition, with some restrictions. @value{GDBN} does not
9186 perform overload resolution involving user-defined type conversions,
9187 calls to constructors, or instantiations of templates that do not exist
9188 in the program. It also cannot handle ellipsis argument lists or
9191 It does perform integral conversions and promotions, floating-point
9192 promotions, arithmetic conversions, pointer conversions, conversions of
9193 class objects to base classes, and standard conversions such as those of
9194 functions or arrays to pointers; it requires an exact match on the
9195 number of function arguments.
9197 Overload resolution is always performed, unless you have specified
9198 @code{set overload-resolution off}. @xref{Debugging C plus plus,
9199 ,@value{GDBN} features for C@t{++}}.
9201 You must specify @code{set overload-resolution off} in order to use an
9202 explicit function signature to call an overloaded function, as in
9204 p 'foo(char,int)'('x', 13)
9207 The @value{GDBN} command-completion facility can simplify this;
9208 see @ref{Completion, ,Command completion}.
9210 @cindex reference declarations
9212 @value{GDBN} understands variables declared as C@t{++} references; you can use
9213 them in expressions just as you do in C@t{++} source---they are automatically
9216 In the parameter list shown when @value{GDBN} displays a frame, the values of
9217 reference variables are not displayed (unlike other variables); this
9218 avoids clutter, since references are often used for large structures.
9219 The @emph{address} of a reference variable is always shown, unless
9220 you have specified @samp{set print address off}.
9223 @value{GDBN} supports the C@t{++} name resolution operator @code{::}---your
9224 expressions can use it just as expressions in your program do. Since
9225 one scope may be defined in another, you can use @code{::} repeatedly if
9226 necessary, for example in an expression like
9227 @samp{@var{scope1}::@var{scope2}::@var{name}}. @value{GDBN} also allows
9228 resolving name scope by reference to source files, in both C and C@t{++}
9229 debugging (@pxref{Variables, ,Program variables}).
9232 In addition, when used with HP's C@t{++} compiler, @value{GDBN} supports
9233 calling virtual functions correctly, printing out virtual bases of
9234 objects, calling functions in a base subobject, casting objects, and
9235 invoking user-defined operators.
9238 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} defaults
9240 @cindex C and C@t{++} defaults
9242 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set type and range checking automatically, they
9243 both default to @code{off} whenever the working language changes to
9244 C or C@t{++}. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
9245 selects the working language.
9247 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, it
9248 recognizes source files whose names end with @file{.c}, @file{.C}, or
9249 @file{.cc}, etc, and when @value{GDBN} enters code compiled from one of
9250 these files, it sets the working language to C or C@t{++}.
9251 @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN} infer the source language},
9252 for further details.
9254 @c Type checking is (a) primarily motivated by Modula-2, and (b)
9255 @c unimplemented. If (b) changes, it might make sense to let this node
9256 @c appear even if Mod-2 does not, but meanwhile ignore it. roland 16jul93.
9259 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} type and range checks
9261 @cindex C and C@t{++} checks
9263 By default, when @value{GDBN} parses C or C@t{++} expressions, type checking
9264 is not used. However, if you turn type checking on, @value{GDBN}
9265 considers two variables type equivalent if:
9269 The two variables are structured and have the same structure, union, or
9273 The two variables have the same type name, or types that have been
9274 declared equivalent through @code{typedef}.
9277 @c leaving this out because neither J Gilmore nor R Pesch understand it.
9280 The two @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} variables are
9281 declared in the same declaration. (Note: this may not be true for all C
9286 Range checking, if turned on, is done on mathematical operations. Array
9287 indices are not checked, since they are often used to index a pointer
9288 that is not itself an array.
9291 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and C
9293 The @code{set print union} and @code{show print union} commands apply to
9294 the @code{union} type. When set to @samp{on}, any @code{union} that is
9295 inside a @code{struct} or @code{class} is also printed. Otherwise, it
9296 appears as @samp{@{...@}}.
9298 The @code{@@} operator aids in the debugging of dynamic arrays, formed
9299 with pointers and a memory allocation function. @xref{Expressions,
9303 * Debugging C plus plus::
9306 @node Debugging C plus plus
9307 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} features for C@t{++}
9309 @cindex commands for C@t{++}
9311 Some @value{GDBN} commands are particularly useful with C@t{++}, and some are
9312 designed specifically for use with C@t{++}. Here is a summary:
9315 @cindex break in overloaded functions
9316 @item @r{breakpoint menus}
9317 When you want a breakpoint in a function whose name is overloaded,
9318 @value{GDBN} breakpoint menus help you specify which function definition
9319 you want. @xref{Breakpoint Menus,,Breakpoint menus}.
9321 @cindex overloading in C@t{++}
9322 @item rbreak @var{regex}
9323 Setting breakpoints using regular expressions is helpful for setting
9324 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
9326 @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting breakpoints}.
9328 @cindex C@t{++} exception handling
9331 Debug C@t{++} exception handling using these commands. @xref{Set
9332 Catchpoints, , Setting catchpoints}.
9335 @item ptype @var{typename}
9336 Print inheritance relationships as well as other information for type
9338 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
9340 @cindex C@t{++} symbol display
9341 @item set print demangle
9342 @itemx show print demangle
9343 @itemx set print asm-demangle
9344 @itemx show print asm-demangle
9345 Control whether C@t{++} symbols display in their source form, both when
9346 displaying code as C@t{++} source and when displaying disassemblies.
9347 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print settings}.
9349 @item set print object
9350 @itemx show print object
9351 Choose whether to print derived (actual) or declared types of objects.
9352 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print settings}.
9354 @item set print vtbl
9355 @itemx show print vtbl
9356 Control the format for printing virtual function tables.
9357 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print settings}.
9358 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
9359 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
9361 @kindex set overload-resolution
9362 @cindex overloaded functions, overload resolution
9363 @item set overload-resolution on
9364 Enable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. The default
9365 is on. For overloaded functions, @value{GDBN} evaluates the arguments
9366 and searches for a function whose signature matches the argument types,
9367 using the standard C@t{++} conversion rules (see @ref{C plus plus expressions, ,C@t{++}
9368 expressions}, for details). If it cannot find a match, it emits a
9371 @item set overload-resolution off
9372 Disable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. For
9373 overloaded functions that are not class member functions, @value{GDBN}
9374 chooses the first function of the specified name that it finds in the
9375 symbol table, whether or not its arguments are of the correct type. For
9376 overloaded functions that are class member functions, @value{GDBN}
9377 searches for a function whose signature @emph{exactly} matches the
9380 @kindex show overload-resolution
9381 @item show overload-resolution
9382 Show the current setting of overload resolution.
9384 @item @r{Overloaded symbol names}
9385 You can specify a particular definition of an overloaded symbol, using
9386 the same notation that is used to declare such symbols in C@t{++}: type
9387 @code{@var{symbol}(@var{types})} rather than just @var{symbol}. You can
9388 also use the @value{GDBN} command-line word completion facilities to list the
9389 available choices, or to finish the type list for you.
9390 @xref{Completion,, Command completion}, for details on how to do this.
9394 @subsection Objective-C
9397 This section provides information about some commands and command
9398 options that are useful for debugging Objective-C code. See also
9399 @ref{Symbols, info classes}, and @ref{Symbols, info selectors}, for a
9400 few more commands specific to Objective-C support.
9403 * Method Names in Commands::
9404 * The Print Command with Objective-C::
9407 @node Method Names in Commands, The Print Command with Objective-C, Objective-C, Objective-C
9408 @subsubsection Method Names in Commands
9410 The following commands have been extended to accept Objective-C method
9411 names as line specifications:
9413 @kindex clear@r{, and Objective-C}
9414 @kindex break@r{, and Objective-C}
9415 @kindex info line@r{, and Objective-C}
9416 @kindex jump@r{, and Objective-C}
9417 @kindex list@r{, and Objective-C}
9421 @item @code{info line}
9426 A fully qualified Objective-C method name is specified as
9429 -[@var{Class} @var{methodName}]
9432 where the minus sign is used to indicate an instance method and a
9433 plus sign (not shown) is used to indicate a class method. The class
9434 name @var{Class} and method name @var{methodName} are enclosed in
9435 brackets, similar to the way messages are specified in Objective-C
9436 source code. For example, to set a breakpoint at the @code{create}
9437 instance method of class @code{Fruit} in the program currently being
9441 break -[Fruit create]
9444 To list ten program lines around the @code{initialize} class method,
9448 list +[NSText initialize]
9451 In the current version of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus sign is
9452 required. In future versions of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus
9453 sign will be optional, but you can use it to narrow the search. It
9454 is also possible to specify just a method name:
9460 You must specify the complete method name, including any colons. If
9461 your program's source files contain more than one @code{create} method,
9462 you'll be presented with a numbered list of classes that implement that
9463 method. Indicate your choice by number, or type @samp{0} to exit if
9466 As another example, to clear a breakpoint established at the
9467 @code{makeKeyAndOrderFront:} method of the @code{NSWindow} class, enter:
9470 clear -[NSWindow makeKeyAndOrderFront:]
9473 @node The Print Command with Objective-C
9474 @subsubsection The Print Command With Objective-C
9475 @cindex Objective-C, print objects
9476 @kindex print-object
9477 @kindex po @r{(@code{print-object})}
9479 The print command has also been extended to accept methods. For example:
9482 print -[@var{object} hash]
9485 @cindex print an Objective-C object description
9486 @cindex @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, and printing Objective-C objects
9488 will tell @value{GDBN} to send the @code{hash} message to @var{object}
9489 and print the result. Also, an additional command has been added,
9490 @code{print-object} or @code{po} for short, which is meant to print
9491 the description of an object. However, this command may only work
9492 with certain Objective-C libraries that have a particular hook
9493 function, @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, defined.
9497 @cindex Fortran-specific support in @value{GDBN}
9499 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, but it
9500 currently supports only the features of Fortran 77 language.
9502 @cindex trailing underscore, in Fortran symbols
9503 Some Fortran compilers (@sc{gnu} Fortran 77 and Fortran 95 compilers
9504 among them) append an underscore to the names of variables and
9505 functions. When you debug programs compiled by those compilers, you
9506 will need to refer to variables and functions with a trailing
9510 * Fortran Operators:: Fortran operators and expressions
9511 * Fortran Defaults:: Default settings for Fortran
9512 * Special Fortran commands:: Special @value{GDBN} commands for Fortran
9515 @node Fortran Operators
9516 @subsubsection Fortran operators and expressions
9518 @cindex Fortran operators and expressions
9520 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
9521 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on characters or other non-
9522 arithmetic types. Operators are often defined on groups of types.
9526 The exponentiation operator. It raises the first operand to the power
9530 The range operator. Normally used in the form of array(low:high) to
9531 represent a section of array.
9534 @node Fortran Defaults
9535 @subsubsection Fortran Defaults
9537 @cindex Fortran Defaults
9539 Fortran symbols are usually case-insensitive, so @value{GDBN} by
9540 default uses case-insensitive matches for Fortran symbols. You can
9541 change that with the @samp{set case-insensitive} command, see
9542 @ref{Symbols}, for the details.
9544 @node Special Fortran commands
9545 @subsubsection Special Fortran commands
9547 @cindex Special Fortran commands
9549 @value{GDBN} had some commands to support Fortran specific feature,
9550 such as common block displaying.
9553 @cindex @code{COMMON} blocks, Fortran
9555 @item info common @r{[}@var{common-name}@r{]}
9556 This command prints the values contained in the Fortran @code{COMMON}
9557 block whose name is @var{common-name}. With no argument, the names of
9558 all @code{COMMON} blocks visible at current program location are
9565 @cindex Pascal support in @value{GDBN}, limitations
9566 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
9567 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
9568 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
9571 The Pascal-specific command @code{set print pascal_static-members}
9572 controls whether static members of Pascal objects are displayed.
9573 @xref{Print Settings, pascal_static-members}.
9576 @subsection Modula-2
9578 @cindex Modula-2, @value{GDBN} support
9580 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} to support Modula-2 only support
9581 output from the @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler (which is currently being
9582 developed). Other Modula-2 compilers are not currently supported, and
9583 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
9584 to give an error as @value{GDBN} reads in the executable's symbol
9587 @cindex expressions in Modula-2
9589 * M2 Operators:: Built-in operators
9590 * Built-In Func/Proc:: Built-in functions and procedures
9591 * M2 Constants:: Modula-2 constants
9592 * M2 Types:: Modula-2 types
9593 * M2 Defaults:: Default settings for Modula-2
9594 * Deviations:: Deviations from standard Modula-2
9595 * M2 Checks:: Modula-2 type and range checks
9596 * M2 Scope:: The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
9597 * GDB/M2:: @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
9601 @subsubsection Operators
9602 @cindex Modula-2 operators
9604 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
9605 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
9606 often defined on groups of types. For the purposes of Modula-2, the
9607 following definitions hold:
9612 @emph{Integral types} consist of @code{INTEGER}, @code{CARDINAL}, and
9616 @emph{Character types} consist of @code{CHAR} and its subranges.
9619 @emph{Floating-point types} consist of @code{REAL}.
9622 @emph{Pointer types} consist of anything declared as @code{POINTER TO
9626 @emph{Scalar types} consist of all of the above.
9629 @emph{Set types} consist of @code{SET} and @code{BITSET} types.
9632 @emph{Boolean types} consist of @code{BOOLEAN}.
9636 The following operators are supported, and appear in order of
9637 increasing precedence:
9641 Function argument or array index separator.
9644 Assignment. The value of @var{var} @code{:=} @var{value} is
9648 Less than, greater than on integral, floating-point, or enumerated
9652 Less than or equal to, greater than or equal to
9653 on integral, floating-point and enumerated types, or set inclusion on
9654 set types. Same precedence as @code{<}.
9656 @item =@r{, }<>@r{, }#
9657 Equality and two ways of expressing inequality, valid on scalar types.
9658 Same precedence as @code{<}. In @value{GDBN} scripts, only @code{<>} is
9659 available for inequality, since @code{#} conflicts with the script
9663 Set membership. Defined on set types and the types of their members.
9664 Same precedence as @code{<}.
9667 Boolean disjunction. Defined on boolean types.
9670 Boolean conjunction. Defined on boolean types.
9673 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
9676 Addition and subtraction on integral and floating-point types, or union
9677 and difference on set types.
9680 Multiplication on integral and floating-point types, or set intersection
9684 Division on floating-point types, or symmetric set difference on set
9685 types. Same precedence as @code{*}.
9688 Integer division and remainder. Defined on integral types. Same
9689 precedence as @code{*}.
9692 Negative. Defined on @code{INTEGER} and @code{REAL} data.
9695 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types.
9698 Boolean negation. Defined on boolean types. Same precedence as
9702 @code{RECORD} field selector. Defined on @code{RECORD} data. Same
9703 precedence as @code{^}.
9706 Array indexing. Defined on @code{ARRAY} data. Same precedence as @code{^}.
9709 Procedure argument list. Defined on @code{PROCEDURE} objects. Same precedence
9713 @value{GDBN} and Modula-2 scope operators.
9717 @emph{Warning:} Set expressions and their operations are not yet supported, so @value{GDBN}
9718 treats the use of the operator @code{IN}, or the use of operators
9719 @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{=}, , @code{<>}, @code{#},
9720 @code{<=}, and @code{>=} on sets as an error.
9724 @node Built-In Func/Proc
9725 @subsubsection Built-in functions and procedures
9726 @cindex Modula-2 built-ins
9728 Modula-2 also makes available several built-in procedures and functions.
9729 In describing these, the following metavariables are used:
9734 represents an @code{ARRAY} variable.
9737 represents a @code{CHAR} constant or variable.
9740 represents a variable or constant of integral type.
9743 represents an identifier that belongs to a set. Generally used in the
9744 same function with the metavariable @var{s}. The type of @var{s} should
9745 be @code{SET OF @var{mtype}} (where @var{mtype} is the type of @var{m}).
9748 represents a variable or constant of integral or floating-point type.
9751 represents a variable or constant of floating-point type.
9757 represents a variable.
9760 represents a variable or constant of one of many types. See the
9761 explanation of the function for details.
9764 All Modula-2 built-in procedures also return a result, described below.
9768 Returns the absolute value of @var{n}.
9771 If @var{c} is a lower case letter, it returns its upper case
9772 equivalent, otherwise it returns its argument.
9775 Returns the character whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
9778 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
9780 @item DEC(@var{v},@var{i})
9781 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
9784 @item EXCL(@var{m},@var{s})
9785 Removes the element @var{m} from the set @var{s}. Returns the new
9788 @item FLOAT(@var{i})
9789 Returns the floating point equivalent of the integer @var{i}.
9792 Returns the index of the last member of @var{a}.
9795 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
9797 @item INC(@var{v},@var{i})
9798 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
9801 @item INCL(@var{m},@var{s})
9802 Adds the element @var{m} to the set @var{s} if it is not already
9803 there. Returns the new set.
9806 Returns the maximum value of the type @var{t}.
9809 Returns the minimum value of the type @var{t}.
9812 Returns boolean TRUE if @var{i} is an odd number.
9815 Returns the ordinal value of its argument. For example, the ordinal
9816 value of a character is its @sc{ascii} value (on machines supporting the
9817 @sc{ascii} character set). @var{x} must be of an ordered type, which include
9818 integral, character and enumerated types.
9821 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
9823 @item TRUNC(@var{r})
9824 Returns the integral part of @var{r}.
9826 @item VAL(@var{t},@var{i})
9827 Returns the member of the type @var{t} whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
9831 @emph{Warning:} Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so
9832 @value{GDBN} treats the use of procedures @code{INCL} and @code{EXCL} as
9836 @cindex Modula-2 constants
9838 @subsubsection Constants
9840 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of Modula-2 in the following
9846 Integer constants are simply a sequence of digits. When used in an
9847 expression, a constant is interpreted to be type-compatible with the
9848 rest of the expression. Hexadecimal integers are specified by a
9849 trailing @samp{H}, and octal integers by a trailing @samp{B}.
9852 Floating point constants appear as a sequence of digits, followed by a
9853 decimal point and another sequence of digits. An optional exponent can
9854 then be specified, in the form @samp{E@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}, where
9855 @samp{@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}} is the desired exponent. All of the
9856 digits of the floating point constant must be valid decimal (base 10)
9860 Character constants consist of a single character enclosed by a pair of
9861 like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}). They may
9862 also be expressed by their ordinal value (their @sc{ascii} value, usually)
9863 followed by a @samp{C}.
9866 String constants consist of a sequence of characters enclosed by a
9867 pair of like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}).
9868 Escape sequences in the style of C are also allowed. @xref{C
9869 Constants, ,C and C@t{++} constants}, for a brief explanation of escape
9873 Enumerated constants consist of an enumerated identifier.
9876 Boolean constants consist of the identifiers @code{TRUE} and
9880 Pointer constants consist of integral values only.
9883 Set constants are not yet supported.
9887 @subsubsection Modula-2 Types
9888 @cindex Modula-2 types
9890 Currently @value{GDBN} can print the following data types in Modula-2
9891 syntax: array types, record types, set types, pointer types, procedure
9892 types, enumerated types, subrange types and base types. You can also
9893 print the contents of variables declared using these type.
9894 This section gives a number of simple source code examples together with
9895 sample @value{GDBN} sessions.
9897 The first example contains the following section of code:
9906 and you can request @value{GDBN} to interrogate the type and value of
9907 @code{r} and @code{s}.
9910 (@value{GDBP}) print s
9912 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
9914 (@value{GDBP}) print r
9916 (@value{GDBP}) ptype r
9921 Likewise if your source code declares @code{s} as:
9929 then you may query the type of @code{s} by:
9932 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
9933 type = SET ['A'..'Z']
9937 Note that at present you cannot interactively manipulate set
9938 expressions using the debugger.
9940 The following example shows how you might declare an array in Modula-2
9941 and how you can interact with @value{GDBN} to print its type and contents:
9945 s: ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR ;
9949 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
9950 ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR
9953 Note that the array handling is not yet complete and although the type
9954 is printed correctly, expression handling still assumes that all
9955 arrays have a lower bound of zero and not @code{-10} as in the example
9956 above. Unbounded arrays are also not yet recognized in @value{GDBN}.
9958 Here are some more type related Modula-2 examples:
9962 colour = (blue, red, yellow, green) ;
9963 t = [blue..yellow] ;
9971 The @value{GDBN} interaction shows how you can query the data type
9972 and value of a variable.
9975 (@value{GDBP}) print s
9977 (@value{GDBP}) ptype t
9978 type = [blue..yellow]
9982 In this example a Modula-2 array is declared and its contents
9983 displayed. Observe that the contents are written in the same way as
9984 their @code{C} counterparts.
9988 s: ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
9994 (@value{GDBP}) print s
9995 $1 = @{1, 0, 0, 0, 0@}
9996 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
9997 type = ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
10000 The Modula-2 language interface to @value{GDBN} also understands
10001 pointer types as shown in this example:
10005 s: POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
10012 and you can request that @value{GDBN} describes the type of @code{s}.
10015 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
10016 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
10019 @value{GDBN} handles compound types as we can see in this example.
10020 Here we combine array types, record types, pointer types and subrange
10031 myarray = ARRAY myrange OF CARDINAL ;
10032 myrange = [-2..2] ;
10034 s: POINTER TO ARRAY myrange OF foo ;
10038 and you can ask @value{GDBN} to describe the type of @code{s} as shown
10042 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
10043 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [-2..2] OF foo = RECORD
10046 f3 : ARRAY [-2..2] OF CARDINAL;
10051 @subsubsection Modula-2 defaults
10052 @cindex Modula-2 defaults
10054 If type and range checking are set automatically by @value{GDBN}, they
10055 both default to @code{on} whenever the working language changes to
10056 Modula-2. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
10057 selected the working language.
10059 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, then entering
10060 code compiled from a file whose name ends with @file{.mod} sets the
10061 working language to Modula-2. @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN} set
10062 the language automatically}, for further details.
10065 @subsubsection Deviations from standard Modula-2
10066 @cindex Modula-2, deviations from
10068 A few changes have been made to make Modula-2 programs easier to debug.
10069 This is done primarily via loosening its type strictness:
10073 Unlike in standard Modula-2, pointer constants can be formed by
10074 integers. This allows you to modify pointer variables during
10075 debugging. (In standard Modula-2, the actual address contained in a
10076 pointer variable is hidden from you; it can only be modified
10077 through direct assignment to another pointer variable or expression that
10078 returned a pointer.)
10081 C escape sequences can be used in strings and characters to represent
10082 non-printable characters. @value{GDBN} prints out strings with these
10083 escape sequences embedded. Single non-printable characters are
10084 printed using the @samp{CHR(@var{nnn})} format.
10087 The assignment operator (@code{:=}) returns the value of its right-hand
10091 All built-in procedures both modify @emph{and} return their argument.
10095 @subsubsection Modula-2 type and range checks
10096 @cindex Modula-2 checks
10099 @emph{Warning:} in this release, @value{GDBN} does not yet perform type or
10102 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range checks added
10104 @value{GDBN} considers two Modula-2 variables type equivalent if:
10108 They are of types that have been declared equivalent via a @code{TYPE
10109 @var{t1} = @var{t2}} statement
10112 They have been declared on the same line. (Note: This is true of the
10113 @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler, but it may not be true of other compilers.)
10116 As long as type checking is enabled, any attempt to combine variables
10117 whose types are not equivalent is an error.
10119 Range checking is done on all mathematical operations, assignment, array
10120 index bounds, and all built-in functions and procedures.
10123 @subsubsection The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
10125 @cindex @code{.}, Modula-2 scope operator
10126 @cindex colon, doubled as scope operator
10128 @vindex colon-colon@r{, in Modula-2}
10129 @c Info cannot handle :: but TeX can.
10132 @vindex ::@r{, in Modula-2}
10135 There are a few subtle differences between the Modula-2 scope operator
10136 (@code{.}) and the @value{GDBN} scope operator (@code{::}). The two have
10141 @var{module} . @var{id}
10142 @var{scope} :: @var{id}
10146 where @var{scope} is the name of a module or a procedure,
10147 @var{module} the name of a module, and @var{id} is any declared
10148 identifier within your program, except another module.
10150 Using the @code{::} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the scope
10151 specified by @var{scope} for the identifier @var{id}. If it is not
10152 found in the specified scope, then @value{GDBN} searches all scopes
10153 enclosing the one specified by @var{scope}.
10155 Using the @code{.} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the current scope for
10156 the identifier specified by @var{id} that was imported from the
10157 definition module specified by @var{module}. With this operator, it is
10158 an error if the identifier @var{id} was not imported from definition
10159 module @var{module}, or if @var{id} is not an identifier in
10163 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
10165 Some @value{GDBN} commands have little use when debugging Modula-2 programs.
10166 Five subcommands of @code{set print} and @code{show print} apply
10167 specifically to C and C@t{++}: @samp{vtbl}, @samp{demangle},
10168 @samp{asm-demangle}, @samp{object}, and @samp{union}. The first four
10169 apply to C@t{++}, and the last to the C @code{union} type, which has no direct
10170 analogue in Modula-2.
10172 The @code{@@} operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), while available
10173 with any language, is not useful with Modula-2. Its
10174 intent is to aid the debugging of @dfn{dynamic arrays}, which cannot be
10175 created in Modula-2 as they can in C or C@t{++}. However, because an
10176 address can be specified by an integral constant, the construct
10177 @samp{@{@var{type}@}@var{adrexp}} is still useful.
10179 @cindex @code{#} in Modula-2
10180 In @value{GDBN} scripts, the Modula-2 inequality operator @code{#} is
10181 interpreted as the beginning of a comment. Use @code{<>} instead.
10187 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} for Ada only support
10188 output from the @sc{gnu} Ada (GNAT) compiler.
10189 Other Ada compilers are not currently supported, and
10190 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
10194 @cindex expressions in Ada
10196 * Ada Mode Intro:: General remarks on the Ada syntax
10197 and semantics supported by Ada mode
10199 * Omissions from Ada:: Restrictions on the Ada expression syntax.
10200 * Additions to Ada:: Extensions of the Ada expression syntax.
10201 * Stopping Before Main Program:: Debugging the program during elaboration.
10202 * Ada Glitches:: Known peculiarities of Ada mode.
10205 @node Ada Mode Intro
10206 @subsubsection Introduction
10207 @cindex Ada mode, general
10209 The Ada mode of @value{GDBN} supports a fairly large subset of Ada expression
10210 syntax, with some extensions.
10211 The philosophy behind the design of this subset is
10215 That @value{GDBN} should provide basic literals and access to operations for
10216 arithmetic, dereferencing, field selection, indexing, and subprogram calls,
10217 leaving more sophisticated computations to subprograms written into the
10218 program (which therefore may be called from @value{GDBN}).
10221 That type safety and strict adherence to Ada language restrictions
10222 are not particularly important to the @value{GDBN} user.
10225 That brevity is important to the @value{GDBN} user.
10228 Thus, for brevity, the debugger acts as if there were
10229 implicit @code{with} and @code{use} clauses in effect for all user-written
10230 packages, making it unnecessary to fully qualify most names with
10231 their packages, regardless of context. Where this causes ambiguity,
10232 @value{GDBN} asks the user's intent.
10234 The debugger will start in Ada mode if it detects an Ada main program.
10235 As for other languages, it will enter Ada mode when stopped in a program that
10236 was translated from an Ada source file.
10238 While in Ada mode, you may use `@t{--}' for comments. This is useful
10239 mostly for documenting command files. The standard @value{GDBN} comment
10240 (@samp{#}) still works at the beginning of a line in Ada mode, but not in the
10241 middle (to allow based literals).
10243 The debugger supports limited overloading. Given a subprogram call in which
10244 the function symbol has multiple definitions, it will use the number of
10245 actual parameters and some information about their types to attempt to narrow
10246 the set of definitions. It also makes very limited use of context, preferring
10247 procedures to functions in the context of the @code{call} command, and
10248 functions to procedures elsewhere.
10250 @node Omissions from Ada
10251 @subsubsection Omissions from Ada
10252 @cindex Ada, omissions from
10254 Here are the notable omissions from the subset:
10258 Only a subset of the attributes are supported:
10262 @t{'First}, @t{'Last}, and @t{'Length}
10263 on array objects (not on types and subtypes).
10266 @t{'Min} and @t{'Max}.
10269 @t{'Pos} and @t{'Val}.
10275 @t{'Range} on array objects (not subtypes), but only as the right
10276 operand of the membership (@code{in}) operator.
10279 @t{'Access}, @t{'Unchecked_Access}, and
10280 @t{'Unrestricted_Access} (a GNAT extension).
10288 @code{Characters.Latin_1} are not available and
10289 concatenation is not implemented. Thus, escape characters in strings are
10290 not currently available.
10293 Equality tests (@samp{=} and @samp{/=}) on arrays test for bitwise
10294 equality of representations. They will generally work correctly
10295 for strings and arrays whose elements have integer or enumeration types.
10296 They may not work correctly for arrays whose element
10297 types have user-defined equality, for arrays of real values
10298 (in particular, IEEE-conformant floating point, because of negative
10299 zeroes and NaNs), and for arrays whose elements contain unused bits with
10300 indeterminate values.
10303 The other component-by-component array operations (@code{and}, @code{or},
10304 @code{xor}, @code{not}, and relational tests other than equality)
10305 are not implemented.
10308 @cindex array aggregates (Ada)
10309 @cindex record aggregates (Ada)
10310 @cindex aggregates (Ada)
10311 There is limited support for array and record aggregates. They are
10312 permitted only on the right sides of assignments, as in these examples:
10315 set An_Array := (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
10316 set An_Array := (1, others => 0)
10317 set An_Array := (0|4 => 1, 1..3 => 2, 5 => 6)
10318 set A_2D_Array := ((1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6), (7, 8, 9))
10319 set A_Record := (1, "Peter", True);
10320 set A_Record := (Name => "Peter", Id => 1, Alive => True)
10324 discriminant's value by assigning an aggregate has an
10325 undefined effect if that discriminant is used within the record.
10326 However, you can first modify discriminants by directly assigning to
10327 them (which normally would not be allowed in Ada), and then performing an
10328 aggregate assignment. For example, given a variable @code{A_Rec}
10329 declared to have a type such as:
10332 type Rec (Len : Small_Integer := 0) is record
10334 Vals : IntArray (1 .. Len);
10338 you can assign a value with a different size of @code{Vals} with two
10343 set A_Rec := (Id => 42, Vals => (1, 2, 3, 4))
10346 As this example also illustrates, @value{GDBN} is very loose about the usual
10347 rules concerning aggregates. You may leave out some of the
10348 components of an array or record aggregate (such as the @code{Len}
10349 component in the assignment to @code{A_Rec} above); they will retain their
10350 original values upon assignment. You may freely use dynamic values as
10351 indices in component associations. You may even use overlapping or
10352 redundant component associations, although which component values are
10353 assigned in such cases is not defined.
10356 Calls to dispatching subprograms are not implemented.
10359 The overloading algorithm is much more limited (i.e., less selective)
10360 than that of real Ada. It makes only limited use of the context in which a subexpression
10361 appears to resolve its meaning, and it is much looser in its rules for allowing
10362 type matches. As a result, some function calls will be ambiguous, and the user
10363 will be asked to choose the proper resolution.
10366 The @code{new} operator is not implemented.
10369 Entry calls are not implemented.
10372 Aside from printing, arithmetic operations on the native VAX floating-point
10373 formats are not supported.
10376 It is not possible to slice a packed array.
10379 @node Additions to Ada
10380 @subsubsection Additions to Ada
10381 @cindex Ada, deviations from
10383 As it does for other languages, @value{GDBN} makes certain generic
10384 extensions to Ada (@pxref{Expressions}):
10388 If the expression @var{E} is a variable residing in memory
10389 (typically a local variable or array element) and @var{N} is
10390 a positive integer, then @code{@var{E}@@@var{N}} displays the values of
10391 @var{E} and the @var{N}-1 adjacent variables following it in memory as an array.
10392 In Ada, this operator is generally not necessary, since its prime use
10393 is in displaying parts of an array, and slicing will usually do this in Ada.
10394 However, there are occasional uses when debugging programs
10395 in which certain debugging information has been optimized away.
10398 @code{@var{B}::@var{var}} means ``the variable named @var{var} that appears
10399 in function or file @var{B}.'' When @var{B} is a file name, you must typically
10400 surround it in single quotes.
10403 The expression @code{@{@var{type}@} @var{addr}} means ``the variable of type
10404 @var{type} that appears at address @var{addr}.''
10407 A name starting with @samp{$} is a convenience variable
10408 (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) or a machine register (@pxref{Registers}).
10411 In addition, @value{GDBN} provides a few other shortcuts and outright additions specific
10416 The assignment statement is allowed as an expression, returning
10417 its right-hand operand as its value. Thus, you may enter
10421 print A(tmp := y + 1)
10425 The semicolon is allowed as an ``operator,'' returning as its value
10426 the value of its right-hand operand.
10427 This allows, for example,
10428 complex conditional breaks:
10432 condition 1 (report(i); k += 1; A(k) > 100)
10436 Rather than use catenation and symbolic character names to introduce special
10437 characters into strings, one may instead use a special bracket notation,
10438 which is also used to print strings. A sequence of characters of the form
10439 @samp{["@var{XX}"]} within a string or character literal denotes the
10440 (single) character whose numeric encoding is @var{XX} in hexadecimal. The
10441 sequence of characters @samp{["""]} also denotes a single quotation mark
10442 in strings. For example,
10444 "One line.["0a"]Next line.["0a"]"
10447 contains an ASCII newline character (@code{Ada.Characters.Latin_1.LF}) after each
10451 The subtype used as a prefix for the attributes @t{'Pos}, @t{'Min}, and
10452 @t{'Max} is optional (and is ignored in any case). For example, it is valid
10460 When printing arrays, @value{GDBN} uses positional notation when the
10461 array has a lower bound of 1, and uses a modified named notation otherwise.
10462 For example, a one-dimensional array of three integers with a lower bound of 3 might print as
10469 That is, in contrast to valid Ada, only the first component has a @code{=>}
10473 You may abbreviate attributes in expressions with any unique,
10474 multi-character subsequence of
10475 their names (an exact match gets preference).
10476 For example, you may use @t{a'len}, @t{a'gth}, or @t{a'lh}
10477 in place of @t{a'length}.
10480 @cindex quoting Ada internal identifiers
10481 Since Ada is case-insensitive, the debugger normally maps identifiers you type
10482 to lower case. The GNAT compiler uses upper-case characters for
10483 some of its internal identifiers, which are normally of no interest to users.
10484 For the rare occasions when you actually have to look at them,
10485 enclose them in angle brackets to avoid the lower-case mapping.
10488 @value{GDBP} print <JMPBUF_SAVE>[0]
10492 Printing an object of class-wide type or dereferencing an
10493 access-to-class-wide value will display all the components of the object's
10494 specific type (as indicated by its run-time tag). Likewise, component
10495 selection on such a value will operate on the specific type of the
10500 @node Stopping Before Main Program
10501 @subsubsection Stopping at the Very Beginning
10503 @cindex breakpointing Ada elaboration code
10504 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration, and
10505 before reaching the main procedure.
10506 As defined in the Ada Reference
10507 Manual, the elaboration code is invoked from a procedure called
10508 @code{adainit}. To run your program up to the beginning of
10509 elaboration, simply use the following two commands:
10510 @code{tbreak adainit} and @code{run}.
10513 @subsubsection Known Peculiarities of Ada Mode
10514 @cindex Ada, problems
10516 Besides the omissions listed previously (@pxref{Omissions from Ada}),
10517 we know of several problems with and limitations of Ada mode in
10519 some of which will be fixed with planned future releases of the debugger
10520 and the GNU Ada compiler.
10524 Currently, the debugger
10525 has insufficient information to determine whether certain pointers represent
10526 pointers to objects or the objects themselves.
10527 Thus, the user may have to tack an extra @code{.all} after an expression
10528 to get it printed properly.
10531 Static constants that the compiler chooses not to materialize as objects in
10532 storage are invisible to the debugger.
10535 Named parameter associations in function argument lists are ignored (the
10536 argument lists are treated as positional).
10539 Many useful library packages are currently invisible to the debugger.
10542 Fixed-point arithmetic, conversions, input, and output is carried out using
10543 floating-point arithmetic, and may give results that only approximate those on
10547 The type of the @t{'Address} attribute may not be @code{System.Address}.
10550 The GNAT compiler never generates the prefix @code{Standard} for any of
10551 the standard symbols defined by the Ada language. @value{GDBN} knows about
10552 this: it will strip the prefix from names when you use it, and will never
10553 look for a name you have so qualified among local symbols, nor match against
10554 symbols in other packages or subprograms. If you have
10555 defined entities anywhere in your program other than parameters and
10556 local variables whose simple names match names in @code{Standard},
10557 GNAT's lack of qualification here can cause confusion. When this happens,
10558 you can usually resolve the confusion
10559 by qualifying the problematic names with package
10560 @code{Standard} explicitly.
10563 @node Unsupported languages
10564 @section Unsupported languages
10566 @cindex unsupported languages
10567 @cindex minimal language
10568 In addition to the other fully-supported programming languages,
10569 @value{GDBN} also provides a pseudo-language, called @code{minimal}.
10570 It does not represent a real programming language, but provides a set
10571 of capabilities close to what the C or assembly languages provide.
10572 This should allow most simple operations to be performed while debugging
10573 an application that uses a language currently not supported by @value{GDBN}.
10575 If the language is set to @code{auto}, @value{GDBN} will automatically
10576 select this language if the current frame corresponds to an unsupported
10580 @chapter Examining the Symbol Table
10582 The commands described in this chapter allow you to inquire about the
10583 symbols (names of variables, functions and types) defined in your
10584 program. This information is inherent in the text of your program and
10585 does not change as your program executes. @value{GDBN} finds it in your
10586 program's symbol table, in the file indicated when you started @value{GDBN}
10587 (@pxref{File Options, ,Choosing files}), or by one of the
10588 file-management commands (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to specify files}).
10590 @cindex symbol names
10591 @cindex names of symbols
10592 @cindex quoting names
10593 Occasionally, you may need to refer to symbols that contain unusual
10594 characters, which @value{GDBN} ordinarily treats as word delimiters. The
10595 most frequent case is in referring to static variables in other
10596 source files (@pxref{Variables,,Program variables}). File names
10597 are recorded in object files as debugging symbols, but @value{GDBN} would
10598 ordinarily parse a typical file name, like @file{foo.c}, as the three words
10599 @samp{foo} @samp{.} @samp{c}. To allow @value{GDBN} to recognize
10600 @samp{foo.c} as a single symbol, enclose it in single quotes; for example,
10607 looks up the value of @code{x} in the scope of the file @file{foo.c}.
10610 @cindex case-insensitive symbol names
10611 @cindex case sensitivity in symbol names
10612 @kindex set case-sensitive
10613 @item set case-sensitive on
10614 @itemx set case-sensitive off
10615 @itemx set case-sensitive auto
10616 Normally, when @value{GDBN} looks up symbols, it matches their names
10617 with case sensitivity determined by the current source language.
10618 Occasionally, you may wish to control that. The command @code{set
10619 case-sensitive} lets you do that by specifying @code{on} for
10620 case-sensitive matches or @code{off} for case-insensitive ones. If
10621 you specify @code{auto}, case sensitivity is reset to the default
10622 suitable for the source language. The default is case-sensitive
10623 matches for all languages except for Fortran, for which the default is
10624 case-insensitive matches.
10626 @kindex show case-sensitive
10627 @item show case-sensitive
10628 This command shows the current setting of case sensitivity for symbols
10631 @kindex info address
10632 @cindex address of a symbol
10633 @item info address @var{symbol}
10634 Describe where the data for @var{symbol} is stored. For a register
10635 variable, this says which register it is kept in. For a non-register
10636 local variable, this prints the stack-frame offset at which the variable
10639 Note the contrast with @samp{print &@var{symbol}}, which does not work
10640 at all for a register variable, and for a stack local variable prints
10641 the exact address of the current instantiation of the variable.
10643 @kindex info symbol
10644 @cindex symbol from address
10645 @cindex closest symbol and offset for an address
10646 @item info symbol @var{addr}
10647 Print the name of a symbol which is stored at the address @var{addr}.
10648 If no symbol is stored exactly at @var{addr}, @value{GDBN} prints the
10649 nearest symbol and an offset from it:
10652 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x54320
10653 _initialize_vx + 396 in section .text
10657 This is the opposite of the @code{info address} command. You can use
10658 it to find out the name of a variable or a function given its address.
10661 @item whatis [@var{arg}]
10662 Print the data type of @var{arg}, which can be either an expression or
10663 a data type. With no argument, print the data type of @code{$}, the
10664 last value in the value history. If @var{arg} is an expression, it is
10665 not actually evaluated, and any side-effecting operations (such as
10666 assignments or function calls) inside it do not take place. If
10667 @var{arg} is a type name, it may be the name of a type or typedef, or
10668 for C code it may have the form @samp{class @var{class-name}},
10669 @samp{struct @var{struct-tag}}, @samp{union @var{union-tag}} or
10670 @samp{enum @var{enum-tag}}.
10671 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
10674 @item ptype [@var{arg}]
10675 @code{ptype} accepts the same arguments as @code{whatis}, but prints a
10676 detailed description of the type, instead of just the name of the type.
10677 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
10679 For example, for this variable declaration:
10682 struct complex @{double real; double imag;@} v;
10686 the two commands give this output:
10690 (@value{GDBP}) whatis v
10691 type = struct complex
10692 (@value{GDBP}) ptype v
10693 type = struct complex @{
10701 As with @code{whatis}, using @code{ptype} without an argument refers to
10702 the type of @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
10704 @cindex incomplete type
10705 Sometimes, programs use opaque data types or incomplete specifications
10706 of complex data structure. If the debug information included in the
10707 program does not allow @value{GDBN} to display a full declaration of
10708 the data type, it will say @samp{<incomplete type>}. For example,
10709 given these declarations:
10713 struct foo *fooptr;
10717 but no definition for @code{struct foo} itself, @value{GDBN} will say:
10720 (@value{GDBP}) ptype foo
10721 $1 = <incomplete type>
10725 ``Incomplete type'' is C terminology for data types that are not
10726 completely specified.
10729 @item info types @var{regexp}
10731 Print a brief description of all types whose names match the regular
10732 expression @var{regexp} (or all types in your program, if you supply
10733 no argument). Each complete typename is matched as though it were a
10734 complete line; thus, @samp{i type value} gives information on all
10735 types in your program whose names include the string @code{value}, but
10736 @samp{i type ^value$} gives information only on types whose complete
10737 name is @code{value}.
10739 This command differs from @code{ptype} in two ways: first, like
10740 @code{whatis}, it does not print a detailed description; second, it
10741 lists all source files where a type is defined.
10744 @cindex local variables
10745 @item info scope @var{location}
10746 List all the variables local to a particular scope. This command
10747 accepts a @var{location} argument---a function name, a source line, or
10748 an address preceded by a @samp{*}, and prints all the variables local
10749 to the scope defined by that location. For example:
10752 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info scope command_line_handler}
10753 Scope for command_line_handler:
10754 Symbol rl is an argument at stack/frame offset 8, length 4.
10755 Symbol linebuffer is in static storage at address 0x150a18, length 4.
10756 Symbol linelength is in static storage at address 0x150a1c, length 4.
10757 Symbol p is a local variable in register $esi, length 4.
10758 Symbol p1 is a local variable in register $ebx, length 4.
10759 Symbol nline is a local variable in register $edx, length 4.
10760 Symbol repeat is a local variable at frame offset -8, length 4.
10764 This command is especially useful for determining what data to collect
10765 during a @dfn{trace experiment}, see @ref{Tracepoint Actions,
10768 @kindex info source
10770 Show information about the current source file---that is, the source file for
10771 the function containing the current point of execution:
10774 the name of the source file, and the directory containing it,
10776 the directory it was compiled in,
10778 its length, in lines,
10780 which programming language it is written in,
10782 whether the executable includes debugging information for that file, and
10783 if so, what format the information is in (e.g., STABS, Dwarf 2, etc.), and
10785 whether the debugging information includes information about
10786 preprocessor macros.
10790 @kindex info sources
10792 Print the names of all source files in your program for which there is
10793 debugging information, organized into two lists: files whose symbols
10794 have already been read, and files whose symbols will be read when needed.
10796 @kindex info functions
10797 @item info functions
10798 Print the names and data types of all defined functions.
10800 @item info functions @var{regexp}
10801 Print the names and data types of all defined functions
10802 whose names contain a match for regular expression @var{regexp}.
10803 Thus, @samp{info fun step} finds all functions whose names
10804 include @code{step}; @samp{info fun ^step} finds those whose names
10805 start with @code{step}. If a function name contains characters
10806 that conflict with the regular expression language (e.g.@:
10807 @samp{operator*()}), they may be quoted with a backslash.
10809 @kindex info variables
10810 @item info variables
10811 Print the names and data types of all variables that are declared
10812 outside of functions (i.e.@: excluding local variables).
10814 @item info variables @var{regexp}
10815 Print the names and data types of all variables (except for local
10816 variables) whose names contain a match for regular expression
10819 @kindex info classes
10820 @cindex Objective-C, classes and selectors
10822 @itemx info classes @var{regexp}
10823 Display all Objective-C classes in your program, or
10824 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
10827 @kindex info selectors
10828 @item info selectors
10829 @itemx info selectors @var{regexp}
10830 Display all Objective-C selectors in your program, or
10831 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
10835 This was never implemented.
10836 @kindex info methods
10838 @itemx info methods @var{regexp}
10839 The @code{info methods} command permits the user to examine all defined
10840 methods within C@t{++} program, or (with the @var{regexp} argument) a
10841 specific set of methods found in the various C@t{++} classes. Many
10842 C@t{++} classes provide a large number of methods. Thus, the output
10843 from the @code{ptype} command can be overwhelming and hard to use. The
10844 @code{info-methods} command filters the methods, printing only those
10845 which match the regular-expression @var{regexp}.
10848 @cindex reloading symbols
10849 Some systems allow individual object files that make up your program to
10850 be replaced without stopping and restarting your program. For example,
10851 in VxWorks you can simply recompile a defective object file and keep on
10852 running. If you are running on one of these systems, you can allow
10853 @value{GDBN} to reload the symbols for automatically relinked modules:
10856 @kindex set symbol-reloading
10857 @item set symbol-reloading on
10858 Replace symbol definitions for the corresponding source file when an
10859 object file with a particular name is seen again.
10861 @item set symbol-reloading off
10862 Do not replace symbol definitions when encountering object files of the
10863 same name more than once. This is the default state; if you are not
10864 running on a system that permits automatic relinking of modules, you
10865 should leave @code{symbol-reloading} off, since otherwise @value{GDBN}
10866 may discard symbols when linking large programs, that may contain
10867 several modules (from different directories or libraries) with the same
10870 @kindex show symbol-reloading
10871 @item show symbol-reloading
10872 Show the current @code{on} or @code{off} setting.
10875 @cindex opaque data types
10876 @kindex set opaque-type-resolution
10877 @item set opaque-type-resolution on
10878 Tell @value{GDBN} to resolve opaque types. An opaque type is a type
10879 declared as a pointer to a @code{struct}, @code{class}, or
10880 @code{union}---for example, @code{struct MyType *}---that is used in one
10881 source file although the full declaration of @code{struct MyType} is in
10882 another source file. The default is on.
10884 A change in the setting of this subcommand will not take effect until
10885 the next time symbols for a file are loaded.
10887 @item set opaque-type-resolution off
10888 Tell @value{GDBN} not to resolve opaque types. In this case, the type
10889 is printed as follows:
10891 @{<no data fields>@}
10894 @kindex show opaque-type-resolution
10895 @item show opaque-type-resolution
10896 Show whether opaque types are resolved or not.
10898 @kindex maint print symbols
10899 @cindex symbol dump
10900 @kindex maint print psymbols
10901 @cindex partial symbol dump
10902 @item maint print symbols @var{filename}
10903 @itemx maint print psymbols @var{filename}
10904 @itemx maint print msymbols @var{filename}
10905 Write a dump of debugging symbol data into the file @var{filename}.
10906 These commands are used to debug the @value{GDBN} symbol-reading code. Only
10907 symbols with debugging data are included. If you use @samp{maint print
10908 symbols}, @value{GDBN} includes all the symbols for which it has already
10909 collected full details: that is, @var{filename} reflects symbols for
10910 only those files whose symbols @value{GDBN} has read. You can use the
10911 command @code{info sources} to find out which files these are. If you
10912 use @samp{maint print psymbols} instead, the dump shows information about
10913 symbols that @value{GDBN} only knows partially---that is, symbols defined in
10914 files that @value{GDBN} has skimmed, but not yet read completely. Finally,
10915 @samp{maint print msymbols} dumps just the minimal symbol information
10916 required for each object file from which @value{GDBN} has read some symbols.
10917 @xref{Files, ,Commands to specify files}, for a discussion of how
10918 @value{GDBN} reads symbols (in the description of @code{symbol-file}).
10920 @kindex maint info symtabs
10921 @kindex maint info psymtabs
10922 @cindex listing @value{GDBN}'s internal symbol tables
10923 @cindex symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
10924 @cindex full symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
10925 @cindex partial symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
10926 @item maint info symtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
10927 @itemx maint info psymtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
10929 List the @code{struct symtab} or @code{struct partial_symtab}
10930 structures whose names match @var{regexp}. If @var{regexp} is not
10931 given, list them all. The output includes expressions which you can
10932 copy into a @value{GDBN} debugging this one to examine a particular
10933 structure in more detail. For example:
10936 (@value{GDBP}) maint info psymtabs dwarf2read
10937 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
10938 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
10939 @{ psymtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
10940 ((struct partial_symtab *) 0x8474b10)
10943 text addresses 0x814d3c8 -- 0x8158074
10944 globals (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x8507a08 @@ 9)
10945 statics (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x40e95b78 @@ 2882)
10946 dependencies (none)
10949 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
10953 We see that there is one partial symbol table whose filename contains
10954 the string @samp{dwarf2read}, belonging to the @samp{gdb} executable;
10955 and we see that @value{GDBN} has not read in any symtabs yet at all.
10956 If we set a breakpoint on a function, that will cause @value{GDBN} to
10957 read the symtab for the compilation unit containing that function:
10960 (@value{GDBP}) break dwarf2_psymtab_to_symtab
10961 Breakpoint 1 at 0x814e5da: file /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c,
10963 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
10964 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
10965 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
10966 @{ symtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
10967 ((struct symtab *) 0x86c1f38)
10970 blockvector ((struct blockvector *) 0x86c1bd0) (primary)
10971 debugformat DWARF 2
10980 @chapter Altering Execution
10982 Once you think you have found an error in your program, you might want to
10983 find out for certain whether correcting the apparent error would lead to
10984 correct results in the rest of the run. You can find the answer by
10985 experiment, using the @value{GDBN} features for altering execution of the
10988 For example, you can store new values into variables or memory
10989 locations, give your program a signal, restart it at a different
10990 address, or even return prematurely from a function.
10993 * Assignment:: Assignment to variables
10994 * Jumping:: Continuing at a different address
10995 * Signaling:: Giving your program a signal
10996 * Returning:: Returning from a function
10997 * Calling:: Calling your program's functions
10998 * Patching:: Patching your program
11002 @section Assignment to variables
11005 @cindex setting variables
11006 To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression.
11007 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}. For example,
11014 stores the value 4 into the variable @code{x}, and then prints the
11015 value of the assignment expression (which is 4).
11016 @xref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages}, for more
11017 information on operators in supported languages.
11019 @kindex set variable
11020 @cindex variables, setting
11021 If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use the
11022 @code{set} command instead of the @code{print} command. @code{set} is
11023 really the same as @code{print} except that the expression's value is
11024 not printed and is not put in the value history (@pxref{Value History,
11025 ,Value history}). The expression is evaluated only for its effects.
11027 If the beginning of the argument string of the @code{set} command
11028 appears identical to a @code{set} subcommand, use the @code{set
11029 variable} command instead of just @code{set}. This command is identical
11030 to @code{set} except for its lack of subcommands. For example, if your
11031 program has a variable @code{width}, you get an error if you try to set
11032 a new value with just @samp{set width=13}, because @value{GDBN} has the
11033 command @code{set width}:
11036 (@value{GDBP}) whatis width
11038 (@value{GDBP}) p width
11040 (@value{GDBP}) set width=47
11041 Invalid syntax in expression.
11045 The invalid expression, of course, is @samp{=47}. In
11046 order to actually set the program's variable @code{width}, use
11049 (@value{GDBP}) set var width=47
11052 Because the @code{set} command has many subcommands that can conflict
11053 with the names of program variables, it is a good idea to use the
11054 @code{set variable} command instead of just @code{set}. For example, if
11055 your program has a variable @code{g}, you run into problems if you try
11056 to set a new value with just @samp{set g=4}, because @value{GDBN} has
11057 the command @code{set gnutarget}, abbreviated @code{set g}:
11061 (@value{GDBP}) whatis g
11065 (@value{GDBP}) set g=4
11069 The program being debugged has been started already.
11070 Start it from the beginning? (y or n) y
11071 Starting program: /home/smith/cc_progs/a.out
11072 "/home/smith/cc_progs/a.out": can't open to read symbols:
11073 Invalid bfd target.
11074 (@value{GDBP}) show g
11075 The current BFD target is "=4".
11080 The program variable @code{g} did not change, and you silently set the
11081 @code{gnutarget} to an invalid value. In order to set the variable
11085 (@value{GDBP}) set var g=4
11088 @value{GDBN} allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C; you can
11089 freely store an integer value into a pointer variable or vice versa,
11090 and you can convert any structure to any other structure that is the
11091 same length or shorter.
11092 @comment FIXME: how do structs align/pad in these conversions?
11093 @comment /doc@cygnus.com 18dec1990
11095 To store values into arbitrary places in memory, use the @samp{@{@dots{}@}}
11096 construct to generate a value of specified type at a specified address
11097 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). For example, @code{@{int@}0x83040} refers
11098 to memory location @code{0x83040} as an integer (which implies a certain size
11099 and representation in memory), and
11102 set @{int@}0x83040 = 4
11106 stores the value 4 into that memory location.
11109 @section Continuing at a different address
11111 Ordinarily, when you continue your program, you do so at the place where
11112 it stopped, with the @code{continue} command. You can instead continue at
11113 an address of your own choosing, with the following commands:
11117 @item jump @var{linespec}
11118 Resume execution at line @var{linespec}. Execution stops again
11119 immediately if there is a breakpoint there. @xref{List, ,Printing
11120 source lines}, for a description of the different forms of
11121 @var{linespec}. It is common practice to use the @code{tbreak} command
11122 in conjunction with @code{jump}. @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting
11125 The @code{jump} command does not change the current stack frame, or
11126 the stack pointer, or the contents of any memory location or any
11127 register other than the program counter. If line @var{linespec} is in
11128 a different function from the one currently executing, the results may
11129 be bizarre if the two functions expect different patterns of arguments or
11130 of local variables. For this reason, the @code{jump} command requests
11131 confirmation if the specified line is not in the function currently
11132 executing. However, even bizarre results are predictable if you are
11133 well acquainted with the machine-language code of your program.
11135 @item jump *@var{address}
11136 Resume execution at the instruction at address @var{address}.
11139 @c Doesn't work on HP-UX; have to set $pcoqh and $pcoqt.
11140 On many systems, you can get much the same effect as the @code{jump}
11141 command by storing a new value into the register @code{$pc}. The
11142 difference is that this does not start your program running; it only
11143 changes the address of where it @emph{will} run when you continue. For
11151 makes the next @code{continue} command or stepping command execute at
11152 address @code{0x485}, rather than at the address where your program stopped.
11153 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and stepping}.
11155 The most common occasion to use the @code{jump} command is to back
11156 up---perhaps with more breakpoints set---over a portion of a program
11157 that has already executed, in order to examine its execution in more
11162 @section Giving your program a signal
11163 @cindex deliver a signal to a program
11167 @item signal @var{signal}
11168 Resume execution where your program stopped, but immediately give it the
11169 signal @var{signal}. @var{signal} can be the name or the number of a
11170 signal. For example, on many systems @code{signal 2} and @code{signal
11171 SIGINT} are both ways of sending an interrupt signal.
11173 Alternatively, if @var{signal} is zero, continue execution without
11174 giving a signal. This is useful when your program stopped on account of
11175 a signal and would ordinary see the signal when resumed with the
11176 @code{continue} command; @samp{signal 0} causes it to resume without a
11179 @code{signal} does not repeat when you press @key{RET} a second time
11180 after executing the command.
11184 Invoking the @code{signal} command is not the same as invoking the
11185 @code{kill} utility from the shell. Sending a signal with @code{kill}
11186 causes @value{GDBN} to decide what to do with the signal depending on
11187 the signal handling tables (@pxref{Signals}). The @code{signal} command
11188 passes the signal directly to your program.
11192 @section Returning from a function
11195 @cindex returning from a function
11198 @itemx return @var{expression}
11199 You can cancel execution of a function call with the @code{return}
11200 command. If you give an
11201 @var{expression} argument, its value is used as the function's return
11205 When you use @code{return}, @value{GDBN} discards the selected stack frame
11206 (and all frames within it). You can think of this as making the
11207 discarded frame return prematurely. If you wish to specify a value to
11208 be returned, give that value as the argument to @code{return}.
11210 This pops the selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a
11211 frame}), and any other frames inside of it, leaving its caller as the
11212 innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes selected. The
11213 specified value is stored in the registers used for returning values
11216 The @code{return} command does not resume execution; it leaves the
11217 program stopped in the state that would exist if the function had just
11218 returned. In contrast, the @code{finish} command (@pxref{Continuing
11219 and Stepping, ,Continuing and stepping}) resumes execution until the
11220 selected stack frame returns naturally.
11223 @section Calling program functions
11226 @cindex calling functions
11227 @cindex inferior functions, calling
11228 @item print @var{expr}
11229 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} and display the resuling value.
11230 @var{expr} may include calls to functions in the program being
11234 @item call @var{expr}
11235 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} without displaying @code{void}
11238 You can use this variant of the @code{print} command if you want to
11239 execute a function from your program that does not return anything
11240 (a.k.a.@: @dfn{a void function}), but without cluttering the output
11241 with @code{void} returned values that @value{GDBN} will otherwise
11242 print. If the result is not void, it is printed and saved in the
11246 It is possible for the function you call via the @code{print} or
11247 @code{call} command to generate a signal (e.g., if there's a bug in
11248 the function, or if you passed it incorrect arguments). What happens
11249 in that case is controlled by the @code{set unwindonsignal} command.
11252 @item set unwindonsignal
11253 @kindex set unwindonsignal
11254 @cindex unwind stack in called functions
11255 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding
11256 Set unwinding of the stack if a signal is received while in a function
11257 that @value{GDBN} called in the program being debugged. If set to on,
11258 @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack it created for the call and restores
11259 the context to what it was before the call. If set to off (the
11260 default), @value{GDBN} stops in the frame where the signal was
11263 @item show unwindonsignal
11264 @kindex show unwindonsignal
11265 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
11269 @cindex weak alias functions
11270 Sometimes, a function you wish to call is actually a @dfn{weak alias}
11271 for another function. In such case, @value{GDBN} might not pick up
11272 the type information, including the types of the function arguments,
11273 which causes @value{GDBN} to call the inferior function incorrectly.
11274 As a result, the called function will function erroneously and may
11275 even crash. A solution to that is to use the name of the aliased
11279 @section Patching programs
11281 @cindex patching binaries
11282 @cindex writing into executables
11283 @cindex writing into corefiles
11285 By default, @value{GDBN} opens the file containing your program's
11286 executable code (or the corefile) read-only. This prevents accidental
11287 alterations to machine code; but it also prevents you from intentionally
11288 patching your program's binary.
11290 If you'd like to be able to patch the binary, you can specify that
11291 explicitly with the @code{set write} command. For example, you might
11292 want to turn on internal debugging flags, or even to make emergency
11298 @itemx set write off
11299 If you specify @samp{set write on}, @value{GDBN} opens executable and
11300 core files for both reading and writing; if you specify @samp{set write
11301 off} (the default), @value{GDBN} opens them read-only.
11303 If you have already loaded a file, you must load it again (using the
11304 @code{exec-file} or @code{core-file} command) after changing @code{set
11305 write}, for your new setting to take effect.
11309 Display whether executable files and core files are opened for writing
11310 as well as reading.
11314 @chapter @value{GDBN} Files
11316 @value{GDBN} needs to know the file name of the program to be debugged,
11317 both in order to read its symbol table and in order to start your
11318 program. To debug a core dump of a previous run, you must also tell
11319 @value{GDBN} the name of the core dump file.
11322 * Files:: Commands to specify files
11323 * Separate Debug Files:: Debugging information in separate files
11324 * Symbol Errors:: Errors reading symbol files
11328 @section Commands to specify files
11330 @cindex symbol table
11331 @cindex core dump file
11333 You may want to specify executable and core dump file names. The usual
11334 way to do this is at start-up time, using the arguments to
11335 @value{GDBN}'s start-up commands (@pxref{Invocation, , Getting In and
11336 Out of @value{GDBN}}).
11338 Occasionally it is necessary to change to a different file during a
11339 @value{GDBN} session. Or you may run @value{GDBN} and forget to
11340 specify a file you want to use. Or you are debugging a remote target
11341 via @code{gdbserver} (@pxref{Server, file}). In these situations the
11342 @value{GDBN} commands to specify new files are useful.
11345 @cindex executable file
11347 @item file @var{filename}
11348 Use @var{filename} as the program to be debugged. It is read for its
11349 symbols and for the contents of pure memory. It is also the program
11350 executed when you use the @code{run} command. If you do not specify a
11351 directory and the file is not found in the @value{GDBN} working directory,
11352 @value{GDBN} uses the environment variable @code{PATH} as a list of
11353 directories to search, just as the shell does when looking for a program
11354 to run. You can change the value of this variable, for both @value{GDBN}
11355 and your program, using the @code{path} command.
11357 @cindex unlinked object files
11358 @cindex patching object files
11359 You can load unlinked object @file{.o} files into @value{GDBN} using
11360 the @code{file} command. You will not be able to ``run'' an object
11361 file, but you can disassemble functions and inspect variables. Also,
11362 if the underlying BFD functionality supports it, you could use
11363 @kbd{gdb -write} to patch object files using this technique. Note
11364 that @value{GDBN} can neither interpret nor modify relocations in this
11365 case, so branches and some initialized variables will appear to go to
11366 the wrong place. But this feature is still handy from time to time.
11369 @code{file} with no argument makes @value{GDBN} discard any information it
11370 has on both executable file and the symbol table.
11373 @item exec-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
11374 Specify that the program to be run (but not the symbol table) is found
11375 in @var{filename}. @value{GDBN} searches the environment variable @code{PATH}
11376 if necessary to locate your program. Omitting @var{filename} means to
11377 discard information on the executable file.
11379 @kindex symbol-file
11380 @item symbol-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
11381 Read symbol table information from file @var{filename}. @code{PATH} is
11382 searched when necessary. Use the @code{file} command to get both symbol
11383 table and program to run from the same file.
11385 @code{symbol-file} with no argument clears out @value{GDBN} information on your
11386 program's symbol table.
11388 The @code{symbol-file} command causes @value{GDBN} to forget the contents of
11389 some breakpoints and auto-display expressions. This is because they may
11390 contain pointers to the internal data recording symbols and data types,
11391 which are part of the old symbol table data being discarded inside
11394 @code{symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
11397 When @value{GDBN} is configured for a particular environment, it
11398 understands debugging information in whatever format is the standard
11399 generated for that environment; you may use either a @sc{gnu} compiler, or
11400 other compilers that adhere to the local conventions.
11401 Best results are usually obtained from @sc{gnu} compilers; for example,
11402 using @code{@value{GCC}} you can generate debugging information for
11405 For most kinds of object files, with the exception of old SVR3 systems
11406 using COFF, the @code{symbol-file} command does not normally read the
11407 symbol table in full right away. Instead, it scans the symbol table
11408 quickly to find which source files and which symbols are present. The
11409 details are read later, one source file at a time, as they are needed.
11411 The purpose of this two-stage reading strategy is to make @value{GDBN}
11412 start up faster. For the most part, it is invisible except for
11413 occasional pauses while the symbol table details for a particular source
11414 file are being read. (The @code{set verbose} command can turn these
11415 pauses into messages if desired. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional
11416 warnings and messages}.)
11418 We have not implemented the two-stage strategy for COFF yet. When the
11419 symbol table is stored in COFF format, @code{symbol-file} reads the
11420 symbol table data in full right away. Note that ``stabs-in-COFF''
11421 still does the two-stage strategy, since the debug info is actually
11425 @cindex reading symbols immediately
11426 @cindex symbols, reading immediately
11427 @item symbol-file @var{filename} @r{[} -readnow @r{]}
11428 @itemx file @var{filename} @r{[} -readnow @r{]}
11429 You can override the @value{GDBN} two-stage strategy for reading symbol
11430 tables by using the @samp{-readnow} option with any of the commands that
11431 load symbol table information, if you want to be sure @value{GDBN} has the
11432 entire symbol table available.
11434 @c FIXME: for now no mention of directories, since this seems to be in
11435 @c flux. 13mar1992 status is that in theory GDB would look either in
11436 @c current dir or in same dir as myprog; but issues like competing
11437 @c GDB's, or clutter in system dirs, mean that in practice right now
11438 @c only current dir is used. FFish says maybe a special GDB hierarchy
11439 @c (eg rooted in val of env var GDBSYMS) could exist for mappable symbol
11443 @item core-file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
11445 Specify the whereabouts of a core dump file to be used as the ``contents
11446 of memory''. Traditionally, core files contain only some parts of the
11447 address space of the process that generated them; @value{GDBN} can access the
11448 executable file itself for other parts.
11450 @code{core-file} with no argument specifies that no core file is
11453 Note that the core file is ignored when your program is actually running
11454 under @value{GDBN}. So, if you have been running your program and you
11455 wish to debug a core file instead, you must kill the subprocess in which
11456 the program is running. To do this, use the @code{kill} command
11457 (@pxref{Kill Process, ,Killing the child process}).
11459 @kindex add-symbol-file
11460 @cindex dynamic linking
11461 @item add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address}
11462 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} @r{[} -readnow @r{]}
11463 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @r{-s}@var{section} @var{address} @dots{}
11464 The @code{add-symbol-file} command reads additional symbol table
11465 information from the file @var{filename}. You would use this command
11466 when @var{filename} has been dynamically loaded (by some other means)
11467 into the program that is running. @var{address} should be the memory
11468 address at which the file has been loaded; @value{GDBN} cannot figure
11469 this out for itself. You can additionally specify an arbitrary number
11470 of @samp{@r{-s}@var{section} @var{address}} pairs, to give an explicit
11471 section name and base address for that section. You can specify any
11472 @var{address} as an expression.
11474 The symbol table of the file @var{filename} is added to the symbol table
11475 originally read with the @code{symbol-file} command. You can use the
11476 @code{add-symbol-file} command any number of times; the new symbol data
11477 thus read keeps adding to the old. To discard all old symbol data
11478 instead, use the @code{symbol-file} command without any arguments.
11480 @cindex relocatable object files, reading symbols from
11481 @cindex object files, relocatable, reading symbols from
11482 @cindex reading symbols from relocatable object files
11483 @cindex symbols, reading from relocatable object files
11484 @cindex @file{.o} files, reading symbols from
11485 Although @var{filename} is typically a shared library file, an
11486 executable file, or some other object file which has been fully
11487 relocated for loading into a process, you can also load symbolic
11488 information from relocatable @file{.o} files, as long as:
11492 the file's symbolic information refers only to linker symbols defined in
11493 that file, not to symbols defined by other object files,
11495 every section the file's symbolic information refers to has actually
11496 been loaded into the inferior, as it appears in the file, and
11498 you can determine the address at which every section was loaded, and
11499 provide these to the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
11503 Some embedded operating systems, like Sun Chorus and VxWorks, can load
11504 relocatable files into an already running program; such systems
11505 typically make the requirements above easy to meet. However, it's
11506 important to recognize that many native systems use complex link
11507 procedures (@code{.linkonce} section factoring and C@t{++} constructor table
11508 assembly, for example) that make the requirements difficult to meet. In
11509 general, one cannot assume that using @code{add-symbol-file} to read a
11510 relocatable object file's symbolic information will have the same effect
11511 as linking the relocatable object file into the program in the normal
11514 @code{add-symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
11516 @kindex add-symbol-file-from-memory
11517 @cindex @code{syscall DSO}
11518 @cindex load symbols from memory
11519 @item add-symbol-file-from-memory @var{address}
11520 Load symbols from the given @var{address} in a dynamically loaded
11521 object file whose image is mapped directly into the inferior's memory.
11522 For example, the Linux kernel maps a @code{syscall DSO} into each
11523 process's address space; this DSO provides kernel-specific code for
11524 some system calls. The argument can be any expression whose
11525 evaluation yields the address of the file's shared object file header.
11526 For this command to work, you must have used @code{symbol-file} or
11527 @code{exec-file} commands in advance.
11529 @kindex add-shared-symbol-files
11531 @item add-shared-symbol-files @var{library-file}
11532 @itemx assf @var{library-file}
11533 The @code{add-shared-symbol-files} command can currently be used only
11534 in the Cygwin build of @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows OS, where it is an
11535 alias for the @code{dll-symbols} command (@pxref{Cygwin Native}).
11536 @value{GDBN} automatically looks for shared libraries, however if
11537 @value{GDBN} does not find yours, you can invoke
11538 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}. It takes one argument: the shared
11539 library's file name. @code{assf} is a shorthand alias for
11540 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}.
11543 @item section @var{section} @var{addr}
11544 The @code{section} command changes the base address of the named
11545 @var{section} of the exec file to @var{addr}. This can be used if the
11546 exec file does not contain section addresses, (such as in the
11547 @code{a.out} format), or when the addresses specified in the file
11548 itself are wrong. Each section must be changed separately. The
11549 @code{info files} command, described below, lists all the sections and
11553 @kindex info target
11556 @code{info files} and @code{info target} are synonymous; both print the
11557 current target (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}),
11558 including the names of the executable and core dump files currently in
11559 use by @value{GDBN}, and the files from which symbols were loaded. The
11560 command @code{help target} lists all possible targets rather than
11563 @kindex maint info sections
11564 @item maint info sections
11565 Another command that can give you extra information about program sections
11566 is @code{maint info sections}. In addition to the section information
11567 displayed by @code{info files}, this command displays the flags and file
11568 offset of each section in the executable and core dump files. In addition,
11569 @code{maint info sections} provides the following command options (which
11570 may be arbitrarily combined):
11574 Display sections for all loaded object files, including shared libraries.
11575 @item @var{sections}
11576 Display info only for named @var{sections}.
11577 @item @var{section-flags}
11578 Display info only for sections for which @var{section-flags} are true.
11579 The section flags that @value{GDBN} currently knows about are:
11582 Section will have space allocated in the process when loaded.
11583 Set for all sections except those containing debug information.
11585 Section will be loaded from the file into the child process memory.
11586 Set for pre-initialized code and data, clear for @code{.bss} sections.
11588 Section needs to be relocated before loading.
11590 Section cannot be modified by the child process.
11592 Section contains executable code only.
11594 Section contains data only (no executable code).
11596 Section will reside in ROM.
11598 Section contains data for constructor/destructor lists.
11600 Section is not empty.
11602 An instruction to the linker to not output the section.
11603 @item COFF_SHARED_LIBRARY
11604 A notification to the linker that the section contains
11605 COFF shared library information.
11607 Section contains common symbols.
11610 @kindex set trust-readonly-sections
11611 @cindex read-only sections
11612 @item set trust-readonly-sections on
11613 Tell @value{GDBN} that readonly sections in your object file
11614 really are read-only (i.e.@: that their contents will not change).
11615 In that case, @value{GDBN} can fetch values from these sections
11616 out of the object file, rather than from the target program.
11617 For some targets (notably embedded ones), this can be a significant
11618 enhancement to debugging performance.
11620 The default is off.
11622 @item set trust-readonly-sections off
11623 Tell @value{GDBN} not to trust readonly sections. This means that
11624 the contents of the section might change while the program is running,
11625 and must therefore be fetched from the target when needed.
11627 @item show trust-readonly-sections
11628 Show the current setting of trusting readonly sections.
11631 All file-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative file names
11632 as arguments. @value{GDBN} always converts the file name to an absolute file
11633 name and remembers it that way.
11635 @cindex shared libraries
11636 @value{GDBN} supports GNU/Linux, MS-Windows, HP-UX, SunOS, SVr4, Irix,
11637 and IBM RS/6000 AIX shared libraries.
11639 @value{GDBN} automatically loads symbol definitions from shared libraries
11640 when you use the @code{run} command, or when you examine a core file.
11641 (Before you issue the @code{run} command, @value{GDBN} does not understand
11642 references to a function in a shared library, however---unless you are
11643 debugging a core file).
11645 On HP-UX, if the program loads a library explicitly, @value{GDBN}
11646 automatically loads the symbols at the time of the @code{shl_load} call.
11648 @c FIXME: some @value{GDBN} release may permit some refs to undef
11649 @c FIXME...symbols---eg in a break cmd---assuming they are from a shared
11650 @c FIXME...lib; check this from time to time when updating manual
11652 There are times, however, when you may wish to not automatically load
11653 symbol definitions from shared libraries, such as when they are
11654 particularly large or there are many of them.
11656 To control the automatic loading of shared library symbols, use the
11660 @kindex set auto-solib-add
11661 @item set auto-solib-add @var{mode}
11662 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, symbols from all shared object libraries
11663 will be loaded automatically when the inferior begins execution, you
11664 attach to an independently started inferior, or when the dynamic linker
11665 informs @value{GDBN} that a new library has been loaded. If @var{mode}
11666 is @code{off}, symbols must be loaded manually, using the
11667 @code{sharedlibrary} command. The default value is @code{on}.
11669 @cindex memory used for symbol tables
11670 If your program uses lots of shared libraries with debug info that
11671 takes large amounts of memory, you can decrease the @value{GDBN}
11672 memory footprint by preventing it from automatically loading the
11673 symbols from shared libraries. To that end, type @kbd{set
11674 auto-solib-add off} before running the inferior, then load each
11675 library whose debug symbols you do need with @kbd{sharedlibrary
11676 @var{regexp}}, where @var{regexp} is a regular expresion that matches
11677 the libraries whose symbols you want to be loaded.
11679 @kindex show auto-solib-add
11680 @item show auto-solib-add
11681 Display the current autoloading mode.
11684 @cindex load shared library
11685 To explicitly load shared library symbols, use the @code{sharedlibrary}
11689 @kindex info sharedlibrary
11692 @itemx info sharedlibrary
11693 Print the names of the shared libraries which are currently loaded.
11695 @kindex sharedlibrary
11697 @item sharedlibrary @var{regex}
11698 @itemx share @var{regex}
11699 Load shared object library symbols for files matching a
11700 Unix regular expression.
11701 As with files loaded automatically, it only loads shared libraries
11702 required by your program for a core file or after typing @code{run}. If
11703 @var{regex} is omitted all shared libraries required by your program are
11706 @item nosharedlibrary
11707 @kindex nosharedlibrary
11708 @cindex unload symbols from shared libraries
11709 Unload all shared object library symbols. This discards all symbols
11710 that have been loaded from all shared libraries. Symbols from shared
11711 libraries that were loaded by explicit user requests are not
11715 Sometimes you may wish that @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control
11716 when any of shared library events happen. Use the @code{set
11717 stop-on-solib-events} command for this:
11720 @item set stop-on-solib-events
11721 @kindex set stop-on-solib-events
11722 This command controls whether @value{GDBN} should give you control
11723 when the dynamic linker notifies it about some shared library event.
11724 The most common event of interest is loading or unloading of a new
11727 @item show stop-on-solib-events
11728 @kindex show stop-on-solib-events
11729 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control when shared
11730 library events happen.
11733 Shared libraries are also supported in many cross or remote debugging
11734 configurations. A copy of the target's libraries need to be present on the
11735 host system; they need to be the same as the target libraries, although the
11736 copies on the target can be stripped as long as the copies on the host are
11739 @cindex where to look for shared libraries
11740 For remote debugging, you need to tell @value{GDBN} where the target
11741 libraries are, so that it can load the correct copies---otherwise, it
11742 may try to load the host's libraries. @value{GDBN} has two variables
11743 to specify the search directories for target libraries.
11746 @cindex prefix for shared library file names
11747 @kindex set solib-absolute-prefix
11748 @item set solib-absolute-prefix @var{path}
11749 If this variable is set, @var{path} will be used as a prefix for any
11750 absolute shared library paths; many runtime loaders store the absolute
11751 paths to the shared library in the target program's memory. If you use
11752 @samp{solib-absolute-prefix} to find shared libraries, they need to be laid
11753 out in the same way that they are on the target, with e.g.@: a
11754 @file{/usr/lib} hierarchy under @var{path}.
11756 @cindex default value of @samp{solib-absolute-prefix}
11757 @cindex @samp{--with-sysroot}
11758 You can set the default value of @samp{solib-absolute-prefix} by using the
11759 configure-time @samp{--with-sysroot} option.
11761 @kindex show solib-absolute-prefix
11762 @item show solib-absolute-prefix
11763 Display the current shared library prefix.
11765 @kindex set solib-search-path
11766 @item set solib-search-path @var{path}
11767 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of directories
11768 to search for shared libraries. @samp{solib-search-path} is used after
11769 @samp{solib-absolute-prefix} fails to locate the library, or if the path to
11770 the library is relative instead of absolute. If you want to use
11771 @samp{solib-search-path} instead of @samp{solib-absolute-prefix}, be sure to
11772 set @samp{solib-absolute-prefix} to a nonexistant directory to prevent
11773 @value{GDBN} from finding your host's libraries.
11775 @kindex show solib-search-path
11776 @item show solib-search-path
11777 Display the current shared library search path.
11781 @node Separate Debug Files
11782 @section Debugging Information in Separate Files
11783 @cindex separate debugging information files
11784 @cindex debugging information in separate files
11785 @cindex @file{.debug} subdirectories
11786 @cindex debugging information directory, global
11787 @cindex global debugging information directory
11789 @value{GDBN} allows you to put a program's debugging information in a
11790 file separate from the executable itself, in a way that allows
11791 @value{GDBN} to find and load the debugging information automatically.
11792 Since debugging information can be very large --- sometimes larger
11793 than the executable code itself --- some systems distribute debugging
11794 information for their executables in separate files, which users can
11795 install only when they need to debug a problem.
11797 If an executable's debugging information has been extracted to a
11798 separate file, the executable should contain a @dfn{debug link} giving
11799 the name of the debugging information file (with no directory
11800 components), and a checksum of its contents. (The exact form of a
11801 debug link is described below.) If the full name of the directory
11802 containing the executable is @var{execdir}, and the executable has a
11803 debug link that specifies the name @var{debugfile}, then @value{GDBN}
11804 will automatically search for the debugging information file in three
11809 the directory containing the executable file (that is, it will look
11810 for a file named @file{@var{execdir}/@var{debugfile}},
11812 a subdirectory of that directory named @file{.debug} (that is, the
11813 file @file{@var{execdir}/.debug/@var{debugfile}}, and
11815 a subdirectory of the global debug file directory that includes the
11816 executable's full path, and the name from the link (that is, the file
11817 @file{@var{globaldebugdir}/@var{execdir}/@var{debugfile}}, where
11818 @var{globaldebugdir} is the global debug file directory, and
11819 @var{execdir} has been turned into a relative path).
11822 @value{GDBN} checks under each of these names for a debugging
11823 information file whose checksum matches that given in the link, and
11824 reads the debugging information from the first one it finds.
11826 So, for example, if you ask @value{GDBN} to debug @file{/usr/bin/ls},
11827 which has a link containing the name @file{ls.debug}, and the global
11828 debug directory is @file{/usr/lib/debug}, then @value{GDBN} will look
11829 for debug information in @file{/usr/bin/ls.debug},
11830 @file{/usr/bin/.debug/ls.debug}, and
11831 @file{/usr/lib/debug/usr/bin/ls.debug}.
11833 You can set the global debugging info directory's name, and view the
11834 name @value{GDBN} is currently using.
11838 @kindex set debug-file-directory
11839 @item set debug-file-directory @var{directory}
11840 Set the directory which @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
11841 information files to @var{directory}.
11843 @kindex show debug-file-directory
11844 @item show debug-file-directory
11845 Show the directory @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
11850 @cindex @code{.gnu_debuglink} sections
11851 @cindex debug links
11852 A debug link is a special section of the executable file named
11853 @code{.gnu_debuglink}. The section must contain:
11857 A filename, with any leading directory components removed, followed by
11860 zero to three bytes of padding, as needed to reach the next four-byte
11861 boundary within the section, and
11863 a four-byte CRC checksum, stored in the same endianness used for the
11864 executable file itself. The checksum is computed on the debugging
11865 information file's full contents by the function given below, passing
11866 zero as the @var{crc} argument.
11869 Any executable file format can carry a debug link, as long as it can
11870 contain a section named @code{.gnu_debuglink} with the contents
11873 The debugging information file itself should be an ordinary
11874 executable, containing a full set of linker symbols, sections, and
11875 debugging information. The sections of the debugging information file
11876 should have the same names, addresses and sizes as the original file,
11877 but they need not contain any data --- much like a @code{.bss} section
11878 in an ordinary executable.
11880 As of December 2002, there is no standard GNU utility to produce
11881 separated executable / debugging information file pairs. Ulrich
11882 Drepper's @file{elfutils} package, starting with version 0.53,
11883 contains a version of the @code{strip} command such that the command
11884 @kbd{strip foo -f foo.debug} removes the debugging information from
11885 the executable file @file{foo}, places it in the file
11886 @file{foo.debug}, and leaves behind a debug link in @file{foo}.
11888 Since there are many different ways to compute CRC's (different
11889 polynomials, reversals, byte ordering, etc.), the simplest way to
11890 describe the CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink} sections is to give the
11891 complete code for a function that computes it:
11893 @kindex gnu_debuglink_crc32
11896 gnu_debuglink_crc32 (unsigned long crc,
11897 unsigned char *buf, size_t len)
11899 static const unsigned long crc32_table[256] =
11901 0x00000000, 0x77073096, 0xee0e612c, 0x990951ba, 0x076dc419,
11902 0x706af48f, 0xe963a535, 0x9e6495a3, 0x0edb8832, 0x79dcb8a4,
11903 0xe0d5e91e, 0x97d2d988, 0x09b64c2b, 0x7eb17cbd, 0xe7b82d07,
11904 0x90bf1d91, 0x1db71064, 0x6ab020f2, 0xf3b97148, 0x84be41de,
11905 0x1adad47d, 0x6ddde4eb, 0xf4d4b551, 0x83d385c7, 0x136c9856,
11906 0x646ba8c0, 0xfd62f97a, 0x8a65c9ec, 0x14015c4f, 0x63066cd9,
11907 0xfa0f3d63, 0x8d080df5, 0x3b6e20c8, 0x4c69105e, 0xd56041e4,
11908 0xa2677172, 0x3c03e4d1, 0x4b04d447, 0xd20d85fd, 0xa50ab56b,
11909 0x35b5a8fa, 0x42b2986c, 0xdbbbc9d6, 0xacbcf940, 0x32d86ce3,
11910 0x45df5c75, 0xdcd60dcf, 0xabd13d59, 0x26d930ac, 0x51de003a,
11911 0xc8d75180, 0xbfd06116, 0x21b4f4b5, 0x56b3c423, 0xcfba9599,
11912 0xb8bda50f, 0x2802b89e, 0x5f058808, 0xc60cd9b2, 0xb10be924,
11913 0x2f6f7c87, 0x58684c11, 0xc1611dab, 0xb6662d3d, 0x76dc4190,
11914 0x01db7106, 0x98d220bc, 0xefd5102a, 0x71b18589, 0x06b6b51f,
11915 0x9fbfe4a5, 0xe8b8d433, 0x7807c9a2, 0x0f00f934, 0x9609a88e,
11916 0xe10e9818, 0x7f6a0dbb, 0x086d3d2d, 0x91646c97, 0xe6635c01,
11917 0x6b6b51f4, 0x1c6c6162, 0x856530d8, 0xf262004e, 0x6c0695ed,
11918 0x1b01a57b, 0x8208f4c1, 0xf50fc457, 0x65b0d9c6, 0x12b7e950,
11919 0x8bbeb8ea, 0xfcb9887c, 0x62dd1ddf, 0x15da2d49, 0x8cd37cf3,
11920 0xfbd44c65, 0x4db26158, 0x3ab551ce, 0xa3bc0074, 0xd4bb30e2,
11921 0x4adfa541, 0x3dd895d7, 0xa4d1c46d, 0xd3d6f4fb, 0x4369e96a,
11922 0x346ed9fc, 0xad678846, 0xda60b8d0, 0x44042d73, 0x33031de5,
11923 0xaa0a4c5f, 0xdd0d7cc9, 0x5005713c, 0x270241aa, 0xbe0b1010,
11924 0xc90c2086, 0x5768b525, 0x206f85b3, 0xb966d409, 0xce61e49f,
11925 0x5edef90e, 0x29d9c998, 0xb0d09822, 0xc7d7a8b4, 0x59b33d17,
11926 0x2eb40d81, 0xb7bd5c3b, 0xc0ba6cad, 0xedb88320, 0x9abfb3b6,
11927 0x03b6e20c, 0x74b1d29a, 0xead54739, 0x9dd277af, 0x04db2615,
11928 0x73dc1683, 0xe3630b12, 0x94643b84, 0x0d6d6a3e, 0x7a6a5aa8,
11929 0xe40ecf0b, 0x9309ff9d, 0x0a00ae27, 0x7d079eb1, 0xf00f9344,
11930 0x8708a3d2, 0x1e01f268, 0x6906c2fe, 0xf762575d, 0x806567cb,
11931 0x196c3671, 0x6e6b06e7, 0xfed41b76, 0x89d32be0, 0x10da7a5a,
11932 0x67dd4acc, 0xf9b9df6f, 0x8ebeeff9, 0x17b7be43, 0x60b08ed5,
11933 0xd6d6a3e8, 0xa1d1937e, 0x38d8c2c4, 0x4fdff252, 0xd1bb67f1,
11934 0xa6bc5767, 0x3fb506dd, 0x48b2364b, 0xd80d2bda, 0xaf0a1b4c,
11935 0x36034af6, 0x41047a60, 0xdf60efc3, 0xa867df55, 0x316e8eef,
11936 0x4669be79, 0xcb61b38c, 0xbc66831a, 0x256fd2a0, 0x5268e236,
11937 0xcc0c7795, 0xbb0b4703, 0x220216b9, 0x5505262f, 0xc5ba3bbe,
11938 0xb2bd0b28, 0x2bb45a92, 0x5cb36a04, 0xc2d7ffa7, 0xb5d0cf31,
11939 0x2cd99e8b, 0x5bdeae1d, 0x9b64c2b0, 0xec63f226, 0x756aa39c,
11940 0x026d930a, 0x9c0906a9, 0xeb0e363f, 0x72076785, 0x05005713,
11941 0x95bf4a82, 0xe2b87a14, 0x7bb12bae, 0x0cb61b38, 0x92d28e9b,
11942 0xe5d5be0d, 0x7cdcefb7, 0x0bdbdf21, 0x86d3d2d4, 0xf1d4e242,
11943 0x68ddb3f8, 0x1fda836e, 0x81be16cd, 0xf6b9265b, 0x6fb077e1,
11944 0x18b74777, 0x88085ae6, 0xff0f6a70, 0x66063bca, 0x11010b5c,
11945 0x8f659eff, 0xf862ae69, 0x616bffd3, 0x166ccf45, 0xa00ae278,
11946 0xd70dd2ee, 0x4e048354, 0x3903b3c2, 0xa7672661, 0xd06016f7,
11947 0x4969474d, 0x3e6e77db, 0xaed16a4a, 0xd9d65adc, 0x40df0b66,
11948 0x37d83bf0, 0xa9bcae53, 0xdebb9ec5, 0x47b2cf7f, 0x30b5ffe9,
11949 0xbdbdf21c, 0xcabac28a, 0x53b39330, 0x24b4a3a6, 0xbad03605,
11950 0xcdd70693, 0x54de5729, 0x23d967bf, 0xb3667a2e, 0xc4614ab8,
11951 0x5d681b02, 0x2a6f2b94, 0xb40bbe37, 0xc30c8ea1, 0x5a05df1b,
11954 unsigned char *end;
11956 crc = ~crc & 0xffffffff;
11957 for (end = buf + len; buf < end; ++buf)
11958 crc = crc32_table[(crc ^ *buf) & 0xff] ^ (crc >> 8);
11959 return ~crc & 0xffffffff;
11964 @node Symbol Errors
11965 @section Errors reading symbol files
11967 While reading a symbol file, @value{GDBN} occasionally encounters problems,
11968 such as symbol types it does not recognize, or known bugs in compiler
11969 output. By default, @value{GDBN} does not notify you of such problems, since
11970 they are relatively common and primarily of interest to people
11971 debugging compilers. If you are interested in seeing information
11972 about ill-constructed symbol tables, you can either ask @value{GDBN} to print
11973 only one message about each such type of problem, no matter how many
11974 times the problem occurs; or you can ask @value{GDBN} to print more messages,
11975 to see how many times the problems occur, with the @code{set
11976 complaints} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional warnings and
11979 The messages currently printed, and their meanings, include:
11982 @item inner block not inside outer block in @var{symbol}
11984 The symbol information shows where symbol scopes begin and end
11985 (such as at the start of a function or a block of statements). This
11986 error indicates that an inner scope block is not fully contained
11987 in its outer scope blocks.
11989 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the inner block as if it had
11990 the same scope as the outer block. In the error message, @var{symbol}
11991 may be shown as ``@code{(don't know)}'' if the outer block is not a
11994 @item block at @var{address} out of order
11996 The symbol information for symbol scope blocks should occur in
11997 order of increasing addresses. This error indicates that it does not
12000 @value{GDBN} does not circumvent this problem, and has trouble
12001 locating symbols in the source file whose symbols it is reading. (You
12002 can often determine what source file is affected by specifying
12003 @code{set verbose on}. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional warnings and
12006 @item bad block start address patched
12008 The symbol information for a symbol scope block has a start address
12009 smaller than the address of the preceding source line. This is known
12010 to occur in the SunOS 4.1.1 (and earlier) C compiler.
12012 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the symbol scope block as
12013 starting on the previous source line.
12015 @item bad string table offset in symbol @var{n}
12018 Symbol number @var{n} contains a pointer into the string table which is
12019 larger than the size of the string table.
12021 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by considering the symbol to have the
12022 name @code{foo}, which may cause other problems if many symbols end up
12025 @item unknown symbol type @code{0x@var{nn}}
12027 The symbol information contains new data types that @value{GDBN} does
12028 not yet know how to read. @code{0x@var{nn}} is the symbol type of the
12029 uncomprehended information, in hexadecimal.
12031 @value{GDBN} circumvents the error by ignoring this symbol information.
12032 This usually allows you to debug your program, though certain symbols
12033 are not accessible. If you encounter such a problem and feel like
12034 debugging it, you can debug @code{@value{GDBP}} with itself, breakpoint
12035 on @code{complain}, then go up to the function @code{read_dbx_symtab}
12036 and examine @code{*bufp} to see the symbol.
12038 @item stub type has NULL name
12040 @value{GDBN} could not find the full definition for a struct or class.
12042 @item const/volatile indicator missing (ok if using g++ v1.x), got@dots{}
12043 The symbol information for a C@t{++} member function is missing some
12044 information that recent versions of the compiler should have output for
12047 @item info mismatch between compiler and debugger
12049 @value{GDBN} could not parse a type specification output by the compiler.
12054 @chapter Specifying a Debugging Target
12056 @cindex debugging target
12057 A @dfn{target} is the execution environment occupied by your program.
12059 Often, @value{GDBN} runs in the same host environment as your program;
12060 in that case, the debugging target is specified as a side effect when
12061 you use the @code{file} or @code{core} commands. When you need more
12062 flexibility---for example, running @value{GDBN} on a physically separate
12063 host, or controlling a standalone system over a serial port or a
12064 realtime system over a TCP/IP connection---you can use the @code{target}
12065 command to specify one of the target types configured for @value{GDBN}
12066 (@pxref{Target Commands, ,Commands for managing targets}).
12068 @cindex target architecture
12069 It is possible to build @value{GDBN} for several different @dfn{target
12070 architectures}. When @value{GDBN} is built like that, you can choose
12071 one of the available architectures with the @kbd{set architecture}
12075 @kindex set architecture
12076 @kindex show architecture
12077 @item set architecture @var{arch}
12078 This command sets the current target architecture to @var{arch}. The
12079 value of @var{arch} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition to one of the
12080 supported architectures.
12082 @item show architecture
12083 Show the current target architecture.
12085 @item set processor
12087 @kindex set processor
12088 @kindex show processor
12089 These are alias commands for, respectively, @code{set architecture}
12090 and @code{show architecture}.
12094 * Active Targets:: Active targets
12095 * Target Commands:: Commands for managing targets
12096 * Byte Order:: Choosing target byte order
12097 * Remote:: Remote debugging
12101 @node Active Targets
12102 @section Active targets
12104 @cindex stacking targets
12105 @cindex active targets
12106 @cindex multiple targets
12108 There are three classes of targets: processes, core files, and
12109 executable files. @value{GDBN} can work concurrently on up to three
12110 active targets, one in each class. This allows you to (for example)
12111 start a process and inspect its activity without abandoning your work on
12114 For example, if you execute @samp{gdb a.out}, then the executable file
12115 @code{a.out} is the only active target. If you designate a core file as
12116 well---presumably from a prior run that crashed and coredumped---then
12117 @value{GDBN} has two active targets and uses them in tandem, looking
12118 first in the corefile target, then in the executable file, to satisfy
12119 requests for memory addresses. (Typically, these two classes of target
12120 are complementary, since core files contain only a program's
12121 read-write memory---variables and so on---plus machine status, while
12122 executable files contain only the program text and initialized data.)
12124 When you type @code{run}, your executable file becomes an active process
12125 target as well. When a process target is active, all @value{GDBN}
12126 commands requesting memory addresses refer to that target; addresses in
12127 an active core file or executable file target are obscured while the
12128 process target is active.
12130 Use the @code{core-file} and @code{exec-file} commands to select a new
12131 core file or executable target (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to specify
12132 files}). To specify as a target a process that is already running, use
12133 the @code{attach} command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an already-running
12136 @node Target Commands
12137 @section Commands for managing targets
12140 @item target @var{type} @var{parameters}
12141 Connects the @value{GDBN} host environment to a target machine or
12142 process. A target is typically a protocol for talking to debugging
12143 facilities. You use the argument @var{type} to specify the type or
12144 protocol of the target machine.
12146 Further @var{parameters} are interpreted by the target protocol, but
12147 typically include things like device names or host names to connect
12148 with, process numbers, and baud rates.
12150 The @code{target} command does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again
12151 after executing the command.
12153 @kindex help target
12155 Displays the names of all targets available. To display targets
12156 currently selected, use either @code{info target} or @code{info files}
12157 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to specify files}).
12159 @item help target @var{name}
12160 Describe a particular target, including any parameters necessary to
12163 @kindex set gnutarget
12164 @item set gnutarget @var{args}
12165 @value{GDBN} uses its own library BFD to read your files. @value{GDBN}
12166 knows whether it is reading an @dfn{executable},
12167 a @dfn{core}, or a @dfn{.o} file; however, you can specify the file format
12168 with the @code{set gnutarget} command. Unlike most @code{target} commands,
12169 with @code{gnutarget} the @code{target} refers to a program, not a machine.
12172 @emph{Warning:} To specify a file format with @code{set gnutarget},
12173 you must know the actual BFD name.
12177 @xref{Files, , Commands to specify files}.
12179 @kindex show gnutarget
12180 @item show gnutarget
12181 Use the @code{show gnutarget} command to display what file format
12182 @code{gnutarget} is set to read. If you have not set @code{gnutarget},
12183 @value{GDBN} will determine the file format for each file automatically,
12184 and @code{show gnutarget} displays @samp{The current BDF target is "auto"}.
12187 @cindex common targets
12188 Here are some common targets (available, or not, depending on the GDB
12193 @item target exec @var{program}
12194 @cindex executable file target
12195 An executable file. @samp{target exec @var{program}} is the same as
12196 @samp{exec-file @var{program}}.
12198 @item target core @var{filename}
12199 @cindex core dump file target
12200 A core dump file. @samp{target core @var{filename}} is the same as
12201 @samp{core-file @var{filename}}.
12203 @item target remote @var{medium}
12204 @cindex remote target
12205 A remote system connected to @value{GDBN} via a serial line or network
12206 connection. This command tells @value{GDBN} to use its own remote
12207 protocol over @var{medium} for debugging. @xref{Remote Debugging}.
12209 For example, if you have a board connected to @file{/dev/ttya} on the
12210 machine running @value{GDBN}, you could say:
12213 target remote /dev/ttya
12216 @code{target remote} supports the @code{load} command. This is only
12217 useful if you have some other way of getting the stub to the target
12218 system, and you can put it somewhere in memory where it won't get
12219 clobbered by the download.
12222 @cindex built-in simulator target
12223 Builtin CPU simulator. @value{GDBN} includes simulators for most architectures.
12231 works; however, you cannot assume that a specific memory map, device
12232 drivers, or even basic I/O is available, although some simulators do
12233 provide these. For info about any processor-specific simulator details,
12234 see the appropriate section in @ref{Embedded Processors, ,Embedded
12239 Some configurations may include these targets as well:
12243 @item target nrom @var{dev}
12244 @cindex NetROM ROM emulator target
12245 NetROM ROM emulator. This target only supports downloading.
12249 Different targets are available on different configurations of @value{GDBN};
12250 your configuration may have more or fewer targets.
12252 Many remote targets require you to download the executable's code once
12253 you've successfully established a connection. You may wish to control
12254 various aspects of this process.
12259 @kindex set hash@r{, for remote monitors}
12260 @cindex hash mark while downloading
12261 This command controls whether a hash mark @samp{#} is displayed while
12262 downloading a file to the remote monitor. If on, a hash mark is
12263 displayed after each S-record is successfully downloaded to the
12267 @kindex show hash@r{, for remote monitors}
12268 Show the current status of displaying the hash mark.
12270 @item set debug monitor
12271 @kindex set debug monitor
12272 @cindex display remote monitor communications
12273 Enable or disable display of communications messages between
12274 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
12276 @item show debug monitor
12277 @kindex show debug monitor
12278 Show the current status of displaying communications between
12279 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
12284 @kindex load @var{filename}
12285 @item load @var{filename}
12286 Depending on what remote debugging facilities are configured into
12287 @value{GDBN}, the @code{load} command may be available. Where it exists, it
12288 is meant to make @var{filename} (an executable) available for debugging
12289 on the remote system---by downloading, or dynamic linking, for example.
12290 @code{load} also records the @var{filename} symbol table in @value{GDBN}, like
12291 the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
12293 If your @value{GDBN} does not have a @code{load} command, attempting to
12294 execute it gets the error message ``@code{You can't do that when your
12295 target is @dots{}}''
12297 The file is loaded at whatever address is specified in the executable.
12298 For some object file formats, you can specify the load address when you
12299 link the program; for other formats, like a.out, the object file format
12300 specifies a fixed address.
12301 @c FIXME! This would be a good place for an xref to the GNU linker doc.
12303 Depending on the remote side capabilities, @value{GDBN} may be able to
12304 load programs into flash memory.
12306 @code{load} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
12310 @section Choosing target byte order
12312 @cindex choosing target byte order
12313 @cindex target byte order
12315 Some types of processors, such as the MIPS, PowerPC, and Renesas SH,
12316 offer the ability to run either big-endian or little-endian byte
12317 orders. Usually the executable or symbol will include a bit to
12318 designate the endian-ness, and you will not need to worry about
12319 which to use. However, you may still find it useful to adjust
12320 @value{GDBN}'s idea of processor endian-ness manually.
12324 @item set endian big
12325 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is big-endian.
12327 @item set endian little
12328 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is little-endian.
12330 @item set endian auto
12331 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the byte order associated with the
12335 Display @value{GDBN}'s current idea of the target byte order.
12339 Note that these commands merely adjust interpretation of symbolic
12340 data on the host, and that they have absolutely no effect on the
12344 @section Remote debugging
12345 @cindex remote debugging
12347 If you are trying to debug a program running on a machine that cannot run
12348 @value{GDBN} in the usual way, it is often useful to use remote debugging.
12349 For example, you might use remote debugging on an operating system kernel,
12350 or on a small system which does not have a general purpose operating system
12351 powerful enough to run a full-featured debugger.
12353 Some configurations of @value{GDBN} have special serial or TCP/IP interfaces
12354 to make this work with particular debugging targets. In addition,
12355 @value{GDBN} comes with a generic serial protocol (specific to @value{GDBN},
12356 but not specific to any particular target system) which you can use if you
12357 write the remote stubs---the code that runs on the remote system to
12358 communicate with @value{GDBN}.
12360 Other remote targets may be available in your
12361 configuration of @value{GDBN}; use @code{help target} to list them.
12363 Once you've connected to the remote target, @value{GDBN} allows you to
12364 send arbitrary commands to the remote monitor:
12367 @item remote @var{command}
12368 @kindex remote@r{, a command}
12369 @cindex send command to remote monitor
12370 Send an arbitrary @var{command} string to the remote monitor.
12374 @node Remote Debugging
12375 @chapter Debugging remote programs
12378 * Connecting:: Connecting to a remote target
12379 * Server:: Using the gdbserver program
12380 * Remote configuration:: Remote configuration
12381 * remote stub:: Implementing a remote stub
12385 @section Connecting to a remote target
12387 On the @value{GDBN} host machine, you will need an unstripped copy of
12388 your program, since @value{GDBN} needs symobl and debugging information.
12389 Start up @value{GDBN} as usual, using the name of the local copy of your
12390 program as the first argument.
12392 @cindex @code{target remote}
12393 @value{GDBN} can communicate with the target over a serial line, or
12394 over an @acronym{IP} network using @acronym{TCP} or @acronym{UDP}. In
12395 each case, @value{GDBN} uses the same protocol for debugging your
12396 program; only the medium carrying the debugging packets varies. The
12397 @code{target remote} command establishes a connection to the target.
12398 Its arguments indicate which medium to use:
12402 @item target remote @var{serial-device}
12403 @cindex serial line, @code{target remote}
12404 Use @var{serial-device} to communicate with the target. For example,
12405 to use a serial line connected to the device named @file{/dev/ttyb}:
12408 target remote /dev/ttyb
12411 If you're using a serial line, you may want to give @value{GDBN} the
12412 @w{@samp{--baud}} option, or use the @code{set remotebaud} command
12413 (@pxref{Remote configuration, set remotebaud}) before the
12414 @code{target} command.
12416 @item target remote @code{@var{host}:@var{port}}
12417 @itemx target remote @code{tcp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
12418 @cindex @acronym{TCP} port, @code{target remote}
12419 Debug using a @acronym{TCP} connection to @var{port} on @var{host}.
12420 The @var{host} may be either a host name or a numeric @acronym{IP}
12421 address; @var{port} must be a decimal number. The @var{host} could be
12422 the target machine itself, if it is directly connected to the net, or
12423 it might be a terminal server which in turn has a serial line to the
12426 For example, to connect to port 2828 on a terminal server named
12430 target remote manyfarms:2828
12433 If your remote target is actually running on the same machine as your
12434 debugger session (e.g.@: a simulator for your target running on the
12435 same host), you can omit the hostname. For example, to connect to
12436 port 1234 on your local machine:
12439 target remote :1234
12443 Note that the colon is still required here.
12445 @item target remote @code{udp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
12446 @cindex @acronym{UDP} port, @code{target remote}
12447 Debug using @acronym{UDP} packets to @var{port} on @var{host}. For example, to
12448 connect to @acronym{UDP} port 2828 on a terminal server named @code{manyfarms}:
12451 target remote udp:manyfarms:2828
12454 When using a @acronym{UDP} connection for remote debugging, you should
12455 keep in mind that the `U' stands for ``Unreliable''. @acronym{UDP}
12456 can silently drop packets on busy or unreliable networks, which will
12457 cause havoc with your debugging session.
12459 @item target remote | @var{command}
12460 @cindex pipe, @code{target remote} to
12461 Run @var{command} in the background and communicate with it using a
12462 pipe. The @var{command} is a shell command, to be parsed and expanded
12463 by the system's command shell, @code{/bin/sh}; it should expect remote
12464 protocol packets on its standard input, and send replies on its
12465 standard output. You could use this to run a stand-alone simulator
12466 that speaks the remote debugging protocol, to make net connections
12467 using programs like @code{ssh}, or for other similar tricks.
12469 If @var{command} closes its standard output (perhaps by exiting),
12470 @value{GDBN} will try to send it a @code{SIGTERM} signal. (If the
12471 program has already exited, this will have no effect.)
12475 Once the connection has been established, you can use all the usual
12476 commands to examine and change data and to step and continue the
12479 @cindex interrupting remote programs
12480 @cindex remote programs, interrupting
12481 Whenever @value{GDBN} is waiting for the remote program, if you type the
12482 interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}), @value{GDBN} attempts to stop the
12483 program. This may or may not succeed, depending in part on the hardware
12484 and the serial drivers the remote system uses. If you type the
12485 interrupt character once again, @value{GDBN} displays this prompt:
12488 Interrupted while waiting for the program.
12489 Give up (and stop debugging it)? (y or n)
12492 If you type @kbd{y}, @value{GDBN} abandons the remote debugging session.
12493 (If you decide you want to try again later, you can use @samp{target
12494 remote} again to connect once more.) If you type @kbd{n}, @value{GDBN}
12495 goes back to waiting.
12498 @kindex detach (remote)
12500 When you have finished debugging the remote program, you can use the
12501 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control.
12502 Detaching from the target normally resumes its execution, but the results
12503 will depend on your particular remote stub. After the @code{detach}
12504 command, @value{GDBN} is free to connect to another target.
12508 The @code{disconnect} command behaves like @code{detach}, except that
12509 the target is generally not resumed. It will wait for @value{GDBN}
12510 (this instance or another one) to connect and continue debugging. After
12511 the @code{disconnect} command, @value{GDBN} is again free to connect to
12514 @cindex send command to remote monitor
12515 @cindex extend @value{GDBN} for remote targets
12516 @cindex add new commands for external monitor
12518 @item monitor @var{cmd}
12519 This command allows you to send arbitrary commands directly to the
12520 remote monitor. Since @value{GDBN} doesn't care about the commands it
12521 sends like this, this command is the way to extend @value{GDBN}---you
12522 can add new commands that only the external monitor will understand
12527 @section Using the @code{gdbserver} program
12530 @cindex remote connection without stubs
12531 @code{gdbserver} is a control program for Unix-like systems, which
12532 allows you to connect your program with a remote @value{GDBN} via
12533 @code{target remote}---but without linking in the usual debugging stub.
12535 @code{gdbserver} is not a complete replacement for the debugging stubs,
12536 because it requires essentially the same operating-system facilities
12537 that @value{GDBN} itself does. In fact, a system that can run
12538 @code{gdbserver} to connect to a remote @value{GDBN} could also run
12539 @value{GDBN} locally! @code{gdbserver} is sometimes useful nevertheless,
12540 because it is a much smaller program than @value{GDBN} itself. It is
12541 also easier to port than all of @value{GDBN}, so you may be able to get
12542 started more quickly on a new system by using @code{gdbserver}.
12543 Finally, if you develop code for real-time systems, you may find that
12544 the tradeoffs involved in real-time operation make it more convenient to
12545 do as much development work as possible on another system, for example
12546 by cross-compiling. You can use @code{gdbserver} to make a similar
12547 choice for debugging.
12549 @value{GDBN} and @code{gdbserver} communicate via either a serial line
12550 or a TCP connection, using the standard @value{GDBN} remote serial
12554 @item On the target machine,
12555 you need to have a copy of the program you want to debug.
12556 @code{gdbserver} does not need your program's symbol table, so you can
12557 strip the program if necessary to save space. @value{GDBN} on the host
12558 system does all the symbol handling.
12560 To use the server, you must tell it how to communicate with @value{GDBN};
12561 the name of your program; and the arguments for your program. The usual
12565 target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [ @var{args} @dots{} ]
12568 @var{comm} is either a device name (to use a serial line) or a TCP
12569 hostname and portnumber. For example, to debug Emacs with the argument
12570 @samp{foo.txt} and communicate with @value{GDBN} over the serial port
12574 target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
12577 @code{gdbserver} waits passively for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate
12580 To use a TCP connection instead of a serial line:
12583 target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
12586 The only difference from the previous example is the first argument,
12587 specifying that you are communicating with the host @value{GDBN} via
12588 TCP. The @samp{host:2345} argument means that @code{gdbserver} is to
12589 expect a TCP connection from machine @samp{host} to local TCP port 2345.
12590 (Currently, the @samp{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number
12591 you want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any
12592 TCP ports already in use on the target system (for example, @code{23} is
12593 reserved for @code{telnet}).@footnote{If you choose a port number that
12594 conflicts with another service, @code{gdbserver} prints an error message
12595 and exits.} You must use the same port number with the host @value{GDBN}
12596 @code{target remote} command.
12598 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
12599 This is accomplished via the @code{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
12602 target> gdbserver @var{comm} --attach @var{pid}
12605 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't necessary
12606 to point @code{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
12609 @cindex attach to a program by name
12610 You can debug processes by name instead of process ID if your target has the
12611 @code{pidof} utility:
12614 target> gdbserver @var{comm} --attach `pidof @var{PROGRAM}`
12617 In case more than one copy of @var{PROGRAM} is running, or @var{PROGRAM}
12618 has multiple threads, most versions of @code{pidof} support the
12619 @code{-s} option to only return the first process ID.
12621 @item On the host machine,
12622 connect to your target (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a remote target}).
12623 For TCP connections, you must start up @code{gdbserver} prior to using
12624 the @code{target remote} command. Otherwise you may get an error whose
12625 text depends on the host system, but which usually looks something like
12626 @samp{Connection refused}. You don't need to use the @code{load}
12627 command in @value{GDBN} when using @code{gdbserver}, since the program is
12628 already on the target. However, if you want to load the symbols (as
12629 you normally would), do that with the @code{file} command, and issue
12630 it @emph{before} connecting to the server; otherwise, you will get an
12631 error message saying @code{"Program is already running"}, since the
12632 program is considered running after the connection.
12636 @node Remote configuration
12637 @section Remote configuration
12640 @kindex show remote
12641 This section documents the configuration options available when
12642 debugging remote programs. For the options related to the File I/O
12643 extensions of the remote protocol, see @ref{system,
12644 system-call-allowed}.
12647 @item set remoteaddresssize @var{bits}
12648 @cindex adress size for remote targets
12649 @cindex bits in remote address
12650 Set the maximum size of address in a memory packet to the specified
12651 number of bits. @value{GDBN} will mask off the address bits above
12652 that number, when it passes addresses to the remote target. The
12653 default value is the number of bits in the target's address.
12655 @item show remoteaddresssize
12656 Show the current value of remote address size in bits.
12658 @item set remotebaud @var{n}
12659 @cindex baud rate for remote targets
12660 Set the baud rate for the remote serial I/O to @var{n} baud. The
12661 value is used to set the speed of the serial port used for debugging
12664 @item show remotebaud
12665 Show the current speed of the remote connection.
12667 @item set remotebreak
12668 @cindex interrupt remote programs
12669 @cindex BREAK signal instead of Ctrl-C
12670 @anchor{set remotebreak}
12671 If set to on, @value{GDBN} sends a @code{BREAK} signal to the remote
12672 when you type @kbd{Ctrl-c} to interrupt the program running
12673 on the remote. If set to off, @value{GDBN} sends the @samp{Ctrl-C}
12674 character instead. The default is off, since most remote systems
12675 expect to see @samp{Ctrl-C} as the interrupt signal.
12677 @item show remotebreak
12678 Show whether @value{GDBN} sends @code{BREAK} or @samp{Ctrl-C} to
12679 interrupt the remote program.
12681 @item set remotedevice @var{device}
12682 @cindex serial port name
12683 Set the name of the serial port through which to communicate to the
12684 remote target to @var{device}. This is the device used by
12685 @value{GDBN} to open the serial communications line to the remote
12686 target. There's no default, so you must set a valid port name for the
12687 remote serial communications to work. (Some varieties of the
12688 @code{target} command accept the port name as part of their
12691 @item show remotedevice
12692 Show the current name of the serial port.
12694 @item set remotelogbase @var{base}
12695 Set the base (a.k.a.@: radix) of logging serial protocol
12696 communications to @var{base}. Supported values of @var{base} are:
12697 @code{ascii}, @code{octal}, and @code{hex}. The default is
12700 @item show remotelogbase
12701 Show the current setting of the radix for logging remote serial
12704 @item set remotelogfile @var{file}
12705 @cindex record serial communications on file
12706 Record remote serial communications on the named @var{file}. The
12707 default is not to record at all.
12709 @item show remotelogfile.
12710 Show the current setting of the file name on which to record the
12711 serial communications.
12713 @item set remotetimeout @var{num}
12714 @cindex timeout for serial communications
12715 @cindex remote timeout
12716 Set the timeout limit to wait for the remote target to respond to
12717 @var{num} seconds. The default is 2 seconds.
12719 @item show remotetimeout
12720 Show the current number of seconds to wait for the remote target
12723 @cindex limit hardware breakpoints and watchpoints
12724 @cindex remote target, limit break- and watchpoints
12725 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}
12726 @anchor{set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit}
12727 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit @var{limit}
12728 @itemx set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit @var{limit}
12729 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} remote hardware breakpoint or
12730 watchpoints. A limit of -1, the default, is treated as unlimited.
12732 @item set remote fetch-register-packet
12733 @itemx set remote set-register-packet
12734 @itemx set remote P-packet
12735 @itemx set remote p-packet
12737 @cindex fetch registers from remote targets
12738 @cindex set registers in remote targets
12739 Determine whether @value{GDBN} can set and fetch registers from the
12740 remote target using the @samp{P} packets. The default depends on the
12741 remote stub's support of the @samp{P} packets (@value{GDBN} queries
12742 the stub when this packet is first required).
12744 @item show remote fetch-register-packet
12745 @itemx show remote set-register-packet
12746 @itemx show remote P-packet
12747 @itemx show remote p-packet
12748 Show the current setting of using the @samp{P} packets for setting and
12749 fetching registers from the remote target.
12751 @cindex binary downloads
12753 @item set remote binary-download-packet
12754 @itemx set remote X-packet
12755 Determine whether @value{GDBN} sends downloads in binary mode using
12756 the @samp{X} packets. The default is on.
12758 @item show remote binary-download-packet
12759 @itemx show remote X-packet
12760 Show the current setting of using the @samp{X} packets for binary
12763 @item set remote read-aux-vector-packet
12764 @cindex auxiliary vector of remote target
12765 @cindex @code{auxv}, and remote targets
12766 Set the use of the remote protocol's @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} (target
12767 auxiliary vector) request. This request is used to fetch the
12768 remote target's @dfn{auxiliary vector}, see @ref{OS Information,
12769 Auxiliary Vector}. The default setting depends on the remote stub's
12770 support of this request (@value{GDBN} queries the stub when this
12771 request is first required). @xref{General Query Packets, qXfer}, for
12772 more information about this request.
12774 @item show remote read-aux-vector-packet
12775 Show the current setting of use of the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} request.
12777 @item set remote symbol-lookup-packet
12778 @cindex remote symbol lookup request
12779 Set the use of the remote protocol's @samp{qSymbol} (target symbol
12780 lookup) request. This request is used to communicate symbol
12781 information to the remote target, e.g., whenever a new shared library
12782 is loaded by the remote (@pxref{Files, shared libraries}). The
12783 default setting depends on the remote stub's support of this request
12784 (@value{GDBN} queries the stub when this request is first required).
12785 @xref{General Query Packets, qSymbol}, for more information about this
12788 @item show remote symbol-lookup-packet
12789 Show the current setting of use of the @samp{qSymbol} request.
12791 @item set remote verbose-resume-packet
12792 @cindex resume remote target
12793 @cindex signal thread, and remote targets
12794 @cindex single-step thread, and remote targets
12795 @cindex thread-specific operations on remote targets
12796 Set the use of the remote protocol's @samp{vCont} (descriptive resume)
12797 request. This request is used to resume specific threads in the
12798 remote target, and to single-step or signal them. The default setting
12799 depends on the remote stub's support of this request (@value{GDBN}
12800 queries the stub when this request is first required). This setting
12801 affects debugging of multithreaded programs: if @samp{vCont} cannot be
12802 used, @value{GDBN} might be unable to single-step a specific thread,
12803 especially under @code{set scheduler-locking off}; it is also
12804 impossible to pause a specific thread. @xref{Packets, vCont}, for
12807 @item show remote verbose-resume-packet
12808 Show the current setting of use of the @samp{vCont} request
12810 @item set remote software-breakpoint-packet
12811 @itemx set remote hardware-breakpoint-packet
12812 @itemx set remote write-watchpoint-packet
12813 @itemx set remote read-watchpoint-packet
12814 @itemx set remote access-watchpoint-packet
12815 @itemx set remote Z-packet
12817 @cindex remote hardware breakpoints and watchpoints
12818 These commands enable or disable the use of @samp{Z} packets for
12819 setting breakpoints and watchpoints in the remote target. The default
12820 depends on the remote stub's support of the @samp{Z} packets
12821 (@value{GDBN} queries the stub when each packet is first required).
12822 The command @code{set remote Z-packet}, kept for back-compatibility,
12823 turns on or off all the features that require the use of @samp{Z}
12826 @item show remote software-breakpoint-packet
12827 @itemx show remote hardware-breakpoint-packet
12828 @itemx show remote write-watchpoint-packet
12829 @itemx show remote read-watchpoint-packet
12830 @itemx show remote access-watchpoint-packet
12831 @itemx show remote Z-packet
12832 Show the current setting of @samp{Z} packets usage.
12834 @item set remote get-thread-local-storage-address
12835 @kindex set remote get-thread-local-storage-address
12836 @cindex thread local storage of remote targets
12837 This command enables or disables the use of the @samp{qGetTLSAddr}
12838 (Get Thread Local Storage Address) request packet. The default
12839 depends on whether the remote stub supports this request.
12840 @xref{General Query Packets, qGetTLSAddr}, for more details about this
12843 @item show remote get-thread-local-storage-address
12844 @kindex show remote get-thread-local-storage-address
12845 Show the current setting of @samp{qGetTLSAddr} packet usage.
12847 @item set remote supported-packets
12848 @kindex set remote supported-packets
12849 @cindex query supported packets of remote targets
12850 This command enables or disables the use of the @samp{qSupported}
12851 request packet. @xref{General Query Packets, qSupported}, for more
12852 details about this packet. The default is to use @samp{qSupported}.
12854 @item show remote supported-packets
12855 @kindex show remote supported-packets
12856 Show the current setting of @samp{qSupported} packet usage.
12860 @section Implementing a remote stub
12862 @cindex debugging stub, example
12863 @cindex remote stub, example
12864 @cindex stub example, remote debugging
12865 The stub files provided with @value{GDBN} implement the target side of the
12866 communication protocol, and the @value{GDBN} side is implemented in the
12867 @value{GDBN} source file @file{remote.c}. Normally, you can simply allow
12868 these subroutines to communicate, and ignore the details. (If you're
12869 implementing your own stub file, you can still ignore the details: start
12870 with one of the existing stub files. @file{sparc-stub.c} is the best
12871 organized, and therefore the easiest to read.)
12873 @cindex remote serial debugging, overview
12874 To debug a program running on another machine (the debugging
12875 @dfn{target} machine), you must first arrange for all the usual
12876 prerequisites for the program to run by itself. For example, for a C
12881 A startup routine to set up the C runtime environment; these usually
12882 have a name like @file{crt0}. The startup routine may be supplied by
12883 your hardware supplier, or you may have to write your own.
12886 A C subroutine library to support your program's
12887 subroutine calls, notably managing input and output.
12890 A way of getting your program to the other machine---for example, a
12891 download program. These are often supplied by the hardware
12892 manufacturer, but you may have to write your own from hardware
12896 The next step is to arrange for your program to use a serial port to
12897 communicate with the machine where @value{GDBN} is running (the @dfn{host}
12898 machine). In general terms, the scheme looks like this:
12902 @value{GDBN} already understands how to use this protocol; when everything
12903 else is set up, you can simply use the @samp{target remote} command
12904 (@pxref{Targets,,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
12906 @item On the target,
12907 you must link with your program a few special-purpose subroutines that
12908 implement the @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol. The file containing these
12909 subroutines is called a @dfn{debugging stub}.
12911 On certain remote targets, you can use an auxiliary program
12912 @code{gdbserver} instead of linking a stub into your program.
12913 @xref{Server,,Using the @code{gdbserver} program}, for details.
12916 The debugging stub is specific to the architecture of the remote
12917 machine; for example, use @file{sparc-stub.c} to debug programs on
12920 @cindex remote serial stub list
12921 These working remote stubs are distributed with @value{GDBN}:
12926 @cindex @file{i386-stub.c}
12929 For Intel 386 and compatible architectures.
12932 @cindex @file{m68k-stub.c}
12933 @cindex Motorola 680x0
12935 For Motorola 680x0 architectures.
12938 @cindex @file{sh-stub.c}
12941 For Renesas SH architectures.
12944 @cindex @file{sparc-stub.c}
12946 For @sc{sparc} architectures.
12948 @item sparcl-stub.c
12949 @cindex @file{sparcl-stub.c}
12952 For Fujitsu @sc{sparclite} architectures.
12956 The @file{README} file in the @value{GDBN} distribution may list other
12957 recently added stubs.
12960 * Stub Contents:: What the stub can do for you
12961 * Bootstrapping:: What you must do for the stub
12962 * Debug Session:: Putting it all together
12965 @node Stub Contents
12966 @subsection What the stub can do for you
12968 @cindex remote serial stub
12969 The debugging stub for your architecture supplies these three
12973 @item set_debug_traps
12974 @findex set_debug_traps
12975 @cindex remote serial stub, initialization
12976 This routine arranges for @code{handle_exception} to run when your
12977 program stops. You must call this subroutine explicitly near the
12978 beginning of your program.
12980 @item handle_exception
12981 @findex handle_exception
12982 @cindex remote serial stub, main routine
12983 This is the central workhorse, but your program never calls it
12984 explicitly---the setup code arranges for @code{handle_exception} to
12985 run when a trap is triggered.
12987 @code{handle_exception} takes control when your program stops during
12988 execution (for example, on a breakpoint), and mediates communications
12989 with @value{GDBN} on the host machine. This is where the communications
12990 protocol is implemented; @code{handle_exception} acts as the @value{GDBN}
12991 representative on the target machine. It begins by sending summary
12992 information on the state of your program, then continues to execute,
12993 retrieving and transmitting any information @value{GDBN} needs, until you
12994 execute a @value{GDBN} command that makes your program resume; at that point,
12995 @code{handle_exception} returns control to your own code on the target
12999 @cindex @code{breakpoint} subroutine, remote
13000 Use this auxiliary subroutine to make your program contain a
13001 breakpoint. Depending on the particular situation, this may be the only
13002 way for @value{GDBN} to get control. For instance, if your target
13003 machine has some sort of interrupt button, you won't need to call this;
13004 pressing the interrupt button transfers control to
13005 @code{handle_exception}---in effect, to @value{GDBN}. On some machines,
13006 simply receiving characters on the serial port may also trigger a trap;
13007 again, in that situation, you don't need to call @code{breakpoint} from
13008 your own program---simply running @samp{target remote} from the host
13009 @value{GDBN} session gets control.
13011 Call @code{breakpoint} if none of these is true, or if you simply want
13012 to make certain your program stops at a predetermined point for the
13013 start of your debugging session.
13016 @node Bootstrapping
13017 @subsection What you must do for the stub
13019 @cindex remote stub, support routines
13020 The debugging stubs that come with @value{GDBN} are set up for a particular
13021 chip architecture, but they have no information about the rest of your
13022 debugging target machine.
13024 First of all you need to tell the stub how to communicate with the
13028 @item int getDebugChar()
13029 @findex getDebugChar
13030 Write this subroutine to read a single character from the serial port.
13031 It may be identical to @code{getchar} for your target system; a
13032 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
13034 @item void putDebugChar(int)
13035 @findex putDebugChar
13036 Write this subroutine to write a single character to the serial port.
13037 It may be identical to @code{putchar} for your target system; a
13038 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
13041 @cindex control C, and remote debugging
13042 @cindex interrupting remote targets
13043 If you want @value{GDBN} to be able to stop your program while it is
13044 running, you need to use an interrupt-driven serial driver, and arrange
13045 for it to stop when it receives a @code{^C} (@samp{\003}, the control-C
13046 character). That is the character which @value{GDBN} uses to tell the
13047 remote system to stop.
13049 Getting the debugging target to return the proper status to @value{GDBN}
13050 probably requires changes to the standard stub; one quick and dirty way
13051 is to just execute a breakpoint instruction (the ``dirty'' part is that
13052 @value{GDBN} reports a @code{SIGTRAP} instead of a @code{SIGINT}).
13054 Other routines you need to supply are:
13057 @item void exceptionHandler (int @var{exception_number}, void *@var{exception_address})
13058 @findex exceptionHandler
13059 Write this function to install @var{exception_address} in the exception
13060 handling tables. You need to do this because the stub does not have any
13061 way of knowing what the exception handling tables on your target system
13062 are like (for example, the processor's table might be in @sc{rom},
13063 containing entries which point to a table in @sc{ram}).
13064 @var{exception_number} is the exception number which should be changed;
13065 its meaning is architecture-dependent (for example, different numbers
13066 might represent divide by zero, misaligned access, etc). When this
13067 exception occurs, control should be transferred directly to
13068 @var{exception_address}, and the processor state (stack, registers,
13069 and so on) should be just as it is when a processor exception occurs. So if
13070 you want to use a jump instruction to reach @var{exception_address}, it
13071 should be a simple jump, not a jump to subroutine.
13073 For the 386, @var{exception_address} should be installed as an interrupt
13074 gate so that interrupts are masked while the handler runs. The gate
13075 should be at privilege level 0 (the most privileged level). The
13076 @sc{sparc} and 68k stubs are able to mask interrupts themselves without
13077 help from @code{exceptionHandler}.
13079 @item void flush_i_cache()
13080 @findex flush_i_cache
13081 On @sc{sparc} and @sc{sparclite} only, write this subroutine to flush the
13082 instruction cache, if any, on your target machine. If there is no
13083 instruction cache, this subroutine may be a no-op.
13085 On target machines that have instruction caches, @value{GDBN} requires this
13086 function to make certain that the state of your program is stable.
13090 You must also make sure this library routine is available:
13093 @item void *memset(void *, int, int)
13095 This is the standard library function @code{memset} that sets an area of
13096 memory to a known value. If you have one of the free versions of
13097 @code{libc.a}, @code{memset} can be found there; otherwise, you must
13098 either obtain it from your hardware manufacturer, or write your own.
13101 If you do not use the GNU C compiler, you may need other standard
13102 library subroutines as well; this varies from one stub to another,
13103 but in general the stubs are likely to use any of the common library
13104 subroutines which @code{@value{GCC}} generates as inline code.
13107 @node Debug Session
13108 @subsection Putting it all together
13110 @cindex remote serial debugging summary
13111 In summary, when your program is ready to debug, you must follow these
13116 Make sure you have defined the supporting low-level routines
13117 (@pxref{Bootstrapping,,What you must do for the stub}):
13119 @code{getDebugChar}, @code{putDebugChar},
13120 @code{flush_i_cache}, @code{memset}, @code{exceptionHandler}.
13124 Insert these lines near the top of your program:
13132 For the 680x0 stub only, you need to provide a variable called
13133 @code{exceptionHook}. Normally you just use:
13136 void (*exceptionHook)() = 0;
13140 but if before calling @code{set_debug_traps}, you set it to point to a
13141 function in your program, that function is called when
13142 @code{@value{GDBN}} continues after stopping on a trap (for example, bus
13143 error). The function indicated by @code{exceptionHook} is called with
13144 one parameter: an @code{int} which is the exception number.
13147 Compile and link together: your program, the @value{GDBN} debugging stub for
13148 your target architecture, and the supporting subroutines.
13151 Make sure you have a serial connection between your target machine and
13152 the @value{GDBN} host, and identify the serial port on the host.
13155 @c The "remote" target now provides a `load' command, so we should
13156 @c document that. FIXME.
13157 Download your program to your target machine (or get it there by
13158 whatever means the manufacturer provides), and start it.
13161 Start @value{GDBN} on the host, and connect to the target
13162 (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a remote target}).
13166 @node Configurations
13167 @chapter Configuration-Specific Information
13169 While nearly all @value{GDBN} commands are available for all native and
13170 cross versions of the debugger, there are some exceptions. This chapter
13171 describes things that are only available in certain configurations.
13173 There are three major categories of configurations: native
13174 configurations, where the host and target are the same, embedded
13175 operating system configurations, which are usually the same for several
13176 different processor architectures, and bare embedded processors, which
13177 are quite different from each other.
13182 * Embedded Processors::
13189 This section describes details specific to particular native
13194 * BSD libkvm Interface:: Debugging BSD kernel memory images
13195 * SVR4 Process Information:: SVR4 process information
13196 * DJGPP Native:: Features specific to the DJGPP port
13197 * Cygwin Native:: Features specific to the Cygwin port
13198 * Hurd Native:: Features specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd
13199 * Neutrino:: Features specific to QNX Neutrino
13205 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
13206 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
13207 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
13210 @node BSD libkvm Interface
13211 @subsection BSD libkvm Interface
13214 @cindex kernel memory image
13215 @cindex kernel crash dump
13217 BSD-derived systems (FreeBSD/NetBSD/OpenBSD) have a kernel memory
13218 interface that provides a uniform interface for accessing kernel virtual
13219 memory images, including live systems and crash dumps. @value{GDBN}
13220 uses this interface to allow you to debug live kernels and kernel crash
13221 dumps on many native BSD configurations. This is implemented as a
13222 special @code{kvm} debugging target. For debugging a live system, load
13223 the currently running kernel into @value{GDBN} and connect to the
13227 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm}
13230 For debugging crash dumps, provide the file name of the crash dump as an
13234 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm /var/crash/bsd.0}
13237 Once connected to the @code{kvm} target, the following commands are
13243 Set current context from the @dfn{Process Control Block} (PCB) address.
13246 Set current context from proc address. This command isn't available on
13247 modern FreeBSD systems.
13250 @node SVR4 Process Information
13251 @subsection SVR4 process information
13253 @cindex examine process image
13254 @cindex process info via @file{/proc}
13256 Many versions of SVR4 and compatible systems provide a facility called
13257 @samp{/proc} that can be used to examine the image of a running
13258 process using file-system subroutines. If @value{GDBN} is configured
13259 for an operating system with this facility, the command @code{info
13260 proc} is available to report information about the process running
13261 your program, or about any process running on your system. @code{info
13262 proc} works only on SVR4 systems that include the @code{procfs} code.
13263 This includes, as of this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, OSF/1 (Digital
13264 Unix), Solaris, Irix, and Unixware, but not HP-UX, for example.
13270 @itemx info proc @var{process-id}
13271 Summarize available information about any running process. If a
13272 process ID is specified by @var{process-id}, display information about
13273 that process; otherwise display information about the program being
13274 debugged. The summary includes the debugged process ID, the command
13275 line used to invoke it, its current working directory, and its
13276 executable file's absolute file name.
13278 On some systems, @var{process-id} can be of the form
13279 @samp{[@var{pid}]/@var{tid}} which specifies a certain thread ID
13280 within a process. If the optional @var{pid} part is missing, it means
13281 a thread from the process being debugged (the leading @samp{/} still
13282 needs to be present, or else @value{GDBN} will interpret the number as
13283 a process ID rather than a thread ID).
13285 @item info proc mappings
13286 @cindex memory address space mappings
13287 Report the memory address space ranges accessible in the program, with
13288 information on whether the process has read, write, or execute access
13289 rights to each range. On @sc{gnu}/Linux systems, each memory range
13290 includes the object file which is mapped to that range, instead of the
13291 memory access rights to that range.
13293 @item info proc stat
13294 @itemx info proc status
13295 @cindex process detailed status information
13296 These subcommands are specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux systems. They show
13297 the process-related information, including the user ID and group ID;
13298 how many threads are there in the process; its virtual memory usage;
13299 the signals that are pending, blocked, and ignored; its TTY; its
13300 consumption of system and user time; its stack size; its @samp{nice}
13301 value; etc. For more information, see the @samp{proc} man page
13302 (type @kbd{man 5 proc} from your shell prompt).
13304 @item info proc all
13305 Show all the information about the process described under all of the
13306 above @code{info proc} subcommands.
13309 @comment These sub-options of 'info proc' were not included when
13310 @comment procfs.c was re-written. Keep their descriptions around
13311 @comment against the day when someone finds the time to put them back in.
13312 @kindex info proc times
13313 @item info proc times
13314 Starting time, user CPU time, and system CPU time for your program and
13317 @kindex info proc id
13319 Report on the process IDs related to your program: its own process ID,
13320 the ID of its parent, the process group ID, and the session ID.
13323 @item set procfs-trace
13324 @kindex set procfs-trace
13325 @cindex @code{procfs} API calls
13326 This command enables and disables tracing of @code{procfs} API calls.
13328 @item show procfs-trace
13329 @kindex show procfs-trace
13330 Show the current state of @code{procfs} API call tracing.
13332 @item set procfs-file @var{file}
13333 @kindex set procfs-file
13334 Tell @value{GDBN} to write @code{procfs} API trace to the named
13335 @var{file}. @value{GDBN} appends the trace info to the previous
13336 contents of the file. The default is to display the trace on the
13339 @item show procfs-file
13340 @kindex show procfs-file
13341 Show the file to which @code{procfs} API trace is written.
13343 @item proc-trace-entry
13344 @itemx proc-trace-exit
13345 @itemx proc-untrace-entry
13346 @itemx proc-untrace-exit
13347 @kindex proc-trace-entry
13348 @kindex proc-trace-exit
13349 @kindex proc-untrace-entry
13350 @kindex proc-untrace-exit
13351 These commands enable and disable tracing of entries into and exits
13352 from the @code{syscall} interface.
13355 @kindex info pidlist
13356 @cindex process list, QNX Neutrino
13357 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all the
13358 processes and all the threads within each process.
13361 @kindex info meminfo
13362 @cindex mapinfo list, QNX Neutrino
13363 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all mapinfos.
13367 @subsection Features for Debugging @sc{djgpp} Programs
13368 @cindex @sc{djgpp} debugging
13369 @cindex native @sc{djgpp} debugging
13370 @cindex MS-DOS-specific commands
13373 @sc{djgpp} is a port of the @sc{gnu} development tools to MS-DOS and
13374 MS-Windows. @sc{djgpp} programs are 32-bit protected-mode programs
13375 that use the @dfn{DPMI} (DOS Protected-Mode Interface) API to run on
13376 top of real-mode DOS systems and their emulations.
13378 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of @sc{djgpp} programs, and
13379 defines a few commands specific to the @sc{djgpp} port. This
13380 subsection describes those commands.
13385 This is a prefix of @sc{djgpp}-specific commands which print
13386 information about the target system and important OS structures.
13389 @cindex MS-DOS system info
13390 @cindex free memory information (MS-DOS)
13391 @item info dos sysinfo
13392 This command displays assorted information about the underlying
13393 platform: the CPU type and features, the OS version and flavor, the
13394 DPMI version, and the available conventional and DPMI memory.
13399 @cindex segment descriptor tables
13400 @cindex descriptor tables display
13402 @itemx info dos ldt
13403 @itemx info dos idt
13404 These 3 commands display entries from, respectively, Global, Local,
13405 and Interrupt Descriptor Tables (GDT, LDT, and IDT). The descriptor
13406 tables are data structures which store a descriptor for each segment
13407 that is currently in use. The segment's selector is an index into a
13408 descriptor table; the table entry for that index holds the
13409 descriptor's base address and limit, and its attributes and access
13412 A typical @sc{djgpp} program uses 3 segments: a code segment, a data
13413 segment (used for both data and the stack), and a DOS segment (which
13414 allows access to DOS/BIOS data structures and absolute addresses in
13415 conventional memory). However, the DPMI host will usually define
13416 additional segments in order to support the DPMI environment.
13418 @cindex garbled pointers
13419 These commands allow to display entries from the descriptor tables.
13420 Without an argument, all entries from the specified table are
13421 displayed. An argument, which should be an integer expression, means
13422 display a single entry whose index is given by the argument. For
13423 example, here's a convenient way to display information about the
13424 debugged program's data segment:
13427 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos ldt $ds}
13428 @exdent @code{0x13f: base=0x11970000 limit=0x0009ffff 32-Bit Data (Read/Write, Exp-up)}
13432 This comes in handy when you want to see whether a pointer is outside
13433 the data segment's limit (i.e.@: @dfn{garbled}).
13435 @cindex page tables display (MS-DOS)
13437 @itemx info dos pte
13438 These two commands display entries from, respectively, the Page
13439 Directory and the Page Tables. Page Directories and Page Tables are
13440 data structures which control how virtual memory addresses are mapped
13441 into physical addresses. A Page Table includes an entry for every
13442 page of memory that is mapped into the program's address space; there
13443 may be several Page Tables, each one holding up to 4096 entries. A
13444 Page Directory has up to 4096 entries, one each for every Page Table
13445 that is currently in use.
13447 Without an argument, @kbd{info dos pde} displays the entire Page
13448 Directory, and @kbd{info dos pte} displays all the entries in all of
13449 the Page Tables. An argument, an integer expression, given to the
13450 @kbd{info dos pde} command means display only that entry from the Page
13451 Directory table. An argument given to the @kbd{info dos pte} command
13452 means display entries from a single Page Table, the one pointed to by
13453 the specified entry in the Page Directory.
13455 @cindex direct memory access (DMA) on MS-DOS
13456 These commands are useful when your program uses @dfn{DMA} (Direct
13457 Memory Access), which needs physical addresses to program the DMA
13460 These commands are supported only with some DPMI servers.
13462 @cindex physical address from linear address
13463 @item info dos address-pte @var{addr}
13464 This command displays the Page Table entry for a specified linear
13465 address. The argument @var{addr} is a linear address which should
13466 already have the appropriate segment's base address added to it,
13467 because this command accepts addresses which may belong to @emph{any}
13468 segment. For example, here's how to display the Page Table entry for
13469 the page where a variable @code{i} is stored:
13472 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte __djgpp_base_address + (char *)&i}
13473 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x11a00d30:}
13474 @exdent @code{Base=0x02698000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0xd30}
13478 This says that @code{i} is stored at offset @code{0xd30} from the page
13479 whose physical base address is @code{0x02698000}, and shows all the
13480 attributes of that page.
13482 Note that you must cast the addresses of variables to a @code{char *},
13483 since otherwise the value of @code{__djgpp_base_address}, the base
13484 address of all variables and functions in a @sc{djgpp} program, will
13485 be added using the rules of C pointer arithmetics: if @code{i} is
13486 declared an @code{int}, @value{GDBN} will add 4 times the value of
13487 @code{__djgpp_base_address} to the address of @code{i}.
13489 Here's another example, it displays the Page Table entry for the
13493 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte *((unsigned *)&_go32_info_block + 3)}
13494 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x29110:}
13495 @exdent @code{Base=0x00029000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0x110}
13499 (The @code{+ 3} offset is because the transfer buffer's address is the
13500 3rd member of the @code{_go32_info_block} structure.) The output
13501 clearly shows that this DPMI server maps the addresses in conventional
13502 memory 1:1, i.e.@: the physical (@code{0x00029000} + @code{0x110}) and
13503 linear (@code{0x29110}) addresses are identical.
13505 This command is supported only with some DPMI servers.
13508 @cindex DOS serial data link, remote debugging
13509 In addition to native debugging, the DJGPP port supports remote
13510 debugging via a serial data link. The following commands are specific
13511 to remote serial debugging in the DJGPP port of @value{GDBN}.
13514 @kindex set com1base
13515 @kindex set com1irq
13516 @kindex set com2base
13517 @kindex set com2irq
13518 @kindex set com3base
13519 @kindex set com3irq
13520 @kindex set com4base
13521 @kindex set com4irq
13522 @item set com1base @var{addr}
13523 This command sets the base I/O port address of the @file{COM1} serial
13526 @item set com1irq @var{irq}
13527 This command sets the @dfn{Interrupt Request} (@code{IRQ}) line to use
13528 for the @file{COM1} serial port.
13530 There are similar commands @samp{set com2base}, @samp{set com3irq},
13531 etc.@: for setting the port address and the @code{IRQ} lines for the
13534 @kindex show com1base
13535 @kindex show com1irq
13536 @kindex show com2base
13537 @kindex show com2irq
13538 @kindex show com3base
13539 @kindex show com3irq
13540 @kindex show com4base
13541 @kindex show com4irq
13542 The related commands @samp{show com1base}, @samp{show com1irq} etc.@:
13543 display the current settings of the base address and the @code{IRQ}
13544 lines used by the COM ports.
13547 @kindex info serial
13548 @cindex DOS serial port status
13549 This command prints the status of the 4 DOS serial ports. For each
13550 port, it prints whether it's active or not, its I/O base address and
13551 IRQ number, whether it uses a 16550-style FIFO, its baudrate, and the
13552 counts of various errors encountered so far.
13556 @node Cygwin Native
13557 @subsection Features for Debugging MS Windows PE executables
13558 @cindex MS Windows debugging
13559 @cindex native Cygwin debugging
13560 @cindex Cygwin-specific commands
13562 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of MS Windows programs, including
13563 DLLs with and without symbolic debugging information. There are various
13564 additional Cygwin-specific commands, described in this subsection. The
13565 subsubsection @pxref{Non-debug DLL symbols} describes working with DLLs
13566 that have no debugging symbols.
13572 This is a prefix of MS Windows specific commands which print
13573 information about the target system and important OS structures.
13575 @item info w32 selector
13576 This command displays information returned by
13577 the Win32 API @code{GetThreadSelectorEntry} function.
13578 It takes an optional argument that is evaluated to
13579 a long value to give the information about this given selector.
13580 Without argument, this command displays information
13581 about the the six segment registers.
13585 This is a Cygwin specific alias of info shared.
13587 @kindex dll-symbols
13589 This command loads symbols from a dll similarly to
13590 add-sym command but without the need to specify a base address.
13592 @kindex set cygwin-exceptions
13593 @cindex debugging the Cygwin DLL
13594 @cindex Cygwin DLL, debugging
13595 @item set cygwin-exceptions @var{mode}
13596 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that
13597 happen inside the Cygwin DLL. If @var{mode} is @code{off},
13598 @value{GDBN} will delay recognition of exceptions, and may ignore some
13599 exceptions which seem to be caused by internal Cygwin DLL
13600 ``bookkeeping''. This option is meant primarily for debugging the
13601 Cygwin DLL itself; the default value is @code{off} to avoid annoying
13602 @value{GDBN} users with false @code{SIGSEGV} signals.
13604 @kindex show cygwin-exceptions
13605 @item show cygwin-exceptions
13606 Displays whether @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that happen
13607 inside the Cygwin DLL itself.
13609 @kindex set new-console
13610 @item set new-console @var{mode}
13611 If @var{mode} is @code{on} the debuggee will
13612 be started in a new console on next start.
13613 If @var{mode} is @code{off}i, the debuggee will
13614 be started in the same console as the debugger.
13616 @kindex show new-console
13617 @item show new-console
13618 Displays whether a new console is used
13619 when the debuggee is started.
13621 @kindex set new-group
13622 @item set new-group @var{mode}
13623 This boolean value controls whether the debuggee should
13624 start a new group or stay in the same group as the debugger.
13625 This affects the way the Windows OS handles
13628 @kindex show new-group
13629 @item show new-group
13630 Displays current value of new-group boolean.
13632 @kindex set debugevents
13633 @item set debugevents
13634 This boolean value adds debug output concerning kernel events related
13635 to the debuggee seen by the debugger. This includes events that
13636 signal thread and process creation and exit, DLL loading and
13637 unloading, console interrupts, and debugging messages produced by the
13638 Windows @code{OutputDebugString} API call.
13640 @kindex set debugexec
13641 @item set debugexec
13642 This boolean value adds debug output concerning execute events
13643 (such as resume thread) seen by the debugger.
13645 @kindex set debugexceptions
13646 @item set debugexceptions
13647 This boolean value adds debug output concerning exceptions in the
13648 debuggee seen by the debugger.
13650 @kindex set debugmemory
13651 @item set debugmemory
13652 This boolean value adds debug output concerning debuggee memory reads
13653 and writes by the debugger.
13657 This boolean values specifies whether the debuggee is called
13658 via a shell or directly (default value is on).
13662 Displays if the debuggee will be started with a shell.
13667 * Non-debug DLL symbols:: Support for DLLs without debugging symbols
13670 @node Non-debug DLL symbols
13671 @subsubsection Support for DLLs without debugging symbols
13672 @cindex DLLs with no debugging symbols
13673 @cindex Minimal symbols and DLLs
13675 Very often on windows, some of the DLLs that your program relies on do
13676 not include symbolic debugging information (for example,
13677 @file{kernel32.dll}). When @value{GDBN} doesn't recognize any debugging
13678 symbols in a DLL, it relies on the minimal amount of symbolic
13679 information contained in the DLL's export table. This subsubsection
13680 describes working with such symbols, known internally to @value{GDBN} as
13681 ``minimal symbols''.
13683 Note that before the debugged program has started execution, no DLLs
13684 will have been loaded. The easiest way around this problem is simply to
13685 start the program --- either by setting a breakpoint or letting the
13686 program run once to completion. It is also possible to force
13687 @value{GDBN} to load a particular DLL before starting the executable ---
13688 see the shared library information in @pxref{Files} or the
13689 @code{dll-symbols} command in @pxref{Cygwin Native}. Currently,
13690 explicitly loading symbols from a DLL with no debugging information will
13691 cause the symbol names to be duplicated in @value{GDBN}'s lookup table,
13692 which may adversely affect symbol lookup performance.
13694 @subsubsection DLL name prefixes
13696 In keeping with the naming conventions used by the Microsoft debugging
13697 tools, DLL export symbols are made available with a prefix based on the
13698 DLL name, for instance @code{KERNEL32!CreateFileA}. The plain name is
13699 also entered into the symbol table, so @code{CreateFileA} is often
13700 sufficient. In some cases there will be name clashes within a program
13701 (particularly if the executable itself includes full debugging symbols)
13702 necessitating the use of the fully qualified name when referring to the
13703 contents of the DLL. Use single-quotes around the name to avoid the
13704 exclamation mark (``!'') being interpreted as a language operator.
13706 Note that the internal name of the DLL may be all upper-case, even
13707 though the file name of the DLL is lower-case, or vice-versa. Since
13708 symbols within @value{GDBN} are @emph{case-sensitive} this may cause
13709 some confusion. If in doubt, try the @code{info functions} and
13710 @code{info variables} commands or even @code{maint print msymbols} (see
13711 @pxref{Symbols}). Here's an example:
13714 (@value{GDBP}) info function CreateFileA
13715 All functions matching regular expression "CreateFileA":
13717 Non-debugging symbols:
13718 0x77e885f4 CreateFileA
13719 0x77e885f4 KERNEL32!CreateFileA
13723 (@value{GDBP}) info function !
13724 All functions matching regular expression "!":
13726 Non-debugging symbols:
13727 0x6100114c cygwin1!__assert
13728 0x61004034 cygwin1!_dll_crt0@@0
13729 0x61004240 cygwin1!dll_crt0(per_process *)
13733 @subsubsection Working with minimal symbols
13735 Symbols extracted from a DLL's export table do not contain very much
13736 type information. All that @value{GDBN} can do is guess whether a symbol
13737 refers to a function or variable depending on the linker section that
13738 contains the symbol. Also note that the actual contents of the memory
13739 contained in a DLL are not available unless the program is running. This
13740 means that you cannot examine the contents of a variable or disassemble
13741 a function within a DLL without a running program.
13743 Variables are generally treated as pointers and dereferenced
13744 automatically. For this reason, it is often necessary to prefix a
13745 variable name with the address-of operator (``&'') and provide explicit
13746 type information in the command. Here's an example of the type of
13750 (@value{GDBP}) print 'cygwin1!__argv'
13755 (@value{GDBP}) x 'cygwin1!__argv'
13756 0x10021610: "\230y\""
13759 And two possible solutions:
13762 (@value{GDBP}) print ((char **)'cygwin1!__argv')[0]
13763 $2 = 0x22fd98 "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
13767 (@value{GDBP}) x/2x &'cygwin1!__argv'
13768 0x610c0aa8 <cygwin1!__argv>: 0x10021608 0x00000000
13769 (@value{GDBP}) x/x 0x10021608
13770 0x10021608: 0x0022fd98
13771 (@value{GDBP}) x/s 0x0022fd98
13772 0x22fd98: "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
13775 Setting a break point within a DLL is possible even before the program
13776 starts execution. However, under these circumstances, @value{GDBN} can't
13777 examine the initial instructions of the function in order to skip the
13778 function's frame set-up code. You can work around this by using ``*&''
13779 to set the breakpoint at a raw memory address:
13782 (@value{GDBP}) break *&'python22!PyOS_Readline'
13783 Breakpoint 1 at 0x1e04eff0
13786 The author of these extensions is not entirely convinced that setting a
13787 break point within a shared DLL like @file{kernel32.dll} is completely
13791 @subsection Commands specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd systems
13792 @cindex @sc{gnu} Hurd debugging
13794 This subsection describes @value{GDBN} commands specific to the
13795 @sc{gnu} Hurd native debugging.
13800 @kindex set signals@r{, Hurd command}
13801 @kindex set sigs@r{, Hurd command}
13802 This command toggles the state of inferior signal interception by
13803 @value{GDBN}. Mach exceptions, such as breakpoint traps, are not
13804 affected by this command. @code{sigs} is a shorthand alias for
13809 @kindex show signals@r{, Hurd command}
13810 @kindex show sigs@r{, Hurd command}
13811 Show the current state of intercepting inferior's signals.
13813 @item set signal-thread
13814 @itemx set sigthread
13815 @kindex set signal-thread
13816 @kindex set sigthread
13817 This command tells @value{GDBN} which thread is the @code{libc} signal
13818 thread. That thread is run when a signal is delivered to a running
13819 process. @code{set sigthread} is the shorthand alias of @code{set
13822 @item show signal-thread
13823 @itemx show sigthread
13824 @kindex show signal-thread
13825 @kindex show sigthread
13826 These two commands show which thread will run when the inferior is
13827 delivered a signal.
13830 @kindex set stopped@r{, Hurd command}
13831 This commands tells @value{GDBN} that the inferior process is stopped,
13832 as with the @code{SIGSTOP} signal. The stopped process can be
13833 continued by delivering a signal to it.
13836 @kindex show stopped@r{, Hurd command}
13837 This command shows whether @value{GDBN} thinks the debuggee is
13840 @item set exceptions
13841 @kindex set exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
13842 Use this command to turn off trapping of exceptions in the inferior.
13843 When exception trapping is off, neither breakpoints nor
13844 single-stepping will work. To restore the default, set exception
13847 @item show exceptions
13848 @kindex show exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
13849 Show the current state of trapping exceptions in the inferior.
13851 @item set task pause
13852 @kindex set task@r{, Hurd commands}
13853 @cindex task attributes (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
13854 @cindex pause current task (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
13855 This command toggles task suspension when @value{GDBN} has control.
13856 Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the task is suspended
13857 whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to off will take
13858 effect the next time the inferior is continued. If this option is set
13859 to off, you can use @code{set thread default pause on} or @code{set
13860 thread pause on} (see below) to pause individual threads.
13862 @item show task pause
13863 @kindex show task@r{, Hurd commands}
13864 Show the current state of task suspension.
13866 @item set task detach-suspend-count
13867 @cindex task suspend count
13868 @cindex detach from task, @sc{gnu} Hurd
13869 This command sets the suspend count the task will be left with when
13870 @value{GDBN} detaches from it.
13872 @item show task detach-suspend-count
13873 Show the suspend count the task will be left with when detaching.
13875 @item set task exception-port
13876 @itemx set task excp
13877 @cindex task exception port, @sc{gnu} Hurd
13878 This command sets the task exception port to which @value{GDBN} will
13879 forward exceptions. The argument should be the value of the @dfn{send
13880 rights} of the task. @code{set task excp} is a shorthand alias.
13882 @item set noninvasive
13883 @cindex noninvasive task options
13884 This command switches @value{GDBN} to a mode that is the least
13885 invasive as far as interfering with the inferior is concerned. This
13886 is the same as using @code{set task pause}, @code{set exceptions}, and
13887 @code{set signals} to values opposite to the defaults.
13889 @item info send-rights
13890 @itemx info receive-rights
13891 @itemx info port-rights
13892 @itemx info port-sets
13893 @itemx info dead-names
13896 @cindex send rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
13897 @cindex receive rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
13898 @cindex port rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
13899 @cindex port sets, @sc{gnu} Hurd
13900 @cindex dead names, @sc{gnu} Hurd
13901 These commands display information about, respectively, send rights,
13902 receive rights, port rights, port sets, and dead names of a task.
13903 There are also shorthand aliases: @code{info ports} for @code{info
13904 port-rights} and @code{info psets} for @code{info port-sets}.
13906 @item set thread pause
13907 @kindex set thread@r{, Hurd command}
13908 @cindex thread properties, @sc{gnu} Hurd
13909 @cindex pause current thread (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
13910 This command toggles current thread suspension when @value{GDBN} has
13911 control. Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the current
13912 thread is suspended whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to
13913 off will take effect the next time the inferior is continued.
13914 Normally, this command has no effect, since when @value{GDBN} has
13915 control, the whole task is suspended. However, if you used @code{set
13916 task pause off} (see above), this command comes in handy to suspend
13917 only the current thread.
13919 @item show thread pause
13920 @kindex show thread@r{, Hurd command}
13921 This command shows the state of current thread suspension.
13923 @item set thread run
13924 This comamnd sets whether the current thread is allowed to run.
13926 @item show thread run
13927 Show whether the current thread is allowed to run.
13929 @item set thread detach-suspend-count
13930 @cindex thread suspend count, @sc{gnu} Hurd
13931 @cindex detach from thread, @sc{gnu} Hurd
13932 This command sets the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on a
13933 thread when detaching. This number is relative to the suspend count
13934 found by @value{GDBN} when it notices the thread; use @code{set thread
13935 takeover-suspend-count} to force it to an absolute value.
13937 @item show thread detach-suspend-count
13938 Show the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on the thread when
13941 @item set thread exception-port
13942 @itemx set thread excp
13943 Set the thread exception port to which to forward exceptions. This
13944 overrides the port set by @code{set task exception-port} (see above).
13945 @code{set thread excp} is the shorthand alias.
13947 @item set thread takeover-suspend-count
13948 Normally, @value{GDBN}'s thread suspend counts are relative to the
13949 value @value{GDBN} finds when it notices each thread. This command
13950 changes the suspend counts to be absolute instead.
13952 @item set thread default
13953 @itemx show thread default
13954 @cindex thread default settings, @sc{gnu} Hurd
13955 Each of the above @code{set thread} commands has a @code{set thread
13956 default} counterpart (e.g., @code{set thread default pause}, @code{set
13957 thread default exception-port}, etc.). The @code{thread default}
13958 variety of commands sets the default thread properties for all
13959 threads; you can then change the properties of individual threads with
13960 the non-default commands.
13965 @subsection QNX Neutrino
13966 @cindex QNX Neutrino
13968 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the QNX
13972 @item set debug nto-debug
13973 @kindex set debug nto-debug
13974 When set to on, enables debugging messages specific to the QNX
13977 @item show debug nto-debug
13978 @kindex show debug nto-debug
13979 Show the current state of QNX Neutrino messages.
13984 @section Embedded Operating Systems
13986 This section describes configurations involving the debugging of
13987 embedded operating systems that are available for several different
13991 * VxWorks:: Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
13994 @value{GDBN} includes the ability to debug programs running on
13995 various real-time operating systems.
13998 @subsection Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
14004 @kindex target vxworks
14005 @item target vxworks @var{machinename}
14006 A VxWorks system, attached via TCP/IP. The argument @var{machinename}
14007 is the target system's machine name or IP address.
14011 On VxWorks, @code{load} links @var{filename} dynamically on the
14012 current target system as well as adding its symbols in @value{GDBN}.
14014 @value{GDBN} enables developers to spawn and debug tasks running on networked
14015 VxWorks targets from a Unix host. Already-running tasks spawned from
14016 the VxWorks shell can also be debugged. @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
14017 both the Unix host and on the VxWorks target. The program
14018 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host. (It may be
14019 installed with the name @code{vxgdb}, to distinguish it from a
14020 @value{GDBN} for debugging programs on the host itself.)
14023 @item VxWorks-timeout @var{args}
14024 @kindex vxworks-timeout
14025 All VxWorks-based targets now support the option @code{vxworks-timeout}.
14026 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
14027 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses to rpc's. You might use this if
14028 your VxWorks target is a slow software simulator or is on the far side
14029 of a thin network line.
14032 The following information on connecting to VxWorks was current when
14033 this manual was produced; newer releases of VxWorks may use revised
14036 @findex INCLUDE_RDB
14037 To use @value{GDBN} with VxWorks, you must rebuild your VxWorks kernel
14038 to include the remote debugging interface routines in the VxWorks
14039 library @file{rdb.a}. To do this, define @code{INCLUDE_RDB} in the
14040 VxWorks configuration file @file{configAll.h} and rebuild your VxWorks
14041 kernel. The resulting kernel contains @file{rdb.a}, and spawns the
14042 source debugging task @code{tRdbTask} when VxWorks is booted. For more
14043 information on configuring and remaking VxWorks, see the manufacturer's
14045 @c VxWorks, see the @cite{VxWorks Programmer's Guide}.
14047 Once you have included @file{rdb.a} in your VxWorks system image and set
14048 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
14049 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}} (or
14050 @code{vxgdb}, depending on your installation).
14052 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
14059 * VxWorks Connection:: Connecting to VxWorks
14060 * VxWorks Download:: VxWorks download
14061 * VxWorks Attach:: Running tasks
14064 @node VxWorks Connection
14065 @subsubsection Connecting to VxWorks
14067 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a VxWorks target on the
14068 network. To connect to a target whose host name is ``@code{tt}'', type:
14071 (vxgdb) target vxworks tt
14075 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
14078 Attaching remote machine across net...
14083 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol tables of any object modules
14084 loaded into the VxWorks target since it was last booted. @value{GDBN} locates
14085 these files by searching the directories listed in the command search
14086 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your program's environment}); if it fails
14087 to find an object file, it displays a message such as:
14090 prog.o: No such file or directory.
14093 When this happens, add the appropriate directory to the search path with
14094 the @value{GDBN} command @code{path}, and execute the @code{target}
14097 @node VxWorks Download
14098 @subsubsection VxWorks download
14100 @cindex download to VxWorks
14101 If you have connected to the VxWorks target and you want to debug an
14102 object that has not yet been loaded, you can use the @value{GDBN}
14103 @code{load} command to download a file from Unix to VxWorks
14104 incrementally. The object file given as an argument to the @code{load}
14105 command is actually opened twice: first by the VxWorks target in order
14106 to download the code, then by @value{GDBN} in order to read the symbol
14107 table. This can lead to problems if the current working directories on
14108 the two systems differ. If both systems have NFS mounted the same
14109 filesystems, you can avoid these problems by using absolute paths.
14110 Otherwise, it is simplest to set the working directory on both systems
14111 to the directory in which the object file resides, and then to reference
14112 the file by its name, without any path. For instance, a program
14113 @file{prog.o} may reside in @file{@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb} in VxWorks
14114 and in @file{@var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb} on the host. To load this
14115 program, type this on VxWorks:
14118 -> cd "@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb"
14122 Then, in @value{GDBN}, type:
14125 (vxgdb) cd @var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb
14126 (vxgdb) load prog.o
14129 @value{GDBN} displays a response similar to this:
14132 Reading symbol data from wherever/vw/demo/rdb/prog.o... done.
14135 You can also use the @code{load} command to reload an object module
14136 after editing and recompiling the corresponding source file. Note that
14137 this makes @value{GDBN} delete all currently-defined breakpoints,
14138 auto-displays, and convenience variables, and to clear the value
14139 history. (This is necessary in order to preserve the integrity of
14140 debugger's data structures that reference the target system's symbol
14143 @node VxWorks Attach
14144 @subsubsection Running tasks
14146 @cindex running VxWorks tasks
14147 You can also attach to an existing task using the @code{attach} command as
14151 (vxgdb) attach @var{task}
14155 where @var{task} is the VxWorks hexadecimal task ID. The task can be running
14156 or suspended when you attach to it. Running tasks are suspended at
14157 the time of attachment.
14159 @node Embedded Processors
14160 @section Embedded Processors
14162 This section goes into details specific to particular embedded
14165 @cindex send command to simulator
14166 Whenever a specific embedded processor has a simulator, @value{GDBN}
14167 allows to send an arbitrary command to the simulator.
14170 @item sim @var{command}
14171 @kindex sim@r{, a command}
14172 Send an arbitrary @var{command} string to the simulator. Consult the
14173 documentation for the specific simulator in use for information about
14174 acceptable commands.
14180 * H8/300:: Renesas H8/300
14181 * H8/500:: Renesas H8/500
14182 * M32R/D:: Renesas M32R/D
14183 * M68K:: Motorola M68K
14184 * MIPS Embedded:: MIPS Embedded
14185 * OpenRISC 1000:: OpenRisc 1000
14186 * PA:: HP PA Embedded
14189 * Sparclet:: Tsqware Sparclet
14190 * Sparclite:: Fujitsu Sparclite
14191 * ST2000:: Tandem ST2000
14192 * Z8000:: Zilog Z8000
14195 * Super-H:: Renesas Super-H
14196 * WinCE:: Windows CE child processes
14205 @item target rdi @var{dev}
14206 ARM Angel monitor, via RDI library interface to ADP protocol. You may
14207 use this target to communicate with both boards running the Angel
14208 monitor, or with the EmbeddedICE JTAG debug device.
14211 @item target rdp @var{dev}
14216 @value{GDBN} provides the following ARM-specific commands:
14219 @item set arm disassembler
14221 This commands selects from a list of disassembly styles. The
14222 @code{"std"} style is the standard style.
14224 @item show arm disassembler
14226 Show the current disassembly style.
14228 @item set arm apcs32
14229 @cindex ARM 32-bit mode
14230 This command toggles ARM operation mode between 32-bit and 26-bit.
14232 @item show arm apcs32
14233 Display the current usage of the ARM 32-bit mode.
14235 @item set arm fpu @var{fputype}
14236 This command sets the ARM floating-point unit (FPU) type. The
14237 argument @var{fputype} can be one of these:
14241 Determine the FPU type by querying the OS ABI.
14243 Software FPU, with mixed-endian doubles on little-endian ARM
14246 GCC-compiled FPA co-processor.
14248 Software FPU with pure-endian doubles.
14254 Show the current type of the FPU.
14257 This command forces @value{GDBN} to use the specified ABI.
14260 Show the currently used ABI.
14262 @item set debug arm
14263 Toggle whether to display ARM-specific debugging messages from the ARM
14264 target support subsystem.
14266 @item show debug arm
14267 Show whether ARM-specific debugging messages are enabled.
14270 The following commands are available when an ARM target is debugged
14271 using the RDI interface:
14274 @item rdilogfile @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
14276 @cindex ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) logging
14277 Set the filename for the ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) packet log.
14278 With an argument, sets the log file to the specified @var{file}. With
14279 no argument, show the current log file name. The default log file is
14282 @item rdilogenable @r{[}@var{arg}@r{]}
14283 @kindex rdilogenable
14284 Control logging of ADP packets. With an argument of 1 or @code{"yes"}
14285 enables logging, with an argument 0 or @code{"no"} disables it. With
14286 no arguments displays the current setting. When logging is enabled,
14287 ADP packets exchanged between @value{GDBN} and the RDI target device
14288 are logged to a file.
14290 @item set rdiromatzero
14291 @kindex set rdiromatzero
14292 @cindex ROM at zero address, RDI
14293 Tell @value{GDBN} whether the target has ROM at address 0. If on,
14294 vector catching is disabled, so that zero address can be used. If off
14295 (the default), vector catching is enabled. For this command to take
14296 effect, it needs to be invoked prior to the @code{target rdi} command.
14298 @item show rdiromatzero
14299 @kindex show rdiromatzero
14300 Show the current setting of ROM at zero address.
14302 @item set rdiheartbeat
14303 @kindex set rdiheartbeat
14304 @cindex RDI heartbeat
14305 Enable or disable RDI heartbeat packets. It is not recommended to
14306 turn on this option, since it confuses ARM and EPI JTAG interface, as
14307 well as the Angel monitor.
14309 @item show rdiheartbeat
14310 @kindex show rdiheartbeat
14311 Show the setting of RDI heartbeat packets.
14316 @subsection Renesas H8/300
14320 @kindex target hms@r{, with H8/300}
14321 @item target hms @var{dev}
14322 A Renesas SH, H8/300, or H8/500 board, attached via serial line to your host.
14323 Use special commands @code{device} and @code{speed} to control the serial
14324 line and the communications speed used.
14326 @kindex target e7000@r{, with H8/300}
14327 @item target e7000 @var{dev}
14328 E7000 emulator for Renesas H8 and SH.
14330 @kindex target sh3@r{, with H8/300}
14331 @kindex target sh3e@r{, with H8/300}
14332 @item target sh3 @var{dev}
14333 @itemx target sh3e @var{dev}
14334 Renesas SH-3 and SH-3E target systems.
14338 @cindex download to H8/300 or H8/500
14339 @cindex H8/300 or H8/500 download
14340 @cindex download to Renesas SH
14341 @cindex Renesas SH download
14342 When you select remote debugging to a Renesas SH, H8/300, or H8/500
14343 board, the @code{load} command downloads your program to the Renesas
14344 board and also opens it as the current executable target for
14345 @value{GDBN} on your host (like the @code{file} command).
14347 @value{GDBN} needs to know these things to talk to your
14348 Renesas SH, H8/300, or H8/500:
14352 that you want to use @samp{target hms}, the remote debugging interface
14353 for Renesas microprocessors, or @samp{target e7000}, the in-circuit
14354 emulator for the Renesas SH and the Renesas 300H. (@samp{target hms} is
14355 the default when @value{GDBN} is configured specifically for the Renesas SH,
14356 H8/300, or H8/500.)
14359 what serial device connects your host to your Renesas board (the first
14360 serial device available on your host is the default).
14363 what speed to use over the serial device.
14367 * Renesas Boards:: Connecting to Renesas boards.
14368 * Renesas ICE:: Using the E7000 In-Circuit Emulator.
14369 * Renesas Special:: Special @value{GDBN} commands for Renesas micros.
14372 @node Renesas Boards
14373 @subsubsection Connecting to Renesas boards
14375 @c only for Unix hosts
14377 @cindex serial device, Renesas micros
14378 Use the special @code{@value{GDBN}} command @samp{device @var{port}} if you
14379 need to explicitly set the serial device. The default @var{port} is the
14380 first available port on your host. This is only necessary on Unix
14381 hosts, where it is typically something like @file{/dev/ttya}.
14384 @cindex serial line speed, Renesas micros
14385 @code{@value{GDBN}} has another special command to set the communications
14386 speed: @samp{speed @var{bps}}. This command also is only used from Unix
14387 hosts; on DOS hosts, set the line speed as usual from outside @value{GDBN} with
14388 the DOS @code{mode} command (for instance,
14389 @w{@kbd{mode com2:9600,n,8,1,p}} for a 9600@dmn{bps} connection).
14391 The @samp{device} and @samp{speed} commands are available only when you
14392 use a Unix host to debug your Renesas microprocessor programs. If you
14394 @value{GDBN} depends on an auxiliary terminate-and-stay-resident program
14395 called @code{asynctsr} to communicate with the development board
14396 through a PC serial port. You must also use the DOS @code{mode} command
14397 to set up the serial port on the DOS side.
14399 The following sample session illustrates the steps needed to start a
14400 program under @value{GDBN} control on an H8/300. The example uses a
14401 sample H8/300 program called @file{t.x}. The procedure is the same for
14402 the Renesas SH and the H8/500.
14404 First hook up your development board. In this example, we use a
14405 board attached to serial port @code{COM2}; if you use a different serial
14406 port, substitute its name in the argument of the @code{mode} command.
14407 When you call @code{asynctsr}, the auxiliary comms program used by the
14408 debugger, you give it just the numeric part of the serial port's name;
14409 for example, @samp{asyncstr 2} below runs @code{asyncstr} on
14413 C:\H8300\TEST> asynctsr 2
14414 C:\H8300\TEST> mode com2:9600,n,8,1,p
14416 Resident portion of MODE loaded
14418 COM2: 9600, n, 8, 1, p
14423 @emph{Warning:} We have noticed a bug in PC-NFS that conflicts with
14424 @code{asynctsr}. If you also run PC-NFS on your DOS host, you may need to
14425 disable it, or even boot without it, to use @code{asynctsr} to control
14426 your development board.
14429 @kindex target hms@r{, and serial protocol}
14430 Now that serial communications are set up, and the development board is
14431 connected, you can start up @value{GDBN}. Call @code{@value{GDBN}} with
14432 the name of your program as the argument. @code{@value{GDBN}} prompts
14433 you, as usual, with the prompt @samp{(@value{GDBP})}. Use two special
14434 commands to begin your debugging session: @samp{target hms} to specify
14435 cross-debugging to the Renesas board, and the @code{load} command to
14436 download your program to the board. @code{load} displays the names of
14437 the program's sections, and a @samp{*} for each 2K of data downloaded.
14438 (If you want to refresh @value{GDBN} data on symbols or on the
14439 executable file without downloading, use the @value{GDBN} commands
14440 @code{file} or @code{symbol-file}. These commands, and @code{load}
14441 itself, are described in @ref{Files,,Commands to specify files}.)
14444 (eg-C:\H8300\TEST) @value{GDBP} t.x
14445 @value{GDBN} is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
14446 of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
14448 There is absolutely no warranty for @value{GDBN}; type "show warranty"
14450 @value{GDBN} @value{GDBVN}, Copyright 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
14451 (@value{GDBP}) target hms
14452 Connected to remote H8/300 HMS system.
14453 (@value{GDBP}) load t.x
14454 .text : 0x8000 .. 0xabde ***********
14455 .data : 0xabde .. 0xad30 *
14456 .stack : 0xf000 .. 0xf014 *
14459 At this point, you're ready to run or debug your program. From here on,
14460 you can use all the usual @value{GDBN} commands. The @code{break} command
14461 sets breakpoints; the @code{run} command starts your program;
14462 @code{print} or @code{x} display data; the @code{continue} command
14463 resumes execution after stopping at a breakpoint. You can use the
14464 @code{help} command at any time to find out more about @value{GDBN} commands.
14466 Remember, however, that @emph{operating system} facilities aren't
14467 available on your development board; for example, if your program hangs,
14468 you can't send an interrupt---but you can press the @sc{reset} switch!
14470 Use the @sc{reset} button on the development board
14473 to interrupt your program (don't use @kbd{Ctrl-c} on the DOS host---it has
14474 no way to pass an interrupt signal to the development board); and
14477 to return to the @value{GDBN} command prompt after your program finishes
14478 normally. The communications protocol provides no other way for @value{GDBN}
14479 to detect program completion.
14482 In either case, @value{GDBN} sees the effect of a @sc{reset} on the
14483 development board as a ``normal exit'' of your program.
14486 @subsubsection Using the E7000 in-circuit emulator
14488 @kindex target e7000@r{, with Renesas ICE}
14489 You can use the E7000 in-circuit emulator to develop code for either the
14490 Renesas SH or the H8/300H. Use one of these forms of the @samp{target
14491 e7000} command to connect @value{GDBN} to your E7000:
14494 @item target e7000 @var{port} @var{speed}
14495 Use this form if your E7000 is connected to a serial port. The
14496 @var{port} argument identifies what serial port to use (for example,
14497 @samp{com2}). The third argument is the line speed in bits per second
14498 (for example, @samp{9600}).
14500 @item target e7000 @var{hostname}
14501 If your E7000 is installed as a host on a TCP/IP network, you can just
14502 specify its hostname; @value{GDBN} uses @code{telnet} to connect.
14505 The following special commands are available when debugging with the
14509 @item e7000 @var{command}
14511 @cindex send command to E7000 monitor
14512 This sends the specified @var{command} to the E7000 monitor.
14514 @item ftplogin @var{machine} @var{username} @var{password} @var{dir}
14515 @kindex ftplogin@r{, E7000}
14516 This command records information for subsequent interface with the
14517 E7000 monitor via the FTP protocol: @value{GDBN} will log into the
14518 named @var{machine} using specified @var{username} and @var{password},
14519 and then chdir to the named directory @var{dir}.
14521 @item ftpload @var{file}
14522 @kindex ftpload@r{, E7000}
14523 This command uses credentials recorded by @code{ftplogin} to fetch and
14524 load the named @var{file} from the E7000 monitor.
14527 @kindex drain@r{, E7000}
14528 This command drains any pending text buffers stored on the E7000.
14530 @item set usehardbreakpoints
14531 @itemx show usehardbreakpoints
14532 @kindex set usehardbreakpoints@r{, E7000}
14533 @kindex show usehardbreakpoints@r{, E7000}
14534 @cindex hardware breakpoints, and E7000
14535 These commands set and show the use of hardware breakpoints for all
14536 breakpoints. @xref{Set Breaks, hardware-assisted breakpoint}, for
14537 more information about using hardware breakpoints selectively.
14540 @node Renesas Special
14541 @subsubsection Special @value{GDBN} commands for Renesas micros
14543 Some @value{GDBN} commands are available only for the H8/300:
14547 @kindex set machine
14548 @kindex show machine
14549 @item set machine h8300
14550 @itemx set machine h8300h
14551 Condition @value{GDBN} for one of the two variants of the H8/300
14552 architecture with @samp{set machine}. You can use @samp{show machine}
14553 to check which variant is currently in effect.
14562 @kindex set memory @var{mod}
14563 @cindex memory models, H8/500
14564 @item set memory @var{mod}
14566 Specify which H8/500 memory model (@var{mod}) you are using with
14567 @samp{set memory}; check which memory model is in effect with @samp{show
14568 memory}. The accepted values for @var{mod} are @code{small},
14569 @code{big}, @code{medium}, and @code{compact}.
14574 @subsection Renesas M32R/D and M32R/SDI
14577 @kindex target m32r
14578 @item target m32r @var{dev}
14579 Renesas M32R/D ROM monitor.
14581 @kindex target m32rsdi
14582 @item target m32rsdi @var{dev}
14583 Renesas M32R SDI server, connected via parallel port to the board.
14586 The following @value{GDBN} commands are specific to the M32R monitor:
14589 @item set download-path @var{path}
14590 @kindex set download-path
14591 @cindex find downloadable @sc{srec} files (M32R)
14592 Set the default path for finding donwloadable @sc{srec} files.
14594 @item show download-path
14595 @kindex show download-path
14596 Show the default path for downloadable @sc{srec} files.
14598 @item set board-address @var{addr}
14599 @kindex set board-address
14600 @cindex M32-EVA target board address
14601 Set the IP address for the M32R-EVA target board.
14603 @item show board-address
14604 @kindex show board-address
14605 Show the current IP address of the target board.
14607 @item set server-address @var{addr}
14608 @kindex set server-address
14609 @cindex download server address (M32R)
14610 Set the IP address for the download server, which is the @value{GDBN}'s
14613 @item show server-address
14614 @kindex show server-address
14615 Display the IP address of the download server.
14617 @item upload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
14618 @kindex upload@r{, M32R}
14619 Upload the specified @sc{srec} @var{file} via the monitor's Ethernet
14620 upload capability. If no @var{file} argument is given, the current
14621 executable file is uploaded.
14623 @item tload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
14624 @kindex tload@r{, M32R}
14625 Test the @code{upload} command.
14628 The following commands are available for M32R/SDI:
14633 @cindex reset SDI connection, M32R
14634 This command resets the SDI connection.
14638 This command shows the SDI connection status.
14641 @kindex debug_chaos
14642 @cindex M32R/Chaos debugging
14643 Instructs the remote that M32R/Chaos debugging is to be used.
14645 @item use_debug_dma
14646 @kindex use_debug_dma
14647 Instructs the remote to use the DEBUG_DMA method of accessing memory.
14650 @kindex use_mon_code
14651 Instructs the remote to use the MON_CODE method of accessing memory.
14654 @kindex use_ib_break
14655 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by IB break.
14657 @item use_dbt_break
14658 @kindex use_dbt_break
14659 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by DBT.
14665 The Motorola m68k configuration includes ColdFire support, and
14666 target command for the following ROM monitors.
14670 @kindex target abug
14671 @item target abug @var{dev}
14672 ABug ROM monitor for M68K.
14674 @kindex target cpu32bug
14675 @item target cpu32bug @var{dev}
14676 CPU32BUG monitor, running on a CPU32 (M68K) board.
14678 @kindex target dbug
14679 @item target dbug @var{dev}
14680 dBUG ROM monitor for Motorola ColdFire.
14683 @item target est @var{dev}
14684 EST-300 ICE monitor, running on a CPU32 (M68K) board.
14686 @kindex target rom68k
14687 @item target rom68k @var{dev}
14688 ROM 68K monitor, running on an M68K IDP board.
14694 @kindex target rombug
14695 @item target rombug @var{dev}
14696 ROMBUG ROM monitor for OS/9000.
14700 @node MIPS Embedded
14701 @subsection MIPS Embedded
14703 @cindex MIPS boards
14704 @value{GDBN} can use the MIPS remote debugging protocol to talk to a
14705 MIPS board attached to a serial line. This is available when
14706 you configure @value{GDBN} with @samp{--target=mips-idt-ecoff}.
14709 Use these @value{GDBN} commands to specify the connection to your target board:
14712 @item target mips @var{port}
14713 @kindex target mips @var{port}
14714 To run a program on the board, start up @code{@value{GDBP}} with the
14715 name of your program as the argument. To connect to the board, use the
14716 command @samp{target mips @var{port}}, where @var{port} is the name of
14717 the serial port connected to the board. If the program has not already
14718 been downloaded to the board, you may use the @code{load} command to
14719 download it. You can then use all the usual @value{GDBN} commands.
14721 For example, this sequence connects to the target board through a serial
14722 port, and loads and runs a program called @var{prog} through the
14726 host$ @value{GDBP} @var{prog}
14727 @value{GDBN} is free software and @dots{}
14728 (@value{GDBP}) target mips /dev/ttyb
14729 (@value{GDBP}) load @var{prog}
14733 @item target mips @var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}
14734 On some @value{GDBN} host configurations, you can specify a TCP
14735 connection (for instance, to a serial line managed by a terminal
14736 concentrator) instead of a serial port, using the syntax
14737 @samp{@var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}}.
14739 @item target pmon @var{port}
14740 @kindex target pmon @var{port}
14743 @item target ddb @var{port}
14744 @kindex target ddb @var{port}
14745 NEC's DDB variant of PMON for Vr4300.
14747 @item target lsi @var{port}
14748 @kindex target lsi @var{port}
14749 LSI variant of PMON.
14751 @kindex target r3900
14752 @item target r3900 @var{dev}
14753 Densan DVE-R3900 ROM monitor for Toshiba R3900 Mips.
14755 @kindex target array
14756 @item target array @var{dev}
14757 Array Tech LSI33K RAID controller board.
14763 @value{GDBN} also supports these special commands for MIPS targets:
14766 @item set mipsfpu double
14767 @itemx set mipsfpu single
14768 @itemx set mipsfpu none
14769 @itemx set mipsfpu auto
14770 @itemx show mipsfpu
14771 @kindex set mipsfpu
14772 @kindex show mipsfpu
14773 @cindex MIPS remote floating point
14774 @cindex floating point, MIPS remote
14775 If your target board does not support the MIPS floating point
14776 coprocessor, you should use the command @samp{set mipsfpu none} (if you
14777 need this, you may wish to put the command in your @value{GDBN} init
14778 file). This tells @value{GDBN} how to find the return value of
14779 functions which return floating point values. It also allows
14780 @value{GDBN} to avoid saving the floating point registers when calling
14781 functions on the board. If you are using a floating point coprocessor
14782 with only single precision floating point support, as on the @sc{r4650}
14783 processor, use the command @samp{set mipsfpu single}. The default
14784 double precision floating point coprocessor may be selected using
14785 @samp{set mipsfpu double}.
14787 In previous versions the only choices were double precision or no
14788 floating point, so @samp{set mipsfpu on} will select double precision
14789 and @samp{set mipsfpu off} will select no floating point.
14791 As usual, you can inquire about the @code{mipsfpu} variable with
14792 @samp{show mipsfpu}.
14794 @item set timeout @var{seconds}
14795 @itemx set retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}
14796 @itemx show timeout
14797 @itemx show retransmit-timeout
14798 @cindex @code{timeout}, MIPS protocol
14799 @cindex @code{retransmit-timeout}, MIPS protocol
14800 @kindex set timeout
14801 @kindex show timeout
14802 @kindex set retransmit-timeout
14803 @kindex show retransmit-timeout
14804 You can control the timeout used while waiting for a packet, in the MIPS
14805 remote protocol, with the @code{set timeout @var{seconds}} command. The
14806 default is 5 seconds. Similarly, you can control the timeout used while
14807 waiting for an acknowledgement of a packet with the @code{set
14808 retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}} command. The default is 3 seconds.
14809 You can inspect both values with @code{show timeout} and @code{show
14810 retransmit-timeout}. (These commands are @emph{only} available when
14811 @value{GDBN} is configured for @samp{--target=mips-idt-ecoff}.)
14813 The timeout set by @code{set timeout} does not apply when @value{GDBN}
14814 is waiting for your program to stop. In that case, @value{GDBN} waits
14815 forever because it has no way of knowing how long the program is going
14816 to run before stopping.
14818 @item set syn-garbage-limit @var{num}
14819 @kindex set syn-garbage-limit@r{, MIPS remote}
14820 @cindex synchronize with remote MIPS target
14821 Limit the maximum number of characters @value{GDBN} should ignore when
14822 it tries to synchronize with the remote target. The default is 10
14823 characters. Setting the limit to -1 means there's no limit.
14825 @item show syn-garbage-limit
14826 @kindex show syn-garbage-limit@r{, MIPS remote}
14827 Show the current limit on the number of characters to ignore when
14828 trying to synchronize with the remote system.
14830 @item set monitor-prompt @var{prompt}
14831 @kindex set monitor-prompt@r{, MIPS remote}
14832 @cindex remote monitor prompt
14833 Tell @value{GDBN} to expect the specified @var{prompt} string from the
14834 remote monitor. The default depends on the target:
14844 @item show monitor-prompt
14845 @kindex show monitor-prompt@r{, MIPS remote}
14846 Show the current strings @value{GDBN} expects as the prompt from the
14849 @item set monitor-warnings
14850 @kindex set monitor-warnings@r{, MIPS remote}
14851 Enable or disable monitor warnings about hardware breakpoints. This
14852 has effect only for the @code{lsi} target. When on, @value{GDBN} will
14853 display warning messages whose codes are returned by the @code{lsi}
14854 PMON monitor for breakpoint commands.
14856 @item show monitor-warnings
14857 @kindex show monitor-warnings@r{, MIPS remote}
14858 Show the current setting of printing monitor warnings.
14860 @item pmon @var{command}
14861 @kindex pmon@r{, MIPS remote}
14862 @cindex send PMON command
14863 This command allows sending an arbitrary @var{command} string to the
14864 monitor. The monitor must be in debug mode for this to work.
14867 @node OpenRISC 1000
14868 @subsection OpenRISC 1000
14869 @cindex OpenRISC 1000
14871 @cindex or1k boards
14872 See OR1k Architecture document (@uref{www.opencores.org}) for more information
14873 about platform and commands.
14877 @kindex target jtag
14878 @item target jtag jtag://@var{host}:@var{port}
14880 Connects to remote JTAG server.
14881 JTAG remote server can be either an or1ksim or JTAG server,
14882 connected via parallel port to the board.
14884 Example: @code{target jtag jtag://localhost:9999}
14887 @item or1ksim @var{command}
14888 If connected to @code{or1ksim} OpenRISC 1000 Architectural
14889 Simulator, proprietary commands can be executed.
14891 @kindex info or1k spr
14892 @item info or1k spr
14893 Displays spr groups.
14895 @item info or1k spr @var{group}
14896 @itemx info or1k spr @var{groupno}
14897 Displays register names in selected group.
14899 @item info or1k spr @var{group} @var{register}
14900 @itemx info or1k spr @var{register}
14901 @itemx info or1k spr @var{groupno} @var{registerno}
14902 @itemx info or1k spr @var{registerno}
14903 Shows information about specified spr register.
14906 @item spr @var{group} @var{register} @var{value}
14907 @itemx spr @var{register @var{value}}
14908 @itemx spr @var{groupno} @var{registerno @var{value}}
14909 @itemx spr @var{registerno @var{value}}
14910 Writes @var{value} to specified spr register.
14913 Some implementations of OpenRISC 1000 Architecture also have hardware trace.
14914 It is very similar to @value{GDBN} trace, except it does not interfere with normal
14915 program execution and is thus much faster. Hardware breakpoints/watchpoint
14916 triggers can be set using:
14919 Load effective address/data
14921 Store effective address/data
14923 Access effective address ($SEA or $LEA) or data ($SDATA/$LDATA)
14928 When triggered, it can capture low level data, like: @code{PC}, @code{LSEA},
14929 @code{LDATA}, @code{SDATA}, @code{READSPR}, @code{WRITESPR}, @code{INSTR}.
14931 @code{htrace} commands:
14932 @cindex OpenRISC 1000 htrace
14935 @item hwatch @var{conditional}
14936 Set hardware watchpoint on combination of Load/Store Effecive Address(es)
14937 or Data. For example:
14939 @code{hwatch ($LEA == my_var) && ($LDATA < 50) || ($SEA == my_var) && ($SDATA >= 50)}
14941 @code{hwatch ($LEA == my_var) && ($LDATA < 50) || ($SEA == my_var) && ($SDATA >= 50)}
14945 Display information about current HW trace configuration.
14947 @item htrace trigger @var{conditional}
14948 Set starting criteria for HW trace.
14950 @item htrace qualifier @var{conditional}
14951 Set acquisition qualifier for HW trace.
14953 @item htrace stop @var{conditional}
14954 Set HW trace stopping criteria.
14956 @item htrace record [@var{data}]*
14957 Selects the data to be recorded, when qualifier is met and HW trace was
14960 @item htrace enable
14961 @itemx htrace disable
14962 Enables/disables the HW trace.
14964 @item htrace rewind [@var{filename}]
14965 Clears currently recorded trace data.
14967 If filename is specified, new trace file is made and any newly collected data
14968 will be written there.
14970 @item htrace print [@var{start} [@var{len}]]
14971 Prints trace buffer, using current record configuration.
14973 @item htrace mode continuous
14974 Set continuous trace mode.
14976 @item htrace mode suspend
14977 Set suspend trace mode.
14982 @subsection PowerPC
14985 @kindex target dink32
14986 @item target dink32 @var{dev}
14987 DINK32 ROM monitor.
14989 @kindex target ppcbug
14990 @item target ppcbug @var{dev}
14991 @kindex target ppcbug1
14992 @item target ppcbug1 @var{dev}
14993 PPCBUG ROM monitor for PowerPC.
14996 @item target sds @var{dev}
14997 SDS monitor, running on a PowerPC board (such as Motorola's ADS).
15000 @cindex SDS protocol
15001 The following commands specifi to the SDS protocol are supported
15005 @item set sdstimeout @var{nsec}
15006 @kindex set sdstimeout
15007 Set the timeout for SDS protocol reads to be @var{nsec} seconds. The
15008 default is 2 seconds.
15010 @item show sdstimeout
15011 @kindex show sdstimeout
15012 Show the current value of the SDS timeout.
15014 @item sds @var{command}
15015 @kindex sds@r{, a command}
15016 Send the specified @var{command} string to the SDS monitor.
15021 @subsection HP PA Embedded
15025 @kindex target op50n
15026 @item target op50n @var{dev}
15027 OP50N monitor, running on an OKI HPPA board.
15029 @kindex target w89k
15030 @item target w89k @var{dev}
15031 W89K monitor, running on a Winbond HPPA board.
15036 @subsection Renesas SH
15040 @kindex target hms@r{, with Renesas SH}
15041 @item target hms @var{dev}
15042 A Renesas SH board attached via serial line to your host. Use special
15043 commands @code{device} and @code{speed} to control the serial line and
15044 the communications speed used.
15046 @kindex target e7000@r{, with Renesas SH}
15047 @item target e7000 @var{dev}
15048 E7000 emulator for Renesas SH.
15050 @kindex target sh3@r{, with SH}
15051 @kindex target sh3e@r{, with SH}
15052 @item target sh3 @var{dev}
15053 @item target sh3e @var{dev}
15054 Renesas SH-3 and SH-3E target systems.
15059 @subsection Tsqware Sparclet
15063 @value{GDBN} enables developers to debug tasks running on
15064 Sparclet targets from a Unix host.
15065 @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
15066 both the Unix host and on the Sparclet target. The program
15067 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host.
15070 @item remotetimeout @var{args}
15071 @kindex remotetimeout
15072 @value{GDBN} supports the option @code{remotetimeout}.
15073 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
15074 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses.
15077 @cindex compiling, on Sparclet
15078 When compiling for debugging, include the options @samp{-g} to get debug
15079 information and @samp{-Ttext} to relocate the program to where you wish to
15080 load it on the target. You may also want to add the options @samp{-n} or
15081 @samp{-N} in order to reduce the size of the sections. Example:
15084 sparclet-aout-gcc prog.c -Ttext 0x12010000 -g -o prog -N
15087 You can use @code{objdump} to verify that the addresses are what you intended:
15090 sparclet-aout-objdump --headers --syms prog
15093 @cindex running, on Sparclet
15095 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
15096 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}}
15097 (or @code{sparclet-aout-gdb}, depending on your installation).
15099 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
15106 * Sparclet File:: Setting the file to debug
15107 * Sparclet Connection:: Connecting to Sparclet
15108 * Sparclet Download:: Sparclet download
15109 * Sparclet Execution:: Running and debugging
15112 @node Sparclet File
15113 @subsubsection Setting file to debug
15115 The @value{GDBN} command @code{file} lets you choose with program to debug.
15118 (gdbslet) file prog
15122 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol table of @file{prog}.
15123 @value{GDBN} locates
15124 the file by searching the directories listed in the command search
15126 If the file was compiled with debug information (option "-g"), source
15127 files will be searched as well.
15128 @value{GDBN} locates
15129 the source files by searching the directories listed in the directory search
15130 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your program's environment}).
15132 to find a file, it displays a message such as:
15135 prog: No such file or directory.
15138 When this happens, add the appropriate directories to the search paths with
15139 the @value{GDBN} commands @code{path} and @code{dir}, and execute the
15140 @code{target} command again.
15142 @node Sparclet Connection
15143 @subsubsection Connecting to Sparclet
15145 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a Sparclet target.
15146 To connect to a target on serial port ``@code{ttya}'', type:
15149 (gdbslet) target sparclet /dev/ttya
15150 Remote target sparclet connected to /dev/ttya
15151 main () at ../prog.c:3
15155 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
15161 @node Sparclet Download
15162 @subsubsection Sparclet download
15164 @cindex download to Sparclet
15165 Once connected to the Sparclet target,
15166 you can use the @value{GDBN}
15167 @code{load} command to download the file from the host to the target.
15168 The file name and load offset should be given as arguments to the @code{load}
15170 Since the file format is aout, the program must be loaded to the starting
15171 address. You can use @code{objdump} to find out what this value is. The load
15172 offset is an offset which is added to the VMA (virtual memory address)
15173 of each of the file's sections.
15174 For instance, if the program
15175 @file{prog} was linked to text address 0x1201000, with data at 0x12010160
15176 and bss at 0x12010170, in @value{GDBN}, type:
15179 (gdbslet) load prog 0x12010000
15180 Loading section .text, size 0xdb0 vma 0x12010000
15183 If the code is loaded at a different address then what the program was linked
15184 to, you may need to use the @code{section} and @code{add-symbol-file} commands
15185 to tell @value{GDBN} where to map the symbol table.
15187 @node Sparclet Execution
15188 @subsubsection Running and debugging
15190 @cindex running and debugging Sparclet programs
15191 You can now begin debugging the task using @value{GDBN}'s execution control
15192 commands, @code{b}, @code{step}, @code{run}, etc. See the @value{GDBN}
15193 manual for the list of commands.
15197 Breakpoint 1 at 0x12010000: file prog.c, line 3.
15199 Starting program: prog
15200 Breakpoint 1, main (argc=1, argv=0xeffff21c) at prog.c:3
15201 3 char *symarg = 0;
15203 4 char *execarg = "hello!";
15208 @subsection Fujitsu Sparclite
15212 @kindex target sparclite
15213 @item target sparclite @var{dev}
15214 Fujitsu sparclite boards, used only for the purpose of loading.
15215 You must use an additional command to debug the program.
15216 For example: target remote @var{dev} using @value{GDBN} standard
15222 @subsection Tandem ST2000
15224 @value{GDBN} may be used with a Tandem ST2000 phone switch, running Tandem's
15227 To connect your ST2000 to the host system, see the manufacturer's
15228 manual. Once the ST2000 is physically attached, you can run:
15231 target st2000 @var{dev} @var{speed}
15235 to establish it as your debugging environment. @var{dev} is normally
15236 the name of a serial device, such as @file{/dev/ttya}, connected to the
15237 ST2000 via a serial line. You can instead specify @var{dev} as a TCP
15238 connection (for example, to a serial line attached via a terminal
15239 concentrator) using the syntax @code{@var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}}.
15241 The @code{load} and @code{attach} commands are @emph{not} defined for
15242 this target; you must load your program into the ST2000 as you normally
15243 would for standalone operation. @value{GDBN} reads debugging information
15244 (such as symbols) from a separate, debugging version of the program
15245 available on your host computer.
15246 @c FIXME!! This is terribly vague; what little content is here is
15247 @c basically hearsay.
15249 @cindex ST2000 auxiliary commands
15250 These auxiliary @value{GDBN} commands are available to help you with the ST2000
15254 @item st2000 @var{command}
15255 @kindex st2000 @var{cmd}
15256 @cindex STDBUG commands (ST2000)
15257 @cindex commands to STDBUG (ST2000)
15258 Send a @var{command} to the STDBUG monitor. See the manufacturer's
15259 manual for available commands.
15262 @cindex connect (to STDBUG)
15263 Connect the controlling terminal to the STDBUG command monitor. When
15264 you are done interacting with STDBUG, typing either of two character
15265 sequences gets you back to the @value{GDBN} command prompt:
15266 @kbd{@key{RET} ~ .} (Return, followed by tilde and period) or
15267 @kbd{@key{RET} ~ C-d} (Return, followed by tilde and control-D).
15271 @subsection Zilog Z8000
15274 @cindex simulator, Z8000
15275 @cindex Zilog Z8000 simulator
15277 When configured for debugging Zilog Z8000 targets, @value{GDBN} includes
15280 For the Z8000 family, @samp{target sim} simulates either the Z8002 (the
15281 unsegmented variant of the Z8000 architecture) or the Z8001 (the
15282 segmented variant). The simulator recognizes which architecture is
15283 appropriate by inspecting the object code.
15286 @item target sim @var{args}
15288 @kindex target sim@r{, with Z8000}
15289 Debug programs on a simulated CPU. If the simulator supports setup
15290 options, specify them via @var{args}.
15294 After specifying this target, you can debug programs for the simulated
15295 CPU in the same style as programs for your host computer; use the
15296 @code{file} command to load a new program image, the @code{run} command
15297 to run your program, and so on.
15299 As well as making available all the usual machine registers
15300 (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}), the Z8000 simulator provides three
15301 additional items of information as specially named registers:
15306 Counts clock-ticks in the simulator.
15309 Counts instructions run in the simulator.
15312 Execution time in 60ths of a second.
15316 You can refer to these values in @value{GDBN} expressions with the usual
15317 conventions; for example, @w{@samp{b fputc if $cycles>5000}} sets a
15318 conditional breakpoint that suspends only after at least 5000
15319 simulated clock ticks.
15322 @subsection Atmel AVR
15325 When configured for debugging the Atmel AVR, @value{GDBN} supports the
15326 following AVR-specific commands:
15329 @item info io_registers
15330 @kindex info io_registers@r{, AVR}
15331 @cindex I/O registers (Atmel AVR)
15332 This command displays information about the AVR I/O registers. For
15333 each register, @value{GDBN} prints its number and value.
15340 When configured for debugging CRIS, @value{GDBN} provides the
15341 following CRIS-specific commands:
15344 @item set cris-version @var{ver}
15345 @cindex CRIS version
15346 Set the current CRIS version to @var{ver}, either @samp{10} or @samp{32}.
15347 The CRIS version affects register names and sizes. This command is useful in
15348 case autodetection of the CRIS version fails.
15350 @item show cris-version
15351 Show the current CRIS version.
15353 @item set cris-dwarf2-cfi
15354 @cindex DWARF-2 CFI and CRIS
15355 Set the usage of DWARF-2 CFI for CRIS debugging. The default is @samp{on}.
15356 Change to @samp{off} when using @code{gcc-cris} whose version is below
15359 @item show cris-dwarf2-cfi
15360 Show the current state of using DWARF-2 CFI.
15362 @item set cris-mode @var{mode}
15364 Set the current CRIS mode to @var{mode}. It should only be changed when
15365 debugging in guru mode, in which case it should be set to
15366 @samp{guru} (the default is @samp{normal}).
15368 @item show cris-mode
15369 Show the current CRIS mode.
15373 @subsection Renesas Super-H
15376 For the Renesas Super-H processor, @value{GDBN} provides these
15381 @kindex regs@r{, Super-H}
15382 Show the values of all Super-H registers.
15386 @subsection Windows CE
15389 The following commands are available for Windows CE:
15392 @item set remotedirectory @var{dir}
15393 @kindex set remotedirectory
15394 Tell @value{GDBN} to upload files from the named directory @var{dir}.
15395 The default is @file{/gdb}, i.e.@: the root directory on the current
15398 @item show remotedirectory
15399 @kindex show remotedirectory
15400 Show the current value of the upload directory.
15402 @item set remoteupload @var{method}
15403 @kindex set remoteupload
15404 Set the method used to upload files to remote device. Valid values
15405 for @var{method} are @samp{always}, @samp{newer}, and @samp{never}.
15406 The default is @samp{newer}.
15408 @item show remoteupload
15409 @kindex show remoteupload
15410 Show the current setting of the upload method.
15412 @item set remoteaddhost
15413 @kindex set remoteaddhost
15414 Tell @value{GDBN} whether to add this host to the remote stub's
15415 arguments when you debug over a network.
15417 @item show remoteaddhost
15418 @kindex show remoteaddhost
15419 Show whether to add this host to remote stub's arguments when
15420 debugging over a network.
15424 @node Architectures
15425 @section Architectures
15427 This section describes characteristics of architectures that affect
15428 all uses of @value{GDBN} with the architecture, both native and cross.
15435 * HPPA:: HP PA architecture
15439 @subsection x86 Architecture-specific issues.
15442 @item set struct-convention @var{mode}
15443 @kindex set struct-convention
15444 @cindex struct return convention
15445 @cindex struct/union returned in registers
15446 Set the convention used by the inferior to return @code{struct}s and
15447 @code{union}s from functions to @var{mode}. Possible values of
15448 @var{mode} are @code{"pcc"}, @code{"reg"}, and @code{"default"} (the
15449 default). @code{"default"} or @code{"pcc"} means that @code{struct}s
15450 are returned on the stack, while @code{"reg"} means that a
15451 @code{struct} or a @code{union} whose size is 1, 2, 4, or 8 bytes will
15452 be returned in a register.
15454 @item show struct-convention
15455 @kindex show struct-convention
15456 Show the current setting of the convention to return @code{struct}s
15465 @kindex set rstack_high_address
15466 @cindex AMD 29K register stack
15467 @cindex register stack, AMD29K
15468 @item set rstack_high_address @var{address}
15469 On AMD 29000 family processors, registers are saved in a separate
15470 @dfn{register stack}. There is no way for @value{GDBN} to determine the
15471 extent of this stack. Normally, @value{GDBN} just assumes that the
15472 stack is ``large enough''. This may result in @value{GDBN} referencing
15473 memory locations that do not exist. If necessary, you can get around
15474 this problem by specifying the ending address of the register stack with
15475 the @code{set rstack_high_address} command. The argument should be an
15476 address, which you probably want to precede with @samp{0x} to specify in
15479 @kindex show rstack_high_address
15480 @item show rstack_high_address
15481 Display the current limit of the register stack, on AMD 29000 family
15489 See the following section.
15494 @cindex stack on Alpha
15495 @cindex stack on MIPS
15496 @cindex Alpha stack
15498 Alpha- and MIPS-based computers use an unusual stack frame, which
15499 sometimes requires @value{GDBN} to search backward in the object code to
15500 find the beginning of a function.
15502 @cindex response time, MIPS debugging
15503 To improve response time (especially for embedded applications, where
15504 @value{GDBN} may be restricted to a slow serial line for this search)
15505 you may want to limit the size of this search, using one of these
15509 @cindex @code{heuristic-fence-post} (Alpha, MIPS)
15510 @item set heuristic-fence-post @var{limit}
15511 Restrict @value{GDBN} to examining at most @var{limit} bytes in its
15512 search for the beginning of a function. A value of @var{0} (the
15513 default) means there is no limit. However, except for @var{0}, the
15514 larger the limit the more bytes @code{heuristic-fence-post} must search
15515 and therefore the longer it takes to run. You should only need to use
15516 this command when debugging a stripped executable.
15518 @item show heuristic-fence-post
15519 Display the current limit.
15523 These commands are available @emph{only} when @value{GDBN} is configured
15524 for debugging programs on Alpha or MIPS processors.
15526 Several MIPS-specific commands are available when debugging MIPS
15530 @item set mips saved-gpreg-size @var{size}
15531 @kindex set mips saved-gpreg-size
15532 @cindex MIPS GP register size on stack
15533 Set the size of MIPS general-purpose registers saved on the stack.
15534 The argument @var{size} can be one of the following:
15538 32-bit GP registers
15540 64-bit GP registers
15542 Use the target's default setting or autodetect the saved size from the
15543 information contained in the executable. This is the default
15546 @item show mips saved-gpreg-size
15547 @kindex show mips saved-gpreg-size
15548 Show the current size of MIPS GP registers on the stack.
15550 @item set mips stack-arg-size @var{size}
15551 @kindex set mips stack-arg-size
15552 @cindex MIPS stack space for arguments
15553 Set the amount of stack space reserved for arguments to functions.
15554 The argument can be one of @code{"32"}, @code{"64"} or @code{"auto"}
15557 @item set mips abi @var{arg}
15558 @kindex set mips abi
15559 @cindex set ABI for MIPS
15560 Tell @value{GDBN} which MIPS ABI is used by the inferior. Possible
15561 values of @var{arg} are:
15565 The default ABI associated with the current binary (this is the
15576 @item show mips abi
15577 @kindex show mips abi
15578 Show the MIPS ABI used by @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
15581 @itemx show mipsfpu
15582 @xref{MIPS Embedded, set mipsfpu}.
15584 @item set mips mask-address @var{arg}
15585 @kindex set mips mask-address
15586 @cindex MIPS addresses, masking
15587 This command determines whether the most-significant 32 bits of 64-bit
15588 MIPS addresses are masked off. The argument @var{arg} can be
15589 @samp{on}, @samp{off}, or @samp{auto}. The latter is the default
15590 setting, which lets @value{GDBN} determine the correct value.
15592 @item show mips mask-address
15593 @kindex show mips mask-address
15594 Show whether the upper 32 bits of MIPS addresses are masked off or
15597 @item set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
15598 @kindex set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
15599 This command controls compatibility with 64-bit MIPS targets that
15600 transfer data in 32-bit quantities. If you have an old MIPS 64 target
15601 that transfers 32 bits for some registers, like @sc{sr} and @sc{fsr},
15602 and 64 bits for other registers, set this option to @samp{on}.
15604 @item show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
15605 @kindex show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
15606 Show the current setting of compatibility with older MIPS 64 targets.
15608 @item set debug mips
15609 @kindex set debug mips
15610 This command turns on and off debugging messages for the MIPS-specific
15611 target code in @value{GDBN}.
15613 @item show debug mips
15614 @kindex show debug mips
15615 Show the current setting of MIPS debugging messages.
15621 @cindex HPPA support
15623 When @value{GDBN} is debugging te HP PA architecture, it provides the
15624 following special commands:
15627 @item set debug hppa
15628 @kindex set debug hppa
15629 THis command determines whether HPPA architecture specific debugging
15630 messages are to be displayed.
15632 @item show debug hppa
15633 Show whether HPPA debugging messages are displayed.
15635 @item maint print unwind @var{address}
15636 @kindex maint print unwind@r{, HPPA}
15637 This command displays the contents of the unwind table entry at the
15638 given @var{address}.
15643 @node Controlling GDB
15644 @chapter Controlling @value{GDBN}
15646 You can alter the way @value{GDBN} interacts with you by using the
15647 @code{set} command. For commands controlling how @value{GDBN} displays
15648 data, see @ref{Print Settings, ,Print settings}. Other settings are
15653 * Editing:: Command editing
15654 * Command History:: Command history
15655 * Screen Size:: Screen size
15656 * Numbers:: Numbers
15657 * ABI:: Configuring the current ABI
15658 * Messages/Warnings:: Optional warnings and messages
15659 * Debugging Output:: Optional messages about internal happenings
15667 @value{GDBN} indicates its readiness to read a command by printing a string
15668 called the @dfn{prompt}. This string is normally @samp{(@value{GDBP})}. You
15669 can change the prompt string with the @code{set prompt} command. For
15670 instance, when debugging @value{GDBN} with @value{GDBN}, it is useful to change
15671 the prompt in one of the @value{GDBN} sessions so that you can always tell
15672 which one you are talking to.
15674 @emph{Note:} @code{set prompt} does not add a space for you after the
15675 prompt you set. This allows you to set a prompt which ends in a space
15676 or a prompt that does not.
15680 @item set prompt @var{newprompt}
15681 Directs @value{GDBN} to use @var{newprompt} as its prompt string henceforth.
15683 @kindex show prompt
15685 Prints a line of the form: @samp{Gdb's prompt is: @var{your-prompt}}
15689 @section Command editing
15691 @cindex command line editing
15693 @value{GDBN} reads its input commands via the @dfn{Readline} interface. This
15694 @sc{gnu} library provides consistent behavior for programs which provide a
15695 command line interface to the user. Advantages are @sc{gnu} Emacs-style
15696 or @dfn{vi}-style inline editing of commands, @code{csh}-like history
15697 substitution, and a storage and recall of command history across
15698 debugging sessions.
15700 You may control the behavior of command line editing in @value{GDBN} with the
15701 command @code{set}.
15704 @kindex set editing
15707 @itemx set editing on
15708 Enable command line editing (enabled by default).
15710 @item set editing off
15711 Disable command line editing.
15713 @kindex show editing
15715 Show whether command line editing is enabled.
15718 @xref{Command Line Editing}, for more details about the Readline
15719 interface. Users unfamiliar with @sc{gnu} Emacs or @code{vi} are
15720 encouraged to read that chapter.
15722 @node Command History
15723 @section Command history
15724 @cindex command history
15726 @value{GDBN} can keep track of the commands you type during your
15727 debugging sessions, so that you can be certain of precisely what
15728 happened. Use these commands to manage the @value{GDBN} command
15731 @value{GDBN} uses the @sc{gnu} History library, a part of the Readline
15732 package, to provide the history facility. @xref{Using History
15733 Interactively}, for the detailed description of the History library.
15735 To issue a command to @value{GDBN} without affecting certain aspects of
15736 the state which is seen by users, prefix it with @samp{server }. This
15737 means that this command will not affect the command history, nor will it
15738 affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which command to repeat if @key{RET} is
15739 pressed on a line by itself.
15741 @cindex @code{server}, command prefix
15742 The server prefix does not affect the recording of values into the value
15743 history; to print a value without recording it into the value history,
15744 use the @code{output} command instead of the @code{print} command.
15746 Here is the description of @value{GDBN} commands related to command
15750 @cindex history substitution
15751 @cindex history file
15752 @kindex set history filename
15753 @cindex @env{GDBHISTFILE}, environment variable
15754 @item set history filename @var{fname}
15755 Set the name of the @value{GDBN} command history file to @var{fname}.
15756 This is the file where @value{GDBN} reads an initial command history
15757 list, and where it writes the command history from this session when it
15758 exits. You can access this list through history expansion or through
15759 the history command editing characters listed below. This file defaults
15760 to the value of the environment variable @code{GDBHISTFILE}, or to
15761 @file{./.gdb_history} (@file{./_gdb_history} on MS-DOS) if this variable
15764 @cindex save command history
15765 @kindex set history save
15766 @item set history save
15767 @itemx set history save on
15768 Record command history in a file, whose name may be specified with the
15769 @code{set history filename} command. By default, this option is disabled.
15771 @item set history save off
15772 Stop recording command history in a file.
15774 @cindex history size
15775 @kindex set history size
15776 @cindex @env{HISTSIZE}, environment variable
15777 @item set history size @var{size}
15778 Set the number of commands which @value{GDBN} keeps in its history list.
15779 This defaults to the value of the environment variable
15780 @code{HISTSIZE}, or to 256 if this variable is not set.
15783 History expansion assigns special meaning to the character @kbd{!}.
15784 @xref{Event Designators}, for more details.
15786 @cindex history expansion, turn on/off
15787 Since @kbd{!} is also the logical not operator in C, history expansion
15788 is off by default. If you decide to enable history expansion with the
15789 @code{set history expansion on} command, you may sometimes need to
15790 follow @kbd{!} (when it is used as logical not, in an expression) with
15791 a space or a tab to prevent it from being expanded. The readline
15792 history facilities do not attempt substitution on the strings
15793 @kbd{!=} and @kbd{!(}, even when history expansion is enabled.
15795 The commands to control history expansion are:
15798 @item set history expansion on
15799 @itemx set history expansion
15800 @kindex set history expansion
15801 Enable history expansion. History expansion is off by default.
15803 @item set history expansion off
15804 Disable history expansion.
15807 @kindex show history
15809 @itemx show history filename
15810 @itemx show history save
15811 @itemx show history size
15812 @itemx show history expansion
15813 These commands display the state of the @value{GDBN} history parameters.
15814 @code{show history} by itself displays all four states.
15819 @kindex show commands
15820 @cindex show last commands
15821 @cindex display command history
15822 @item show commands
15823 Display the last ten commands in the command history.
15825 @item show commands @var{n}
15826 Print ten commands centered on command number @var{n}.
15828 @item show commands +
15829 Print ten commands just after the commands last printed.
15833 @section Screen size
15834 @cindex size of screen
15835 @cindex pauses in output
15837 Certain commands to @value{GDBN} may produce large amounts of
15838 information output to the screen. To help you read all of it,
15839 @value{GDBN} pauses and asks you for input at the end of each page of
15840 output. Type @key{RET} when you want to continue the output, or @kbd{q}
15841 to discard the remaining output. Also, the screen width setting
15842 determines when to wrap lines of output. Depending on what is being
15843 printed, @value{GDBN} tries to break the line at a readable place,
15844 rather than simply letting it overflow onto the following line.
15846 Normally @value{GDBN} knows the size of the screen from the terminal
15847 driver software. For example, on Unix @value{GDBN} uses the termcap data base
15848 together with the value of the @code{TERM} environment variable and the
15849 @code{stty rows} and @code{stty cols} settings. If this is not correct,
15850 you can override it with the @code{set height} and @code{set
15857 @kindex show height
15858 @item set height @var{lpp}
15860 @itemx set width @var{cpl}
15862 These @code{set} commands specify a screen height of @var{lpp} lines and
15863 a screen width of @var{cpl} characters. The associated @code{show}
15864 commands display the current settings.
15866 If you specify a height of zero lines, @value{GDBN} does not pause during
15867 output no matter how long the output is. This is useful if output is to a
15868 file or to an editor buffer.
15870 Likewise, you can specify @samp{set width 0} to prevent @value{GDBN}
15871 from wrapping its output.
15873 @item set pagination on
15874 @itemx set pagination off
15875 @kindex set pagination
15876 Turn the output pagination on or off; the default is on. Turning
15877 pagination off is the alternative to @code{set height 0}.
15879 @item show pagination
15880 @kindex show pagination
15881 Show the current pagination mode.
15886 @cindex number representation
15887 @cindex entering numbers
15889 You can always enter numbers in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal in
15890 @value{GDBN} by the usual conventions: octal numbers begin with
15891 @samp{0}, decimal numbers end with @samp{.}, and hexadecimal numbers
15892 begin with @samp{0x}. Numbers that neither begin with @samp{0} or
15893 @samp{0x}, nor end with a @samp{.} are, by default, entered in base
15894 10; likewise, the default display for numbers---when no particular
15895 format is specified---is base 10. You can change the default base for
15896 both input and output with the commands described below.
15899 @kindex set input-radix
15900 @item set input-radix @var{base}
15901 Set the default base for numeric input. Supported choices
15902 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
15903 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix; for
15907 set input-radix 012
15908 set input-radix 10.
15909 set input-radix 0xa
15913 sets the input base to decimal. On the other hand, @samp{set input-radix 10}
15914 leaves the input radix unchanged, no matter what it was, since
15915 @samp{10}, being without any leading or trailing signs of its base, is
15916 interpreted in the current radix. Thus, if the current radix is 16,
15917 @samp{10} is interpreted in hex, i.e.@: as 16 decimal, which doesn't
15920 @kindex set output-radix
15921 @item set output-radix @var{base}
15922 Set the default base for numeric display. Supported choices
15923 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
15924 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix.
15926 @kindex show input-radix
15927 @item show input-radix
15928 Display the current default base for numeric input.
15930 @kindex show output-radix
15931 @item show output-radix
15932 Display the current default base for numeric display.
15934 @item set radix @r{[}@var{base}@r{]}
15938 These commands set and show the default base for both input and output
15939 of numbers. @code{set radix} sets the radix of input and output to
15940 the same base; without an argument, it resets the radix back to its
15941 default value of 10.
15946 @section Configuring the current ABI
15948 @value{GDBN} can determine the @dfn{ABI} (Application Binary Interface) of your
15949 application automatically. However, sometimes you need to override its
15950 conclusions. Use these commands to manage @value{GDBN}'s view of the
15957 One @value{GDBN} configuration can debug binaries for multiple operating
15958 system targets, either via remote debugging or native emulation.
15959 @value{GDBN} will autodetect the @dfn{OS ABI} (Operating System ABI) in use,
15960 but you can override its conclusion using the @code{set osabi} command.
15961 One example where this is useful is in debugging of binaries which use
15962 an alternate C library (e.g.@: @sc{uClibc} for @sc{gnu}/Linux) which does
15963 not have the same identifying marks that the standard C library for your
15968 Show the OS ABI currently in use.
15971 With no argument, show the list of registered available OS ABI's.
15973 @item set osabi @var{abi}
15974 Set the current OS ABI to @var{abi}.
15977 @cindex float promotion
15979 Generally, the way that an argument of type @code{float} is passed to a
15980 function depends on whether the function is prototyped. For a prototyped
15981 (i.e.@: ANSI/ISO style) function, @code{float} arguments are passed unchanged,
15982 according to the architecture's convention for @code{float}. For unprototyped
15983 (i.e.@: K&R style) functions, @code{float} arguments are first promoted to type
15984 @code{double} and then passed.
15986 Unfortunately, some forms of debug information do not reliably indicate whether
15987 a function is prototyped. If @value{GDBN} calls a function that is not marked
15988 as prototyped, it consults @kbd{set coerce-float-to-double}.
15991 @kindex set coerce-float-to-double
15992 @item set coerce-float-to-double
15993 @itemx set coerce-float-to-double on
15994 Arguments of type @code{float} will be promoted to @code{double} when passed
15995 to an unprototyped function. This is the default setting.
15997 @item set coerce-float-to-double off
15998 Arguments of type @code{float} will be passed directly to unprototyped
16001 @kindex show coerce-float-to-double
16002 @item show coerce-float-to-double
16003 Show the current setting of promoting @code{float} to @code{double}.
16007 @kindex show cp-abi
16008 @value{GDBN} needs to know the ABI used for your program's C@t{++}
16009 objects. The correct C@t{++} ABI depends on which C@t{++} compiler was
16010 used to build your application. @value{GDBN} only fully supports
16011 programs with a single C@t{++} ABI; if your program contains code using
16012 multiple C@t{++} ABI's or if @value{GDBN} can not identify your
16013 program's ABI correctly, you can tell @value{GDBN} which ABI to use.
16014 Currently supported ABI's include ``gnu-v2'', for @code{g++} versions
16015 before 3.0, ``gnu-v3'', for @code{g++} versions 3.0 and later, and
16016 ``hpaCC'' for the HP ANSI C@t{++} compiler. Other C@t{++} compilers may
16017 use the ``gnu-v2'' or ``gnu-v3'' ABI's as well. The default setting is
16022 Show the C@t{++} ABI currently in use.
16025 With no argument, show the list of supported C@t{++} ABI's.
16027 @item set cp-abi @var{abi}
16028 @itemx set cp-abi auto
16029 Set the current C@t{++} ABI to @var{abi}, or return to automatic detection.
16032 @node Messages/Warnings
16033 @section Optional warnings and messages
16035 @cindex verbose operation
16036 @cindex optional warnings
16037 By default, @value{GDBN} is silent about its inner workings. If you are
16038 running on a slow machine, you may want to use the @code{set verbose}
16039 command. This makes @value{GDBN} tell you when it does a lengthy
16040 internal operation, so you will not think it has crashed.
16042 Currently, the messages controlled by @code{set verbose} are those
16043 which announce that the symbol table for a source file is being read;
16044 see @code{symbol-file} in @ref{Files, ,Commands to specify files}.
16047 @kindex set verbose
16048 @item set verbose on
16049 Enables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
16051 @item set verbose off
16052 Disables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
16054 @kindex show verbose
16056 Displays whether @code{set verbose} is on or off.
16059 By default, if @value{GDBN} encounters bugs in the symbol table of an
16060 object file, it is silent; but if you are debugging a compiler, you may
16061 find this information useful (@pxref{Symbol Errors, ,Errors reading
16066 @kindex set complaints
16067 @item set complaints @var{limit}
16068 Permits @value{GDBN} to output @var{limit} complaints about each type of
16069 unusual symbols before becoming silent about the problem. Set
16070 @var{limit} to zero to suppress all complaints; set it to a large number
16071 to prevent complaints from being suppressed.
16073 @kindex show complaints
16074 @item show complaints
16075 Displays how many symbol complaints @value{GDBN} is permitted to produce.
16079 By default, @value{GDBN} is cautious, and asks what sometimes seems to be a
16080 lot of stupid questions to confirm certain commands. For example, if
16081 you try to run a program which is already running:
16085 The program being debugged has been started already.
16086 Start it from the beginning? (y or n)
16089 If you are willing to unflinchingly face the consequences of your own
16090 commands, you can disable this ``feature'':
16094 @kindex set confirm
16096 @cindex confirmation
16097 @cindex stupid questions
16098 @item set confirm off
16099 Disables confirmation requests.
16101 @item set confirm on
16102 Enables confirmation requests (the default).
16104 @kindex show confirm
16106 Displays state of confirmation requests.
16110 @cindex command tracing
16111 If you need to debug user-defined commands or sourced files you may find it
16112 useful to enable @dfn{command tracing}. In this mode each command will be
16113 printed as it is executed, prefixed with one or more @samp{+} symbols, the
16114 quantity denoting the call depth of each command.
16117 @kindex set trace-commands
16118 @cindex command scripts, debugging
16119 @item set trace-commands on
16120 Enable command tracing.
16121 @item set trace-commands off
16122 Disable command tracing.
16123 @item show trace-commands
16124 Display the current state of command tracing.
16127 @node Debugging Output
16128 @section Optional messages about internal happenings
16129 @cindex optional debugging messages
16131 @value{GDBN} has commands that enable optional debugging messages from
16132 various @value{GDBN} subsystems; normally these commands are of
16133 interest to @value{GDBN} maintainers, or when reporting a bug. This
16134 section documents those commands.
16137 @kindex set exec-done-display
16138 @item set exec-done-display
16139 Turns on or off the notification of asynchronous commands'
16140 completion. When on, @value{GDBN} will print a message when an
16141 asynchronous command finishes its execution. The default is off.
16142 @kindex show exec-done-display
16143 @item show exec-done-display
16144 Displays the current setting of asynchronous command completion
16147 @cindex gdbarch debugging info
16148 @cindex architecture debugging info
16149 @item set debug arch
16150 Turns on or off display of gdbarch debugging info. The default is off
16152 @item show debug arch
16153 Displays the current state of displaying gdbarch debugging info.
16154 @item set debug aix-thread
16155 @cindex AIX threads
16156 Display debugging messages about inner workings of the AIX thread
16158 @item show debug aix-thread
16159 Show the current state of AIX thread debugging info display.
16160 @item set debug event
16161 @cindex event debugging info
16162 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} event debugging info. The
16164 @item show debug event
16165 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} event debugging
16167 @item set debug expression
16168 @cindex expression debugging info
16169 Turns on or off display of debugging info about @value{GDBN}
16170 expression parsing. The default is off.
16171 @item show debug expression
16172 Displays the current state of displaying debugging info about
16173 @value{GDBN} expression parsing.
16174 @item set debug frame
16175 @cindex frame debugging info
16176 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} frame debugging info. The
16178 @item show debug frame
16179 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} frame debugging
16181 @item set debug infrun
16182 @cindex inferior debugging info
16183 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for running the inferior.
16184 The default is off. @file{infrun.c} contains GDB's runtime state machine used
16185 for implementing operations such as single-stepping the inferior.
16186 @item show debug infrun
16187 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} inferior debugging.
16188 @item set debug lin-lwp
16189 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Linux LWP debug messages
16190 @cindex Linux lightweight processes
16191 Turns on or off debugging messages from the Linux LWP debug support.
16192 @item show debug lin-lwp
16193 Show the current state of Linux LWP debugging messages.
16194 @item set debug observer
16195 @cindex observer debugging info
16196 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} observer debugging. This
16197 includes info such as the notification of observable events.
16198 @item show debug observer
16199 Displays the current state of observer debugging.
16200 @item set debug overload
16201 @cindex C@t{++} overload debugging info
16202 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload debugging
16203 info. This includes info such as ranking of functions, etc. The default
16205 @item show debug overload
16206 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload
16208 @cindex packets, reporting on stdout
16209 @cindex serial connections, debugging
16210 @cindex debug remote protocol
16211 @cindex remote protocol debugging
16212 @cindex display remote packets
16213 @item set debug remote
16214 Turns on or off display of reports on all packets sent back and forth across
16215 the serial line to the remote machine. The info is printed on the
16216 @value{GDBN} standard output stream. The default is off.
16217 @item show debug remote
16218 Displays the state of display of remote packets.
16219 @item set debug serial
16220 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} serial debugging info. The
16222 @item show debug serial
16223 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} serial debugging
16225 @item set debug solib-frv
16226 @cindex FR-V shared-library debugging
16227 Turns on or off debugging messages for FR-V shared-library code.
16228 @item show debug solib-frv
16229 Display the current state of FR-V shared-library code debugging
16231 @item set debug target
16232 @cindex target debugging info
16233 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} target debugging info. This info
16234 includes what is going on at the target level of GDB, as it happens. The
16235 default is 0. Set it to 1 to track events, and to 2 to also track the
16236 value of large memory transfers. Changes to this flag do not take effect
16237 until the next time you connect to a target or use the @code{run} command.
16238 @item show debug target
16239 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} target debugging
16241 @item set debugvarobj
16242 @cindex variable object debugging info
16243 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} variable object debugging
16244 info. The default is off.
16245 @item show debugvarobj
16246 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} variable object
16251 @chapter Canned Sequences of Commands
16253 Aside from breakpoint commands (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint
16254 command lists}), @value{GDBN} provides two ways to store sequences of
16255 commands for execution as a unit: user-defined commands and command
16259 * Define:: How to define your own commands
16260 * Hooks:: Hooks for user-defined commands
16261 * Command Files:: How to write scripts of commands to be stored in a file
16262 * Output:: Commands for controlled output
16266 @section User-defined commands
16268 @cindex user-defined command
16269 @cindex arguments, to user-defined commands
16270 A @dfn{user-defined command} is a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands to
16271 which you assign a new name as a command. This is done with the
16272 @code{define} command. User commands may accept up to 10 arguments
16273 separated by whitespace. Arguments are accessed within the user command
16274 via @code{$arg0@dots{}$arg9}. A trivial example:
16278 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
16283 To execute the command use:
16290 This defines the command @code{adder}, which prints the sum of
16291 its three arguments. Note the arguments are text substitutions, so they may
16292 reference variables, use complex expressions, or even perform inferior
16295 @cindex argument count in user-defined commands
16296 @cindex how many arguments (user-defined commands)
16297 In addition, @code{$argc} may be used to find out how many arguments have
16298 been passed. This expands to a number in the range 0@dots{}10.
16303 print $arg0 + $arg1
16306 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
16314 @item define @var{commandname}
16315 Define a command named @var{commandname}. If there is already a command
16316 by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine it.
16318 The definition of the command is made up of other @value{GDBN} command lines,
16319 which are given following the @code{define} command. The end of these
16320 commands is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
16323 @kindex end@r{ (user-defined commands)}
16324 @item document @var{commandname}
16325 Document the user-defined command @var{commandname}, so that it can be
16326 accessed by @code{help}. The command @var{commandname} must already be
16327 defined. This command reads lines of documentation just as @code{define}
16328 reads the lines of the command definition, ending with @code{end}.
16329 After the @code{document} command is finished, @code{help} on command
16330 @var{commandname} displays the documentation you have written.
16332 You may use the @code{document} command again to change the
16333 documentation of a command. Redefining the command with @code{define}
16334 does not change the documentation.
16336 @kindex dont-repeat
16337 @cindex don't repeat command
16339 Used inside a user-defined command, this tells @value{GDBN} that this
16340 command should not be repeated when the user hits @key{RET}
16341 (@pxref{Command Syntax, repeat last command}).
16343 @kindex help user-defined
16344 @item help user-defined
16345 List all user-defined commands, with the first line of the documentation
16350 @itemx show user @var{commandname}
16351 Display the @value{GDBN} commands used to define @var{commandname} (but
16352 not its documentation). If no @var{commandname} is given, display the
16353 definitions for all user-defined commands.
16355 @cindex infinite recursion in user-defined commands
16356 @kindex show max-user-call-depth
16357 @kindex set max-user-call-depth
16358 @item show max-user-call-depth
16359 @itemx set max-user-call-depth
16360 The value of @code{max-user-call-depth} controls how many recursion
16361 levels are allowed in user-defined commands before GDB suspects an
16362 infinite recursion and aborts the command.
16365 In addition to the above commands, user-defined commands frequently
16366 use control flow commands, described in @ref{Command Files}.
16368 When user-defined commands are executed, the
16369 commands of the definition are not printed. An error in any command
16370 stops execution of the user-defined command.
16372 If used interactively, commands that would ask for confirmation proceed
16373 without asking when used inside a user-defined command. Many @value{GDBN}
16374 commands that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the
16375 messages when used in a user-defined command.
16378 @section User-defined command hooks
16379 @cindex command hooks
16380 @cindex hooks, for commands
16381 @cindex hooks, pre-command
16384 You may define @dfn{hooks}, which are a special kind of user-defined
16385 command. Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined
16386 command @samp{hook-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments)
16387 before that command.
16389 @cindex hooks, post-command
16391 A hook may also be defined which is run after the command you executed.
16392 Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined command
16393 @samp{hookpost-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments) after
16394 that command. Post-execution hooks may exist simultaneously with
16395 pre-execution hooks, for the same command.
16397 It is valid for a hook to call the command which it hooks. If this
16398 occurs, the hook is not re-executed, thereby avoiding infinite recursion.
16400 @c It would be nice if hookpost could be passed a parameter indicating
16401 @c if the command it hooks executed properly or not. FIXME!
16403 @kindex stop@r{, a pseudo-command}
16404 In addition, a pseudo-command, @samp{stop} exists. Defining
16405 (@samp{hook-stop}) makes the associated commands execute every time
16406 execution stops in your program: before breakpoint commands are run,
16407 displays are printed, or the stack frame is printed.
16409 For example, to ignore @code{SIGALRM} signals while
16410 single-stepping, but treat them normally during normal execution,
16415 handle SIGALRM nopass
16419 handle SIGALRM pass
16422 define hook-continue
16423 handle SIGLARM pass
16427 As a further example, to hook at the begining and end of the @code{echo}
16428 command, and to add extra text to the beginning and end of the message,
16436 define hookpost-echo
16440 (@value{GDBP}) echo Hello World
16441 <<<---Hello World--->>>
16446 You can define a hook for any single-word command in @value{GDBN}, but
16447 not for command aliases; you should define a hook for the basic command
16448 name, e.g.@: @code{backtrace} rather than @code{bt}.
16449 @c FIXME! So how does Joe User discover whether a command is an alias
16451 If an error occurs during the execution of your hook, execution of
16452 @value{GDBN} commands stops and @value{GDBN} issues a prompt
16453 (before the command that you actually typed had a chance to run).
16455 If you try to define a hook which does not match any known command, you
16456 get a warning from the @code{define} command.
16458 @node Command Files
16459 @section Command files
16461 @cindex command files
16462 @cindex scripting commands
16463 A command file for @value{GDBN} is a text file made of lines that are
16464 @value{GDBN} commands. Comments (lines starting with @kbd{#}) may
16465 also be included. An empty line in a command file does nothing; it
16466 does not mean to repeat the last command, as it would from the
16469 You can request the execution of a command file with the @code{source}
16474 @cindex execute commands from a file
16475 @item source [@code{-v}] @var{filename}
16476 Execute the command file @var{filename}.
16479 The lines in a command file are generally executed sequentially,
16480 unless the order of execution is changed by one of the
16481 @emph{flow-control commands} described below. The commands are not
16482 printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates
16483 execution of the command file and control is returned to the console.
16485 @value{GDBN} searches for @var{filename} in the current directory and then
16486 on the search path (specified with the @samp{directory} command).
16488 If @code{-v}, for verbose mode, is given then @value{GDBN} displays
16489 each command as it is executed. The option must be given before
16490 @var{filename}, and is interpreted as part of the filename anywhere else.
16492 Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
16493 without asking when used in a command file. Many @value{GDBN} commands that
16494 normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
16495 when called from command files.
16497 @value{GDBN} also accepts command input from standard input. In this
16498 mode, normal output goes to standard output and error output goes to
16499 standard error. Errors in a command file supplied on standard input do
16500 not terminate execution of the command file---execution continues with
16504 gdb < cmds > log 2>&1
16507 (The syntax above will vary depending on the shell used.) This example
16508 will execute commands from the file @file{cmds}. All output and errors
16509 would be directed to @file{log}.
16511 Since commands stored on command files tend to be more general than
16512 commands typed interactively, they frequently need to deal with
16513 complicated situations, such as different or unexpected values of
16514 variables and symbols, changes in how the program being debugged is
16515 built, etc. @value{GDBN} provides a set of flow-control commands to
16516 deal with these complexities. Using these commands, you can write
16517 complex scripts that loop over data structures, execute commands
16518 conditionally, etc.
16525 This command allows to include in your script conditionally executed
16526 commands. The @code{if} command takes a single argument, which is an
16527 expression to evaluate. It is followed by a series of commands that
16528 are executed only if the expression is true (its value is nonzero).
16529 There can then optionally be an @code{else} line, followed by a series
16530 of commands that are only executed if the expression was false. The
16531 end of the list is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
16535 This command allows to write loops. Its syntax is similar to
16536 @code{if}: the command takes a single argument, which is an expression
16537 to evaluate, and must be followed by the commands to execute, one per
16538 line, terminated by an @code{end}. These commands are called the
16539 @dfn{body} of the loop. The commands in the body of @code{while} are
16540 executed repeatedly as long as the expression evaluates to true.
16544 This command exits the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included.
16545 Execution of the script continues after that @code{while}s @code{end}
16548 @kindex loop_continue
16549 @item loop_continue
16550 This command skips the execution of the rest of the body of commands
16551 in the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included. Execution
16552 branches to the beginning of the @code{while} loop, where it evaluates
16553 the controlling expression.
16555 @kindex end@r{ (if/else/while commands)}
16557 Terminate the block of commands that are the body of @code{if},
16558 @code{else}, or @code{while} flow-control commands.
16563 @section Commands for controlled output
16565 During the execution of a command file or a user-defined command, normal
16566 @value{GDBN} output is suppressed; the only output that appears is what is
16567 explicitly printed by the commands in the definition. This section
16568 describes three commands useful for generating exactly the output you
16573 @item echo @var{text}
16574 @c I do not consider backslash-space a standard C escape sequence
16575 @c because it is not in ANSI.
16576 Print @var{text}. Nonprinting characters can be included in
16577 @var{text} using C escape sequences, such as @samp{\n} to print a
16578 newline. @strong{No newline is printed unless you specify one.}
16579 In addition to the standard C escape sequences, a backslash followed
16580 by a space stands for a space. This is useful for displaying a
16581 string with spaces at the beginning or the end, since leading and
16582 trailing spaces are otherwise trimmed from all arguments.
16583 To print @samp{@w{ }and foo =@w{ }}, use the command
16584 @samp{echo \@w{ }and foo = \@w{ }}.
16586 A backslash at the end of @var{text} can be used, as in C, to continue
16587 the command onto subsequent lines. For example,
16590 echo This is some text\n\
16591 which is continued\n\
16592 onto several lines.\n
16595 produces the same output as
16598 echo This is some text\n
16599 echo which is continued\n
16600 echo onto several lines.\n
16604 @item output @var{expression}
16605 Print the value of @var{expression} and nothing but that value: no
16606 newlines, no @samp{$@var{nn} = }. The value is not entered in the
16607 value history either. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information
16610 @item output/@var{fmt} @var{expression}
16611 Print the value of @var{expression} in format @var{fmt}. You can use
16612 the same formats as for @code{print}. @xref{Output Formats,,Output
16613 formats}, for more information.
16616 @item printf @var{string}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
16617 Print the values of the @var{expressions} under the control of
16618 @var{string}. The @var{expressions} are separated by commas and may be
16619 either numbers or pointers. Their values are printed as specified by
16620 @var{string}, exactly as if your program were to execute the C
16622 @c FIXME: the above implies that at least all ANSI C formats are
16623 @c supported, but it isn't true: %E and %G don't work (or so it seems).
16624 @c Either this is a bug, or the manual should document what formats are
16628 printf (@var{string}, @var{expressions}@dots{});
16631 For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
16634 printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
16637 The only backslash-escape sequences that you can use in the format
16638 string are the simple ones that consist of backslash followed by a
16643 @chapter Command Interpreters
16644 @cindex command interpreters
16646 @value{GDBN} supports multiple command interpreters, and some command
16647 infrastructure to allow users or user interface writers to switch
16648 between interpreters or run commands in other interpreters.
16650 @value{GDBN} currently supports two command interpreters, the console
16651 interpreter (sometimes called the command-line interpreter or @sc{cli})
16652 and the machine interface interpreter (or @sc{gdb/mi}). This manual
16653 describes both of these interfaces in great detail.
16655 By default, @value{GDBN} will start with the console interpreter.
16656 However, the user may choose to start @value{GDBN} with another
16657 interpreter by specifying the @option{-i} or @option{--interpreter}
16658 startup options. Defined interpreters include:
16662 @cindex console interpreter
16663 The traditional console or command-line interpreter. This is the most often
16664 used interpreter with @value{GDBN}. With no interpreter specified at runtime,
16665 @value{GDBN} will use this interpreter.
16668 @cindex mi interpreter
16669 The newest @sc{gdb/mi} interface (currently @code{mi2}). Used primarily
16670 by programs wishing to use @value{GDBN} as a backend for a debugger GUI
16671 or an IDE. For more information, see @ref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi}
16675 @cindex mi2 interpreter
16676 The current @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
16679 @cindex mi1 interpreter
16680 The @sc{gdb/mi} interface included in @value{GDBN} 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.
16684 @cindex invoke another interpreter
16685 The interpreter being used by @value{GDBN} may not be dynamically
16686 switched at runtime. Although possible, this could lead to a very
16687 precarious situation. Consider an IDE using @sc{gdb/mi}. If a user
16688 enters the command "interpreter-set console" in a console view,
16689 @value{GDBN} would switch to using the console interpreter, rendering
16690 the IDE inoperable!
16692 @kindex interpreter-exec
16693 Although you may only choose a single interpreter at startup, you may execute
16694 commands in any interpreter from the current interpreter using the appropriate
16695 command. If you are running the console interpreter, simply use the
16696 @code{interpreter-exec} command:
16699 interpreter-exec mi "-data-list-register-names"
16702 @sc{gdb/mi} has a similar command, although it is only available in versions of
16703 @value{GDBN} which support @sc{gdb/mi} version 2 (or greater).
16706 @chapter @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
16708 @cindex Text User Interface
16711 * TUI Overview:: TUI overview
16712 * TUI Keys:: TUI key bindings
16713 * TUI Single Key Mode:: TUI single key mode
16714 * TUI Commands:: TUI specific commands
16715 * TUI Configuration:: TUI configuration variables
16718 The @value{GDBN} Text User Interface, TUI in short, is a terminal
16719 interface which uses the @code{curses} library to show the source
16720 file, the assembly output, the program registers and @value{GDBN}
16721 commands in separate text windows.
16723 The TUI is enabled by invoking @value{GDBN} using either
16725 @samp{gdbtui} or @samp{gdb -tui}.
16728 @section TUI overview
16730 The TUI has two display modes that can be switched while
16735 A curses (or TUI) mode in which it displays several text
16736 windows on the terminal.
16739 A standard mode which corresponds to the @value{GDBN} configured without
16743 In the TUI mode, @value{GDBN} can display several text window
16748 This window is the @value{GDBN} command window with the @value{GDBN}
16749 prompt and the @value{GDBN} outputs. The @value{GDBN} input is still
16750 managed using readline but through the TUI. The @emph{command}
16751 window is always visible.
16754 The source window shows the source file of the program. The current
16755 line as well as active breakpoints are displayed in this window.
16758 The assembly window shows the disassembly output of the program.
16761 This window shows the processor registers. It detects when
16762 a register is changed and when this is the case, registers that have
16763 changed are highlighted.
16767 The source and assembly windows show the current program position
16768 by highlighting the current line and marking them with the @samp{>} marker.
16769 Breakpoints are also indicated with two markers. A first one
16770 indicates the breakpoint type:
16774 Breakpoint which was hit at least once.
16777 Breakpoint which was never hit.
16780 Hardware breakpoint which was hit at least once.
16783 Hardware breakpoint which was never hit.
16787 The second marker indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled or not:
16791 Breakpoint is enabled.
16794 Breakpoint is disabled.
16798 The source, assembly and register windows are attached to the thread
16799 and the frame position. They are updated when the current thread
16800 changes, when the frame changes or when the program counter changes.
16801 These three windows are arranged by the TUI according to several
16802 layouts. The layout defines which of these three windows are visible.
16803 The following layouts are available:
16813 source and assembly
16816 source and registers
16819 assembly and registers
16823 On top of the command window a status line gives various information
16824 concerning the current process begin debugged. The status line is
16825 updated when the information it shows changes. The following fields
16830 Indicates the current gdb target
16831 (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
16834 Gives information about the current process or thread number.
16835 When no process is being debugged, this field is set to @code{No process}.
16838 Gives the current function name for the selected frame.
16839 The name is demangled if demangling is turned on (@pxref{Print Settings}).
16840 When there is no symbol corresponding to the current program counter
16841 the string @code{??} is displayed.
16844 Indicates the current line number for the selected frame.
16845 When the current line number is not known the string @code{??} is displayed.
16848 Indicates the current program counter address.
16853 @section TUI Key Bindings
16854 @cindex TUI key bindings
16856 The TUI installs several key bindings in the readline keymaps
16857 (@pxref{Command Line Editing}).
16858 They allow to leave or enter in the TUI mode or they operate
16859 directly on the TUI layout and windows. The TUI also provides
16860 a @emph{SingleKey} keymap which binds several keys directly to
16861 @value{GDBN} commands. The following key bindings
16862 are installed for both TUI mode and the @value{GDBN} standard mode.
16871 Enter or leave the TUI mode. When the TUI mode is left,
16872 the curses window management is left and @value{GDBN} operates using
16873 its standard mode writing on the terminal directly. When the TUI
16874 mode is entered, the control is given back to the curses windows.
16875 The screen is then refreshed.
16879 Use a TUI layout with only one window. The layout will
16880 either be @samp{source} or @samp{assembly}. When the TUI mode
16881 is not active, it will switch to the TUI mode.
16883 Think of this key binding as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 1} binding.
16887 Use a TUI layout with at least two windows. When the current
16888 layout shows already two windows, a next layout with two windows is used.
16889 When a new layout is chosen, one window will always be common to the
16890 previous layout and the new one.
16892 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 2} binding.
16896 Change the active window. The TUI associates several key bindings
16897 (like scrolling and arrow keys) to the active window. This command
16898 gives the focus to the next TUI window.
16900 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x o} binding.
16904 Use the TUI @emph{SingleKey} keymap that binds single key to gdb commands
16905 (@pxref{TUI Single Key Mode}).
16909 The following key bindings are handled only by the TUI mode:
16914 Scroll the active window one page up.
16918 Scroll the active window one page down.
16922 Scroll the active window one line up.
16926 Scroll the active window one line down.
16930 Scroll the active window one column left.
16934 Scroll the active window one column right.
16938 Refresh the screen.
16942 In the TUI mode, the arrow keys are used by the active window
16943 for scrolling. This means they are available for readline when the
16944 active window is the command window. When the command window
16945 does not have the focus, it is necessary to use other readline
16946 key bindings such as @kbd{C-p}, @kbd{C-n}, @kbd{C-b} and @kbd{C-f}.
16948 @node TUI Single Key Mode
16949 @section TUI Single Key Mode
16950 @cindex TUI single key mode
16952 The TUI provides a @emph{SingleKey} mode in which it installs a particular
16953 key binding in the readline keymaps to connect single keys to
16957 @kindex c @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
16961 @kindex d @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
16965 @kindex f @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
16969 @kindex n @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
16973 @kindex q @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
16975 exit the @emph{SingleKey} mode.
16977 @kindex r @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
16981 @kindex s @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
16985 @kindex u @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
16989 @kindex v @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
16993 @kindex w @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
16999 Other keys temporarily switch to the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
17000 The key that was pressed is inserted in the editing buffer so that
17001 it is possible to type most @value{GDBN} commands without interaction
17002 with the TUI @emph{SingleKey} mode. Once the command is entered the TUI
17003 @emph{SingleKey} mode is restored. The only way to permanently leave
17004 this mode is by typing @kbd{q} or @kbd{C-x s}.
17008 @section TUI specific commands
17009 @cindex TUI commands
17011 The TUI has specific commands to control the text windows.
17012 These commands are always available, that is they do not depend on
17013 the current terminal mode in which @value{GDBN} runs. When @value{GDBN}
17014 is in the standard mode, using these commands will automatically switch
17020 List and give the size of all displayed windows.
17024 Display the next layout.
17027 Display the previous layout.
17030 Display the source window only.
17033 Display the assembly window only.
17036 Display the source and assembly window.
17039 Display the register window together with the source or assembly window.
17041 @item focus next | prev | src | asm | regs | split
17043 Set the focus to the named window.
17044 This command allows to change the active window so that scrolling keys
17045 can be affected to another window.
17049 Refresh the screen. This is similar to typing @kbd{C-L}.
17051 @item tui reg float
17053 Show the floating point registers in the register window.
17055 @item tui reg general
17056 Show the general registers in the register window.
17059 Show the next register group. The list of register groups as well as
17060 their order is target specific. The predefined register groups are the
17061 following: @code{general}, @code{float}, @code{system}, @code{vector},
17062 @code{all}, @code{save}, @code{restore}.
17064 @item tui reg system
17065 Show the system registers in the register window.
17069 Update the source window and the current execution point.
17071 @item winheight @var{name} +@var{count}
17072 @itemx winheight @var{name} -@var{count}
17074 Change the height of the window @var{name} by @var{count}
17075 lines. Positive counts increase the height, while negative counts
17079 @kindex tabset @var{nchars}
17080 Set the width of tab stops to be @var{nchars} characters.
17084 @node TUI Configuration
17085 @section TUI configuration variables
17086 @cindex TUI configuration variables
17088 The TUI has several configuration variables that control the
17089 appearance of windows on the terminal.
17092 @item set tui border-kind @var{kind}
17093 @kindex set tui border-kind
17094 Select the border appearance for the source, assembly and register windows.
17095 The possible values are the following:
17098 Use a space character to draw the border.
17101 Use ascii characters + - and | to draw the border.
17104 Use the Alternate Character Set to draw the border. The border is
17105 drawn using character line graphics if the terminal supports them.
17109 @item set tui active-border-mode @var{mode}
17110 @kindex set tui active-border-mode
17111 Select the attributes to display the border of the active window.
17112 The possible values are @code{normal}, @code{standout}, @code{reverse},
17113 @code{half}, @code{half-standout}, @code{bold} and @code{bold-standout}.
17115 @item set tui border-mode @var{mode}
17116 @kindex set tui border-mode
17117 Select the attributes to display the border of other windows.
17118 The @var{mode} can be one of the following:
17121 Use normal attributes to display the border.
17127 Use reverse video mode.
17130 Use half bright mode.
17132 @item half-standout
17133 Use half bright and standout mode.
17136 Use extra bright or bold mode.
17138 @item bold-standout
17139 Use extra bright or bold and standout mode.
17146 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
17149 @cindex @sc{gnu} Emacs
17150 A special interface allows you to use @sc{gnu} Emacs to view (and
17151 edit) the source files for the program you are debugging with
17154 To use this interface, use the command @kbd{M-x gdb} in Emacs. Give the
17155 executable file you want to debug as an argument. This command starts
17156 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess of Emacs, with input and output through a newly
17157 created Emacs buffer.
17158 @c (Do not use the @code{-tui} option to run @value{GDBN} from Emacs.)
17160 Using @value{GDBN} under Emacs is just like using @value{GDBN} normally except for two
17165 All ``terminal'' input and output goes through the Emacs buffer.
17168 This applies both to @value{GDBN} commands and their output, and to the input
17169 and output done by the program you are debugging.
17171 This is useful because it means that you can copy the text of previous
17172 commands and input them again; you can even use parts of the output
17175 All the facilities of Emacs' Shell mode are available for interacting
17176 with your program. In particular, you can send signals the usual
17177 way---for example, @kbd{C-c C-c} for an interrupt, @kbd{C-c C-z} for a
17182 @value{GDBN} displays source code through Emacs.
17185 Each time @value{GDBN} displays a stack frame, Emacs automatically finds the
17186 source file for that frame and puts an arrow (@samp{=>}) at the
17187 left margin of the current line. Emacs uses a separate buffer for
17188 source display, and splits the screen to show both your @value{GDBN} session
17191 Explicit @value{GDBN} @code{list} or search commands still produce output as
17192 usual, but you probably have no reason to use them from Emacs.
17194 If you specify an absolute file name when prompted for the @kbd{M-x
17195 gdb} argument, then Emacs sets your current working directory to where
17196 your program resides. If you only specify the file name, then Emacs
17197 sets your current working directory to to the directory associated
17198 with the previous buffer. In this case, @value{GDBN} may find your
17199 program by searching your environment's @code{PATH} variable, but on
17200 some operating systems it might not find the source. So, although the
17201 @value{GDBN} input and output session proceeds normally, the auxiliary
17202 buffer does not display the current source and line of execution.
17204 The initial working directory of @value{GDBN} is printed on the top
17205 line of the @value{GDBN} I/O buffer and this serves as a default for
17206 the commands that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate
17207 on. @xref{Files, ,Commands to specify files}.
17209 By default, @kbd{M-x gdb} calls the program called @file{gdb}. If you
17210 need to call @value{GDBN} by a different name (for example, if you
17211 keep several configurations around, with different names) you can
17212 customize the Emacs variable @code{gud-gdb-command-name} to run the
17215 In the @value{GDBN} I/O buffer, you can use these special Emacs commands in
17216 addition to the standard Shell mode commands:
17220 Describe the features of Emacs' @value{GDBN} Mode.
17223 Execute to another source line, like the @value{GDBN} @code{step} command; also
17224 update the display window to show the current file and location.
17227 Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function
17228 calls, like the @value{GDBN} @code{next} command. Then update the display window
17229 to show the current file and location.
17232 Execute one instruction, like the @value{GDBN} @code{stepi} command; update
17233 display window accordingly.
17236 Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the @value{GDBN}
17237 @code{finish} command.
17240 Continue execution of your program, like the @value{GDBN} @code{continue}
17244 Go up the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument
17245 (@pxref{Arguments, , Numeric Arguments, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}),
17246 like the @value{GDBN} @code{up} command.
17249 Go down the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument, like the
17250 @value{GDBN} @code{down} command.
17253 In any source file, the Emacs command @kbd{C-x @key{SPC}} (@code{gud-break})
17254 tells @value{GDBN} to set a breakpoint on the source line point is on.
17256 If you type @kbd{M-x speedbar}, then Emacs displays a separate frame which
17257 shows a backtrace when the @value{GDBN} I/O buffer is current. Move
17258 point to any frame in the stack and type @key{RET} to make it become the
17259 current frame and display the associated source in the source buffer.
17260 Alternatively, click @kbd{Mouse-2} to make the selected frame become the
17263 If you accidentally delete the source-display buffer, an easy way to get
17264 it back is to type the command @code{f} in the @value{GDBN} buffer, to
17265 request a frame display; when you run under Emacs, this recreates
17266 the source buffer if necessary to show you the context of the current
17269 The source files displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buffers
17270 which are visiting the source files in the usual way. You can edit
17271 the files with these buffers if you wish; but keep in mind that @value{GDBN}
17272 communicates with Emacs in terms of line numbers. If you add or
17273 delete lines from the text, the line numbers that @value{GDBN} knows cease
17274 to correspond properly with the code.
17276 The description given here is for GNU Emacs version 21.3 and a more
17277 detailed description of its interaction with @value{GDBN} is given in
17278 the Emacs manual (@pxref{Debuggers,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}).
17280 @c The following dropped because Epoch is nonstandard. Reactivate
17281 @c if/when v19 does something similar. ---doc@cygnus.com 19dec1990
17283 @kindex Emacs Epoch environment
17287 Version 18 of @sc{gnu} Emacs has a built-in window system
17288 called the @code{epoch}
17289 environment. Users of this environment can use a new command,
17290 @code{inspect} which performs identically to @code{print} except that
17291 each value is printed in its own window.
17296 @chapter The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface
17298 @unnumberedsec Function and Purpose
17300 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, its purpose
17301 @sc{gdb/mi} is a line based machine oriented text interface to
17302 @value{GDBN} and is activated by specifying using the
17303 @option{--interpreter} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}). It
17304 is specifically intended to support the development of systems which
17305 use the debugger as just one small component of a larger system.
17307 This chapter is a specification of the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. It is written
17308 in the form of a reference manual.
17310 Note that @sc{gdb/mi} is still under construction, so some of the
17311 features described below are incomplete and subject to change
17312 (@pxref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, , @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends}).
17314 @unnumberedsec Notation and Terminology
17316 @cindex notational conventions, for @sc{gdb/mi}
17317 This chapter uses the following notation:
17321 @code{|} separates two alternatives.
17324 @code{[ @var{something} ]} indicates that @var{something} is optional:
17325 it may or may not be given.
17328 @code{( @var{group} )*} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
17329 may repeat zero or more times.
17332 @code{( @var{group} )+} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
17333 may repeat one or more times.
17336 @code{"@var{string}"} means a literal @var{string}.
17340 @heading Dependencies
17344 * GDB/MI Command Syntax::
17345 * GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI::
17346 * GDB/MI Development and Front Ends::
17347 * GDB/MI Output Records::
17348 * GDB/MI Simple Examples::
17349 * GDB/MI Command Description Format::
17350 * GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands::
17351 * GDB/MI Program Context::
17352 * GDB/MI Thread Commands::
17353 * GDB/MI Program Execution::
17354 * GDB/MI Stack Manipulation::
17355 * GDB/MI Variable Objects::
17356 * GDB/MI Data Manipulation::
17357 * GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands::
17358 * GDB/MI Symbol Query::
17359 * GDB/MI File Commands::
17361 * GDB/MI Kod Commands::
17362 * GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands::
17363 * GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands::
17365 * GDB/MI Target Manipulation::
17366 * GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands::
17369 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
17370 @node GDB/MI Command Syntax
17371 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Syntax
17374 * GDB/MI Input Syntax::
17375 * GDB/MI Output Syntax::
17378 @node GDB/MI Input Syntax
17379 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Input Syntax
17381 @cindex input syntax for @sc{gdb/mi}
17382 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, input syntax
17384 @item @var{command} @expansion{}
17385 @code{@var{cli-command} | @var{mi-command}}
17387 @item @var{cli-command} @expansion{}
17388 @code{[ @var{token} ] @var{cli-command} @var{nl}}, where
17389 @var{cli-command} is any existing @value{GDBN} CLI command.
17391 @item @var{mi-command} @expansion{}
17392 @code{[ @var{token} ] "-" @var{operation} ( " " @var{option} )*
17393 @code{[} " --" @code{]} ( " " @var{parameter} )* @var{nl}}
17395 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
17396 "any sequence of digits"
17398 @item @var{option} @expansion{}
17399 @code{"-" @var{parameter} [ " " @var{parameter} ]}
17401 @item @var{parameter} @expansion{}
17402 @code{@var{non-blank-sequence} | @var{c-string}}
17404 @item @var{operation} @expansion{}
17405 @emph{any of the operations described in this chapter}
17407 @item @var{non-blank-sequence} @expansion{}
17408 @emph{anything, provided it doesn't contain special characters such as
17409 "-", @var{nl}, """ and of course " "}
17411 @item @var{c-string} @expansion{}
17412 @code{""" @var{seven-bit-iso-c-string-content} """}
17414 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
17423 The CLI commands are still handled by the @sc{mi} interpreter; their
17424 output is described below.
17427 The @code{@var{token}}, when present, is passed back when the command
17431 Some @sc{mi} commands accept optional arguments as part of the parameter
17432 list. Each option is identified by a leading @samp{-} (dash) and may be
17433 followed by an optional argument parameter. Options occur first in the
17434 parameter list and can be delimited from normal parameters using
17435 @samp{--} (this is useful when some parameters begin with a dash).
17442 We want easy access to the existing CLI syntax (for debugging).
17445 We want it to be easy to spot a @sc{mi} operation.
17448 @node GDB/MI Output Syntax
17449 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax
17451 @cindex output syntax of @sc{gdb/mi}
17452 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, output syntax
17453 The output from @sc{gdb/mi} consists of zero or more out-of-band records
17454 followed, optionally, by a single result record. This result record
17455 is for the most recent command. The sequence of output records is
17456 terminated by @samp{(gdb)}.
17458 If an input command was prefixed with a @code{@var{token}} then the
17459 corresponding output for that command will also be prefixed by that same
17463 @item @var{output} @expansion{}
17464 @code{( @var{out-of-band-record} )* [ @var{result-record} ] "(gdb)" @var{nl}}
17466 @item @var{result-record} @expansion{}
17467 @code{ [ @var{token} ] "^" @var{result-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
17469 @item @var{out-of-band-record} @expansion{}
17470 @code{@var{async-record} | @var{stream-record}}
17472 @item @var{async-record} @expansion{}
17473 @code{@var{exec-async-output} | @var{status-async-output} | @var{notify-async-output}}
17475 @item @var{exec-async-output} @expansion{}
17476 @code{[ @var{token} ] "*" @var{async-output}}
17478 @item @var{status-async-output} @expansion{}
17479 @code{[ @var{token} ] "+" @var{async-output}}
17481 @item @var{notify-async-output} @expansion{}
17482 @code{[ @var{token} ] "=" @var{async-output}}
17484 @item @var{async-output} @expansion{}
17485 @code{@var{async-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
17487 @item @var{result-class} @expansion{}
17488 @code{"done" | "running" | "connected" | "error" | "exit"}
17490 @item @var{async-class} @expansion{}
17491 @code{"stopped" | @var{others}} (where @var{others} will be added
17492 depending on the needs---this is still in development).
17494 @item @var{result} @expansion{}
17495 @code{ @var{variable} "=" @var{value}}
17497 @item @var{variable} @expansion{}
17498 @code{ @var{string} }
17500 @item @var{value} @expansion{}
17501 @code{ @var{const} | @var{tuple} | @var{list} }
17503 @item @var{const} @expansion{}
17504 @code{@var{c-string}}
17506 @item @var{tuple} @expansion{}
17507 @code{ "@{@}" | "@{" @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "@}" }
17509 @item @var{list} @expansion{}
17510 @code{ "[]" | "[" @var{value} ( "," @var{value} )* "]" | "["
17511 @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "]" }
17513 @item @var{stream-record} @expansion{}
17514 @code{@var{console-stream-output} | @var{target-stream-output} | @var{log-stream-output}}
17516 @item @var{console-stream-output} @expansion{}
17517 @code{"~" @var{c-string}}
17519 @item @var{target-stream-output} @expansion{}
17520 @code{"@@" @var{c-string}}
17522 @item @var{log-stream-output} @expansion{}
17523 @code{"&" @var{c-string}}
17525 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
17528 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
17529 @emph{any sequence of digits}.
17537 All output sequences end in a single line containing a period.
17540 The @code{@var{token}} is from the corresponding request. If an execution
17541 command is interrupted by the @samp{-exec-interrupt} command, the
17542 @var{token} associated with the @samp{*stopped} message is the one of the
17543 original execution command, not the one of the interrupt command.
17546 @cindex status output in @sc{gdb/mi}
17547 @var{status-async-output} contains on-going status information about the
17548 progress of a slow operation. It can be discarded. All status output is
17549 prefixed by @samp{+}.
17552 @cindex async output in @sc{gdb/mi}
17553 @var{exec-async-output} contains asynchronous state change on the target
17554 (stopped, started, disappeared). All async output is prefixed by
17558 @cindex notify output in @sc{gdb/mi}
17559 @var{notify-async-output} contains supplementary information that the
17560 client should handle (e.g., a new breakpoint information). All notify
17561 output is prefixed by @samp{=}.
17564 @cindex console output in @sc{gdb/mi}
17565 @var{console-stream-output} is output that should be displayed as is in the
17566 console. It is the textual response to a CLI command. All the console
17567 output is prefixed by @samp{~}.
17570 @cindex target output in @sc{gdb/mi}
17571 @var{target-stream-output} is the output produced by the target program.
17572 All the target output is prefixed by @samp{@@}.
17575 @cindex log output in @sc{gdb/mi}
17576 @var{log-stream-output} is output text coming from @value{GDBN}'s internals, for
17577 instance messages that should be displayed as part of an error log. All
17578 the log output is prefixed by @samp{&}.
17581 @cindex list output in @sc{gdb/mi}
17582 New @sc{gdb/mi} commands should only output @var{lists} containing
17588 @xref{GDB/MI Stream Records, , @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records}, for more
17589 details about the various output records.
17591 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
17592 @node GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI
17593 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Compatibility with CLI
17595 @cindex compatibility, @sc{gdb/mi} and CLI
17596 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, compatibility with CLI
17598 For the developers convenience CLI commands can be entered directly,
17599 but there may be some unexpected behaviour. For example, commands
17600 that query the user will behave as if the user replied yes, breakpoint
17601 command lists are not executed and some CLI commands, such as
17602 @code{if}, @code{when} and @code{define}, prompt for further input with
17603 @samp{>}, which is not valid MI output.
17605 This feature may be removed at some stage in the future and it is
17606 recommended that front ends use the @code{-interpreter-exec} command
17607 (@pxref{-interpreter-exec}).
17609 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
17610 @node GDB/MI Development and Front Ends
17611 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends
17612 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi} development
17614 The application which takes the MI output and presents the state of the
17615 program being debugged to the user is called a @dfn{front end}.
17617 Although @sc{gdb/mi} is still incomplete, it is currently being used
17618 by a variety of front ends to @value{GDBN}. This makes it difficult
17619 to introduce new functionality without breaking existing usage. This
17620 section tries to minimize the problems by describing how the protocol
17623 Some changes in MI need not break a carefully designed front end, and
17624 for these the MI version will remain unchanged. The following is a
17625 list of changes that may occur within one level, so front ends should
17626 parse MI output in a way that can handle them:
17630 New MI commands may be added.
17633 New fields may be added to the output of any MI command.
17635 @c The format of field's content e.g type prefix, may change so parse it
17636 @c at your own risk. Yes, in general?
17638 @c The order of fields may change? Shouldn't really matter but it might
17639 @c resolve inconsistencies.
17642 If the changes are likely to break front ends, the MI version level
17643 will be increased by one. This will allow the front end to parse the
17644 output according to the MI version. Apart from mi0, new versions of
17645 @value{GDBN} will not support old versions of MI and it will be the
17646 responsibility of the front end to work with the new one.
17648 @c Starting with mi3, add a new command -mi-version that prints the MI
17651 The best way to avoid unexpected changes in MI that might break your front
17652 end is to make your project known to @value{GDBN} developers and
17653 follow development on @email{gdb@@sourceware.org} and
17654 @email{gdb-patches@@sourceware.org}. There is also the mailing list
17655 @email{dmi-discuss@@lists.freestandards.org}, hosted by the Free Standards
17656 Group, which has the aim of creating a a more general MI protocol
17657 called Debugger Machine Interface (DMI) that will become a standard
17658 for all debuggers, not just @value{GDBN}.
17659 @cindex mailing lists
17661 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
17662 @node GDB/MI Output Records
17663 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Output Records
17666 * GDB/MI Result Records::
17667 * GDB/MI Stream Records::
17668 * GDB/MI Out-of-band Records::
17671 @node GDB/MI Result Records
17672 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Result Records
17674 @cindex result records in @sc{gdb/mi}
17675 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, result records
17676 In addition to a number of out-of-band notifications, the response to a
17677 @sc{gdb/mi} command includes one of the following result indications:
17681 @item "^done" [ "," @var{results} ]
17682 The synchronous operation was successful, @code{@var{results}} are the return
17687 @c Is this one correct? Should it be an out-of-band notification?
17688 The asynchronous operation was successfully started. The target is
17693 GDB has connected to a remote target.
17695 @item "^error" "," @var{c-string}
17697 The operation failed. The @code{@var{c-string}} contains the corresponding
17702 GDB has terminated.
17706 @node GDB/MI Stream Records
17707 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records
17709 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, stream records
17710 @cindex stream records in @sc{gdb/mi}
17711 @value{GDBN} internally maintains a number of output streams: the console, the
17712 target, and the log. The output intended for each of these streams is
17713 funneled through the @sc{gdb/mi} interface using @dfn{stream records}.
17715 Each stream record begins with a unique @dfn{prefix character} which
17716 identifies its stream (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, , @sc{gdb/mi} Output
17717 Syntax}). In addition to the prefix, each stream record contains a
17718 @code{@var{string-output}}. This is either raw text (with an implicit new
17719 line) or a quoted C string (which does not contain an implicit newline).
17722 @item "~" @var{string-output}
17723 The console output stream contains text that should be displayed in the
17724 CLI console window. It contains the textual responses to CLI commands.
17726 @item "@@" @var{string-output}
17727 The target output stream contains any textual output from the running
17728 target. This is only present when GDB's event loop is truly
17729 asynchronous, which is currently only the case for remote targets.
17731 @item "&" @var{string-output}
17732 The log stream contains debugging messages being produced by @value{GDBN}'s
17736 @node GDB/MI Out-of-band Records
17737 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Out-of-band Records
17739 @cindex out-of-band records in @sc{gdb/mi}
17740 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, out-of-band records
17741 @dfn{Out-of-band} records are used to notify the @sc{gdb/mi} client of
17742 additional changes that have occurred. Those changes can either be a
17743 consequence of @sc{gdb/mi} (e.g., a breakpoint modified) or a result of
17744 target activity (e.g., target stopped).
17746 The following is a preliminary list of possible out-of-band records.
17747 In particular, the @var{exec-async-output} records.
17750 @item *stopped,reason="@var{reason}"
17753 @var{reason} can be one of the following:
17756 @item breakpoint-hit
17757 A breakpoint was reached.
17758 @item watchpoint-trigger
17759 A watchpoint was triggered.
17760 @item read-watchpoint-trigger
17761 A read watchpoint was triggered.
17762 @item access-watchpoint-trigger
17763 An access watchpoint was triggered.
17764 @item function-finished
17765 An -exec-finish or similar CLI command was accomplished.
17766 @item location-reached
17767 An -exec-until or similar CLI command was accomplished.
17768 @item watchpoint-scope
17769 A watchpoint has gone out of scope.
17770 @item end-stepping-range
17771 An -exec-next, -exec-next-instruction, -exec-step, -exec-step-instruction or
17772 similar CLI command was accomplished.
17773 @item exited-signalled
17774 The inferior exited because of a signal.
17776 The inferior exited.
17777 @item exited-normally
17778 The inferior exited normally.
17779 @item signal-received
17780 A signal was received by the inferior.
17784 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
17785 @node GDB/MI Simple Examples
17786 @section Simple Examples of @sc{gdb/mi} Interaction
17787 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, simple examples
17789 This subsection presents several simple examples of interaction using
17790 the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. In these examples, @samp{->} means that the
17791 following line is passed to @sc{gdb/mi} as input, while @samp{<-} means
17792 the output received from @sc{gdb/mi}.
17794 Note the the line breaks shown in the examples are here only for
17795 readability, they don't appear in the real output.
17797 @subheading Setting a breakpoint
17799 Setting a breakpoint generates synchronous output which contains detailed
17800 information of the breakpoint.
17803 -> -break-insert main
17804 <- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
17805 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
17806 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",times="0"@}
17810 @subheading Program Execution
17812 Program execution generates asynchronous records and MI gives the
17813 reason that execution stopped.
17819 <- *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
17820 frame=@{addr="0x08048564",func="main",
17821 args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},@{name="argv",value="0xbfc4d4d4"@}],
17822 file="myprog.c",fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68"@}
17827 <- *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
17831 @subheading Quitting GDB
17833 Quitting GDB just prints the result class @samp{^exit}.
17841 @subheading A Bad Command
17843 Here's what happens if you pass a non-existent command:
17847 <- ^error,msg="Undefined MI command: rubbish"
17852 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
17853 @node GDB/MI Command Description Format
17854 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Description Format
17856 The remaining sections describe blocks of commands. Each block of
17857 commands is laid out in a fashion similar to this section.
17859 @subheading Motivation
17861 The motivation for this collection of commands.
17863 @subheading Introduction
17865 A brief introduction to this collection of commands as a whole.
17867 @subheading Commands
17869 For each command in the block, the following is described:
17871 @subsubheading Synopsis
17874 -command @var{args}@dots{}
17877 @subsubheading Result
17879 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
17881 The corresponding @value{GDBN} CLI command(s), if any.
17883 @subsubheading Example
17885 Example(s) formatted for readability. Some of the described commands have
17886 not been implemented yet and these are labeled N.A.@: (not available).
17889 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
17890 @node GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands
17891 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Commands
17893 @cindex breakpoint commands for @sc{gdb/mi}
17894 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, breakpoint commands
17895 This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
17898 @subheading The @code{-break-after} Command
17899 @findex -break-after
17901 @subsubheading Synopsis
17904 -break-after @var{number} @var{count}
17907 The breakpoint number @var{number} is not in effect until it has been
17908 hit @var{count} times. To see how this is reflected in the output of
17909 the @samp{-break-list} command, see the description of the
17910 @samp{-break-list} command below.
17912 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
17914 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ignore}.
17916 @subsubheading Example
17921 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x000100d0",file="hello.c",
17922 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",times="0"@}
17929 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
17930 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
17931 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
17932 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
17933 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
17934 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
17935 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
17936 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
17937 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
17938 line="5",times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
17943 @subheading The @code{-break-catch} Command
17944 @findex -break-catch
17946 @subheading The @code{-break-commands} Command
17947 @findex -break-commands
17951 @subheading The @code{-break-condition} Command
17952 @findex -break-condition
17954 @subsubheading Synopsis
17957 -break-condition @var{number} @var{expr}
17960 Breakpoint @var{number} will stop the program only if the condition in
17961 @var{expr} is true. The condition becomes part of the
17962 @samp{-break-list} output (see the description of the @samp{-break-list}
17965 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
17967 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{condition}.
17969 @subsubheading Example
17973 -break-condition 1 1
17977 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
17978 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
17979 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
17980 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
17981 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
17982 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
17983 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
17984 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
17985 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
17986 line="5",cond="1",times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
17990 @subheading The @code{-break-delete} Command
17991 @findex -break-delete
17993 @subsubheading Synopsis
17996 -break-delete ( @var{breakpoint} )+
17999 Delete the breakpoint(s) whose number(s) are specified in the argument
18000 list. This is obviously reflected in the breakpoint list.
18002 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} command
18004 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{delete}.
18006 @subsubheading Example
18014 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
18015 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
18016 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
18017 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
18018 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
18019 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
18020 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
18025 @subheading The @code{-break-disable} Command
18026 @findex -break-disable
18028 @subsubheading Synopsis
18031 -break-disable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
18034 Disable the named @var{breakpoint}(s). The field @samp{enabled} in the
18035 break list is now set to @samp{n} for the named @var{breakpoint}(s).
18037 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18039 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disable}.
18041 @subsubheading Example
18049 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
18050 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
18051 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
18052 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
18053 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
18054 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
18055 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
18056 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
18057 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
18058 line="5",times="0"@}]@}
18062 @subheading The @code{-break-enable} Command
18063 @findex -break-enable
18065 @subsubheading Synopsis
18068 -break-enable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
18071 Enable (previously disabled) @var{breakpoint}(s).
18073 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18075 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{enable}.
18077 @subsubheading Example
18085 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
18086 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
18087 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
18088 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
18089 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
18090 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
18091 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
18092 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
18093 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
18094 line="5",times="0"@}]@}
18098 @subheading The @code{-break-info} Command
18099 @findex -break-info
18101 @subsubheading Synopsis
18104 -break-info @var{breakpoint}
18108 Get information about a single breakpoint.
18110 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} command
18112 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break @var{breakpoint}}.
18114 @subsubheading Example
18117 @subheading The @code{-break-insert} Command
18118 @findex -break-insert
18120 @subsubheading Synopsis
18123 -break-insert [ -t ] [ -h ] [ -r ]
18124 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
18125 [ -p @var{thread} ] [ @var{line} | @var{addr} ]
18129 If specified, @var{line}, can be one of:
18136 @item filename:linenum
18137 @item filename:function
18141 The possible optional parameters of this command are:
18145 Insert a temporary breakpoint.
18147 Insert a hardware breakpoint.
18148 @item -c @var{condition}
18149 Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
18150 @item -i @var{ignore-count}
18151 Initialize the @var{ignore-count}.
18153 Insert a regular breakpoint in all the functions whose names match the
18154 given regular expression. Other flags are not applicable to regular
18158 @subsubheading Result
18160 The result is in the form:
18163 ^done,bkpt=@{number="@var{number}",type="@var{type}",disp="del"|"keep",
18164 enabled="y"|"n",addr="@var{hex}",func="@var{funcname}",file="@var{filename}",
18165 fullname="@var{full_filename}",line="@var{lineno}",[thread="@var{threadno},]
18166 times="@var{times}"@}
18170 where @var{number} is the @value{GDBN} number for this breakpoint,
18171 @var{funcname} is the name of the function where the breakpoint was
18172 inserted, @var{filename} is the name of the source file which contains
18173 this function, @var{lineno} is the source line number within that file
18174 and @var{times} the number of times that the breakpoint has been hit
18175 (always 0 for -break-insert but may be greater for -break-info or -break-list
18176 which use the same output).
18178 Note: this format is open to change.
18179 @c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
18181 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18183 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{break}, @samp{tbreak},
18184 @samp{hbreak}, @samp{thbreak}, and @samp{rbreak}.
18186 @subsubheading Example
18191 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",
18192 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="4",times="0"@}
18194 -break-insert -t foo
18195 ^done,bkpt=@{number="2",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c",
18196 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="11",times="0"@}
18199 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
18200 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
18201 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
18202 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
18203 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
18204 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
18205 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
18206 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
18207 addr="0x0001072c", func="main",file="recursive2.c",
18208 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,"line="4",times="0"@},
18209 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
18210 addr="0x00010774",func="foo",file="recursive2.c",
18211 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",times="0"@}]@}
18213 -break-insert -r foo.*
18214 ~int foo(int, int);
18215 ^done,bkpt=@{number="3",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c,
18216 "fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",times="0"@}
18220 @subheading The @code{-break-list} Command
18221 @findex -break-list
18223 @subsubheading Synopsis
18229 Displays the list of inserted breakpoints, showing the following fields:
18233 number of the breakpoint
18235 type of the breakpoint: @samp{breakpoint} or @samp{watchpoint}
18237 should the breakpoint be deleted or disabled when it is hit: @samp{keep}
18240 is the breakpoint enabled or no: @samp{y} or @samp{n}
18242 memory location at which the breakpoint is set
18244 logical location of the breakpoint, expressed by function name, file
18247 number of times the breakpoint has been hit
18250 If there are no breakpoints or watchpoints, the @code{BreakpointTable}
18251 @code{body} field is an empty list.
18253 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18255 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break}.
18257 @subsubheading Example
18262 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
18263 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
18264 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
18265 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
18266 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
18267 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
18268 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
18269 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
18270 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",line="5",times="0"@},
18271 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
18272 addr="0x00010114",func="foo",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
18273 line="13",times="0"@}]@}
18277 Here's an example of the result when there are no breakpoints:
18282 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
18283 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
18284 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
18285 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
18286 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
18287 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
18288 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
18293 @subheading The @code{-break-watch} Command
18294 @findex -break-watch
18296 @subsubheading Synopsis
18299 -break-watch [ -a | -r ]
18302 Create a watchpoint. With the @samp{-a} option it will create an
18303 @dfn{access} watchpoint, i.e. a watchpoint that triggers either on a
18304 read from or on a write to the memory location. With the @samp{-r}
18305 option, the watchpoint created is a @dfn{read} watchpoint, i.e. it will
18306 trigger only when the memory location is accessed for reading. Without
18307 either of the options, the watchpoint created is a regular watchpoint,
18308 i.e. it will trigger when the memory location is accessed for writing.
18309 @xref{Set Watchpoints, , Setting watchpoints}.
18311 Note that @samp{-break-list} will report a single list of watchpoints and
18312 breakpoints inserted.
18314 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18316 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{watch}, @samp{awatch}, and
18319 @subsubheading Example
18321 Setting a watchpoint on a variable in the @code{main} function:
18326 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@}
18330 ^done,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@},
18331 value=@{old="-268439212",new="55"@},
18332 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
18333 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="5"@}
18337 Setting a watchpoint on a variable local to a function. @value{GDBN} will stop
18338 the program execution twice: first for the variable changing value, then
18339 for the watchpoint going out of scope.
18344 ^done,wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@}
18348 ^done,reason="watchpoint-trigger",
18349 wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@},value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
18350 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
18351 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
18352 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
18356 ^done,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="5",
18357 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
18358 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
18359 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
18360 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
18364 Listing breakpoints and watchpoints, at different points in the program
18365 execution. Note that once the watchpoint goes out of scope, it is
18371 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@}
18374 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
18375 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
18376 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
18377 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
18378 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
18379 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
18380 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
18381 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
18382 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
18383 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
18384 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c"line="8",times="1"@},
18385 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
18386 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",times="0"@}]@}
18390 ^done,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@},
18391 value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
18392 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
18393 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
18394 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
18397 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
18398 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
18399 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
18400 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
18401 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
18402 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
18403 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
18404 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
18405 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
18406 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
18407 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",times="1"@},
18408 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
18409 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",times="-5"@}]@}
18413 ^done,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="2",
18414 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
18415 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
18416 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
18417 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
18420 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
18421 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
18422 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
18423 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
18424 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
18425 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
18426 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
18427 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
18428 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
18429 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
18430 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",
18435 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
18436 @node GDB/MI Program Context
18437 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Context
18439 @subheading The @code{-exec-arguments} Command
18440 @findex -exec-arguments
18443 @subsubheading Synopsis
18446 -exec-arguments @var{args}
18449 Set the inferior program arguments, to be used in the next
18452 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18454 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set args}.
18456 @subsubheading Example
18459 Don't have one around.
18462 @subheading The @code{-exec-show-arguments} Command
18463 @findex -exec-show-arguments
18465 @subsubheading Synopsis
18468 -exec-show-arguments
18471 Print the arguments of the program.
18473 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18475 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show args}.
18477 @subsubheading Example
18481 @subheading The @code{-environment-cd} Command
18482 @findex -environment-cd
18484 @subsubheading Synopsis
18487 -environment-cd @var{pathdir}
18490 Set @value{GDBN}'s working directory.
18492 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18494 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{cd}.
18496 @subsubheading Example
18500 -environment-cd /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
18506 @subheading The @code{-environment-directory} Command
18507 @findex -environment-directory
18509 @subsubheading Synopsis
18512 -environment-directory [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
18515 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for source files.
18516 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the default
18517 search path. If directories @var{pathdir} are supplied in addition to the
18518 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
18520 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
18521 multiple directories in a single command
18522 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
18523 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
18524 If blanks are needed as
18525 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
18526 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
18527 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-seperator
18528 character must not be used
18529 in any directory name.
18530 If no directories are specified, the current search path is displayed.
18532 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18534 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dir}.
18536 @subsubheading Example
18540 -environment-directory /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
18541 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
18543 -environment-directory ""
18544 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
18546 -environment-directory -r /home/jjohnstn/src/gdb /usr/src
18547 ^done,source-path="/home/jjohnstn/src/gdb:/usr/src:$cdir:$cwd"
18549 -environment-directory -r
18550 ^done,source-path="$cdir:$cwd"
18555 @subheading The @code{-environment-path} Command
18556 @findex -environment-path
18558 @subsubheading Synopsis
18561 -environment-path [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
18564 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for object files.
18565 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the original
18566 search path that existed at gdb start-up. If directories @var{pathdir} are
18567 supplied in addition to the
18568 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
18570 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
18571 multiple directories in a single command
18572 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
18573 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
18574 If blanks are needed as
18575 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
18576 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
18577 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-seperator
18578 character must not be used
18579 in any directory name.
18580 If no directories are specified, the current path is displayed.
18583 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18585 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{path}.
18587 @subsubheading Example
18592 ^done,path="/usr/bin"
18594 -environment-path /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb /bin
18595 ^done,path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb:/bin:/usr/bin"
18597 -environment-path -r /usr/local/bin
18598 ^done,path="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
18603 @subheading The @code{-environment-pwd} Command
18604 @findex -environment-pwd
18606 @subsubheading Synopsis
18612 Show the current working directory.
18614 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} command
18616 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{pwd}.
18618 @subsubheading Example
18623 ^done,cwd="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb"
18627 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
18628 @node GDB/MI Thread Commands
18629 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Commands
18632 @subheading The @code{-thread-info} Command
18633 @findex -thread-info
18635 @subsubheading Synopsis
18641 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} command
18645 @subsubheading Example
18649 @subheading The @code{-thread-list-all-threads} Command
18650 @findex -thread-list-all-threads
18652 @subsubheading Synopsis
18655 -thread-list-all-threads
18658 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18660 The equivalent @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info threads}.
18662 @subsubheading Example
18666 @subheading The @code{-thread-list-ids} Command
18667 @findex -thread-list-ids
18669 @subsubheading Synopsis
18675 Produces a list of the currently known @value{GDBN} thread ids. At the
18676 end of the list it also prints the total number of such threads.
18678 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18680 Part of @samp{info threads} supplies the same information.
18682 @subsubheading Example
18684 No threads present, besides the main process:
18689 ^done,thread-ids=@{@},number-of-threads="0"
18699 ^done,thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
18700 number-of-threads="3"
18705 @subheading The @code{-thread-select} Command
18706 @findex -thread-select
18708 @subsubheading Synopsis
18711 -thread-select @var{threadnum}
18714 Make @var{threadnum} the current thread. It prints the number of the new
18715 current thread, and the topmost frame for that thread.
18717 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18719 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{thread}.
18721 @subsubheading Example
18728 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",thread-id="2",line="187",
18729 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.threads/linux-dp.c"
18733 thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
18734 number-of-threads="3"
18737 ^done,new-thread-id="3",
18738 frame=@{level="0",func="vprintf",
18739 args=[@{name="format",value="0x8048e9c \"%*s%c %d %c\\n\""@},
18740 @{name="arg",value="0x2"@}],file="vprintf.c",line="31"@}
18744 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
18745 @node GDB/MI Program Execution
18746 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Execution
18748 These are the asynchronous commands which generate the out-of-band
18749 record @samp{*stopped}. Currently GDB only really executes
18750 asynchronously with remote targets and this interaction is mimicked in
18753 @subheading The @code{-exec-continue} Command
18754 @findex -exec-continue
18756 @subsubheading Synopsis
18762 Resumes the execution of the inferior program until a breakpoint is
18763 encountered, or until the inferior exits.
18765 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18767 The corresponding @value{GDBN} corresponding is @samp{continue}.
18769 @subsubheading Example
18776 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",bkptno="2",frame=@{func="foo",args=[],
18777 file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",line="13"@}
18782 @subheading The @code{-exec-finish} Command
18783 @findex -exec-finish
18785 @subsubheading Synopsis
18791 Resumes the execution of the inferior program until the current
18792 function is exited. Displays the results returned by the function.
18794 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18796 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{finish}.
18798 @subsubheading Example
18800 Function returning @code{void}.
18807 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
18808 file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",line="7"@}
18812 Function returning other than @code{void}. The name of the internal
18813 @value{GDBN} variable storing the result is printed, together with the
18820 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{addr="0x000107b0",func="foo",
18821 args=[@{name="a",value="1"],@{name="b",value="9"@}@},
18822 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
18823 gdb-result-var="$1",return-value="0"
18828 @subheading The @code{-exec-interrupt} Command
18829 @findex -exec-interrupt
18831 @subsubheading Synopsis
18837 Interrupts the background execution of the target. Note how the token
18838 associated with the stop message is the one for the execution command
18839 that has been interrupted. The token for the interrupt itself only
18840 appears in the @samp{^done} output. If the user is trying to
18841 interrupt a non-running program, an error message will be printed.
18843 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18845 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interrupt}.
18847 @subsubheading Example
18858 111*stopped,signal-name="SIGINT",signal-meaning="Interrupt",
18859 frame=@{addr="0x00010140",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
18860 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="13"@}
18865 ^error,msg="mi_cmd_exec_interrupt: Inferior not executing."
18870 @subheading The @code{-exec-next} Command
18873 @subsubheading Synopsis
18879 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
18880 of the next source line is reached.
18882 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18884 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{next}.
18886 @subsubheading Example
18892 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="8",file="hello.c"
18897 @subheading The @code{-exec-next-instruction} Command
18898 @findex -exec-next-instruction
18900 @subsubheading Synopsis
18903 -exec-next-instruction
18906 Executes one machine instruction. If the instruction is a function
18907 call, continues until the function returns. If the program stops at an
18908 instruction in the middle of a source line, the address will be
18911 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18913 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{nexti}.
18915 @subsubheading Example
18919 -exec-next-instruction
18923 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
18924 addr="0x000100d4",line="5",file="hello.c"
18929 @subheading The @code{-exec-return} Command
18930 @findex -exec-return
18932 @subsubheading Synopsis
18938 Makes current function return immediately. Doesn't execute the inferior.
18939 Displays the new current frame.
18941 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18943 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{return}.
18945 @subsubheading Example
18949 200-break-insert callee4
18950 200^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x00010734",
18951 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
18956 000*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",bkptno="1",
18957 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
18958 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
18959 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
18965 111^done,frame=@{level="0",func="callee3",
18966 args=[@{name="strarg",
18967 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
18968 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
18969 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
18974 @subheading The @code{-exec-run} Command
18977 @subsubheading Synopsis
18983 Starts execution of the inferior from the beginning. The inferior
18984 executes until either a breakpoint is encountered or the program
18985 exits. In the latter case the output will include an exit code, if
18986 the program has exited exceptionally.
18988 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
18990 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{run}.
18992 @subsubheading Examples
18997 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",line="4"@}
19002 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",bkptno="1",
19003 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
19004 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}
19009 Program exited normally:
19017 *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
19022 Program exited exceptionally:
19030 *stopped,reason="exited",exit-code="01"
19034 Another way the program can terminate is if it receives a signal such as
19035 @code{SIGINT}. In this case, @sc{gdb/mi} displays this:
19039 *stopped,reason="exited-signalled",signal-name="SIGINT",
19040 signal-meaning="Interrupt"
19044 @c @subheading -exec-signal
19047 @subheading The @code{-exec-step} Command
19050 @subsubheading Synopsis
19056 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
19057 of the next source line is reached, if the next source line is not a
19058 function call. If it is, stop at the first instruction of the called
19061 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
19063 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{step}.
19065 @subsubheading Example
19067 Stepping into a function:
19073 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
19074 frame=@{func="foo",args=[@{name="a",value="10"@},
19075 @{name="b",value="0"@}],file="recursive2.c",
19076 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@}
19086 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="14",file="recursive2.c"
19091 @subheading The @code{-exec-step-instruction} Command
19092 @findex -exec-step-instruction
19094 @subsubheading Synopsis
19097 -exec-step-instruction
19100 Resumes the inferior which executes one machine instruction. The
19101 output, once @value{GDBN} has stopped, will vary depending on whether
19102 we have stopped in the middle of a source line or not. In the former
19103 case, the address at which the program stopped will be printed as
19106 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
19108 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{stepi}.
19110 @subsubheading Example
19114 -exec-step-instruction
19118 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
19119 frame=@{func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
19120 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
19122 -exec-step-instruction
19126 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
19127 frame=@{addr="0x000100f4",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
19128 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
19133 @subheading The @code{-exec-until} Command
19134 @findex -exec-until
19136 @subsubheading Synopsis
19139 -exec-until [ @var{location} ]
19142 Executes the inferior until the @var{location} specified in the
19143 argument is reached. If there is no argument, the inferior executes
19144 until a source line greater than the current one is reached. The
19145 reason for stopping in this case will be @samp{location-reached}.
19147 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
19149 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{until}.
19151 @subsubheading Example
19155 -exec-until recursive2.c:6
19159 *stopped,reason="location-reached",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
19160 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="6"@}
19165 @subheading -file-clear
19166 Is this going away????
19169 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
19170 @node GDB/MI Stack Manipulation
19171 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Stack Manipulation Commands
19174 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-frame} Command
19175 @findex -stack-info-frame
19177 @subsubheading Synopsis
19183 Get info on the selected frame.
19185 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
19187 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info frame} or @samp{frame}
19188 (without arguments).
19190 @subsubheading Example
19195 ^done,frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
19196 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
19197 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@}
19201 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-depth} Command
19202 @findex -stack-info-depth
19204 @subsubheading Synopsis
19207 -stack-info-depth [ @var{max-depth} ]
19210 Return the depth of the stack. If the integer argument @var{max-depth}
19211 is specified, do not count beyond @var{max-depth} frames.
19213 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
19215 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
19217 @subsubheading Example
19219 For a stack with frame levels 0 through 11:
19226 -stack-info-depth 4
19229 -stack-info-depth 12
19232 -stack-info-depth 11
19235 -stack-info-depth 13
19240 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-arguments} Command
19241 @findex -stack-list-arguments
19243 @subsubheading Synopsis
19246 -stack-list-arguments @var{show-values}
19247 [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
19250 Display a list of the arguments for the frames between @var{low-frame}
19251 and @var{high-frame} (inclusive). If @var{low-frame} and
19252 @var{high-frame} are not provided, list the arguments for the whole
19253 call stack. If the two arguments are equal, show the single frame
19254 at the corresponding level. It is an error if @var{low-frame} is
19255 larger than the actual number of frames. On the other hand,
19256 @var{high-frame} may be larger than the actual number of frames, in
19257 which case only existing frames will be returned.
19259 The @var{show-values} argument must have a value of 0 or 1. A value of
19260 0 means that only the names of the arguments are listed, a value of 1
19261 means that both names and values of the arguments are printed.
19263 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
19265 @value{GDBN} does not have an equivalent command. @code{gdbtk} has a
19266 @samp{gdb_get_args} command which partially overlaps with the
19267 functionality of @samp{-stack-list-arguments}.
19269 @subsubheading Example
19276 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
19277 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
19278 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@},
19279 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
19280 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
19281 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@},
19282 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x0001078c",func="callee2",
19283 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
19284 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="22"@},
19285 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107b4",func="callee1",
19286 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
19287 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="27"@},
19288 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107e0",func="main",
19289 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
19290 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="32"@}]
19292 -stack-list-arguments 0
19295 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
19296 frame=@{level="1",args=[name="strarg"]@},
19297 frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@},
19298 frame=@{level="3",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg",name="fltarg"]@},
19299 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
19301 -stack-list-arguments 1
19304 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
19306 args=[@{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
19307 frame=@{level="2",args=[
19308 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
19309 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
19310 @{frame=@{level="3",args=[
19311 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
19312 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@},
19313 @{name="fltarg",value="3.5"@}]@},
19314 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
19316 -stack-list-arguments 0 2 2
19317 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@}]
19319 -stack-list-arguments 1 2 2
19320 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",
19321 args=[@{name="intarg",value="2"@},
19322 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@}]
19326 @c @subheading -stack-list-exception-handlers
19329 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-frames} Command
19330 @findex -stack-list-frames
19332 @subsubheading Synopsis
19335 -stack-list-frames [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
19338 List the frames currently on the stack. For each frame it displays the
19343 The frame number, 0 being the topmost frame, i.e. the innermost function.
19345 The @code{$pc} value for that frame.
19349 File name of the source file where the function lives.
19351 Line number corresponding to the @code{$pc}.
19354 If invoked without arguments, this command prints a backtrace for the
19355 whole stack. If given two integer arguments, it shows the frames whose
19356 levels are between the two arguments (inclusive). If the two arguments
19357 are equal, it shows the single frame at the corresponding level. It is
19358 an error if @var{low-frame} is larger than the actual number of
19359 frames. On the other hand, @var{high-frame} may be larger than the
19360 actual number of frames, in which case only existing frames will be returned.
19362 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
19364 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{backtrace} and @samp{where}.
19366 @subsubheading Example
19368 Full stack backtrace:
19374 [frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0001076c",func="foo",
19375 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@},
19376 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
19377 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
19378 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
19379 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
19380 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
19381 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
19382 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
19383 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
19384 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
19385 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
19386 frame=@{level="6",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
19387 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
19388 frame=@{level="7",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
19389 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
19390 frame=@{level="8",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
19391 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
19392 frame=@{level="9",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
19393 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
19394 frame=@{level="10",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
19395 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
19396 frame=@{level="11",addr="0x00010738",func="main",
19397 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}]
19401 Show frames between @var{low_frame} and @var{high_frame}:
19405 -stack-list-frames 3 5
19407 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
19408 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
19409 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
19410 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
19411 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
19412 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
19416 Show a single frame:
19420 -stack-list-frames 3 3
19422 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
19423 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
19428 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-locals} Command
19429 @findex -stack-list-locals
19431 @subsubheading Synopsis
19434 -stack-list-locals @var{print-values}
19437 Display the local variable names for the selected frame. If
19438 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
19439 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
19440 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
19441 type and value for simple data types and the name and type for arrays,
19442 structures and unions. In this last case, a frontend can immediately
19443 display the value of simple data types and create variable objects for
19444 other data types when the the user wishes to explore their values in
19447 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
19449 @samp{info locals} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_get_locals} in @code{gdbtk}.
19451 @subsubheading Example
19455 -stack-list-locals 0
19456 ^done,locals=[name="A",name="B",name="C"]
19458 -stack-list-locals --all-values
19459 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",value="1"@},@{name="B",value="2"@},
19460 @{name="C",value="@{1, 2, 3@}"@}]
19461 -stack-list-locals --simple-values
19462 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",type="int",value="1"@},
19463 @{name="B",type="int",value="2"@},@{name="C",type="int [3]"@}]
19468 @subheading The @code{-stack-select-frame} Command
19469 @findex -stack-select-frame
19471 @subsubheading Synopsis
19474 -stack-select-frame @var{framenum}
19477 Change the selected frame. Select a different frame @var{framenum} on
19480 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
19482 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{frame}, @samp{up},
19483 @samp{down}, @samp{select-frame}, @samp{up-silent}, and @samp{down-silent}.
19485 @subsubheading Example
19489 -stack-select-frame 2
19494 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
19495 @node GDB/MI Variable Objects
19496 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Variable Objects
19499 @subheading Motivation for Variable Objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
19501 For the implementation of a variable debugger window (locals, watched
19502 expressions, etc.), we are proposing the adaptation of the existing code
19503 used by @code{Insight}.
19505 The two main reasons for that are:
19509 It has been proven in practice (it is already on its second generation).
19512 It will shorten development time (needless to say how important it is
19516 The original interface was designed to be used by Tcl code, so it was
19517 slightly changed so it could be used through @sc{gdb/mi}. This section
19518 describes the @sc{gdb/mi} operations that will be available and gives some
19519 hints about their use.
19521 @emph{Note}: In addition to the set of operations described here, we
19522 expect the @sc{gui} implementation of a variable window to require, at
19523 least, the following operations:
19526 @item @code{-gdb-show} @code{output-radix}
19527 @item @code{-stack-list-arguments}
19528 @item @code{-stack-list-locals}
19529 @item @code{-stack-select-frame}
19532 @subheading Introduction to Variable Objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
19534 @cindex variable objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
19535 The basic idea behind variable objects is the creation of a named object
19536 to represent a variable, an expression, a memory location or even a CPU
19537 register. For each object created, a set of operations is available for
19538 examining or changing its properties.
19540 Furthermore, complex data types, such as C structures, are represented
19541 in a tree format. For instance, the @code{struct} type variable is the
19542 root and the children will represent the struct members. If a child
19543 is itself of a complex type, it will also have children of its own.
19544 Appropriate language differences are handled for C, C@t{++} and Java.
19546 When returning the actual values of the objects, this facility allows
19547 for the individual selection of the display format used in the result
19548 creation. It can be chosen among: binary, decimal, hexadecimal, octal
19549 and natural. Natural refers to a default format automatically
19550 chosen based on the variable type (like decimal for an @code{int}, hex
19551 for pointers, etc.).
19553 The following is the complete set of @sc{gdb/mi} operations defined to
19554 access this functionality:
19556 @multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
19557 @item @strong{Operation}
19558 @tab @strong{Description}
19560 @item @code{-var-create}
19561 @tab create a variable object
19562 @item @code{-var-delete}
19563 @tab delete the variable object and its children
19564 @item @code{-var-set-format}
19565 @tab set the display format of this variable
19566 @item @code{-var-show-format}
19567 @tab show the display format of this variable
19568 @item @code{-var-info-num-children}
19569 @tab tells how many children this object has
19570 @item @code{-var-list-children}
19571 @tab return a list of the object's children
19572 @item @code{-var-info-type}
19573 @tab show the type of this variable object
19574 @item @code{-var-info-expression}
19575 @tab print what this variable object represents
19576 @item @code{-var-show-attributes}
19577 @tab is this variable editable? does it exist here?
19578 @item @code{-var-evaluate-expression}
19579 @tab get the value of this variable
19580 @item @code{-var-assign}
19581 @tab set the value of this variable
19582 @item @code{-var-update}
19583 @tab update the variable and its children
19586 In the next subsection we describe each operation in detail and suggest
19587 how it can be used.
19589 @subheading Description And Use of Operations on Variable Objects
19591 @subheading The @code{-var-create} Command
19592 @findex -var-create
19594 @subsubheading Synopsis
19597 -var-create @{@var{name} | "-"@}
19598 @{@var{frame-addr} | "*"@} @var{expression}
19601 This operation creates a variable object, which allows the monitoring of
19602 a variable, the result of an expression, a memory cell or a CPU
19605 The @var{name} parameter is the string by which the object can be
19606 referenced. It must be unique. If @samp{-} is specified, the varobj
19607 system will generate a string ``varNNNNNN'' automatically. It will be
19608 unique provided that one does not specify @var{name} on that format.
19609 The command fails if a duplicate name is found.
19611 The frame under which the expression should be evaluated can be
19612 specified by @var{frame-addr}. A @samp{*} indicates that the current
19613 frame should be used.
19615 @var{expression} is any expression valid on the current language set (must not
19616 begin with a @samp{*}), or one of the following:
19620 @samp{*@var{addr}}, where @var{addr} is the address of a memory cell
19623 @samp{*@var{addr}-@var{addr}} --- a memory address range (TBD)
19626 @samp{$@var{regname}} --- a CPU register name
19629 @subsubheading Result
19631 This operation returns the name, number of children and the type of the
19632 object created. Type is returned as a string as the ones generated by
19633 the @value{GDBN} CLI:
19636 name="@var{name}",numchild="N",type="@var{type}"
19640 @subheading The @code{-var-delete} Command
19641 @findex -var-delete
19643 @subsubheading Synopsis
19646 -var-delete @var{name}
19649 Deletes a previously created variable object and all of its children.
19651 Returns an error if the object @var{name} is not found.
19654 @subheading The @code{-var-set-format} Command
19655 @findex -var-set-format
19657 @subsubheading Synopsis
19660 -var-set-format @var{name} @var{format-spec}
19663 Sets the output format for the value of the object @var{name} to be
19666 The syntax for the @var{format-spec} is as follows:
19669 @var{format-spec} @expansion{}
19670 @{binary | decimal | hexadecimal | octal | natural@}
19674 @subheading The @code{-var-show-format} Command
19675 @findex -var-show-format
19677 @subsubheading Synopsis
19680 -var-show-format @var{name}
19683 Returns the format used to display the value of the object @var{name}.
19686 @var{format} @expansion{}
19691 @subheading The @code{-var-info-num-children} Command
19692 @findex -var-info-num-children
19694 @subsubheading Synopsis
19697 -var-info-num-children @var{name}
19700 Returns the number of children of a variable object @var{name}:
19707 @subheading The @code{-var-list-children} Command
19708 @findex -var-list-children
19710 @subsubheading Synopsis
19713 -var-list-children [@var{print-values}] @var{name}
19715 @anchor{-var-list-children}
19717 Return a list of the children of the specified variable object and
19718 create variable objects for them, if they do not already exist. With
19719 a single argument or if @var{print-values} has a value for of 0 or
19720 @code{--no-values}, print only the names of the variables; if
19721 @var{print-values} is 1 or @code{--all-values}, also print their
19722 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values} print the name and
19723 value for simple data types and just the name for arrays, structures
19726 @subsubheading Example
19730 -var-list-children n
19731 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[@{name=@var{name},
19732 numchild=@var{n},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
19734 -var-list-children --all-values n
19735 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[@{name=@var{name},
19736 numchild=@var{n},value=@var{value},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
19740 @subheading The @code{-var-info-type} Command
19741 @findex -var-info-type
19743 @subsubheading Synopsis
19746 -var-info-type @var{name}
19749 Returns the type of the specified variable @var{name}. The type is
19750 returned as a string in the same format as it is output by the
19754 type=@var{typename}
19758 @subheading The @code{-var-info-expression} Command
19759 @findex -var-info-expression
19761 @subsubheading Synopsis
19764 -var-info-expression @var{name}
19767 Returns what is represented by the variable object @var{name}:
19770 lang=@var{lang-spec},exp=@var{expression}
19774 where @var{lang-spec} is @code{@{"C" | "C++" | "Java"@}}.
19776 @subheading The @code{-var-show-attributes} Command
19777 @findex -var-show-attributes
19779 @subsubheading Synopsis
19782 -var-show-attributes @var{name}
19785 List attributes of the specified variable object @var{name}:
19788 status=@var{attr} [ ( ,@var{attr} )* ]
19792 where @var{attr} is @code{@{ @{ editable | noneditable @} | TBD @}}.
19794 @subheading The @code{-var-evaluate-expression} Command
19795 @findex -var-evaluate-expression
19797 @subsubheading Synopsis
19800 -var-evaluate-expression @var{name}
19803 Evaluates the expression that is represented by the specified variable
19804 object and returns its value as a string in the current format specified
19811 Note that one must invoke @code{-var-list-children} for a variable
19812 before the value of a child variable can be evaluated.
19814 @subheading The @code{-var-assign} Command
19815 @findex -var-assign
19817 @subsubheading Synopsis
19820 -var-assign @var{name} @var{expression}
19823 Assigns the value of @var{expression} to the variable object specified
19824 by @var{name}. The object must be @samp{editable}. If the variable's
19825 value is altered by the assign, the variable will show up in any
19826 subsequent @code{-var-update} list.
19828 @subsubheading Example
19836 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",in_scope="true",type_changed="false"@}]
19840 @subheading The @code{-var-update} Command
19841 @findex -var-update
19843 @subsubheading Synopsis
19846 -var-update [@var{print-values}] @{@var{name} | "*"@}
19849 Update the value of the variable object @var{name} by evaluating its
19850 expression after fetching all the new values from memory or registers.
19851 A @samp{*} causes all existing variable objects to be updated. The
19852 option @var{print-values} determines whether names both and values, or
19853 just names are printed in the manner described for
19854 @code{-var-list-children} (@pxref{-var-list-children}).
19856 @subsubheading Example
19863 -var-update --all-values var1
19864 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",value="3",in_scope="true",
19865 type_changed="false"@}]
19869 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
19870 @node GDB/MI Data Manipulation
19871 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Data Manipulation
19873 @cindex data manipulation, in @sc{gdb/mi}
19874 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, data manipulation
19875 This section describes the @sc{gdb/mi} commands that manipulate data:
19876 examine memory and registers, evaluate expressions, etc.
19878 @c REMOVED FROM THE INTERFACE.
19879 @c @subheading -data-assign
19880 @c Change the value of a program variable. Plenty of side effects.
19881 @c @subsubheading GDB command
19883 @c @subsubheading Example
19886 @subheading The @code{-data-disassemble} Command
19887 @findex -data-disassemble
19889 @subsubheading Synopsis
19893 [ -s @var{start-addr} -e @var{end-addr} ]
19894 | [ -f @var{filename} -l @var{linenum} [ -n @var{lines} ] ]
19902 @item @var{start-addr}
19903 is the beginning address (or @code{$pc})
19904 @item @var{end-addr}
19906 @item @var{filename}
19907 is the name of the file to disassemble
19908 @item @var{linenum}
19909 is the line number to disassemble around
19911 is the the number of disassembly lines to be produced. If it is -1,
19912 the whole function will be disassembled, in case no @var{end-addr} is
19913 specified. If @var{end-addr} is specified as a non-zero value, and
19914 @var{lines} is lower than the number of disassembly lines between
19915 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only @var{lines} lines are
19916 displayed; if @var{lines} is higher than the number of lines between
19917 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only the lines up to @var{end-addr}
19920 is either 0 (meaning only disassembly) or 1 (meaning mixed source and
19924 @subsubheading Result
19926 The output for each instruction is composed of four fields:
19935 Note that whatever included in the instruction field, is not manipulated
19936 directely by @sc{gdb/mi}, i.e. it is not possible to adjust its format.
19938 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
19940 There's no direct mapping from this command to the CLI.
19942 @subsubheading Example
19944 Disassemble from the current value of @code{$pc} to @code{$pc + 20}:
19948 -data-disassemble -s $pc -e "$pc + 20" -- 0
19951 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
19952 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
19953 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
19954 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
19955 @{address="0x000107c8",func-name="main",offset="12",
19956 inst="or %o2, 0x140, %o1\t! 0x11940 <_lib_version+8>"@},
19957 @{address="0x000107cc",func-name="main",offset="16",
19958 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
19959 @{address="0x000107d0",func-name="main",offset="20",
19960 inst="or %o2, 0x168, %o4\t! 0x11968 <_lib_version+48>"@}]
19964 Disassemble the whole @code{main} function. Line 32 is part of
19968 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -- 0
19970 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
19971 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
19972 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
19973 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
19974 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
19975 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
19977 @{address="0x0001081c",func-name="main",offset="96",inst="ret "@},
19978 @{address="0x00010820",func-name="main",offset="100",inst="restore "@}]
19982 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main}:
19986 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 0
19988 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
19989 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
19990 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
19991 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
19992 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
19993 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]
19997 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main} in mixed mode:
20001 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 1
20003 src_and_asm_line=@{line="31",
20004 file="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb/ \
20005 testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line_asm_insn=[
20006 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
20007 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@}]@},
20008 src_and_asm_line=@{line="32",
20009 file="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb/ \
20010 testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line_asm_insn=[
20011 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
20012 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
20013 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
20014 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]@}]
20019 @subheading The @code{-data-evaluate-expression} Command
20020 @findex -data-evaluate-expression
20022 @subsubheading Synopsis
20025 -data-evaluate-expression @var{expr}
20028 Evaluate @var{expr} as an expression. The expression could contain an
20029 inferior function call. The function call will execute synchronously.
20030 If the expression contains spaces, it must be enclosed in double quotes.
20032 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20034 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{print}, @samp{output}, and
20035 @samp{call}. In @code{gdbtk} only, there's a corresponding
20036 @samp{gdb_eval} command.
20038 @subsubheading Example
20040 In the following example, the numbers that precede the commands are the
20041 @dfn{tokens} described in @ref{GDB/MI Command Syntax, ,@sc{gdb/mi}
20042 Command Syntax}. Notice how @sc{gdb/mi} returns the same tokens in its
20046 211-data-evaluate-expression A
20049 311-data-evaluate-expression &A
20050 311^done,value="0xefffeb7c"
20052 411-data-evaluate-expression A+3
20055 511-data-evaluate-expression "A + 3"
20061 @subheading The @code{-data-list-changed-registers} Command
20062 @findex -data-list-changed-registers
20064 @subsubheading Synopsis
20067 -data-list-changed-registers
20070 Display a list of the registers that have changed.
20072 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20074 @value{GDBN} doesn't have a direct analog for this command; @code{gdbtk}
20075 has the corresponding command @samp{gdb_changed_register_list}.
20077 @subsubheading Example
20079 On a PPC MBX board:
20087 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",bkptno="1",frame=@{func="main",
20088 args=[],file="try.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="5"@}
20090 -data-list-changed-registers
20091 ^done,changed-registers=["0","1","2","4","5","6","7","8","9",
20092 "10","11","13","14","15","16","17","18","19","20","21","22","23",
20093 "24","25","26","27","28","30","31","64","65","66","67","69"]
20098 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-names} Command
20099 @findex -data-list-register-names
20101 @subsubheading Synopsis
20104 -data-list-register-names [ ( @var{regno} )+ ]
20107 Show a list of register names for the current target. If no arguments
20108 are given, it shows a list of the names of all the registers. If
20109 integer numbers are given as arguments, it will print a list of the
20110 names of the registers corresponding to the arguments. To ensure
20111 consistency between a register name and its number, the output list may
20112 include empty register names.
20114 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20116 @value{GDBN} does not have a command which corresponds to
20117 @samp{-data-list-register-names}. In @code{gdbtk} there is a
20118 corresponding command @samp{gdb_regnames}.
20120 @subsubheading Example
20122 For the PPC MBX board:
20125 -data-list-register-names
20126 ^done,register-names=["r0","r1","r2","r3","r4","r5","r6","r7",
20127 "r8","r9","r10","r11","r12","r13","r14","r15","r16","r17","r18",
20128 "r19","r20","r21","r22","r23","r24","r25","r26","r27","r28","r29",
20129 "r30","r31","f0","f1","f2","f3","f4","f5","f6","f7","f8","f9",
20130 "f10","f11","f12","f13","f14","f15","f16","f17","f18","f19","f20",
20131 "f21","f22","f23","f24","f25","f26","f27","f28","f29","f30","f31",
20132 "", "pc","ps","cr","lr","ctr","xer"]
20134 -data-list-register-names 1 2 3
20135 ^done,register-names=["r1","r2","r3"]
20139 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-values} Command
20140 @findex -data-list-register-values
20142 @subsubheading Synopsis
20145 -data-list-register-values @var{fmt} [ ( @var{regno} )*]
20148 Display the registers' contents. @var{fmt} is the format according to
20149 which the registers' contents are to be returned, followed by an optional
20150 list of numbers specifying the registers to display. A missing list of
20151 numbers indicates that the contents of all the registers must be returned.
20153 Allowed formats for @var{fmt} are:
20170 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20172 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{info reg}, @samp{info
20173 all-reg}, and (in @code{gdbtk}) @samp{gdb_fetch_registers}.
20175 @subsubheading Example
20177 For a PPC MBX board (note: line breaks are for readability only, they
20178 don't appear in the actual output):
20182 -data-list-register-values r 64 65
20183 ^done,register-values=[@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
20184 @{number="65",value="0x00029002"@}]
20186 -data-list-register-values x
20187 ^done,register-values=[@{number="0",value="0xfe0043c8"@},
20188 @{number="1",value="0x3fff88"@},@{number="2",value="0xfffffffe"@},
20189 @{number="3",value="0x0"@},@{number="4",value="0xa"@},
20190 @{number="5",value="0x3fff68"@},@{number="6",value="0x3fff58"@},
20191 @{number="7",value="0xfe011e98"@},@{number="8",value="0x2"@},
20192 @{number="9",value="0xfa202820"@},@{number="10",value="0xfa202808"@},
20193 @{number="11",value="0x1"@},@{number="12",value="0x0"@},
20194 @{number="13",value="0x4544"@},@{number="14",value="0xffdfffff"@},
20195 @{number="15",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="16",value="0xfffffeff"@},
20196 @{number="17",value="0xefffffed"@},@{number="18",value="0xfffffffe"@},
20197 @{number="19",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="20",value="0xffffffff"@},
20198 @{number="21",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="22",value="0xfffffff7"@},
20199 @{number="23",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="24",value="0xffffffff"@},
20200 @{number="25",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="26",value="0xfffffffb"@},
20201 @{number="27",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="28",value="0xf7bfffff"@},
20202 @{number="29",value="0x0"@},@{number="30",value="0xfe010000"@},
20203 @{number="31",value="0x0"@},@{number="32",value="0x0"@},
20204 @{number="33",value="0x0"@},@{number="34",value="0x0"@},
20205 @{number="35",value="0x0"@},@{number="36",value="0x0"@},
20206 @{number="37",value="0x0"@},@{number="38",value="0x0"@},
20207 @{number="39",value="0x0"@},@{number="40",value="0x0"@},
20208 @{number="41",value="0x0"@},@{number="42",value="0x0"@},
20209 @{number="43",value="0x0"@},@{number="44",value="0x0"@},
20210 @{number="45",value="0x0"@},@{number="46",value="0x0"@},
20211 @{number="47",value="0x0"@},@{number="48",value="0x0"@},
20212 @{number="49",value="0x0"@},@{number="50",value="0x0"@},
20213 @{number="51",value="0x0"@},@{number="52",value="0x0"@},
20214 @{number="53",value="0x0"@},@{number="54",value="0x0"@},
20215 @{number="55",value="0x0"@},@{number="56",value="0x0"@},
20216 @{number="57",value="0x0"@},@{number="58",value="0x0"@},
20217 @{number="59",value="0x0"@},@{number="60",value="0x0"@},
20218 @{number="61",value="0x0"@},@{number="62",value="0x0"@},
20219 @{number="63",value="0x0"@},@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
20220 @{number="65",value="0x29002"@},@{number="66",value="0x202f04b5"@},
20221 @{number="67",value="0xfe0043b0"@},@{number="68",value="0xfe00b3e4"@},
20222 @{number="69",value="0x20002b03"@}]
20227 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory} Command
20228 @findex -data-read-memory
20230 @subsubheading Synopsis
20233 -data-read-memory [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
20234 @var{address} @var{word-format} @var{word-size}
20235 @var{nr-rows} @var{nr-cols} [ @var{aschar} ]
20242 @item @var{address}
20243 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
20244 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
20245 quoted using the C convention.
20247 @item @var{word-format}
20248 The format to be used to print the memory words. The notation is the
20249 same as for @value{GDBN}'s @code{print} command (@pxref{Output Formats,
20252 @item @var{word-size}
20253 The size of each memory word in bytes.
20255 @item @var{nr-rows}
20256 The number of rows in the output table.
20258 @item @var{nr-cols}
20259 The number of columns in the output table.
20262 If present, indicates that each row should include an @sc{ascii} dump. The
20263 value of @var{aschar} is used as a padding character when a byte is not a
20264 member of the printable @sc{ascii} character set (printable @sc{ascii}
20265 characters are those whose code is between 32 and 126, inclusively).
20267 @item @var{byte-offset}
20268 An offset to add to the @var{address} before fetching memory.
20271 This command displays memory contents as a table of @var{nr-rows} by
20272 @var{nr-cols} words, each word being @var{word-size} bytes. In total,
20273 @code{@var{nr-rows} * @var{nr-cols} * @var{word-size}} bytes are read
20274 (returned as @samp{total-bytes}). Should less than the requested number
20275 of bytes be returned by the target, the missing words are identified
20276 using @samp{N/A}. The number of bytes read from the target is returned
20277 in @samp{nr-bytes} and the starting address used to read memory in
20280 The address of the next/previous row or page is available in
20281 @samp{next-row} and @samp{prev-row}, @samp{next-page} and
20284 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20286 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}. @code{gdbtk} has
20287 @samp{gdb_get_mem} memory read command.
20289 @subsubheading Example
20291 Read six bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+6} but then offset by
20292 @code{-6} bytes. Format as three rows of two columns. One byte per
20293 word. Display each word in hex.
20297 9-data-read-memory -o -6 -- bytes+6 x 1 3 2
20298 9^done,addr="0x00001390",nr-bytes="6",total-bytes="6",
20299 next-row="0x00001396",prev-row="0x0000138e",next-page="0x00001396",
20300 prev-page="0x0000138a",memory=[
20301 @{addr="0x00001390",data=["0x00","0x01"]@},
20302 @{addr="0x00001392",data=["0x02","0x03"]@},
20303 @{addr="0x00001394",data=["0x04","0x05"]@}]
20307 Read two bytes of memory starting at address @code{shorts + 64} and
20308 display as a single word formatted in decimal.
20312 5-data-read-memory shorts+64 d 2 1 1
20313 5^done,addr="0x00001510",nr-bytes="2",total-bytes="2",
20314 next-row="0x00001512",prev-row="0x0000150e",
20315 next-page="0x00001512",prev-page="0x0000150e",memory=[
20316 @{addr="0x00001510",data=["128"]@}]
20320 Read thirty two bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+16} and format
20321 as eight rows of four columns. Include a string encoding with @samp{x}
20322 used as the non-printable character.
20326 4-data-read-memory bytes+16 x 1 8 4 x
20327 4^done,addr="0x000013a0",nr-bytes="32",total-bytes="32",
20328 next-row="0x000013c0",prev-row="0x0000139c",
20329 next-page="0x000013c0",prev-page="0x00001380",memory=[
20330 @{addr="0x000013a0",data=["0x10","0x11","0x12","0x13"],ascii="xxxx"@},
20331 @{addr="0x000013a4",data=["0x14","0x15","0x16","0x17"],ascii="xxxx"@},
20332 @{addr="0x000013a8",data=["0x18","0x19","0x1a","0x1b"],ascii="xxxx"@},
20333 @{addr="0x000013ac",data=["0x1c","0x1d","0x1e","0x1f"],ascii="xxxx"@},
20334 @{addr="0x000013b0",data=["0x20","0x21","0x22","0x23"],ascii=" !\"#"@},
20335 @{addr="0x000013b4",data=["0x24","0x25","0x26","0x27"],ascii="$%&'"@},
20336 @{addr="0x000013b8",data=["0x28","0x29","0x2a","0x2b"],ascii="()*+"@},
20337 @{addr="0x000013bc",data=["0x2c","0x2d","0x2e","0x2f"],ascii=",-./"@}]
20341 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
20342 @node GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands
20343 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Tracepoint Commands
20345 The tracepoint commands are not yet implemented.
20347 @c @subheading -trace-actions
20349 @c @subheading -trace-delete
20351 @c @subheading -trace-disable
20353 @c @subheading -trace-dump
20355 @c @subheading -trace-enable
20357 @c @subheading -trace-exists
20359 @c @subheading -trace-find
20361 @c @subheading -trace-frame-number
20363 @c @subheading -trace-info
20365 @c @subheading -trace-insert
20367 @c @subheading -trace-list
20369 @c @subheading -trace-pass-count
20371 @c @subheading -trace-save
20373 @c @subheading -trace-start
20375 @c @subheading -trace-stop
20378 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
20379 @node GDB/MI Symbol Query
20380 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Symbol Query Commands
20383 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-address} Command
20384 @findex -symbol-info-address
20386 @subsubheading Synopsis
20389 -symbol-info-address @var{symbol}
20392 Describe where @var{symbol} is stored.
20394 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20396 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info address}.
20398 @subsubheading Example
20402 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-file} Command
20403 @findex -symbol-info-file
20405 @subsubheading Synopsis
20411 Show the file for the symbol.
20413 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20415 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command. @code{gdbtk} has
20416 @samp{gdb_find_file}.
20418 @subsubheading Example
20422 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-function} Command
20423 @findex -symbol-info-function
20425 @subsubheading Synopsis
20428 -symbol-info-function
20431 Show which function the symbol lives in.
20433 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20435 @samp{gdb_get_function} in @code{gdbtk}.
20437 @subsubheading Example
20441 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-line} Command
20442 @findex -symbol-info-line
20444 @subsubheading Synopsis
20450 Show the core addresses of the code for a source line.
20452 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20454 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info line}.
20455 @code{gdbtk} has the @samp{gdb_get_line} and @samp{gdb_get_file} commands.
20457 @subsubheading Example
20461 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-symbol} Command
20462 @findex -symbol-info-symbol
20464 @subsubheading Synopsis
20467 -symbol-info-symbol @var{addr}
20470 Describe what symbol is at location @var{addr}.
20472 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20474 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info symbol}.
20476 @subsubheading Example
20480 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-functions} Command
20481 @findex -symbol-list-functions
20483 @subsubheading Synopsis
20486 -symbol-list-functions
20489 List the functions in the executable.
20491 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20493 @samp{info functions} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_listfunc} and
20494 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
20496 @subsubheading Example
20500 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-lines} Command
20501 @findex -symbol-list-lines
20503 @subsubheading Synopsis
20506 -symbol-list-lines @var{filename}
20509 Print the list of lines that contain code and their associated program
20510 addresses for the given source filename. The entries are sorted in
20511 ascending PC order.
20513 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20515 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
20517 @subsubheading Example
20520 -symbol-list-lines basics.c
20521 ^done,lines=[@{pc="0x08048554",line="7"@},@{pc="0x0804855a",line="8"@}]
20526 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-types} Command
20527 @findex -symbol-list-types
20529 @subsubheading Synopsis
20535 List all the type names.
20537 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20539 The corresponding commands are @samp{info types} in @value{GDBN},
20540 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
20542 @subsubheading Example
20546 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-variables} Command
20547 @findex -symbol-list-variables
20549 @subsubheading Synopsis
20552 -symbol-list-variables
20555 List all the global and static variable names.
20557 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20559 @samp{info variables} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
20561 @subsubheading Example
20565 @subheading The @code{-symbol-locate} Command
20566 @findex -symbol-locate
20568 @subsubheading Synopsis
20574 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20576 @samp{gdb_loc} in @code{gdbtk}.
20578 @subsubheading Example
20582 @subheading The @code{-symbol-type} Command
20583 @findex -symbol-type
20585 @subsubheading Synopsis
20588 -symbol-type @var{variable}
20591 Show type of @var{variable}.
20593 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20595 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ptype}, @code{gdbtk} has
20596 @samp{gdb_obj_variable}.
20598 @subsubheading Example
20602 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
20603 @node GDB/MI File Commands
20604 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Commands
20606 This section describes the GDB/MI commands to specify executable file names
20607 and to read in and obtain symbol table information.
20609 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-and-symbols} Command
20610 @findex -file-exec-and-symbols
20612 @subsubheading Synopsis
20615 -file-exec-and-symbols @var{file}
20618 Specify the executable file to be debugged. This file is the one from
20619 which the symbol table is also read. If no file is specified, the
20620 command clears the executable and symbol information. If breakpoints
20621 are set when using this command with no arguments, @value{GDBN} will produce
20622 error messages. Otherwise, no output is produced, except a completion
20625 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20627 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{file}.
20629 @subsubheading Example
20633 -file-exec-and-symbols /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
20639 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-file} Command
20640 @findex -file-exec-file
20642 @subsubheading Synopsis
20645 -file-exec-file @var{file}
20648 Specify the executable file to be debugged. Unlike
20649 @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols}, the symbol table is @emph{not} read
20650 from this file. If used without argument, @value{GDBN} clears the information
20651 about the executable file. No output is produced, except a completion
20654 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20656 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{exec-file}.
20658 @subsubheading Example
20662 -file-exec-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
20668 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-sections} Command
20669 @findex -file-list-exec-sections
20671 @subsubheading Synopsis
20674 -file-list-exec-sections
20677 List the sections of the current executable file.
20679 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20681 The @value{GDBN} command @samp{info file} shows, among the rest, the same
20682 information as this command. @code{gdbtk} has a corresponding command
20683 @samp{gdb_load_info}.
20685 @subsubheading Example
20689 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-file} Command
20690 @findex -file-list-exec-source-file
20692 @subsubheading Synopsis
20695 -file-list-exec-source-file
20698 List the line number, the current source file, and the absolute path
20699 to the current source file for the current executable.
20701 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20703 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info source}
20705 @subsubheading Example
20709 123-file-list-exec-source-file
20710 123^done,line="1",file="foo.c",fullname="/home/bar/foo.c"
20715 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-files} Command
20716 @findex -file-list-exec-source-files
20718 @subsubheading Synopsis
20721 -file-list-exec-source-files
20724 List the source files for the current executable.
20726 It will always output the filename, but only when GDB can find the absolute
20727 file name of a source file, will it output the fullname.
20729 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20731 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info sources}.
20732 @code{gdbtk} has an analogous command @samp{gdb_listfiles}.
20734 @subsubheading Example
20737 -file-list-exec-source-files
20739 @{file=foo.c,fullname=/home/foo.c@},
20740 @{file=/home/bar.c,fullname=/home/bar.c@},
20741 @{file=gdb_could_not_find_fullpath.c@}]
20745 @subheading The @code{-file-list-shared-libraries} Command
20746 @findex -file-list-shared-libraries
20748 @subsubheading Synopsis
20751 -file-list-shared-libraries
20754 List the shared libraries in the program.
20756 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20758 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info shared}.
20760 @subsubheading Example
20764 @subheading The @code{-file-list-symbol-files} Command
20765 @findex -file-list-symbol-files
20767 @subsubheading Synopsis
20770 -file-list-symbol-files
20775 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20777 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info file} (part of it).
20779 @subsubheading Example
20783 @subheading The @code{-file-symbol-file} Command
20784 @findex -file-symbol-file
20786 @subsubheading Synopsis
20789 -file-symbol-file @var{file}
20792 Read symbol table info from the specified @var{file} argument. When
20793 used without arguments, clears @value{GDBN}'s symbol table info. No output is
20794 produced, except for a completion notification.
20796 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20798 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{symbol-file}.
20800 @subsubheading Example
20804 -file-symbol-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
20810 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
20811 @node GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands
20812 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Memory Overlay Commands
20814 The memory overlay commands are not implemented.
20816 @c @subheading -overlay-auto
20818 @c @subheading -overlay-list-mapping-state
20820 @c @subheading -overlay-list-overlays
20822 @c @subheading -overlay-map
20824 @c @subheading -overlay-off
20826 @c @subheading -overlay-on
20828 @c @subheading -overlay-unmap
20830 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
20831 @node GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands
20832 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Signal Handling Commands
20834 Signal handling commands are not implemented.
20836 @c @subheading -signal-handle
20838 @c @subheading -signal-list-handle-actions
20840 @c @subheading -signal-list-signal-types
20844 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
20845 @node GDB/MI Target Manipulation
20846 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Target Manipulation Commands
20849 @subheading The @code{-target-attach} Command
20850 @findex -target-attach
20852 @subsubheading Synopsis
20855 -target-attach @var{pid} | @var{file}
20858 Attach to a process @var{pid} or a file @var{file} outside of @value{GDBN}.
20860 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} command
20862 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{attach}.
20864 @subsubheading Example
20868 @subheading The @code{-target-compare-sections} Command
20869 @findex -target-compare-sections
20871 @subsubheading Synopsis
20874 -target-compare-sections [ @var{section} ]
20877 Compare data of section @var{section} on target to the exec file.
20878 Without the argument, all sections are compared.
20880 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20882 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{compare-sections}.
20884 @subsubheading Example
20888 @subheading The @code{-target-detach} Command
20889 @findex -target-detach
20891 @subsubheading Synopsis
20897 Detach from the remote target which normally resumes its execution.
20900 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} command
20902 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{detach}.
20904 @subsubheading Example
20914 @subheading The @code{-target-disconnect} Command
20915 @findex -target-disconnect
20917 @subsubheading Synopsis
20923 Disconnect from the remote target. There's no output and the target is
20924 generally not resumed.
20926 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} command
20928 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disconnect}.
20930 @subsubheading Example
20940 @subheading The @code{-target-download} Command
20941 @findex -target-download
20943 @subsubheading Synopsis
20949 Loads the executable onto the remote target.
20950 It prints out an update message every half second, which includes the fields:
20954 The name of the section.
20956 The size of what has been sent so far for that section.
20958 The size of the section.
20960 The total size of what was sent so far (the current and the previous sections).
20962 The size of the overall executable to download.
20966 Each message is sent as status record (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, ,
20967 @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax}).
20969 In addition, it prints the name and size of the sections, as they are
20970 downloaded. These messages include the following fields:
20974 The name of the section.
20976 The size of the section.
20978 The size of the overall executable to download.
20982 At the end, a summary is printed.
20984 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
20986 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{load}.
20988 @subsubheading Example
20990 Note: each status message appears on a single line. Here the messages
20991 have been broken down so that they can fit onto a page.
20996 +download,@{section=".text",section-size="6668",total-size="9880"@}
20997 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="512",section-size="6668",
20998 total-sent="512",total-size="9880"@}
20999 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1024",section-size="6668",
21000 total-sent="1024",total-size="9880"@}
21001 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1536",section-size="6668",
21002 total-sent="1536",total-size="9880"@}
21003 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2048",section-size="6668",
21004 total-sent="2048",total-size="9880"@}
21005 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2560",section-size="6668",
21006 total-sent="2560",total-size="9880"@}
21007 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3072",section-size="6668",
21008 total-sent="3072",total-size="9880"@}
21009 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3584",section-size="6668",
21010 total-sent="3584",total-size="9880"@}
21011 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4096",section-size="6668",
21012 total-sent="4096",total-size="9880"@}
21013 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4608",section-size="6668",
21014 total-sent="4608",total-size="9880"@}
21015 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5120",section-size="6668",
21016 total-sent="5120",total-size="9880"@}
21017 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5632",section-size="6668",
21018 total-sent="5632",total-size="9880"@}
21019 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6144",section-size="6668",
21020 total-sent="6144",total-size="9880"@}
21021 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6656",section-size="6668",
21022 total-sent="6656",total-size="9880"@}
21023 +download,@{section=".init",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
21024 +download,@{section=".fini",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
21025 +download,@{section=".data",section-size="3156",total-size="9880"@}
21026 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="512",section-size="3156",
21027 total-sent="7236",total-size="9880"@}
21028 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1024",section-size="3156",
21029 total-sent="7748",total-size="9880"@}
21030 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1536",section-size="3156",
21031 total-sent="8260",total-size="9880"@}
21032 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2048",section-size="3156",
21033 total-sent="8772",total-size="9880"@}
21034 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2560",section-size="3156",
21035 total-sent="9284",total-size="9880"@}
21036 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="3072",section-size="3156",
21037 total-sent="9796",total-size="9880"@}
21038 ^done,address="0x10004",load-size="9880",transfer-rate="6586",
21044 @subheading The @code{-target-exec-status} Command
21045 @findex -target-exec-status
21047 @subsubheading Synopsis
21050 -target-exec-status
21053 Provide information on the state of the target (whether it is running or
21054 not, for instance).
21056 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
21058 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
21060 @subsubheading Example
21064 @subheading The @code{-target-list-available-targets} Command
21065 @findex -target-list-available-targets
21067 @subsubheading Synopsis
21070 -target-list-available-targets
21073 List the possible targets to connect to.
21075 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
21077 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{help target}.
21079 @subsubheading Example
21083 @subheading The @code{-target-list-current-targets} Command
21084 @findex -target-list-current-targets
21086 @subsubheading Synopsis
21089 -target-list-current-targets
21092 Describe the current target.
21094 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
21096 The corresponding information is printed by @samp{info file} (among
21099 @subsubheading Example
21103 @subheading The @code{-target-list-parameters} Command
21104 @findex -target-list-parameters
21106 @subsubheading Synopsis
21109 -target-list-parameters
21114 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
21118 @subsubheading Example
21122 @subheading The @code{-target-select} Command
21123 @findex -target-select
21125 @subsubheading Synopsis
21128 -target-select @var{type} @var{parameters @dots{}}
21131 Connect @value{GDBN} to the remote target. This command takes two args:
21135 The type of target, for instance @samp{async}, @samp{remote}, etc.
21136 @item @var{parameters}
21137 Device names, host names and the like. @xref{Target Commands, ,
21138 Commands for managing targets}, for more details.
21141 The output is a connection notification, followed by the address at
21142 which the target program is, in the following form:
21145 ^connected,addr="@var{address}",func="@var{function name}",
21146 args=[@var{arg list}]
21149 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
21151 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{target}.
21153 @subsubheading Example
21157 -target-select async /dev/ttya
21158 ^connected,addr="0xfe00a300",func="??",args=[]
21162 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
21163 @node GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands
21164 @section Miscellaneous @sc{gdb/mi} Commands
21166 @c @subheading -gdb-complete
21168 @subheading The @code{-gdb-exit} Command
21171 @subsubheading Synopsis
21177 Exit @value{GDBN} immediately.
21179 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
21181 Approximately corresponds to @samp{quit}.
21183 @subsubheading Example
21192 @subheading The @code{-exec-abort} Command
21193 @findex -exec-abort
21195 @subsubheading Synopsis
21201 Kill the inferior running program.
21203 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
21205 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{kill}.
21207 @subsubheading Example
21211 @subheading The @code{-gdb-set} Command
21214 @subsubheading Synopsis
21220 Set an internal @value{GDBN} variable.
21221 @c IS THIS A DOLLAR VARIABLE? OR SOMETHING LIKE ANNOTATE ?????
21223 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
21225 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set}.
21227 @subsubheading Example
21237 @subheading The @code{-gdb-show} Command
21240 @subsubheading Synopsis
21246 Show the current value of a @value{GDBN} variable.
21248 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} command
21250 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show}.
21252 @subsubheading Example
21261 @c @subheading -gdb-source
21264 @subheading The @code{-gdb-version} Command
21265 @findex -gdb-version
21267 @subsubheading Synopsis
21273 Show version information for @value{GDBN}. Used mostly in testing.
21275 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
21277 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{show version}. @value{GDBN} by
21278 default shows this information when you start an interactive session.
21280 @subsubheading Example
21282 @c This example modifies the actual output from GDB to avoid overfull
21288 ~Copyright 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
21289 ~GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and
21290 ~you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under
21291 ~ certain conditions.
21292 ~Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
21293 ~There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty" for
21295 ~This GDB was configured as
21296 "--host=sparc-sun-solaris2.5.1 --target=ppc-eabi".
21301 @subheading The @code{-interpreter-exec} Command
21302 @findex -interpreter-exec
21304 @subheading Synopsis
21307 -interpreter-exec @var{interpreter} @var{command}
21309 @anchor{-interpreter-exec}
21311 Execute the specified @var{command} in the given @var{interpreter}.
21313 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
21315 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interpreter-exec}.
21317 @subheading Example
21321 -interpreter-exec console "break main"
21322 &"During symbol reading, couldn't parse type; debugger out of date?.\n"
21323 &"During symbol reading, bad structure-type format.\n"
21324 ~"Breakpoint 1 at 0x8074fc6: file ../../src/gdb/main.c, line 743.\n"
21329 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-set} Command
21330 @findex -inferior-tty-set
21332 @subheading Synopsis
21335 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
21338 Set terminal for future runs of the program being debugged.
21340 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
21342 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set inferior-tty} /dev/pts/1.
21344 @subheading Example
21348 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
21353 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-show} Command
21354 @findex -inferior-tty-show
21356 @subheading Synopsis
21362 Show terminal for future runs of program being debugged.
21364 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
21366 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show inferior-tty}.
21368 @subheading Example
21372 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
21376 ^done,inferior_tty_terminal="/dev/pts/1"
21381 @chapter @value{GDBN} Annotations
21383 This chapter describes annotations in @value{GDBN}. Annotations were
21384 designed to interface @value{GDBN} to graphical user interfaces or other
21385 similar programs which want to interact with @value{GDBN} at a
21386 relatively high level.
21388 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseeded by @sc{gdb/mi}
21392 This is Edition @value{EDITION}, @value{DATE}.
21396 * Annotations Overview:: What annotations are; the general syntax.
21397 * Prompting:: Annotations marking @value{GDBN}'s need for input.
21398 * Errors:: Annotations for error messages.
21399 * Invalidation:: Some annotations describe things now invalid.
21400 * Annotations for Running::
21401 Whether the program is running, how it stopped, etc.
21402 * Source Annotations:: Annotations describing source code.
21405 @node Annotations Overview
21406 @section What is an Annotation?
21407 @cindex annotations
21409 Annotations start with a newline character, two @samp{control-z}
21410 characters, and the name of the annotation. If there is no additional
21411 information associated with this annotation, the name of the annotation
21412 is followed immediately by a newline. If there is additional
21413 information, the name of the annotation is followed by a space, the
21414 additional information, and a newline. The additional information
21415 cannot contain newline characters.
21417 Any output not beginning with a newline and two @samp{control-z}
21418 characters denotes literal output from @value{GDBN}. Currently there is
21419 no need for @value{GDBN} to output a newline followed by two
21420 @samp{control-z} characters, but if there was such a need, the
21421 annotations could be extended with an @samp{escape} annotation which
21422 means those three characters as output.
21424 The annotation @var{level}, which is specified using the
21425 @option{--annotate} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}), controls
21426 how much information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt,
21427 values of expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0
21428 is for no anntations, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a
21429 subprocess of @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable
21430 for programs that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 annotations have
21431 been made obsolete (@pxref{Limitations, , Limitations of the Annotation
21432 Interface, annotate, GDB's Obsolete Annotations}).
21435 @kindex set annotate
21436 @item set annotate @var{level}
21437 The @value{GDBN} command @code{set annotate} sets the level of
21438 annotations to the specified @var{level}.
21440 @item show annotate
21441 @kindex show annotate
21442 Show the current annotation level.
21445 This chapter describes level 3 annotations.
21447 A simple example of starting up @value{GDBN} with annotations is:
21450 $ @kbd{gdb --annotate=3}
21452 Copyright 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
21453 GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License,
21454 and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it
21455 under certain conditions.
21456 Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
21457 There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty"
21459 This GDB was configured as "i386-pc-linux-gnu"
21470 Here @samp{quit} is input to @value{GDBN}; the rest is output from
21471 @value{GDBN}. The three lines beginning @samp{^Z^Z} (where @samp{^Z}
21472 denotes a @samp{control-z} character) are annotations; the rest is
21473 output from @value{GDBN}.
21476 @section Annotation for @value{GDBN} Input
21478 @cindex annotations for prompts
21479 When @value{GDBN} prompts for input, it annotates this fact so it is possible
21480 to know when to send output, when the output from a given command is
21483 Different kinds of input each have a different @dfn{input type}. Each
21484 input type has three annotations: a @code{pre-} annotation, which
21485 denotes the beginning of any prompt which is being output, a plain
21486 annotation, which denotes the end of the prompt, and then a @code{post-}
21487 annotation which denotes the end of any echo which may (or may not) be
21488 associated with the input. For example, the @code{prompt} input type
21489 features the following annotations:
21497 The input types are
21502 @findex post-prompt
21504 When @value{GDBN} is prompting for a command (the main @value{GDBN} prompt).
21506 @findex pre-commands
21508 @findex post-commands
21510 When @value{GDBN} prompts for a set of commands, like in the @code{commands}
21511 command. The annotations are repeated for each command which is input.
21513 @findex pre-overload-choice
21514 @findex overload-choice
21515 @findex post-overload-choice
21516 @item overload-choice
21517 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to select between various overloaded functions.
21523 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to confirm a potentially dangerous operation.
21525 @findex pre-prompt-for-continue
21526 @findex prompt-for-continue
21527 @findex post-prompt-for-continue
21528 @item prompt-for-continue
21529 When @value{GDBN} is asking the user to press return to continue. Note: Don't
21530 expect this to work well; instead use @code{set height 0} to disable
21531 prompting. This is because the counting of lines is buggy in the
21532 presence of annotations.
21537 @cindex annotations for errors, warnings and interrupts
21544 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an interrupt.
21551 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an error.
21553 Quit and error annotations indicate that any annotations which @value{GDBN} was
21554 in the middle of may end abruptly. For example, if a
21555 @code{value-history-begin} annotation is followed by a @code{error}, one
21556 cannot expect to receive the matching @code{value-history-end}. One
21557 cannot expect not to receive it either, however; an error annotation
21558 does not necessarily mean that @value{GDBN} is immediately returning all the way
21561 @findex error-begin
21562 A quit or error annotation may be preceded by
21568 Any output between that and the quit or error annotation is the error
21571 Warning messages are not yet annotated.
21572 @c If we want to change that, need to fix warning(), type_error(),
21573 @c range_error(), and possibly other places.
21576 @section Invalidation Notices
21578 @cindex annotations for invalidation messages
21579 The following annotations say that certain pieces of state may have
21583 @findex frames-invalid
21584 @item ^Z^Zframes-invalid
21586 The frames (for example, output from the @code{backtrace} command) may
21589 @findex breakpoints-invalid
21590 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoints-invalid
21592 The breakpoints may have changed. For example, the user just added or
21593 deleted a breakpoint.
21596 @node Annotations for Running
21597 @section Running the Program
21598 @cindex annotations for running programs
21602 When the program starts executing due to a @value{GDBN} command such as
21603 @code{step} or @code{continue},
21609 is output. When the program stops,
21615 is output. Before the @code{stopped} annotation, a variety of
21616 annotations describe how the program stopped.
21620 @item ^Z^Zexited @var{exit-status}
21621 The program exited, and @var{exit-status} is the exit status (zero for
21622 successful exit, otherwise nonzero).
21625 @findex signal-name
21626 @findex signal-name-end
21627 @findex signal-string
21628 @findex signal-string-end
21629 @item ^Z^Zsignalled
21630 The program exited with a signal. After the @code{^Z^Zsignalled}, the
21631 annotation continues:
21637 ^Z^Zsignal-name-end
21641 ^Z^Zsignal-string-end
21646 where @var{name} is the name of the signal, such as @code{SIGILL} or
21647 @code{SIGSEGV}, and @var{string} is the explanation of the signal, such
21648 as @code{Illegal Instruction} or @code{Segmentation fault}.
21649 @var{intro-text}, @var{middle-text}, and @var{end-text} are for the
21650 user's benefit and have no particular format.
21654 The syntax of this annotation is just like @code{signalled}, but @value{GDBN} is
21655 just saying that the program received the signal, not that it was
21656 terminated with it.
21659 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoint @var{number}
21660 The program hit breakpoint number @var{number}.
21663 @item ^Z^Zwatchpoint @var{number}
21664 The program hit watchpoint number @var{number}.
21667 @node Source Annotations
21668 @section Displaying Source
21669 @cindex annotations for source display
21672 The following annotation is used instead of displaying source code:
21675 ^Z^Zsource @var{filename}:@var{line}:@var{character}:@var{middle}:@var{addr}
21678 where @var{filename} is an absolute file name indicating which source
21679 file, @var{line} is the line number within that file (where 1 is the
21680 first line in the file), @var{character} is the character position
21681 within the file (where 0 is the first character in the file) (for most
21682 debug formats this will necessarily point to the beginning of a line),
21683 @var{middle} is @samp{middle} if @var{addr} is in the middle of the
21684 line, or @samp{beg} if @var{addr} is at the beginning of the line, and
21685 @var{addr} is the address in the target program associated with the
21686 source which is being displayed. @var{addr} is in the form @samp{0x}
21687 followed by one or more lowercase hex digits (note that this does not
21688 depend on the language).
21691 @chapter Reporting Bugs in @value{GDBN}
21692 @cindex bugs in @value{GDBN}
21693 @cindex reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
21695 Your bug reports play an essential role in making @value{GDBN} reliable.
21697 Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it
21698 may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is to help
21699 the entire community by making the next version of @value{GDBN} work better. Bug
21700 reports are your contribution to the maintenance of @value{GDBN}.
21702 In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
21703 information that enables us to fix the bug.
21706 * Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
21707 * Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
21711 @section Have you found a bug?
21712 @cindex bug criteria
21714 If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
21717 @cindex fatal signal
21718 @cindex debugger crash
21719 @cindex crash of debugger
21721 If the debugger gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a
21722 @value{GDBN} bug. Reliable debuggers never crash.
21724 @cindex error on valid input
21726 If @value{GDBN} produces an error message for valid input, that is a
21727 bug. (Note that if you're cross debugging, the problem may also be
21728 somewhere in the connection to the target.)
21730 @cindex invalid input
21732 If @value{GDBN} does not produce an error message for invalid input,
21733 that is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of
21734 ``invalid input'' might be our idea of ``an extension'' or ``support
21735 for traditional practice''.
21738 If you are an experienced user of debugging tools, your suggestions
21739 for improvement of @value{GDBN} are welcome in any case.
21742 @node Bug Reporting
21743 @section How to report bugs
21744 @cindex bug reports
21745 @cindex @value{GDBN} bugs, reporting
21747 A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu} products.
21748 If you obtained @value{GDBN} from a support organization, we recommend you
21749 contact that organization first.
21751 You can find contact information for many support companies and
21752 individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
21754 @c should add a web page ref...
21756 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
21757 @value{GDBN}. The prefered method is to submit them directly using
21758 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/, @value{GDBN}'s Bugs web
21759 page}. Alternatively, the @email{bug-gdb@@gnu.org, e-mail gateway} can
21762 @strong{Do not send bug reports to @samp{info-gdb}, or to
21763 @samp{help-gdb}, or to any newsgroups.} Most users of @value{GDBN} do
21764 not want to receive bug reports. Those that do have arranged to receive
21767 The mailing list @samp{bug-gdb} has a newsgroup @samp{gnu.gdb.bug} which
21768 serves as a repeater. The mailing list and the newsgroup carry exactly
21769 the same messages. Often people think of posting bug reports to the
21770 newsgroup instead of mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one
21771 problem which can be crucial: a newsgroup posting often lacks a mail
21772 path back to the sender. Thus, if we need to ask for more information,
21773 we may be unable to reach you. For this reason, it is better to send
21774 bug reports to the mailing list.
21776 The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
21777 @strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
21778 fact or leave it out, state it!
21780 Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
21781 problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
21782 assume that the name of the variable you use in an example does not matter.
21783 Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is a
21784 stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where that
21785 name is stored in memory; perhaps, if the name were different, the contents
21786 of that location would fool the debugger into doing the right thing despite
21787 the bug. Play it safe and give a specific, complete example. That is the
21788 easiest thing for you to do, and the most helpful.
21790 Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the
21791 bug. It may be that the bug has been reported previously, but neither
21792 you nor we can know that unless your bug report is complete and
21795 Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
21796 bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
21797 @emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
21800 To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
21804 The version of @value{GDBN}. @value{GDBN} announces it if you start
21805 with no arguments; you can also print it at any time using @code{show
21808 Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
21809 the bug in the current version of @value{GDBN}.
21812 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
21816 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile @value{GDBN}---e.g.@:
21817 ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1''.
21820 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the program you are
21821 debugging---e.g.@: ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1'', or ``HP92453-01 A.10.32.03 HP
21822 C Compiler''. For GCC, you can say @code{gcc --version} to get this
21823 information; for other compilers, see the documentation for those
21827 The command arguments you gave the compiler to compile your example and
21828 observe the bug. For example, did you use @samp{-O}? To guarantee
21829 you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy of the
21830 Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
21832 If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
21833 and then we might not encounter the bug.
21836 A complete input script, and all necessary source files, that will
21840 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
21841 incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
21843 Of course, if the bug is that @value{GDBN} gets a fatal signal, then we
21844 will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
21845 not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us
21846 a chance to make a mistake.
21848 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
21849 say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your
21850 copy of @value{GDBN} is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in
21851 the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
21852 crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when
21853 ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not happening for
21854 us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we would not be able
21855 to draw any conclusion from our observations.
21858 @cindex recording a session script
21859 To collect all this information, you can use a session recording program
21860 such as @command{script}, which is available on many Unix systems.
21861 Just run your @value{GDBN} session inside @command{script} and then
21862 include the @file{typescript} file with your bug report.
21864 Another way to record a @value{GDBN} session is to run @value{GDBN}
21865 inside Emacs and then save the entire buffer to a file.
21868 If you wish to suggest changes to the @value{GDBN} source, send us context
21869 diffs. If you even discuss something in the @value{GDBN} source, refer to
21870 it by context, not by line number.
21872 The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
21873 sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
21877 Here are some things that are not necessary:
21881 A description of the envelope of the bug.
21883 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
21884 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
21885 changes will not affect it.
21887 This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
21888 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
21889 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
21890 We recommend that you save your time for something else.
21892 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
21893 of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
21894 output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
21895 less time, and so on.
21897 However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
21898 report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
21901 A patch for the bug.
21903 A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
21904 the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
21905 a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
21906 to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
21908 Sometimes with a program as complicated as @value{GDBN} it is very hard to
21909 construct an example that will make the program follow a certain path
21910 through the code. If you do not send us the example, we will not be able
21911 to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is fixed.
21913 And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
21914 patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
21915 help us to understand.
21918 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
21920 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
21921 things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
21924 @c The readline documentation is distributed with the readline code
21925 @c and consists of the two following files:
21927 @c inc-hist.texinfo
21928 @c Use -I with makeinfo to point to the appropriate directory,
21929 @c environment var TEXINPUTS with TeX.
21930 @include rluser.texi
21931 @include inc-hist.texinfo
21934 @node Formatting Documentation
21935 @appendix Formatting Documentation
21937 @cindex @value{GDBN} reference card
21938 @cindex reference card
21939 The @value{GDBN} 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready
21940 for printing with PostScript or Ghostscript, in the @file{gdb}
21941 subdirectory of the main source directory@footnote{In
21942 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/refcard.ps} of the version @value{GDBVN}
21943 release.}. If you can use PostScript or Ghostscript with your printer,
21944 you can print the reference card immediately with @file{refcard.ps}.
21946 The release also includes the source for the reference card. You
21947 can format it, using @TeX{}, by typing:
21953 The @value{GDBN} reference card is designed to print in @dfn{landscape}
21954 mode on US ``letter'' size paper;
21955 that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches
21956 high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to
21957 your @sc{dvi} output program.
21959 @cindex documentation
21961 All the documentation for @value{GDBN} comes as part of the machine-readable
21962 distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which is
21963 a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both
21964 on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info
21965 formatting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation
21966 and @TeX{} (or @code{texi2roff}) to typeset the printed version.
21968 @value{GDBN} includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info
21969 version of this manual in the @file{gdb} subdirectory. The main Info
21970 file is @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/gdb.info}, and it refers to
21971 subordinate files matching @samp{gdb.info*} in the same directory. If
21972 necessary, you can print out these files, or read them with any editor;
21973 but they are easier to read using the @code{info} subsystem in @sc{gnu}
21974 Emacs or the standalone @code{info} program, available as part of the
21975 @sc{gnu} Texinfo distribution.
21977 If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
21978 Info formatting programs, such as @code{texinfo-format-buffer} or
21981 If you have @code{makeinfo} installed, and are in the top level
21982 @value{GDBN} source directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, in the case of
21983 version @value{GDBVN}), you can make the Info file by typing:
21990 If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need @TeX{},
21991 a program to print its @sc{dvi} output files, and @file{texinfo.tex}, the
21992 Texinfo definitions file.
21994 @TeX{} is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
21995 produces output files called @sc{dvi} files. To print a typeset
21996 document, you need a program to print @sc{dvi} files. If your system
21997 has @TeX{} installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise
21998 command to use depends on your system; @kbd{lpr -d} is common; another
21999 (for PostScript devices) is @kbd{dvips}. The @sc{dvi} print command may
22000 require a file name without any extension or a @samp{.dvi} extension.
22002 @TeX{} also requires a macro definitions file called
22003 @file{texinfo.tex}. This file tells @TeX{} how to typeset a document
22004 written in Texinfo format. On its own, @TeX{} cannot either read or
22005 typeset a Texinfo file. @file{texinfo.tex} is distributed with GDB
22006 and is located in the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}/texinfo}
22009 If you have @TeX{} and a @sc{dvi} printer program installed, you can
22010 typeset and print this manual. First switch to the the @file{gdb}
22011 subdirectory of the main source directory (for example, to
22012 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb}) and type:
22018 Then give @file{gdb.dvi} to your @sc{dvi} printing program.
22020 @node Installing GDB
22021 @appendix Installing @value{GDBN}
22022 @cindex installation
22025 * Requirements:: Requirements for building @value{GDBN}
22026 * Running Configure:: Invoking the @value{GDBN} @code{configure} script
22027 * Separate Objdir:: Compiling @value{GDBN} in another directory
22028 * Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
22029 * Configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
22033 @section Requirements for building @value{GDBN}
22034 @cindex building @value{GDBN}, requirements for
22036 Building @value{GDBN} requires various tools and packages to be available.
22037 Other packages will be used only if they are found.
22039 @heading Tools/packages necessary for building @value{GDBN}
22041 @item ISO C90 compiler
22042 @value{GDBN} is written in ISO C90. It should be buildable with any
22043 working C90 compiler, e.g.@: GCC.
22047 @heading Tools/packages optional for building @value{GDBN}
22050 @value{GDBN} can use the Expat XML parsing library. This library may be
22051 included with your operating system distribution; if it is not, you
22052 can get the latest version from @url{http://expat.sourceforge.net}.
22053 The @code{configure} script will search for this library in several
22054 standard locations; if it is installed in an unusual path, you can
22055 use the @option{--with-libexpat-prefix} option to specify its location.
22057 Expat is used currently only used to implement some remote-specific
22062 @node Running Configure
22063 @section Invoking the @value{GDBN} @code{configure} script
22064 @cindex configuring @value{GDBN}
22065 @value{GDBN} comes with a @code{configure} script that automates the process
22066 of preparing @value{GDBN} for installation; you can then use @code{make} to
22067 build the @code{gdb} program.
22069 @c irrelevant in info file; it's as current as the code it lives with.
22070 @footnote{If you have a more recent version of @value{GDBN} than @value{GDBVN},
22071 look at the @file{README} file in the sources; we may have improved the
22072 installation procedures since publishing this manual.}
22075 The @value{GDBN} distribution includes all the source code you need for
22076 @value{GDBN} in a single directory, whose name is usually composed by
22077 appending the version number to @samp{gdb}.
22079 For example, the @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN} distribution is in the
22080 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory. That directory contains:
22083 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure @r{(and supporting files)}
22084 script for configuring @value{GDBN} and all its supporting libraries
22086 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb
22087 the source specific to @value{GDBN} itself
22089 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/bfd
22090 source for the Binary File Descriptor library
22092 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/include
22093 @sc{gnu} include files
22095 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/libiberty
22096 source for the @samp{-liberty} free software library
22098 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/opcodes
22099 source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
22101 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/readline
22102 source for the @sc{gnu} command-line interface
22104 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/glob
22105 source for the @sc{gnu} filename pattern-matching subroutine
22107 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/mmalloc
22108 source for the @sc{gnu} memory-mapped malloc package
22111 The simplest way to configure and build @value{GDBN} is to run @code{configure}
22112 from the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory, which in
22113 this example is the @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory.
22115 First switch to the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory
22116 if you are not already in it; then run @code{configure}. Pass the
22117 identifier for the platform on which @value{GDBN} will run as an
22123 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
22124 ./configure @var{host}
22129 where @var{host} is an identifier such as @samp{sun4} or
22130 @samp{decstation}, that identifies the platform where @value{GDBN} will run.
22131 (You can often leave off @var{host}; @code{configure} tries to guess the
22132 correct value by examining your system.)
22134 Running @samp{configure @var{host}} and then running @code{make} builds the
22135 @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, @file{mmalloc}, and @file{libiberty}
22136 libraries, then @code{gdb} itself. The configured source files, and the
22137 binaries, are left in the corresponding source directories.
22140 @code{configure} is a Bourne-shell (@code{/bin/sh}) script; if your
22141 system does not recognize this automatically when you run a different
22142 shell, you may need to run @code{sh} on it explicitly:
22145 sh configure @var{host}
22148 If you run @code{configure} from a directory that contains source
22149 directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the
22150 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} source directory for version @value{GDBVN}, @code{configure}
22151 creates configuration files for every directory level underneath (unless
22152 you tell it not to, with the @samp{--norecursion} option).
22154 You should run the @code{configure} script from the top directory in the
22155 source tree, the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory. If you run
22156 @code{configure} from one of the subdirectories, you will configure only
22157 that subdirectory. That is usually not what you want. In particular,
22158 if you run the first @code{configure} from the @file{gdb} subdirectory
22159 of the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory, you will omit the
22160 configuration of @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, and other sibling
22161 directories of the @file{gdb} subdirectory. This leads to build errors
22162 about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
22164 You can install @code{@value{GDBP}} anywhere; it has no hardwired paths.
22165 However, you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by
22166 the @samp{SHELL} environment variable) is publicly readable. Remember
22167 that @value{GDBN} uses the shell to start your program---some systems refuse to
22168 let @value{GDBN} debug child processes whose programs are not readable.
22170 @node Separate Objdir
22171 @section Compiling @value{GDBN} in another directory
22173 If you want to run @value{GDBN} versions for several host or target machines,
22174 you need a different @code{gdb} compiled for each combination of
22175 host and target. @code{configure} is designed to make this easy by
22176 allowing you to generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory,
22177 rather than in the source directory. If your @code{make} program
22178 handles the @samp{VPATH} feature (@sc{gnu} @code{make} does), running
22179 @code{make} in each of these directories builds the @code{gdb}
22180 program specified there.
22182 To build @code{gdb} in a separate directory, run @code{configure}
22183 with the @samp{--srcdir} option to specify where to find the source.
22184 (You also need to specify a path to find @code{configure}
22185 itself from your working directory. If the path to @code{configure}
22186 would be the same as the argument to @samp{--srcdir}, you can leave out
22187 the @samp{--srcdir} option; it is assumed.)
22189 For example, with version @value{GDBVN}, you can build @value{GDBN} in a
22190 separate directory for a Sun 4 like this:
22194 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
22197 ../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure sun4
22202 When @code{configure} builds a configuration using a remote source
22203 directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
22204 (and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory. In
22205 the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library @file{libiberty.a} in the
22206 directory @file{gdb-sun4/libiberty}, and @value{GDBN} itself in
22207 @file{gdb-sun4/gdb}.
22209 Make sure that your path to the @file{configure} script has just one
22210 instance of @file{gdb} in it. If your path to @file{configure} looks
22211 like @file{../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/configure}, you are configuring only
22212 one subdirectory of @value{GDBN}, not the whole package. This leads to
22213 build errors about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
22215 One popular reason to build several @value{GDBN} configurations in separate
22216 directories is to configure @value{GDBN} for cross-compiling (where
22217 @value{GDBN} runs on one machine---the @dfn{host}---while debugging
22218 programs that run on another machine---the @dfn{target}).
22219 You specify a cross-debugging target by
22220 giving the @samp{--target=@var{target}} option to @code{configure}.
22222 When you run @code{make} to build a program or library, you must run
22223 it in a configured directory---whatever directory you were in when you
22224 called @code{configure} (or one of its subdirectories).
22226 The @code{Makefile} that @code{configure} generates in each source
22227 directory also runs recursively. If you type @code{make} in a source
22228 directory such as @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} (or in a separate configured
22229 directory configured with @samp{--srcdir=@var{dirname}/gdb-@value{GDBVN}}), you
22230 will build all the required libraries, and then build GDB.
22232 When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
22233 directories, you can run @code{make} on them in parallel (for example,
22234 if they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
22238 @section Specifying names for hosts and targets
22240 The specifications used for hosts and targets in the @code{configure}
22241 script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short predefined
22242 aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes three pieces
22243 of information in the following pattern:
22246 @var{architecture}-@var{vendor}-@var{os}
22249 For example, you can use the alias @code{sun4} as a @var{host} argument,
22250 or as the value for @var{target} in a @code{--target=@var{target}}
22251 option. The equivalent full name is @samp{sparc-sun-sunos4}.
22253 The @code{configure} script accompanying @value{GDBN} does not provide
22254 any query facility to list all supported host and target names or
22255 aliases. @code{configure} calls the Bourne shell script
22256 @code{config.sub} to map abbreviations to full names; you can read the
22257 script, if you wish, or you can use it to test your guesses on
22258 abbreviations---for example:
22261 % sh config.sub i386-linux
22263 % sh config.sub alpha-linux
22264 alpha-unknown-linux-gnu
22265 % sh config.sub hp9k700
22267 % sh config.sub sun4
22268 sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
22269 % sh config.sub sun3
22270 m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
22271 % sh config.sub i986v
22272 Invalid configuration `i986v': machine `i986v' not recognized
22276 @code{config.sub} is also distributed in the @value{GDBN} source
22277 directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, for version @value{GDBVN}).
22279 @node Configure Options
22280 @section @code{configure} options
22282 Here is a summary of the @code{configure} options and arguments that
22283 are most often useful for building @value{GDBN}. @code{configure} also has
22284 several other options not listed here. @inforef{What Configure
22285 Does,,configure.info}, for a full explanation of @code{configure}.
22288 configure @r{[}--help@r{]}
22289 @r{[}--prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
22290 @r{[}--exec-prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
22291 @r{[}--srcdir=@var{dirname}@r{]}
22292 @r{[}--norecursion@r{]} @r{[}--rm@r{]}
22293 @r{[}--target=@var{target}@r{]}
22298 You may introduce options with a single @samp{-} rather than
22299 @samp{--} if you prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use
22304 Display a quick summary of how to invoke @code{configure}.
22306 @item --prefix=@var{dir}
22307 Configure the source to install programs and files under directory
22310 @item --exec-prefix=@var{dir}
22311 Configure the source to install programs under directory
22314 @c avoid splitting the warning from the explanation:
22316 @item --srcdir=@var{dirname}
22317 @strong{Warning: using this option requires @sc{gnu} @code{make}, or another
22318 @code{make} that implements the @code{VPATH} feature.}@*
22319 Use this option to make configurations in directories separate from the
22320 @value{GDBN} source directories. Among other things, you can use this to
22321 build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously, in separate
22322 directories. @code{configure} writes configuration specific files in
22323 the current directory, but arranges for them to use the source in the
22324 directory @var{dirname}. @code{configure} creates directories under
22325 the working directory in parallel to the source directories below
22328 @item --norecursion
22329 Configure only the directory level where @code{configure} is executed; do not
22330 propagate configuration to subdirectories.
22332 @item --target=@var{target}
22333 Configure @value{GDBN} for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
22334 @var{target}. Without this option, @value{GDBN} is configured to debug
22335 programs that run on the same machine (@var{host}) as @value{GDBN} itself.
22337 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available targets.
22339 @item @var{host} @dots{}
22340 Configure @value{GDBN} to run on the specified @var{host}.
22342 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available hosts.
22345 There are many other options available as well, but they are generally
22346 needed for special purposes only.
22348 @node Maintenance Commands
22349 @appendix Maintenance Commands
22350 @cindex maintenance commands
22351 @cindex internal commands
22353 In addition to commands intended for @value{GDBN} users, @value{GDBN}
22354 includes a number of commands intended for @value{GDBN} developers,
22355 that are not documented elsewhere in this manual. These commands are
22356 provided here for reference. (For commands that turn on debugging
22357 messages, see @ref{Debugging Output}.)
22360 @kindex maint agent
22361 @item maint agent @var{expression}
22362 Translate the given @var{expression} into remote agent bytecodes.
22363 This command is useful for debugging the Agent Expression mechanism
22364 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}).
22366 @kindex maint info breakpoints
22367 @item @anchor{maint info breakpoints}maint info breakpoints
22368 Using the same format as @samp{info breakpoints}, display both the
22369 breakpoints you've set explicitly, and those @value{GDBN} is using for
22370 internal purposes. Internal breakpoints are shown with negative
22371 breakpoint numbers. The type column identifies what kind of breakpoint
22376 Normal, explicitly set breakpoint.
22379 Normal, explicitly set watchpoint.
22382 Internal breakpoint, used to handle correctly stepping through
22383 @code{longjmp} calls.
22385 @item longjmp resume
22386 Internal breakpoint at the target of a @code{longjmp}.
22389 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{until} command.
22392 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{finish} command.
22395 Shared library events.
22399 @kindex maint check-symtabs
22400 @item maint check-symtabs
22401 Check the consistency of psymtabs and symtabs.
22403 @kindex maint cplus first_component
22404 @item maint cplus first_component @var{name}
22405 Print the first C@t{++} class/namespace component of @var{name}.
22407 @kindex maint cplus namespace
22408 @item maint cplus namespace
22409 Print the list of possible C@t{++} namespaces.
22411 @kindex maint demangle
22412 @item maint demangle @var{name}
22413 Demangle a C@t{++} or Objective-C manled @var{name}.
22415 @kindex maint deprecate
22416 @kindex maint undeprecate
22417 @cindex deprecated commands
22418 @item maint deprecate @var{command} @r{[}@var{replacement}@r{]}
22419 @itemx maint undeprecate @var{command}
22420 Deprecate or undeprecate the named @var{command}. Deprecated commands
22421 cause @value{GDBN} to issue a warning when you use them. The optional
22422 argument @var{replacement} says which newer command should be used in
22423 favor of the deprecated one; if it is given, @value{GDBN} will mention
22424 the replacement as part of the warning.
22426 @kindex maint dump-me
22427 @item maint dump-me
22428 @cindex @code{SIGQUIT} signal, dump core of @value{GDBN}
22429 Cause a fatal signal in the debugger and force it to dump its core.
22430 This is supported only on systems which support aborting a program
22431 with the @code{SIGQUIT} signal.
22433 @kindex maint internal-error
22434 @kindex maint internal-warning
22435 @item maint internal-error @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
22436 @itemx maint internal-warning @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
22437 Cause @value{GDBN} to call the internal function @code{internal_error}
22438 or @code{internal_warning} and hence behave as though an internal error
22439 or internal warning has been detected. In addition to reporting the
22440 internal problem, these functions give the user the opportunity to
22441 either quit @value{GDBN} or create a core file of the current
22442 @value{GDBN} session.
22444 These commands take an optional parameter @var{message-text} that is
22445 used as the text of the error or warning message.
22447 Here's an example of using @code{indernal-error}:
22450 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint internal-error testing, 1, 2}
22451 @dots{}/maint.c:121: internal-error: testing, 1, 2
22452 A problem internal to GDB has been detected. Further
22453 debugging may prove unreliable.
22454 Quit this debugging session? (y or n) @kbd{n}
22455 Create a core file? (y or n) @kbd{n}
22459 @kindex maint packet
22460 @item maint packet @var{text}
22461 If @value{GDBN} is talking to an inferior via the serial protocol,
22462 then this command sends the string @var{text} to the inferior, and
22463 displays the response packet. @value{GDBN} supplies the initial
22464 @samp{$} character, the terminating @samp{#} character, and the
22467 @kindex maint print architecture
22468 @item maint print architecture @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
22469 Print the entire architecture configuration. The optional argument
22470 @var{file} names the file where the output goes.
22472 @kindex maint print dummy-frames
22473 @item maint print dummy-frames
22474 Prints the contents of @value{GDBN}'s internal dummy-frame stack.
22477 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{b add}
22479 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{print add(2,3)}
22480 Breakpoint 2, add (a=2, b=3) at @dots{}
22482 The program being debugged stopped while in a function called from GDB.
22484 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print dummy-frames}
22485 0x1a57c80: pc=0x01014068 fp=0x0200bddc sp=0x0200bdd6
22486 top=0x0200bdd4 id=@{stack=0x200bddc,code=0x101405c@}
22487 call_lo=0x01014000 call_hi=0x01014001
22491 Takes an optional file parameter.
22493 @kindex maint print registers
22494 @kindex maint print raw-registers
22495 @kindex maint print cooked-registers
22496 @kindex maint print register-groups
22497 @item maint print registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
22498 @itemx maint print raw-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
22499 @itemx maint print cooked-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
22500 @itemx maint print register-groups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
22501 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register data structures.
22503 The command @code{maint print raw-registers} includes the contents of
22504 the raw register cache; the command @code{maint print cooked-registers}
22505 includes the (cooked) value of all registers; and the command
22506 @code{maint print register-groups} includes the groups that each
22507 register is a member of. @xref{Registers,, Registers, gdbint,
22508 @value{GDBN} Internals}.
22510 These commands take an optional parameter, a file name to which to
22511 write the information.
22513 @kindex maint print reggroups
22514 @item maint print reggroups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
22515 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register group data structures. The
22516 optional argument @var{file} tells to what file to write the
22519 The register groups info looks like this:
22522 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print reggroups}
22535 This command forces @value{GDBN} to flush its internal register cache.
22537 @kindex maint print objfiles
22538 @cindex info for known object files
22539 @item maint print objfiles
22540 Print a dump of all known object files. For each object file, this
22541 command prints its name, address in memory, and all of its psymtabs
22544 @kindex maint print statistics
22545 @cindex bcache statistics
22546 @item maint print statistics
22547 This command prints, for each object file in the program, various data
22548 about that object file followed by the byte cache (@dfn{bcache})
22549 statistics for the object file. The objfile data includes the number
22550 of minimal, partical, full, and stabs symbols, the number of types
22551 defined by the objfile, the number of as yet unexpanded psym tables,
22552 the number of line tables and string tables, and the amount of memory
22553 used by the various tables. The bcache statistics include the counts,
22554 sizes, and counts of duplicates of all and unique objects, max,
22555 average, and median entry size, total memory used and its overhead and
22556 savings, and various measures of the hash table size and chain
22559 @kindex maint print type
22560 @cindex type chain of a data type
22561 @item maint print type @var{expr}
22562 Print the type chain for a type specified by @var{expr}. The argument
22563 can be either a type name or a symbol. If it is a symbol, the type of
22564 that symbol is described. The type chain produced by this command is
22565 a recursive definition of the data type as stored in @value{GDBN}'s
22566 data structures, including its flags and contained types.
22568 @kindex maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
22569 @kindex maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
22570 @item maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
22571 @itemx maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
22572 Control the DWARF 2 compilation unit cache.
22574 @cindex DWARF 2 compilation units cache
22575 In object files with inter-compilation-unit references, such as those
22576 produced by the GCC option @samp{-feliminate-dwarf2-dups}, the DWARF 2
22577 reader needs to frequently refer to previously read compilation units.
22578 This setting controls how long a compilation unit will remain in the
22579 cache if it is not referenced. A higher limit means that cached
22580 compilation units will be stored in memory longer, and more total
22581 memory will be used. Setting it to zero disables caching, which will
22582 slow down @value{GDBN} startup, but reduce memory consumption.
22584 @kindex maint set profile
22585 @kindex maint show profile
22586 @cindex profiling GDB
22587 @item maint set profile
22588 @itemx maint show profile
22589 Control profiling of @value{GDBN}.
22591 Profiling will be disabled until you use the @samp{maint set profile}
22592 command to enable it. When you enable profiling, the system will begin
22593 collecting timing and execution count data; when you disable profiling or
22594 exit @value{GDBN}, the results will be written to a log file. Remember that
22595 if you use profiling, @value{GDBN} will overwrite the profiling log file
22596 (often called @file{gmon.out}). If you have a record of important profiling
22597 data in a @file{gmon.out} file, be sure to move it to a safe location.
22599 Configuring with @samp{--enable-profiling} arranges for @value{GDBN} to be
22600 compiled with the @samp{-pg} compiler option.
22602 @kindex maint show-debug-regs
22603 @cindex x86 hardware debug registers
22604 @item maint show-debug-regs
22605 Control whether to show variables that mirror the x86 hardware debug
22606 registers. Use @code{ON} to enable, @code{OFF} to disable. If
22607 enabled, the debug registers values are shown when GDB inserts or
22608 removes a hardware breakpoint or watchpoint, and when the inferior
22609 triggers a hardware-assisted breakpoint or watchpoint.
22611 @kindex maint space
22612 @cindex memory used by commands
22614 Control whether to display memory usage for each command. If set to a
22615 nonzero value, @value{GDBN} will display how much memory each command
22616 took, following the command's own output. This can also be requested
22617 by invoking @value{GDBN} with the @option{--statistics} command-line
22618 switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
22621 @cindex time of command execution
22623 Control whether to display the execution time for each command. If
22624 set to a nonzero value, @value{GDBN} will display how much time it
22625 took to execute each command, following the command's own output.
22626 This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
22627 @option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
22629 @kindex maint translate-address
22630 @item maint translate-address @r{[}@var{section}@r{]} @var{addr}
22631 Find the symbol stored at the location specified by the address
22632 @var{addr} and an optional section name @var{section}. If found,
22633 @value{GDBN} prints the name of the closest symbol and an offset from
22634 the symbol's location to the specified address. This is similar to
22635 the @code{info address} command (@pxref{Symbols}), except that this
22636 command also allows to find symbols in other sections.
22640 The following command is useful for non-interactive invocations of
22641 @value{GDBN}, such as in the test suite.
22644 @item set watchdog @var{nsec}
22645 @kindex set watchdog
22646 @cindex watchdog timer
22647 @cindex timeout for commands
22648 Set the maximum number of seconds @value{GDBN} will wait for the
22649 target operation to finish. If this time expires, @value{GDBN}
22650 reports and error and the command is aborted.
22652 @item show watchdog
22653 Show the current setting of the target wait timeout.
22656 @node Remote Protocol
22657 @appendix @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol
22662 * Stop Reply Packets::
22663 * General Query Packets::
22664 * Register Packet Format::
22665 * Tracepoint Packets::
22668 * File-I/O remote protocol extension::
22669 * Memory map format::
22675 There may be occasions when you need to know something about the
22676 protocol---for example, if there is only one serial port to your target
22677 machine, you might want your program to do something special if it
22678 recognizes a packet meant for @value{GDBN}.
22680 In the examples below, @samp{->} and @samp{<-} are used to indicate
22681 transmitted and received data respectfully.
22683 @cindex protocol, @value{GDBN} remote serial
22684 @cindex serial protocol, @value{GDBN} remote
22685 @cindex remote serial protocol
22686 All @value{GDBN} commands and responses (other than acknowledgments) are
22687 sent as a @var{packet}. A @var{packet} is introduced with the character
22688 @samp{$}, the actual @var{packet-data}, and the terminating character
22689 @samp{#} followed by a two-digit @var{checksum}:
22692 @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
22696 @cindex checksum, for @value{GDBN} remote
22698 The two-digit @var{checksum} is computed as the modulo 256 sum of all
22699 characters between the leading @samp{$} and the trailing @samp{#} (an
22700 eight bit unsigned checksum).
22702 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0 the protocol
22703 specification also included an optional two-digit @var{sequence-id}:
22706 @code{$}@var{sequence-id}@code{:}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
22709 @cindex sequence-id, for @value{GDBN} remote
22711 That @var{sequence-id} was appended to the acknowledgment. @value{GDBN}
22712 has never output @var{sequence-id}s. Stubs that handle packets added
22713 since @value{GDBN} 5.0 must not accept @var{sequence-id}.
22715 @cindex acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
22716 When either the host or the target machine receives a packet, the first
22717 response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
22718 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request
22722 -> @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
22727 The host (@value{GDBN}) sends @var{command}s, and the target (the
22728 debugging stub incorporated in your program) sends a @var{response}. In
22729 the case of step and continue @var{command}s, the response is only sent
22730 when the operation has completed (the target has again stopped).
22732 @var{packet-data} consists of a sequence of characters with the
22733 exception of @samp{#} and @samp{$} (see @samp{X} packet for additional
22736 @cindex remote protocol, field separator
22737 Fields within the packet should be separated using @samp{,} @samp{;} or
22738 @samp{:}. Except where otherwise noted all numbers are represented in
22739 @sc{hex} with leading zeros suppressed.
22741 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0, the character
22742 @samp{:} could not appear as the third character in a packet (as it
22743 would potentially conflict with the @var{sequence-id}).
22745 @cindex remote protocol, binary data
22746 @anchor{Binary Data}
22747 Binary data in most packets is encoded either as two hexadecimal
22748 digits per byte of binary data. This allowed the traditional remote
22749 protocol to work over connections which were only seven-bit clean.
22750 Some packets designed more recently assume an eight-bit clean
22751 connection, and use a more efficient encoding to send and receive
22754 The binary data representation uses @code{7d} (@sc{ascii} @samp{@}})
22755 as an escape character. Any escaped byte is transmitted as the escape
22756 character followed by the original character XORed with @code{0x20}.
22757 For example, the byte @code{0x7d} would be transmitted as the two
22758 bytes @code{0x7d 0x5d}. The bytes @code{0x23} (@sc{ascii} @samp{#}),
22759 @code{0x24} (@sc{ascii} @samp{$}), and @code{0x7d} (@sc{ascii}
22760 @samp{@}}) must always be escaped. Responses sent by the stub
22761 must also escape @code{0x2a} (@sc{ascii} @samp{*}), so that it
22762 is not interpreted as the start of a run-length encoded sequence
22765 Response @var{data} can be run-length encoded to save space. A @samp{*}
22766 means that the next character is an @sc{ascii} encoding giving a repeat count
22767 which stands for that many repetitions of the character preceding the
22768 @samp{*}. The encoding is @code{n+29}, yielding a printable character
22769 where @code{n >=3} (which is where rle starts to win). The printable
22770 characters @samp{$}, @samp{#}, @samp{+} and @samp{-} or with a numeric
22771 value greater than 126 should not be used.
22778 means the same as "0000".
22780 The error response returned for some packets includes a two character
22781 error number. That number is not well defined.
22783 @cindex empty response, for unsupported packets
22784 For any @var{command} not supported by the stub, an empty response
22785 (@samp{$#00}) should be returned. That way it is possible to extend the
22786 protocol. A newer @value{GDBN} can tell if a packet is supported based
22789 A stub is required to support the @samp{g}, @samp{G}, @samp{m}, @samp{M},
22790 @samp{c}, and @samp{s} @var{command}s. All other @var{command}s are
22796 The following table provides a complete list of all currently defined
22797 @var{command}s and their corresponding response @var{data}.
22798 @xref{File-I/O remote protocol extension}, for details about the File
22799 I/O extension of the remote protocol.
22801 Each packet's description has a template showing the packet's overall
22802 syntax, followed by an explanation of the packet's meaning. We
22803 include spaces in some of the templates for clarity; these are not
22804 part of the packet's syntax. No @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to
22805 separate its components. For example, a template like @samp{foo
22806 @var{bar} @var{baz}} describes a packet beginning with the three ASCII
22807 bytes @samp{foo}, followed by a @var{bar}, followed directly by a
22808 @var{baz}. GDB does not transmit a space character between the
22809 @samp{foo} and the @var{bar}, or between the @var{bar} and the
22812 Note that all packet forms beginning with an upper- or lower-case
22813 letter, other than those described here, are reserved for future use.
22815 Here are the packet descriptions.
22820 @cindex @samp{!} packet
22821 Enable extended mode. In extended mode, the remote server is made
22822 persistent. The @samp{R} packet is used to restart the program being
22828 The remote target both supports and has enabled extended mode.
22832 @cindex @samp{?} packet
22833 Indicate the reason the target halted. The reply is the same as for
22837 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
22839 @item A @var{arglen},@var{argnum},@var{arg},@dots{}
22840 @cindex @samp{A} packet
22841 Initialized @code{argv[]} array passed into program. @var{arglen}
22842 specifies the number of bytes in the hex encoded byte stream
22843 @var{arg}. See @code{gdbserver} for more details.
22848 The arguments were set.
22854 @cindex @samp{b} packet
22855 (Don't use this packet; its behavior is not well-defined.)
22856 Change the serial line speed to @var{baud}.
22858 JTC: @emph{When does the transport layer state change? When it's
22859 received, or after the ACK is transmitted. In either case, there are
22860 problems if the command or the acknowledgment packet is dropped.}
22862 Stan: @emph{If people really wanted to add something like this, and get
22863 it working for the first time, they ought to modify ser-unix.c to send
22864 some kind of out-of-band message to a specially-setup stub and have the
22865 switch happen "in between" packets, so that from remote protocol's point
22866 of view, nothing actually happened.}
22868 @item B @var{addr},@var{mode}
22869 @cindex @samp{B} packet
22870 Set (@var{mode} is @samp{S}) or clear (@var{mode} is @samp{C}) a
22871 breakpoint at @var{addr}.
22873 Don't use this packet. Use the @samp{Z} and @samp{z} packets instead
22874 (@pxref{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}).
22876 @item c @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
22877 @cindex @samp{c} packet
22878 Continue. @var{addr} is address to resume. If @var{addr} is omitted,
22879 resume at current address.
22882 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
22884 @item C @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
22885 @cindex @samp{C} packet
22886 Continue with signal @var{sig} (hex signal number). If
22887 @samp{;@var{addr}} is omitted, resume at same address.
22890 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
22893 @cindex @samp{d} packet
22896 Don't use this packet; instead, define a general set packet
22897 (@pxref{General Query Packets}).
22900 @cindex @samp{D} packet
22901 Detach @value{GDBN} from the remote system. Sent to the remote target
22902 before @value{GDBN} disconnects via the @code{detach} command.
22912 @item F @var{RC},@var{EE},@var{CF};@var{XX}
22913 @cindex @samp{F} packet
22914 A reply from @value{GDBN} to an @samp{F} packet sent by the target.
22915 This is part of the File-I/O protocol extension. @xref{File-I/O
22916 remote protocol extension}, for the specification.
22919 @anchor{read registers packet}
22920 @cindex @samp{g} packet
22921 Read general registers.
22925 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
22926 Each byte of register data is described by two hex digits. The bytes
22927 with the register are transmitted in target byte order. The size of
22928 each register and their position within the @samp{g} packet are
22929 determined by the @value{GDBN} internal macros
22930 @code{DEPRECATED_REGISTER_RAW_SIZE} and @code{REGISTER_NAME} macros. The
22931 specification of several standard @samp{g} packets is specified below.
22936 @item G @var{XX@dots{}}
22937 @cindex @samp{G} packet
22938 Write general registers. @xref{read registers packet}, for a
22939 description of the @var{XX@dots{}} data.
22949 @item H @var{c} @var{t}
22950 @cindex @samp{H} packet
22951 Set thread for subsequent operations (@samp{m}, @samp{M}, @samp{g},
22952 @samp{G}, et.al.). @var{c} depends on the operation to be performed: it
22953 should be @samp{c} for step and continue operations, @samp{g} for other
22954 operations. The thread designator @var{t} may be @samp{-1}, meaning all
22955 the threads, a thread number, or @samp{0} which means pick any thread.
22966 @c 'H': How restrictive (or permissive) is the thread model. If a
22967 @c thread is selected and stopped, are other threads allowed
22968 @c to continue to execute? As I mentioned above, I think the
22969 @c semantics of each command when a thread is selected must be
22970 @c described. For example:
22972 @c 'g': If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
22973 @c selected, returns the register block from that thread;
22974 @c otherwise returns current registers.
22976 @c 'G' If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
22977 @c selected, sets the registers of the register block of
22978 @c that thread; otherwise sets current registers.
22980 @item i @r{[}@var{addr}@r{[},@var{nnn}@r{]]}
22981 @anchor{cycle step packet}
22982 @cindex @samp{i} packet
22983 Step the remote target by a single clock cycle. If @samp{,@var{nnn}} is
22984 present, cycle step @var{nnn} cycles. If @var{addr} is present, cycle
22985 step starting at that address.
22988 @cindex @samp{I} packet
22989 Signal, then cycle step. @xref{step with signal packet}. @xref{cycle
22993 @cindex @samp{k} packet
22996 FIXME: @emph{There is no description of how to operate when a specific
22997 thread context has been selected (i.e.@: does 'k' kill only that
23000 @item m @var{addr},@var{length}
23001 @cindex @samp{m} packet
23002 Read @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
23003 Note that @var{addr} may not be aligned to any particular boundary.
23005 The stub need not use any particular size or alignment when gathering
23006 data from memory for the response; even if @var{addr} is word-aligned
23007 and @var{length} is a multiple of the word size, the stub is free to
23008 use byte accesses, or not. For this reason, this packet may not be
23009 suitable for accessing memory-mapped I/O devices.
23010 @cindex alignment of remote memory accesses
23011 @cindex size of remote memory accesses
23012 @cindex memory, alignment and size of remote accesses
23016 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
23017 Memory contents; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit hexadecimal
23018 number. The reply may contain fewer bytes than requested if the
23019 server was able to read only part of the region of memory.
23024 @item M @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
23025 @cindex @samp{M} packet
23026 Write @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
23027 @var{XX@dots{}} is the data; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit
23028 hexadecimal number.
23035 for an error (this includes the case where only part of the data was
23040 @cindex @samp{p} packet
23041 Read the value of register @var{n}; @var{n} is in hex.
23042 @xref{read registers packet}, for a description of how the returned
23043 register value is encoded.
23047 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
23048 the register's value
23052 Indicating an unrecognized @var{query}.
23055 @item P @var{n@dots{}}=@var{r@dots{}}
23056 @anchor{write register packet}
23057 @cindex @samp{P} packet
23058 Write register @var{n@dots{}} with value @var{r@dots{}}. The register
23059 number @var{n} is in hexadecimal, and @var{r@dots{}} contains two hex
23060 digits for each byte in the register (target byte order).
23070 @item q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
23071 @itemx Q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
23072 @cindex @samp{q} packet
23073 @cindex @samp{Q} packet
23074 General query (@samp{q}) and set (@samp{Q}). These packets are
23075 described fully in @ref{General Query Packets}.
23078 @cindex @samp{r} packet
23079 Reset the entire system.
23081 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{R} packet instead.
23084 @cindex @samp{R} packet
23085 Restart the program being debugged. @var{XX}, while needed, is ignored.
23086 This packet is only available in extended mode.
23088 The @samp{R} packet has no reply.
23090 @item s @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
23091 @cindex @samp{s} packet
23092 Single step. @var{addr} is the address at which to resume. If
23093 @var{addr} is omitted, resume at same address.
23096 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
23098 @item S @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
23099 @anchor{step with signal packet}
23100 @cindex @samp{S} packet
23101 Step with signal. This is analogous to the @samp{C} packet, but
23102 requests a single-step, rather than a normal resumption of execution.
23105 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
23107 @item t @var{addr}:@var{PP},@var{MM}
23108 @cindex @samp{t} packet
23109 Search backwards starting at address @var{addr} for a match with pattern
23110 @var{PP} and mask @var{MM}. @var{PP} and @var{MM} are 4 bytes.
23111 @var{addr} must be at least 3 digits.
23114 @cindex @samp{T} packet
23115 Find out if the thread XX is alive.
23120 thread is still alive
23126 Packets starting with @samp{v} are identified by a multi-letter name,
23127 up to the first @samp{;} or @samp{?} (or the end of the packet).
23129 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@r{[}:@var{tid}@r{]]}@dots{}
23130 @cindex @samp{vCont} packet
23131 Resume the inferior, specifying different actions for each thread.
23132 If an action is specified with no @var{tid}, then it is applied to any
23133 threads that don't have a specific action specified; if no default action is
23134 specified then other threads should remain stopped. Specifying multiple
23135 default actions is an error; specifying no actions is also an error.
23136 Thread IDs are specified in hexadecimal. Currently supported actions are:
23142 Continue with signal @var{sig}. @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
23146 Step with signal @var{sig}. @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
23149 The optional @var{addr} argument normally associated with these packets is
23150 not supported in @samp{vCont}.
23153 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
23156 @cindex @samp{vCont?} packet
23157 Request a list of actions supporetd by the @samp{vCont} packet.
23161 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@dots{}@r{]}
23162 The @samp{vCont} packet is supported. Each @var{action} is a supported
23163 command in the @samp{vCont} packet.
23165 The @samp{vCont} packet is not supported.
23168 @item vFlashErase:@var{addr},@var{length}
23169 @cindex @samp{vFlashErase} packet
23170 Direct the stub to erase @var{length} bytes of flash starting at
23171 @var{addr}. The region may enclose any number of flash blocks, but
23172 its start and end must fall on block boundaries, as indicated by the
23173 flash block size appearing in the memory map (@pxref{Memory map
23174 format}). @value{GDBN} groups flash memory programming operations
23175 together, and sends a @samp{vFlashDone} request after each group; the
23176 stub is allowed to delay erase operation until the @samp{vFlashDone}
23177 packet is received.
23187 @item vFlashWrite:@var{addr}:@var{XX@dots{}}
23188 @cindex @samp{vFlashWrite} packet
23189 Direct the stub to write data to flash address @var{addr}. The data
23190 is passed in binary form using the same encoding as for the @samp{X}
23191 packet (@pxref{Binary Data}). The memory ranges specified by
23192 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets preceding a @samp{vFlashDone} packet must
23193 not overlap, and must appear in order of increasing addresses
23194 (although @samp{vFlashErase} packets for higher addresses may already
23195 have been received; the ordering is guaranteed only between
23196 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets). If a packet writes to an address that was
23197 neither erased by a preceding @samp{vFlashErase} packet nor by some other
23198 target-specific method, the results are unpredictable.
23206 for vFlashWrite addressing non-flash memory
23212 @cindex @samp{vFlashDone} packet
23213 Indicate to the stub that flash programming operation is finished.
23214 The stub is permitted to delay or batch the effects of a group of
23215 @samp{vFlashErase} and @samp{vFlashWrite} packets until a
23216 @samp{vFlashDone} packet is received. The contents of the affected
23217 regions of flash memory are unpredictable until the @samp{vFlashDone}
23218 request is completed.
23220 @item X @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
23222 @cindex @samp{X} packet
23223 Write data to memory, where the data is transmitted in binary.
23224 @var{addr} is address, @var{length} is number of bytes,
23225 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
23235 @item z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{length}
23236 @itemx Z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{length}
23237 @anchor{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}
23238 @cindex @samp{z} packet
23239 @cindex @samp{Z} packets
23240 Insert (@samp{Z}) or remove (@samp{z}) a @var{type} breakpoint or
23241 watchpoint starting at address @var{address} and covering the next
23242 @var{length} bytes.
23244 Each breakpoint and watchpoint packet @var{type} is documented
23247 @emph{Implementation notes: A remote target shall return an empty string
23248 for an unrecognized breakpoint or watchpoint packet @var{type}. A
23249 remote target shall support either both or neither of a given
23250 @samp{Z@var{type}@dots{}} and @samp{z@var{type}@dots{}} packet pair. To
23251 avoid potential problems with duplicate packets, the operations should
23252 be implemented in an idempotent way.}
23254 @item z0,@var{addr},@var{length}
23255 @itemx Z0,@var{addr},@var{length}
23256 @cindex @samp{z0} packet
23257 @cindex @samp{Z0} packet
23258 Insert (@samp{Z0}) or remove (@samp{z0}) a memory breakpoint at address
23259 @var{addr} of size @var{length}.
23261 A memory breakpoint is implemented by replacing the instruction at
23262 @var{addr} with a software breakpoint or trap instruction. The
23263 @var{length} is used by targets that indicates the size of the
23264 breakpoint (in bytes) that should be inserted (e.g., the @sc{arm} and
23265 @sc{mips} can insert either a 2 or 4 byte breakpoint).
23267 @emph{Implementation note: It is possible for a target to copy or move
23268 code that contains memory breakpoints (e.g., when implementing
23269 overlays). The behavior of this packet, in the presence of such a
23270 target, is not defined.}
23282 @item z1,@var{addr},@var{length}
23283 @itemx Z1,@var{addr},@var{length}
23284 @cindex @samp{z1} packet
23285 @cindex @samp{Z1} packet
23286 Insert (@samp{Z1}) or remove (@samp{z1}) a hardware breakpoint at
23287 address @var{addr} of size @var{length}.
23289 A hardware breakpoint is implemented using a mechanism that is not
23290 dependant on being able to modify the target's memory.
23292 @emph{Implementation note: A hardware breakpoint is not affected by code
23305 @item z2,@var{addr},@var{length}
23306 @itemx Z2,@var{addr},@var{length}
23307 @cindex @samp{z2} packet
23308 @cindex @samp{Z2} packet
23309 Insert (@samp{Z2}) or remove (@samp{z2}) a write watchpoint.
23321 @item z3,@var{addr},@var{length}
23322 @itemx Z3,@var{addr},@var{length}
23323 @cindex @samp{z3} packet
23324 @cindex @samp{Z3} packet
23325 Insert (@samp{Z3}) or remove (@samp{z3}) a read watchpoint.
23337 @item z4,@var{addr},@var{length}
23338 @itemx Z4,@var{addr},@var{length}
23339 @cindex @samp{z4} packet
23340 @cindex @samp{Z4} packet
23341 Insert (@samp{Z4}) or remove (@samp{z4}) an access watchpoint.
23355 @node Stop Reply Packets
23356 @section Stop Reply Packets
23357 @cindex stop reply packets
23359 The @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}, @samp{s} and @samp{?} packets can
23360 receive any of the below as a reply. In the case of the @samp{C},
23361 @samp{c}, @samp{S} and @samp{s} packets, that reply is only returned
23362 when the target halts. In the below the exact meaning of @dfn{signal
23363 number} is poorly defined. In general one of the UNIX signal
23364 numbering conventions is used.
23366 As in the description of request packets, we include spaces in the
23367 reply templates for clarity; these are not part of the reply packet's
23368 syntax. No @value{GDBN} stop reply packet uses spaces to separate its
23374 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
23375 number). This is equivalent to a @samp{T} response with no
23376 @var{n}:@var{r} pairs.
23378 @item T @var{AA} @var{n1}:@var{r1};@var{n2}:@var{r2};@dots{}
23379 @cindex @samp{T} packet reply
23380 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
23381 number). This is equivalent to an @samp{S} response, except that the
23382 @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pairs can carry values of important registers
23383 and other information directly in the stop reply packet, reducing
23384 round-trip latency. Single-step and breakpoint traps are reported
23385 this way. Each @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair is interpreted as follows:
23388 If @var{n} is a hexadecimal number, it is a register number, and the
23389 corresponding @var{r} gives that register's value. @var{r} is a
23390 series of bytes in target byte order, with each byte given by a
23391 two-digit hex number.
23393 If @var{n} is @samp{thread}, then @var{r} is the thread process ID, in
23396 If @var{n} is @samp{watch}, @samp{rwatch}, or @samp{awatch}, then the
23397 packet indicates a watchpoint hit, and @var{r} is the data address, in
23400 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} should ignore this @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair
23401 and go on to the next; this allows us to extend the protocol in the
23406 The process exited, and @var{AA} is the exit status. This is only
23407 applicable to certain targets.
23410 The process terminated with signal @var{AA}.
23412 @item O @var{XX}@dots{}
23413 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data, to be
23414 written as the program's console output. This can happen at any time
23415 while the program is running and the debugger should continue to wait
23416 for @samp{W}, @samp{T}, etc.
23418 @item F @var{call-id},@var{parameter}@dots{}
23419 @var{call-id} is the identifier which says which host system call should
23420 be called. This is just the name of the function. Translation into the
23421 correct system call is only applicable as it's defined in @value{GDBN}.
23422 @xref{File-I/O remote protocol extension}, for a list of implemented
23425 @samp{@var{parameter}@dots{}} is a list of parameters as defined for
23426 this very system call.
23428 The target replies with this packet when it expects @value{GDBN} to
23429 call a host system call on behalf of the target. @value{GDBN} replies
23430 with an appropriate @samp{F} packet and keeps up waiting for the next
23431 reply packet from the target. The latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
23432 or @samp{s} action is expected to be continued. @xref{File-I/O remote
23433 protocol extension}, for more details.
23437 @node General Query Packets
23438 @section General Query Packets
23439 @cindex remote query requests
23441 Packets starting with @samp{q} are @dfn{general query packets};
23442 packets starting with @samp{Q} are @dfn{general set packets}. General
23443 query and set packets are a semi-unified form for retrieving and
23444 sending information to and from the stub.
23446 The initial letter of a query or set packet is followed by a name
23447 indicating what sort of thing the packet applies to. For example,
23448 @value{GDBN} may use a @samp{qSymbol} packet to exchange symbol
23449 definitions with the stub. These packet names follow some
23454 The name must not contain commas, colons or semicolons.
23456 Most @value{GDBN} query and set packets have a leading upper case
23459 The names of custom vendor packets should use a company prefix, in
23460 lower case, followed by a period. For example, packets designed at
23461 the Acme Corporation might begin with @samp{qacme.foo} (for querying
23462 foos) or @samp{Qacme.bar} (for setting bars).
23465 The name of a query or set packet should be separated from any
23466 parameters by a @samp{:}; the parameters themselves should be
23467 separated by @samp{,} or @samp{;}. Stubs must be careful to match the
23468 full packet name, and check for a separator or the end of the packet,
23469 in case two packet names share a common prefix. New packets should not begin
23470 with @samp{qC}, @samp{qP}, or @samp{qL}@footnote{The @samp{qP} and @samp{qL}
23471 packets predate these conventions, and have arguments without any terminator
23472 for the packet name; we suspect they are in widespread use in places that
23473 are difficult to upgrade. The @samp{qC} packet has no arguments, but some
23474 existing stubs (e.g.@: RedBoot) are known to not check for the end of the
23477 Like the descriptions of the other packets, each description here
23478 has a template showing the packet's overall syntax, followed by an
23479 explanation of the packet's meaning. We include spaces in some of the
23480 templates for clarity; these are not part of the packet's syntax. No
23481 @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to separate its components.
23483 Here are the currently defined query and set packets:
23488 @cindex current thread, remote request
23489 @cindex @samp{qC} packet
23490 Return the current thread id.
23495 Where @var{pid} is an unsigned hexadecimal process id.
23496 @item @r{(anything else)}
23497 Any other reply implies the old pid.
23500 @item qCRC:@var{addr},@var{length}
23501 @cindex CRC of memory block, remote request
23502 @cindex @samp{qCRC} packet
23503 Compute the CRC checksum of a block of memory.
23507 An error (such as memory fault)
23508 @item C @var{crc32}
23509 The specified memory region's checksum is @var{crc32}.
23513 @itemx qsThreadInfo
23514 @cindex list active threads, remote request
23515 @cindex @samp{qfThreadInfo} packet
23516 @cindex @samp{qsThreadInfo} packet
23517 Obtain a list of all active thread ids from the target (OS). Since there
23518 may be too many active threads to fit into one reply packet, this query
23519 works iteratively: it may require more than one query/reply sequence to
23520 obtain the entire list of threads. The first query of the sequence will
23521 be the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query; subsequent queries in the
23522 sequence will be the @samp{qsThreadInfo} query.
23524 NOTE: This packet replaces the @samp{qL} query (see below).
23530 @item m @var{id},@var{id}@dots{}
23531 a comma-separated list of thread ids
23533 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
23536 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
23537 more thread ids, in big-endian unsigned hex, separated by commas.
23538 @value{GDBN} will respond to each reply with a request for more thread
23539 ids (using the @samp{qs} form of the query), until the target responds
23540 with @samp{l} (lower-case el, for @dfn{last}).
23542 @item qGetTLSAddr:@var{thread-id},@var{offset},@var{lm}
23543 @cindex get thread-local storage address, remote request
23544 @cindex @samp{qGetTLSAddr} packet
23545 Fetch the address associated with thread local storage specified
23546 by @var{thread-id}, @var{offset}, and @var{lm}.
23548 @var{thread-id} is the (big endian, hex encoded) thread id associated with the
23549 thread for which to fetch the TLS address.
23551 @var{offset} is the (big endian, hex encoded) offset associated with the
23552 thread local variable. (This offset is obtained from the debug
23553 information associated with the variable.)
23555 @var{lm} is the (big endian, hex encoded) OS/ABI specific encoding of the
23556 the load module associated with the thread local storage. For example,
23557 a @sc{gnu}/Linux system will pass the link map address of the shared
23558 object associated with the thread local storage under consideration.
23559 Other operating environments may choose to represent the load module
23560 differently, so the precise meaning of this parameter will vary.
23564 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
23565 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the address of the thread
23566 local storage requested.
23569 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
23572 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTLSAddr} is not supported by the stub.
23575 Use of this request packet is controlled by the @code{set remote
23576 get-thread-local-storage-address} command (@pxref{Remote
23577 configuration, set remote get-thread-local-storage-address}).
23579 @item qL @var{startflag} @var{threadcount} @var{nextthread}
23580 Obtain thread information from RTOS. Where: @var{startflag} (one hex
23581 digit) is one to indicate the first query and zero to indicate a
23582 subsequent query; @var{threadcount} (two hex digits) is the maximum
23583 number of threads the response packet can contain; and @var{nextthread}
23584 (eight hex digits), for subsequent queries (@var{startflag} is zero), is
23585 returned in the response as @var{argthread}.
23587 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query instead (see above).
23591 @item qM @var{count} @var{done} @var{argthread} @var{thread}@dots{}
23592 Where: @var{count} (two hex digits) is the number of threads being
23593 returned; @var{done} (one hex digit) is zero to indicate more threads
23594 and one indicates no further threads; @var{argthreadid} (eight hex
23595 digits) is @var{nextthread} from the request packet; @var{thread}@dots{}
23596 is a sequence of thread IDs from the target. @var{threadid} (eight hex
23597 digits). See @code{remote.c:parse_threadlist_response()}.
23601 @cindex section offsets, remote request
23602 @cindex @samp{qOffsets} packet
23603 Get section offsets that the target used when re-locating the downloaded
23604 image. @emph{Note: while a @code{Bss} offset is included in the
23605 response, @value{GDBN} ignores this and instead applies the @code{Data}
23606 offset to the @code{Bss} section.}
23610 @item Text=@var{xxx};Data=@var{yyy};Bss=@var{zzz}
23613 @item qP @var{mode} @var{threadid}
23614 @cindex thread information, remote request
23615 @cindex @samp{qP} packet
23616 Returns information on @var{threadid}. Where: @var{mode} is a hex
23617 encoded 32 bit mode; @var{threadid} is a hex encoded 64 bit thread ID.
23619 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} query instead
23622 Reply: see @code{remote.c:remote_unpack_thread_info_response()}.
23624 @item qRcmd,@var{command}
23625 @cindex execute remote command, remote request
23626 @cindex @samp{qRcmd} packet
23627 @var{command} (hex encoded) is passed to the local interpreter for
23628 execution. Invalid commands should be reported using the output
23629 string. Before the final result packet, the target may also respond
23630 with a number of intermediate @samp{O@var{output}} console output
23631 packets. @emph{Implementors should note that providing access to a
23632 stubs's interpreter may have security implications}.
23637 A command response with no output.
23639 A command response with the hex encoded output string @var{OUTPUT}.
23641 Indicate a badly formed request.
23643 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qRcmd} is not recognized.
23646 (Note that the @code{qRcmd} packet's name is separated from the
23647 command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
23648 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
23651 @item qSupported @r{[}:@var{gdbfeature} @r{[};@var{gdbfeature}@r{]}@dots{} @r{]}
23652 @cindex supported packets, remote query
23653 @cindex features of the remote protocol
23654 @cindex @samp{qSupported} packet
23655 @anchor{qSupported}
23656 Tell the remote stub about features supported by @value{GDBN}, and
23657 query the stub for features it supports. This packet allows
23658 @value{GDBN} and the remote stub to take advantage of each others'
23659 features. @samp{qSupported} also consolidates multiple feature probes
23660 at startup, to improve @value{GDBN} performance---a single larger
23661 packet performs better than multiple smaller probe packets on
23662 high-latency links. Some features may enable behavior which must not
23663 be on by default, e.g.@: because it would confuse older clients or
23664 stubs. Other features may describe packets which could be
23665 automatically probed for, but are not. These features must be
23666 reported before @value{GDBN} will use them. This ``default
23667 unsupported'' behavior is not appropriate for all packets, but it
23668 helps to keep the initial connection time under control with new
23669 versions of @value{GDBN} which support increasing numbers of packets.
23673 @item @var{stubfeature} @r{[};@var{stubfeature}@r{]}@dots{}
23674 The stub supports or does not support each returned @var{stubfeature},
23675 depending on the form of each @var{stubfeature} (see below for the
23678 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSupported} is not recognized,
23679 or that no features needed to be reported to @value{GDBN}.
23682 The allowed forms for each feature (either a @var{gdbfeature} in the
23683 @samp{qSupported} packet, or a @var{stubfeature} in the response)
23687 @item @var{name}=@var{value}
23688 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and associated
23689 with the specified @var{value}. The format of @var{value} depends
23690 on the feature, but it must not include a semicolon.
23692 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and does not
23693 need an associated value.
23695 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is not supported.
23697 The remote protocol feature @var{name} may be supported, and
23698 @value{GDBN} should auto-detect support in some other way when it is
23699 needed. This form will not be used for @var{gdbfeature} notifications,
23700 but may be used for @var{stubfeature} responses.
23703 Whenever the stub receives a @samp{qSupported} request, the
23704 supplied set of @value{GDBN} features should override any previous
23705 request. This allows @value{GDBN} to put the stub in a known
23706 state, even if the stub had previously been communicating with
23707 a different version of @value{GDBN}.
23709 No values of @var{gdbfeature} (for the packet sent by @value{GDBN})
23710 are defined yet. Stubs should ignore any unknown values for
23711 @var{gdbfeature}. Any @value{GDBN} which sends a @samp{qSupported}
23712 packet supports receiving packets of unlimited length (earlier
23713 versions of @value{GDBN} may reject overly long responses). Values
23714 for @var{gdbfeature} may be defined in the future to let the stub take
23715 advantage of new features in @value{GDBN}, e.g.@: incompatible
23716 improvements in the remote protocol---support for unlimited length
23717 responses would be a @var{gdbfeature} example, if it were not implied by
23718 the @samp{qSupported} query. The stub's reply should be independent
23719 of the @var{gdbfeature} entries sent by @value{GDBN}; first @value{GDBN}
23720 describes all the features it supports, and then the stub replies with
23721 all the features it supports.
23723 Similarly, @value{GDBN} will silently ignore unrecognized stub feature
23724 responses, as long as each response uses one of the standard forms.
23726 Some features are flags. A stub which supports a flag feature
23727 should respond with a @samp{+} form response. Other features
23728 require values, and the stub should respond with an @samp{=}
23731 Each feature has a default value, which @value{GDBN} will use if
23732 @samp{qSupported} is not available or if the feature is not mentioned
23733 in the @samp{qSupported} response. The default values are fixed; a
23734 stub is free to omit any feature responses that match the defaults.
23736 Not all features can be probed, but for those which can, the probing
23737 mechanism is useful: in some cases, a stub's internal
23738 architecture may not allow the protocol layer to know some information
23739 about the underlying target in advance. This is especially common in
23740 stubs which may be configured for multiple targets.
23742 These are the currently defined stub features and their properties:
23744 @multitable @columnfractions 0.25 0.2 0.2 0.2
23745 @c NOTE: The first row should be @headitem, but we do not yet require
23746 @c a new enough version of Texinfo (4.7) to use @headitem.
23748 @tab Value Required
23752 @item @samp{PacketSize}
23757 @item @samp{qXfer:auxv:read}
23762 @item @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
23769 These are the currently defined stub features, in more detail:
23772 @cindex packet size, remote protocol
23773 @item PacketSize=@var{bytes}
23774 The remote stub can accept packets up to at least @var{bytes} in
23775 length. @value{GDBN} will send packets up to this size for bulk
23776 transfers, and will never send larger packets. This is a limit on the
23777 data characters in the packet, including the frame and checksum.
23778 There is no trailing NUL byte in a remote protocol packet; if the stub
23779 stores packets in a NUL-terminated format, it should allow an extra
23780 byte in its buffer for the NUL. If this stub feature is not supported,
23781 @value{GDBN} guesses based on the size of the @samp{g} packet response.
23783 @item qXfer:auxv:read
23784 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet
23785 (@pxref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}).
23790 @cindex symbol lookup, remote request
23791 @cindex @samp{qSymbol} packet
23792 Notify the target that @value{GDBN} is prepared to serve symbol lookup
23793 requests. Accept requests from the target for the values of symbols.
23798 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
23799 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
23800 The target requests the value of symbol @var{sym_name} (hex encoded).
23801 @value{GDBN} may provide the value by using the
23802 @samp{qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}} message, described
23806 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}
23807 Set the value of @var{sym_name} to @var{sym_value}.
23809 @var{sym_name} (hex encoded) is the name of a symbol whose value the
23810 target has previously requested.
23812 @var{sym_value} (hex) is the value for symbol @var{sym_name}. If
23813 @value{GDBN} cannot supply a value for @var{sym_name}, then this field
23819 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
23820 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
23821 The target requests the value of a new symbol @var{sym_name} (hex
23822 encoded). @value{GDBN} will continue to supply the values of symbols
23823 (if available), until the target ceases to request them.
23828 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
23830 @item qThreadExtraInfo,@var{id}
23831 @cindex thread attributes info, remote request
23832 @cindex @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} packet
23833 Obtain a printable string description of a thread's attributes from
23834 the target OS. @var{id} is a thread-id in big-endian hex. This
23835 string may contain anything that the target OS thinks is interesting
23836 for @value{GDBN} to tell the user about the thread. The string is
23837 displayed in @value{GDBN}'s @code{info threads} display. Some
23838 examples of possible thread extra info strings are @samp{Runnable}, or
23839 @samp{Blocked on Mutex}.
23843 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
23844 Where @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is a hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data,
23845 comprising the printable string containing the extra information about
23846 the thread's attributes.
23849 (Note that the @code{qThreadExtraInfo} packet's name is separated from
23850 the command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
23851 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
23859 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
23861 @item qXfer:@var{object}:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
23862 @cindex read special object, remote request
23863 @cindex @samp{qXfer} packet
23864 @anchor{qXfer read}
23865 Read uninterpreted bytes from the target's special data area
23866 identified by the keyword @var{object}. Request @var{length} bytes
23867 starting at @var{offset} bytes into the data. The content and
23868 encoding of @var{annex} is specific to the object; it can supply
23869 additional details about what data to access.
23871 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
23872 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:read:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
23873 formats, listed below.
23876 @item qXfer:auxv:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
23877 @anchor{qXfer auxiliary vector read}
23878 Access the target's @dfn{auxiliary vector}. @xref{OS Information,
23879 auxiliary vector}, and @ref{Remote configuration,
23880 read-aux-vector-packet}. Note @var{annex} must be empty.
23882 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
23883 by suppling an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
23887 @item qXfer:memory-map:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
23888 @anchor{qXfer memory map read}
23889 Access the target's @dfn{memory-map}. @xref{Memory map format}. The
23890 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
23891 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
23893 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
23894 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
23900 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the
23901 target. There may be more data at a higher address (although
23902 it is permitted to return @samp{m} even for the last valid
23903 block of data, as long as at least one byte of data was read).
23904 @var{data} may have fewer bytes than the @var{length} in the
23908 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the target.
23909 There is no more data to be read. @var{data} may have fewer bytes
23910 than the @var{length} in the request.
23913 The @var{offset} in the request is at the end of the data.
23914 There is no more data to be read.
23917 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
23920 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered reading the data.
23921 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
23924 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not recognized by
23925 the stub, or that the object does not support reading.
23928 @item qXfer:@var{object}:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
23929 @cindex write data into object, remote request
23930 Write uninterpreted bytes into the target's special data area
23931 identified by the keyword @var{object}, starting at @var{offset} bytes
23932 into the data. @samp{@var{data}@dots{}} is the binary-encoded data
23933 (@pxref{Binary Data}) to be written. The content and encoding of @var{annex}
23934 is specific to the object; it can supply additional details about what data
23937 No requests of this form are presently in use. This specification
23938 serves as a placeholder to document the common format that new
23939 specific request specifications ought to use.
23944 @var{nn} (hex encoded) is the number of bytes written.
23945 This may be fewer bytes than supplied in the request.
23948 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
23951 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered writing the data.
23952 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
23955 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not
23956 recognized by the stub, or that the object does not support writing.
23959 @item qXfer:@var{object}:@var{operation}:@dots{}
23960 Requests of this form may be added in the future. When a stub does
23961 not recognize the @var{object} keyword, or its support for
23962 @var{object} does not recognize the @var{operation} keyword, the stub
23963 must respond with an empty packet.
23967 @node Register Packet Format
23968 @section Register Packet Format
23970 The following @code{g}/@code{G} packets have previously been defined.
23971 In the below, some thirty-two bit registers are transferred as
23972 sixty-four bits. Those registers should be zero/sign extended (which?)
23973 to fill the space allocated. Register bytes are transferred in target
23974 byte order. The two nibbles within a register byte are transferred
23975 most-significant - least-significant.
23981 All registers are transferred as thirty-two bit quantities in the order:
23982 32 general-purpose; sr; lo; hi; bad; cause; pc; 32 floating-point
23983 registers; fsr; fir; fp.
23987 All registers are transferred as sixty-four bit quantities (including
23988 thirty-two bit registers such as @code{sr}). The ordering is the same
23993 @node Tracepoint Packets
23994 @section Tracepoint Packets
23995 @cindex tracepoint packets
23996 @cindex packets, tracepoint
23998 Here we describe the packets @value{GDBN} uses to implement
23999 tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
24003 @item QTDP:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{ena}:@var{step}:@var{pass}@r{[}-@r{]}
24004 Create a new tracepoint, number @var{n}, at @var{addr}. If @var{ena}
24005 is @samp{E}, then the tracepoint is enabled; if it is @samp{D}, then
24006 the tracepoint is disabled. @var{step} is the tracepoint's step
24007 count, and @var{pass} is its pass count. If the trailing @samp{-} is
24008 present, further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow to specify this
24009 tracepoint's actions.
24014 The packet was understood and carried out.
24016 The packet was not recognized.
24019 @item QTDP:-@var{n}:@var{addr}:@r{[}S@r{]}@var{action}@dots{}@r{[}-@r{]}
24020 Define actions to be taken when a tracepoint is hit. @var{n} and
24021 @var{addr} must be the same as in the initial @samp{QTDP} packet for
24022 this tracepoint. This packet may only be sent immediately after
24023 another @samp{QTDP} packet that ended with a @samp{-}. If the
24024 trailing @samp{-} is present, further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow,
24025 specifying more actions for this tracepoint.
24027 In the series of action packets for a given tracepoint, at most one
24028 can have an @samp{S} before its first @var{action}. If such a packet
24029 is sent, it and the following packets define ``while-stepping''
24030 actions. Any prior packets define ordinary actions --- that is, those
24031 taken when the tracepoint is first hit. If no action packet has an
24032 @samp{S}, then all the packets in the series specify ordinary
24033 tracepoint actions.
24035 The @samp{@var{action}@dots{}} portion of the packet is a series of
24036 actions, concatenated without separators. Each action has one of the
24042 Collect the registers whose bits are set in @var{mask}. @var{mask} is
24043 a hexadecimal number whose @var{i}'th bit is set if register number
24044 @var{i} should be collected. (The least significant bit is numbered
24045 zero.) Note that @var{mask} may be any number of digits long; it may
24046 not fit in a 32-bit word.
24048 @item M @var{basereg},@var{offset},@var{len}
24049 Collect @var{len} bytes of memory starting at the address in register
24050 number @var{basereg}, plus @var{offset}. If @var{basereg} is
24051 @samp{-1}, then the range has a fixed address: @var{offset} is the
24052 address of the lowest byte to collect. The @var{basereg},
24053 @var{offset}, and @var{len} parameters are all unsigned hexadecimal
24054 values (the @samp{-1} value for @var{basereg} is a special case).
24056 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
24057 Evaluate @var{expr}, whose length is @var{len}, and collect memory as
24058 it directs. @var{expr} is an agent expression, as described in
24059 @ref{Agent Expressions}. Each byte of the expression is encoded as a
24060 two-digit hex number in the packet; @var{len} is the number of bytes
24061 in the expression (and thus one-half the number of hex digits in the
24066 Any number of actions may be packed together in a single @samp{QTDP}
24067 packet, as long as the packet does not exceed the maximum packet
24068 length (400 bytes, for many stubs). There may be only one @samp{R}
24069 action per tracepoint, and it must precede any @samp{M} or @samp{X}
24070 actions. Any registers referred to by @samp{M} and @samp{X} actions
24071 must be collected by a preceding @samp{R} action. (The
24072 ``while-stepping'' actions are treated as if they were attached to a
24073 separate tracepoint, as far as these restrictions are concerned.)
24078 The packet was understood and carried out.
24080 The packet was not recognized.
24083 @item QTFrame:@var{n}
24084 Select the @var{n}'th tracepoint frame from the buffer, and use the
24085 register and memory contents recorded there to answer subsequent
24086 request packets from @value{GDBN}.
24088 A successful reply from the stub indicates that the stub has found the
24089 requested frame. The response is a series of parts, concatenated
24090 without separators, describing the frame we selected. Each part has
24091 one of the following forms:
24095 The selected frame is number @var{n} in the trace frame buffer;
24096 @var{f} is a hexadecimal number. If @var{f} is @samp{-1}, then there
24097 was no frame matching the criteria in the request packet.
24100 The selected trace frame records a hit of tracepoint number @var{t};
24101 @var{t} is a hexadecimal number.
24105 @item QTFrame:pc:@var{addr}
24106 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
24107 currently selected frame whose PC is @var{addr};
24108 @var{addr} is a hexadecimal number.
24110 @item QTFrame:tdp:@var{t}
24111 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
24112 currently selected frame that is a hit of tracepoint @var{t}; @var{t}
24113 is a hexadecimal number.
24115 @item QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}
24116 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
24117 currently selected frame whose PC is between @var{start} (inclusive)
24118 and @var{end} (exclusive); @var{start} and @var{end} are hexadecimal
24121 @item QTFrame:outside:@var{start}:@var{end}
24122 Like @samp{QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}}, but select the first
24123 frame @emph{outside} the given range of addresses.
24126 Begin the tracepoint experiment. Begin collecting data from tracepoint
24127 hits in the trace frame buffer.
24130 End the tracepoint experiment. Stop collecting trace frames.
24133 Clear the table of tracepoints, and empty the trace frame buffer.
24135 @item QTro:@var{start1},@var{end1}:@var{start2},@var{end2}:@dots{}
24136 Establish the given ranges of memory as ``transparent''. The stub
24137 will answer requests for these ranges from memory's current contents,
24138 if they were not collected as part of the tracepoint hit.
24140 @value{GDBN} uses this to mark read-only regions of memory, like those
24141 containing program code. Since these areas never change, they should
24142 still have the same contents they did when the tracepoint was hit, so
24143 there's no reason for the stub to refuse to provide their contents.
24146 Ask the stub if there is a trace experiment running right now.
24151 There is no trace experiment running.
24153 There is a trace experiment running.
24160 @section Interrupts
24161 @cindex interrupts (remote protocol)
24163 When a program on the remote target is running, @value{GDBN} may
24164 attempt to interrupt it by sending a @samp{Ctrl-C} or a @code{BREAK},
24165 control of which is specified via @value{GDBN}'s @samp{remotebreak}
24166 setting (@pxref{set remotebreak}).
24168 The precise meaning of @code{BREAK} is defined by the transport
24169 mechanism and may, in fact, be undefined. @value{GDBN} does
24170 not currently define a @code{BREAK} mechanism for any of the network
24173 @samp{Ctrl-C}, on the other hand, is defined and implemented for all
24174 transport mechanisms. It is represented by sending the single byte
24175 @code{0x03} without any of the usual packet overhead described in
24176 the Overview section (@pxref{Overview}). When a @code{0x03} byte is
24177 transmitted as part of a packet, it is considered to be packet data
24178 and does @emph{not} represent an interrupt. E.g., an @samp{X} packet
24179 (@pxref{X packet}), used for binary downloads, may include an unescaped
24180 @code{0x03} as part of its packet.
24182 Stubs are not required to recognize these interrupt mechanisms and the
24183 precise meaning associated with receipt of the interrupt is
24184 implementation defined. If the stub is successful at interrupting the
24185 running program, it is expected that it will send one of the Stop
24186 Reply Packets (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}) to @value{GDBN} as a result
24187 of successfully stopping the program. Interrupts received while the
24188 program is stopped will be discarded.
24193 Example sequence of a target being re-started. Notice how the restart
24194 does not get any direct output:
24199 @emph{target restarts}
24202 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
24206 Example sequence of a target being stepped by a single instruction:
24209 -> @code{G1445@dots{}}
24214 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
24218 <- @code{1455@dots{}}
24222 @node File-I/O remote protocol extension
24223 @section File-I/O remote protocol extension
24224 @cindex File-I/O remote protocol extension
24227 * File-I/O Overview::
24228 * Protocol basics::
24229 * The F request packet::
24230 * The F reply packet::
24231 * The Ctrl-C message::
24233 * List of supported calls::
24234 * Protocol specific representation of datatypes::
24236 * File-I/O Examples::
24239 @node File-I/O Overview
24240 @subsection File-I/O Overview
24241 @cindex file-i/o overview
24243 The @dfn{File I/O remote protocol extension} (short: File-I/O) allows the
24244 target to use the host's file system and console I/O to perform various
24245 system calls. System calls on the target system are translated into a
24246 remote protocol packet to the host system, which then performs the needed
24247 actions and returns a response packet to the target system.
24248 This simulates file system operations even on targets that lack file systems.
24250 The protocol is defined to be independent of both the host and target systems.
24251 It uses its own internal representation of datatypes and values. Both
24252 @value{GDBN} and the target's @value{GDBN} stub are responsible for
24253 translating the system-dependent value representations into the internal
24254 protocol representations when data is transmitted.
24256 The communication is synchronous. A system call is possible only when
24257 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
24258 or @samp{s} packets. While @value{GDBN} handles the request for a system call,
24259 the target is stopped to allow deterministic access to the target's
24260 memory. Therefore File-I/O is not interruptible by target signals. On
24261 the other hand, it is possible to interrupt File-I/O by a user interrupt
24262 (@samp{Ctrl-C}) within @value{GDBN}.
24264 The target's request to perform a host system call does not finish
24265 the latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} action. That means,
24266 after finishing the system call, the target returns to continuing the
24267 previous activity (continue, step). No additional continue or step
24268 request from @value{GDBN} is required.
24271 (@value{GDBP}) continue
24272 <- target requests 'system call X'
24273 target is stopped, @value{GDBN} executes system call
24274 -> GDB returns result
24275 ... target continues, GDB returns to wait for the target
24276 <- target hits breakpoint and sends a Txx packet
24279 The protocol only supports I/O on the console and to regular files on
24280 the host file system. Character or block special devices, pipes,
24281 named pipes, sockets or any other communication method on the host
24282 system are not supported by this protocol.
24284 @node Protocol basics
24285 @subsection Protocol basics
24286 @cindex protocol basics, file-i/o
24288 The File-I/O protocol uses the @code{F} packet as the request as well
24289 as reply packet. Since a File-I/O system call can only occur when
24290 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the continuing or stepping target,
24291 the File-I/O request is a reply that @value{GDBN} has to expect as a result
24292 of a previous @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} packet.
24293 This @code{F} packet contains all information needed to allow @value{GDBN}
24294 to call the appropriate host system call:
24298 A unique identifier for the requested system call.
24301 All parameters to the system call. Pointers are given as addresses
24302 in the target memory address space. Pointers to strings are given as
24303 pointer/length pair. Numerical values are given as they are.
24304 Numerical control flags are given in a protocol specific representation.
24308 At this point, @value{GDBN} has to perform the following actions.
24312 If the parameters include pointer values to data needed as input to a
24313 system call, @value{GDBN} requests this data from the target with a
24314 standard @code{m} packet request. This additional communication has to be
24315 expected by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{m}
24319 @value{GDBN} translates all value from protocol representation to host
24320 representation as needed. Datatypes are coerced into the host types.
24323 @value{GDBN} calls the system call.
24326 It then coerces datatypes back to protocol representation.
24329 If the system call is expected to return data in buffer space specified
24330 by pointer parameters to the call, the data is transmitted to the
24331 target using a @code{M} or @code{X} packet. This packet has to be expected
24332 by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{M} or @code{X}
24337 Eventually @value{GDBN} replies with another @code{F} packet which contains all
24338 necessary information for the target to continue. This at least contains
24345 @code{errno}, if has been changed by the system call.
24352 After having done the needed type and value coercion, the target continues
24353 the latest continue or step action.
24355 @node The F request packet
24356 @subsection The @code{F} request packet
24357 @cindex file-i/o request packet
24358 @cindex @code{F} request packet
24360 The @code{F} request packet has the following format:
24363 @item F@var{call-id},@var{parameter@dots{}}
24365 @var{call-id} is the identifier to indicate the host system call to be called.
24366 This is just the name of the function.
24368 @var{parameter@dots{}} are the parameters to the system call.
24369 Parameters are hexadecimal integer values, either the actual values in case
24370 of scalar datatypes, pointers to target buffer space in case of compound
24371 datatypes and unspecified memory areas, or pointer/length pairs in case
24372 of string parameters. These are appended to the @var{call-id} as a
24373 comma-delimited list. All values are transmitted in ASCII
24374 string representation, pointer/length pairs separated by a slash.
24380 @node The F reply packet
24381 @subsection The @code{F} reply packet
24382 @cindex file-i/o reply packet
24383 @cindex @code{F} reply packet
24385 The @code{F} reply packet has the following format:
24389 @item F@var{retcode},@var{errno},@var{Ctrl-C flag};@var{call specific attachment}
24391 @var{retcode} is the return code of the system call as hexadecimal value.
24393 @var{errno} is the @code{errno} set by the call, in protocol specific representation.
24394 This parameter can be omitted if the call was successful.
24396 @var{Ctrl-C flag} is only sent if the user requested a break. In this
24397 case, @var{errno} must be sent as well, even if the call was successful.
24398 The @var{Ctrl-C flag} itself consists of the character @samp{C}:
24405 or, if the call was interrupted before the host call has been performed:
24412 assuming 4 is the protocol specific representation of @code{EINTR}.
24417 @node The Ctrl-C message
24418 @subsection The @samp{Ctrl-C} message
24419 @cindex ctrl-c message, in file-i/o protocol
24421 If the @samp{Ctrl-C} flag is set in the @value{GDBN}
24422 reply packet (@pxref{The F reply packet}),
24423 the target should behave as if it had
24424 gotten a break message. The meaning for the target is ``system call
24425 interrupted by @code{SIGINT}''. Consequentially, the target should actually stop
24426 (as with a break message) and return to @value{GDBN} with a @code{T02}
24429 It's important for the target to know in which
24430 state the system call was interrupted. There are two possible cases:
24434 The system call hasn't been performed on the host yet.
24437 The system call on the host has been finished.
24441 These two states can be distinguished by the target by the value of the
24442 returned @code{errno}. If it's the protocol representation of @code{EINTR}, the system
24443 call hasn't been performed. This is equivalent to the @code{EINTR} handling
24444 on POSIX systems. In any other case, the target may presume that the
24445 system call has been finished --- successfully or not --- and should behave
24446 as if the break message arrived right after the system call.
24448 @value{GDBN} must behave reliably. If the system call has not been called
24449 yet, @value{GDBN} may send the @code{F} reply immediately, setting @code{EINTR} as
24450 @code{errno} in the packet. If the system call on the host has been finished
24451 before the user requests a break, the full action must be finished by
24452 @value{GDBN}. This requires sending @code{M} or @code{X} packets as necessary.
24453 The @code{F} packet may only be sent when either nothing has happened
24454 or the full action has been completed.
24457 @subsection Console I/O
24458 @cindex console i/o as part of file-i/o
24460 By default and if not explicitely closed by the target system, the file
24461 descriptors 0, 1 and 2 are connected to the @value{GDBN} console. Output
24462 on the @value{GDBN} console is handled as any other file output operation
24463 (@code{write(1, @dots{})} or @code{write(2, @dots{})}). Console input is handled
24464 by @value{GDBN} so that after the target read request from file descriptor
24465 0 all following typing is buffered until either one of the following
24470 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The behaviour is as explained above, and the
24472 system call is treated as finished.
24475 The user presses @key{RET}. This is treated as end of input with a trailing
24479 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-d}. This is treated as end of input. No trailing
24480 character (neither newline nor @samp{Ctrl-D}) is appended to the input.
24484 If the user has typed more characters than fit in the buffer given to
24485 the @code{read} call, the trailing characters are buffered in @value{GDBN} until
24486 either another @code{read(0, @dots{})} is requested by the target, or debugging
24487 is stopped at the user's request.
24490 @node List of supported calls
24491 @subsection List of supported calls
24492 @cindex list of supported file-i/o calls
24509 @unnumberedsubsubsec open
24510 @cindex open, file-i/o system call
24515 int open(const char *pathname, int flags);
24516 int open(const char *pathname, int flags, mode_t mode);
24520 @samp{Fopen,@var{pathptr}/@var{len},@var{flags},@var{mode}}
24523 @var{flags} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
24527 If the file does not exist it will be created. The host
24528 rules apply as far as file ownership and time stamps
24532 When used with @code{O_CREAT}, if the file already exists it is
24533 an error and open() fails.
24536 If the file already exists and the open mode allows
24537 writing (@code{O_RDWR} or @code{O_WRONLY} is given) it will be
24538 truncated to zero length.
24541 The file is opened in append mode.
24544 The file is opened for reading only.
24547 The file is opened for writing only.
24550 The file is opened for reading and writing.
24554 Other bits are silently ignored.
24558 @var{mode} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
24562 User has read permission.
24565 User has write permission.
24568 Group has read permission.
24571 Group has write permission.
24574 Others have read permission.
24577 Others have write permission.
24581 Other bits are silently ignored.
24584 @item Return value:
24585 @code{open} returns the new file descriptor or -1 if an error
24592 @var{pathname} already exists and @code{O_CREAT} and @code{O_EXCL} were used.
24595 @var{pathname} refers to a directory.
24598 The requested access is not allowed.
24601 @var{pathname} was too long.
24604 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
24607 @var{pathname} refers to a device, pipe, named pipe or socket.
24610 @var{pathname} refers to a file on a read-only filesystem and
24611 write access was requested.
24614 @var{pathname} is an invalid pointer value.
24617 No space on device to create the file.
24620 The process already has the maximum number of files open.
24623 The limit on the total number of files open on the system
24627 The call was interrupted by the user.
24633 @unnumberedsubsubsec close
24634 @cindex close, file-i/o system call
24643 @samp{Fclose,@var{fd}}
24645 @item Return value:
24646 @code{close} returns zero on success, or -1 if an error occurred.
24652 @var{fd} isn't a valid open file descriptor.
24655 The call was interrupted by the user.
24661 @unnumberedsubsubsec read
24662 @cindex read, file-i/o system call
24667 int read(int fd, void *buf, unsigned int count);
24671 @samp{Fread,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
24673 @item Return value:
24674 On success, the number of bytes read is returned.
24675 Zero indicates end of file. If count is zero, read
24676 returns zero as well. On error, -1 is returned.
24682 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
24686 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
24689 The call was interrupted by the user.
24695 @unnumberedsubsubsec write
24696 @cindex write, file-i/o system call
24701 int write(int fd, const void *buf, unsigned int count);
24705 @samp{Fwrite,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
24707 @item Return value:
24708 On success, the number of bytes written are returned.
24709 Zero indicates nothing was written. On error, -1
24716 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
24720 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
24723 An attempt was made to write a file that exceeds the
24724 host specific maximum file size allowed.
24727 No space on device to write the data.
24730 The call was interrupted by the user.
24736 @unnumberedsubsubsec lseek
24737 @cindex lseek, file-i/o system call
24742 long lseek (int fd, long offset, int flag);
24746 @samp{Flseek,@var{fd},@var{offset},@var{flag}}
24748 @var{flag} is one of:
24752 The offset is set to @var{offset} bytes.
24755 The offset is set to its current location plus @var{offset}
24759 The offset is set to the size of the file plus @var{offset}
24763 @item Return value:
24764 On success, the resulting unsigned offset in bytes from
24765 the beginning of the file is returned. Otherwise, a
24766 value of -1 is returned.
24772 @var{fd} is not a valid open file descriptor.
24775 @var{fd} is associated with the @value{GDBN} console.
24778 @var{flag} is not a proper value.
24781 The call was interrupted by the user.
24787 @unnumberedsubsubsec rename
24788 @cindex rename, file-i/o system call
24793 int rename(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);
24797 @samp{Frename,@var{oldpathptr}/@var{len},@var{newpathptr}/@var{len}}
24799 @item Return value:
24800 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
24806 @var{newpath} is an existing directory, but @var{oldpath} is not a
24810 @var{newpath} is a non-empty directory.
24813 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} is a directory that is in use by some
24817 An attempt was made to make a directory a subdirectory
24821 A component used as a directory in @var{oldpath} or new
24822 path is not a directory. Or @var{oldpath} is a directory
24823 and @var{newpath} exists but is not a directory.
24826 @var{oldpathptr} or @var{newpathptr} are invalid pointer values.
24829 No access to the file or the path of the file.
24833 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} was too long.
24836 A directory component in @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} does not exist.
24839 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
24842 The device containing the file has no room for the new
24846 The call was interrupted by the user.
24852 @unnumberedsubsubsec unlink
24853 @cindex unlink, file-i/o system call
24858 int unlink(const char *pathname);
24862 @samp{Funlink,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len}}
24864 @item Return value:
24865 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
24871 No access to the file or the path of the file.
24874 The system does not allow unlinking of directories.
24877 The file @var{pathname} cannot be unlinked because it's
24878 being used by another process.
24881 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
24884 @var{pathname} was too long.
24887 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
24890 A component of the path is not a directory.
24893 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
24896 The call was interrupted by the user.
24902 @unnumberedsubsubsec stat/fstat
24903 @cindex fstat, file-i/o system call
24904 @cindex stat, file-i/o system call
24909 int stat(const char *pathname, struct stat *buf);
24910 int fstat(int fd, struct stat *buf);
24914 @samp{Fstat,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len},@var{bufptr}}@*
24915 @samp{Ffstat,@var{fd},@var{bufptr}}
24917 @item Return value:
24918 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
24924 @var{fd} is not a valid open file.
24927 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist or the
24928 path is an empty string.
24931 A component of the path is not a directory.
24934 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
24937 No access to the file or the path of the file.
24940 @var{pathname} was too long.
24943 The call was interrupted by the user.
24949 @unnumberedsubsubsec gettimeofday
24950 @cindex gettimeofday, file-i/o system call
24955 int gettimeofday(struct timeval *tv, void *tz);
24959 @samp{Fgettimeofday,@var{tvptr},@var{tzptr}}
24961 @item Return value:
24962 On success, 0 is returned, -1 otherwise.
24968 @var{tz} is a non-NULL pointer.
24971 @var{tvptr} and/or @var{tzptr} is an invalid pointer value.
24977 @unnumberedsubsubsec isatty
24978 @cindex isatty, file-i/o system call
24983 int isatty(int fd);
24987 @samp{Fisatty,@var{fd}}
24989 @item Return value:
24990 Returns 1 if @var{fd} refers to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise.
24996 The call was interrupted by the user.
25001 Note that the @code{isatty} call is treated as a special case: it returns
25002 1 to the target if the file descriptor is attached
25003 to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise. Implementing through system calls
25004 would require implementing @code{ioctl} and would be more complex than
25009 @unnumberedsubsubsec system
25010 @cindex system, file-i/o system call
25015 int system(const char *command);
25019 @samp{Fsystem,@var{commandptr}/@var{len}}
25021 @item Return value:
25022 If @var{len} is zero, the return value indicates whether a shell is
25023 available. A zero return value indicates a shell is not available.
25024 For non-zero @var{len}, the value returned is -1 on error and the
25025 return status of the command otherwise. Only the exit status of the
25026 command is returned, which is extracted from the host's @code{system}
25027 return value by calling @code{WEXITSTATUS(retval)}. In case
25028 @file{/bin/sh} could not be executed, 127 is returned.
25034 The call was interrupted by the user.
25039 @value{GDBN} takes over the full task of calling the necessary host calls
25040 to perform the @code{system} call. The return value of @code{system} on
25041 the host is simplified before it's returned
25042 to the target. Any termination signal information from the child process
25043 is discarded, and the return value consists
25044 entirely of the exit status of the called command.
25046 Due to security concerns, the @code{system} call is by default refused
25047 by @value{GDBN}. The user has to allow this call explicitly with the
25048 @code{set remote system-call-allowed 1} command.
25051 @item set remote system-call-allowed
25052 @kindex set remote system-call-allowed
25053 Control whether to allow the @code{system} calls in the File I/O
25054 protocol for the remote target. The default is zero (disabled).
25056 @item show remote system-call-allowed
25057 @kindex show remote system-call-allowed
25058 Show whether the @code{system} calls are allowed in the File I/O
25062 @node Protocol specific representation of datatypes
25063 @subsection Protocol specific representation of datatypes
25064 @cindex protocol specific representation of datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
25067 * Integral datatypes::
25069 * Memory transfer::
25074 @node Integral datatypes
25075 @unnumberedsubsubsec Integral datatypes
25076 @cindex integral datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
25078 The integral datatypes used in the system calls are @code{int},
25079 @code{unsigned int}, @code{long}, @code{unsigned long},
25080 @code{mode_t}, and @code{time_t}.
25082 @code{int}, @code{unsigned int}, @code{mode_t} and @code{time_t} are
25083 implemented as 32 bit values in this protocol.
25085 @code{long} and @code{unsigned long} are implemented as 64 bit types.
25087 @xref{Limits}, for corresponding MIN and MAX values (similar to those
25088 in @file{limits.h}) to allow range checking on host and target.
25090 @code{time_t} datatypes are defined as seconds since the Epoch.
25092 All integral datatypes transferred as part of a memory read or write of a
25093 structured datatype e.g.@: a @code{struct stat} have to be given in big endian
25096 @node Pointer values
25097 @unnumberedsubsubsec Pointer values
25098 @cindex pointer values, in file-i/o protocol
25100 Pointers to target data are transmitted as they are. An exception
25101 is made for pointers to buffers for which the length isn't
25102 transmitted as part of the function call, namely strings. Strings
25103 are transmitted as a pointer/length pair, both as hex values, e.g.@:
25110 which is a pointer to data of length 18 bytes at position 0x1aaf.
25111 The length is defined as the full string length in bytes, including
25112 the trailing null byte. For example, the string @code{"hello world"}
25113 at address 0x123456 is transmitted as
25119 @node Memory transfer
25120 @unnumberedsubsubsec Memory transfer
25121 @cindex memory transfer, in file-i/o protocol
25123 Structured data which is transferred using a memory read or write (for
25124 example, a @code{struct stat}) is expected to be in a protocol specific format
25125 with all scalar multibyte datatypes being big endian. Translation to
25126 this representation needs to be done both by the target before the @code{F}
25127 packet is sent, and by @value{GDBN} before
25128 it transfers memory to the target. Transferred pointers to structured
25129 data should point to the already-coerced data at any time.
25133 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct stat
25134 @cindex struct stat, in file-i/o protocol
25136 The buffer of type @code{struct stat} used by the target and @value{GDBN}
25137 is defined as follows:
25141 unsigned int st_dev; /* device */
25142 unsigned int st_ino; /* inode */
25143 mode_t st_mode; /* protection */
25144 unsigned int st_nlink; /* number of hard links */
25145 unsigned int st_uid; /* user ID of owner */
25146 unsigned int st_gid; /* group ID of owner */
25147 unsigned int st_rdev; /* device type (if inode device) */
25148 unsigned long st_size; /* total size, in bytes */
25149 unsigned long st_blksize; /* blocksize for filesystem I/O */
25150 unsigned long st_blocks; /* number of blocks allocated */
25151 time_t st_atime; /* time of last access */
25152 time_t st_mtime; /* time of last modification */
25153 time_t st_ctime; /* time of last change */
25157 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
25158 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral datatypes}, for details) so this
25159 structure is of size 64 bytes.
25161 The values of several fields have a restricted meaning and/or
25167 A value of 0 represents a file, 1 the console.
25170 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
25173 Valid mode bits are described in @ref{Constants}. Any other
25174 bits have currently no meaning for the target.
25179 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
25184 These values have a host and file system dependent
25185 accuracy. Especially on Windows hosts, the file system may not
25186 support exact timing values.
25189 The target gets a @code{struct stat} of the above representation and is
25190 responsible for coercing it to the target representation before
25193 Note that due to size differences between the host, target, and protocol
25194 representations of @code{struct stat} members, these members could eventually
25195 get truncated on the target.
25197 @node struct timeval
25198 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct timeval
25199 @cindex struct timeval, in file-i/o protocol
25201 The buffer of type @code{struct timeval} used by the File-I/O protocol
25202 is defined as follows:
25206 time_t tv_sec; /* second */
25207 long tv_usec; /* microsecond */
25211 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
25212 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral datatypes}, for details) so this
25213 structure is of size 8 bytes.
25216 @subsection Constants
25217 @cindex constants, in file-i/o protocol
25219 The following values are used for the constants inside of the
25220 protocol. @value{GDBN} and target are responsible for translating these
25221 values before and after the call as needed.
25232 @unnumberedsubsubsec Open flags
25233 @cindex open flags, in file-i/o protocol
25235 All values are given in hexadecimal representation.
25247 @node mode_t values
25248 @unnumberedsubsubsec mode_t values
25249 @cindex mode_t values, in file-i/o protocol
25251 All values are given in octal representation.
25268 @unnumberedsubsubsec Errno values
25269 @cindex errno values, in file-i/o protocol
25271 All values are given in decimal representation.
25296 @code{EUNKNOWN} is used as a fallback error value if a host system returns
25297 any error value not in the list of supported error numbers.
25300 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lseek flags
25301 @cindex lseek flags, in file-i/o protocol
25310 @unnumberedsubsubsec Limits
25311 @cindex limits, in file-i/o protocol
25313 All values are given in decimal representation.
25316 INT_MIN -2147483648
25318 UINT_MAX 4294967295
25319 LONG_MIN -9223372036854775808
25320 LONG_MAX 9223372036854775807
25321 ULONG_MAX 18446744073709551615
25324 @node File-I/O Examples
25325 @subsection File-I/O Examples
25326 @cindex file-i/o examples
25328 Example sequence of a write call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
25329 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be written:
25332 <- @code{Fwrite,3,1234,6}
25333 @emph{request memory read from target}
25336 @emph{return "6 bytes written"}
25340 Example sequence of a read call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
25341 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be read:
25344 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
25345 @emph{request memory write to target}
25346 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
25347 @emph{return "6 bytes read"}
25351 Example sequence of a read call, call fails on the host due to invalid
25352 file descriptor (@code{EBADF}):
25355 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
25359 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} before syscall on
25363 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
25368 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} after syscall on
25372 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
25373 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
25377 @node Memory map format
25378 @section Memory map format
25379 @cindex memory map format
25381 To be able to write into flash memory, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain a
25382 memory map from the target. This section describes the format of the
25385 The memory map is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
25386 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}) packet and is an XML document that
25387 lists memory regions. The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
25390 <?xml version="1.0"?>
25391 <!DOCTYPE memory-map
25392 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
25393 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-memory-map.dtd">
25399 Each region can be either:
25404 A region of RAM starting at @var{addr} and extending for @var{length}
25408 <memory type="ram" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
25413 A region of read-only memory:
25416 <memory type="rom" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
25421 A region of flash memory, with erasure blocks @var{blocksize}
25425 <memory type="flash" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}">
25426 <property name="blocksize">@var{blocksize}</property>
25432 Regions must not overlap. @value{GDBN} assumes that areas of memory not covered
25433 by the memory map are RAM, and uses the ordinary @samp{M} and @samp{X}
25434 packets to write to addresses in such ranges.
25436 The formal DTD for memory map format is given below:
25439 <!-- ................................................... -->
25440 <!-- Memory Map XML DTD ................................ -->
25441 <!-- File: memory-map.dtd .............................. -->
25442 <!-- .................................... .............. -->
25443 <!-- memory-map.dtd -->
25444 <!-- memory-map: Root element with versioning -->
25445 <!ELEMENT memory-map (memory | property)>
25446 <!ATTLIST memory-map version CDATA #FIXED "1.0.0">
25447 <!ELEMENT memory (property)>
25448 <!-- memory: Specifies a memory region,
25449 and its type, or device. -->
25450 <!ATTLIST memory type CDATA #REQUIRED
25451 start CDATA #REQUIRED
25452 length CDATA #REQUIRED
25453 device CDATA #IMPLIED>
25454 <!-- property: Generic attribute tag -->
25455 <!ELEMENT property (#PCDATA | property)*>
25456 <!ATTLIST property name CDATA #REQUIRED>
25459 @include agentexpr.texi
25473 % I think something like @colophon should be in texinfo. In the
25475 \long\def\colophon{\hbox to0pt{}\vfill
25476 \centerline{The body of this manual is set in}
25477 \centerline{\fontname\tenrm,}
25478 \centerline{with headings in {\bf\fontname\tenbf}}
25479 \centerline{and examples in {\tt\fontname\tentt}.}
25480 \centerline{{\it\fontname\tenit\/},}
25481 \centerline{{\bf\fontname\tenbf}, and}
25482 \centerline{{\sl\fontname\tensl\/}}
25483 \centerline{are used for emphasis.}\vfill}
25485 % Blame: doc@cygnus.com, 1991.