1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
2 @c Copyright (C) 1988-2019 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
5 @c makeinfo ignores cmds prev to setfilename, so its arg cannot make use
6 @c of @set vars. However, you can override filename with makeinfo -o.
13 @settitle Debugging with @value{GDBN}
14 @setchapternewpage odd
23 @c To avoid file-name clashes between index.html and Index.html, when
24 @c the manual is produced on a Posix host and then moved to a
25 @c case-insensitive filesystem (e.g., MS-Windows), we separate the
26 @c indices into two: Concept Index and all the rest.
30 @c readline appendices use @vindex, @findex and @ftable,
31 @c annotate.texi and gdbmi use @findex.
34 @c !!set GDB manual's edition---not the same as GDB version!
35 @c This is updated by GNU Press.
38 @c !!set GDB edit command default editor
41 @c THIS MANUAL REQUIRES TEXINFO 4.0 OR LATER.
43 @c This is a dir.info fragment to support semi-automated addition of
44 @c manuals to an info tree.
45 @dircategory Software development
47 * Gdb: (gdb). The GNU debugger.
48 * gdbserver: (gdb) Server. The GNU debugging server.
52 @c man begin COPYRIGHT
53 Copyright @copyright{} 1988-2019 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
55 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
56 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
57 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
58 Invariant Sections being ``Free Software'' and ``Free Software Needs
59 Free Documentation'', with the Front-Cover Texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
60 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below.
62 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You are free to copy and modify
63 this GNU Manual. Buying copies from GNU Press supports the FSF in
64 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
69 This file documents the @sc{gnu} debugger @value{GDBN}.
71 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, of @cite{Debugging with
72 @value{GDBN}: the @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger} for @value{GDBN}
73 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
74 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
76 Version @value{GDBVN}.
82 @title Debugging with @value{GDBN}
83 @subtitle The @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger
85 @subtitle @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN}
86 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
88 @subtitle @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
90 @author Richard Stallman, Roland Pesch, Stan Shebs, et al.
94 \hfill (Send bugs and comments on @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.)\par
95 \hfill {\it Debugging with @value{GDBN}}\par
96 \hfill \TeX{}info \texinfoversion\par
100 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
101 Published by the Free Software Foundation @*
102 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
103 Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA@*
104 ISBN 978-0-9831592-3-0 @*
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}
118 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
119 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
121 Version @value{GDBVN}.
123 Copyright (C) 1988-2019 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
125 This edition of the GDB manual is dedicated to the memory of Fred
126 Fish. Fred was a long-standing contributor to GDB and to Free
127 software in general. We will miss him.
130 * Summary:: Summary of @value{GDBN}
131 * Sample Session:: A sample @value{GDBN} session
133 * Invocation:: Getting in and out of @value{GDBN}
134 * Commands:: @value{GDBN} commands
135 * Running:: Running programs under @value{GDBN}
136 * Stopping:: Stopping and continuing
137 * Reverse Execution:: Running programs backward
138 * Process Record and Replay:: Recording inferior's execution and replaying it
139 * Stack:: Examining the stack
140 * Source:: Examining source files
141 * Data:: Examining data
142 * Optimized Code:: Debugging optimized code
143 * Macros:: Preprocessor Macros
144 * Tracepoints:: Debugging remote targets non-intrusively
145 * Overlays:: Debugging programs that use overlays
147 * Languages:: Using @value{GDBN} with different languages
149 * Symbols:: Examining the symbol table
150 * Altering:: Altering execution
151 * GDB Files:: @value{GDBN} files
152 * Targets:: Specifying a debugging target
153 * Remote Debugging:: Debugging remote programs
154 * Configurations:: Configuration-specific information
155 * Controlling GDB:: Controlling @value{GDBN}
156 * Extending GDB:: Extending @value{GDBN}
157 * Interpreters:: Command Interpreters
158 * TUI:: @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
159 * Emacs:: Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
160 * GDB/MI:: @value{GDBN}'s Machine Interface.
161 * Annotations:: @value{GDBN}'s annotation interface.
162 * JIT Interface:: Using the JIT debugging interface.
163 * In-Process Agent:: In-Process Agent
165 * GDB Bugs:: Reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
167 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
168 * Command Line Editing: (rluserman). Command Line Editing
169 * Using History Interactively: (history). Using History Interactively
171 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
172 * Command Line Editing:: Command Line Editing
173 * Using History Interactively:: Using History Interactively
175 * In Memoriam:: In Memoriam
176 * Formatting Documentation:: How to format and print @value{GDBN} documentation
177 * Installing GDB:: Installing GDB
178 * Maintenance Commands:: Maintenance Commands
179 * Remote Protocol:: GDB Remote Serial Protocol
180 * Agent Expressions:: The GDB Agent Expression Mechanism
181 * Target Descriptions:: How targets can describe themselves to
183 * Operating System Information:: Getting additional information from
185 * Trace File Format:: GDB trace file format
186 * Index Section Format:: .gdb_index section format
187 * Man Pages:: Manual pages
188 * Copying:: GNU General Public License says
189 how you can copy and share GDB
190 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation
191 * Concept Index:: Index of @value{GDBN} concepts
192 * Command and Variable Index:: Index of @value{GDBN} commands, variables,
193 functions, and Python data types
201 @unnumbered Summary of @value{GDBN}
203 The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
204 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes---or what another
205 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
207 @value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
208 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
212 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
215 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
218 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
221 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
222 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
225 You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C and C@t{++}.
226 For more information, see @ref{Supported Languages,,Supported Languages}.
227 For more information, see @ref{C,,C and C++}.
229 Support for D is partial. For information on D, see
233 Support for Modula-2 is partial. For information on Modula-2, see
234 @ref{Modula-2,,Modula-2}.
236 Support for OpenCL C is partial. For information on OpenCL C, see
237 @ref{OpenCL C,,OpenCL C}.
240 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
241 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
242 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
246 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, although
247 it may be necessary to refer to some variables with a trailing
250 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Objective-C,
251 using either the Apple/NeXT or the GNU Objective-C runtime.
254 * Free Software:: Freely redistributable software
255 * Free Documentation:: Free Software Needs Free Documentation
256 * Contributors:: Contributors to GDB
260 @unnumberedsec Free Software
262 @value{GDBN} is @dfn{free software}, protected by the @sc{gnu}
263 General Public License
264 (GPL). The GPL gives you the freedom to copy or adapt a licensed
265 program---but every person getting a copy also gets with it the
266 freedom to modify that copy (which means that they must get access to
267 the source code), and the freedom to distribute further copies.
268 Typical software companies use copyrights to limit your freedoms; the
269 Free Software Foundation uses the GPL to preserve these freedoms.
271 Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which says that
272 you have these freedoms and that you cannot take these freedoms away
275 @node Free Documentation
276 @unnumberedsec Free Software Needs Free Documentation
278 The biggest deficiency in the free software community today is not in
279 the software---it is the lack of good free documentation that we can
280 include with the free software. Many of our most important
281 programs do not come with free reference manuals and free introductory
282 texts. Documentation is an essential part of any software package;
283 when an important free software package does not come with a free
284 manual and a free tutorial, that is a major gap. We have many such
287 Consider Perl, for instance. The tutorial manuals that people
288 normally use are non-free. How did this come about? Because the
289 authors of those manuals published them with restrictive terms---no
290 copying, no modification, source files not available---which exclude
291 them from the free software world.
293 That wasn't the first time this sort of thing happened, and it was far
294 from the last. Many times we have heard a GNU user eagerly describe a
295 manual that he is writing, his intended contribution to the community,
296 only to learn that he had ruined everything by signing a publication
297 contract to make it non-free.
299 Free documentation, like free software, is a matter of freedom, not
300 price. The problem with the non-free manual is not that publishers
301 charge a price for printed copies---that in itself is fine. (The Free
302 Software Foundation sells printed copies of manuals, too.) The
303 problem is the restrictions on the use of the manual. Free manuals
304 are available in source code form, and give you permission to copy and
305 modify. Non-free manuals do not allow this.
307 The criteria of freedom for a free manual are roughly the same as for
308 free software. Redistribution (including the normal kinds of
309 commercial redistribution) must be permitted, so that the manual can
310 accompany every copy of the program, both on-line and on paper.
312 Permission for modification of the technical content is crucial too.
313 When people modify the software, adding or changing features, if they
314 are conscientious they will change the manual too---so they can
315 provide accurate and clear documentation for the modified program. A
316 manual that leaves you no choice but to write a new manual to document
317 a changed version of the program is not really available to our
320 Some kinds of limits on the way modification is handled are
321 acceptable. For example, requirements to preserve the original
322 author's copyright notice, the distribution terms, or the list of
323 authors, are ok. It is also no problem to require modified versions
324 to include notice that they were modified. Even entire sections that
325 may not be deleted or changed are acceptable, as long as they deal
326 with nontechnical topics (like this one). These kinds of restrictions
327 are acceptable because they don't obstruct the community's normal use
330 However, it must be possible to modify all the @emph{technical}
331 content of the manual, and then distribute the result in all the usual
332 media, through all the usual channels. Otherwise, the restrictions
333 obstruct the use of the manual, it is not free, and we need another
334 manual to replace it.
336 Please spread the word about this issue. Our community continues to
337 lose manuals to proprietary publishing. If we spread the word that
338 free software needs free reference manuals and free tutorials, perhaps
339 the next person who wants to contribute by writing documentation will
340 realize, before it is too late, that only free manuals contribute to
341 the free software community.
343 If you are writing documentation, please insist on publishing it under
344 the GNU Free Documentation License or another free documentation
345 license. Remember that this decision requires your approval---you
346 don't have to let the publisher decide. Some commercial publishers
347 will use a free license if you insist, but they will not propose the
348 option; it is up to you to raise the issue and say firmly that this is
349 what you want. If the publisher you are dealing with refuses, please
350 try other publishers. If you're not sure whether a proposed license
351 is free, write to @email{licensing@@gnu.org}.
353 You can encourage commercial publishers to sell more free, copylefted
354 manuals and tutorials by buying them, and particularly by buying
355 copies from the publishers that paid for their writing or for major
356 improvements. Meanwhile, try to avoid buying non-free documentation
357 at all. Check the distribution terms of a manual before you buy it,
358 and insist that whoever seeks your business must respect your freedom.
359 Check the history of the book, and try to reward the publishers that
360 have paid or pay the authors to work on it.
362 The Free Software Foundation maintains a list of free documentation
363 published by other publishers, at
364 @url{http://www.fsf.org/doc/other-free-books.html}.
367 @unnumberedsec Contributors to @value{GDBN}
369 Richard Stallman was the original author of @value{GDBN}, and of many
370 other @sc{gnu} programs. Many others have contributed to its
371 development. This section attempts to credit major contributors. One
372 of the virtues of free software is that everyone is free to contribute
373 to it; with regret, we cannot actually acknowledge everyone here. The
374 file @file{ChangeLog} in the @value{GDBN} distribution approximates a
375 blow-by-blow account.
377 Changes much prior to version 2.0 are lost in the mists of time.
380 @emph{Plea:} Additions to this section are particularly welcome. If you
381 or your friends (or enemies, to be evenhanded) have been unfairly
382 omitted from this list, we would like to add your names!
385 So that they may not regard their many labors as thankless, we
386 particularly thank those who shepherded @value{GDBN} through major
388 Andrew Cagney (releases 6.3, 6.2, 6.1, 6.0, 5.3, 5.2, 5.1 and 5.0);
389 Jim Blandy (release 4.18);
390 Jason Molenda (release 4.17);
391 Stan Shebs (release 4.14);
392 Fred Fish (releases 4.16, 4.15, 4.13, 4.12, 4.11, 4.10, and 4.9);
393 Stu Grossman and John Gilmore (releases 4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, and 4.4);
394 John Gilmore (releases 4.3, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, and 3.9);
395 Jim Kingdon (releases 3.5, 3.4, and 3.3);
396 and Randy Smith (releases 3.2, 3.1, and 3.0).
398 Richard Stallman, assisted at various times by Peter TerMaat, Chris
399 Hanson, and Richard Mlynarik, handled releases through 2.8.
401 Michael Tiemann is the author of most of the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} support
402 in @value{GDBN}, with significant additional contributions from Per
403 Bothner and Daniel Berlin. James Clark wrote the @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
404 demangler. Early work on C@t{++} was by Peter TerMaat (who also did
405 much general update work leading to release 3.0).
407 @value{GDBN} uses the BFD subroutine library to examine multiple
408 object-file formats; BFD was a joint project of David V.
409 Henkel-Wallace, Rich Pixley, Steve Chamberlain, and John Gilmore.
411 David Johnson wrote the original COFF support; Pace Willison did
412 the original support for encapsulated COFF.
414 Brent Benson of Harris Computer Systems contributed DWARF 2 support.
416 Adam de Boor and Bradley Davis contributed the ISI Optimum V support.
417 Per Bothner, Noboyuki Hikichi, and Alessandro Forin contributed MIPS
419 Jean-Daniel Fekete contributed Sun 386i support.
420 Chris Hanson improved the HP9000 support.
421 Noboyuki Hikichi and Tomoyuki Hasei contributed Sony/News OS 3 support.
422 David Johnson contributed Encore Umax support.
423 Jyrki Kuoppala contributed Altos 3068 support.
424 Jeff Law contributed HP PA and SOM support.
425 Keith Packard contributed NS32K support.
426 Doug Rabson contributed Acorn Risc Machine support.
427 Bob Rusk contributed Harris Nighthawk CX-UX support.
428 Chris Smith contributed Convex support (and Fortran debugging).
429 Jonathan Stone contributed Pyramid support.
430 Michael Tiemann contributed SPARC support.
431 Tim Tucker contributed support for the Gould NP1 and Gould Powernode.
432 Pace Willison contributed Intel 386 support.
433 Jay Vosburgh contributed Symmetry support.
434 Marko Mlinar contributed OpenRISC 1000 support.
436 Andreas Schwab contributed M68K @sc{gnu}/Linux support.
438 Rich Schaefer and Peter Schauer helped with support of SunOS shared
441 Jay Fenlason and Roland McGrath ensured that @value{GDBN} and GAS agree
442 about several machine instruction sets.
444 Patrick Duval, Ted Goldstein, Vikram Koka and Glenn Engel helped develop
445 remote debugging. Intel Corporation, Wind River Systems, AMD, and ARM
446 contributed remote debugging modules for the i960, VxWorks, A29K UDI,
447 and RDI targets, respectively.
449 Brian Fox is the author of the readline libraries providing
450 command-line editing and command history.
452 Andrew Beers of SUNY Buffalo wrote the language-switching code, the
453 Modula-2 support, and contributed the Languages chapter of this manual.
455 Fred Fish wrote most of the support for Unix System Vr4.
456 He also enhanced the command-completion support to cover C@t{++} overloaded
459 Hitachi America (now Renesas America), Ltd. sponsored the support for
460 H8/300, H8/500, and Super-H processors.
462 NEC sponsored the support for the v850, Vr4xxx, and Vr5xxx processors.
464 Mitsubishi (now Renesas) sponsored the support for D10V, D30V, and M32R/D
467 Toshiba sponsored the support for the TX39 Mips processor.
469 Matsushita sponsored the support for the MN10200 and MN10300 processors.
471 Fujitsu sponsored the support for SPARClite and FR30 processors.
473 Kung Hsu, Jeff Law, and Rick Sladkey added support for hardware
476 Michael Snyder added support for tracepoints.
478 Stu Grossman wrote gdbserver.
480 Jim Kingdon, Peter Schauer, Ian Taylor, and Stu Grossman made
481 nearly innumerable bug fixes and cleanups throughout @value{GDBN}.
483 The following people at the Hewlett-Packard Company contributed
484 support for the PA-RISC 2.0 architecture, HP-UX 10.20, 10.30, and 11.0
485 (narrow mode), HP's implementation of kernel threads, HP's aC@t{++}
486 compiler, and the Text User Interface (nee Terminal User Interface):
487 Ben Krepp, Richard Title, John Bishop, Susan Macchia, Kathy Mann,
488 Satish Pai, India Paul, Steve Rehrauer, and Elena Zannoni. Kim Haase
489 provided HP-specific information in this manual.
491 DJ Delorie ported @value{GDBN} to MS-DOS, for the DJGPP project.
492 Robert Hoehne made significant contributions to the DJGPP port.
494 Cygnus Solutions has sponsored @value{GDBN} maintenance and much of its
495 development since 1991. Cygnus engineers who have worked on @value{GDBN}
496 fulltime include Mark Alexander, Jim Blandy, Per Bothner, Kevin
497 Buettner, Edith Epstein, Chris Faylor, Fred Fish, Martin Hunt, Jim
498 Ingham, John Gilmore, Stu Grossman, Kung Hsu, Jim Kingdon, John Metzler,
499 Fernando Nasser, Geoffrey Noer, Dawn Perchik, Rich Pixley, Zdenek
500 Radouch, Keith Seitz, Stan Shebs, David Taylor, and Elena Zannoni. In
501 addition, Dave Brolley, Ian Carmichael, Steve Chamberlain, Nick Clifton,
502 JT Conklin, Stan Cox, DJ Delorie, Ulrich Drepper, Frank Eigler, Doug
503 Evans, Sean Fagan, David Henkel-Wallace, Richard Henderson, Jeff
504 Holcomb, Jeff Law, Jim Lemke, Tom Lord, Bob Manson, Michael Meissner,
505 Jason Merrill, Catherine Moore, Drew Moseley, Ken Raeburn, Gavin
506 Romig-Koch, Rob Savoye, Jamie Smith, Mike Stump, Ian Taylor, Angela
507 Thomas, Michael Tiemann, Tom Tromey, Ron Unrau, Jim Wilson, and David
508 Zuhn have made contributions both large and small.
510 Andrew Cagney, Fernando Nasser, and Elena Zannoni, while working for
511 Cygnus Solutions, implemented the original @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
513 Jim Blandy added support for preprocessor macros, while working for Red
516 Andrew Cagney designed @value{GDBN}'s architecture vector. Many
517 people including Andrew Cagney, Stephane Carrez, Randolph Chung, Nick
518 Duffek, Richard Henderson, Mark Kettenis, Grace Sainsbury, Kei
519 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Andreas Schwab, Jason
520 Thorpe, Corinna Vinschen, Ulrich Weigand, and Elena Zannoni, helped
521 with the migration of old architectures to this new framework.
523 Andrew Cagney completely re-designed and re-implemented @value{GDBN}'s
524 unwinder framework, this consisting of a fresh new design featuring
525 frame IDs, independent frame sniffers, and the sentinel frame. Mark
526 Kettenis implemented the @sc{dwarf 2} unwinder, Jeff Johnston the
527 libunwind unwinder, and Andrew Cagney the dummy, sentinel, tramp, and
528 trad unwinders. The architecture-specific changes, each involving a
529 complete rewrite of the architecture's frame code, were carried out by
530 Jim Blandy, Joel Brobecker, Kevin Buettner, Andrew Cagney, Stephane
531 Carrez, Randolph Chung, Orjan Friberg, Richard Henderson, Daniel
532 Jacobowitz, Jeff Johnston, Mark Kettenis, Theodore A. Roth, Kei
533 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Corinna Vinschen, and Ulrich
536 Christian Zankel, Ross Morley, Bob Wilson, and Maxim Grigoriev from
537 Tensilica, Inc.@: contributed support for Xtensa processors. Others
538 who have worked on the Xtensa port of @value{GDBN} in the past include
539 Steve Tjiang, John Newlin, and Scott Foehner.
541 Michael Eager and staff of Xilinx, Inc., contributed support for the
542 Xilinx MicroBlaze architecture.
544 Initial support for the FreeBSD/mips target and native configuration
545 was developed by SRI International and the University of Cambridge
546 Computer Laboratory under DARPA/AFRL contract FA8750-10-C-0237
547 ("CTSRD"), as part of the DARPA CRASH research programme.
549 Initial support for the FreeBSD/riscv target and native configuration
550 was developed by SRI International and the University of Cambridge
551 Computer Laboratory (Department of Computer Science and Technology)
552 under DARPA contract HR0011-18-C-0016 ("ECATS"), as part of the DARPA
553 SSITH research programme.
555 The original port to the OpenRISC 1000 is believed to be due to
556 Alessandro Forin and Per Bothner. More recent ports have been the work
557 of Jeremy Bennett, Franck Jullien, Stefan Wallentowitz and
561 @chapter A Sample @value{GDBN} Session
563 You can use this manual at your leisure to read all about @value{GDBN}.
564 However, a handful of commands are enough to get started using the
565 debugger. This chapter illustrates those commands.
568 In this sample session, we emphasize user input like this: @b{input},
569 to make it easier to pick out from the surrounding output.
572 @c FIXME: this example may not be appropriate for some configs, where
573 @c FIXME...primary interest is in remote use.
575 One of the preliminary versions of @sc{gnu} @code{m4} (a generic macro
576 processor) exhibits the following bug: sometimes, when we change its
577 quote strings from the default, the commands used to capture one macro
578 definition within another stop working. In the following short @code{m4}
579 session, we define a macro @code{foo} which expands to @code{0000}; we
580 then use the @code{m4} built-in @code{defn} to define @code{bar} as the
581 same thing. However, when we change the open quote string to
582 @code{<QUOTE>} and the close quote string to @code{<UNQUOTE>}, the same
583 procedure fails to define a new synonym @code{baz}:
592 @b{define(bar,defn(`foo'))}
596 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
598 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
601 m4: End of input: 0: fatal error: EOF in string
605 Let us use @value{GDBN} to try to see what is going on.
608 $ @b{@value{GDBP} m4}
609 @c FIXME: this falsifies the exact text played out, to permit smallbook
610 @c FIXME... format to come out better.
611 @value{GDBN} is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
612 of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
614 There is absolutely no warranty for @value{GDBN}; type "show warranty"
617 @value{GDBN} @value{GDBVN}, Copyright 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
622 @value{GDBN} reads only enough symbol data to know where to find the
623 rest when needed; as a result, the first prompt comes up very quickly.
624 We now tell @value{GDBN} to use a narrower display width than usual, so
625 that examples fit in this manual.
628 (@value{GDBP}) @b{set width 70}
632 We need to see how the @code{m4} built-in @code{changequote} works.
633 Having looked at the source, we know the relevant subroutine is
634 @code{m4_changequote}, so we set a breakpoint there with the @value{GDBN}
635 @code{break} command.
638 (@value{GDBP}) @b{break m4_changequote}
639 Breakpoint 1 at 0x62f4: file builtin.c, line 879.
643 Using the @code{run} command, we start @code{m4} running under @value{GDBN}
644 control; as long as control does not reach the @code{m4_changequote}
645 subroutine, the program runs as usual:
648 (@value{GDBP}) @b{run}
649 Starting program: /work/Editorial/gdb/gnu/m4/m4
657 To trigger the breakpoint, we call @code{changequote}. @value{GDBN}
658 suspends execution of @code{m4}, displaying information about the
659 context where it stops.
662 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
664 Breakpoint 1, m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
666 879 if (bad_argc(TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[0]),argc,1,3))
670 Now we use the command @code{n} (@code{next}) to advance execution to
671 the next line of the current function.
675 882 set_quotes((argc >= 2) ? TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[1])\
680 @code{set_quotes} looks like a promising subroutine. We can go into it
681 by using the command @code{s} (@code{step}) instead of @code{next}.
682 @code{step} goes to the next line to be executed in @emph{any}
683 subroutine, so it steps into @code{set_quotes}.
687 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
689 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
693 The display that shows the subroutine where @code{m4} is now
694 suspended (and its arguments) is called a stack frame display. It
695 shows a summary of the stack. We can use the @code{backtrace}
696 command (which can also be spelled @code{bt}), to see where we are
697 in the stack as a whole: the @code{backtrace} command displays a
698 stack frame for each active subroutine.
701 (@value{GDBP}) @b{bt}
702 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
704 #1 0x6344 in m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
706 #2 0x8174 in expand_macro (sym=0x33320) at macro.c:242
707 #3 0x7a88 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=209696, td=0xf7fffa30)
709 #4 0x79dc in expand_input () at macro.c:40
710 #5 0x2930 in main (argc=0, argv=0xf7fffb20) at m4.c:195
714 We step through a few more lines to see what happens. The first two
715 times, we can use @samp{s}; the next two times we use @code{n} to avoid
716 falling into the @code{xstrdup} subroutine.
720 0x3b5c 532 if (rquote != def_rquote)
722 0x3b80 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? \
723 def_lquote : xstrdup(lq);
725 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
728 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
732 The last line displayed looks a little odd; we can examine the variables
733 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} to see if they are in fact the new left
734 and right quotes we specified. We use the command @code{p}
735 (@code{print}) to see their values.
738 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p lquote}
739 $1 = 0x35d40 "<QUOTE>"
740 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p rquote}
741 $2 = 0x35d50 "<UNQUOTE>"
745 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} are indeed the new left and right quotes.
746 To look at some context, we can display ten lines of source
747 surrounding the current line with the @code{l} (@code{list}) command.
753 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? def_lquote\
755 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
758 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
759 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
766 Let us step past the two lines that set @code{len_lquote} and
767 @code{len_rquote}, and then examine the values of those variables.
771 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
774 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote}
776 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote}
781 That certainly looks wrong, assuming @code{len_lquote} and
782 @code{len_rquote} are meant to be the lengths of @code{lquote} and
783 @code{rquote} respectively. We can set them to better values using
784 the @code{p} command, since it can print the value of
785 any expression---and that expression can include subroutine calls and
789 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote=strlen(lquote)}
791 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote=strlen(rquote)}
796 Is that enough to fix the problem of using the new quotes with the
797 @code{m4} built-in @code{defn}? We can allow @code{m4} to continue
798 executing with the @code{c} (@code{continue}) command, and then try the
799 example that caused trouble initially:
805 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
812 Success! The new quotes now work just as well as the default ones. The
813 problem seems to have been just the two typos defining the wrong
814 lengths. We allow @code{m4} exit by giving it an EOF as input:
818 Program exited normally.
822 The message @samp{Program exited normally.} is from @value{GDBN}; it
823 indicates @code{m4} has finished executing. We can end our @value{GDBN}
824 session with the @value{GDBN} @code{quit} command.
827 (@value{GDBP}) @b{quit}
831 @chapter Getting In and Out of @value{GDBN}
833 This chapter discusses how to start @value{GDBN}, and how to get out of it.
837 type @samp{@value{GDBP}} to start @value{GDBN}.
839 type @kbd{quit} or @kbd{Ctrl-d} to exit.
843 * Invoking GDB:: How to start @value{GDBN}
844 * Quitting GDB:: How to quit @value{GDBN}
845 * Shell Commands:: How to use shell commands inside @value{GDBN}
846 * Logging Output:: How to log @value{GDBN}'s output to a file
850 @section Invoking @value{GDBN}
852 Invoke @value{GDBN} by running the program @code{@value{GDBP}}. Once started,
853 @value{GDBN} reads commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit.
855 You can also run @code{@value{GDBP}} with a variety of arguments and options,
856 to specify more of your debugging environment at the outset.
858 The command-line options described here are designed
859 to cover a variety of situations; in some environments, some of these
860 options may effectively be unavailable.
862 The most usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument,
863 specifying an executable program:
866 @value{GDBP} @var{program}
870 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file
874 @value{GDBP} @var{program} @var{core}
877 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument or use option
878 @code{-p}, if you want to debug a running process:
881 @value{GDBP} @var{program} 1234
886 would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234}. With option @option{-p} you
887 can omit the @var{program} filename.
889 Taking advantage of the second command-line argument requires a fairly
890 complete operating system; when you use @value{GDBN} as a remote
891 debugger attached to a bare board, there may not be any notion of
892 ``process'', and there is often no way to get a core dump. @value{GDBN}
893 will warn you if it is unable to attach or to read core dumps.
895 You can optionally have @code{@value{GDBP}} pass any arguments after the
896 executable file to the inferior using @code{--args}. This option stops
899 @value{GDBP} --args gcc -O2 -c foo.c
901 This will cause @code{@value{GDBP}} to debug @code{gcc}, and to set
902 @code{gcc}'s command-line arguments (@pxref{Arguments}) to @samp{-O2 -c foo.c}.
904 You can run @code{@value{GDBP}} without printing the front material, which describes
905 @value{GDBN}'s non-warranty, by specifying @code{--silent}
906 (or @code{-q}/@code{--quiet}):
909 @value{GDBP} --silent
913 You can further control how @value{GDBN} starts up by using command-line
914 options. @value{GDBN} itself can remind you of the options available.
924 to display all available options and briefly describe their use
925 (@samp{@value{GDBP} -h} is a shorter equivalent).
927 All options and command line arguments you give are processed
928 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the
929 @samp{-x} option is used.
933 * File Options:: Choosing files
934 * Mode Options:: Choosing modes
935 * Startup:: What @value{GDBN} does during startup
939 @subsection Choosing Files
941 When @value{GDBN} starts, it reads any arguments other than options as
942 specifying an executable file and core file (or process ID). This is
943 the same as if the arguments were specified by the @samp{-se} and
944 @samp{-c} (or @samp{-p}) options respectively. (@value{GDBN} reads the
945 first argument that does not have an associated option flag as
946 equivalent to the @samp{-se} option followed by that argument; and the
947 second argument that does not have an associated option flag, if any, as
948 equivalent to the @samp{-c}/@samp{-p} option followed by that argument.)
949 If the second argument begins with a decimal digit, @value{GDBN} will
950 first attempt to attach to it as a process, and if that fails, attempt
951 to open it as a corefile. If you have a corefile whose name begins with
952 a digit, you can prevent @value{GDBN} from treating it as a pid by
953 prefixing it with @file{./}, e.g.@: @file{./12345}.
955 If @value{GDBN} has not been configured to included core file support,
956 such as for most embedded targets, then it will complain about a second
957 argument and ignore it.
959 Many options have both long and short forms; both are shown in the
960 following list. @value{GDBN} also recognizes the long forms if you truncate
961 them, so long as enough of the option is present to be unambiguous.
962 (If you prefer, you can flag option arguments with @samp{--} rather
963 than @samp{-}, though we illustrate the more usual convention.)
965 @c NOTE: the @cindex entries here use double dashes ON PURPOSE. This
966 @c way, both those who look for -foo and --foo in the index, will find
970 @item -symbols @var{file}
972 @cindex @code{--symbols}
974 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
976 @item -exec @var{file}
978 @cindex @code{--exec}
980 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when appropriate,
981 and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core dump.
985 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
988 @item -core @var{file}
990 @cindex @code{--core}
992 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
994 @item -pid @var{number}
995 @itemx -p @var{number}
998 Connect to process ID @var{number}, as with the @code{attach} command.
1000 @item -command @var{file}
1001 @itemx -x @var{file}
1002 @cindex @code{--command}
1004 Execute commands from file @var{file}. The contents of this file is
1005 evaluated exactly as the @code{source} command would.
1006 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
1008 @item -eval-command @var{command}
1009 @itemx -ex @var{command}
1010 @cindex @code{--eval-command}
1012 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command.
1014 This option may be used multiple times to call multiple commands. It may
1015 also be interleaved with @samp{-command} as required.
1018 @value{GDBP} -ex 'target sim' -ex 'load' \
1019 -x setbreakpoints -ex 'run' a.out
1022 @item -init-command @var{file}
1023 @itemx -ix @var{file}
1024 @cindex @code{--init-command}
1026 Execute commands from file @var{file} before loading the inferior (but
1027 after loading gdbinit files).
1030 @item -init-eval-command @var{command}
1031 @itemx -iex @var{command}
1032 @cindex @code{--init-eval-command}
1034 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command before loading the inferior (but
1035 after loading gdbinit files).
1038 @item -directory @var{directory}
1039 @itemx -d @var{directory}
1040 @cindex @code{--directory}
1042 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source and script files.
1046 @cindex @code{--readnow}
1048 Read each symbol file's entire symbol table immediately, rather than
1049 the default, which is to read it incrementally as it is needed.
1050 This makes startup slower, but makes future operations faster.
1053 @anchor{--readnever}
1054 @cindex @code{--readnever}, command-line option
1055 Do not read each symbol file's symbolic debug information. This makes
1056 startup faster but at the expense of not being able to perform
1057 symbolic debugging. DWARF unwind information is also not read,
1058 meaning backtraces may become incomplete or inaccurate. One use of
1059 this is when a user simply wants to do the following sequence: attach,
1060 dump core, detach. Loading the debugging information in this case is
1061 an unnecessary cause of delay.
1065 @subsection Choosing Modes
1067 You can run @value{GDBN} in various alternative modes---for example, in
1068 batch mode or quiet mode.
1076 Do not execute commands found in any initialization file.
1077 There are three init files, loaded in the following order:
1080 @item @file{system.gdbinit}
1081 This is the system-wide init file.
1082 Its location is specified with the @code{--with-system-gdbinit}
1083 configure option (@pxref{System-wide configuration}).
1084 It is loaded first when @value{GDBN} starts, before command line options
1085 have been processed.
1086 @item @file{system.gdbinit.d}
1087 This is the system-wide init directory.
1088 Its location is specified with the @code{--with-system-gdbinit-dir}
1089 configure option (@pxref{System-wide configuration}).
1090 Files in this directory are loaded in alphabetical order immediately after
1091 system.gdbinit (if enabled) when @value{GDBN} starts, before command line
1092 options have been processed. Files need to have a recognized scripting
1093 language extension (@file{.py}/@file{.scm}) or be named with a @file{.gdb}
1094 extension to be interpreted as regular @value{GDBN} commands. @value{GDBN}
1095 will not recurse into any subdirectories of this directory.
1096 @item @file{~/.gdbinit}
1097 This is the init file in your home directory.
1098 It is loaded next, after @file{system.gdbinit}, and before
1099 command options have been processed.
1100 @item @file{./.gdbinit}
1101 This is the init file in the current directory.
1102 It is loaded last, after command line options other than @code{-x} and
1103 @code{-ex} have been processed. Command line options @code{-x} and
1104 @code{-ex} are processed last, after @file{./.gdbinit} has been loaded.
1107 For further documentation on startup processing, @xref{Startup}.
1108 For documentation on how to write command files,
1109 @xref{Command Files,,Command Files}.
1114 Do not execute commands found in @file{~/.gdbinit}, the init file
1115 in your home directory.
1121 @cindex @code{--quiet}
1122 @cindex @code{--silent}
1124 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
1125 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
1128 @cindex @code{--batch}
1129 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the
1130 command files specified with @samp{-x} (and all commands from
1131 initialization files, if not inhibited with @samp{-n}). Exit with
1132 nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN} commands
1133 in the command files. Batch mode also disables pagination, sets unlimited
1134 terminal width and height @pxref{Screen Size}, and acts as if @kbd{set confirm
1135 off} were in effect (@pxref{Messages/Warnings}).
1137 Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for
1138 example to download and run a program on another computer; in order to
1139 make this more useful, the message
1142 Program exited normally.
1146 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under
1147 @value{GDBN} control terminates) is not issued when running in batch
1151 @cindex @code{--batch-silent}
1152 Run in batch mode exactly like @samp{-batch}, but totally silently. All
1153 @value{GDBN} output to @code{stdout} is prevented (@code{stderr} is
1154 unaffected). This is much quieter than @samp{-silent} and would be useless
1155 for an interactive session.
1157 This is particularly useful when using targets that give @samp{Loading section}
1158 messages, for example.
1160 Note that targets that give their output via @value{GDBN}, as opposed to
1161 writing directly to @code{stdout}, will also be made silent.
1163 @item -return-child-result
1164 @cindex @code{--return-child-result}
1165 The return code from @value{GDBN} will be the return code from the child
1166 process (the process being debugged), with the following exceptions:
1170 @value{GDBN} exits abnormally. E.g., due to an incorrect argument or an
1171 internal error. In this case the exit code is the same as it would have been
1172 without @samp{-return-child-result}.
1174 The user quits with an explicit value. E.g., @samp{quit 1}.
1176 The child process never runs, or is not allowed to terminate, in which case
1177 the exit code will be -1.
1180 This option is useful in conjunction with @samp{-batch} or @samp{-batch-silent},
1181 when @value{GDBN} is being used as a remote program loader or simulator
1186 @cindex @code{--nowindows}
1188 ``No windows''. If @value{GDBN} comes with a graphical user interface
1189 (GUI) built in, then this option tells @value{GDBN} to only use the command-line
1190 interface. If no GUI is available, this option has no effect.
1194 @cindex @code{--windows}
1196 If @value{GDBN} includes a GUI, then this option requires it to be
1199 @item -cd @var{directory}
1201 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
1202 instead of the current directory.
1204 @item -data-directory @var{directory}
1205 @itemx -D @var{directory}
1206 @cindex @code{--data-directory}
1208 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its data directory.
1209 The data directory is where @value{GDBN} searches for its
1210 auxiliary files. @xref{Data Files}.
1214 @cindex @code{--fullname}
1216 @sc{gnu} Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a
1217 subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line
1218 number in a standard, recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is
1219 displayed (which includes each time your program stops). This
1220 recognizable format looks like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by
1221 the file name, line number and character position separated by colons,
1222 and a newline. The Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two
1223 @samp{\032} characters as a signal to display the source code for the
1226 @item -annotate @var{level}
1227 @cindex @code{--annotate}
1228 This option sets the @dfn{annotation level} inside @value{GDBN}. Its
1229 effect is identical to using @samp{set annotate @var{level}}
1230 (@pxref{Annotations}). The annotation @var{level} controls how much
1231 information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt, values of
1232 expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0 is the
1233 normal, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a subprocess of
1234 @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable for programs
1235 that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 has been deprecated.
1237 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
1241 @cindex @code{--args}
1242 Change interpretation of command line so that arguments following the
1243 executable file are passed as command line arguments to the inferior.
1244 This option stops option processing.
1246 @item -baud @var{bps}
1248 @cindex @code{--baud}
1250 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
1251 interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
1253 @item -l @var{timeout}
1255 Set the timeout (in seconds) of any communication used by @value{GDBN}
1256 for remote debugging.
1258 @item -tty @var{device}
1259 @itemx -t @var{device}
1260 @cindex @code{--tty}
1262 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
1263 @c FIXME: kingdon thinks there is more to -tty. Investigate.
1265 @c resolve the situation of these eventually
1267 @cindex @code{--tui}
1268 Activate the @dfn{Text User Interface} when starting. The Text User
1269 Interface manages several text windows on the terminal, showing
1270 source, assembly, registers and @value{GDBN} command outputs
1271 (@pxref{TUI, ,@value{GDBN} Text User Interface}). Do not use this
1272 option if you run @value{GDBN} from Emacs (@pxref{Emacs, ,
1273 Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}).
1275 @item -interpreter @var{interp}
1276 @cindex @code{--interpreter}
1277 Use the interpreter @var{interp} for interface with the controlling
1278 program or device. This option is meant to be set by programs which
1279 communicate with @value{GDBN} using it as a back end.
1280 @xref{Interpreters, , Command Interpreters}.
1282 @samp{--interpreter=mi} (or @samp{--interpreter=mi3}) causes
1283 @value{GDBN} to use the @dfn{@sc{gdb/mi} interface} version 3 (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,
1284 The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}) included since @value{GDBN} version 9.1. @sc{gdb/mi}
1285 version 2 (@code{mi2}), included in @value{GDBN} 6.0 and version 1 (@code{mi1}),
1286 included in @value{GDBN} 5.3, are also available. Earlier @sc{gdb/mi}
1287 interfaces are no longer supported.
1290 @cindex @code{--write}
1291 Open the executable and core files for both reading and writing. This
1292 is equivalent to the @samp{set write on} command inside @value{GDBN}
1296 @cindex @code{--statistics}
1297 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print statistics about time and
1298 memory usage after it completes each command and returns to the prompt.
1301 @cindex @code{--version}
1302 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print its version number and
1303 no-warranty blurb, and exit.
1305 @item -configuration
1306 @cindex @code{--configuration}
1307 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print details about its build-time
1308 configuration parameters, and then exit. These details can be
1309 important when reporting @value{GDBN} bugs (@pxref{GDB Bugs}).
1314 @subsection What @value{GDBN} Does During Startup
1315 @cindex @value{GDBN} startup
1317 Here's the description of what @value{GDBN} does during session startup:
1321 Sets up the command interpreter as specified by the command line
1322 (@pxref{Mode Options, interpreter}).
1326 Reads the system-wide @dfn{init file} (if @option{--with-system-gdbinit} was
1327 used when building @value{GDBN}; @pxref{System-wide configuration,
1328 ,System-wide configuration and settings}) and the files in the system-wide
1329 gdbinit directory (if @option{--with-system-gdbinit-dir} was used) and executes
1330 all the commands in those files. The files need to be named with a @file{.gdb}
1331 extension to be interpreted as @value{GDBN} commands, or they can be written
1332 in a supported scripting language with an appropriate file extension.
1334 @anchor{Home Directory Init File}
1336 Reads the init file (if any) in your home directory@footnote{On
1337 DOS/Windows systems, the home directory is the one pointed to by the
1338 @code{HOME} environment variable.} and executes all the commands in
1341 @anchor{Option -init-eval-command}
1343 Executes commands and command files specified by the @samp{-iex} and
1344 @samp{-ix} options in their specified order. Usually you should use the
1345 @samp{-ex} and @samp{-x} options instead, but this way you can apply
1346 settings before @value{GDBN} init files get executed and before inferior
1350 Processes command line options and operands.
1352 @anchor{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}
1354 Reads and executes the commands from init file (if any) in the current
1355 working directory as long as @samp{set auto-load local-gdbinit} is set to
1356 @samp{on} (@pxref{Init File in the Current Directory}).
1357 This is only done if the current directory is
1358 different from your home directory. Thus, you can have more than one
1359 init file, one generic in your home directory, and another, specific
1360 to the program you are debugging, in the directory where you invoke
1364 If the command line specified a program to debug, or a process to
1365 attach to, or a core file, @value{GDBN} loads any auto-loaded
1366 scripts provided for the program or for its loaded shared libraries.
1367 @xref{Auto-loading}.
1369 If you wish to disable the auto-loading during startup,
1370 you must do something like the following:
1373 $ gdb -iex "set auto-load python-scripts off" myprogram
1376 Option @samp{-ex} does not work because the auto-loading is then turned
1380 Executes commands and command files specified by the @samp{-ex} and
1381 @samp{-x} options in their specified order. @xref{Command Files}, for
1382 more details about @value{GDBN} command files.
1385 Reads the command history recorded in the @dfn{history file}.
1386 @xref{Command History}, for more details about the command history and the
1387 files where @value{GDBN} records it.
1390 Init files use the same syntax as @dfn{command files} (@pxref{Command
1391 Files}) and are processed by @value{GDBN} in the same way. The init
1392 file in your home directory can set options (such as @samp{set
1393 complaints}) that affect subsequent processing of command line options
1394 and operands. Init files are not executed if you use the @samp{-nx}
1395 option (@pxref{Mode Options, ,Choosing Modes}).
1397 To display the list of init files loaded by gdb at startup, you
1398 can use @kbd{gdb --help}.
1400 @cindex init file name
1401 @cindex @file{.gdbinit}
1402 @cindex @file{gdb.ini}
1403 The @value{GDBN} init files are normally called @file{.gdbinit}.
1404 The DJGPP port of @value{GDBN} uses the name @file{gdb.ini}, due to
1405 the limitations of file names imposed by DOS filesystems. The Windows
1406 port of @value{GDBN} uses the standard name, but if it finds a
1407 @file{gdb.ini} file in your home directory, it warns you about that
1408 and suggests to rename the file to the standard name.
1412 @section Quitting @value{GDBN}
1413 @cindex exiting @value{GDBN}
1414 @cindex leaving @value{GDBN}
1417 @kindex quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1418 @kindex q @r{(@code{quit})}
1419 @item quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1421 To exit @value{GDBN}, use the @code{quit} command (abbreviated
1422 @code{q}), or type an end-of-file character (usually @kbd{Ctrl-d}). If you
1423 do not supply @var{expression}, @value{GDBN} will terminate normally;
1424 otherwise it will terminate using the result of @var{expression} as the
1429 An interrupt (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}) does not exit from @value{GDBN}, but rather
1430 terminates the action of any @value{GDBN} command that is in progress and
1431 returns to @value{GDBN} command level. It is safe to type the interrupt
1432 character at any time because @value{GDBN} does not allow it to take effect
1433 until a time when it is safe.
1435 If you have been using @value{GDBN} to control an attached process or
1436 device, you can release it with the @code{detach} command
1437 (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
1439 @node Shell Commands
1440 @section Shell Commands
1442 If you need to execute occasional shell commands during your
1443 debugging session, there is no need to leave or suspend @value{GDBN}; you can
1444 just use the @code{shell} command.
1449 @cindex shell escape
1450 @item shell @var{command-string}
1451 @itemx !@var{command-string}
1452 Invoke a standard shell to execute @var{command-string}.
1453 Note that no space is needed between @code{!} and @var{command-string}.
1454 If it exists, the environment variable @code{SHELL} determines which
1455 shell to run. Otherwise @value{GDBN} uses the default shell
1456 (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix systems, @file{COMMAND.COM} on MS-DOS, etc.).
1459 The utility @code{make} is often needed in development environments.
1460 You do not have to use the @code{shell} command for this purpose in
1465 @cindex calling make
1466 @item make @var{make-args}
1467 Execute the @code{make} program with the specified
1468 arguments. This is equivalent to @samp{shell make @var{make-args}}.
1474 @cindex send the output of a gdb command to a shell command
1476 @item pipe [@var{command}] | @var{shell_command}
1477 @itemx | [@var{command}] | @var{shell_command}
1478 @itemx pipe -d @var{delim} @var{command} @var{delim} @var{shell_command}
1479 @itemx | -d @var{delim} @var{command} @var{delim} @var{shell_command}
1480 Executes @var{command} and sends its output to @var{shell_command}.
1481 Note that no space is needed around @code{|}.
1482 If no @var{command} is provided, the last command executed is repeated.
1484 In case the @var{command} contains a @code{|}, the option @code{-d @var{delim}}
1485 can be used to specify an alternate delimiter string @var{delim} that separates
1486 the @var{command} from the @var{shell_command}.
1519 (gdb) | -d ! echo this contains a | char\n ! sed -e 's/|/PIPE/'
1520 this contains a PIPE char
1521 (gdb) | -d xxx echo this contains a | char!\n xxx sed -e 's/|/PIPE/'
1522 this contains a PIPE char!
1528 The convenience variables @code{$_shell_exitcode} and @code{$_shell_exitsignal}
1529 can be used to examine the exit status of the last shell command launched
1530 by @code{shell}, @code{make}, @code{pipe} and @code{|}.
1531 @xref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}.
1533 @node Logging Output
1534 @section Logging Output
1535 @cindex logging @value{GDBN} output
1536 @cindex save @value{GDBN} output to a file
1538 You may want to save the output of @value{GDBN} commands to a file.
1539 There are several commands to control @value{GDBN}'s logging.
1543 @item set logging on
1545 @item set logging off
1547 @cindex logging file name
1548 @item set logging file @var{file}
1549 Change the name of the current logfile. The default logfile is @file{gdb.txt}.
1550 @item set logging overwrite [on|off]
1551 By default, @value{GDBN} will append to the logfile. Set @code{overwrite} if
1552 you want @code{set logging on} to overwrite the logfile instead.
1553 @item set logging redirect [on|off]
1554 By default, @value{GDBN} output will go to both the terminal and the logfile.
1555 Set @code{redirect} if you want output to go only to the log file.
1556 @item set logging debugredirect [on|off]
1557 By default, @value{GDBN} debug output will go to both the terminal and the logfile.
1558 Set @code{debugredirect} if you want debug output to go only to the log file.
1559 @kindex show logging
1561 Show the current values of the logging settings.
1564 You can also redirect the output of a @value{GDBN} command to a
1565 shell command. @xref{pipe}.
1567 @chapter @value{GDBN} Commands
1569 You can abbreviate a @value{GDBN} command to the first few letters of the command
1570 name, if that abbreviation is unambiguous; and you can repeat certain
1571 @value{GDBN} commands by typing just @key{RET}. You can also use the @key{TAB}
1572 key to get @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest of a word in a command (or to
1573 show you the alternatives available, if there is more than one possibility).
1576 * Command Syntax:: How to give commands to @value{GDBN}
1577 * Command Settings:: How to change default behavior of commands
1578 * Completion:: Command completion
1579 * Command Options:: Command options
1580 * Help:: How to ask @value{GDBN} for help
1583 @node Command Syntax
1584 @section Command Syntax
1586 A @value{GDBN} command is a single line of input. There is no limit on
1587 how long it can be. It starts with a command name, which is followed by
1588 arguments whose meaning depends on the command name. For example, the
1589 command @code{step} accepts an argument which is the number of times to
1590 step, as in @samp{step 5}. You can also use the @code{step} command
1591 with no arguments. Some commands do not allow any arguments.
1593 @cindex abbreviation
1594 @value{GDBN} command names may always be truncated if that abbreviation is
1595 unambiguous. Other possible command abbreviations are listed in the
1596 documentation for individual commands. In some cases, even ambiguous
1597 abbreviations are allowed; for example, @code{s} is specially defined as
1598 equivalent to @code{step} even though there are other commands whose
1599 names start with @code{s}. You can test abbreviations by using them as
1600 arguments to the @code{help} command.
1602 @cindex repeating commands
1603 @kindex RET @r{(repeat last command)}
1604 A blank line as input to @value{GDBN} (typing just @key{RET}) means to
1605 repeat the previous command. Certain commands (for example, @code{run})
1606 will not repeat this way; these are commands whose unintentional
1607 repetition might cause trouble and which you are unlikely to want to
1608 repeat. User-defined commands can disable this feature; see
1609 @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
1611 The @code{list} and @code{x} commands, when you repeat them with
1612 @key{RET}, construct new arguments rather than repeating
1613 exactly as typed. This permits easy scanning of source or memory.
1615 @value{GDBN} can also use @key{RET} in another way: to partition lengthy
1616 output, in a way similar to the common utility @code{more}
1617 (@pxref{Screen Size,,Screen Size}). Since it is easy to press one
1618 @key{RET} too many in this situation, @value{GDBN} disables command
1619 repetition after any command that generates this sort of display.
1621 @kindex # @r{(a comment)}
1623 Any text from a @kbd{#} to the end of the line is a comment; it does
1624 nothing. This is useful mainly in command files (@pxref{Command
1625 Files,,Command Files}).
1627 @cindex repeating command sequences
1628 @kindex Ctrl-o @r{(operate-and-get-next)}
1629 The @kbd{Ctrl-o} binding is useful for repeating a complex sequence of
1630 commands. This command accepts the current line, like @key{RET}, and
1631 then fetches the next line relative to the current line from the history
1635 @node Command Settings
1636 @section Command Settings
1637 @cindex default behavior of commands, changing
1638 @cindex default settings, changing
1640 Many commands change their behavior according to command-specific
1641 variables or settings. These settings can be changed with the
1642 @code{set} subcommands. For example, the @code{print} command
1643 (@pxref{Data, ,Examining Data}) prints arrays differently depending on
1644 settings changeable with the commands @code{set print elements
1645 NUMBER-OF-ELEMENTS} and @code{set print array-indexes}, among others.
1647 You can change these settings to your preference in the gdbinit files
1648 loaded at @value{GDBN} startup. @xref{Startup}.
1650 The settings can also be changed interactively during the debugging
1651 session. For example, to change the limit of array elements to print,
1652 you can do the following:
1654 (@value{GDBN}) set print elements 10
1655 (@value{GDBN}) print some_array
1656 $1 = @{0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90...@}
1659 The above @code{set print elements 10} command changes the number of
1660 elements to print from the default of 200 to 10. If you only intend
1661 this limit of 10 to be used for printing @code{some_array}, then you
1662 must restore the limit back to 200, with @code{set print elements
1665 Some commands allow overriding settings with command options. For
1666 example, the @code{print} command supports a number of options that
1667 allow overriding relevant global print settings as set by @code{set
1668 print} subcommands. @xref{print options}. The example above could be
1671 (@value{GDBN}) print -elements 10 -- some_array
1672 $1 = @{0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90...@}
1675 Alternatively, you can use the @code{with} command to change a setting
1676 temporarily, for the duration of a command invocation.
1679 @kindex with command
1680 @kindex w @r{(@code{with})}
1682 @cindex temporarily change settings
1683 @item with @var{setting} [@var{value}] [-- @var{command}]
1684 @itemx w @var{setting} [@var{value}] [-- @var{command}]
1685 Temporarily set @var{setting} to @var{value} for the duration of
1688 @var{setting} is any setting you can change with the @code{set}
1689 subcommands. @var{value} is the value to assign to @code{setting}
1690 while running @code{command}.
1692 If no @var{command} is provided, the last command executed is
1695 If a @var{command} is provided, it must be preceded by a double dash
1696 (@code{--}) separator. This is required because some settings accept
1697 free-form arguments, such as expressions or filenames.
1699 For example, the command
1701 (@value{GDBN}) with print array on -- print some_array
1704 is equivalent to the following 3 commands:
1706 (@value{GDBN}) set print array on
1707 (@value{GDBN}) print some_array
1708 (@value{GDBN}) set print array off
1711 The @code{with} command is particularly useful when you want to
1712 override a setting while running user-defined commands, or commands
1713 defined in Python or Guile. @xref{Extending GDB,, Extending GDB}.
1716 (@value{GDBN}) with print pretty on -- my_complex_command
1719 To change several settings for the same command, you can nest
1720 @code{with} commands. For example, @code{with language ada -- with
1721 print elements 10} temporarily changes the language to Ada and sets a
1722 limit of 10 elements to print for arrays and strings.
1727 @section Command Completion
1730 @cindex word completion
1731 @value{GDBN} can fill in the rest of a word in a command for you, if there is
1732 only one possibility; it can also show you what the valid possibilities
1733 are for the next word in a command, at any time. This works for @value{GDBN}
1734 commands, @value{GDBN} subcommands, command options, and the names of symbols
1737 Press the @key{TAB} key whenever you want @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest
1738 of a word. If there is only one possibility, @value{GDBN} fills in the
1739 word, and waits for you to finish the command (or press @key{RET} to
1740 enter it). For example, if you type
1742 @c FIXME "@key" does not distinguish its argument sufficiently to permit
1743 @c complete accuracy in these examples; space introduced for clarity.
1744 @c If texinfo enhancements make it unnecessary, it would be nice to
1745 @c replace " @key" by "@key" in the following...
1747 (@value{GDBP}) info bre @key{TAB}
1751 @value{GDBN} fills in the rest of the word @samp{breakpoints}, since that is
1752 the only @code{info} subcommand beginning with @samp{bre}:
1755 (@value{GDBP}) info breakpoints
1759 You can either press @key{RET} at this point, to run the @code{info
1760 breakpoints} command, or backspace and enter something else, if
1761 @samp{breakpoints} does not look like the command you expected. (If you
1762 were sure you wanted @code{info breakpoints} in the first place, you
1763 might as well just type @key{RET} immediately after @samp{info bre},
1764 to exploit command abbreviations rather than command completion).
1766 If there is more than one possibility for the next word when you press
1767 @key{TAB}, @value{GDBN} sounds a bell. You can either supply more
1768 characters and try again, or just press @key{TAB} a second time;
1769 @value{GDBN} displays all the possible completions for that word. For
1770 example, you might want to set a breakpoint on a subroutine whose name
1771 begins with @samp{make_}, but when you type @kbd{b make_@key{TAB}} @value{GDBN}
1772 just sounds the bell. Typing @key{TAB} again displays all the
1773 function names in your program that begin with those characters, for
1777 (@value{GDBP}) b make_ @key{TAB}
1778 @exdent @value{GDBN} sounds bell; press @key{TAB} again, to see:
1779 make_a_section_from_file make_environ
1780 make_abs_section make_function_type
1781 make_blockvector make_pointer_type
1782 make_cleanup make_reference_type
1783 make_command make_symbol_completion_list
1784 (@value{GDBP}) b make_
1788 After displaying the available possibilities, @value{GDBN} copies your
1789 partial input (@samp{b make_} in the example) so you can finish the
1792 If you just want to see the list of alternatives in the first place, you
1793 can press @kbd{M-?} rather than pressing @key{TAB} twice. @kbd{M-?}
1794 means @kbd{@key{META} ?}. You can type this either by holding down a
1795 key designated as the @key{META} shift on your keyboard (if there is
1796 one) while typing @kbd{?}, or as @key{ESC} followed by @kbd{?}.
1798 If the number of possible completions is large, @value{GDBN} will
1799 print as much of the list as it has collected, as well as a message
1800 indicating that the list may be truncated.
1803 (@value{GDBP}) b m@key{TAB}@key{TAB}
1805 <... the rest of the possible completions ...>
1806 *** List may be truncated, max-completions reached. ***
1811 This behavior can be controlled with the following commands:
1814 @kindex set max-completions
1815 @item set max-completions @var{limit}
1816 @itemx set max-completions unlimited
1817 Set the maximum number of completion candidates. @value{GDBN} will
1818 stop looking for more completions once it collects this many candidates.
1819 This is useful when completing on things like function names as collecting
1820 all the possible candidates can be time consuming.
1821 The default value is 200. A value of zero disables tab-completion.
1822 Note that setting either no limit or a very large limit can make
1824 @kindex show max-completions
1825 @item show max-completions
1826 Show the maximum number of candidates that @value{GDBN} will collect and show
1830 @cindex quotes in commands
1831 @cindex completion of quoted strings
1832 Sometimes the string you need, while logically a ``word'', may contain
1833 parentheses or other characters that @value{GDBN} normally excludes from
1834 its notion of a word. To permit word completion to work in this
1835 situation, you may enclose words in @code{'} (single quote marks) in
1836 @value{GDBN} commands.
1838 A likely situation where you might need this is in typing an
1839 expression that involves a C@t{++} symbol name with template
1840 parameters. This is because when completing expressions, GDB treats
1841 the @samp{<} character as word delimiter, assuming that it's the
1842 less-than comparison operator (@pxref{C Operators, , C and C@t{++}
1845 For example, when you want to call a C@t{++} template function
1846 interactively using the @code{print} or @code{call} commands, you may
1847 need to distinguish whether you mean the version of @code{name} that
1848 was specialized for @code{int}, @code{name<int>()}, or the version
1849 that was specialized for @code{float}, @code{name<float>()}. To use
1850 the word-completion facilities in this situation, type a single quote
1851 @code{'} at the beginning of the function name. This alerts
1852 @value{GDBN} that it may need to consider more information than usual
1853 when you press @key{TAB} or @kbd{M-?} to request word completion:
1856 (@value{GDBP}) p 'func< @kbd{M-?}
1857 func<int>() func<float>()
1858 (@value{GDBP}) p 'func<
1861 When setting breakpoints however (@pxref{Specify Location}), you don't
1862 usually need to type a quote before the function name, because
1863 @value{GDBN} understands that you want to set a breakpoint on a
1867 (@value{GDBP}) b func< @kbd{M-?}
1868 func<int>() func<float>()
1869 (@value{GDBP}) b func<
1872 This is true even in the case of typing the name of C@t{++} overloaded
1873 functions (multiple definitions of the same function, distinguished by
1874 argument type). For example, when you want to set a breakpoint you
1875 don't need to distinguish whether you mean the version of @code{name}
1876 that takes an @code{int} parameter, @code{name(int)}, or the version
1877 that takes a @code{float} parameter, @code{name(float)}.
1880 (@value{GDBP}) b bubble( @kbd{M-?}
1881 bubble(int) bubble(double)
1882 (@value{GDBP}) b bubble(dou @kbd{M-?}
1886 See @ref{quoting names} for a description of other scenarios that
1889 For more information about overloaded functions, see @ref{C Plus Plus
1890 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}. You can use the command @code{set
1891 overload-resolution off} to disable overload resolution;
1892 see @ref{Debugging C Plus Plus, ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
1894 @cindex completion of structure field names
1895 @cindex structure field name completion
1896 @cindex completion of union field names
1897 @cindex union field name completion
1898 When completing in an expression which looks up a field in a
1899 structure, @value{GDBN} also tries@footnote{The completer can be
1900 confused by certain kinds of invalid expressions. Also, it only
1901 examines the static type of the expression, not the dynamic type.} to
1902 limit completions to the field names available in the type of the
1906 (@value{GDBP}) p gdb_stdout.@kbd{M-?}
1907 magic to_fputs to_rewind
1908 to_data to_isatty to_write
1909 to_delete to_put to_write_async_safe
1914 This is because the @code{gdb_stdout} is a variable of the type
1915 @code{struct ui_file} that is defined in @value{GDBN} sources as
1922 ui_file_flush_ftype *to_flush;
1923 ui_file_write_ftype *to_write;
1924 ui_file_write_async_safe_ftype *to_write_async_safe;
1925 ui_file_fputs_ftype *to_fputs;
1926 ui_file_read_ftype *to_read;
1927 ui_file_delete_ftype *to_delete;
1928 ui_file_isatty_ftype *to_isatty;
1929 ui_file_rewind_ftype *to_rewind;
1930 ui_file_put_ftype *to_put;
1935 @node Command Options
1936 @section Command options
1938 @cindex command options
1939 Some commands accept options starting with a leading dash. For
1940 example, @code{print -pretty}. Similarly to command names, you can
1941 abbreviate a @value{GDBN} option to the first few letters of the
1942 option name, if that abbreviation is unambiguous, and you can also use
1943 the @key{TAB} key to get @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest of a word
1944 in an option (or to show you the alternatives available, if there is
1945 more than one possibility).
1947 @cindex command options, raw input
1948 Some commands take raw input as argument. For example, the print
1949 command processes arbitrary expressions in any of the languages
1950 supported by @value{GDBN}. With such commands, because raw input may
1951 start with a leading dash that would be confused with an option or any
1952 of its abbreviations, e.g.@: @code{print -p} (short for @code{print
1953 -pretty} or printing negative @code{p}?), if you specify any command
1954 option, then you must use a double-dash (@code{--}) delimiter to
1955 indicate the end of options.
1957 @cindex command options, boolean
1959 Some options are described as accepting an argument which can be
1960 either @code{on} or @code{off}. These are known as @dfn{boolean
1961 options}. Similarly to boolean settings commands---@code{on} and
1962 @code{off} are the typical values, but any of @code{1}, @code{yes} and
1963 @code{enable} can also be used as ``true'' value, and any of @code{0},
1964 @code{no} and @code{disable} can also be used as ``false'' value. You
1965 can also omit a ``true'' value, as it is implied by default.
1967 For example, these are equivalent:
1970 (@value{GDBP}) print -object on -pretty off -element unlimited -- *myptr
1971 (@value{GDBP}) p -o -p 0 -e u -- *myptr
1974 You can discover the set of options some command accepts by completing
1975 on @code{-} after the command name. For example:
1978 (@value{GDBP}) print -@key{TAB}@key{TAB}
1979 -address -max-depth -raw-values -union
1980 -array -null-stop -repeats -vtbl
1981 -array-indexes -object -static-members
1982 -elements -pretty -symbol
1985 Completion will in some cases guide you with a suggestion of what kind
1986 of argument an option expects. For example:
1989 (@value{GDBP}) print -elements @key{TAB}@key{TAB}
1993 Here, the option expects a number (e.g., @code{100}), not literal
1994 @code{NUMBER}. Such metasyntactical arguments are always presented in
1997 (For more on using the @code{print} command, see @ref{Data, ,Examining
2001 @section Getting Help
2002 @cindex online documentation
2005 You can always ask @value{GDBN} itself for information on its commands,
2006 using the command @code{help}.
2009 @kindex h @r{(@code{help})}
2012 You can use @code{help} (abbreviated @code{h}) with no arguments to
2013 display a short list of named classes of commands:
2017 List of classes of commands:
2019 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
2020 breakpoints -- Making program stop at certain points
2021 data -- Examining data
2022 files -- Specifying and examining files
2023 internals -- Maintenance commands
2024 obscure -- Obscure features
2025 running -- Running the program
2026 stack -- Examining the stack
2027 status -- Status inquiries
2028 support -- Support facilities
2029 tracepoints -- Tracing of program execution without
2030 stopping the program
2031 user-defined -- User-defined commands
2033 Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of
2034 commands in that class.
2035 Type "help" followed by command name for full
2037 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
2040 @c the above line break eliminates huge line overfull...
2042 @item help @var{class}
2043 Using one of the general help classes as an argument, you can get a
2044 list of the individual commands in that class. For example, here is the
2045 help display for the class @code{status}:
2048 (@value{GDBP}) help status
2053 @c Line break in "show" line falsifies real output, but needed
2054 @c to fit in smallbook page size.
2055 info -- Generic command for showing things
2056 about the program being debugged
2057 show -- Generic command for showing things
2060 Type "help" followed by command name for full
2062 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
2066 @item help @var{command}
2067 With a command name as @code{help} argument, @value{GDBN} displays a
2068 short paragraph on how to use that command.
2071 @item apropos [-v] @var{regexp}
2072 The @code{apropos} command searches through all of the @value{GDBN}
2073 commands, and their documentation, for the regular expression specified in
2074 @var{args}. It prints out all matches found. The optional flag @samp{-v},
2075 which stands for @samp{verbose}, indicates to output the full documentation
2076 of the matching commands and highlight the parts of the documentation
2077 matching @var{regexp}. For example:
2088 alias -- Define a new command that is an alias of an existing command
2089 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
2090 d -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
2091 del -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
2092 delete -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
2100 apropos -v cut.*thread apply
2104 results in the below output, where @samp{cut for 'thread apply}
2105 is highlighted if styling is enabled.
2109 taas -- Apply a command to all threads (ignoring errors
2112 shortcut for 'thread apply all -s COMMAND'
2114 tfaas -- Apply a command to all frames of all threads
2115 (ignoring errors and empty output).
2116 Usage: tfaas COMMAND
2117 shortcut for 'thread apply all -s frame apply all -s COMMAND'
2122 @item complete @var{args}
2123 The @code{complete @var{args}} command lists all the possible completions
2124 for the beginning of a command. Use @var{args} to specify the beginning of the
2125 command you want completed. For example:
2131 @noindent results in:
2142 @noindent This is intended for use by @sc{gnu} Emacs.
2145 In addition to @code{help}, you can use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{info}
2146 and @code{show} to inquire about the state of your program, or the state
2147 of @value{GDBN} itself. Each command supports many topics of inquiry; this
2148 manual introduces each of them in the appropriate context. The listings
2149 under @code{info} and under @code{show} in the Command, Variable, and
2150 Function Index point to all the sub-commands. @xref{Command and Variable
2156 @kindex i @r{(@code{info})}
2158 This command (abbreviated @code{i}) is for describing the state of your
2159 program. For example, you can show the arguments passed to a function
2160 with @code{info args}, list the registers currently in use with @code{info
2161 registers}, or list the breakpoints you have set with @code{info breakpoints}.
2162 You can get a complete list of the @code{info} sub-commands with
2163 @w{@code{help info}}.
2167 You can assign the result of an expression to an environment variable with
2168 @code{set}. For example, you can set the @value{GDBN} prompt to a $-sign with
2169 @code{set prompt $}.
2173 In contrast to @code{info}, @code{show} is for describing the state of
2174 @value{GDBN} itself.
2175 You can change most of the things you can @code{show}, by using the
2176 related command @code{set}; for example, you can control what number
2177 system is used for displays with @code{set radix}, or simply inquire
2178 which is currently in use with @code{show radix}.
2181 To display all the settable parameters and their current
2182 values, you can use @code{show} with no arguments; you may also use
2183 @code{info set}. Both commands produce the same display.
2184 @c FIXME: "info set" violates the rule that "info" is for state of
2185 @c FIXME...program. Ck w/ GNU: "info set" to be called something else,
2186 @c FIXME...or change desc of rule---eg "state of prog and debugging session"?
2190 Here are several miscellaneous @code{show} subcommands, all of which are
2191 exceptional in lacking corresponding @code{set} commands:
2194 @kindex show version
2195 @cindex @value{GDBN} version number
2197 Show what version of @value{GDBN} is running. You should include this
2198 information in @value{GDBN} bug-reports. If multiple versions of
2199 @value{GDBN} are in use at your site, you may need to determine which
2200 version of @value{GDBN} you are running; as @value{GDBN} evolves, new
2201 commands are introduced, and old ones may wither away. Also, many
2202 system vendors ship variant versions of @value{GDBN}, and there are
2203 variant versions of @value{GDBN} in @sc{gnu}/Linux distributions as well.
2204 The version number is the same as the one announced when you start
2207 @kindex show copying
2208 @kindex info copying
2209 @cindex display @value{GDBN} copyright
2212 Display information about permission for copying @value{GDBN}.
2214 @kindex show warranty
2215 @kindex info warranty
2217 @itemx info warranty
2218 Display the @sc{gnu} ``NO WARRANTY'' statement, or a warranty,
2219 if your version of @value{GDBN} comes with one.
2221 @kindex show configuration
2222 @item show configuration
2223 Display detailed information about the way @value{GDBN} was configured
2224 when it was built. This displays the optional arguments passed to the
2225 @file{configure} script and also configuration parameters detected
2226 automatically by @command{configure}. When reporting a @value{GDBN}
2227 bug (@pxref{GDB Bugs}), it is important to include this information in
2233 @chapter Running Programs Under @value{GDBN}
2235 When you run a program under @value{GDBN}, you must first generate
2236 debugging information when you compile it.
2238 You may start @value{GDBN} with its arguments, if any, in an environment
2239 of your choice. If you are doing native debugging, you may redirect
2240 your program's input and output, debug an already running process, or
2241 kill a child process.
2244 * Compilation:: Compiling for debugging
2245 * Starting:: Starting your program
2246 * Arguments:: Your program's arguments
2247 * Environment:: Your program's environment
2249 * Working Directory:: Your program's working directory
2250 * Input/Output:: Your program's input and output
2251 * Attach:: Debugging an already-running process
2252 * Kill Process:: Killing the child process
2254 * Inferiors and Programs:: Debugging multiple inferiors and programs
2255 * Threads:: Debugging programs with multiple threads
2256 * Forks:: Debugging forks
2257 * Checkpoint/Restart:: Setting a @emph{bookmark} to return to later
2261 @section Compiling for Debugging
2263 In order to debug a program effectively, you need to generate
2264 debugging information when you compile it. This debugging information
2265 is stored in the object file; it describes the data type of each
2266 variable or function and the correspondence between source line numbers
2267 and addresses in the executable code.
2269 To request debugging information, specify the @samp{-g} option when you run
2272 Programs that are to be shipped to your customers are compiled with
2273 optimizations, using the @samp{-O} compiler option. However, some
2274 compilers are unable to handle the @samp{-g} and @samp{-O} options
2275 together. Using those compilers, you cannot generate optimized
2276 executables containing debugging information.
2278 @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler, supports @samp{-g} with or
2279 without @samp{-O}, making it possible to debug optimized code. We
2280 recommend that you @emph{always} use @samp{-g} whenever you compile a
2281 program. You may think your program is correct, but there is no sense
2282 in pushing your luck. For more information, see @ref{Optimized Code}.
2284 Older versions of the @sc{gnu} C compiler permitted a variant option
2285 @w{@samp{-gg}} for debugging information. @value{GDBN} no longer supports this
2286 format; if your @sc{gnu} C compiler has this option, do not use it.
2288 @value{GDBN} knows about preprocessor macros and can show you their
2289 expansion (@pxref{Macros}). Most compilers do not include information
2290 about preprocessor macros in the debugging information if you specify
2291 the @option{-g} flag alone. Version 3.1 and later of @value{NGCC},
2292 the @sc{gnu} C compiler, provides macro information if you are using
2293 the DWARF debugging format, and specify the option @option{-g3}.
2295 @xref{Debugging Options,,Options for Debugging Your Program or GCC,
2296 gcc, Using the @sc{gnu} Compiler Collection (GCC)}, for more
2297 information on @value{NGCC} options affecting debug information.
2299 You will have the best debugging experience if you use the latest
2300 version of the DWARF debugging format that your compiler supports.
2301 DWARF is currently the most expressive and best supported debugging
2302 format in @value{GDBN}.
2306 @section Starting your Program
2312 @kindex r @r{(@code{run})}
2315 Use the @code{run} command to start your program under @value{GDBN}.
2316 You must first specify the program name with an argument to
2317 @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Invocation, ,Getting In and Out of
2318 @value{GDBN}}), or by using the @code{file} or @code{exec-file}
2319 command (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
2323 If you are running your program in an execution environment that
2324 supports processes, @code{run} creates an inferior process and makes
2325 that process run your program. In some environments without processes,
2326 @code{run} jumps to the start of your program. Other targets,
2327 like @samp{remote}, are always running. If you get an error
2328 message like this one:
2331 The "remote" target does not support "run".
2332 Try "help target" or "continue".
2336 then use @code{continue} to run your program. You may need @code{load}
2337 first (@pxref{load}).
2339 The execution of a program is affected by certain information it
2340 receives from its superior. @value{GDBN} provides ways to specify this
2341 information, which you must do @emph{before} starting your program. (You
2342 can change it after starting your program, but such changes only affect
2343 your program the next time you start it.) This information may be
2344 divided into four categories:
2347 @item The @emph{arguments.}
2348 Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the
2349 @code{run} command. If a shell is available on your target, the shell
2350 is used to pass the arguments, so that you may use normal conventions
2351 (such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution) in describing
2353 In Unix systems, you can control which shell is used with the
2354 @code{SHELL} environment variable. If you do not define @code{SHELL},
2355 @value{GDBN} uses the default shell (@file{/bin/sh}). You can disable
2356 use of any shell with the @code{set startup-with-shell} command (see
2359 @item The @emph{environment.}
2360 Your program normally inherits its environment from @value{GDBN}, but you can
2361 use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{set environment} and @code{unset
2362 environment} to change parts of the environment that affect
2363 your program. @xref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}.
2365 @item The @emph{working directory.}
2366 You can set your program's working directory with the command
2367 @kbd{set cwd}. If you do not set any working directory with this
2368 command, your program will inherit @value{GDBN}'s working directory if
2369 native debugging, or the remote server's working directory if remote
2370 debugging. @xref{Working Directory, ,Your Program's Working
2373 @item The @emph{standard input and output.}
2374 Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and
2375 standard output as @value{GDBN} is using. You can redirect input and output
2376 in the @code{run} command line, or you can use the @code{tty} command to
2377 set a different device for your program.
2378 @xref{Input/Output, ,Your Program's Input and Output}.
2381 @emph{Warning:} While input and output redirection work, you cannot use
2382 pipes to pass the output of the program you are debugging to another
2383 program; if you attempt this, @value{GDBN} is likely to wind up debugging the
2387 When you issue the @code{run} command, your program begins to execute
2388 immediately. @xref{Stopping, ,Stopping and Continuing}, for discussion
2389 of how to arrange for your program to stop. Once your program has
2390 stopped, you may call functions in your program, using the @code{print}
2391 or @code{call} commands. @xref{Data, ,Examining Data}.
2393 If the modification time of your symbol file has changed since the last
2394 time @value{GDBN} read its symbols, @value{GDBN} discards its symbol
2395 table, and reads it again. When it does this, @value{GDBN} tries to retain
2396 your current breakpoints.
2401 @cindex run to main procedure
2402 The name of the main procedure can vary from language to language.
2403 With C or C@t{++}, the main procedure name is always @code{main}, but
2404 other languages such as Ada do not require a specific name for their
2405 main procedure. The debugger provides a convenient way to start the
2406 execution of the program and to stop at the beginning of the main
2407 procedure, depending on the language used.
2409 The @samp{start} command does the equivalent of setting a temporary
2410 breakpoint at the beginning of the main procedure and then invoking
2411 the @samp{run} command.
2413 @cindex elaboration phase
2414 Some programs contain an @dfn{elaboration} phase where some startup code is
2415 executed before the main procedure is called. This depends on the
2416 languages used to write your program. In C@t{++}, for instance,
2417 constructors for static and global objects are executed before
2418 @code{main} is called. It is therefore possible that the debugger stops
2419 before reaching the main procedure. However, the temporary breakpoint
2420 will remain to halt execution.
2422 Specify the arguments to give to your program as arguments to the
2423 @samp{start} command. These arguments will be given verbatim to the
2424 underlying @samp{run} command. Note that the same arguments will be
2425 reused if no argument is provided during subsequent calls to
2426 @samp{start} or @samp{run}.
2428 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration. In
2429 these cases, using the @code{start} command would stop the execution
2430 of your program too late, as the program would have already completed
2431 the elaboration phase. Under these circumstances, either insert
2432 breakpoints in your elaboration code before running your program or
2433 use the @code{starti} command.
2437 @cindex run to first instruction
2438 The @samp{starti} command does the equivalent of setting a temporary
2439 breakpoint at the first instruction of a program's execution and then
2440 invoking the @samp{run} command. For programs containing an
2441 elaboration phase, the @code{starti} command will stop execution at
2442 the start of the elaboration phase.
2444 @anchor{set exec-wrapper}
2445 @kindex set exec-wrapper
2446 @item set exec-wrapper @var{wrapper}
2447 @itemx show exec-wrapper
2448 @itemx unset exec-wrapper
2449 When @samp{exec-wrapper} is set, the specified wrapper is used to
2450 launch programs for debugging. @value{GDBN} starts your program
2451 with a shell command of the form @kbd{exec @var{wrapper}
2452 @var{program}}. Quoting is added to @var{program} and its
2453 arguments, but not to @var{wrapper}, so you should add quotes if
2454 appropriate for your shell. The wrapper runs until it executes
2455 your program, and then @value{GDBN} takes control.
2457 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
2458 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
2459 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
2460 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
2462 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
2463 the debugged program, without setting the variable in your shell's
2467 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper env 'LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so'
2471 This command is available when debugging locally on most targets, excluding
2472 @sc{djgpp}, Cygwin, MS Windows, and QNX Neutrino.
2474 @kindex set startup-with-shell
2475 @anchor{set startup-with-shell}
2476 @item set startup-with-shell
2477 @itemx set startup-with-shell on
2478 @itemx set startup-with-shell off
2479 @itemx show startup-with-shell
2480 On Unix systems, by default, if a shell is available on your target,
2481 @value{GDBN}) uses it to start your program. Arguments of the
2482 @code{run} command are passed to the shell, which does variable
2483 substitution, expands wildcard characters and performs redirection of
2484 I/O. In some circumstances, it may be useful to disable such use of a
2485 shell, for example, when debugging the shell itself or diagnosing
2486 startup failures such as:
2490 Starting program: ./a.out
2491 During startup program terminated with signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
2495 which indicates the shell or the wrapper specified with
2496 @samp{exec-wrapper} crashed, not your program. Most often, this is
2497 caused by something odd in your shell's non-interactive mode
2498 initialization file---such as @file{.cshrc} for C-shell,
2499 $@file{.zshenv} for the Z shell, or the file specified in the
2500 @samp{BASH_ENV} environment variable for BASH.
2502 @anchor{set auto-connect-native-target}
2503 @kindex set auto-connect-native-target
2504 @item set auto-connect-native-target
2505 @itemx set auto-connect-native-target on
2506 @itemx set auto-connect-native-target off
2507 @itemx show auto-connect-native-target
2509 By default, if not connected to any target yet (e.g., with
2510 @code{target remote}), the @code{run} command starts your program as a
2511 native process under @value{GDBN}, on your local machine. If you're
2512 sure you don't want to debug programs on your local machine, you can
2513 tell @value{GDBN} to not connect to the native target automatically
2514 with the @code{set auto-connect-native-target off} command.
2516 If @code{on}, which is the default, and if @value{GDBN} is not
2517 connected to a target already, the @code{run} command automaticaly
2518 connects to the native target, if one is available.
2520 If @code{off}, and if @value{GDBN} is not connected to a target
2521 already, the @code{run} command fails with an error:
2525 Don't know how to run. Try "help target".
2528 If @value{GDBN} is already connected to a target, @value{GDBN} always
2529 uses it with the @code{run} command.
2531 In any case, you can explicitly connect to the native target with the
2532 @code{target native} command. For example,
2535 (@value{GDBP}) set auto-connect-native-target off
2537 Don't know how to run. Try "help target".
2538 (@value{GDBP}) target native
2540 Starting program: ./a.out
2541 [Inferior 1 (process 10421) exited normally]
2544 In case you connected explicitly to the @code{native} target,
2545 @value{GDBN} remains connected even if all inferiors exit, ready for
2546 the next @code{run} command. Use the @code{disconnect} command to
2549 Examples of other commands that likewise respect the
2550 @code{auto-connect-native-target} setting: @code{attach}, @code{info
2551 proc}, @code{info os}.
2553 @kindex set disable-randomization
2554 @item set disable-randomization
2555 @itemx set disable-randomization on
2556 This option (enabled by default in @value{GDBN}) will turn off the native
2557 randomization of the virtual address space of the started program. This option
2558 is useful for multiple debugging sessions to make the execution better
2559 reproducible and memory addresses reusable across debugging sessions.
2561 This feature is implemented only on certain targets, including @sc{gnu}/Linux.
2562 On @sc{gnu}/Linux you can get the same behavior using
2565 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper setarch `uname -m` -R
2568 @item set disable-randomization off
2569 Leave the behavior of the started executable unchanged. Some bugs rear their
2570 ugly heads only when the program is loaded at certain addresses. If your bug
2571 disappears when you run the program under @value{GDBN}, that might be because
2572 @value{GDBN} by default disables the address randomization on platforms, such
2573 as @sc{gnu}/Linux, which do that for stand-alone programs. Use @kbd{set
2574 disable-randomization off} to try to reproduce such elusive bugs.
2576 On targets where it is available, virtual address space randomization
2577 protects the programs against certain kinds of security attacks. In these
2578 cases the attacker needs to know the exact location of a concrete executable
2579 code. Randomizing its location makes it impossible to inject jumps misusing
2580 a code at its expected addresses.
2582 Prelinking shared libraries provides a startup performance advantage but it
2583 makes addresses in these libraries predictable for privileged processes by
2584 having just unprivileged access at the target system. Reading the shared
2585 library binary gives enough information for assembling the malicious code
2586 misusing it. Still even a prelinked shared library can get loaded at a new
2587 random address just requiring the regular relocation process during the
2588 startup. Shared libraries not already prelinked are always loaded at
2589 a randomly chosen address.
2591 Position independent executables (PIE) contain position independent code
2592 similar to the shared libraries and therefore such executables get loaded at
2593 a randomly chosen address upon startup. PIE executables always load even
2594 already prelinked shared libraries at a random address. You can build such
2595 executable using @command{gcc -fPIE -pie}.
2597 Heap (malloc storage), stack and custom mmap areas are always placed randomly
2598 (as long as the randomization is enabled).
2600 @item show disable-randomization
2601 Show the current setting of the explicit disable of the native randomization of
2602 the virtual address space of the started program.
2607 @section Your Program's Arguments
2609 @cindex arguments (to your program)
2610 The arguments to your program can be specified by the arguments of the
2612 They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard characters and
2613 performs redirection of I/O, and thence to your program. Your
2614 @code{SHELL} environment variable (if it exists) specifies what shell
2615 @value{GDBN} uses. If you do not define @code{SHELL}, @value{GDBN} uses
2616 the default shell (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix).
2618 On non-Unix systems, the program is usually invoked directly by
2619 @value{GDBN}, which emulates I/O redirection via the appropriate system
2620 calls, and the wildcard characters are expanded by the startup code of
2621 the program, not by the shell.
2623 @code{run} with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
2624 @code{run}, or those set by the @code{set args} command.
2629 Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is run. If
2630 @code{set args} has no arguments, @code{run} executes your program
2631 with no arguments. Once you have run your program with arguments,
2632 using @code{set args} before the next @code{run} is the only way to run
2633 it again without arguments.
2637 Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
2641 @section Your Program's Environment
2643 @cindex environment (of your program)
2644 The @dfn{environment} consists of a set of environment variables and
2645 their values. Environment variables conventionally record such things as
2646 your user name, your home directory, your terminal type, and your search
2647 path for programs to run. Usually you set up environment variables with
2648 the shell and they are inherited by all the other programs you run. When
2649 debugging, it can be useful to try running your program with a modified
2650 environment without having to start @value{GDBN} over again.
2654 @item path @var{directory}
2655 Add @var{directory} to the front of the @code{PATH} environment variable
2656 (the search path for executables) that will be passed to your program.
2657 The value of @code{PATH} used by @value{GDBN} does not change.
2658 You may specify several directory names, separated by whitespace or by a
2659 system-dependent separator character (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on
2660 MS-DOS and MS-Windows). If @var{directory} is already in the path, it
2661 is moved to the front, so it is searched sooner.
2663 You can use the string @samp{$cwd} to refer to whatever is the current
2664 working directory at the time @value{GDBN} searches the path. If you
2665 use @samp{.} instead, it refers to the directory where you executed the
2666 @code{path} command. @value{GDBN} replaces @samp{.} in the
2667 @var{directory} argument (with the current path) before adding
2668 @var{directory} to the search path.
2669 @c 'path' is explicitly nonrepeatable, but RMS points out it is silly to
2670 @c document that, since repeating it would be a no-op.
2674 Display the list of search paths for executables (the @code{PATH}
2675 environment variable).
2677 @kindex show environment
2678 @item show environment @r{[}@var{varname}@r{]}
2679 Print the value of environment variable @var{varname} to be given to
2680 your program when it starts. If you do not supply @var{varname},
2681 print the names and values of all environment variables to be given to
2682 your program. You can abbreviate @code{environment} as @code{env}.
2684 @kindex set environment
2685 @anchor{set environment}
2686 @item set environment @var{varname} @r{[}=@var{value}@r{]}
2687 Set environment variable @var{varname} to @var{value}. The value
2688 changes for your program (and the shell @value{GDBN} uses to launch
2689 it), not for @value{GDBN} itself. The @var{value} may be any string; the
2690 values of environment variables are just strings, and any
2691 interpretation is supplied by your program itself. The @var{value}
2692 parameter is optional; if it is eliminated, the variable is set to a
2694 @c "any string" here does not include leading, trailing
2695 @c blanks. Gnu asks: does anyone care?
2697 For example, this command:
2704 tells the debugged program, when subsequently run, that its user is named
2705 @samp{foo}. (The spaces around @samp{=} are used for clarity here; they
2706 are not actually required.)
2708 Note that on Unix systems, @value{GDBN} runs your program via a shell,
2709 which also inherits the environment set with @code{set environment}.
2710 If necessary, you can avoid that by using the @samp{env} program as a
2711 wrapper instead of using @code{set environment}. @xref{set
2712 exec-wrapper}, for an example doing just that.
2714 Environment variables that are set by the user are also transmitted to
2715 @command{gdbserver} to be used when starting the remote inferior.
2716 @pxref{QEnvironmentHexEncoded}.
2718 @kindex unset environment
2719 @anchor{unset environment}
2720 @item unset environment @var{varname}
2721 Remove variable @var{varname} from the environment to be passed to your
2722 program. This is different from @samp{set env @var{varname} =};
2723 @code{unset environment} removes the variable from the environment,
2724 rather than assigning it an empty value.
2726 Environment variables that are unset by the user are also unset on
2727 @command{gdbserver} when starting the remote inferior.
2728 @pxref{QEnvironmentUnset}.
2731 @emph{Warning:} On Unix systems, @value{GDBN} runs your program using
2732 the shell indicated by your @code{SHELL} environment variable if it
2733 exists (or @code{/bin/sh} if not). If your @code{SHELL} variable
2734 names a shell that runs an initialization file when started
2735 non-interactively---such as @file{.cshrc} for C-shell, $@file{.zshenv}
2736 for the Z shell, or the file specified in the @samp{BASH_ENV}
2737 environment variable for BASH---any variables you set in that file
2738 affect your program. You may wish to move setting of environment
2739 variables to files that are only run when you sign on, such as
2740 @file{.login} or @file{.profile}.
2742 @node Working Directory
2743 @section Your Program's Working Directory
2745 @cindex working directory (of your program)
2746 Each time you start your program with @code{run}, the inferior will be
2747 initialized with the current working directory specified by the
2748 @kbd{set cwd} command. If no directory has been specified by this
2749 command, then the inferior will inherit @value{GDBN}'s current working
2750 directory as its working directory if native debugging, or it will
2751 inherit the remote server's current working directory if remote
2756 @cindex change inferior's working directory
2757 @anchor{set cwd command}
2758 @item set cwd @r{[}@var{directory}@r{]}
2759 Set the inferior's working directory to @var{directory}, which will be
2760 @code{glob}-expanded in order to resolve tildes (@file{~}). If no
2761 argument has been specified, the command clears the setting and resets
2762 it to an empty state. This setting has no effect on @value{GDBN}'s
2763 working directory, and it only takes effect the next time you start
2764 the inferior. The @file{~} in @var{directory} is a short for the
2765 @dfn{home directory}, usually pointed to by the @env{HOME} environment
2766 variable. On MS-Windows, if @env{HOME} is not defined, @value{GDBN}
2767 uses the concatenation of @env{HOMEDRIVE} and @env{HOMEPATH} as
2770 You can also change @value{GDBN}'s current working directory by using
2771 the @code{cd} command.
2775 @cindex show inferior's working directory
2777 Show the inferior's working directory. If no directory has been
2778 specified by @kbd{set cwd}, then the default inferior's working
2779 directory is the same as @value{GDBN}'s working directory.
2782 @cindex change @value{GDBN}'s working directory
2784 @item cd @r{[}@var{directory}@r{]}
2785 Set the @value{GDBN} working directory to @var{directory}. If not
2786 given, @var{directory} uses @file{'~'}.
2788 The @value{GDBN} working directory serves as a default for the
2789 commands that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on.
2790 @xref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}.
2791 @xref{set cwd command}.
2795 Print the @value{GDBN} working directory.
2798 It is generally impossible to find the current working directory of
2799 the process being debugged (since a program can change its directory
2800 during its run). If you work on a system where @value{GDBN} supports
2801 the @code{info proc} command (@pxref{Process Information}), you can
2802 use the @code{info proc} command to find out the
2803 current working directory of the debuggee.
2806 @section Your Program's Input and Output
2811 By default, the program you run under @value{GDBN} does input and output to
2812 the same terminal that @value{GDBN} uses. @value{GDBN} switches the terminal
2813 to its own terminal modes to interact with you, but it records the terminal
2814 modes your program was using and switches back to them when you continue
2815 running your program.
2818 @kindex info terminal
2820 Displays information recorded by @value{GDBN} about the terminal modes your
2824 You can redirect your program's input and/or output using shell
2825 redirection with the @code{run} command. For example,
2832 starts your program, diverting its output to the file @file{outfile}.
2835 @cindex controlling terminal
2836 Another way to specify where your program should do input and output is
2837 with the @code{tty} command. This command accepts a file name as
2838 argument, and causes this file to be the default for future @code{run}
2839 commands. It also resets the controlling terminal for the child
2840 process, for future @code{run} commands. For example,
2847 directs that processes started with subsequent @code{run} commands
2848 default to do input and output on the terminal @file{/dev/ttyb} and have
2849 that as their controlling terminal.
2851 An explicit redirection in @code{run} overrides the @code{tty} command's
2852 effect on the input/output device, but not its effect on the controlling
2855 When you use the @code{tty} command or redirect input in the @code{run}
2856 command, only the input @emph{for your program} is affected. The input
2857 for @value{GDBN} still comes from your terminal. @code{tty} is an alias
2858 for @code{set inferior-tty}.
2860 @cindex inferior tty
2861 @cindex set inferior controlling terminal
2862 You can use the @code{show inferior-tty} command to tell @value{GDBN} to
2863 display the name of the terminal that will be used for future runs of your
2867 @item set inferior-tty [ @var{tty} ]
2868 @kindex set inferior-tty
2869 Set the tty for the program being debugged to @var{tty}. Omitting @var{tty}
2870 restores the default behavior, which is to use the same terminal as
2873 @item show inferior-tty
2874 @kindex show inferior-tty
2875 Show the current tty for the program being debugged.
2879 @section Debugging an Already-running Process
2884 @item attach @var{process-id}
2885 This command attaches to a running process---one that was started
2886 outside @value{GDBN}. (@code{info files} shows your active
2887 targets.) The command takes as argument a process ID. The usual way to
2888 find out the @var{process-id} of a Unix process is with the @code{ps} utility,
2889 or with the @samp{jobs -l} shell command.
2891 @code{attach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} a second time after
2892 executing the command.
2895 To use @code{attach}, your program must be running in an environment
2896 which supports processes; for example, @code{attach} does not work for
2897 programs on bare-board targets that lack an operating system. You must
2898 also have permission to send the process a signal.
2900 When you use @code{attach}, the debugger finds the program running in
2901 the process first by looking in the current working directory, then (if
2902 the program is not found) by using the source file search path
2903 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}). You can also use
2904 the @code{file} command to load the program. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2907 The first thing @value{GDBN} does after arranging to debug the specified
2908 process is to stop it. You can examine and modify an attached process
2909 with all the @value{GDBN} commands that are ordinarily available when
2910 you start processes with @code{run}. You can insert breakpoints; you
2911 can step and continue; you can modify storage. If you would rather the
2912 process continue running, you may use the @code{continue} command after
2913 attaching @value{GDBN} to the process.
2918 When you have finished debugging the attached process, you can use the
2919 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control. Detaching
2920 the process continues its execution. After the @code{detach} command,
2921 that process and @value{GDBN} become completely independent once more, and you
2922 are ready to @code{attach} another process or start one with @code{run}.
2923 @code{detach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
2924 executing the command.
2927 If you exit @value{GDBN} while you have an attached process, you detach
2928 that process. If you use the @code{run} command, you kill that process.
2929 By default, @value{GDBN} asks for confirmation if you try to do either of these
2930 things; you can control whether or not you need to confirm by using the
2931 @code{set confirm} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
2935 @section Killing the Child Process
2940 Kill the child process in which your program is running under @value{GDBN}.
2943 This command is useful if you wish to debug a core dump instead of a
2944 running process. @value{GDBN} ignores any core dump file while your program
2947 On some operating systems, a program cannot be executed outside @value{GDBN}
2948 while you have breakpoints set on it inside @value{GDBN}. You can use the
2949 @code{kill} command in this situation to permit running your program
2950 outside the debugger.
2952 The @code{kill} command is also useful if you wish to recompile and
2953 relink your program, since on many systems it is impossible to modify an
2954 executable file while it is running in a process. In this case, when you
2955 next type @code{run}, @value{GDBN} notices that the file has changed, and
2956 reads the symbol table again (while trying to preserve your current
2957 breakpoint settings).
2959 @node Inferiors and Programs
2960 @section Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs
2962 @value{GDBN} lets you run and debug multiple programs in a single
2963 session. In addition, @value{GDBN} on some systems may let you run
2964 several programs simultaneously (otherwise you have to exit from one
2965 before starting another). In the most general case, you can have
2966 multiple threads of execution in each of multiple processes, launched
2967 from multiple executables.
2970 @value{GDBN} represents the state of each program execution with an
2971 object called an @dfn{inferior}. An inferior typically corresponds to
2972 a process, but is more general and applies also to targets that do not
2973 have processes. Inferiors may be created before a process runs, and
2974 may be retained after a process exits. Inferiors have unique
2975 identifiers that are different from process ids. Usually each
2976 inferior will also have its own distinct address space, although some
2977 embedded targets may have several inferiors running in different parts
2978 of a single address space. Each inferior may in turn have multiple
2979 threads running in it.
2981 To find out what inferiors exist at any moment, use @w{@code{info
2985 @kindex info inferiors [ @var{id}@dots{} ]
2986 @item info inferiors
2987 Print a list of all inferiors currently being managed by @value{GDBN}.
2988 By default all inferiors are printed, but the argument @var{id}@dots{}
2989 -- a space separated list of inferior numbers -- can be used to limit
2990 the display to just the requested inferiors.
2992 @value{GDBN} displays for each inferior (in this order):
2996 the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2999 the target system's inferior identifier
3002 the name of the executable the inferior is running.
3007 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} inferior number
3008 indicates the current inferior.
3012 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
3015 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3016 Num Description Executable
3017 2 process 2307 hello
3018 * 1 process 3401 goodbye
3021 To switch focus between inferiors, use the @code{inferior} command:
3024 @kindex inferior @var{infno}
3025 @item inferior @var{infno}
3026 Make inferior number @var{infno} the current inferior. The argument
3027 @var{infno} is the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}, as shown
3028 in the first field of the @samp{info inferiors} display.
3031 @vindex $_inferior@r{, convenience variable}
3032 The debugger convenience variable @samp{$_inferior} contains the
3033 number of the current inferior. You may find this useful in writing
3034 breakpoint conditional expressions, command scripts, and so forth.
3035 @xref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for general
3036 information on convenience variables.
3038 You can get multiple executables into a debugging session via the
3039 @code{add-inferior} and @w{@code{clone-inferior}} commands. On some
3040 systems @value{GDBN} can add inferiors to the debug session
3041 automatically by following calls to @code{fork} and @code{exec}. To
3042 remove inferiors from the debugging session use the
3043 @w{@code{remove-inferiors}} command.
3046 @kindex add-inferior
3047 @item add-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ -exec @var{executable} ]
3048 Adds @var{n} inferiors to be run using @var{executable} as the
3049 executable; @var{n} defaults to 1. If no executable is specified,
3050 the inferiors begins empty, with no program. You can still assign or
3051 change the program assigned to the inferior at any time by using the
3052 @code{file} command with the executable name as its argument.
3054 @kindex clone-inferior
3055 @item clone-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ @var{infno} ]
3056 Adds @var{n} inferiors ready to execute the same program as inferior
3057 @var{infno}; @var{n} defaults to 1, and @var{infno} defaults to the
3058 number of the current inferior. This is a convenient command when you
3059 want to run another instance of the inferior you are debugging.
3062 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3063 Num Description Executable
3064 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
3065 (@value{GDBP}) clone-inferior
3068 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3069 Num Description Executable
3071 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
3074 You can now simply switch focus to inferior 2 and run it.
3076 @kindex remove-inferiors
3077 @item remove-inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
3078 Removes the inferior or inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}. It is not
3079 possible to remove an inferior that is running with this command. For
3080 those, use the @code{kill} or @code{detach} command first.
3084 To quit debugging one of the running inferiors that is not the current
3085 inferior, you can either detach from it by using the @w{@code{detach
3086 inferior}} command (allowing it to run independently), or kill it
3087 using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}} command:
3090 @kindex detach inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
3091 @item detach inferior @var{infno}@dots{}
3092 Detach from the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN}
3093 inferior number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry
3094 still stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors},
3095 but its Description will show @samp{<null>}.
3097 @kindex kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
3098 @item kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
3099 Kill the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN} inferior
3100 number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry still
3101 stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors}, but its
3102 Description will show @samp{<null>}.
3105 After the successful completion of a command such as @code{detach},
3106 @code{detach inferiors}, @code{kill} or @code{kill inferiors}, or after
3107 a normal process exit, the inferior is still valid and listed with
3108 @code{info inferiors}, ready to be restarted.
3111 To be notified when inferiors are started or exit under @value{GDBN}'s
3112 control use @w{@code{set print inferior-events}}:
3115 @kindex set print inferior-events
3116 @cindex print messages on inferior start and exit
3117 @item set print inferior-events
3118 @itemx set print inferior-events on
3119 @itemx set print inferior-events off
3120 The @code{set print inferior-events} command allows you to enable or
3121 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new
3122 inferiors have started or that inferiors have exited or have been
3123 detached. By default, these messages will not be printed.
3125 @kindex show print inferior-events
3126 @item show print inferior-events
3127 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that
3128 inferiors have started, exited or have been detached.
3131 Many commands will work the same with multiple programs as with a
3132 single program: e.g., @code{print myglobal} will simply display the
3133 value of @code{myglobal} in the current inferior.
3136 Occasionally, when debugging @value{GDBN} itself, it may be useful to
3137 get more info about the relationship of inferiors, programs, address
3138 spaces in a debug session. You can do that with the @w{@code{maint
3139 info program-spaces}} command.
3142 @kindex maint info program-spaces
3143 @item maint info program-spaces
3144 Print a list of all program spaces currently being managed by
3147 @value{GDBN} displays for each program space (in this order):
3151 the program space number assigned by @value{GDBN}
3154 the name of the executable loaded into the program space, with e.g.,
3155 the @code{file} command.
3160 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} program space number
3161 indicates the current program space.
3163 In addition, below each program space line, @value{GDBN} prints extra
3164 information that isn't suitable to display in tabular form. For
3165 example, the list of inferiors bound to the program space.
3168 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
3172 Bound inferiors: ID 1 (process 21561)
3175 Here we can see that no inferior is running the program @code{hello},
3176 while @code{process 21561} is running the program @code{goodbye}. On
3177 some targets, it is possible that multiple inferiors are bound to the
3178 same program space. The most common example is that of debugging both
3179 the parent and child processes of a @code{vfork} call. For example,
3182 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
3185 Bound inferiors: ID 2 (process 18050), ID 1 (process 18045)
3188 Here, both inferior 2 and inferior 1 are running in the same program
3189 space as a result of inferior 1 having executed a @code{vfork} call.
3193 @section Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads
3195 @cindex threads of execution
3196 @cindex multiple threads
3197 @cindex switching threads
3198 In some operating systems, such as GNU/Linux and Solaris, a single program
3199 may have more than one @dfn{thread} of execution. The precise semantics
3200 of threads differ from one operating system to another, but in general
3201 the threads of a single program are akin to multiple processes---except
3202 that they share one address space (that is, they can all examine and
3203 modify the same variables). On the other hand, each thread has its own
3204 registers and execution stack, and perhaps private memory.
3206 @value{GDBN} provides these facilities for debugging multi-thread
3210 @item automatic notification of new threads
3211 @item @samp{thread @var{thread-id}}, a command to switch among threads
3212 @item @samp{info threads}, a command to inquire about existing threads
3213 @item @samp{thread apply [@var{thread-id-list} | all] @var{args}},
3214 a command to apply a command to a list of threads
3215 @item thread-specific breakpoints
3216 @item @samp{set print thread-events}, which controls printing of
3217 messages on thread start and exit.
3218 @item @samp{set libthread-db-search-path @var{path}}, which lets
3219 the user specify which @code{libthread_db} to use if the default choice
3220 isn't compatible with the program.
3223 @cindex focus of debugging
3224 @cindex current thread
3225 The @value{GDBN} thread debugging facility allows you to observe all
3226 threads while your program runs---but whenever @value{GDBN} takes
3227 control, one thread in particular is always the focus of debugging.
3228 This thread is called the @dfn{current thread}. Debugging commands show
3229 program information from the perspective of the current thread.
3231 @cindex @code{New} @var{systag} message
3232 @cindex thread identifier (system)
3233 @c FIXME-implementors!! It would be more helpful if the [New...] message
3234 @c included GDB's numeric thread handle, so you could just go to that
3235 @c thread without first checking `info threads'.
3236 Whenever @value{GDBN} detects a new thread in your program, it displays
3237 the target system's identification for the thread with a message in the
3238 form @samp{[New @var{systag}]}, where @var{systag} is a thread identifier
3239 whose form varies depending on the particular system. For example, on
3240 @sc{gnu}/Linux, you might see
3243 [New Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 25582)]
3247 when @value{GDBN} notices a new thread. In contrast, on other systems,
3248 the @var{systag} is simply something like @samp{process 368}, with no
3251 @c FIXME!! (1) Does the [New...] message appear even for the very first
3252 @c thread of a program, or does it only appear for the
3253 @c second---i.e.@: when it becomes obvious we have a multithread
3255 @c (2) *Is* there necessarily a first thread always? Or do some
3256 @c multithread systems permit starting a program with multiple
3257 @c threads ab initio?
3259 @anchor{thread numbers}
3260 @cindex thread number, per inferior
3261 @cindex thread identifier (GDB)
3262 For debugging purposes, @value{GDBN} associates its own thread number
3263 ---always a single integer---with each thread of an inferior. This
3264 number is unique between all threads of an inferior, but not unique
3265 between threads of different inferiors.
3267 @cindex qualified thread ID
3268 You can refer to a given thread in an inferior using the qualified
3269 @var{inferior-num}.@var{thread-num} syntax, also known as
3270 @dfn{qualified thread ID}, with @var{inferior-num} being the inferior
3271 number and @var{thread-num} being the thread number of the given
3272 inferior. For example, thread @code{2.3} refers to thread number 3 of
3273 inferior 2. If you omit @var{inferior-num} (e.g., @code{thread 3}),
3274 then @value{GDBN} infers you're referring to a thread of the current
3277 Until you create a second inferior, @value{GDBN} does not show the
3278 @var{inferior-num} part of thread IDs, even though you can always use
3279 the full @var{inferior-num}.@var{thread-num} form to refer to threads
3280 of inferior 1, the initial inferior.
3282 @anchor{thread ID lists}
3283 @cindex thread ID lists
3284 Some commands accept a space-separated @dfn{thread ID list} as
3285 argument. A list element can be:
3289 A thread ID as shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads}
3290 display, with or without an inferior qualifier. E.g., @samp{2.1} or
3294 A range of thread numbers, again with or without an inferior
3295 qualifier, as in @var{inf}.@var{thr1}-@var{thr2} or
3296 @var{thr1}-@var{thr2}. E.g., @samp{1.2-4} or @samp{2-4}.
3299 All threads of an inferior, specified with a star wildcard, with or
3300 without an inferior qualifier, as in @var{inf}.@code{*} (e.g.,
3301 @samp{1.*}) or @code{*}. The former refers to all threads of the
3302 given inferior, and the latter form without an inferior qualifier
3303 refers to all threads of the current inferior.
3307 For example, if the current inferior is 1, and inferior 7 has one
3308 thread with ID 7.1, the thread list @samp{1 2-3 4.5 6.7-9 7.*}
3309 includes threads 1 to 3 of inferior 1, thread 5 of inferior 4, threads
3310 7 to 9 of inferior 6 and all threads of inferior 7. That is, in
3311 expanded qualified form, the same as @samp{1.1 1.2 1.3 4.5 6.7 6.8 6.9
3315 @anchor{global thread numbers}
3316 @cindex global thread number
3317 @cindex global thread identifier (GDB)
3318 In addition to a @emph{per-inferior} number, each thread is also
3319 assigned a unique @emph{global} number, also known as @dfn{global
3320 thread ID}, a single integer. Unlike the thread number component of
3321 the thread ID, no two threads have the same global ID, even when
3322 you're debugging multiple inferiors.
3324 From @value{GDBN}'s perspective, a process always has at least one
3325 thread. In other words, @value{GDBN} assigns a thread number to the
3326 program's ``main thread'' even if the program is not multi-threaded.
3328 @vindex $_thread@r{, convenience variable}
3329 @vindex $_gthread@r{, convenience variable}
3330 The debugger convenience variables @samp{$_thread} and
3331 @samp{$_gthread} contain, respectively, the per-inferior thread number
3332 and the global thread number of the current thread. You may find this
3333 useful in writing breakpoint conditional expressions, command scripts,
3334 and so forth. @xref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for
3335 general information on convenience variables.
3337 If @value{GDBN} detects the program is multi-threaded, it augments the
3338 usual message about stopping at a breakpoint with the ID and name of
3339 the thread that hit the breakpoint.
3342 Thread 2 "client" hit Breakpoint 1, send_message () at client.c:68
3345 Likewise when the program receives a signal:
3348 Thread 1 "main" received signal SIGINT, Interrupt.
3352 @kindex info threads
3353 @item info threads @r{[}@var{thread-id-list}@r{]}
3355 Display information about one or more threads. With no arguments
3356 displays information about all threads. You can specify the list of
3357 threads that you want to display using the thread ID list syntax
3358 (@pxref{thread ID lists}).
3360 @value{GDBN} displays for each thread (in this order):
3364 the per-inferior thread number assigned by @value{GDBN}
3367 the global thread number assigned by @value{GDBN}, if the @samp{-gid}
3368 option was specified
3371 the target system's thread identifier (@var{systag})
3374 the thread's name, if one is known. A thread can either be named by
3375 the user (see @code{thread name}, below), or, in some cases, by the
3379 the current stack frame summary for that thread
3383 An asterisk @samp{*} to the left of the @value{GDBN} thread number
3384 indicates the current thread.
3388 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
3391 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
3393 * 1 process 35 thread 13 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
3394 2 process 35 thread 23 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
3395 3 process 35 thread 27 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
3399 If you're debugging multiple inferiors, @value{GDBN} displays thread
3400 IDs using the qualified @var{inferior-num}.@var{thread-num} format.
3401 Otherwise, only @var{thread-num} is shown.
3403 If you specify the @samp{-gid} option, @value{GDBN} displays a column
3404 indicating each thread's global thread ID:
3407 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
3408 Id GId Target Id Frame
3409 1.1 1 process 35 thread 13 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
3410 1.2 3 process 35 thread 23 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
3411 1.3 4 process 35 thread 27 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
3412 * 2.1 2 process 65 thread 1 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
3415 On Solaris, you can display more information about user threads with a
3416 Solaris-specific command:
3419 @item maint info sol-threads
3420 @kindex maint info sol-threads
3421 @cindex thread info (Solaris)
3422 Display info on Solaris user threads.
3426 @kindex thread @var{thread-id}
3427 @item thread @var{thread-id}
3428 Make thread ID @var{thread-id} the current thread. The command
3429 argument @var{thread-id} is the @value{GDBN} thread ID, as shown in
3430 the first field of the @samp{info threads} display, with or without an
3431 inferior qualifier (e.g., @samp{2.1} or @samp{1}).
3433 @value{GDBN} responds by displaying the system identifier of the
3434 thread you selected, and its current stack frame summary:
3437 (@value{GDBP}) thread 2
3438 [Switching to thread 2 (Thread 0xb7fdab70 (LWP 12747))]
3439 #0 some_function (ignore=0x0) at example.c:8
3440 8 printf ("hello\n");
3444 As with the @samp{[New @dots{}]} message, the form of the text after
3445 @samp{Switching to} depends on your system's conventions for identifying
3448 @anchor{thread apply all}
3449 @kindex thread apply
3450 @cindex apply command to several threads
3451 @item thread apply [@var{thread-id-list} | all [-ascending]] [@var{flag}]@dots{} @var{command}
3452 The @code{thread apply} command allows you to apply the named
3453 @var{command} to one or more threads. Specify the threads that you
3454 want affected using the thread ID list syntax (@pxref{thread ID
3455 lists}), or specify @code{all} to apply to all threads. To apply a
3456 command to all threads in descending order, type @kbd{thread apply all
3457 @var{command}}. To apply a command to all threads in ascending order,
3458 type @kbd{thread apply all -ascending @var{command}}.
3460 The @var{flag} arguments control what output to produce and how to handle
3461 errors raised when applying @var{command} to a thread. @var{flag}
3462 must start with a @code{-} directly followed by one letter in
3463 @code{qcs}. If several flags are provided, they must be given
3464 individually, such as @code{-c -q}.
3466 By default, @value{GDBN} displays some thread information before the
3467 output produced by @var{command}, and an error raised during the
3468 execution of a @var{command} will abort @code{thread apply}. The
3469 following flags can be used to fine-tune this behavior:
3473 The flag @code{-c}, which stands for @samp{continue}, causes any
3474 errors in @var{command} to be displayed, and the execution of
3475 @code{thread apply} then continues.
3477 The flag @code{-s}, which stands for @samp{silent}, causes any errors
3478 or empty output produced by a @var{command} to be silently ignored.
3479 That is, the execution continues, but the thread information and errors
3482 The flag @code{-q} (@samp{quiet}) disables printing the thread
3486 Flags @code{-c} and @code{-s} cannot be used together.
3489 @cindex apply command to all threads (ignoring errors and empty output)
3490 @item taas [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{command}
3491 Shortcut for @code{thread apply all -s [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{command}}.
3492 Applies @var{command} on all threads, ignoring errors and empty output.
3494 The @code{taas} command accepts the same options as the @code{thread
3495 apply all} command. @xref{thread apply all}.
3498 @cindex apply a command to all frames of all threads (ignoring errors and empty output)
3499 @item tfaas [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{command}
3500 Shortcut for @code{thread apply all -s -- frame apply all -s [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{command}}.
3501 Applies @var{command} on all frames of all threads, ignoring errors
3502 and empty output. Note that the flag @code{-s} is specified twice:
3503 The first @code{-s} ensures that @code{thread apply} only shows the thread
3504 information of the threads for which @code{frame apply} produces
3505 some output. The second @code{-s} is needed to ensure that @code{frame
3506 apply} shows the frame information of a frame only if the
3507 @var{command} successfully produced some output.
3509 It can for example be used to print a local variable or a function
3510 argument without knowing the thread or frame where this variable or argument
3513 (@value{GDBP}) tfaas p some_local_var_i_do_not_remember_where_it_is
3516 The @code{tfaas} command accepts the same options as the @code{frame
3517 apply} command. @xref{frame apply}.
3520 @cindex name a thread
3521 @item thread name [@var{name}]
3522 This command assigns a name to the current thread. If no argument is
3523 given, any existing user-specified name is removed. The thread name
3524 appears in the @samp{info threads} display.
3526 On some systems, such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, @value{GDBN} is able to
3527 determine the name of the thread as given by the OS. On these
3528 systems, a name specified with @samp{thread name} will override the
3529 system-give name, and removing the user-specified name will cause
3530 @value{GDBN} to once again display the system-specified name.
3533 @cindex search for a thread
3534 @item thread find [@var{regexp}]
3535 Search for and display thread ids whose name or @var{systag}
3536 matches the supplied regular expression.
3538 As well as being the complement to the @samp{thread name} command,
3539 this command also allows you to identify a thread by its target
3540 @var{systag}. For instance, on @sc{gnu}/Linux, the target @var{systag}
3544 (@value{GDBN}) thread find 26688
3545 Thread 4 has target id 'Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688)'
3546 (@value{GDBN}) info thread 4
3548 4 Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688) 0x00000031ca6cd372 in select ()
3551 @kindex set print thread-events
3552 @cindex print messages on thread start and exit
3553 @item set print thread-events
3554 @itemx set print thread-events on
3555 @itemx set print thread-events off
3556 The @code{set print thread-events} command allows you to enable or
3557 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new threads have
3558 started or that threads have exited. By default, these messages will
3559 be printed if detection of these events is supported by the target.
3560 Note that these messages cannot be disabled on all targets.
3562 @kindex show print thread-events
3563 @item show print thread-events
3564 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that threads
3565 have started and exited.
3568 @xref{Thread Stops,,Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs}, for
3569 more information about how @value{GDBN} behaves when you stop and start
3570 programs with multiple threads.
3572 @xref{Set Watchpoints,,Setting Watchpoints}, for information about
3573 watchpoints in programs with multiple threads.
3575 @anchor{set libthread-db-search-path}
3577 @kindex set libthread-db-search-path
3578 @cindex search path for @code{libthread_db}
3579 @item set libthread-db-search-path @r{[}@var{path}@r{]}
3580 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
3581 directories @value{GDBN} will use to search for @code{libthread_db}.
3582 If you omit @var{path}, @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to
3583 its default value (@code{$sdir:$pdir} on @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems).
3584 Internally, the default value comes from the @code{LIBTHREAD_DB_SEARCH_PATH}
3587 On @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems, @value{GDBN} uses a ``helper''
3588 @code{libthread_db} library to obtain information about threads in the
3589 inferior process. @value{GDBN} will use @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
3590 to find @code{libthread_db}. @value{GDBN} also consults first if inferior
3591 specific thread debugging library loading is enabled
3592 by @samp{set auto-load libthread-db} (@pxref{libthread_db.so.1 file}).
3594 A special entry @samp{$sdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
3595 refers to the default system directories that are
3596 normally searched for loading shared libraries. The @samp{$sdir} entry
3597 is the only kind not needing to be enabled by @samp{set auto-load libthread-db}
3598 (@pxref{libthread_db.so.1 file}).
3600 A special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
3601 refers to the directory from which @code{libpthread}
3602 was loaded in the inferior process.
3604 For any @code{libthread_db} library @value{GDBN} finds in above directories,
3605 @value{GDBN} attempts to initialize it with the current inferior process.
3606 If this initialization fails (which could happen because of a version
3607 mismatch between @code{libthread_db} and @code{libpthread}), @value{GDBN}
3608 will unload @code{libthread_db}, and continue with the next directory.
3609 If none of @code{libthread_db} libraries initialize successfully,
3610 @value{GDBN} will issue a warning and thread debugging will be disabled.
3612 Setting @code{libthread-db-search-path} is currently implemented
3613 only on some platforms.
3615 @kindex show libthread-db-search-path
3616 @item show libthread-db-search-path
3617 Display current libthread_db search path.
3619 @kindex set debug libthread-db
3620 @kindex show debug libthread-db
3621 @cindex debugging @code{libthread_db}
3622 @item set debug libthread-db
3623 @itemx show debug libthread-db
3624 Turns on or off display of @code{libthread_db}-related events.
3625 Use @code{1} to enable, @code{0} to disable.
3629 @section Debugging Forks
3631 @cindex fork, debugging programs which call
3632 @cindex multiple processes
3633 @cindex processes, multiple
3634 On most systems, @value{GDBN} has no special support for debugging
3635 programs which create additional processes using the @code{fork}
3636 function. When a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug the
3637 parent process and the child process will run unimpeded. If you have
3638 set a breakpoint in any code which the child then executes, the child
3639 will get a @code{SIGTRAP} signal which (unless it catches the signal)
3640 will cause it to terminate.
3642 However, if you want to debug the child process there is a workaround
3643 which isn't too painful. Put a call to @code{sleep} in the code which
3644 the child process executes after the fork. It may be useful to sleep
3645 only if a certain environment variable is set, or a certain file exists,
3646 so that the delay need not occur when you don't want to run @value{GDBN}
3647 on the child. While the child is sleeping, use the @code{ps} program to
3648 get its process ID. Then tell @value{GDBN} (a new invocation of
3649 @value{GDBN} if you are also debugging the parent process) to attach to
3650 the child process (@pxref{Attach}). From that point on you can debug
3651 the child process just like any other process which you attached to.
3653 On some systems, @value{GDBN} provides support for debugging programs
3654 that create additional processes using the @code{fork} or @code{vfork}
3655 functions. On @sc{gnu}/Linux platforms, this feature is supported
3656 with kernel version 2.5.46 and later.
3658 The fork debugging commands are supported in native mode and when
3659 connected to @code{gdbserver} in either @code{target remote} mode or
3660 @code{target extended-remote} mode.
3662 By default, when a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug
3663 the parent process and the child process will run unimpeded.
3665 If you want to follow the child process instead of the parent process,
3666 use the command @w{@code{set follow-fork-mode}}.
3669 @kindex set follow-fork-mode
3670 @item set follow-fork-mode @var{mode}
3671 Set the debugger response to a program call of @code{fork} or
3672 @code{vfork}. A call to @code{fork} or @code{vfork} creates a new
3673 process. The @var{mode} argument can be:
3677 The original process is debugged after a fork. The child process runs
3678 unimpeded. This is the default.
3681 The new process is debugged after a fork. The parent process runs
3686 @kindex show follow-fork-mode
3687 @item show follow-fork-mode
3688 Display the current debugger response to a @code{fork} or @code{vfork} call.
3691 @cindex debugging multiple processes
3692 On Linux, if you want to debug both the parent and child processes, use the
3693 command @w{@code{set detach-on-fork}}.
3696 @kindex set detach-on-fork
3697 @item set detach-on-fork @var{mode}
3698 Tells gdb whether to detach one of the processes after a fork, or
3699 retain debugger control over them both.
3703 The child process (or parent process, depending on the value of
3704 @code{follow-fork-mode}) will be detached and allowed to run
3705 independently. This is the default.
3708 Both processes will be held under the control of @value{GDBN}.
3709 One process (child or parent, depending on the value of
3710 @code{follow-fork-mode}) is debugged as usual, while the other
3715 @kindex show detach-on-fork
3716 @item show detach-on-fork
3717 Show whether detach-on-fork mode is on/off.
3720 If you choose to set @samp{detach-on-fork} mode off, then @value{GDBN}
3721 will retain control of all forked processes (including nested forks).
3722 You can list the forked processes under the control of @value{GDBN} by
3723 using the @w{@code{info inferiors}} command, and switch from one fork
3724 to another by using the @code{inferior} command (@pxref{Inferiors and
3725 Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs}).
3727 To quit debugging one of the forked processes, you can either detach
3728 from it by using the @w{@code{detach inferiors}} command (allowing it
3729 to run independently), or kill it using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}}
3730 command. @xref{Inferiors and Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors
3733 If you ask to debug a child process and a @code{vfork} is followed by an
3734 @code{exec}, @value{GDBN} executes the new target up to the first
3735 breakpoint in the new target. If you have a breakpoint set on
3736 @code{main} in your original program, the breakpoint will also be set on
3737 the child process's @code{main}.
3739 On some systems, when a child process is spawned by @code{vfork}, you
3740 cannot debug the child or parent until an @code{exec} call completes.
3742 If you issue a @code{run} command to @value{GDBN} after an @code{exec}
3743 call executes, the new target restarts. To restart the parent
3744 process, use the @code{file} command with the parent executable name
3745 as its argument. By default, after an @code{exec} call executes,
3746 @value{GDBN} discards the symbols of the previous executable image.
3747 You can change this behaviour with the @w{@code{set follow-exec-mode}}
3751 @kindex set follow-exec-mode
3752 @item set follow-exec-mode @var{mode}
3754 Set debugger response to a program call of @code{exec}. An
3755 @code{exec} call replaces the program image of a process.
3757 @code{follow-exec-mode} can be:
3761 @value{GDBN} creates a new inferior and rebinds the process to this
3762 new inferior. The program the process was running before the
3763 @code{exec} call can be restarted afterwards by restarting the
3769 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3771 Id Description Executable
3774 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3775 Program exited normally.
3776 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3777 Id Description Executable
3783 @value{GDBN} keeps the process bound to the same inferior. The new
3784 executable image replaces the previous executable loaded in the
3785 inferior. Restarting the inferior after the @code{exec} call, with
3786 e.g., the @code{run} command, restarts the executable the process was
3787 running after the @code{exec} call. This is the default mode.
3792 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3793 Id Description Executable
3796 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3797 Program exited normally.
3798 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3799 Id Description Executable
3806 @code{follow-exec-mode} is supported in native mode and
3807 @code{target extended-remote} mode.
3809 You can use the @code{catch} command to make @value{GDBN} stop whenever
3810 a @code{fork}, @code{vfork}, or @code{exec} call is made. @xref{Set
3811 Catchpoints, ,Setting Catchpoints}.
3813 @node Checkpoint/Restart
3814 @section Setting a @emph{Bookmark} to Return to Later
3819 @cindex snapshot of a process
3820 @cindex rewind program state
3822 On certain operating systems@footnote{Currently, only
3823 @sc{gnu}/Linux.}, @value{GDBN} is able to save a @dfn{snapshot} of a
3824 program's state, called a @dfn{checkpoint}, and come back to it
3827 Returning to a checkpoint effectively undoes everything that has
3828 happened in the program since the @code{checkpoint} was saved. This
3829 includes changes in memory, registers, and even (within some limits)
3830 system state. Effectively, it is like going back in time to the
3831 moment when the checkpoint was saved.
3833 Thus, if you're stepping thru a program and you think you're
3834 getting close to the point where things go wrong, you can save
3835 a checkpoint. Then, if you accidentally go too far and miss
3836 the critical statement, instead of having to restart your program
3837 from the beginning, you can just go back to the checkpoint and
3838 start again from there.
3840 This can be especially useful if it takes a lot of time or
3841 steps to reach the point where you think the bug occurs.
3843 To use the @code{checkpoint}/@code{restart} method of debugging:
3848 Save a snapshot of the debugged program's current execution state.
3849 The @code{checkpoint} command takes no arguments, but each checkpoint
3850 is assigned a small integer id, similar to a breakpoint id.
3852 @kindex info checkpoints
3853 @item info checkpoints
3854 List the checkpoints that have been saved in the current debugging
3855 session. For each checkpoint, the following information will be
3862 @item Source line, or label
3865 @kindex restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3866 @item restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3867 Restore the program state that was saved as checkpoint number
3868 @var{checkpoint-id}. All program variables, registers, stack frames
3869 etc.@: will be returned to the values that they had when the checkpoint
3870 was saved. In essence, gdb will ``wind back the clock'' to the point
3871 in time when the checkpoint was saved.
3873 Note that breakpoints, @value{GDBN} variables, command history etc.
3874 are not affected by restoring a checkpoint. In general, a checkpoint
3875 only restores things that reside in the program being debugged, not in
3878 @kindex delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3879 @item delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3880 Delete the previously-saved checkpoint identified by @var{checkpoint-id}.
3884 Returning to a previously saved checkpoint will restore the user state
3885 of the program being debugged, plus a significant subset of the system
3886 (OS) state, including file pointers. It won't ``un-write'' data from
3887 a file, but it will rewind the file pointer to the previous location,
3888 so that the previously written data can be overwritten. For files
3889 opened in read mode, the pointer will also be restored so that the
3890 previously read data can be read again.
3892 Of course, characters that have been sent to a printer (or other
3893 external device) cannot be ``snatched back'', and characters received
3894 from eg.@: a serial device can be removed from internal program buffers,
3895 but they cannot be ``pushed back'' into the serial pipeline, ready to
3896 be received again. Similarly, the actual contents of files that have
3897 been changed cannot be restored (at this time).
3899 However, within those constraints, you actually can ``rewind'' your
3900 program to a previously saved point in time, and begin debugging it
3901 again --- and you can change the course of events so as to debug a
3902 different execution path this time.
3904 @cindex checkpoints and process id
3905 Finally, there is one bit of internal program state that will be
3906 different when you return to a checkpoint --- the program's process
3907 id. Each checkpoint will have a unique process id (or @var{pid}),
3908 and each will be different from the program's original @var{pid}.
3909 If your program has saved a local copy of its process id, this could
3910 potentially pose a problem.
3912 @subsection A Non-obvious Benefit of Using Checkpoints
3914 On some systems such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, address space randomization
3915 is performed on new processes for security reasons. This makes it
3916 difficult or impossible to set a breakpoint, or watchpoint, on an
3917 absolute address if you have to restart the program, since the
3918 absolute location of a symbol will change from one execution to the
3921 A checkpoint, however, is an @emph{identical} copy of a process.
3922 Therefore if you create a checkpoint at (eg.@:) the start of main,
3923 and simply return to that checkpoint instead of restarting the
3924 process, you can avoid the effects of address randomization and
3925 your symbols will all stay in the same place.
3928 @chapter Stopping and Continuing
3930 The principal purposes of using a debugger are so that you can stop your
3931 program before it terminates; or so that, if your program runs into
3932 trouble, you can investigate and find out why.
3934 Inside @value{GDBN}, your program may stop for any of several reasons,
3935 such as a signal, a breakpoint, or reaching a new line after a
3936 @value{GDBN} command such as @code{step}. You may then examine and
3937 change variables, set new breakpoints or remove old ones, and then
3938 continue execution. Usually, the messages shown by @value{GDBN} provide
3939 ample explanation of the status of your program---but you can also
3940 explicitly request this information at any time.
3943 @kindex info program
3945 Display information about the status of your program: whether it is
3946 running or not, what process it is, and why it stopped.
3950 * Breakpoints:: Breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints
3951 * Continuing and Stepping:: Resuming execution
3952 * Skipping Over Functions and Files::
3953 Skipping over functions and files
3955 * Thread Stops:: Stopping and starting multi-thread programs
3959 @section Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Catchpoints
3962 A @dfn{breakpoint} makes your program stop whenever a certain point in
3963 the program is reached. For each breakpoint, you can add conditions to
3964 control in finer detail whether your program stops. You can set
3965 breakpoints with the @code{break} command and its variants (@pxref{Set
3966 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}), to specify the place where your program
3967 should stop by line number, function name or exact address in the
3970 On some systems, you can set breakpoints in shared libraries before
3971 the executable is run.
3974 @cindex data breakpoints
3975 @cindex memory tracing
3976 @cindex breakpoint on memory address
3977 @cindex breakpoint on variable modification
3978 A @dfn{watchpoint} is a special breakpoint that stops your program
3979 when the value of an expression changes. The expression may be a value
3980 of a variable, or it could involve values of one or more variables
3981 combined by operators, such as @samp{a + b}. This is sometimes called
3982 @dfn{data breakpoints}. You must use a different command to set
3983 watchpoints (@pxref{Set Watchpoints, ,Setting Watchpoints}), but aside
3984 from that, you can manage a watchpoint like any other breakpoint: you
3985 enable, disable, and delete both breakpoints and watchpoints using the
3988 You can arrange to have values from your program displayed automatically
3989 whenever @value{GDBN} stops at a breakpoint. @xref{Auto Display,,
3993 @cindex breakpoint on events
3994 A @dfn{catchpoint} is another special breakpoint that stops your program
3995 when a certain kind of event occurs, such as the throwing of a C@t{++}
3996 exception or the loading of a library. As with watchpoints, you use a
3997 different command to set a catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints, ,Setting
3998 Catchpoints}), but aside from that, you can manage a catchpoint like any
3999 other breakpoint. (To stop when your program receives a signal, use the
4000 @code{handle} command; see @ref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
4002 @cindex breakpoint numbers
4003 @cindex numbers for breakpoints
4004 @value{GDBN} assigns a number to each breakpoint, watchpoint, or
4005 catchpoint when you create it; these numbers are successive integers
4006 starting with one. In many of the commands for controlling various
4007 features of breakpoints you use the breakpoint number to say which
4008 breakpoint you want to change. Each breakpoint may be @dfn{enabled} or
4009 @dfn{disabled}; if disabled, it has no effect on your program until you
4012 @cindex breakpoint ranges
4013 @cindex breakpoint lists
4014 @cindex ranges of breakpoints
4015 @cindex lists of breakpoints
4016 Some @value{GDBN} commands accept a space-separated list of breakpoints
4017 on which to operate. A list element can be either a single breakpoint number,
4018 like @samp{5}, or a range of such numbers, like @samp{5-7}.
4019 When a breakpoint list is given to a command, all breakpoints in that list
4023 * Set Breaks:: Setting breakpoints
4024 * Set Watchpoints:: Setting watchpoints
4025 * Set Catchpoints:: Setting catchpoints
4026 * Delete Breaks:: Deleting breakpoints
4027 * Disabling:: Disabling breakpoints
4028 * Conditions:: Break conditions
4029 * Break Commands:: Breakpoint command lists
4030 * Dynamic Printf:: Dynamic printf
4031 * Save Breakpoints:: How to save breakpoints in a file
4032 * Static Probe Points:: Listing static probe points
4033 * Error in Breakpoints:: ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
4034 * Breakpoint-related Warnings:: ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
4038 @subsection Setting Breakpoints
4040 @c FIXME LMB what does GDB do if no code on line of breakpt?
4041 @c consider in particular declaration with/without initialization.
4043 @c FIXME 2 is there stuff on this already? break at fun start, already init?
4046 @kindex b @r{(@code{break})}
4047 @vindex $bpnum@r{, convenience variable}
4048 @cindex latest breakpoint
4049 Breakpoints are set with the @code{break} command (abbreviated
4050 @code{b}). The debugger convenience variable @samp{$bpnum} records the
4051 number of the breakpoint you've set most recently; see @ref{Convenience
4052 Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for a discussion of what you can do with
4053 convenience variables.
4056 @item break @var{location}
4057 Set a breakpoint at the given @var{location}, which can specify a
4058 function name, a line number, or an address of an instruction.
4059 (@xref{Specify Location}, for a list of all the possible ways to
4060 specify a @var{location}.) The breakpoint will stop your program just
4061 before it executes any of the code in the specified @var{location}.
4063 When using source languages that permit overloading of symbols, such as
4064 C@t{++}, a function name may refer to more than one possible place to break.
4065 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}, for a discussion of
4068 It is also possible to insert a breakpoint that will stop the program
4069 only if a specific thread (@pxref{Thread-Specific Breakpoints})
4070 or a specific task (@pxref{Ada Tasks}) hits that breakpoint.
4073 When called without any arguments, @code{break} sets a breakpoint at
4074 the next instruction to be executed in the selected stack frame
4075 (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}). In any selected frame but the
4076 innermost, this makes your program stop as soon as control
4077 returns to that frame. This is similar to the effect of a
4078 @code{finish} command in the frame inside the selected frame---except
4079 that @code{finish} does not leave an active breakpoint. If you use
4080 @code{break} without an argument in the innermost frame, @value{GDBN} stops
4081 the next time it reaches the current location; this may be useful
4084 @value{GDBN} normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until at
4085 least one instruction has been executed. If it did not do this, you
4086 would be unable to proceed past a breakpoint without first disabling the
4087 breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not the breakpoint already
4088 existed when your program stopped.
4090 @item break @dots{} if @var{cond}
4091 Set a breakpoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
4092 @var{cond} each time the breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the
4093 value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
4094 @samp{@dots{}} stands for one of the possible arguments described
4095 above (or no argument) specifying where to break. @xref{Conditions,
4096 ,Break Conditions}, for more information on breakpoint conditions.
4099 @item tbreak @var{args}
4100 Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. The @var{args} are the
4101 same as for the @code{break} command, and the breakpoint is set in the same
4102 way, but the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the first time your
4103 program stops there. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
4106 @cindex hardware breakpoints
4107 @item hbreak @var{args}
4108 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint. The @var{args} are the same as for the
4109 @code{break} command and the breakpoint is set in the same way, but the
4110 breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware may not
4111 have this support. The main purpose of this is EPROM/ROM code
4112 debugging, so you can set a breakpoint at an instruction without
4113 changing the instruction. This can be used with the new trap-generation
4114 provided by SPARClite DSU and most x86-based targets. These targets
4115 will generate traps when a program accesses some data or instruction
4116 address that is assigned to the debug registers. However the hardware
4117 breakpoint registers can take a limited number of breakpoints. For
4118 example, on the DSU, only two data breakpoints can be set at a time, and
4119 @value{GDBN} will reject this command if more than two are used. Delete
4120 or disable unused hardware breakpoints before setting new ones
4121 (@pxref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}).
4122 @xref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
4123 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
4124 breakpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
4125 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
4128 @item thbreak @var{args}
4129 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint enabled only for one stop. The @var{args}
4130 are the same as for the @code{hbreak} command and the breakpoint is set in
4131 the same way. However, like the @code{tbreak} command,
4132 the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the
4133 first time your program stops there. Also, like the @code{hbreak}
4134 command, the breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware
4135 may not have this support. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
4136 See also @ref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
4139 @cindex regular expression
4140 @cindex breakpoints at functions matching a regexp
4141 @cindex set breakpoints in many functions
4142 @item rbreak @var{regex}
4143 Set breakpoints on all functions matching the regular expression
4144 @var{regex}. This command sets an unconditional breakpoint on all
4145 matches, printing a list of all breakpoints it set. Once these
4146 breakpoints are set, they are treated just like the breakpoints set with
4147 the @code{break} command. You can delete them, disable them, or make
4148 them conditional the same way as any other breakpoint.
4150 In programs using different languages, @value{GDBN} chooses the syntax
4151 to print the list of all breakpoints it sets according to the
4152 @samp{set language} value: using @samp{set language auto}
4153 (see @ref{Automatically, ,Set Language Automatically}) means to use the
4154 language of the breakpoint's function, other values mean to use
4155 the manually specified language (see @ref{Manually, ,Set Language Manually}).
4157 The syntax of the regular expression is the standard one used with tools
4158 like @file{grep}. Note that this is different from the syntax used by
4159 shells, so for instance @code{foo*} matches all functions that include
4160 an @code{fo} followed by zero or more @code{o}s. There is an implicit
4161 @code{.*} leading and trailing the regular expression you supply, so to
4162 match only functions that begin with @code{foo}, use @code{^foo}.
4164 @cindex non-member C@t{++} functions, set breakpoint in
4165 When debugging C@t{++} programs, @code{rbreak} is useful for setting
4166 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
4169 @cindex set breakpoints on all functions
4170 The @code{rbreak} command can be used to set breakpoints in
4171 @strong{all} the functions in a program, like this:
4174 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak .
4177 @item rbreak @var{file}:@var{regex}
4178 If @code{rbreak} is called with a filename qualification, it limits
4179 the search for functions matching the given regular expression to the
4180 specified @var{file}. This can be used, for example, to set breakpoints on
4181 every function in a given file:
4184 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak file.c:.
4187 The colon separating the filename qualifier from the regex may
4188 optionally be surrounded by spaces.
4190 @kindex info breakpoints
4191 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info breakpoints}
4192 @item info breakpoints @r{[}@var{list}@dots{}@r{]}
4193 @itemx info break @r{[}@var{list}@dots{}@r{]}
4194 Print a table of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints set and
4195 not deleted. Optional argument @var{n} means print information only
4196 about the specified breakpoint(s) (or watchpoint(s) or catchpoint(s)).
4197 For each breakpoint, following columns are printed:
4200 @item Breakpoint Numbers
4202 Breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint.
4204 Whether the breakpoint is marked to be disabled or deleted when hit.
4205 @item Enabled or Disabled
4206 Enabled breakpoints are marked with @samp{y}. @samp{n} marks breakpoints
4207 that are not enabled.
4209 Where the breakpoint is in your program, as a memory address. For a
4210 pending breakpoint whose address is not yet known, this field will
4211 contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Such breakpoint won't fire until a shared
4212 library that has the symbol or line referred by breakpoint is loaded.
4213 See below for details. A breakpoint with several locations will
4214 have @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in this field---see below for details.
4216 Where the breakpoint is in the source for your program, as a file and
4217 line number. For a pending breakpoint, the original string passed to
4218 the breakpoint command will be listed as it cannot be resolved until
4219 the appropriate shared library is loaded in the future.
4223 If a breakpoint is conditional, there are two evaluation modes: ``host'' and
4224 ``target''. If mode is ``host'', breakpoint condition evaluation is done by
4225 @value{GDBN} on the host's side. If it is ``target'', then the condition
4226 is evaluated by the target. The @code{info break} command shows
4227 the condition on the line following the affected breakpoint, together with
4228 its condition evaluation mode in between parentheses.
4230 Breakpoint commands, if any, are listed after that. A pending breakpoint is
4231 allowed to have a condition specified for it. The condition is not parsed for
4232 validity until a shared library is loaded that allows the pending
4233 breakpoint to resolve to a valid location.
4236 @code{info break} with a breakpoint
4237 number @var{n} as argument lists only that breakpoint. The
4238 convenience variable @code{$_} and the default examining-address for
4239 the @code{x} command are set to the address of the last breakpoint
4240 listed (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}).
4243 @code{info break} displays a count of the number of times the breakpoint
4244 has been hit. This is especially useful in conjunction with the
4245 @code{ignore} command. You can ignore a large number of breakpoint
4246 hits, look at the breakpoint info to see how many times the breakpoint
4247 was hit, and then run again, ignoring one less than that number. This
4248 will get you quickly to the last hit of that breakpoint.
4251 For a breakpoints with an enable count (xref) greater than 1,
4252 @code{info break} also displays that count.
4256 @value{GDBN} allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in
4257 your program. There is nothing silly or meaningless about this. When
4258 the breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful
4259 (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
4261 @cindex multiple locations, breakpoints
4262 @cindex breakpoints, multiple locations
4263 It is possible that a breakpoint corresponds to several locations
4264 in your program. Examples of this situation are:
4268 Multiple functions in the program may have the same name.
4271 For a C@t{++} constructor, the @value{NGCC} compiler generates several
4272 instances of the function body, used in different cases.
4275 For a C@t{++} template function, a given line in the function can
4276 correspond to any number of instantiations.
4279 For an inlined function, a given source line can correspond to
4280 several places where that function is inlined.
4283 In all those cases, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at all
4284 the relevant locations.
4286 A breakpoint with multiple locations is displayed in the breakpoint
4287 table using several rows---one header row, followed by one row for
4288 each breakpoint location. The header row has @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in the
4289 address column. The rows for individual locations contain the actual
4290 addresses for locations, and show the functions to which those
4291 locations belong. The number column for a location is of the form
4292 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number}.
4297 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
4298 1 breakpoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
4300 breakpoint already hit 1 time
4301 1.1 y 0x080486a2 in void foo<int>() at t.cc:8
4302 1.2 y 0x080486ca in void foo<double>() at t.cc:8
4305 You cannot delete the individual locations from a breakpoint. However,
4306 each location can be individually enabled or disabled by passing
4307 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number} as argument to the
4308 @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands. It's also possible to
4309 @code{enable} and @code{disable} a range of @var{location-number}
4310 locations using a @var{breakpoint-number} and two @var{location-number}s,
4311 in increasing order, separated by a hyphen, like
4312 @kbd{@var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number1}-@var{location-number2}},
4313 in which case @value{GDBN} acts on all the locations in the range (inclusive).
4314 Disabling or enabling the parent breakpoint (@pxref{Disabling}) affects
4315 all of the locations that belong to that breakpoint.
4317 @cindex pending breakpoints
4318 It's quite common to have a breakpoint inside a shared library.
4319 Shared libraries can be loaded and unloaded explicitly,
4320 and possibly repeatedly, as the program is executed. To support
4321 this use case, @value{GDBN} updates breakpoint locations whenever
4322 any shared library is loaded or unloaded. Typically, you would
4323 set a breakpoint in a shared library at the beginning of your
4324 debugging session, when the library is not loaded, and when the
4325 symbols from the library are not available. When you try to set
4326 breakpoint, @value{GDBN} will ask you if you want to set
4327 a so called @dfn{pending breakpoint}---breakpoint whose address
4328 is not yet resolved.
4330 After the program is run, whenever a new shared library is loaded,
4331 @value{GDBN} reevaluates all the breakpoints. When a newly loaded
4332 shared library contains the symbol or line referred to by some
4333 pending breakpoint, that breakpoint is resolved and becomes an
4334 ordinary breakpoint. When a library is unloaded, all breakpoints
4335 that refer to its symbols or source lines become pending again.
4337 This logic works for breakpoints with multiple locations, too. For
4338 example, if you have a breakpoint in a C@t{++} template function, and
4339 a newly loaded shared library has an instantiation of that template,
4340 a new location is added to the list of locations for the breakpoint.
4342 Except for having unresolved address, pending breakpoints do not
4343 differ from regular breakpoints. You can set conditions or commands,
4344 enable and disable them and perform other breakpoint operations.
4346 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling what
4347 happens when the @samp{break} command cannot resolve breakpoint
4348 address specification to an address:
4350 @kindex set breakpoint pending
4351 @kindex show breakpoint pending
4353 @item set breakpoint pending auto
4354 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} cannot find the breakpoint
4355 location, it queries you whether a pending breakpoint should be created.
4357 @item set breakpoint pending on
4358 This indicates that an unrecognized breakpoint location should automatically
4359 result in a pending breakpoint being created.
4361 @item set breakpoint pending off
4362 This indicates that pending breakpoints are not to be created. Any
4363 unrecognized breakpoint location results in an error. This setting does
4364 not affect any pending breakpoints previously created.
4366 @item show breakpoint pending
4367 Show the current behavior setting for creating pending breakpoints.
4370 The settings above only affect the @code{break} command and its
4371 variants. Once breakpoint is set, it will be automatically updated
4372 as shared libraries are loaded and unloaded.
4374 @cindex automatic hardware breakpoints
4375 For some targets, @value{GDBN} can automatically decide if hardware or
4376 software breakpoints should be used, depending on whether the
4377 breakpoint address is read-only or read-write. This applies to
4378 breakpoints set with the @code{break} command as well as to internal
4379 breakpoints set by commands like @code{next} and @code{finish}. For
4380 breakpoints set with @code{hbreak}, @value{GDBN} will always use hardware
4383 You can control this automatic behaviour with the following commands:
4385 @kindex set breakpoint auto-hw
4386 @kindex show breakpoint auto-hw
4388 @item set breakpoint auto-hw on
4389 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} sets a breakpoint, it
4390 will try to use the target memory map to decide if software or hardware
4391 breakpoint must be used.
4393 @item set breakpoint auto-hw off
4394 This indicates @value{GDBN} should not automatically select breakpoint
4395 type. If the target provides a memory map, @value{GDBN} will warn when
4396 trying to set software breakpoint at a read-only address.
4399 @value{GDBN} normally implements breakpoints by replacing the program code
4400 at the breakpoint address with a special instruction, which, when
4401 executed, given control to the debugger. By default, the program
4402 code is so modified only when the program is resumed. As soon as
4403 the program stops, @value{GDBN} restores the original instructions. This
4404 behaviour guards against leaving breakpoints inserted in the
4405 target should gdb abrubptly disconnect. However, with slow remote
4406 targets, inserting and removing breakpoint can reduce the performance.
4407 This behavior can be controlled with the following commands::
4409 @kindex set breakpoint always-inserted
4410 @kindex show breakpoint always-inserted
4412 @item set breakpoint always-inserted off
4413 All breakpoints, including newly added by the user, are inserted in
4414 the target only when the target is resumed. All breakpoints are
4415 removed from the target when it stops. This is the default mode.
4417 @item set breakpoint always-inserted on
4418 Causes all breakpoints to be inserted in the target at all times. If
4419 the user adds a new breakpoint, or changes an existing breakpoint, the
4420 breakpoints in the target are updated immediately. A breakpoint is
4421 removed from the target only when breakpoint itself is deleted.
4424 @value{GDBN} handles conditional breakpoints by evaluating these conditions
4425 when a breakpoint breaks. If the condition is true, then the process being
4426 debugged stops, otherwise the process is resumed.
4428 If the target supports evaluating conditions on its end, @value{GDBN} may
4429 download the breakpoint, together with its conditions, to it.
4431 This feature can be controlled via the following commands:
4433 @kindex set breakpoint condition-evaluation
4434 @kindex show breakpoint condition-evaluation
4436 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation host
4437 This option commands @value{GDBN} to evaluate the breakpoint
4438 conditions on the host's side. Unconditional breakpoints are sent to
4439 the target which in turn receives the triggers and reports them back to GDB
4440 for condition evaluation. This is the standard evaluation mode.
4442 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation target
4443 This option commands @value{GDBN} to download breakpoint conditions
4444 to the target at the moment of their insertion. The target
4445 is responsible for evaluating the conditional expression and reporting
4446 breakpoint stop events back to @value{GDBN} whenever the condition
4447 is true. Due to limitations of target-side evaluation, some conditions
4448 cannot be evaluated there, e.g., conditions that depend on local data
4449 that is only known to the host. Examples include
4450 conditional expressions involving convenience variables, complex types
4451 that cannot be handled by the agent expression parser and expressions
4452 that are too long to be sent over to the target, specially when the
4453 target is a remote system. In these cases, the conditions will be
4454 evaluated by @value{GDBN}.
4456 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation auto
4457 This is the default mode. If the target supports evaluating breakpoint
4458 conditions on its end, @value{GDBN} will download breakpoint conditions to
4459 the target (limitations mentioned previously apply). If the target does
4460 not support breakpoint condition evaluation, then @value{GDBN} will fallback
4461 to evaluating all these conditions on the host's side.
4465 @cindex negative breakpoint numbers
4466 @cindex internal @value{GDBN} breakpoints
4467 @value{GDBN} itself sometimes sets breakpoints in your program for
4468 special purposes, such as proper handling of @code{longjmp} (in C
4469 programs). These internal breakpoints are assigned negative numbers,
4470 starting with @code{-1}; @samp{info breakpoints} does not display them.
4471 You can see these breakpoints with the @value{GDBN} maintenance command
4472 @samp{maint info breakpoints} (@pxref{maint info breakpoints}).
4475 @node Set Watchpoints
4476 @subsection Setting Watchpoints
4478 @cindex setting watchpoints
4479 You can use a watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an
4480 expression changes, without having to predict a particular place where
4481 this may happen. (This is sometimes called a @dfn{data breakpoint}.)
4482 The expression may be as simple as the value of a single variable, or
4483 as complex as many variables combined by operators. Examples include:
4487 A reference to the value of a single variable.
4490 An address cast to an appropriate data type. For example,
4491 @samp{*(int *)0x12345678} will watch a 4-byte region at the specified
4492 address (assuming an @code{int} occupies 4 bytes).
4495 An arbitrarily complex expression, such as @samp{a*b + c/d}. The
4496 expression can use any operators valid in the program's native
4497 language (@pxref{Languages}).
4500 You can set a watchpoint on an expression even if the expression can
4501 not be evaluated yet. For instance, you can set a watchpoint on
4502 @samp{*global_ptr} before @samp{global_ptr} is initialized.
4503 @value{GDBN} will stop when your program sets @samp{global_ptr} and
4504 the expression produces a valid value. If the expression becomes
4505 valid in some other way than changing a variable (e.g.@: if the memory
4506 pointed to by @samp{*global_ptr} becomes readable as the result of a
4507 @code{malloc} call), @value{GDBN} may not stop until the next time
4508 the expression changes.
4510 @cindex software watchpoints
4511 @cindex hardware watchpoints
4512 Depending on your system, watchpoints may be implemented in software or
4513 hardware. @value{GDBN} does software watchpointing by single-stepping your
4514 program and testing the variable's value each time, which is hundreds of
4515 times slower than normal execution. (But this may still be worth it, to
4516 catch errors where you have no clue what part of your program is the
4519 On some systems, such as most PowerPC or x86-based targets,
4520 @value{GDBN} includes support for hardware watchpoints, which do not
4521 slow down the running of your program.
4525 @item watch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{thread-id}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
4526 Set a watchpoint for an expression. @value{GDBN} will break when the
4527 expression @var{expr} is written into by the program and its value
4528 changes. The simplest (and the most popular) use of this command is
4529 to watch the value of a single variable:
4532 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo
4535 If the command includes a @code{@r{[}thread @var{thread-id}@r{]}}
4536 argument, @value{GDBN} breaks only when the thread identified by
4537 @var{thread-id} changes the value of @var{expr}. If any other threads
4538 change the value of @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} will not break. Note
4539 that watchpoints restricted to a single thread in this way only work
4540 with Hardware Watchpoints.
4542 Ordinarily a watchpoint respects the scope of variables in @var{expr}
4543 (see below). The @code{-location} argument tells @value{GDBN} to
4544 instead watch the memory referred to by @var{expr}. In this case,
4545 @value{GDBN} will evaluate @var{expr}, take the address of the result,
4546 and watch the memory at that address. The type of the result is used
4547 to determine the size of the watched memory. If the expression's
4548 result does not have an address, then @value{GDBN} will print an
4551 The @code{@r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}} argument allows creation
4552 of masked watchpoints, if the current architecture supports this
4553 feature (e.g., PowerPC Embedded architecture, see @ref{PowerPC
4554 Embedded}.) A @dfn{masked watchpoint} specifies a mask in addition
4555 to an address to watch. The mask specifies that some bits of an address
4556 (the bits which are reset in the mask) should be ignored when matching
4557 the address accessed by the inferior against the watchpoint address.
4558 Thus, a masked watchpoint watches many addresses simultaneously---those
4559 addresses whose unmasked bits are identical to the unmasked bits in the
4560 watchpoint address. The @code{mask} argument implies @code{-location}.
4564 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo mask 0xffff00ff
4565 (@value{GDBP}) watch *0xdeadbeef mask 0xffffff00
4569 @item rwatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{thread-id}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
4570 Set a watchpoint that will break when the value of @var{expr} is read
4574 @item awatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{thread-id}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
4575 Set a watchpoint that will break when @var{expr} is either read from
4576 or written into by the program.
4578 @kindex info watchpoints @r{[}@var{list}@dots{}@r{]}
4579 @item info watchpoints @r{[}@var{list}@dots{}@r{]}
4580 This command prints a list of watchpoints, using the same format as
4581 @code{info break} (@pxref{Set Breaks}).
4584 If you watch for a change in a numerically entered address you need to
4585 dereference it, as the address itself is just a constant number which will
4586 never change. @value{GDBN} refuses to create a watchpoint that watches
4587 a never-changing value:
4590 (@value{GDBP}) watch 0x600850
4591 Cannot watch constant value 0x600850.
4592 (@value{GDBP}) watch *(int *) 0x600850
4593 Watchpoint 1: *(int *) 6293584
4596 @value{GDBN} sets a @dfn{hardware watchpoint} if possible. Hardware
4597 watchpoints execute very quickly, and the debugger reports a change in
4598 value at the exact instruction where the change occurs. If @value{GDBN}
4599 cannot set a hardware watchpoint, it sets a software watchpoint, which
4600 executes more slowly and reports the change in value at the next
4601 @emph{statement}, not the instruction, after the change occurs.
4603 @cindex use only software watchpoints
4604 You can force @value{GDBN} to use only software watchpoints with the
4605 @kbd{set can-use-hw-watchpoints 0} command. With this variable set to
4606 zero, @value{GDBN} will never try to use hardware watchpoints, even if
4607 the underlying system supports them. (Note that hardware-assisted
4608 watchpoints that were set @emph{before} setting
4609 @code{can-use-hw-watchpoints} to zero will still use the hardware
4610 mechanism of watching expression values.)
4613 @item set can-use-hw-watchpoints
4614 @kindex set can-use-hw-watchpoints
4615 Set whether or not to use hardware watchpoints.
4617 @item show can-use-hw-watchpoints
4618 @kindex show can-use-hw-watchpoints
4619 Show the current mode of using hardware watchpoints.
4622 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
4623 watchpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
4624 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
4626 When you issue the @code{watch} command, @value{GDBN} reports
4629 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: @var{expr}
4633 if it was able to set a hardware watchpoint.
4635 Currently, the @code{awatch} and @code{rwatch} commands can only set
4636 hardware watchpoints, because accesses to data that don't change the
4637 value of the watched expression cannot be detected without examining
4638 every instruction as it is being executed, and @value{GDBN} does not do
4639 that currently. If @value{GDBN} finds that it is unable to set a
4640 hardware breakpoint with the @code{awatch} or @code{rwatch} command, it
4641 will print a message like this:
4644 Expression cannot be implemented with read/access watchpoint.
4647 Sometimes, @value{GDBN} cannot set a hardware watchpoint because the
4648 data type of the watched expression is wider than what a hardware
4649 watchpoint on the target machine can handle. For example, some systems
4650 can only watch regions that are up to 4 bytes wide; on such systems you
4651 cannot set hardware watchpoints for an expression that yields a
4652 double-precision floating-point number (which is typically 8 bytes
4653 wide). As a work-around, it might be possible to break the large region
4654 into a series of smaller ones and watch them with separate watchpoints.
4656 If you set too many hardware watchpoints, @value{GDBN} might be unable
4657 to insert all of them when you resume the execution of your program.
4658 Since the precise number of active watchpoints is unknown until such
4659 time as the program is about to be resumed, @value{GDBN} might not be
4660 able to warn you about this when you set the watchpoints, and the
4661 warning will be printed only when the program is resumed:
4664 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: Could not insert watchpoint
4668 If this happens, delete or disable some of the watchpoints.
4670 Watching complex expressions that reference many variables can also
4671 exhaust the resources available for hardware-assisted watchpoints.
4672 That's because @value{GDBN} needs to watch every variable in the
4673 expression with separately allocated resources.
4675 If you call a function interactively using @code{print} or @code{call},
4676 any watchpoints you have set will be inactive until @value{GDBN} reaches another
4677 kind of breakpoint or the call completes.
4679 @value{GDBN} automatically deletes watchpoints that watch local
4680 (automatic) variables, or expressions that involve such variables, when
4681 they go out of scope, that is, when the execution leaves the block in
4682 which these variables were defined. In particular, when the program
4683 being debugged terminates, @emph{all} local variables go out of scope,
4684 and so only watchpoints that watch global variables remain set. If you
4685 rerun the program, you will need to set all such watchpoints again. One
4686 way of doing that would be to set a code breakpoint at the entry to the
4687 @code{main} function and when it breaks, set all the watchpoints.
4689 @cindex watchpoints and threads
4690 @cindex threads and watchpoints
4691 In multi-threaded programs, watchpoints will detect changes to the
4692 watched expression from every thread.
4695 @emph{Warning:} In multi-threaded programs, software watchpoints
4696 have only limited usefulness. If @value{GDBN} creates a software
4697 watchpoint, it can only watch the value of an expression @emph{in a
4698 single thread}. If you are confident that the expression can only
4699 change due to the current thread's activity (and if you are also
4700 confident that no other thread can become current), then you can use
4701 software watchpoints as usual. However, @value{GDBN} may not notice
4702 when a non-current thread's activity changes the expression. (Hardware
4703 watchpoints, in contrast, watch an expression in all threads.)
4706 @xref{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}.
4708 @node Set Catchpoints
4709 @subsection Setting Catchpoints
4710 @cindex catchpoints, setting
4711 @cindex exception handlers
4712 @cindex event handling
4714 You can use @dfn{catchpoints} to cause the debugger to stop for certain
4715 kinds of program events, such as C@t{++} exceptions or the loading of a
4716 shared library. Use the @code{catch} command to set a catchpoint.
4720 @item catch @var{event}
4721 Stop when @var{event} occurs. The @var{event} can be any of the following:
4724 @item throw @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4725 @itemx rethrow @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4726 @itemx catch @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4728 @kindex catch rethrow
4730 @cindex stop on C@t{++} exceptions
4731 The throwing, re-throwing, or catching of a C@t{++} exception.
4733 If @var{regexp} is given, then only exceptions whose type matches the
4734 regular expression will be caught.
4736 @vindex $_exception@r{, convenience variable}
4737 The convenience variable @code{$_exception} is available at an
4738 exception-related catchpoint, on some systems. This holds the
4739 exception being thrown.
4741 There are currently some limitations to C@t{++} exception handling in
4746 The support for these commands is system-dependent. Currently, only
4747 systems using the @samp{gnu-v3} C@t{++} ABI (@pxref{ABI}) are
4751 The regular expression feature and the @code{$_exception} convenience
4752 variable rely on the presence of some SDT probes in @code{libstdc++}.
4753 If these probes are not present, then these features cannot be used.
4754 These probes were first available in the GCC 4.8 release, but whether
4755 or not they are available in your GCC also depends on how it was
4759 The @code{$_exception} convenience variable is only valid at the
4760 instruction at which an exception-related catchpoint is set.
4763 When an exception-related catchpoint is hit, @value{GDBN} stops at a
4764 location in the system library which implements runtime exception
4765 support for C@t{++}, usually @code{libstdc++}. You can use @code{up}
4766 (@pxref{Selection}) to get to your code.
4769 If you call a function interactively, @value{GDBN} normally returns
4770 control to you when the function has finished executing. If the call
4771 raises an exception, however, the call may bypass the mechanism that
4772 returns control to you and cause your program either to abort or to
4773 simply continue running until it hits a breakpoint, catches a signal
4774 that @value{GDBN} is listening for, or exits. This is the case even if
4775 you set a catchpoint for the exception; catchpoints on exceptions are
4776 disabled within interactive calls. @xref{Calling}, for information on
4777 controlling this with @code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception}.
4780 You cannot raise an exception interactively.
4783 You cannot install an exception handler interactively.
4786 @item exception @r{[}@var{name}@r{]}
4787 @kindex catch exception
4788 @cindex Ada exception catching
4789 @cindex catch Ada exceptions
4790 An Ada exception being raised. If an exception name is specified
4791 at the end of the command (eg @code{catch exception Program_Error}),
4792 the debugger will stop only when this specific exception is raised.
4793 Otherwise, the debugger stops execution when any Ada exception is raised.
4795 When inserting an exception catchpoint on a user-defined exception whose
4796 name is identical to one of the exceptions defined by the language, the
4797 fully qualified name must be used as the exception name. Otherwise,
4798 @value{GDBN} will assume that it should stop on the pre-defined exception
4799 rather than the user-defined one. For instance, assuming an exception
4800 called @code{Constraint_Error} is defined in package @code{Pck}, then
4801 the command to use to catch such exceptions is @kbd{catch exception
4802 Pck.Constraint_Error}.
4804 @vindex $_ada_exception@r{, convenience variable}
4805 The convenience variable @code{$_ada_exception} holds the address of
4806 the exception being thrown. This can be useful when setting a
4807 condition for such a catchpoint.
4809 @item exception unhandled
4810 @kindex catch exception unhandled
4811 An exception that was raised but is not handled by the program. The
4812 convenience variable @code{$_ada_exception} is set as for @code{catch
4815 @item handlers @r{[}@var{name}@r{]}
4816 @kindex catch handlers
4817 @cindex Ada exception handlers catching
4818 @cindex catch Ada exceptions when handled
4819 An Ada exception being handled. If an exception name is
4820 specified at the end of the command
4821 (eg @kbd{catch handlers Program_Error}), the debugger will stop
4822 only when this specific exception is handled.
4823 Otherwise, the debugger stops execution when any Ada exception is handled.
4825 When inserting a handlers catchpoint on a user-defined
4826 exception whose name is identical to one of the exceptions
4827 defined by the language, the fully qualified name must be used
4828 as the exception name. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} will assume that it
4829 should stop on the pre-defined exception rather than the
4830 user-defined one. For instance, assuming an exception called
4831 @code{Constraint_Error} is defined in package @code{Pck}, then the
4832 command to use to catch such exceptions handling is
4833 @kbd{catch handlers Pck.Constraint_Error}.
4835 The convenience variable @code{$_ada_exception} is set as for
4836 @code{catch exception}.
4839 @kindex catch assert
4840 A failed Ada assertion. Note that the convenience variable
4841 @code{$_ada_exception} is @emph{not} set by this catchpoint.
4845 @cindex break on fork/exec
4846 A call to @code{exec}.
4848 @anchor{catch syscall}
4850 @itemx syscall @r{[}@var{name} @r{|} @var{number} @r{|} @r{group:}@var{groupname} @r{|} @r{g:}@var{groupname}@r{]} @dots{}
4851 @kindex catch syscall
4852 @cindex break on a system call.
4853 A call to or return from a system call, a.k.a.@: @dfn{syscall}. A
4854 syscall is a mechanism for application programs to request a service
4855 from the operating system (OS) or one of the OS system services.
4856 @value{GDBN} can catch some or all of the syscalls issued by the
4857 debuggee, and show the related information for each syscall. If no
4858 argument is specified, calls to and returns from all system calls
4861 @var{name} can be any system call name that is valid for the
4862 underlying OS. Just what syscalls are valid depends on the OS. On
4863 GNU and Unix systems, you can find the full list of valid syscall
4864 names on @file{/usr/include/asm/unistd.h}.
4866 @c For MS-Windows, the syscall names and the corresponding numbers
4867 @c can be found, e.g., on this URL:
4868 @c http://www.metasploit.com/users/opcode/syscalls.html
4869 @c but we don't support Windows syscalls yet.
4871 Normally, @value{GDBN} knows in advance which syscalls are valid for
4872 each OS, so you can use the @value{GDBN} command-line completion
4873 facilities (@pxref{Completion,, command completion}) to list the
4876 You may also specify the system call numerically. A syscall's
4877 number is the value passed to the OS's syscall dispatcher to
4878 identify the requested service. When you specify the syscall by its
4879 name, @value{GDBN} uses its database of syscalls to convert the name
4880 into the corresponding numeric code, but using the number directly
4881 may be useful if @value{GDBN}'s database does not have the complete
4882 list of syscalls on your system (e.g., because @value{GDBN} lags
4883 behind the OS upgrades).
4885 You may specify a group of related syscalls to be caught at once using
4886 the @code{group:} syntax (@code{g:} is a shorter equivalent). For
4887 instance, on some platforms @value{GDBN} allows you to catch all
4888 network related syscalls, by passing the argument @code{group:network}
4889 to @code{catch syscall}. Note that not all syscall groups are
4890 available in every system. You can use the command completion
4891 facilities (@pxref{Completion,, command completion}) to list the
4892 syscall groups available on your environment.
4894 The example below illustrates how this command works if you don't provide
4898 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4899 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4901 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4903 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'close'), \
4904 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4908 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'close'), \
4909 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4913 Here is an example of catching a system call by name:
4916 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall chroot
4917 Catchpoint 1 (syscall 'chroot' [61])
4919 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4921 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'chroot'), \
4922 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4926 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'chroot'), \
4927 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4931 An example of specifying a system call numerically. In the case
4932 below, the syscall number has a corresponding entry in the XML
4933 file, so @value{GDBN} finds its name and prints it:
4936 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4937 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 'exit_group')
4939 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4941 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'exit_group'), \
4942 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4946 Program exited normally.
4950 Here is an example of catching a syscall group:
4953 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall group:process
4954 Catchpoint 1 (syscalls 'exit' [1] 'fork' [2] 'waitpid' [7]
4955 'execve' [11] 'wait4' [114] 'clone' [120] 'vfork' [190]
4956 'exit_group' [252] 'waitid' [284] 'unshare' [310])
4958 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4960 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall fork), 0x00007ffff7df4e27 in open64 ()
4961 from /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
4967 However, there can be situations when there is no corresponding name
4968 in XML file for that syscall number. In this case, @value{GDBN} prints
4969 a warning message saying that it was not able to find the syscall name,
4970 but the catchpoint will be set anyway. See the example below:
4973 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 764
4974 warning: The number '764' does not represent a known syscall.
4975 Catchpoint 2 (syscall 764)
4979 If you configure @value{GDBN} using the @samp{--without-expat} option,
4980 it will not be able to display syscall names. Also, if your
4981 architecture does not have an XML file describing its system calls,
4982 you will not be able to see the syscall names. It is important to
4983 notice that these two features are used for accessing the syscall
4984 name database. In either case, you will see a warning like this:
4987 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4988 warning: Could not open "syscalls/i386-linux.xml"
4989 warning: Could not load the syscall XML file 'syscalls/i386-linux.xml'.
4990 GDB will not be able to display syscall names.
4991 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4995 Of course, the file name will change depending on your architecture and system.
4997 Still using the example above, you can also try to catch a syscall by its
4998 number. In this case, you would see something like:
5001 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
5002 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 252)
5005 Again, in this case @value{GDBN} would not be able to display syscall's names.
5009 A call to @code{fork}.
5013 A call to @code{vfork}.
5015 @item load @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
5016 @itemx unload @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
5018 @kindex catch unload
5019 The loading or unloading of a shared library. If @var{regexp} is
5020 given, then the catchpoint will stop only if the regular expression
5021 matches one of the affected libraries.
5023 @item signal @r{[}@var{signal}@dots{} @r{|} @samp{all}@r{]}
5024 @kindex catch signal
5025 The delivery of a signal.
5027 With no arguments, this catchpoint will catch any signal that is not
5028 used internally by @value{GDBN}, specifically, all signals except
5029 @samp{SIGTRAP} and @samp{SIGINT}.
5031 With the argument @samp{all}, all signals, including those used by
5032 @value{GDBN}, will be caught. This argument cannot be used with other
5035 Otherwise, the arguments are a list of signal names as given to
5036 @code{handle} (@pxref{Signals}). Only signals specified in this list
5039 One reason that @code{catch signal} can be more useful than
5040 @code{handle} is that you can attach commands and conditions to the
5043 When a signal is caught by a catchpoint, the signal's @code{stop} and
5044 @code{print} settings, as specified by @code{handle}, are ignored.
5045 However, whether the signal is still delivered to the inferior depends
5046 on the @code{pass} setting; this can be changed in the catchpoint's
5051 @item tcatch @var{event}
5053 Set a catchpoint that is enabled only for one stop. The catchpoint is
5054 automatically deleted after the first time the event is caught.
5058 Use the @code{info break} command to list the current catchpoints.
5062 @subsection Deleting Breakpoints
5064 @cindex clearing breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
5065 @cindex deleting breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
5066 It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint, watchpoint, or
5067 catchpoint once it has done its job and you no longer want your program
5068 to stop there. This is called @dfn{deleting} the breakpoint. A
5069 breakpoint that has been deleted no longer exists; it is forgotten.
5071 With the @code{clear} command you can delete breakpoints according to
5072 where they are in your program. With the @code{delete} command you can
5073 delete individual breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints by specifying
5074 their breakpoint numbers.
5076 It is not necessary to delete a breakpoint to proceed past it. @value{GDBN}
5077 automatically ignores breakpoints on the first instruction to be executed
5078 when you continue execution without changing the execution address.
5083 Delete any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in the
5084 selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). When
5085 the innermost frame is selected, this is a good way to delete a
5086 breakpoint where your program just stopped.
5088 @item clear @var{location}
5089 Delete any breakpoints set at the specified @var{location}.
5090 @xref{Specify Location}, for the various forms of @var{location}; the
5091 most useful ones are listed below:
5094 @item clear @var{function}
5095 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{function}
5096 Delete any breakpoints set at entry to the named @var{function}.
5098 @item clear @var{linenum}
5099 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
5100 Delete any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specified
5101 @var{linenum} of the specified @var{filename}.
5104 @cindex delete breakpoints
5106 @kindex d @r{(@code{delete})}
5107 @item delete @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{list}@dots{}@r{]}
5108 Delete the breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints of the breakpoint
5109 list specified as argument. If no argument is specified, delete all
5110 breakpoints (@value{GDBN} asks confirmation, unless you have @code{set
5111 confirm off}). You can abbreviate this command as @code{d}.
5115 @subsection Disabling Breakpoints
5117 @cindex enable/disable a breakpoint
5118 Rather than deleting a breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint, you might
5119 prefer to @dfn{disable} it. This makes the breakpoint inoperative as if
5120 it had been deleted, but remembers the information on the breakpoint so
5121 that you can @dfn{enable} it again later.
5123 You disable and enable breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints with
5124 the @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands, optionally specifying
5125 one or more breakpoint numbers as arguments. Use @code{info break} to
5126 print a list of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints if you
5127 do not know which numbers to use.
5129 Disabling and enabling a breakpoint that has multiple locations
5130 affects all of its locations.
5132 A breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint can have any of several
5133 different states of enablement:
5137 Enabled. The breakpoint stops your program. A breakpoint set
5138 with the @code{break} command starts out in this state.
5140 Disabled. The breakpoint has no effect on your program.
5142 Enabled once. The breakpoint stops your program, but then becomes
5145 Enabled for a count. The breakpoint stops your program for the next
5146 N times, then becomes disabled.
5148 Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint stops your program, but
5149 immediately after it does so it is deleted permanently. A breakpoint
5150 set with the @code{tbreak} command starts out in this state.
5153 You can use the following commands to enable or disable breakpoints,
5154 watchpoints, and catchpoints:
5158 @kindex dis @r{(@code{disable})}
5159 @item disable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{list}@dots{}@r{]}
5160 Disable the specified breakpoints---or all breakpoints, if none are
5161 listed. A disabled breakpoint has no effect but is not forgotten. All
5162 options such as ignore-counts, conditions and commands are remembered in
5163 case the breakpoint is enabled again later. You may abbreviate
5164 @code{disable} as @code{dis}.
5167 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{list}@dots{}@r{]}
5168 Enable the specified breakpoints (or all defined breakpoints). They
5169 become effective once again in stopping your program.
5171 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} once @var{list}@dots{}
5172 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} disables any
5173 of these breakpoints immediately after stopping your program.
5175 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} count @var{count} @var{list}@dots{}
5176 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} records
5177 @var{count} with each of the specified breakpoints, and decrements a
5178 breakpoint's count when it is hit. When any count reaches 0,
5179 @value{GDBN} disables that breakpoint. If a breakpoint has an ignore
5180 count (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}), that will be
5181 decremented to 0 before @var{count} is affected.
5183 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} delete @var{list}@dots{}
5184 Enable the specified breakpoints to work once, then die. @value{GDBN}
5185 deletes any of these breakpoints as soon as your program stops there.
5186 Breakpoints set by the @code{tbreak} command start out in this state.
5189 @c FIXME: I think the following ``Except for [...] @code{tbreak}'' is
5190 @c confusing: tbreak is also initially enabled.
5191 Except for a breakpoint set with @code{tbreak} (@pxref{Set Breaks,
5192 ,Setting Breakpoints}), breakpoints that you set are initially enabled;
5193 subsequently, they become disabled or enabled only when you use one of
5194 the commands above. (The command @code{until} can set and delete a
5195 breakpoint of its own, but it does not change the state of your other
5196 breakpoints; see @ref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and
5200 @subsection Break Conditions
5201 @cindex conditional breakpoints
5202 @cindex breakpoint conditions
5204 @c FIXME what is scope of break condition expr? Context where wanted?
5205 @c in particular for a watchpoint?
5206 The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time your program reaches a
5207 specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for a
5208 breakpoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
5209 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A breakpoint with
5210 a condition evaluates the expression each time your program reaches it,
5211 and your program stops only if the condition is @emph{true}.
5213 This is the converse of using assertions for program validation; in that
5214 situation, you want to stop when the assertion is violated---that is,
5215 when the condition is false. In C, if you want to test an assertion expressed
5216 by the condition @var{assert}, you should set the condition
5217 @samp{! @var{assert}} on the appropriate breakpoint.
5219 Conditions are also accepted for watchpoints; you may not need them,
5220 since a watchpoint is inspecting the value of an expression anyhow---but
5221 it might be simpler, say, to just set a watchpoint on a variable name,
5222 and specify a condition that tests whether the new value is an interesting
5225 Break conditions can have side effects, and may even call functions in
5226 your program. This can be useful, for example, to activate functions
5227 that log program progress, or to use your own print functions to
5228 format special data structures. The effects are completely predictable
5229 unless there is another enabled breakpoint at the same address. (In
5230 that case, @value{GDBN} might see the other breakpoint first and stop your
5231 program without checking the condition of this one.) Note that
5232 breakpoint commands are usually more convenient and flexible than break
5234 purpose of performing side effects when a breakpoint is reached
5235 (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}).
5237 Breakpoint conditions can also be evaluated on the target's side if
5238 the target supports it. Instead of evaluating the conditions locally,
5239 @value{GDBN} encodes the expression into an agent expression
5240 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}) suitable for execution on the target,
5241 independently of @value{GDBN}. Global variables become raw memory
5242 locations, locals become stack accesses, and so forth.
5244 In this case, @value{GDBN} will only be notified of a breakpoint trigger
5245 when its condition evaluates to true. This mechanism may provide faster
5246 response times depending on the performance characteristics of the target
5247 since it does not need to keep @value{GDBN} informed about
5248 every breakpoint trigger, even those with false conditions.
5250 Break conditions can be specified when a breakpoint is set, by using
5251 @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{break} command. @xref{Set
5252 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}. They can also be changed at any time
5253 with the @code{condition} command.
5255 You can also use the @code{if} keyword with the @code{watch} command.
5256 The @code{catch} command does not recognize the @code{if} keyword;
5257 @code{condition} is the only way to impose a further condition on a
5262 @item condition @var{bnum} @var{expression}
5263 Specify @var{expression} as the break condition for breakpoint,
5264 watchpoint, or catchpoint number @var{bnum}. After you set a condition,
5265 breakpoint @var{bnum} stops your program only if the value of
5266 @var{expression} is true (nonzero, in C). When you use
5267 @code{condition}, @value{GDBN} checks @var{expression} immediately for
5268 syntactic correctness, and to determine whether symbols in it have
5269 referents in the context of your breakpoint. If @var{expression} uses
5270 symbols not referenced in the context of the breakpoint, @value{GDBN}
5271 prints an error message:
5274 No symbol "foo" in current context.
5279 not actually evaluate @var{expression} at the time the @code{condition}
5280 command (or a command that sets a breakpoint with a condition, like
5281 @code{break if @dots{}}) is given, however. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
5283 @item condition @var{bnum}
5284 Remove the condition from breakpoint number @var{bnum}. It becomes
5285 an ordinary unconditional breakpoint.
5288 @cindex ignore count (of breakpoint)
5289 A special case of a breakpoint condition is to stop only when the
5290 breakpoint has been reached a certain number of times. This is so
5291 useful that there is a special way to do it, using the @dfn{ignore
5292 count} of the breakpoint. Every breakpoint has an ignore count, which
5293 is an integer. Most of the time, the ignore count is zero, and
5294 therefore has no effect. But if your program reaches a breakpoint whose
5295 ignore count is positive, then instead of stopping, it just decrements
5296 the ignore count by one and continues. As a result, if the ignore count
5297 value is @var{n}, the breakpoint does not stop the next @var{n} times
5298 your program reaches it.
5302 @item ignore @var{bnum} @var{count}
5303 Set the ignore count of breakpoint number @var{bnum} to @var{count}.
5304 The next @var{count} times the breakpoint is reached, your program's
5305 execution does not stop; other than to decrement the ignore count, @value{GDBN}
5308 To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify
5311 When you use @code{continue} to resume execution of your program from a
5312 breakpoint, you can specify an ignore count directly as an argument to
5313 @code{continue}, rather than using @code{ignore}. @xref{Continuing and
5314 Stepping,,Continuing and Stepping}.
5316 If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the
5317 condition is not checked. Once the ignore count reaches zero,
5318 @value{GDBN} resumes checking the condition.
5320 You could achieve the effect of the ignore count with a condition such
5321 as @w{@samp{$foo-- <= 0}} using a debugger convenience variable that
5322 is decremented each time. @xref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
5326 Ignore counts apply to breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints.
5329 @node Break Commands
5330 @subsection Breakpoint Command Lists
5332 @cindex breakpoint commands
5333 You can give any breakpoint (or watchpoint or catchpoint) a series of
5334 commands to execute when your program stops due to that breakpoint. For
5335 example, you might want to print the values of certain expressions, or
5336 enable other breakpoints.
5340 @kindex end@r{ (breakpoint commands)}
5341 @item commands @r{[}@var{list}@dots{}@r{]}
5342 @itemx @dots{} @var{command-list} @dots{}
5344 Specify a list of commands for the given breakpoints. The commands
5345 themselves appear on the following lines. Type a line containing just
5346 @code{end} to terminate the commands.
5348 To remove all commands from a breakpoint, type @code{commands} and
5349 follow it immediately with @code{end}; that is, give no commands.
5351 With no argument, @code{commands} refers to the last breakpoint,
5352 watchpoint, or catchpoint set (not to the breakpoint most recently
5353 encountered). If the most recent breakpoints were set with a single
5354 command, then the @code{commands} will apply to all the breakpoints
5355 set by that command. This applies to breakpoints set by
5356 @code{rbreak}, and also applies when a single @code{break} command
5357 creates multiple breakpoints (@pxref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous
5361 Pressing @key{RET} as a means of repeating the last @value{GDBN} command is
5362 disabled within a @var{command-list}.
5364 You can use breakpoint commands to start your program up again. Simply
5365 use the @code{continue} command, or @code{step}, or any other command
5366 that resumes execution.
5368 Any other commands in the command list, after a command that resumes
5369 execution, are ignored. This is because any time you resume execution
5370 (even with a simple @code{next} or @code{step}), you may encounter
5371 another breakpoint---which could have its own command list, leading to
5372 ambiguities about which list to execute.
5375 If the first command you specify in a command list is @code{silent}, the
5376 usual message about stopping at a breakpoint is not printed. This may
5377 be desirable for breakpoints that are to print a specific message and
5378 then continue. If none of the remaining commands print anything, you
5379 see no sign that the breakpoint was reached. @code{silent} is
5380 meaningful only at the beginning of a breakpoint command list.
5382 The commands @code{echo}, @code{output}, and @code{printf} allow you to
5383 print precisely controlled output, and are often useful in silent
5384 breakpoints. @xref{Output, ,Commands for Controlled Output}.
5386 For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print the
5387 value of @code{x} at entry to @code{foo} whenever @code{x} is positive.
5393 printf "x is %d\n",x
5398 One application for breakpoint commands is to compensate for one bug so
5399 you can test for another. Put a breakpoint just after the erroneous line
5400 of code, give it a condition to detect the case in which something
5401 erroneous has been done, and give it commands to assign correct values
5402 to any variables that need them. End with the @code{continue} command
5403 so that your program does not stop, and start with the @code{silent}
5404 command so that no output is produced. Here is an example:
5415 @node Dynamic Printf
5416 @subsection Dynamic Printf
5418 @cindex dynamic printf
5420 The dynamic printf command @code{dprintf} combines a breakpoint with
5421 formatted printing of your program's data to give you the effect of
5422 inserting @code{printf} calls into your program on-the-fly, without
5423 having to recompile it.
5425 In its most basic form, the output goes to the GDB console. However,
5426 you can set the variable @code{dprintf-style} for alternate handling.
5427 For instance, you can ask to format the output by calling your
5428 program's @code{printf} function. This has the advantage that the
5429 characters go to the program's output device, so they can recorded in
5430 redirects to files and so forth.
5432 If you are doing remote debugging with a stub or agent, you can also
5433 ask to have the printf handled by the remote agent. In addition to
5434 ensuring that the output goes to the remote program's device along
5435 with any other output the program might produce, you can also ask that
5436 the dprintf remain active even after disconnecting from the remote
5437 target. Using the stub/agent is also more efficient, as it can do
5438 everything without needing to communicate with @value{GDBN}.
5442 @item dprintf @var{location},@var{template},@var{expression}[,@var{expression}@dots{}]
5443 Whenever execution reaches @var{location}, print the values of one or
5444 more @var{expressions} under the control of the string @var{template}.
5445 To print several values, separate them with commas.
5447 @item set dprintf-style @var{style}
5448 Set the dprintf output to be handled in one of several different
5449 styles enumerated below. A change of style affects all existing
5450 dynamic printfs immediately. (If you need individual control over the
5451 print commands, simply define normal breakpoints with
5452 explicitly-supplied command lists.)
5456 @kindex dprintf-style gdb
5457 Handle the output using the @value{GDBN} @code{printf} command.
5460 @kindex dprintf-style call
5461 Handle the output by calling a function in your program (normally
5465 @kindex dprintf-style agent
5466 Have the remote debugging agent (such as @code{gdbserver}) handle
5467 the output itself. This style is only available for agents that
5468 support running commands on the target.
5471 @item set dprintf-function @var{function}
5472 Set the function to call if the dprintf style is @code{call}. By
5473 default its value is @code{printf}. You may set it to any expression.
5474 that @value{GDBN} can evaluate to a function, as per the @code{call}
5477 @item set dprintf-channel @var{channel}
5478 Set a ``channel'' for dprintf. If set to a non-empty value,
5479 @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as an expression and pass the result as
5480 a first argument to the @code{dprintf-function}, in the manner of
5481 @code{fprintf} and similar functions. Otherwise, the dprintf format
5482 string will be the first argument, in the manner of @code{printf}.
5484 As an example, if you wanted @code{dprintf} output to go to a logfile
5485 that is a standard I/O stream assigned to the variable @code{mylog},
5486 you could do the following:
5489 (gdb) set dprintf-style call
5490 (gdb) set dprintf-function fprintf
5491 (gdb) set dprintf-channel mylog
5492 (gdb) dprintf 25,"at line 25, glob=%d\n",glob
5493 Dprintf 1 at 0x123456: file main.c, line 25.
5495 1 dprintf keep y 0x00123456 in main at main.c:25
5496 call (void) fprintf (mylog,"at line 25, glob=%d\n",glob)
5501 Note that the @code{info break} displays the dynamic printf commands
5502 as normal breakpoint commands; you can thus easily see the effect of
5503 the variable settings.
5505 @item set disconnected-dprintf on
5506 @itemx set disconnected-dprintf off
5507 @kindex set disconnected-dprintf
5508 Choose whether @code{dprintf} commands should continue to run if
5509 @value{GDBN} has disconnected from the target. This only applies
5510 if the @code{dprintf-style} is @code{agent}.
5512 @item show disconnected-dprintf off
5513 @kindex show disconnected-dprintf
5514 Show the current choice for disconnected @code{dprintf}.
5518 @value{GDBN} does not check the validity of function and channel,
5519 relying on you to supply values that are meaningful for the contexts
5520 in which they are being used. For instance, the function and channel
5521 may be the values of local variables, but if that is the case, then
5522 all enabled dynamic prints must be at locations within the scope of
5523 those locals. If evaluation fails, @value{GDBN} will report an error.
5525 @node Save Breakpoints
5526 @subsection How to save breakpoints to a file
5528 To save breakpoint definitions to a file use the @w{@code{save
5529 breakpoints}} command.
5532 @kindex save breakpoints
5533 @cindex save breakpoints to a file for future sessions
5534 @item save breakpoints [@var{filename}]
5535 This command saves all current breakpoint definitions together with
5536 their commands and ignore counts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
5537 suitable for use in a later debugging session. This includes all
5538 types of breakpoints (breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints,
5539 tracepoints). To read the saved breakpoint definitions, use the
5540 @code{source} command (@pxref{Command Files}). Note that watchpoints
5541 with expressions involving local variables may fail to be recreated
5542 because it may not be possible to access the context where the
5543 watchpoint is valid anymore. Because the saved breakpoint definitions
5544 are simply a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands that recreate the
5545 breakpoints, you can edit the file in your favorite editing program,
5546 and remove the breakpoint definitions you're not interested in, or
5547 that can no longer be recreated.
5550 @node Static Probe Points
5551 @subsection Static Probe Points
5553 @cindex static probe point, SystemTap
5554 @cindex static probe point, DTrace
5555 @value{GDBN} supports @dfn{SDT} probes in the code. @acronym{SDT} stands
5556 for Statically Defined Tracing, and the probes are designed to have a tiny
5557 runtime code and data footprint, and no dynamic relocations.
5559 Currently, the following types of probes are supported on
5560 ELF-compatible systems:
5564 @item @code{SystemTap} (@uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/})
5565 @acronym{SDT} probes@footnote{See
5566 @uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/wiki/AddingUserSpaceProbingToApps}
5567 for more information on how to add @code{SystemTap} @acronym{SDT}
5568 probes in your applications.}. @code{SystemTap} probes are usable
5569 from assembly, C and C@t{++} languages@footnote{See
5570 @uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/wiki/UserSpaceProbeImplementation}
5571 for a good reference on how the @acronym{SDT} probes are implemented.}.
5573 @item @code{DTrace} (@uref{http://oss.oracle.com/projects/DTrace})
5574 @acronym{USDT} probes. @code{DTrace} probes are usable from C and
5578 @cindex semaphores on static probe points
5579 Some @code{SystemTap} probes have an associated semaphore variable;
5580 for instance, this happens automatically if you defined your probe
5581 using a DTrace-style @file{.d} file. If your probe has a semaphore,
5582 @value{GDBN} will automatically enable it when you specify a
5583 breakpoint using the @samp{-probe-stap} notation. But, if you put a
5584 breakpoint at a probe's location by some other method (e.g.,
5585 @code{break file:line}), then @value{GDBN} will not automatically set
5586 the semaphore. @code{DTrace} probes do not support semaphores.
5588 You can examine the available static static probes using @code{info
5589 probes}, with optional arguments:
5593 @item info probes @r{[}@var{type}@r{]} @r{[}@var{provider} @r{[}@var{name} @r{[}@var{objfile}@r{]}@r{]}@r{]}
5594 If given, @var{type} is either @code{stap} for listing
5595 @code{SystemTap} probes or @code{dtrace} for listing @code{DTrace}
5596 probes. If omitted all probes are listed regardless of their types.
5598 If given, @var{provider} is a regular expression used to match against provider
5599 names when selecting which probes to list. If omitted, probes by all
5600 probes from all providers are listed.
5602 If given, @var{name} is a regular expression to match against probe names
5603 when selecting which probes to list. If omitted, probe names are not
5604 considered when deciding whether to display them.
5606 If given, @var{objfile} is a regular expression used to select which
5607 object files (executable or shared libraries) to examine. If not
5608 given, all object files are considered.
5610 @item info probes all
5611 List the available static probes, from all types.
5614 @cindex enabling and disabling probes
5615 Some probe points can be enabled and/or disabled. The effect of
5616 enabling or disabling a probe depends on the type of probe being
5617 handled. Some @code{DTrace} probes can be enabled or
5618 disabled, but @code{SystemTap} probes cannot be disabled.
5620 You can enable (or disable) one or more probes using the following
5621 commands, with optional arguments:
5624 @kindex enable probes
5625 @item enable probes @r{[}@var{provider} @r{[}@var{name} @r{[}@var{objfile}@r{]}@r{]}@r{]}
5626 If given, @var{provider} is a regular expression used to match against
5627 provider names when selecting which probes to enable. If omitted,
5628 all probes from all providers are enabled.
5630 If given, @var{name} is a regular expression to match against probe
5631 names when selecting which probes to enable. If omitted, probe names
5632 are not considered when deciding whether to enable them.
5634 If given, @var{objfile} is a regular expression used to select which
5635 object files (executable or shared libraries) to examine. If not
5636 given, all object files are considered.
5638 @kindex disable probes
5639 @item disable probes @r{[}@var{provider} @r{[}@var{name} @r{[}@var{objfile}@r{]}@r{]}@r{]}
5640 See the @code{enable probes} command above for a description of the
5641 optional arguments accepted by this command.
5644 @vindex $_probe_arg@r{, convenience variable}
5645 A probe may specify up to twelve arguments. These are available at the
5646 point at which the probe is defined---that is, when the current PC is
5647 at the probe's location. The arguments are available using the
5648 convenience variables (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
5649 @code{$_probe_arg0}@dots{}@code{$_probe_arg11}. In @code{SystemTap}
5650 probes each probe argument is an integer of the appropriate size;
5651 types are not preserved. In @code{DTrace} probes types are preserved
5652 provided that they are recognized as such by @value{GDBN}; otherwise
5653 the value of the probe argument will be a long integer. The
5654 convenience variable @code{$_probe_argc} holds the number of arguments
5655 at the current probe point.
5657 These variables are always available, but attempts to access them at
5658 any location other than a probe point will cause @value{GDBN} to give
5662 @c @ifclear BARETARGET
5663 @node Error in Breakpoints
5664 @subsection ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
5666 If you request too many active hardware-assisted breakpoints and
5667 watchpoints, you will see this error message:
5669 @c FIXME: the precise wording of this message may change; the relevant
5670 @c source change is not committed yet (Sep 3, 1999).
5672 Stopped; cannot insert breakpoints.
5673 You may have requested too many hardware breakpoints and watchpoints.
5677 This message is printed when you attempt to resume the program, since
5678 only then @value{GDBN} knows exactly how many hardware breakpoints and
5679 watchpoints it needs to insert.
5681 When this message is printed, you need to disable or remove some of the
5682 hardware-assisted breakpoints and watchpoints, and then continue.
5684 @node Breakpoint-related Warnings
5685 @subsection ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
5686 @cindex breakpoint address adjusted
5688 Some processor architectures place constraints on the addresses at
5689 which breakpoints may be placed. For architectures thus constrained,
5690 @value{GDBN} will attempt to adjust the breakpoint's address to comply
5691 with the constraints dictated by the architecture.
5693 One example of such an architecture is the Fujitsu FR-V. The FR-V is
5694 a VLIW architecture in which a number of RISC-like instructions may be
5695 bundled together for parallel execution. The FR-V architecture
5696 constrains the location of a breakpoint instruction within such a
5697 bundle to the instruction with the lowest address. @value{GDBN}
5698 honors this constraint by adjusting a breakpoint's address to the
5699 first in the bundle.
5701 It is not uncommon for optimized code to have bundles which contain
5702 instructions from different source statements, thus it may happen that
5703 a breakpoint's address will be adjusted from one source statement to
5704 another. Since this adjustment may significantly alter @value{GDBN}'s
5705 breakpoint related behavior from what the user expects, a warning is
5706 printed when the breakpoint is first set and also when the breakpoint
5709 A warning like the one below is printed when setting a breakpoint
5710 that's been subject to address adjustment:
5713 warning: Breakpoint address adjusted from 0x00010414 to 0x00010410.
5716 Such warnings are printed both for user settable and @value{GDBN}'s
5717 internal breakpoints. If you see one of these warnings, you should
5718 verify that a breakpoint set at the adjusted address will have the
5719 desired affect. If not, the breakpoint in question may be removed and
5720 other breakpoints may be set which will have the desired behavior.
5721 E.g., it may be sufficient to place the breakpoint at a later
5722 instruction. A conditional breakpoint may also be useful in some
5723 cases to prevent the breakpoint from triggering too often.
5725 @value{GDBN} will also issue a warning when stopping at one of these
5726 adjusted breakpoints:
5729 warning: Breakpoint 1 address previously adjusted from 0x00010414
5733 When this warning is encountered, it may be too late to take remedial
5734 action except in cases where the breakpoint is hit earlier or more
5735 frequently than expected.
5737 @node Continuing and Stepping
5738 @section Continuing and Stepping
5742 @cindex resuming execution
5743 @dfn{Continuing} means resuming program execution until your program
5744 completes normally. In contrast, @dfn{stepping} means executing just
5745 one more ``step'' of your program, where ``step'' may mean either one
5746 line of source code, or one machine instruction (depending on what
5747 particular command you use). Either when continuing or when stepping,
5748 your program may stop even sooner, due to a breakpoint or a signal. (If
5749 it stops due to a signal, you may want to use @code{handle}, or use
5750 @samp{signal 0} to resume execution (@pxref{Signals, ,Signals}),
5751 or you may step into the signal's handler (@pxref{stepping and signal
5756 @kindex c @r{(@code{continue})}
5757 @kindex fg @r{(resume foreground execution)}
5758 @item continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5759 @itemx c @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5760 @itemx fg @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5761 Resume program execution, at the address where your program last stopped;
5762 any breakpoints set at that address are bypassed. The optional argument
5763 @var{ignore-count} allows you to specify a further number of times to
5764 ignore a breakpoint at this location; its effect is like that of
5765 @code{ignore} (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
5767 The argument @var{ignore-count} is meaningful only when your program
5768 stopped due to a breakpoint. At other times, the argument to
5769 @code{continue} is ignored.
5771 The synonyms @code{c} and @code{fg} (for @dfn{foreground}, as the
5772 debugged program is deemed to be the foreground program) are provided
5773 purely for convenience, and have exactly the same behavior as
5777 To resume execution at a different place, you can use @code{return}
5778 (@pxref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}) to go back to the
5779 calling function; or @code{jump} (@pxref{Jumping, ,Continuing at a
5780 Different Address}) to go to an arbitrary location in your program.
5782 A typical technique for using stepping is to set a breakpoint
5783 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Catchpoints}) at the
5784 beginning of the function or the section of your program where a problem
5785 is believed to lie, run your program until it stops at that breakpoint,
5786 and then step through the suspect area, examining the variables that are
5787 interesting, until you see the problem happen.
5791 @kindex s @r{(@code{step})}
5793 Continue running your program until control reaches a different source
5794 line, then stop it and return control to @value{GDBN}. This command is
5795 abbreviated @code{s}.
5798 @c "without debugging information" is imprecise; actually "without line
5799 @c numbers in the debugging information". (gcc -g1 has debugging info but
5800 @c not line numbers). But it seems complex to try to make that
5801 @c distinction here.
5802 @emph{Warning:} If you use the @code{step} command while control is
5803 within a function that was compiled without debugging information,
5804 execution proceeds until control reaches a function that does have
5805 debugging information. Likewise, it will not step into a function which
5806 is compiled without debugging information. To step through functions
5807 without debugging information, use the @code{stepi} command, described
5811 The @code{step} command only stops at the first instruction of a source
5812 line. This prevents the multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
5813 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc. @code{step} continues
5814 to stop if a function that has debugging information is called within
5815 the line. In other words, @code{step} @emph{steps inside} any functions
5816 called within the line.
5818 Also, the @code{step} command only enters a function if there is line
5819 number information for the function. Otherwise it acts like the
5820 @code{next} command. This avoids problems when using @code{cc -gl}
5821 on @acronym{MIPS} machines. Previously, @code{step} entered subroutines if there
5822 was any debugging information about the routine.
5824 @item step @var{count}
5825 Continue running as in @code{step}, but do so @var{count} times. If a
5826 breakpoint is reached, or a signal not related to stepping occurs before
5827 @var{count} steps, stepping stops right away.
5830 @kindex n @r{(@code{next})}
5831 @item next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5832 Continue to the next source line in the current (innermost) stack frame.
5833 This is similar to @code{step}, but function calls that appear within
5834 the line of code are executed without stopping. Execution stops when
5835 control reaches a different line of code at the original stack level
5836 that was executing when you gave the @code{next} command. This command
5837 is abbreviated @code{n}.
5839 An argument @var{count} is a repeat count, as for @code{step}.
5842 @c FIX ME!! Do we delete this, or is there a way it fits in with
5843 @c the following paragraph? --- Vctoria
5845 @c @code{next} within a function that lacks debugging information acts like
5846 @c @code{step}, but any function calls appearing within the code of the
5847 @c function are executed without stopping.
5849 The @code{next} command only stops at the first instruction of a
5850 source line. This prevents multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
5851 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc.
5853 @kindex set step-mode
5855 @cindex functions without line info, and stepping
5856 @cindex stepping into functions with no line info
5857 @itemx set step-mode on
5858 The @code{set step-mode on} command causes the @code{step} command to
5859 stop at the first instruction of a function which contains no debug line
5860 information rather than stepping over it.
5862 This is useful in cases where you may be interested in inspecting the
5863 machine instructions of a function which has no symbolic info and do not
5864 want @value{GDBN} to automatically skip over this function.
5866 @item set step-mode off
5867 Causes the @code{step} command to step over any functions which contains no
5868 debug information. This is the default.
5870 @item show step-mode
5871 Show whether @value{GDBN} will stop in or step over functions without
5872 source line debug information.
5875 @kindex fin @r{(@code{finish})}
5877 Continue running until just after function in the selected stack frame
5878 returns. Print the returned value (if any). This command can be
5879 abbreviated as @code{fin}.
5881 Contrast this with the @code{return} command (@pxref{Returning,
5882 ,Returning from a Function}).
5884 @kindex set print finish
5885 @kindex show print finish
5886 @item set print finish @r{[}on|off@r{]}
5887 @itemx show print finish
5888 By default the @code{finish} command will show the value that is
5889 returned by the function. This can be disabled using @code{set print
5890 finish off}. When disabled, the value is still entered into the value
5891 history (@pxref{Value History}), but not displayed.
5894 @kindex u @r{(@code{until})}
5895 @cindex run until specified location
5898 Continue running until a source line past the current line, in the
5899 current stack frame, is reached. This command is used to avoid single
5900 stepping through a loop more than once. It is like the @code{next}
5901 command, except that when @code{until} encounters a jump, it
5902 automatically continues execution until the program counter is greater
5903 than the address of the jump.
5905 This means that when you reach the end of a loop after single stepping
5906 though it, @code{until} makes your program continue execution until it
5907 exits the loop. In contrast, a @code{next} command at the end of a loop
5908 simply steps back to the beginning of the loop, which forces you to step
5909 through the next iteration.
5911 @code{until} always stops your program if it attempts to exit the current
5914 @code{until} may produce somewhat counterintuitive results if the order
5915 of machine code does not match the order of the source lines. For
5916 example, in the following excerpt from a debugging session, the @code{f}
5917 (@code{frame}) command shows that execution is stopped at line
5918 @code{206}; yet when we use @code{until}, we get to line @code{195}:
5922 #0 main (argc=4, argv=0xf7fffae8) at m4.c:206
5924 (@value{GDBP}) until
5925 195 for ( ; argc > 0; NEXTARG) @{
5928 This happened because, for execution efficiency, the compiler had
5929 generated code for the loop closure test at the end, rather than the
5930 start, of the loop---even though the test in a C @code{for}-loop is
5931 written before the body of the loop. The @code{until} command appeared
5932 to step back to the beginning of the loop when it advanced to this
5933 expression; however, it has not really gone to an earlier
5934 statement---not in terms of the actual machine code.
5936 @code{until} with no argument works by means of single
5937 instruction stepping, and hence is slower than @code{until} with an
5940 @item until @var{location}
5941 @itemx u @var{location}
5942 Continue running your program until either the specified @var{location} is
5943 reached, or the current stack frame returns. The location is any of
5944 the forms described in @ref{Specify Location}.
5945 This form of the command uses temporary breakpoints, and
5946 hence is quicker than @code{until} without an argument. The specified
5947 location is actually reached only if it is in the current frame. This
5948 implies that @code{until} can be used to skip over recursive function
5949 invocations. For instance in the code below, if the current location is
5950 line @code{96}, issuing @code{until 99} will execute the program up to
5951 line @code{99} in the same invocation of factorial, i.e., after the inner
5952 invocations have returned.
5955 94 int factorial (int value)
5957 96 if (value > 1) @{
5958 97 value *= factorial (value - 1);
5965 @kindex advance @var{location}
5966 @item advance @var{location}
5967 Continue running the program up to the given @var{location}. An argument is
5968 required, which should be of one of the forms described in
5969 @ref{Specify Location}.
5970 Execution will also stop upon exit from the current stack
5971 frame. This command is similar to @code{until}, but @code{advance} will
5972 not skip over recursive function calls, and the target location doesn't
5973 have to be in the same frame as the current one.
5977 @kindex si @r{(@code{stepi})}
5979 @itemx stepi @var{arg}
5981 Execute one machine instruction, then stop and return to the debugger.
5983 It is often useful to do @samp{display/i $pc} when stepping by machine
5984 instructions. This makes @value{GDBN} automatically display the next
5985 instruction to be executed, each time your program stops. @xref{Auto
5986 Display,, Automatic Display}.
5988 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{step}.
5992 @kindex ni @r{(@code{nexti})}
5994 @itemx nexti @var{arg}
5996 Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call,
5997 proceed until the function returns.
5999 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{next}.
6003 @anchor{range stepping}
6004 @cindex range stepping
6005 @cindex target-assisted range stepping
6006 By default, and if available, @value{GDBN} makes use of
6007 target-assisted @dfn{range stepping}. In other words, whenever you
6008 use a stepping command (e.g., @code{step}, @code{next}), @value{GDBN}
6009 tells the target to step the corresponding range of instruction
6010 addresses instead of issuing multiple single-steps. This speeds up
6011 line stepping, particularly for remote targets. Ideally, there should
6012 be no reason you would want to turn range stepping off. However, it's
6013 possible that a bug in the debug info, a bug in the remote stub (for
6014 remote targets), or even a bug in @value{GDBN} could make line
6015 stepping behave incorrectly when target-assisted range stepping is
6016 enabled. You can use the following command to turn off range stepping
6020 @kindex set range-stepping
6021 @kindex show range-stepping
6022 @item set range-stepping
6023 @itemx show range-stepping
6024 Control whether range stepping is enabled.
6026 If @code{on}, and the target supports it, @value{GDBN} tells the
6027 target to step a range of addresses itself, instead of issuing
6028 multiple single-steps. If @code{off}, @value{GDBN} always issues
6029 single-steps, even if range stepping is supported by the target. The
6030 default is @code{on}.
6034 @node Skipping Over Functions and Files
6035 @section Skipping Over Functions and Files
6036 @cindex skipping over functions and files
6038 The program you are debugging may contain some functions which are
6039 uninteresting to debug. The @code{skip} command lets you tell @value{GDBN} to
6040 skip a function, all functions in a file or a particular function in
6041 a particular file when stepping.
6043 For example, consider the following C function:
6054 Suppose you wish to step into the functions @code{foo} and @code{bar}, but you
6055 are not interested in stepping through @code{boring}. If you run @code{step}
6056 at line 103, you'll enter @code{boring()}, but if you run @code{next}, you'll
6057 step over both @code{foo} and @code{boring}!
6059 One solution is to @code{step} into @code{boring} and use the @code{finish}
6060 command to immediately exit it. But this can become tedious if @code{boring}
6061 is called from many places.
6063 A more flexible solution is to execute @kbd{skip boring}. This instructs
6064 @value{GDBN} never to step into @code{boring}. Now when you execute
6065 @code{step} at line 103, you'll step over @code{boring} and directly into
6068 Functions may be skipped by providing either a function name, linespec
6069 (@pxref{Specify Location}), regular expression that matches the function's
6070 name, file name or a @code{glob}-style pattern that matches the file name.
6072 On Posix systems the form of the regular expression is
6073 ``Extended Regular Expressions''. See for example @samp{man 7 regex}
6074 on @sc{gnu}/Linux systems. On non-Posix systems the form of the regular
6075 expression is whatever is provided by the @code{regcomp} function of
6076 the underlying system.
6077 See for example @samp{man 7 glob} on @sc{gnu}/Linux systems for a
6078 description of @code{glob}-style patterns.
6082 @item skip @r{[}@var{options}@r{]}
6083 The basic form of the @code{skip} command takes zero or more options
6084 that specify what to skip.
6085 The @var{options} argument is any useful combination of the following:
6088 @item -file @var{file}
6089 @itemx -fi @var{file}
6090 Functions in @var{file} will be skipped over when stepping.
6092 @item -gfile @var{file-glob-pattern}
6093 @itemx -gfi @var{file-glob-pattern}
6094 @cindex skipping over files via glob-style patterns
6095 Functions in files matching @var{file-glob-pattern} will be skipped
6099 (gdb) skip -gfi utils/*.c
6102 @item -function @var{linespec}
6103 @itemx -fu @var{linespec}
6104 Functions named by @var{linespec} or the function containing the line
6105 named by @var{linespec} will be skipped over when stepping.
6106 @xref{Specify Location}.
6108 @item -rfunction @var{regexp}
6109 @itemx -rfu @var{regexp}
6110 @cindex skipping over functions via regular expressions
6111 Functions whose name matches @var{regexp} will be skipped over when stepping.
6113 This form is useful for complex function names.
6114 For example, there is generally no need to step into C@t{++} @code{std::string}
6115 constructors or destructors. Plus with C@t{++} templates it can be hard to
6116 write out the full name of the function, and often it doesn't matter what
6117 the template arguments are. Specifying the function to be skipped as a
6118 regular expression makes this easier.
6121 (gdb) skip -rfu ^std::(allocator|basic_string)<.*>::~?\1 *\(
6124 If you want to skip every templated C@t{++} constructor and destructor
6125 in the @code{std} namespace you can do:
6128 (gdb) skip -rfu ^std::([a-zA-z0-9_]+)<.*>::~?\1 *\(
6132 If no options are specified, the function you're currently debugging
6135 @kindex skip function
6136 @item skip function @r{[}@var{linespec}@r{]}
6137 After running this command, the function named by @var{linespec} or the
6138 function containing the line named by @var{linespec} will be skipped over when
6139 stepping. @xref{Specify Location}.
6141 If you do not specify @var{linespec}, the function you're currently debugging
6144 (If you have a function called @code{file} that you want to skip, use
6145 @kbd{skip function file}.)
6148 @item skip file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
6149 After running this command, any function whose source lives in @var{filename}
6150 will be skipped over when stepping.
6153 (gdb) skip file boring.c
6154 File boring.c will be skipped when stepping.
6157 If you do not specify @var{filename}, functions whose source lives in the file
6158 you're currently debugging will be skipped.
6161 Skips can be listed, deleted, disabled, and enabled, much like breakpoints.
6162 These are the commands for managing your list of skips:
6166 @item info skip @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
6167 Print details about the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified,
6168 print a table with details about all functions and files marked for skipping.
6169 @code{info skip} prints the following information about each skip:
6173 A number identifying this skip.
6174 @item Enabled or Disabled
6175 Enabled skips are marked with @samp{y}.
6176 Disabled skips are marked with @samp{n}.
6178 If the file name is a @samp{glob} pattern this is @samp{y}.
6179 Otherwise it is @samp{n}.
6181 The name or @samp{glob} pattern of the file to be skipped.
6182 If no file is specified this is @samp{<none>}.
6184 If the function name is a @samp{regular expression} this is @samp{y}.
6185 Otherwise it is @samp{n}.
6187 The name or regular expression of the function to skip.
6188 If no function is specified this is @samp{<none>}.
6192 @item skip delete @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
6193 Delete the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, delete all
6197 @item skip enable @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
6198 Enable the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, enable all
6201 @kindex skip disable
6202 @item skip disable @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
6203 Disable the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, disable all
6206 @kindex set debug skip
6207 @item set debug skip @r{[}on|off@r{]}
6208 Set whether to print the debug output about skipping files and functions.
6210 @kindex show debug skip
6211 @item show debug skip
6212 Show whether the debug output about skipping files and functions is printed.
6220 A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The
6221 operating system defines the possible kinds of signals, and gives each
6222 kind a name and a number. For example, in Unix @code{SIGINT} is the
6223 signal a program gets when you type an interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c});
6224 @code{SIGSEGV} is the signal a program gets from referencing a place in
6225 memory far away from all the areas in use; @code{SIGALRM} occurs when
6226 the alarm clock timer goes off (which happens only if your program has
6227 requested an alarm).
6229 @cindex fatal signals
6230 Some signals, including @code{SIGALRM}, are a normal part of the
6231 functioning of your program. Others, such as @code{SIGSEGV}, indicate
6232 errors; these signals are @dfn{fatal} (they kill your program immediately) if the
6233 program has not specified in advance some other way to handle the signal.
6234 @code{SIGINT} does not indicate an error in your program, but it is normally
6235 fatal so it can carry out the purpose of the interrupt: to kill the program.
6237 @value{GDBN} has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in your
6238 program. You can tell @value{GDBN} in advance what to do for each kind of
6241 @cindex handling signals
6242 Normally, @value{GDBN} is set up to let the non-erroneous signals like
6243 @code{SIGALRM} be silently passed to your program
6244 (so as not to interfere with their role in the program's functioning)
6245 but to stop your program immediately whenever an error signal happens.
6246 You can change these settings with the @code{handle} command.
6249 @kindex info signals
6253 Print a table of all the kinds of signals and how @value{GDBN} has been told to
6254 handle each one. You can use this to see the signal numbers of all
6255 the defined types of signals.
6257 @item info signals @var{sig}
6258 Similar, but print information only about the specified signal number.
6260 @code{info handle} is an alias for @code{info signals}.
6262 @item catch signal @r{[}@var{signal}@dots{} @r{|} @samp{all}@r{]}
6263 Set a catchpoint for the indicated signals. @xref{Set Catchpoints},
6264 for details about this command.
6267 @item handle @var{signal} @r{[}@var{keywords}@dots{}@r{]}
6268 Change the way @value{GDBN} handles signal @var{signal}. The @var{signal}
6269 can be the number of a signal or its name (with or without the
6270 @samp{SIG} at the beginning); a list of signal numbers of the form
6271 @samp{@var{low}-@var{high}}; or the word @samp{all}, meaning all the
6272 known signals. Optional arguments @var{keywords}, described below,
6273 say what change to make.
6277 The keywords allowed by the @code{handle} command can be abbreviated.
6278 Their full names are:
6282 @value{GDBN} should not stop your program when this signal happens. It may
6283 still print a message telling you that the signal has come in.
6286 @value{GDBN} should stop your program when this signal happens. This implies
6287 the @code{print} keyword as well.
6290 @value{GDBN} should print a message when this signal happens.
6293 @value{GDBN} should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This
6294 implies the @code{nostop} keyword as well.
6298 @value{GDBN} should allow your program to see this signal; your program
6299 can handle the signal, or else it may terminate if the signal is fatal
6300 and not handled. @code{pass} and @code{noignore} are synonyms.
6304 @value{GDBN} should not allow your program to see this signal.
6305 @code{nopass} and @code{ignore} are synonyms.
6309 When a signal stops your program, the signal is not visible to the
6311 continue. Your program sees the signal then, if @code{pass} is in
6312 effect for the signal in question @emph{at that time}. In other words,
6313 after @value{GDBN} reports a signal, you can use the @code{handle}
6314 command with @code{pass} or @code{nopass} to control whether your
6315 program sees that signal when you continue.
6317 The default is set to @code{nostop}, @code{noprint}, @code{pass} for
6318 non-erroneous signals such as @code{SIGALRM}, @code{SIGWINCH} and
6319 @code{SIGCHLD}, and to @code{stop}, @code{print}, @code{pass} for the
6322 You can also use the @code{signal} command to prevent your program from
6323 seeing a signal, or cause it to see a signal it normally would not see,
6324 or to give it any signal at any time. For example, if your program stopped
6325 due to some sort of memory reference error, you might store correct
6326 values into the erroneous variables and continue, hoping to see more
6327 execution; but your program would probably terminate immediately as
6328 a result of the fatal signal once it saw the signal. To prevent this,
6329 you can continue with @samp{signal 0}. @xref{Signaling, ,Giving your
6332 @cindex stepping and signal handlers
6333 @anchor{stepping and signal handlers}
6335 @value{GDBN} optimizes for stepping the mainline code. If a signal
6336 that has @code{handle nostop} and @code{handle pass} set arrives while
6337 a stepping command (e.g., @code{stepi}, @code{step}, @code{next}) is
6338 in progress, @value{GDBN} lets the signal handler run and then resumes
6339 stepping the mainline code once the signal handler returns. In other
6340 words, @value{GDBN} steps over the signal handler. This prevents
6341 signals that you've specified as not interesting (with @code{handle
6342 nostop}) from changing the focus of debugging unexpectedly. Note that
6343 the signal handler itself may still hit a breakpoint, stop for another
6344 signal that has @code{handle stop} in effect, or for any other event
6345 that normally results in stopping the stepping command sooner. Also
6346 note that @value{GDBN} still informs you that the program received a
6347 signal if @code{handle print} is set.
6349 @anchor{stepping into signal handlers}
6351 If you set @code{handle pass} for a signal, and your program sets up a
6352 handler for it, then issuing a stepping command, such as @code{step}
6353 or @code{stepi}, when your program is stopped due to the signal will
6354 step @emph{into} the signal handler (if the target supports that).
6356 Likewise, if you use the @code{queue-signal} command to queue a signal
6357 to be delivered to the current thread when execution of the thread
6358 resumes (@pxref{Signaling, ,Giving your Program a Signal}), then a
6359 stepping command will step into the signal handler.
6361 Here's an example, using @code{stepi} to step to the first instruction
6362 of @code{SIGUSR1}'s handler:
6365 (@value{GDBP}) handle SIGUSR1
6366 Signal Stop Print Pass to program Description
6367 SIGUSR1 Yes Yes Yes User defined signal 1
6371 Program received signal SIGUSR1, User defined signal 1.
6372 main () sigusr1.c:28
6375 sigusr1_handler () at sigusr1.c:9
6379 The same, but using @code{queue-signal} instead of waiting for the
6380 program to receive the signal first:
6385 (@value{GDBP}) queue-signal SIGUSR1
6387 sigusr1_handler () at sigusr1.c:9
6392 @cindex extra signal information
6393 @anchor{extra signal information}
6395 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can inspect extra signal information
6396 associated with the intercepted signal, before it is actually
6397 delivered to the program being debugged. This information is exported
6398 by the convenience variable @code{$_siginfo}, and consists of data
6399 that is passed by the kernel to the signal handler at the time of the
6400 receipt of a signal. The data type of the information itself is
6401 target dependent. You can see the data type using the @code{ptype
6402 $_siginfo} command. On Unix systems, it typically corresponds to the
6403 standard @code{siginfo_t} type, as defined in the @file{signal.h}
6406 Here's an example, on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, printing the stray
6407 referenced address that raised a segmentation fault.
6411 (@value{GDBP}) continue
6412 Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
6413 0x0000000000400766 in main ()
6415 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo
6422 struct @{...@} _kill;
6423 struct @{...@} _timer;
6425 struct @{...@} _sigchld;
6426 struct @{...@} _sigfault;
6427 struct @{...@} _sigpoll;
6430 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault
6434 (@value{GDBP}) p $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault.si_addr
6435 $1 = (void *) 0x7ffff7ff7000
6439 Depending on target support, @code{$_siginfo} may also be writable.
6441 @cindex Intel MPX boundary violations
6442 @cindex boundary violations, Intel MPX
6443 On some targets, a @code{SIGSEGV} can be caused by a boundary
6444 violation, i.e., accessing an address outside of the allowed range.
6445 In those cases @value{GDBN} may displays additional information,
6446 depending on how @value{GDBN} has been told to handle the signal.
6447 With @code{handle stop SIGSEGV}, @value{GDBN} displays the violation
6448 kind: "Upper" or "Lower", the memory address accessed and the
6449 bounds, while with @code{handle nostop SIGSEGV} no additional
6450 information is displayed.
6452 The usual output of a segfault is:
6454 Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault
6455 0x0000000000400d7c in upper () at i386-mpx-sigsegv.c:68
6456 68 value = *(p + len);
6459 While a bound violation is presented as:
6461 Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault
6462 Upper bound violation while accessing address 0x7fffffffc3b3
6463 Bounds: [lower = 0x7fffffffc390, upper = 0x7fffffffc3a3]
6464 0x0000000000400d7c in upper () at i386-mpx-sigsegv.c:68
6465 68 value = *(p + len);
6469 @section Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs
6471 @cindex stopped threads
6472 @cindex threads, stopped
6474 @cindex continuing threads
6475 @cindex threads, continuing
6477 @value{GDBN} supports debugging programs with multiple threads
6478 (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads}). There
6479 are two modes of controlling execution of your program within the
6480 debugger. In the default mode, referred to as @dfn{all-stop mode},
6481 when any thread in your program stops (for example, at a breakpoint
6482 or while being stepped), all other threads in the program are also stopped by
6483 @value{GDBN}. On some targets, @value{GDBN} also supports
6484 @dfn{non-stop mode}, in which other threads can continue to run freely while
6485 you examine the stopped thread in the debugger.
6488 * All-Stop Mode:: All threads stop when GDB takes control
6489 * Non-Stop Mode:: Other threads continue to execute
6490 * Background Execution:: Running your program asynchronously
6491 * Thread-Specific Breakpoints:: Controlling breakpoints
6492 * Interrupted System Calls:: GDB may interfere with system calls
6493 * Observer Mode:: GDB does not alter program behavior
6497 @subsection All-Stop Mode
6499 @cindex all-stop mode
6501 In all-stop mode, whenever your program stops under @value{GDBN} for any reason,
6502 @emph{all} threads of execution stop, not just the current thread. This
6503 allows you to examine the overall state of the program, including
6504 switching between threads, without worrying that things may change
6507 Conversely, whenever you restart the program, @emph{all} threads start
6508 executing. @emph{This is true even when single-stepping} with commands
6509 like @code{step} or @code{next}.
6511 In particular, @value{GDBN} cannot single-step all threads in lockstep.
6512 Since thread scheduling is up to your debugging target's operating
6513 system (not controlled by @value{GDBN}), other threads may
6514 execute more than one statement while the current thread completes a
6515 single step. Moreover, in general other threads stop in the middle of a
6516 statement, rather than at a clean statement boundary, when the program
6519 You might even find your program stopped in another thread after
6520 continuing or even single-stepping. This happens whenever some other
6521 thread runs into a breakpoint, a signal, or an exception before the
6522 first thread completes whatever you requested.
6524 @cindex automatic thread selection
6525 @cindex switching threads automatically
6526 @cindex threads, automatic switching
6527 Whenever @value{GDBN} stops your program, due to a breakpoint or a
6528 signal, it automatically selects the thread where that breakpoint or
6529 signal happened. @value{GDBN} alerts you to the context switch with a
6530 message such as @samp{[Switching to Thread @var{n}]} to identify the
6533 On some OSes, you can modify @value{GDBN}'s default behavior by
6534 locking the OS scheduler to allow only a single thread to run.
6537 @item set scheduler-locking @var{mode}
6538 @cindex scheduler locking mode
6539 @cindex lock scheduler
6540 Set the scheduler locking mode. It applies to normal execution,
6541 record mode, and replay mode. If it is @code{off}, then there is no
6542 locking and any thread may run at any time. If @code{on}, then only
6543 the current thread may run when the inferior is resumed. The
6544 @code{step} mode optimizes for single-stepping; it prevents other
6545 threads from preempting the current thread while you are stepping, so
6546 that the focus of debugging does not change unexpectedly. Other
6547 threads never get a chance to run when you step, and they are
6548 completely free to run when you use commands like @samp{continue},
6549 @samp{until}, or @samp{finish}. However, unless another thread hits a
6550 breakpoint during its timeslice, @value{GDBN} does not change the
6551 current thread away from the thread that you are debugging. The
6552 @code{replay} mode behaves like @code{off} in record mode and like
6553 @code{on} in replay mode.
6555 @item show scheduler-locking
6556 Display the current scheduler locking mode.
6559 @cindex resume threads of multiple processes simultaneously
6560 By default, when you issue one of the execution commands such as
6561 @code{continue}, @code{next} or @code{step}, @value{GDBN} allows only
6562 threads of the current inferior to run. For example, if @value{GDBN}
6563 is attached to two inferiors, each with two threads, the
6564 @code{continue} command resumes only the two threads of the current
6565 inferior. This is useful, for example, when you debug a program that
6566 forks and you want to hold the parent stopped (so that, for instance,
6567 it doesn't run to exit), while you debug the child. In other
6568 situations, you may not be interested in inspecting the current state
6569 of any of the processes @value{GDBN} is attached to, and you may want
6570 to resume them all until some breakpoint is hit. In the latter case,
6571 you can instruct @value{GDBN} to allow all threads of all the
6572 inferiors to run with the @w{@code{set schedule-multiple}} command.
6575 @kindex set schedule-multiple
6576 @item set schedule-multiple
6577 Set the mode for allowing threads of multiple processes to be resumed
6578 when an execution command is issued. When @code{on}, all threads of
6579 all processes are allowed to run. When @code{off}, only the threads
6580 of the current process are resumed. The default is @code{off}. The
6581 @code{scheduler-locking} mode takes precedence when set to @code{on},
6582 or while you are stepping and set to @code{step}.
6584 @item show schedule-multiple
6585 Display the current mode for resuming the execution of threads of
6590 @subsection Non-Stop Mode
6592 @cindex non-stop mode
6594 @c This section is really only a place-holder, and needs to be expanded
6595 @c with more details.
6597 For some multi-threaded targets, @value{GDBN} supports an optional
6598 mode of operation in which you can examine stopped program threads in
6599 the debugger while other threads continue to execute freely. This
6600 minimizes intrusion when debugging live systems, such as programs
6601 where some threads have real-time constraints or must continue to
6602 respond to external events. This is referred to as @dfn{non-stop} mode.
6604 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops to report a debugging event,
6605 @emph{only} that thread is stopped; @value{GDBN} does not stop other
6606 threads as well, in contrast to the all-stop mode behavior. Additionally,
6607 execution commands such as @code{continue} and @code{step} apply by default
6608 only to the current thread in non-stop mode, rather than all threads as
6609 in all-stop mode. This allows you to control threads explicitly in
6610 ways that are not possible in all-stop mode --- for example, stepping
6611 one thread while allowing others to run freely, stepping
6612 one thread while holding all others stopped, or stepping several threads
6613 independently and simultaneously.
6615 To enter non-stop mode, use this sequence of commands before you run
6616 or attach to your program:
6619 # If using the CLI, pagination breaks non-stop.
6622 # Finally, turn it on!
6626 You can use these commands to manipulate the non-stop mode setting:
6629 @kindex set non-stop
6630 @item set non-stop on
6631 Enable selection of non-stop mode.
6632 @item set non-stop off
6633 Disable selection of non-stop mode.
6634 @kindex show non-stop
6636 Show the current non-stop enablement setting.
6639 Note these commands only reflect whether non-stop mode is enabled,
6640 not whether the currently-executing program is being run in non-stop mode.
6641 In particular, the @code{set non-stop} preference is only consulted when
6642 @value{GDBN} starts or connects to the target program, and it is generally
6643 not possible to switch modes once debugging has started. Furthermore,
6644 since not all targets support non-stop mode, even when you have enabled
6645 non-stop mode, @value{GDBN} may still fall back to all-stop operation by
6648 In non-stop mode, all execution commands apply only to the current thread
6649 by default. That is, @code{continue} only continues one thread.
6650 To continue all threads, issue @code{continue -a} or @code{c -a}.
6652 You can use @value{GDBN}'s background execution commands
6653 (@pxref{Background Execution}) to run some threads in the background
6654 while you continue to examine or step others from @value{GDBN}.
6655 The MI execution commands (@pxref{GDB/MI Program Execution}) are
6656 always executed asynchronously in non-stop mode.
6658 Suspending execution is done with the @code{interrupt} command when
6659 running in the background, or @kbd{Ctrl-c} during foreground execution.
6660 In all-stop mode, this stops the whole process;
6661 but in non-stop mode the interrupt applies only to the current thread.
6662 To stop the whole program, use @code{interrupt -a}.
6664 Other execution commands do not currently support the @code{-a} option.
6666 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops, @value{GDBN} doesn't automatically make
6667 that thread current, as it does in all-stop mode. This is because the
6668 thread stop notifications are asynchronous with respect to @value{GDBN}'s
6669 command interpreter, and it would be confusing if @value{GDBN} unexpectedly
6670 changed to a different thread just as you entered a command to operate on the
6671 previously current thread.
6673 @node Background Execution
6674 @subsection Background Execution
6676 @cindex foreground execution
6677 @cindex background execution
6678 @cindex asynchronous execution
6679 @cindex execution, foreground, background and asynchronous
6681 @value{GDBN}'s execution commands have two variants: the normal
6682 foreground (synchronous) behavior, and a background
6683 (asynchronous) behavior. In foreground execution, @value{GDBN} waits for
6684 the program to report that some thread has stopped before prompting for
6685 another command. In background execution, @value{GDBN} immediately gives
6686 a command prompt so that you can issue other commands while your program runs.
6688 If the target doesn't support async mode, @value{GDBN} issues an error
6689 message if you attempt to use the background execution commands.
6691 @cindex @code{&}, background execution of commands
6692 To specify background execution, add a @code{&} to the command. For example,
6693 the background form of the @code{continue} command is @code{continue&}, or
6694 just @code{c&}. The execution commands that accept background execution
6700 @xref{Starting, , Starting your Program}.
6704 @xref{Attach, , Debugging an Already-running Process}.
6708 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, step}.
6712 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, stepi}.
6716 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, next}.
6720 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, nexti}.
6724 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, continue}.
6728 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, finish}.
6732 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, until}.
6736 Background execution is especially useful in conjunction with non-stop
6737 mode for debugging programs with multiple threads; see @ref{Non-Stop Mode}.
6738 However, you can also use these commands in the normal all-stop mode with
6739 the restriction that you cannot issue another execution command until the
6740 previous one finishes. Examples of commands that are valid in all-stop
6741 mode while the program is running include @code{help} and @code{info break}.
6743 You can interrupt your program while it is running in the background by
6744 using the @code{interrupt} command.
6751 Suspend execution of the running program. In all-stop mode,
6752 @code{interrupt} stops the whole process, but in non-stop mode, it stops
6753 only the current thread. To stop the whole program in non-stop mode,
6754 use @code{interrupt -a}.
6757 @node Thread-Specific Breakpoints
6758 @subsection Thread-Specific Breakpoints
6760 When your program has multiple threads (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging
6761 Programs with Multiple Threads}), you can choose whether to set
6762 breakpoints on all threads, or on a particular thread.
6765 @cindex breakpoints and threads
6766 @cindex thread breakpoints
6767 @kindex break @dots{} thread @var{thread-id}
6768 @item break @var{location} thread @var{thread-id}
6769 @itemx break @var{location} thread @var{thread-id} if @dots{}
6770 @var{location} specifies source lines; there are several ways of
6771 writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always to
6772 specify some source line.
6774 Use the qualifier @samp{thread @var{thread-id}} with a breakpoint command
6775 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
6776 particular thread reaches this breakpoint. The @var{thread-id} specifier
6777 is one of the thread identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown
6778 in the first column of the @samp{info threads} display.
6780 If you do not specify @samp{thread @var{thread-id}} when you set a
6781 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} threads of your
6784 You can use the @code{thread} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
6785 well; in this case, place @samp{thread @var{thread-id}} before or
6786 after the breakpoint condition, like this:
6789 (@value{GDBP}) break frik.c:13 thread 28 if bartab > lim
6794 Thread-specific breakpoints are automatically deleted when
6795 @value{GDBN} detects the corresponding thread is no longer in the
6796 thread list. For example:
6800 Thread-specific breakpoint 3 deleted - thread 28 no longer in the thread list.
6803 There are several ways for a thread to disappear, such as a regular
6804 thread exit, but also when you detach from the process with the
6805 @code{detach} command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running
6806 Process}), or if @value{GDBN} loses the remote connection
6807 (@pxref{Remote Debugging}), etc. Note that with some targets,
6808 @value{GDBN} is only able to detect a thread has exited when the user
6809 explictly asks for the thread list with the @code{info threads}
6812 @node Interrupted System Calls
6813 @subsection Interrupted System Calls
6815 @cindex thread breakpoints and system calls
6816 @cindex system calls and thread breakpoints
6817 @cindex premature return from system calls
6818 There is an unfortunate side effect when using @value{GDBN} to debug
6819 multi-threaded programs. If one thread stops for a
6820 breakpoint, or for some other reason, and another thread is blocked in a
6821 system call, then the system call may return prematurely. This is a
6822 consequence of the interaction between multiple threads and the signals
6823 that @value{GDBN} uses to implement breakpoints and other events that
6826 To handle this problem, your program should check the return value of
6827 each system call and react appropriately. This is good programming
6830 For example, do not write code like this:
6836 The call to @code{sleep} will return early if a different thread stops
6837 at a breakpoint or for some other reason.
6839 Instead, write this:
6844 unslept = sleep (unslept);
6847 A system call is allowed to return early, so the system is still
6848 conforming to its specification. But @value{GDBN} does cause your
6849 multi-threaded program to behave differently than it would without
6852 Also, @value{GDBN} uses internal breakpoints in the thread library to
6853 monitor certain events such as thread creation and thread destruction.
6854 When such an event happens, a system call in another thread may return
6855 prematurely, even though your program does not appear to stop.
6858 @subsection Observer Mode
6860 If you want to build on non-stop mode and observe program behavior
6861 without any chance of disruption by @value{GDBN}, you can set
6862 variables to disable all of the debugger's attempts to modify state,
6863 whether by writing memory, inserting breakpoints, etc. These operate
6864 at a low level, intercepting operations from all commands.
6866 When all of these are set to @code{off}, then @value{GDBN} is said to
6867 be @dfn{observer mode}. As a convenience, the variable
6868 @code{observer} can be set to disable these, plus enable non-stop
6871 Note that @value{GDBN} will not prevent you from making nonsensical
6872 combinations of these settings. For instance, if you have enabled
6873 @code{may-insert-breakpoints} but disabled @code{may-write-memory},
6874 then breakpoints that work by writing trap instructions into the code
6875 stream will still not be able to be placed.
6880 @item set observer on
6881 @itemx set observer off
6882 When set to @code{on}, this disables all the permission variables
6883 below (except for @code{insert-fast-tracepoints}), plus enables
6884 non-stop debugging. Setting this to @code{off} switches back to
6885 normal debugging, though remaining in non-stop mode.
6888 Show whether observer mode is on or off.
6890 @kindex may-write-registers
6891 @item set may-write-registers on
6892 @itemx set may-write-registers off
6893 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the values of
6894 registers, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}, or the
6895 @code{jump} command. It defaults to @code{on}.
6897 @item show may-write-registers
6898 Show the current permission to write registers.
6900 @kindex may-write-memory
6901 @item set may-write-memory on
6902 @itemx set may-write-memory off
6903 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the contents
6904 of memory, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}. It
6905 defaults to @code{on}.
6907 @item show may-write-memory
6908 Show the current permission to write memory.
6910 @kindex may-insert-breakpoints
6911 @item set may-insert-breakpoints on
6912 @itemx set may-insert-breakpoints off
6913 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert breakpoints.
6914 This affects all breakpoints, including internal breakpoints defined
6915 by @value{GDBN}. It defaults to @code{on}.
6917 @item show may-insert-breakpoints
6918 Show the current permission to insert breakpoints.
6920 @kindex may-insert-tracepoints
6921 @item set may-insert-tracepoints on
6922 @itemx set may-insert-tracepoints off
6923 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert (regular)
6924 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
6925 non-fast tracepoints, fast tracepoints being under the control of
6926 @code{may-insert-fast-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
6928 @item show may-insert-tracepoints
6929 Show the current permission to insert tracepoints.
6931 @kindex may-insert-fast-tracepoints
6932 @item set may-insert-fast-tracepoints on
6933 @itemx set may-insert-fast-tracepoints off
6934 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert fast
6935 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
6936 fast tracepoints, regular (non-fast) tracepoints being under the
6937 control of @code{may-insert-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
6939 @item show may-insert-fast-tracepoints
6940 Show the current permission to insert fast tracepoints.
6942 @kindex may-interrupt
6943 @item set may-interrupt on
6944 @itemx set may-interrupt off
6945 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to interrupt or stop
6946 program execution. When this variable is @code{off}, the
6947 @code{interrupt} command will have no effect, nor will
6948 @kbd{Ctrl-c}. It defaults to @code{on}.
6950 @item show may-interrupt
6951 Show the current permission to interrupt or stop the program.
6955 @node Reverse Execution
6956 @chapter Running programs backward
6957 @cindex reverse execution
6958 @cindex running programs backward
6960 When you are debugging a program, it is not unusual to realize that
6961 you have gone too far, and some event of interest has already happened.
6962 If the target environment supports it, @value{GDBN} can allow you to
6963 ``rewind'' the program by running it backward.
6965 A target environment that supports reverse execution should be able
6966 to ``undo'' the changes in machine state that have taken place as the
6967 program was executing normally. Variables, registers etc.@: should
6968 revert to their previous values. Obviously this requires a great
6969 deal of sophistication on the part of the target environment; not
6970 all target environments can support reverse execution.
6972 When a program is executed in reverse, the instructions that
6973 have most recently been executed are ``un-executed'', in reverse
6974 order. The program counter runs backward, following the previous
6975 thread of execution in reverse. As each instruction is ``un-executed'',
6976 the values of memory and/or registers that were changed by that
6977 instruction are reverted to their previous states. After executing
6978 a piece of source code in reverse, all side effects of that code
6979 should be ``undone'', and all variables should be returned to their
6980 prior values@footnote{
6981 Note that some side effects are easier to undo than others. For instance,
6982 memory and registers are relatively easy, but device I/O is hard. Some
6983 targets may be able undo things like device I/O, and some may not.
6985 The contract between @value{GDBN} and the reverse executing target
6986 requires only that the target do something reasonable when
6987 @value{GDBN} tells it to execute backwards, and then report the
6988 results back to @value{GDBN}. Whatever the target reports back to
6989 @value{GDBN}, @value{GDBN} will report back to the user. @value{GDBN}
6990 assumes that the memory and registers that the target reports are in a
6991 consistent state, but @value{GDBN} accepts whatever it is given.
6994 On some platforms, @value{GDBN} has built-in support for reverse
6995 execution, activated with the @code{record} or @code{record btrace}
6996 commands. @xref{Process Record and Replay}. Some remote targets,
6997 typically full system emulators, support reverse execution directly
6998 without requiring any special command.
7000 If you are debugging in a target environment that supports
7001 reverse execution, @value{GDBN} provides the following commands.
7004 @kindex reverse-continue
7005 @kindex rc @r{(@code{reverse-continue})}
7006 @item reverse-continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
7007 @itemx rc @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
7008 Beginning at the point where your program last stopped, start executing
7009 in reverse. Reverse execution will stop for breakpoints and synchronous
7010 exceptions (signals), just like normal execution. Behavior of
7011 asynchronous signals depends on the target environment.
7013 @kindex reverse-step
7014 @kindex rs @r{(@code{step})}
7015 @item reverse-step @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
7016 Run the program backward until control reaches the start of a
7017 different source line; then stop it, and return control to @value{GDBN}.
7019 Like the @code{step} command, @code{reverse-step} will only stop
7020 at the beginning of a source line. It ``un-executes'' the previously
7021 executed source line. If the previous source line included calls to
7022 debuggable functions, @code{reverse-step} will step (backward) into
7023 the called function, stopping at the beginning of the @emph{last}
7024 statement in the called function (typically a return statement).
7026 Also, as with the @code{step} command, if non-debuggable functions are
7027 called, @code{reverse-step} will run thru them backward without stopping.
7029 @kindex reverse-stepi
7030 @kindex rsi @r{(@code{reverse-stepi})}
7031 @item reverse-stepi @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
7032 Reverse-execute one machine instruction. Note that the instruction
7033 to be reverse-executed is @emph{not} the one pointed to by the program
7034 counter, but the instruction executed prior to that one. For instance,
7035 if the last instruction was a jump, @code{reverse-stepi} will take you
7036 back from the destination of the jump to the jump instruction itself.
7038 @kindex reverse-next
7039 @kindex rn @r{(@code{reverse-next})}
7040 @item reverse-next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
7041 Run backward to the beginning of the previous line executed in
7042 the current (innermost) stack frame. If the line contains function
7043 calls, they will be ``un-executed'' without stopping. Starting from
7044 the first line of a function, @code{reverse-next} will take you back
7045 to the caller of that function, @emph{before} the function was called,
7046 just as the normal @code{next} command would take you from the last
7047 line of a function back to its return to its caller
7048 @footnote{Unless the code is too heavily optimized.}.
7050 @kindex reverse-nexti
7051 @kindex rni @r{(@code{reverse-nexti})}
7052 @item reverse-nexti @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
7053 Like @code{nexti}, @code{reverse-nexti} executes a single instruction
7054 in reverse, except that called functions are ``un-executed'' atomically.
7055 That is, if the previously executed instruction was a return from
7056 another function, @code{reverse-nexti} will continue to execute
7057 in reverse until the call to that function (from the current stack
7060 @kindex reverse-finish
7061 @item reverse-finish
7062 Just as the @code{finish} command takes you to the point where the
7063 current function returns, @code{reverse-finish} takes you to the point
7064 where it was called. Instead of ending up at the end of the current
7065 function invocation, you end up at the beginning.
7067 @kindex set exec-direction
7068 @item set exec-direction
7069 Set the direction of target execution.
7070 @item set exec-direction reverse
7071 @cindex execute forward or backward in time
7072 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in reverse, until the
7073 exec-direction mode is changed to ``forward''. Affected commands include
7074 @code{step, stepi, next, nexti, continue, and finish}. The @code{return}
7075 command cannot be used in reverse mode.
7076 @item set exec-direction forward
7077 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in the normal fashion.
7078 This is the default.
7082 @node Process Record and Replay
7083 @chapter Recording Inferior's Execution and Replaying It
7084 @cindex process record and replay
7085 @cindex recording inferior's execution and replaying it
7087 On some platforms, @value{GDBN} provides a special @dfn{process record
7088 and replay} target that can record a log of the process execution, and
7089 replay it later with both forward and reverse execution commands.
7092 When this target is in use, if the execution log includes the record
7093 for the next instruction, @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{replay
7094 mode}. In the replay mode, the inferior does not really execute code
7095 instructions. Instead, all the events that normally happen during
7096 code execution are taken from the execution log. While code is not
7097 really executed in replay mode, the values of registers (including the
7098 program counter register) and the memory of the inferior are still
7099 changed as they normally would. Their contents are taken from the
7103 If the record for the next instruction is not in the execution log,
7104 @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{record mode}. In this mode, the
7105 inferior executes normally, and @value{GDBN} records the execution log
7108 The process record and replay target supports reverse execution
7109 (@pxref{Reverse Execution}), even if the platform on which the
7110 inferior runs does not. However, the reverse execution is limited in
7111 this case by the range of the instructions recorded in the execution
7112 log. In other words, reverse execution on platforms that don't
7113 support it directly can only be done in the replay mode.
7115 When debugging in the reverse direction, @value{GDBN} will work in
7116 replay mode as long as the execution log includes the record for the
7117 previous instruction; otherwise, it will work in record mode, if the
7118 platform supports reverse execution, or stop if not.
7120 Currently, process record and replay is supported on ARM, Aarch64,
7121 Moxie, PowerPC, PowerPC64, S/390, and x86 (i386/amd64) running
7122 GNU/Linux. Process record and replay can be used both when native
7123 debugging, and when remote debugging via @code{gdbserver}.
7125 For architecture environments that support process record and replay,
7126 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands:
7129 @kindex target record
7130 @kindex target record-full
7131 @kindex target record-btrace
7134 @kindex record btrace
7135 @kindex record btrace bts
7136 @kindex record btrace pt
7142 @kindex rec btrace bts
7143 @kindex rec btrace pt
7146 @item record @var{method}
7147 This command starts the process record and replay target. The
7148 recording method can be specified as parameter. Without a parameter
7149 the command uses the @code{full} recording method. The following
7150 recording methods are available:
7154 Full record/replay recording using @value{GDBN}'s software record and
7155 replay implementation. This method allows replaying and reverse
7158 @item btrace @var{format}
7159 Hardware-supported instruction recording, supported on Intel
7160 processors. This method does not record data. Further, the data is
7161 collected in a ring buffer so old data will be overwritten when the
7162 buffer is full. It allows limited reverse execution. Variables and
7163 registers are not available during reverse execution. In remote
7164 debugging, recording continues on disconnect. Recorded data can be
7165 inspected after reconnecting. The recording may be stopped using
7168 The recording format can be specified as parameter. Without a parameter
7169 the command chooses the recording format. The following recording
7170 formats are available:
7174 @cindex branch trace store
7175 Use the @dfn{Branch Trace Store} (@acronym{BTS}) recording format. In
7176 this format, the processor stores a from/to record for each executed
7177 branch in the btrace ring buffer.
7180 @cindex Intel Processor Trace
7181 Use the @dfn{Intel Processor Trace} recording format. In this
7182 format, the processor stores the execution trace in a compressed form
7183 that is afterwards decoded by @value{GDBN}.
7185 The trace can be recorded with very low overhead. The compressed
7186 trace format also allows small trace buffers to already contain a big
7187 number of instructions compared to @acronym{BTS}.
7189 Decoding the recorded execution trace, on the other hand, is more
7190 expensive than decoding @acronym{BTS} trace. This is mostly due to the
7191 increased number of instructions to process. You should increase the
7192 buffer-size with care.
7195 Not all recording formats may be available on all processors.
7198 The process record and replay target can only debug a process that is
7199 already running. Therefore, you need first to start the process with
7200 the @kbd{run} or @kbd{start} commands, and then start the recording
7201 with the @kbd{record @var{method}} command.
7203 @cindex displaced stepping, and process record and replay
7204 Displaced stepping (@pxref{Maintenance Commands,, displaced stepping})
7205 will be automatically disabled when process record and replay target
7206 is started. That's because the process record and replay target
7207 doesn't support displaced stepping.
7209 @cindex non-stop mode, and process record and replay
7210 @cindex asynchronous execution, and process record and replay
7211 If the inferior is in the non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) or in
7212 the asynchronous execution mode (@pxref{Background Execution}), not
7213 all recording methods are available. The @code{full} recording method
7214 does not support these two modes.
7219 Stop the process record and replay target. When process record and
7220 replay target stops, the entire execution log will be deleted and the
7221 inferior will either be terminated, or will remain in its final state.
7223 When you stop the process record and replay target in record mode (at
7224 the end of the execution log), the inferior will be stopped at the
7225 next instruction that would have been recorded. In other words, if
7226 you record for a while and then stop recording, the inferior process
7227 will be left in the same state as if the recording never happened.
7229 On the other hand, if the process record and replay target is stopped
7230 while in replay mode (that is, not at the end of the execution log,
7231 but at some earlier point), the inferior process will become ``live''
7232 at that earlier state, and it will then be possible to continue the
7233 usual ``live'' debugging of the process from that state.
7235 When the inferior process exits, or @value{GDBN} detaches from it,
7236 process record and replay target will automatically stop itself.
7240 Go to a specific location in the execution log. There are several
7241 ways to specify the location to go to:
7244 @item record goto begin
7245 @itemx record goto start
7246 Go to the beginning of the execution log.
7248 @item record goto end
7249 Go to the end of the execution log.
7251 @item record goto @var{n}
7252 Go to instruction number @var{n} in the execution log.
7256 @item record save @var{filename}
7257 Save the execution log to a file @file{@var{filename}}.
7258 Default filename is @file{gdb_record.@var{process_id}}, where
7259 @var{process_id} is the process ID of the inferior.
7261 This command may not be available for all recording methods.
7263 @kindex record restore
7264 @item record restore @var{filename}
7265 Restore the execution log from a file @file{@var{filename}}.
7266 File must have been created with @code{record save}.
7268 @kindex set record full
7269 @item set record full insn-number-max @var{limit}
7270 @itemx set record full insn-number-max unlimited
7271 Set the limit of instructions to be recorded for the @code{full}
7272 recording method. Default value is 200000.
7274 If @var{limit} is a positive number, then @value{GDBN} will start
7275 deleting instructions from the log once the number of the record
7276 instructions becomes greater than @var{limit}. For every new recorded
7277 instruction, @value{GDBN} will delete the earliest recorded
7278 instruction to keep the number of recorded instructions at the limit.
7279 (Since deleting recorded instructions loses information, @value{GDBN}
7280 lets you control what happens when the limit is reached, by means of
7281 the @code{stop-at-limit} option, described below.)
7283 If @var{limit} is @code{unlimited} or zero, @value{GDBN} will never
7284 delete recorded instructions from the execution log. The number of
7285 recorded instructions is limited only by the available memory.
7287 @kindex show record full
7288 @item show record full insn-number-max
7289 Show the limit of instructions to be recorded with the @code{full}
7292 @item set record full stop-at-limit
7293 Control the behavior of the @code{full} recording method when the
7294 number of recorded instructions reaches the limit. If ON (the
7295 default), @value{GDBN} will stop when the limit is reached for the
7296 first time and ask you whether you want to stop the inferior or
7297 continue running it and recording the execution log. If you decide
7298 to continue recording, each new recorded instruction will cause the
7299 oldest one to be deleted.
7301 If this option is OFF, @value{GDBN} will automatically delete the
7302 oldest record to make room for each new one, without asking.
7304 @item show record full stop-at-limit
7305 Show the current setting of @code{stop-at-limit}.
7307 @item set record full memory-query
7308 Control the behavior when @value{GDBN} is unable to record memory
7309 changes caused by an instruction for the @code{full} recording method.
7310 If ON, @value{GDBN} will query whether to stop the inferior in that
7313 If this option is OFF (the default), @value{GDBN} will automatically
7314 ignore the effect of such instructions on memory. Later, when
7315 @value{GDBN} replays this execution log, it will mark the log of this
7316 instruction as not accessible, and it will not affect the replay
7319 @item show record full memory-query
7320 Show the current setting of @code{memory-query}.
7322 @kindex set record btrace
7323 The @code{btrace} record target does not trace data. As a
7324 convenience, when replaying, @value{GDBN} reads read-only memory off
7325 the live program directly, assuming that the addresses of the
7326 read-only areas don't change. This for example makes it possible to
7327 disassemble code while replaying, but not to print variables.
7328 In some cases, being able to inspect variables might be useful.
7329 You can use the following command for that:
7331 @item set record btrace replay-memory-access
7332 Control the behavior of the @code{btrace} recording method when
7333 accessing memory during replay. If @code{read-only} (the default),
7334 @value{GDBN} will only allow accesses to read-only memory.
7335 If @code{read-write}, @value{GDBN} will allow accesses to read-only
7336 and to read-write memory. Beware that the accessed memory corresponds
7337 to the live target and not necessarily to the current replay
7340 @item set record btrace cpu @var{identifier}
7341 Set the processor to be used for enabling workarounds for processor
7342 errata when decoding the trace.
7344 Processor errata are defects in processor operation, caused by its
7345 design or manufacture. They can cause a trace not to match the
7346 specification. This, in turn, may cause trace decode to fail.
7347 @value{GDBN} can detect erroneous trace packets and correct them, thus
7348 avoiding the decoding failures. These corrections are known as
7349 @dfn{errata workarounds}, and are enabled based on the processor on
7350 which the trace was recorded.
7352 By default, @value{GDBN} attempts to detect the processor
7353 automatically, and apply the necessary workarounds for it. However,
7354 you may need to specify the processor if @value{GDBN} does not yet
7355 support it. This command allows you to do that, and also allows to
7356 disable the workarounds.
7358 The argument @var{identifier} identifies the @sc{cpu} and is of the
7359 form: @code{@var{vendor}:@var{processor identifier}}. In addition,
7360 there are two special identifiers, @code{none} and @code{auto}
7363 The following vendor identifiers and corresponding processor
7364 identifiers are currently supported:
7366 @multitable @columnfractions .1 .9
7369 @tab @var{family}/@var{model}[/@var{stepping}]
7373 On GNU/Linux systems, the processor @var{family}, @var{model}, and
7374 @var{stepping} can be obtained from @code{/proc/cpuinfo}.
7376 If @var{identifier} is @code{auto}, enable errata workarounds for the
7377 processor on which the trace was recorded. If @var{identifier} is
7378 @code{none}, errata workarounds are disabled.
7380 For example, when using an old @value{GDBN} on a new system, decode
7381 may fail because @value{GDBN} does not support the new processor. It
7382 often suffices to specify an older processor that @value{GDBN}
7387 Active record target: record-btrace
7388 Recording format: Intel Processor Trace.
7390 Failed to configure the Intel Processor Trace decoder: unknown cpu.
7391 (gdb) set record btrace cpu intel:6/158
7393 Active record target: record-btrace
7394 Recording format: Intel Processor Trace.
7396 Recorded 84872 instructions in 3189 functions (0 gaps) for thread 1 (...).
7399 @kindex show record btrace
7400 @item show record btrace replay-memory-access
7401 Show the current setting of @code{replay-memory-access}.
7403 @item show record btrace cpu
7404 Show the processor to be used for enabling trace decode errata
7407 @kindex set record btrace bts
7408 @item set record btrace bts buffer-size @var{size}
7409 @itemx set record btrace bts buffer-size unlimited
7410 Set the requested ring buffer size for branch tracing in @acronym{BTS}
7411 format. Default is 64KB.
7413 If @var{size} is a positive number, then @value{GDBN} will try to
7414 allocate a buffer of at least @var{size} bytes for each new thread
7415 that uses the btrace recording method and the @acronym{BTS} format.
7416 The actually obtained buffer size may differ from the requested
7417 @var{size}. Use the @code{info record} command to see the actual
7418 buffer size for each thread that uses the btrace recording method and
7419 the @acronym{BTS} format.
7421 If @var{limit} is @code{unlimited} or zero, @value{GDBN} will try to
7422 allocate a buffer of 4MB.
7424 Bigger buffers mean longer traces. On the other hand, @value{GDBN} will
7425 also need longer to process the branch trace data before it can be used.
7427 @item show record btrace bts buffer-size @var{size}
7428 Show the current setting of the requested ring buffer size for branch
7429 tracing in @acronym{BTS} format.
7431 @kindex set record btrace pt
7432 @item set record btrace pt buffer-size @var{size}
7433 @itemx set record btrace pt buffer-size unlimited
7434 Set the requested ring buffer size for branch tracing in Intel
7435 Processor Trace format. Default is 16KB.
7437 If @var{size} is a positive number, then @value{GDBN} will try to
7438 allocate a buffer of at least @var{size} bytes for each new thread
7439 that uses the btrace recording method and the Intel Processor Trace
7440 format. The actually obtained buffer size may differ from the
7441 requested @var{size}. Use the @code{info record} command to see the
7442 actual buffer size for each thread.
7444 If @var{limit} is @code{unlimited} or zero, @value{GDBN} will try to
7445 allocate a buffer of 4MB.
7447 Bigger buffers mean longer traces. On the other hand, @value{GDBN} will
7448 also need longer to process the branch trace data before it can be used.
7450 @item show record btrace pt buffer-size @var{size}
7451 Show the current setting of the requested ring buffer size for branch
7452 tracing in Intel Processor Trace format.
7456 Show various statistics about the recording depending on the recording
7461 For the @code{full} recording method, it shows the state of process
7462 record and its in-memory execution log buffer, including:
7466 Whether in record mode or replay mode.
7468 Lowest recorded instruction number (counting from when the current execution log started recording instructions).
7470 Highest recorded instruction number.
7472 Current instruction about to be replayed (if in replay mode).
7474 Number of instructions contained in the execution log.
7476 Maximum number of instructions that may be contained in the execution log.
7480 For the @code{btrace} recording method, it shows:
7486 Number of instructions that have been recorded.
7488 Number of blocks of sequential control-flow formed by the recorded
7491 Whether in record mode or replay mode.
7494 For the @code{bts} recording format, it also shows:
7497 Size of the perf ring buffer.
7500 For the @code{pt} recording format, it also shows:
7503 Size of the perf ring buffer.
7507 @kindex record delete
7510 When record target runs in replay mode (``in the past''), delete the
7511 subsequent execution log and begin to record a new execution log starting
7512 from the current address. This means you will abandon the previously
7513 recorded ``future'' and begin recording a new ``future''.
7515 @kindex record instruction-history
7516 @kindex rec instruction-history
7517 @item record instruction-history
7518 Disassembles instructions from the recorded execution log. By
7519 default, ten instructions are disassembled. This can be changed using
7520 the @code{set record instruction-history-size} command. Instructions
7521 are printed in execution order.
7523 It can also print mixed source+disassembly if you specify the the
7524 @code{/m} or @code{/s} modifier, and print the raw instructions in hex
7525 as well as in symbolic form by specifying the @code{/r} modifier.
7527 The current position marker is printed for the instruction at the
7528 current program counter value. This instruction can appear multiple
7529 times in the trace and the current position marker will be printed
7530 every time. To omit the current position marker, specify the
7533 To better align the printed instructions when the trace contains
7534 instructions from more than one function, the function name may be
7535 omitted by specifying the @code{/f} modifier.
7537 Speculatively executed instructions are prefixed with @samp{?}. This
7538 feature is not available for all recording formats.
7540 There are several ways to specify what part of the execution log to
7544 @item record instruction-history @var{insn}
7545 Disassembles ten instructions starting from instruction number
7548 @item record instruction-history @var{insn}, +/-@var{n}
7549 Disassembles @var{n} instructions around instruction number
7550 @var{insn}. If @var{n} is preceded with @code{+}, disassembles
7551 @var{n} instructions after instruction number @var{insn}. If
7552 @var{n} is preceded with @code{-}, disassembles @var{n}
7553 instructions before instruction number @var{insn}.
7555 @item record instruction-history
7556 Disassembles ten more instructions after the last disassembly.
7558 @item record instruction-history -
7559 Disassembles ten more instructions before the last disassembly.
7561 @item record instruction-history @var{begin}, @var{end}
7562 Disassembles instructions beginning with instruction number
7563 @var{begin} until instruction number @var{end}. The instruction
7564 number @var{end} is included.
7567 This command may not be available for all recording methods.
7570 @item set record instruction-history-size @var{size}
7571 @itemx set record instruction-history-size unlimited
7572 Define how many instructions to disassemble in the @code{record
7573 instruction-history} command. The default value is 10.
7574 A @var{size} of @code{unlimited} means unlimited instructions.
7577 @item show record instruction-history-size
7578 Show how many instructions to disassemble in the @code{record
7579 instruction-history} command.
7581 @kindex record function-call-history
7582 @kindex rec function-call-history
7583 @item record function-call-history
7584 Prints the execution history at function granularity. It prints one
7585 line for each sequence of instructions that belong to the same
7586 function giving the name of that function, the source lines
7587 for this instruction sequence (if the @code{/l} modifier is
7588 specified), and the instructions numbers that form the sequence (if
7589 the @code{/i} modifier is specified). The function names are indented
7590 to reflect the call stack depth if the @code{/c} modifier is
7591 specified. The @code{/l}, @code{/i}, and @code{/c} modifiers can be
7595 (@value{GDBP}) @b{list 1, 10}
7606 (@value{GDBP}) @b{record function-call-history /ilc}
7607 1 bar inst 1,4 at foo.c:6,8
7608 2 foo inst 5,10 at foo.c:2,3
7609 3 bar inst 11,13 at foo.c:9,10
7612 By default, ten lines are printed. This can be changed using the
7613 @code{set record function-call-history-size} command. Functions are
7614 printed in execution order. There are several ways to specify what
7618 @item record function-call-history @var{func}
7619 Prints ten functions starting from function number @var{func}.
7621 @item record function-call-history @var{func}, +/-@var{n}
7622 Prints @var{n} functions around function number @var{func}. If
7623 @var{n} is preceded with @code{+}, prints @var{n} functions after
7624 function number @var{func}. If @var{n} is preceded with @code{-},
7625 prints @var{n} functions before function number @var{func}.
7627 @item record function-call-history
7628 Prints ten more functions after the last ten-line print.
7630 @item record function-call-history -
7631 Prints ten more functions before the last ten-line print.
7633 @item record function-call-history @var{begin}, @var{end}
7634 Prints functions beginning with function number @var{begin} until
7635 function number @var{end}. The function number @var{end} is included.
7638 This command may not be available for all recording methods.
7640 @item set record function-call-history-size @var{size}
7641 @itemx set record function-call-history-size unlimited
7642 Define how many lines to print in the
7643 @code{record function-call-history} command. The default value is 10.
7644 A size of @code{unlimited} means unlimited lines.
7646 @item show record function-call-history-size
7647 Show how many lines to print in the
7648 @code{record function-call-history} command.
7653 @chapter Examining the Stack
7655 When your program has stopped, the first thing you need to know is where it
7656 stopped and how it got there.
7659 Each time your program performs a function call, information about the call
7661 That information includes the location of the call in your program,
7662 the arguments of the call,
7663 and the local variables of the function being called.
7664 The information is saved in a block of data called a @dfn{stack frame}.
7665 The stack frames are allocated in a region of memory called the @dfn{call
7668 When your program stops, the @value{GDBN} commands for examining the
7669 stack allow you to see all of this information.
7671 @cindex selected frame
7672 One of the stack frames is @dfn{selected} by @value{GDBN} and many
7673 @value{GDBN} commands refer implicitly to the selected frame. In
7674 particular, whenever you ask @value{GDBN} for the value of a variable in
7675 your program, the value is found in the selected frame. There are
7676 special @value{GDBN} commands to select whichever frame you are
7677 interested in. @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
7679 When your program stops, @value{GDBN} automatically selects the
7680 currently executing frame and describes it briefly, similar to the
7681 @code{frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}).
7684 * Frames:: Stack frames
7685 * Backtrace:: Backtraces
7686 * Selection:: Selecting a frame
7687 * Frame Info:: Information on a frame
7688 * Frame Apply:: Applying a command to several frames
7689 * Frame Filter Management:: Managing frame filters
7694 @section Stack Frames
7696 @cindex frame, definition
7698 The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called @dfn{stack
7699 frames}, or @dfn{frames} for short; each frame is the data associated
7700 with one call to one function. The frame contains the arguments given
7701 to the function, the function's local variables, and the address at
7702 which the function is executing.
7704 @cindex initial frame
7705 @cindex outermost frame
7706 @cindex innermost frame
7707 When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of the
7708 function @code{main}. This is called the @dfn{initial} frame or the
7709 @dfn{outermost} frame. Each time a function is called, a new frame is
7710 made. Each time a function returns, the frame for that function invocation
7711 is eliminated. If a function is recursive, there can be many frames for
7712 the same function. The frame for the function in which execution is
7713 actually occurring is called the @dfn{innermost} frame. This is the most
7714 recently created of all the stack frames that still exist.
7716 @cindex frame pointer
7717 Inside your program, stack frames are identified by their addresses. A
7718 stack frame consists of many bytes, each of which has its own address; each
7719 kind of computer has a convention for choosing one byte whose
7720 address serves as the address of the frame. Usually this address is kept
7721 in a register called the @dfn{frame pointer register}
7722 (@pxref{Registers, $fp}) while execution is going on in that frame.
7725 @cindex frame number
7726 @value{GDBN} labels each existing stack frame with a @dfn{level}, a
7727 number that is zero for the innermost frame, one for the frame that
7728 called it, and so on upward. These level numbers give you a way of
7729 designating stack frames in @value{GDBN} commands. The terms
7730 @dfn{frame number} and @dfn{frame level} can be used interchangeably to
7731 describe this number.
7733 @c The -fomit-frame-pointer below perennially causes hbox overflow
7734 @c underflow problems.
7735 @cindex frameless execution
7736 Some compilers provide a way to compile functions so that they operate
7737 without stack frames. (For example, the @value{NGCC} option
7739 @samp{-fomit-frame-pointer}
7741 generates functions without a frame.)
7742 This is occasionally done with heavily used library functions to save
7743 the frame setup time. @value{GDBN} has limited facilities for dealing
7744 with these function invocations. If the innermost function invocation
7745 has no stack frame, @value{GDBN} nevertheless regards it as though
7746 it had a separate frame, which is numbered zero as usual, allowing
7747 correct tracing of the function call chain. However, @value{GDBN} has
7748 no provision for frameless functions elsewhere in the stack.
7754 @cindex call stack traces
7755 A backtrace is a summary of how your program got where it is. It shows one
7756 line per frame, for many frames, starting with the currently executing
7757 frame (frame zero), followed by its caller (frame one), and on up the
7760 @anchor{backtrace-command}
7762 @kindex bt @r{(@code{backtrace})}
7763 To print a backtrace of the entire stack, use the @code{backtrace}
7764 command, or its alias @code{bt}. This command will print one line per
7765 frame for frames in the stack. By default, all stack frames are
7766 printed. You can stop the backtrace at any time by typing the system
7767 interrupt character, normally @kbd{Ctrl-c}.
7770 @item backtrace [@var{option}]@dots{} [@var{qualifier}]@dots{} [@var{count}]
7771 @itemx bt [@var{option}]@dots{} [@var{qualifier}]@dots{} [@var{count}]
7772 Print the backtrace of the entire stack.
7774 The optional @var{count} can be one of the following:
7779 Print only the innermost @var{n} frames, where @var{n} is a positive
7784 Print only the outermost @var{n} frames, where @var{n} is a positive
7792 Print the values of the local variables also. This can be combined
7793 with the optional @var{count} to limit the number of frames shown.
7796 Do not run Python frame filters on this backtrace. @xref{Frame
7797 Filter API}, for more information. Additionally use @ref{disable
7798 frame-filter all} to turn off all frame filters. This is only
7799 relevant when @value{GDBN} has been configured with @code{Python}
7803 A Python frame filter might decide to ``elide'' some frames. Normally
7804 such elided frames are still printed, but they are indented relative
7805 to the filtered frames that cause them to be elided. The @code{-hide}
7806 option causes elided frames to not be printed at all.
7809 The @code{backtrace} command also supports a number of options that
7810 allow overriding relevant global print settings as set by @code{set
7811 backtrace} and @code{set print} subcommands:
7814 @item -past-main [@code{on}|@code{off}]
7815 Set whether backtraces should continue past @code{main}. Related setting:
7816 @ref{set backtrace past-main}.
7818 @item -past-entry [@code{on}|@code{off}]
7819 Set whether backtraces should continue past the entry point of a program.
7820 Related setting: @ref{set backtrace past-entry}.
7822 @item -entry-values @code{no}|@code{only}|@code{preferred}|@code{if-needed}|@code{both}|@code{compact}|@code{default}
7823 Set printing of function arguments at function entry.
7824 Related setting: @ref{set print entry-values}.
7826 @item -frame-arguments @code{all}|@code{scalars}|@code{none}
7827 Set printing of non-scalar frame arguments.
7828 Related setting: @ref{set print frame-arguments}.
7830 @item -raw-frame-arguments [@code{on}|@code{off}]
7831 Set whether to print frame arguments in raw form.
7832 Related setting: @ref{set print raw-frame-arguments}.
7834 @item -frame-info @code{auto}|@code{source-line}|@code{location}|@code{source-and-location}|@code{location-and-address}|@code{short-location}
7835 Set printing of frame information.
7836 Related setting: @ref{set print frame-info}.
7839 The optional @var{qualifier} is maintained for backward compatibility.
7840 It can be one of the following:
7844 Equivalent to the @code{-full} option.
7847 Equivalent to the @code{-no-filters} option.
7850 Equivalent to the @code{-hide} option.
7857 The names @code{where} and @code{info stack} (abbreviated @code{info s})
7858 are additional aliases for @code{backtrace}.
7860 @cindex multiple threads, backtrace
7861 In a multi-threaded program, @value{GDBN} by default shows the
7862 backtrace only for the current thread. To display the backtrace for
7863 several or all of the threads, use the command @code{thread apply}
7864 (@pxref{Threads, thread apply}). For example, if you type @kbd{thread
7865 apply all backtrace}, @value{GDBN} will display the backtrace for all
7866 the threads; this is handy when you debug a core dump of a
7867 multi-threaded program.
7869 Each line in the backtrace shows the frame number and the function name.
7870 The program counter value is also shown---unless you use @code{set
7871 print address off}. The backtrace also shows the source file name and
7872 line number, as well as the arguments to the function. The program
7873 counter value is omitted if it is at the beginning of the code for that
7876 Here is an example of a backtrace. It was made with the command
7877 @samp{bt 3}, so it shows the innermost three frames.
7881 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
7883 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=0x2b600, data=...) at macro.c:242
7884 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=177664, td=0xf7fffb08)
7886 (More stack frames follow...)
7891 The display for frame zero does not begin with a program counter
7892 value, indicating that your program has stopped at the beginning of the
7893 code for line @code{993} of @code{builtin.c}.
7896 The value of parameter @code{data} in frame 1 has been replaced by
7897 @code{@dots{}}. By default, @value{GDBN} prints the value of a parameter
7898 only if it is a scalar (integer, pointer, enumeration, etc). See command
7899 @kbd{set print frame-arguments} in @ref{Print Settings} for more details
7900 on how to configure the way function parameter values are printed.
7901 The command @kbd{set print frame-info} (@pxref{Print Settings}) controls
7902 what frame information is printed.
7904 @cindex optimized out, in backtrace
7905 @cindex function call arguments, optimized out
7906 If your program was compiled with optimizations, some compilers will
7907 optimize away arguments passed to functions if those arguments are
7908 never used after the call. Such optimizations generate code that
7909 passes arguments through registers, but doesn't store those arguments
7910 in the stack frame. @value{GDBN} has no way of displaying such
7911 arguments in stack frames other than the innermost one. Here's what
7912 such a backtrace might look like:
7916 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
7918 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=<optimized out>) at macro.c:242
7919 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=<optimized out>, td=0xf7fffb08)
7921 (More stack frames follow...)
7926 The values of arguments that were not saved in their stack frames are
7927 shown as @samp{<optimized out>}.
7929 If you need to display the values of such optimized-out arguments,
7930 either deduce that from other variables whose values depend on the one
7931 you are interested in, or recompile without optimizations.
7933 @cindex backtrace beyond @code{main} function
7934 @cindex program entry point
7935 @cindex startup code, and backtrace
7936 Most programs have a standard user entry point---a place where system
7937 libraries and startup code transition into user code. For C this is
7938 @code{main}@footnote{
7939 Note that embedded programs (the so-called ``free-standing''
7940 environment) are not required to have a @code{main} function as the
7941 entry point. They could even have multiple entry points.}.
7942 When @value{GDBN} finds the entry function in a backtrace
7943 it will terminate the backtrace, to avoid tracing into highly
7944 system-specific (and generally uninteresting) code.
7946 If you need to examine the startup code, or limit the number of levels
7947 in a backtrace, you can change this behavior:
7950 @item set backtrace past-main
7951 @itemx set backtrace past-main on
7952 @anchor{set backtrace past-main}
7953 @kindex set backtrace
7954 Backtraces will continue past the user entry point.
7956 @item set backtrace past-main off
7957 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the user entry point. This is the
7960 @item show backtrace past-main
7961 @kindex show backtrace
7962 Display the current user entry point backtrace policy.
7964 @item set backtrace past-entry
7965 @itemx set backtrace past-entry on
7966 @anchor{set backtrace past-entry}
7967 Backtraces will continue past the internal entry point of an application.
7968 This entry point is encoded by the linker when the application is built,
7969 and is likely before the user entry point @code{main} (or equivalent) is called.
7971 @item set backtrace past-entry off
7972 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the internal entry point of an
7973 application. This is the default.
7975 @item show backtrace past-entry
7976 Display the current internal entry point backtrace policy.
7978 @item set backtrace limit @var{n}
7979 @itemx set backtrace limit 0
7980 @itemx set backtrace limit unlimited
7981 @anchor{set backtrace limit}
7982 @cindex backtrace limit
7983 Limit the backtrace to @var{n} levels. A value of @code{unlimited}
7984 or zero means unlimited levels.
7986 @item show backtrace limit
7987 Display the current limit on backtrace levels.
7990 You can control how file names are displayed.
7993 @item set filename-display
7994 @itemx set filename-display relative
7995 @cindex filename-display
7996 Display file names relative to the compilation directory. This is the default.
7998 @item set filename-display basename
7999 Display only basename of a filename.
8001 @item set filename-display absolute
8002 Display an absolute filename.
8004 @item show filename-display
8005 Show the current way to display filenames.
8009 @section Selecting a Frame
8011 Most commands for examining the stack and other data in your program work on
8012 whichever stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the commands for
8013 selecting a stack frame; all of them finish by printing a brief description
8014 of the stack frame just selected.
8017 @kindex frame@r{, selecting}
8018 @kindex f @r{(@code{frame})}
8019 @item frame @r{[} @var{frame-selection-spec} @r{]}
8020 @item f @r{[} @var{frame-selection-spec} @r{]}
8021 The @command{frame} command allows different stack frames to be
8022 selected. The @var{frame-selection-spec} can be any of the following:
8027 @item level @var{num}
8028 Select frame level @var{num}. Recall that frame zero is the innermost
8029 (currently executing) frame, frame one is the frame that called the
8030 innermost one, and so on. The highest level frame is usually the one
8033 As this is the most common method of navigating the frame stack, the
8034 string @command{level} can be omitted. For example, the following two
8035 commands are equivalent:
8038 (@value{GDBP}) frame 3
8039 (@value{GDBP}) frame level 3
8042 @kindex frame address
8043 @item address @var{stack-address}
8044 Select the frame with stack address @var{stack-address}. The
8045 @var{stack-address} for a frame can be seen in the output of
8046 @command{info frame}, for example:
8050 Stack level 1, frame at 0x7fffffffda30:
8051 rip = 0x40066d in b (amd64-entry-value.cc:59); saved rip 0x4004c5
8052 tail call frame, caller of frame at 0x7fffffffda30
8053 source language c++.
8054 Arglist at unknown address.
8055 Locals at unknown address, Previous frame's sp is 0x7fffffffda30
8058 The @var{stack-address} for this frame is @code{0x7fffffffda30} as
8059 indicated by the line:
8062 Stack level 1, frame at 0x7fffffffda30:
8065 @kindex frame function
8066 @item function @var{function-name}
8067 Select the stack frame for function @var{function-name}. If there are
8068 multiple stack frames for function @var{function-name} then the inner
8069 most stack frame is selected.
8072 @item view @var{stack-address} @r{[} @var{pc-addr} @r{]}
8073 View a frame that is not part of @value{GDBN}'s backtrace. The frame
8074 viewed has stack address @var{stack-addr}, and optionally, a program
8075 counter address of @var{pc-addr}.
8077 This is useful mainly if the chaining of stack frames has been
8078 damaged by a bug, making it impossible for @value{GDBN} to assign
8079 numbers properly to all frames. In addition, this can be useful
8080 when your program has multiple stacks and switches between them.
8082 When viewing a frame outside the current backtrace using
8083 @command{frame view} then you can always return to the original
8084 stack using one of the previous stack frame selection instructions,
8085 for example @command{frame level 0}.
8091 Move @var{n} frames up the stack; @var{n} defaults to 1. For positive
8092 numbers @var{n}, this advances toward the outermost frame, to higher
8093 frame numbers, to frames that have existed longer.
8096 @kindex do @r{(@code{down})}
8098 Move @var{n} frames down the stack; @var{n} defaults to 1. For
8099 positive numbers @var{n}, this advances toward the innermost frame, to
8100 lower frame numbers, to frames that were created more recently.
8101 You may abbreviate @code{down} as @code{do}.
8104 All of these commands end by printing two lines of output describing the
8105 frame. The first line shows the frame number, the function name, the
8106 arguments, and the source file and line number of execution in that
8107 frame. The second line shows the text of that source line.
8115 #1 0x22f0 in main (argc=1, argv=0xf7fffbf4, env=0xf7fffbfc)
8117 10 read_input_file (argv[i]);
8121 After such a printout, the @code{list} command with no arguments
8122 prints ten lines centered on the point of execution in the frame.
8123 You can also edit the program at the point of execution with your favorite
8124 editing program by typing @code{edit}.
8125 @xref{List, ,Printing Source Lines},
8129 @kindex select-frame
8130 @item select-frame @r{[} @var{frame-selection-spec} @r{]}
8131 The @code{select-frame} command is a variant of @code{frame} that does
8132 not display the new frame after selecting it. This command is
8133 intended primarily for use in @value{GDBN} command scripts, where the
8134 output might be unnecessary and distracting. The
8135 @var{frame-selection-spec} is as for the @command{frame} command
8136 described in @ref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
8138 @kindex down-silently
8140 @item up-silently @var{n}
8141 @itemx down-silently @var{n}
8142 These two commands are variants of @code{up} and @code{down},
8143 respectively; they differ in that they do their work silently, without
8144 causing display of the new frame. They are intended primarily for use
8145 in @value{GDBN} command scripts, where the output might be unnecessary and
8150 @section Information About a Frame
8152 There are several other commands to print information about the selected
8158 When used without any argument, this command does not change which
8159 frame is selected, but prints a brief description of the currently
8160 selected stack frame. It can be abbreviated @code{f}. With an
8161 argument, this command is used to select a stack frame.
8162 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
8165 @kindex info f @r{(@code{info frame})}
8168 This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack frame,
8173 the address of the frame
8175 the address of the next frame down (called by this frame)
8177 the address of the next frame up (caller of this frame)
8179 the language in which the source code corresponding to this frame is written
8181 the address of the frame's arguments
8183 the address of the frame's local variables
8185 the program counter saved in it (the address of execution in the caller frame)
8187 which registers were saved in the frame
8190 @noindent The verbose description is useful when
8191 something has gone wrong that has made the stack format fail to fit
8192 the usual conventions.
8194 @item info frame @r{[} @var{frame-selection-spec} @r{]}
8195 @itemx info f @r{[} @var{frame-selection-spec} @r{]}
8196 Print a verbose description of the frame selected by
8197 @var{frame-selection-spec}. The @var{frame-selection-spec} is the
8198 same as for the @command{frame} command (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting
8199 a Frame}). The selected frame remains unchanged by this command.
8202 @item info args [-q]
8203 Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
8205 The optional flag @samp{-q}, which stands for @samp{quiet}, disables
8206 printing header information and messages explaining why no argument
8209 @item info args [-q] [-t @var{type_regexp}] [@var{regexp}]
8210 Like @kbd{info args}, but only print the arguments selected
8211 with the provided regexp(s).
8213 If @var{regexp} is provided, print only the arguments whose names
8214 match the regular expression @var{regexp}.
8216 If @var{type_regexp} is provided, print only the arguments whose
8217 types, as printed by the @code{whatis} command, match
8218 the regular expression @var{type_regexp}.
8219 If @var{type_regexp} contains space(s), it should be enclosed in
8220 quote characters. If needed, use backslash to escape the meaning
8221 of special characters or quotes.
8223 If both @var{regexp} and @var{type_regexp} are provided, an argument
8224 is printed only if its name matches @var{regexp} and its type matches
8227 @item info locals [-q]
8229 Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate
8230 line. These are all variables (declared either static or automatic)
8231 accessible at the point of execution of the selected frame.
8233 The optional flag @samp{-q}, which stands for @samp{quiet}, disables
8234 printing header information and messages explaining why no local variables
8237 @item info locals [-q] [-t @var{type_regexp}] [@var{regexp}]
8238 Like @kbd{info locals}, but only print the local variables selected
8239 with the provided regexp(s).
8241 If @var{regexp} is provided, print only the local variables whose names
8242 match the regular expression @var{regexp}.
8244 If @var{type_regexp} is provided, print only the local variables whose
8245 types, as printed by the @code{whatis} command, match
8246 the regular expression @var{type_regexp}.
8247 If @var{type_regexp} contains space(s), it should be enclosed in
8248 quote characters. If needed, use backslash to escape the meaning
8249 of special characters or quotes.
8251 If both @var{regexp} and @var{type_regexp} are provided, a local variable
8252 is printed only if its name matches @var{regexp} and its type matches
8255 The command @kbd{info locals -q -t @var{type_regexp}} can usefully be
8256 combined with the commands @kbd{frame apply} and @kbd{thread apply}.
8257 For example, your program might use Resource Acquisition Is
8258 Initialization types (RAII) such as @code{lock_something_t}: each
8259 local variable of type @code{lock_something_t} automatically places a
8260 lock that is destroyed when the variable goes out of scope. You can
8261 then list all acquired locks in your program by doing
8263 thread apply all -s frame apply all -s info locals -q -t lock_something_t
8266 or the equivalent shorter form
8268 tfaas i lo -q -t lock_something_t
8274 @section Applying a Command to Several Frames.
8275 @anchor{frame apply}
8277 @cindex apply command to several frames
8279 @item frame apply [all | @var{count} | @var{-count} | level @var{level}@dots{}] [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{command}
8280 The @code{frame apply} command allows you to apply the named
8281 @var{command} to one or more frames.
8285 Specify @code{all} to apply @var{command} to all frames.
8288 Use @var{count} to apply @var{command} to the innermost @var{count}
8289 frames, where @var{count} is a positive number.
8292 Use @var{-count} to apply @var{command} to the outermost @var{count}
8293 frames, where @var{count} is a positive number.
8296 Use @code{level} to apply @var{command} to the set of frames identified
8297 by the @var{level} list. @var{level} is a frame level or a range of frame
8298 levels as @var{level1}-@var{level2}. The frame level is the number shown
8299 in the first field of the @samp{backtrace} command output.
8300 E.g., @samp{2-4 6-8 3} indicates to apply @var{command} for the frames
8301 at levels 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and then again on frame at level 3.
8305 Note that the frames on which @code{frame apply} applies a command are
8306 also influenced by the @code{set backtrace} settings such as @code{set
8307 backtrace past-main} and @code{set backtrace limit N}.
8308 @xref{Backtrace,,Backtraces}.
8310 The @code{frame apply} command also supports a number of options that
8311 allow overriding relevant @code{set backtrace} settings:
8314 @item -past-main [@code{on}|@code{off}]
8315 Whether backtraces should continue past @code{main}.
8316 Related setting: @ref{set backtrace past-main}.
8318 @item -past-entry [@code{on}|@code{off}]
8319 Whether backtraces should continue past the entry point of a program.
8320 Related setting: @ref{set backtrace past-entry}.
8323 By default, @value{GDBN} displays some frame information before the
8324 output produced by @var{command}, and an error raised during the
8325 execution of a @var{command} will abort @code{frame apply}. The
8326 following options can be used to fine-tune these behaviors:
8330 The flag @code{-c}, which stands for @samp{continue}, causes any
8331 errors in @var{command} to be displayed, and the execution of
8332 @code{frame apply} then continues.
8334 The flag @code{-s}, which stands for @samp{silent}, causes any errors
8335 or empty output produced by a @var{command} to be silently ignored.
8336 That is, the execution continues, but the frame information and errors
8339 The flag @code{-q} (@samp{quiet}) disables printing the frame
8343 The following example shows how the flags @code{-c} and @code{-s} are
8344 working when applying the command @code{p j} to all frames, where
8345 variable @code{j} can only be successfully printed in the outermost
8346 @code{#1 main} frame.
8350 (gdb) frame apply all p j
8351 #0 some_function (i=5) at fun.c:4
8352 No symbol "j" in current context.
8353 (gdb) frame apply all -c p j
8354 #0 some_function (i=5) at fun.c:4
8355 No symbol "j" in current context.
8356 #1 0x565555fb in main (argc=1, argv=0xffffd2c4) at fun.c:11
8358 (gdb) frame apply all -s p j
8359 #1 0x565555fb in main (argc=1, argv=0xffffd2c4) at fun.c:11
8365 By default, @samp{frame apply}, prints the frame location
8366 information before the command output:
8370 (gdb) frame apply all p $sp
8371 #0 some_function (i=5) at fun.c:4
8372 $4 = (void *) 0xffffd1e0
8373 #1 0x565555fb in main (argc=1, argv=0xffffd2c4) at fun.c:11
8374 $5 = (void *) 0xffffd1f0
8379 If the flag @code{-q} is given, no frame information is printed:
8382 (gdb) frame apply all -q p $sp
8383 $12 = (void *) 0xffffd1e0
8384 $13 = (void *) 0xffffd1f0
8394 @cindex apply a command to all frames (ignoring errors and empty output)
8395 @item faas @var{command}
8396 Shortcut for @code{frame apply all -s @var{command}}.
8397 Applies @var{command} on all frames, ignoring errors and empty output.
8399 It can for example be used to print a local variable or a function
8400 argument without knowing the frame where this variable or argument
8403 (@value{GDBP}) faas p some_local_var_i_do_not_remember_where_it_is
8406 The @code{faas} command accepts the same options as the @code{frame
8407 apply} command. @xref{frame apply}.
8409 Note that the command @code{tfaas @var{command}} applies @var{command}
8410 on all frames of all threads. See @xref{Threads,,Threads}.
8414 @node Frame Filter Management
8415 @section Management of Frame Filters.
8416 @cindex managing frame filters
8418 Frame filters are Python based utilities to manage and decorate the
8419 output of frames. @xref{Frame Filter API}, for further information.
8421 Managing frame filters is performed by several commands available
8422 within @value{GDBN}, detailed here.
8425 @kindex info frame-filter
8426 @item info frame-filter
8427 Print a list of installed frame filters from all dictionaries, showing
8428 their name, priority and enabled status.
8430 @kindex disable frame-filter
8431 @anchor{disable frame-filter all}
8432 @item disable frame-filter @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
8433 Disable a frame filter in the dictionary matching
8434 @var{filter-dictionary} and @var{filter-name}. The
8435 @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{all}, @code{global},
8436 @code{progspace}, or the name of the object file where the frame filter
8437 dictionary resides. When @code{all} is specified, all frame filters
8438 across all dictionaries are disabled. The @var{filter-name} is the name
8439 of the frame filter and is used when @code{all} is not the option for
8440 @var{filter-dictionary}. A disabled frame-filter is not deleted, it
8441 may be enabled again later.
8443 @kindex enable frame-filter
8444 @item enable frame-filter @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
8445 Enable a frame filter in the dictionary matching
8446 @var{filter-dictionary} and @var{filter-name}. The
8447 @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{all}, @code{global},
8448 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
8449 dictionary resides. When @code{all} is specified, all frame filters across
8450 all dictionaries are enabled. The @var{filter-name} is the name of the frame
8451 filter and is used when @code{all} is not the option for
8452 @var{filter-dictionary}.
8457 (gdb) info frame-filter
8459 global frame-filters:
8460 Priority Enabled Name
8461 1000 No PrimaryFunctionFilter
8464 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
8465 Priority Enabled Name
8466 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
8468 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
8469 Priority Enabled Name
8470 999 Yes BuildProgramFilter
8472 (gdb) disable frame-filter /build/test BuildProgramFilter
8473 (gdb) info frame-filter
8475 global frame-filters:
8476 Priority Enabled Name
8477 1000 No PrimaryFunctionFilter
8480 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
8481 Priority Enabled Name
8482 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
8484 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
8485 Priority Enabled Name
8486 999 No BuildProgramFilter
8488 (gdb) enable frame-filter global PrimaryFunctionFilter
8489 (gdb) info frame-filter
8491 global frame-filters:
8492 Priority Enabled Name
8493 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
8496 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
8497 Priority Enabled Name
8498 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
8500 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
8501 Priority Enabled Name
8502 999 No BuildProgramFilter
8505 @kindex set frame-filter priority
8506 @item set frame-filter priority @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name} @var{priority}
8507 Set the @var{priority} of a frame filter in the dictionary matching
8508 @var{filter-dictionary}, and the frame filter name matching
8509 @var{filter-name}. The @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{global},
8510 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
8511 dictionary resides. The @var{priority} is an integer.
8513 @kindex show frame-filter priority
8514 @item show frame-filter priority @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
8515 Show the @var{priority} of a frame filter in the dictionary matching
8516 @var{filter-dictionary}, and the frame filter name matching
8517 @var{filter-name}. The @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{global},
8518 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
8524 (gdb) info frame-filter
8526 global frame-filters:
8527 Priority Enabled Name
8528 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
8531 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
8532 Priority Enabled Name
8533 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
8535 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
8536 Priority Enabled Name
8537 999 No BuildProgramFilter
8539 (gdb) set frame-filter priority global Reverse 50
8540 (gdb) info frame-filter
8542 global frame-filters:
8543 Priority Enabled Name
8544 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
8547 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
8548 Priority Enabled Name
8549 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
8551 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
8552 Priority Enabled Name
8553 999 No BuildProgramFilter
8558 @chapter Examining Source Files
8560 @value{GDBN} can print parts of your program's source, since the debugging
8561 information recorded in the program tells @value{GDBN} what source files were
8562 used to build it. When your program stops, @value{GDBN} spontaneously prints
8563 the line where it stopped. Likewise, when you select a stack frame
8564 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}), @value{GDBN} prints the line where
8565 execution in that frame has stopped. You can print other portions of
8566 source files by explicit command.
8568 If you use @value{GDBN} through its @sc{gnu} Emacs interface, you may
8569 prefer to use Emacs facilities to view source; see @ref{Emacs, ,Using
8570 @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}.
8573 * List:: Printing source lines
8574 * Specify Location:: How to specify code locations
8575 * Edit:: Editing source files
8576 * Search:: Searching source files
8577 * Source Path:: Specifying source directories
8578 * Machine Code:: Source and machine code
8582 @section Printing Source Lines
8585 @kindex l @r{(@code{list})}
8586 To print lines from a source file, use the @code{list} command
8587 (abbreviated @code{l}). By default, ten lines are printed.
8588 There are several ways to specify what part of the file you want to
8589 print; see @ref{Specify Location}, for the full list.
8591 Here are the forms of the @code{list} command most commonly used:
8594 @item list @var{linenum}
8595 Print lines centered around line number @var{linenum} in the
8596 current source file.
8598 @item list @var{function}
8599 Print lines centered around the beginning of function
8603 Print more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a
8604 @code{list} command, this prints lines following the last lines
8605 printed; however, if the last line printed was a solitary line printed
8606 as part of displaying a stack frame (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the
8607 Stack}), this prints lines centered around that line.
8610 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
8613 @cindex @code{list}, how many lines to display
8614 By default, @value{GDBN} prints ten source lines with any of these forms of
8615 the @code{list} command. You can change this using @code{set listsize}:
8618 @kindex set listsize
8619 @item set listsize @var{count}
8620 @itemx set listsize unlimited
8621 Make the @code{list} command display @var{count} source lines (unless
8622 the @code{list} argument explicitly specifies some other number).
8623 Setting @var{count} to @code{unlimited} or 0 means there's no limit.
8625 @kindex show listsize
8627 Display the number of lines that @code{list} prints.
8630 Repeating a @code{list} command with @key{RET} discards the argument,
8631 so it is equivalent to typing just @code{list}. This is more useful
8632 than listing the same lines again. An exception is made for an
8633 argument of @samp{-}; that argument is preserved in repetition so that
8634 each repetition moves up in the source file.
8636 In general, the @code{list} command expects you to supply zero, one or two
8637 @dfn{locations}. Locations specify source lines; there are several ways
8638 of writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always
8639 to specify some source line.
8641 Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for @code{list}:
8644 @item list @var{location}
8645 Print lines centered around the line specified by @var{location}.
8647 @item list @var{first},@var{last}
8648 Print lines from @var{first} to @var{last}. Both arguments are
8649 locations. When a @code{list} command has two locations, and the
8650 source file of the second location is omitted, this refers to
8651 the same source file as the first location.
8653 @item list ,@var{last}
8654 Print lines ending with @var{last}.
8656 @item list @var{first},
8657 Print lines starting with @var{first}.
8660 Print lines just after the lines last printed.
8663 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
8666 As described in the preceding table.
8669 @node Specify Location
8670 @section Specifying a Location
8671 @cindex specifying location
8673 @cindex source location
8676 * Linespec Locations:: Linespec locations
8677 * Explicit Locations:: Explicit locations
8678 * Address Locations:: Address locations
8681 Several @value{GDBN} commands accept arguments that specify a location
8682 of your program's code. Since @value{GDBN} is a source-level
8683 debugger, a location usually specifies some line in the source code.
8684 Locations may be specified using three different formats:
8685 linespec locations, explicit locations, or address locations.
8687 @node Linespec Locations
8688 @subsection Linespec Locations
8689 @cindex linespec locations
8691 A @dfn{linespec} is a colon-separated list of source location parameters such
8692 as file name, function name, etc. Here are all the different ways of
8693 specifying a linespec:
8697 Specifies the line number @var{linenum} of the current source file.
8700 @itemx +@var{offset}
8701 Specifies the line @var{offset} lines before or after the @dfn{current
8702 line}. For the @code{list} command, the current line is the last one
8703 printed; for the breakpoint commands, this is the line at which
8704 execution stopped in the currently selected @dfn{stack frame}
8705 (@pxref{Frames, ,Frames}, for a description of stack frames.) When
8706 used as the second of the two linespecs in a @code{list} command,
8707 this specifies the line @var{offset} lines up or down from the first
8710 @item @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
8711 Specifies the line @var{linenum} in the source file @var{filename}.
8712 If @var{filename} is a relative file name, then it will match any
8713 source file name with the same trailing components. For example, if
8714 @var{filename} is @samp{gcc/expr.c}, then it will match source file
8715 name of @file{/build/trunk/gcc/expr.c}, but not
8716 @file{/build/trunk/libcpp/expr.c} or @file{/build/trunk/gcc/x-expr.c}.
8718 @item @var{function}
8719 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}.
8720 For example, in C, this is the line with the open brace.
8722 By default, in C@t{++} and Ada, @var{function} is interpreted as
8723 specifying all functions named @var{function} in all scopes. For
8724 C@t{++}, this means in all namespaces and classes. For Ada, this
8725 means in all packages.
8727 For example, assuming a program with C@t{++} symbols named
8728 @code{A::B::func} and @code{B::func}, both commands @w{@kbd{break
8729 func}} and @w{@kbd{break B::func}} set a breakpoint on both symbols.
8731 Commands that accept a linespec let you override this with the
8732 @code{-qualified} option. For example, @w{@kbd{break -qualified
8733 func}} sets a breakpoint on a free-function named @code{func} ignoring
8734 any C@t{++} class methods and namespace functions called @code{func}.
8736 @xref{Explicit Locations}.
8738 @item @var{function}:@var{label}
8739 Specifies the line where @var{label} appears in @var{function}.
8741 @item @var{filename}:@var{function}
8742 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}
8743 in the file @var{filename}. You only need the file name with a
8744 function name to avoid ambiguity when there are identically named
8745 functions in different source files.
8748 Specifies the line at which the label named @var{label} appears
8749 in the function corresponding to the currently selected stack frame.
8750 If there is no current selected stack frame (for instance, if the inferior
8751 is not running), then @value{GDBN} will not search for a label.
8753 @cindex breakpoint at static probe point
8754 @item -pstap|-probe-stap @r{[}@var{objfile}:@r{[}@var{provider}:@r{]}@r{]}@var{name}
8755 The @sc{gnu}/Linux tool @code{SystemTap} provides a way for
8756 applications to embed static probes. @xref{Static Probe Points}, for more
8757 information on finding and using static probes. This form of linespec
8758 specifies the location of such a static probe.
8760 If @var{objfile} is given, only probes coming from that shared library
8761 or executable matching @var{objfile} as a regular expression are considered.
8762 If @var{provider} is given, then only probes from that provider are considered.
8763 If several probes match the spec, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at
8764 each one of those probes.
8767 @node Explicit Locations
8768 @subsection Explicit Locations
8769 @cindex explicit locations
8771 @dfn{Explicit locations} allow the user to directly specify the source
8772 location's parameters using option-value pairs.
8774 Explicit locations are useful when several functions, labels, or
8775 file names have the same name (base name for files) in the program's
8776 sources. In these cases, explicit locations point to the source
8777 line you meant more accurately and unambiguously. Also, using
8778 explicit locations might be faster in large programs.
8780 For example, the linespec @samp{foo:bar} may refer to a function @code{bar}
8781 defined in the file named @file{foo} or the label @code{bar} in a function
8782 named @code{foo}. @value{GDBN} must search either the file system or
8783 the symbol table to know.
8785 The list of valid explicit location options is summarized in the
8789 @item -source @var{filename}
8790 The value specifies the source file name. To differentiate between
8791 files with the same base name, prepend as many directories as is necessary
8792 to uniquely identify the desired file, e.g., @file{foo/bar/baz.c}. Otherwise
8793 @value{GDBN} will use the first file it finds with the given base
8794 name. This option requires the use of either @code{-function} or @code{-line}.
8796 @item -function @var{function}
8797 The value specifies the name of a function. Operations
8798 on function locations unmodified by other options (such as @code{-label}
8799 or @code{-line}) refer to the line that begins the body of the function.
8800 In C, for example, this is the line with the open brace.
8802 By default, in C@t{++} and Ada, @var{function} is interpreted as
8803 specifying all functions named @var{function} in all scopes. For
8804 C@t{++}, this means in all namespaces and classes. For Ada, this
8805 means in all packages.
8807 For example, assuming a program with C@t{++} symbols named
8808 @code{A::B::func} and @code{B::func}, both commands @w{@kbd{break
8809 -function func}} and @w{@kbd{break -function B::func}} set a
8810 breakpoint on both symbols.
8812 You can use the @kbd{-qualified} flag to override this (see below).
8816 This flag makes @value{GDBN} interpret a function name specified with
8817 @kbd{-function} as a complete fully-qualified name.
8819 For example, assuming a C@t{++} program with symbols named
8820 @code{A::B::func} and @code{B::func}, the @w{@kbd{break -qualified
8821 -function B::func}} command sets a breakpoint on @code{B::func}, only.
8823 (Note: the @kbd{-qualified} option can precede a linespec as well
8824 (@pxref{Linespec Locations}), so the particular example above could be
8825 simplified as @w{@kbd{break -qualified B::func}}.)
8827 @item -label @var{label}
8828 The value specifies the name of a label. When the function
8829 name is not specified, the label is searched in the function of the currently
8830 selected stack frame.
8832 @item -line @var{number}
8833 The value specifies a line offset for the location. The offset may either
8834 be absolute (@code{-line 3}) or relative (@code{-line +3}), depending on
8835 the command. When specified without any other options, the line offset is
8836 relative to the current line.
8839 Explicit location options may be abbreviated by omitting any non-unique
8840 trailing characters from the option name, e.g., @w{@kbd{break -s main.c -li 3}}.
8842 @node Address Locations
8843 @subsection Address Locations
8844 @cindex address locations
8846 @dfn{Address locations} indicate a specific program address. They have
8847 the generalized form *@var{address}.
8849 For line-oriented commands, such as @code{list} and @code{edit}, this
8850 specifies a source line that contains @var{address}. For @code{break} and
8851 other breakpoint-oriented commands, this can be used to set breakpoints in
8852 parts of your program which do not have debugging information or
8855 Here @var{address} may be any expression valid in the current working
8856 language (@pxref{Languages, working language}) that specifies a code
8857 address. In addition, as a convenience, @value{GDBN} extends the
8858 semantics of expressions used in locations to cover several situations
8859 that frequently occur during debugging. Here are the various forms
8863 @item @var{expression}
8864 Any expression valid in the current working language.
8866 @item @var{funcaddr}
8867 An address of a function or procedure derived from its name. In C,
8868 C@t{++}, Objective-C, Fortran, minimal, and assembly, this is
8869 simply the function's name @var{function} (and actually a special case
8870 of a valid expression). In Pascal and Modula-2, this is
8871 @code{&@var{function}}. In Ada, this is @code{@var{function}'Address}
8872 (although the Pascal form also works).
8874 This form specifies the address of the function's first instruction,
8875 before the stack frame and arguments have been set up.
8877 @item '@var{filename}':@var{funcaddr}
8878 Like @var{funcaddr} above, but also specifies the name of the source
8879 file explicitly. This is useful if the name of the function does not
8880 specify the function unambiguously, e.g., if there are several
8881 functions with identical names in different source files.
8885 @section Editing Source Files
8886 @cindex editing source files
8889 @kindex e @r{(@code{edit})}
8890 To edit the lines in a source file, use the @code{edit} command.
8891 The editing program of your choice
8892 is invoked with the current line set to
8893 the active line in the program.
8894 Alternatively, there are several ways to specify what part of the file you
8895 want to print if you want to see other parts of the program:
8898 @item edit @var{location}
8899 Edit the source file specified by @code{location}. Editing starts at
8900 that @var{location}, e.g., at the specified source line of the
8901 specified file. @xref{Specify Location}, for all the possible forms
8902 of the @var{location} argument; here are the forms of the @code{edit}
8903 command most commonly used:
8906 @item edit @var{number}
8907 Edit the current source file with @var{number} as the active line number.
8909 @item edit @var{function}
8910 Edit the file containing @var{function} at the beginning of its definition.
8915 @subsection Choosing your Editor
8916 You can customize @value{GDBN} to use any editor you want
8918 The only restriction is that your editor (say @code{ex}), recognizes the
8919 following command-line syntax:
8921 ex +@var{number} file
8923 The optional numeric value +@var{number} specifies the number of the line in
8924 the file where to start editing.}.
8925 By default, it is @file{@value{EDITOR}}, but you can change this
8926 by setting the environment variable @code{EDITOR} before using
8927 @value{GDBN}. For example, to configure @value{GDBN} to use the
8928 @code{vi} editor, you could use these commands with the @code{sh} shell:
8934 or in the @code{csh} shell,
8936 setenv EDITOR /usr/bin/vi
8941 @section Searching Source Files
8942 @cindex searching source files
8944 There are two commands for searching through the current source file for a
8949 @kindex forward-search
8950 @kindex fo @r{(@code{forward-search})}
8951 @item forward-search @var{regexp}
8952 @itemx search @var{regexp}
8953 The command @samp{forward-search @var{regexp}} checks each line,
8954 starting with the one following the last line listed, for a match for
8955 @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can use the
8956 synonym @samp{search @var{regexp}} or abbreviate the command name as
8959 @kindex reverse-search
8960 @item reverse-search @var{regexp}
8961 The command @samp{reverse-search @var{regexp}} checks each line, starting
8962 with the one before the last line listed and going backward, for a match
8963 for @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can abbreviate
8964 this command as @code{rev}.
8968 @section Specifying Source Directories
8971 @cindex directories for source files
8972 Executable programs sometimes do not record the directories of the source
8973 files from which they were compiled, just the names. Even when they do,
8974 the directories could be moved between the compilation and your debugging
8975 session. @value{GDBN} has a list of directories to search for source files;
8976 this is called the @dfn{source path}. Each time @value{GDBN} wants a source file,
8977 it tries all the directories in the list, in the order they are present
8978 in the list, until it finds a file with the desired name.
8980 For example, suppose an executable references the file
8981 @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}, does not record a compilation
8982 directory, and the @dfn{source path} is @file{/mnt/cross}.
8983 @value{GDBN} would look for the source file in the following
8988 @item @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}
8989 @item @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}
8990 @item @file{/mnt/cross/foo.c}
8994 If the source file is not present at any of the above locations then
8995 an error is printed. @value{GDBN} does not look up the parts of the
8996 source file name, such as @file{/mnt/cross/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}.
8997 Likewise, the subdirectories of the source path are not searched: if
8998 the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the binary refers to
8999 @file{foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would not find it under
9000 @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib}.
9002 Plain file names, relative file names with leading directories, file
9003 names containing dots, etc.@: are all treated as described above,
9004 except that non-absolute file names are not looked up literally. If
9005 the @dfn{source path} is @file{/mnt/cross}, the source file is
9006 recorded as @file{../lib/foo.c}, and no compilation directory is
9007 recorded, then @value{GDBN} will search in the following locations:
9011 @item @file{/mnt/cross/../lib/foo.c}
9012 @item @file{/mnt/cross/foo.c}
9018 @vindex $cdir@r{, convenience variable}
9019 @vindex $cwd@r{, convenience variable}
9020 @cindex compilation directory
9021 @cindex current directory
9022 @cindex working directory
9023 @cindex directory, current
9024 @cindex directory, compilation
9025 The @dfn{source path} will always include two special entries
9026 @samp{$cdir} and @samp{$cwd}, these refer to the compilation directory
9027 (if one is recorded) and the current working directory respectively.
9029 @samp{$cdir} causes @value{GDBN} to search within the compilation
9030 directory, if one is recorded in the debug information. If no
9031 compilation directory is recorded in the debug information then
9032 @samp{$cdir} is ignored.
9034 @samp{$cwd} is not the same as @samp{.}---the former tracks the
9035 current working directory as it changes during your @value{GDBN}
9036 session, while the latter is immediately expanded to the current
9037 directory at the time you add an entry to the source path.
9039 If a compilation directory is recorded in the debug information, and
9040 @value{GDBN} has not found the source file after the first search
9041 using @dfn{source path}, then @value{GDBN} will combine the
9042 compilation directory and the filename, and then search for the source
9043 file again using the @dfn{source path}.
9045 For example, if the executable records the source file as
9046 @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}, the compilation directory is
9047 recorded as @file{/project/build}, and the @dfn{source path} is
9048 @file{/mnt/cross:$cdir:$cwd} while the current working directory of
9049 the @value{GDBN} session is @file{/home/user}, then @value{GDBN} will
9050 search for the source file in the following locations:
9054 @item @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}
9055 @item @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}
9056 @item @file{/project/build/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}
9057 @item @file{/home/user/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}
9058 @item @file{/mnt/cross/project/build/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}
9059 @item @file{/project/build/project/build/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}
9060 @item @file{/home/user/project/build/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}
9061 @item @file{/mnt/cross/foo.c}
9062 @item @file{/project/build/foo.c}
9063 @item @file{/home/user/foo.c}
9067 If the file name in the previous example had been recorded in the
9068 executable as a relative path rather than an absolute path, then the
9069 first look up would not have occurred, but all of the remaining steps
9072 When searching for source files on MS-DOS and MS-Windows, where
9073 absolute paths start with a drive letter (e.g.
9074 @file{C:/project/foo.c}), @value{GDBN} will remove the drive letter
9075 from the file name before appending it to a search directory from
9076 @dfn{source path}; for instance if the executable references the
9077 source file @file{C:/project/foo.c} and @dfn{source path} is set to
9078 @file{D:/mnt/cross}, then @value{GDBN} will search in the following
9079 locations for the source file:
9083 @item @file{C:/project/foo.c}
9084 @item @file{D:/mnt/cross/project/foo.c}
9085 @item @file{D:/mnt/cross/foo.c}
9089 Note that the executable search path is @emph{not} used to locate the
9092 Whenever you reset or rearrange the source path, @value{GDBN} clears out
9093 any information it has cached about where source files are found and where
9094 each line is in the file.
9098 When you start @value{GDBN}, its source path includes only @samp{$cdir}
9099 and @samp{$cwd}, in that order.
9100 To add other directories, use the @code{directory} command.
9102 The search path is used to find both program source files and @value{GDBN}
9103 script files (read using the @samp{-command} option and @samp{source} command).
9105 In addition to the source path, @value{GDBN} provides a set of commands
9106 that manage a list of source path substitution rules. A @dfn{substitution
9107 rule} specifies how to rewrite source directories stored in the program's
9108 debug information in case the sources were moved to a different
9109 directory between compilation and debugging. A rule is made of
9110 two strings, the first specifying what needs to be rewritten in
9111 the path, and the second specifying how it should be rewritten.
9112 In @ref{set substitute-path}, we name these two parts @var{from} and
9113 @var{to} respectively. @value{GDBN} does a simple string replacement
9114 of @var{from} with @var{to} at the start of the directory part of the
9115 source file name, and uses that result instead of the original file
9116 name to look up the sources.
9118 Using the previous example, suppose the @file{foo-1.0} tree has been
9119 moved from @file{/usr/src} to @file{/mnt/cross}, then you can tell
9120 @value{GDBN} to replace @file{/usr/src} in all source path names with
9121 @file{/mnt/cross}. The first lookup will then be
9122 @file{/mnt/cross/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} in place of the original location
9123 of @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}. To define a source path
9124 substitution rule, use the @code{set substitute-path} command
9125 (@pxref{set substitute-path}).
9127 To avoid unexpected substitution results, a rule is applied only if the
9128 @var{from} part of the directory name ends at a directory separator.
9129 For instance, a rule substituting @file{/usr/source} into
9130 @file{/mnt/cross} will be applied to @file{/usr/source/foo-1.0} but
9131 not to @file{/usr/sourceware/foo-2.0}. And because the substitution
9132 is applied only at the beginning of the directory name, this rule will
9133 not be applied to @file{/root/usr/source/baz.c} either.
9135 In many cases, you can achieve the same result using the @code{directory}
9136 command. However, @code{set substitute-path} can be more efficient in
9137 the case where the sources are organized in a complex tree with multiple
9138 subdirectories. With the @code{directory} command, you need to add each
9139 subdirectory of your project. If you moved the entire tree while
9140 preserving its internal organization, then @code{set substitute-path}
9141 allows you to direct the debugger to all the sources with one single
9144 @code{set substitute-path} is also more than just a shortcut command.
9145 The source path is only used if the file at the original location no
9146 longer exists. On the other hand, @code{set substitute-path} modifies
9147 the debugger behavior to look at the rewritten location instead. So, if
9148 for any reason a source file that is not relevant to your executable is
9149 located at the original location, a substitution rule is the only
9150 method available to point @value{GDBN} at the new location.
9152 @cindex @samp{--with-relocated-sources}
9153 @cindex default source path substitution
9154 You can configure a default source path substitution rule by
9155 configuring @value{GDBN} with the
9156 @samp{--with-relocated-sources=@var{dir}} option. The @var{dir}
9157 should be the name of a directory under @value{GDBN}'s configured
9158 prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or @samp{--exec-prefix}), and
9159 directory names in debug information under @var{dir} will be adjusted
9160 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
9161 location. This is useful if @value{GDBN}, libraries or executables
9162 with debug information and corresponding source code are being moved
9166 @item directory @var{dirname} @dots{}
9167 @item dir @var{dirname} @dots{}
9168 Add directory @var{dirname} to the front of the source path. Several
9169 directory names may be given to this command, separated by @samp{:}
9170 (@samp{;} on MS-DOS and MS-Windows, where @samp{:} usually appears as
9171 part of absolute file names) or
9172 whitespace. You may specify a directory that is already in the source
9173 path; this moves it forward, so @value{GDBN} searches it sooner.
9175 The special strings @samp{$cdir} (to refer to the compilation
9176 directory, if one is recorded), and @samp{$cwd} (to refer to the
9177 current working directory) can also be included in the list of
9178 directories @var{dirname}. Though these will already be in the source
9179 path they will be moved forward in the list so @value{GDBN} searches
9183 Reset the source path to its default value (@samp{$cdir:$cwd} on Unix systems). This requires confirmation.
9185 @c RET-repeat for @code{directory} is explicitly disabled, but since
9186 @c repeating it would be a no-op we do not say that. (thanks to RMS)
9188 @item set directories @var{path-list}
9189 @kindex set directories
9190 Set the source path to @var{path-list}.
9191 @samp{$cdir:$cwd} are added if missing.
9193 @item show directories
9194 @kindex show directories
9195 Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
9197 @anchor{set substitute-path}
9198 @item set substitute-path @var{from} @var{to}
9199 @kindex set substitute-path
9200 Define a source path substitution rule, and add it at the end of the
9201 current list of existing substitution rules. If a rule with the same
9202 @var{from} was already defined, then the old rule is also deleted.
9204 For example, if the file @file{/foo/bar/baz.c} was moved to
9205 @file{/mnt/cross/baz.c}, then the command
9208 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /foo/bar /mnt/cross
9212 will tell @value{GDBN} to replace @samp{/foo/bar} with
9213 @samp{/mnt/cross}, which will allow @value{GDBN} to find the file
9214 @file{baz.c} even though it was moved.
9216 In the case when more than one substitution rule have been defined,
9217 the rules are evaluated one by one in the order where they have been
9218 defined. The first one matching, if any, is selected to perform
9221 For instance, if we had entered the following commands:
9224 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src/include /mnt/include
9225 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/src
9229 @value{GDBN} would then rewrite @file{/usr/src/include/defs.h} into
9230 @file{/mnt/include/defs.h} by using the first rule. However, it would
9231 use the second rule to rewrite @file{/usr/src/lib/foo.c} into
9232 @file{/mnt/src/lib/foo.c}.
9235 @item unset substitute-path [path]
9236 @kindex unset substitute-path
9237 If a path is specified, search the current list of substitution rules
9238 for a rule that would rewrite that path. Delete that rule if found.
9239 A warning is emitted by the debugger if no rule could be found.
9241 If no path is specified, then all substitution rules are deleted.
9243 @item show substitute-path [path]
9244 @kindex show substitute-path
9245 If a path is specified, then print the source path substitution rule
9246 which would rewrite that path, if any.
9248 If no path is specified, then print all existing source path substitution
9253 If your source path is cluttered with directories that are no longer of
9254 interest, @value{GDBN} may sometimes cause confusion by finding the wrong
9255 versions of source. You can correct the situation as follows:
9259 Use @code{directory} with no argument to reset the source path to its default value.
9262 Use @code{directory} with suitable arguments to reinstall the
9263 directories you want in the source path. You can add all the
9264 directories in one command.
9268 @section Source and Machine Code
9269 @cindex source line and its code address
9271 You can use the command @code{info line} to map source lines to program
9272 addresses (and vice versa), and the command @code{disassemble} to display
9273 a range of addresses as machine instructions. You can use the command
9274 @code{set disassemble-next-line} to set whether to disassemble next
9275 source line when execution stops. When run under @sc{gnu} Emacs
9276 mode, the @code{info line} command causes the arrow to point to the
9277 line specified. Also, @code{info line} prints addresses in symbolic form as
9283 @itemx info line @var{location}
9284 Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for
9285 source line @var{location}. You can specify source lines in any of
9286 the ways documented in @ref{Specify Location}. With no @var{location}
9287 information about the current source line is printed.
9290 For example, we can use @code{info line} to discover the location of
9291 the object code for the first line of function
9292 @code{m4_changequote}:
9295 (@value{GDBP}) info line m4_changequote
9296 Line 895 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x634c <m4_changequote> and \
9297 ends at 0x6350 <m4_changequote+4>.
9301 @cindex code address and its source line
9302 We can also inquire (using @code{*@var{addr}} as the form for
9303 @var{location}) what source line covers a particular address:
9305 (@value{GDBP}) info line *0x63ff
9306 Line 926 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x63e4 <m4_changequote+152> and \
9307 ends at 0x6404 <m4_changequote+184>.
9310 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info line}
9311 @cindex @code{x} command, default address
9312 @kindex x@r{(examine), and} info line
9313 After @code{info line}, the default address for the @code{x} command
9314 is changed to the starting address of the line, so that @samp{x/i} is
9315 sufficient to begin examining the machine code (@pxref{Memory,
9316 ,Examining Memory}). Also, this address is saved as the value of the
9317 convenience variable @code{$_} (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
9320 @cindex info line, repeated calls
9321 After @code{info line}, using @code{info line} again without
9322 specifying a location will display information about the next source
9327 @cindex assembly instructions
9328 @cindex instructions, assembly
9329 @cindex machine instructions
9330 @cindex listing machine instructions
9332 @itemx disassemble /m
9333 @itemx disassemble /s
9334 @itemx disassemble /r
9335 This specialized command dumps a range of memory as machine
9336 instructions. It can also print mixed source+disassembly by specifying
9337 the @code{/m} or @code{/s} modifier and print the raw instructions in hex
9338 as well as in symbolic form by specifying the @code{/r} modifier.
9339 The default memory range is the function surrounding the
9340 program counter of the selected frame. A single argument to this
9341 command is a program counter value; @value{GDBN} dumps the function
9342 surrounding this value. When two arguments are given, they should
9343 be separated by a comma, possibly surrounded by whitespace. The
9344 arguments specify a range of addresses to dump, in one of two forms:
9347 @item @var{start},@var{end}
9348 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to @var{end} (exclusive)
9349 @item @var{start},+@var{length}
9350 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to
9351 @code{@var{start}+@var{length}} (exclusive).
9355 When 2 arguments are specified, the name of the function is also
9356 printed (since there could be several functions in the given range).
9358 The argument(s) can be any expression yielding a numeric value, such as
9359 @samp{0x32c4}, @samp{&main+10} or @samp{$pc - 8}.
9361 If the range of memory being disassembled contains current program counter,
9362 the instruction at that location is shown with a @code{=>} marker.
9365 The following example shows the disassembly of a range of addresses of
9366 HP PA-RISC 2.0 code:
9369 (@value{GDBP}) disas 0x32c4, 0x32e4
9370 Dump of assembler code from 0x32c4 to 0x32e4:
9371 0x32c4 <main+204>: addil 0,dp
9372 0x32c8 <main+208>: ldw 0x22c(sr0,r1),r26
9373 0x32cc <main+212>: ldil 0x3000,r31
9374 0x32d0 <main+216>: ble 0x3f8(sr4,r31)
9375 0x32d4 <main+220>: ldo 0(r31),rp
9376 0x32d8 <main+224>: addil -0x800,dp
9377 0x32dc <main+228>: ldo 0x588(r1),r26
9378 0x32e0 <main+232>: ldil 0x3000,r31
9379 End of assembler dump.
9382 Here is an example showing mixed source+assembly for Intel x86
9383 with @code{/m} or @code{/s}, when the program is stopped just after
9384 function prologue in a non-optimized function with no inline code.
9387 (@value{GDBP}) disas /m main
9388 Dump of assembler code for function main:
9390 0x08048330 <+0>: push %ebp
9391 0x08048331 <+1>: mov %esp,%ebp
9392 0x08048333 <+3>: sub $0x8,%esp
9393 0x08048336 <+6>: and $0xfffffff0,%esp
9394 0x08048339 <+9>: sub $0x10,%esp
9396 6 printf ("Hello.\n");
9397 => 0x0804833c <+12>: movl $0x8048440,(%esp)
9398 0x08048343 <+19>: call 0x8048284 <puts@@plt>
9402 0x08048348 <+24>: mov $0x0,%eax
9403 0x0804834d <+29>: leave
9404 0x0804834e <+30>: ret
9406 End of assembler dump.
9409 The @code{/m} option is deprecated as its output is not useful when
9410 there is either inlined code or re-ordered code.
9411 The @code{/s} option is the preferred choice.
9412 Here is an example for AMD x86-64 showing the difference between
9413 @code{/m} output and @code{/s} output.
9414 This example has one inline function defined in a header file,
9415 and the code is compiled with @samp{-O2} optimization.
9416 Note how the @code{/m} output is missing the disassembly of
9417 several instructions that are present in the @code{/s} output.
9447 (@value{GDBP}) disas /m main
9448 Dump of assembler code for function main:
9452 0x0000000000400400 <+0>: mov 0x200c2e(%rip),%eax # 0x601034 <y>
9453 0x0000000000400417 <+23>: mov %eax,0x200c13(%rip) # 0x601030 <x>
9457 0x000000000040041d <+29>: xor %eax,%eax
9458 0x000000000040041f <+31>: retq
9459 0x0000000000400420 <+32>: add %eax,%eax
9460 0x0000000000400422 <+34>: jmp 0x400417 <main+23>
9462 End of assembler dump.
9463 (@value{GDBP}) disas /s main
9464 Dump of assembler code for function main:
9468 0x0000000000400400 <+0>: mov 0x200c2e(%rip),%eax # 0x601034 <y>
9472 0x0000000000400406 <+6>: test %eax,%eax
9473 0x0000000000400408 <+8>: js 0x400420 <main+32>
9478 0x000000000040040a <+10>: lea 0xa(%rax),%edx
9479 0x000000000040040d <+13>: test %eax,%eax
9480 0x000000000040040f <+15>: mov $0x1,%eax
9481 0x0000000000400414 <+20>: cmovne %edx,%eax
9485 0x0000000000400417 <+23>: mov %eax,0x200c13(%rip) # 0x601030 <x>
9489 0x000000000040041d <+29>: xor %eax,%eax
9490 0x000000000040041f <+31>: retq
9494 0x0000000000400420 <+32>: add %eax,%eax
9495 0x0000000000400422 <+34>: jmp 0x400417 <main+23>
9496 End of assembler dump.
9499 Here is another example showing raw instructions in hex for AMD x86-64,
9502 (gdb) disas /r 0x400281,+10
9503 Dump of assembler code from 0x400281 to 0x40028b:
9504 0x0000000000400281: 38 36 cmp %dh,(%rsi)
9505 0x0000000000400283: 2d 36 34 2e 73 sub $0x732e3436,%eax
9506 0x0000000000400288: 6f outsl %ds:(%rsi),(%dx)
9507 0x0000000000400289: 2e 32 00 xor %cs:(%rax),%al
9508 End of assembler dump.
9511 Addresses cannot be specified as a location (@pxref{Specify Location}).
9512 So, for example, if you want to disassemble function @code{bar}
9513 in file @file{foo.c}, you must type @samp{disassemble 'foo.c'::bar}
9514 and not @samp{disassemble foo.c:bar}.
9516 Some architectures have more than one commonly-used set of instruction
9517 mnemonics or other syntax.
9519 For programs that were dynamically linked and use shared libraries,
9520 instructions that call functions or branch to locations in the shared
9521 libraries might show a seemingly bogus location---it's actually a
9522 location of the relocation table. On some architectures, @value{GDBN}
9523 might be able to resolve these to actual function names.
9526 @kindex set disassembler-options
9527 @cindex disassembler options
9528 @item set disassembler-options @var{option1}[,@var{option2}@dots{}]
9529 This command controls the passing of target specific information to
9530 the disassembler. For a list of valid options, please refer to the
9531 @code{-M}/@code{--disassembler-options} section of the @samp{objdump}
9532 manual and/or the output of @kbd{objdump --help}
9533 (@pxref{objdump,,objdump,binutils,The GNU Binary Utilities}).
9534 The default value is the empty string.
9536 If it is necessary to specify more than one disassembler option, then
9537 multiple options can be placed together into a comma separated list.
9538 Currently this command is only supported on targets ARM, MIPS, PowerPC
9541 @kindex show disassembler-options
9542 @item show disassembler-options
9543 Show the current setting of the disassembler options.
9547 @kindex set disassembly-flavor
9548 @cindex Intel disassembly flavor
9549 @cindex AT&T disassembly flavor
9550 @item set disassembly-flavor @var{instruction-set}
9551 Select the instruction set to use when disassembling the
9552 program via the @code{disassemble} or @code{x/i} commands.
9554 Currently this command is only defined for the Intel x86 family. You
9555 can set @var{instruction-set} to either @code{intel} or @code{att}.
9556 The default is @code{att}, the AT&T flavor used by default by Unix
9557 assemblers for x86-based targets.
9559 @kindex show disassembly-flavor
9560 @item show disassembly-flavor
9561 Show the current setting of the disassembly flavor.
9565 @kindex set disassemble-next-line
9566 @kindex show disassemble-next-line
9567 @item set disassemble-next-line
9568 @itemx show disassemble-next-line
9569 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will disassemble the next source
9570 line or instruction when execution stops. If ON, @value{GDBN} will
9571 display disassembly of the next source line when execution of the
9572 program being debugged stops. This is @emph{in addition} to
9573 displaying the source line itself, which @value{GDBN} always does if
9574 possible. If the next source line cannot be displayed for some reason
9575 (e.g., if @value{GDBN} cannot find the source file, or there's no line
9576 info in the debug info), @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of the
9577 next @emph{instruction} instead of showing the next source line. If
9578 AUTO, @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of next instruction only
9579 if the source line cannot be displayed. This setting causes
9580 @value{GDBN} to display some feedback when you step through a function
9581 with no line info or whose source file is unavailable. The default is
9582 OFF, which means never display the disassembly of the next line or
9588 @chapter Examining Data
9590 @cindex printing data
9591 @cindex examining data
9594 The usual way to examine data in your program is with the @code{print}
9595 command (abbreviated @code{p}), or its synonym @code{inspect}. It
9596 evaluates and prints the value of an expression of the language your
9597 program is written in (@pxref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with
9598 Different Languages}). It may also print the expression using a
9599 Python-based pretty-printer (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
9602 @item print [[@var{options}] --] @var{expr}
9603 @itemx print [[@var{options}] --] /@var{f} @var{expr}
9604 @var{expr} is an expression (in the source language). By default the
9605 value of @var{expr} is printed in a format appropriate to its data type;
9606 you can choose a different format by specifying @samp{/@var{f}}, where
9607 @var{f} is a letter specifying the format; see @ref{Output Formats,,Output
9610 @anchor{print options}
9611 The @code{print} command supports a number of options that allow
9612 overriding relevant global print settings as set by @code{set print}
9616 @item -address [@code{on}|@code{off}]
9617 Set printing of addresses.
9618 Related setting: @ref{set print address}.
9620 @item -array [@code{on}|@code{off}]
9621 Pretty formatting of arrays.
9622 Related setting: @ref{set print array}.
9624 @item -array-indexes [@code{on}|@code{off}]
9625 Set printing of array indexes.
9626 Related setting: @ref{set print array-indexes}.
9628 @item -elements @var{number-of-elements}|@code{unlimited}
9629 Set limit on string chars or array elements to print. The value
9630 @code{unlimited} causes there to be no limit. Related setting:
9631 @ref{set print elements}.
9633 @item -max-depth @var{depth}|@code{unlimited}
9634 Set the threshold after which nested structures are replaced with
9635 ellipsis. Related setting: @ref{set print max-depth}.
9637 @item -null-stop [@code{on}|@code{off}]
9638 Set printing of char arrays to stop at first null char. Related
9639 setting: @ref{set print null-stop}.
9641 @item -object [@code{on}|@code{off}]
9642 Set printing C@t{++} virtual function tables. Related setting:
9643 @ref{set print object}.
9645 @item -pretty [@code{on}|@code{off}]
9646 Set pretty formatting of structures. Related setting: @ref{set print
9649 @item -raw-values [@code{on}|@code{off}]
9650 Set whether to print values in raw form, bypassing any
9651 pretty-printers for that value. Related setting: @ref{set print
9654 @item -repeats @var{number-of-repeats}|@code{unlimited}
9655 Set threshold for repeated print elements. @code{unlimited} causes
9656 all elements to be individually printed. Related setting: @ref{set
9659 @item -static-members [@code{on}|@code{off}]
9660 Set printing C@t{++} static members. Related setting: @ref{set print
9663 @item -symbol [@code{on}|@code{off}]
9664 Set printing of symbol names when printing pointers. Related setting:
9665 @ref{set print symbol}.
9667 @item -union [@code{on}|@code{off}]
9668 Set printing of unions interior to structures. Related setting:
9669 @ref{set print union}.
9671 @item -vtbl [@code{on}|@code{off}]
9672 Set printing of C++ virtual function tables. Related setting:
9673 @ref{set print vtbl}.
9676 Because the @code{print} command accepts arbitrary expressions which
9677 may look like options (including abbreviations), if you specify any
9678 command option, then you must use a double dash (@code{--}) to mark
9679 the end of option processing.
9681 For example, this prints the value of the @code{-p} expression:
9684 (@value{GDBP}) print -p
9687 While this repeats the last value in the value history (see below)
9688 with the @code{-pretty} option in effect:
9691 (@value{GDBP}) print -p --
9694 Here is an example including both on option and an expression:
9698 (@value{GDBP}) print -pretty -- *myptr
9710 @item print [@var{options}]
9711 @itemx print [@var{options}] /@var{f}
9712 @cindex reprint the last value
9713 If you omit @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} displays the last value again (from the
9714 @dfn{value history}; @pxref{Value History, ,Value History}). This allows you to
9715 conveniently inspect the same value in an alternative format.
9718 A more low-level way of examining data is with the @code{x} command.
9719 It examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
9720 specified format. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
9722 If you are interested in information about types, or about how the
9723 fields of a struct or a class are declared, use the @code{ptype @var{exp}}
9724 command rather than @code{print}. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol
9727 @cindex exploring hierarchical data structures
9729 Another way of examining values of expressions and type information is
9730 through the Python extension command @code{explore} (available only if
9731 the @value{GDBN} build is configured with @code{--with-python}). It
9732 offers an interactive way to start at the highest level (or, the most
9733 abstract level) of the data type of an expression (or, the data type
9734 itself) and explore all the way down to leaf scalar values/fields
9735 embedded in the higher level data types.
9738 @item explore @var{arg}
9739 @var{arg} is either an expression (in the source language), or a type
9740 visible in the current context of the program being debugged.
9743 The working of the @code{explore} command can be illustrated with an
9744 example. If a data type @code{struct ComplexStruct} is defined in your
9754 struct ComplexStruct
9756 struct SimpleStruct *ss_p;
9762 followed by variable declarations as
9765 struct SimpleStruct ss = @{ 10, 1.11 @};
9766 struct ComplexStruct cs = @{ &ss, @{ 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 @} @};
9770 then, the value of the variable @code{cs} can be explored using the
9771 @code{explore} command as follows.
9775 The value of `cs' is a struct/class of type `struct ComplexStruct' with
9776 the following fields:
9778 ss_p = <Enter 0 to explore this field of type `struct SimpleStruct *'>
9779 arr = <Enter 1 to explore this field of type `int [10]'>
9781 Enter the field number of choice:
9785 Since the fields of @code{cs} are not scalar values, you are being
9786 prompted to chose the field you want to explore. Let's say you choose
9787 the field @code{ss_p} by entering @code{0}. Then, since this field is a
9788 pointer, you will be asked if it is pointing to a single value. From
9789 the declaration of @code{cs} above, it is indeed pointing to a single
9790 value, hence you enter @code{y}. If you enter @code{n}, then you will
9791 be asked if it were pointing to an array of values, in which case this
9792 field will be explored as if it were an array.
9795 `cs.ss_p' is a pointer to a value of type `struct SimpleStruct'
9796 Continue exploring it as a pointer to a single value [y/n]: y
9797 The value of `*(cs.ss_p)' is a struct/class of type `struct
9798 SimpleStruct' with the following fields:
9800 i = 10 .. (Value of type `int')
9801 d = 1.1100000000000001 .. (Value of type `double')
9803 Press enter to return to parent value:
9807 If the field @code{arr} of @code{cs} was chosen for exploration by
9808 entering @code{1} earlier, then since it is as array, you will be
9809 prompted to enter the index of the element in the array that you want
9813 `cs.arr' is an array of `int'.
9814 Enter the index of the element you want to explore in `cs.arr': 5
9816 `(cs.arr)[5]' is a scalar value of type `int'.
9820 Press enter to return to parent value:
9823 In general, at any stage of exploration, you can go deeper towards the
9824 leaf values by responding to the prompts appropriately, or hit the
9825 return key to return to the enclosing data structure (the @i{higher}
9826 level data structure).
9828 Similar to exploring values, you can use the @code{explore} command to
9829 explore types. Instead of specifying a value (which is typically a
9830 variable name or an expression valid in the current context of the
9831 program being debugged), you specify a type name. If you consider the
9832 same example as above, your can explore the type
9833 @code{struct ComplexStruct} by passing the argument
9834 @code{struct ComplexStruct} to the @code{explore} command.
9837 (gdb) explore struct ComplexStruct
9841 By responding to the prompts appropriately in the subsequent interactive
9842 session, you can explore the type @code{struct ComplexStruct} in a
9843 manner similar to how the value @code{cs} was explored in the above
9846 The @code{explore} command also has two sub-commands,
9847 @code{explore value} and @code{explore type}. The former sub-command is
9848 a way to explicitly specify that value exploration of the argument is
9849 being invoked, while the latter is a way to explicitly specify that type
9850 exploration of the argument is being invoked.
9853 @item explore value @var{expr}
9854 @cindex explore value
9855 This sub-command of @code{explore} explores the value of the
9856 expression @var{expr} (if @var{expr} is an expression valid in the
9857 current context of the program being debugged). The behavior of this
9858 command is identical to that of the behavior of the @code{explore}
9859 command being passed the argument @var{expr}.
9861 @item explore type @var{arg}
9862 @cindex explore type
9863 This sub-command of @code{explore} explores the type of @var{arg} (if
9864 @var{arg} is a type visible in the current context of program being
9865 debugged), or the type of the value/expression @var{arg} (if @var{arg}
9866 is an expression valid in the current context of the program being
9867 debugged). If @var{arg} is a type, then the behavior of this command is
9868 identical to that of the @code{explore} command being passed the
9869 argument @var{arg}. If @var{arg} is an expression, then the behavior of
9870 this command will be identical to that of the @code{explore} command
9871 being passed the type of @var{arg} as the argument.
9875 * Expressions:: Expressions
9876 * Ambiguous Expressions:: Ambiguous Expressions
9877 * Variables:: Program variables
9878 * Arrays:: Artificial arrays
9879 * Output Formats:: Output formats
9880 * Memory:: Examining memory
9881 * Auto Display:: Automatic display
9882 * Print Settings:: Print settings
9883 * Pretty Printing:: Python pretty printing
9884 * Value History:: Value history
9885 * Convenience Vars:: Convenience variables
9886 * Convenience Funs:: Convenience functions
9887 * Registers:: Registers
9888 * Floating Point Hardware:: Floating point hardware
9889 * Vector Unit:: Vector Unit
9890 * OS Information:: Auxiliary data provided by operating system
9891 * Memory Region Attributes:: Memory region attributes
9892 * Dump/Restore Files:: Copy between memory and a file
9893 * Core File Generation:: Cause a program dump its core
9894 * Character Sets:: Debugging programs that use a different
9895 character set than GDB does
9896 * Caching Target Data:: Data caching for targets
9897 * Searching Memory:: Searching memory for a sequence of bytes
9898 * Value Sizes:: Managing memory allocated for values
9902 @section Expressions
9905 @code{print} and many other @value{GDBN} commands accept an expression and
9906 compute its value. Any kind of constant, variable or operator defined
9907 by the programming language you are using is valid in an expression in
9908 @value{GDBN}. This includes conditional expressions, function calls,
9909 casts, and string constants. It also includes preprocessor macros, if
9910 you compiled your program to include this information; see
9913 @cindex arrays in expressions
9914 @value{GDBN} supports array constants in expressions input by
9915 the user. The syntax is @{@var{element}, @var{element}@dots{}@}. For example,
9916 you can use the command @code{print @{1, 2, 3@}} to create an array
9917 of three integers. If you pass an array to a function or assign it
9918 to a program variable, @value{GDBN} copies the array to memory that
9919 is @code{malloc}ed in the target program.
9921 Because C is so widespread, most of the expressions shown in examples in
9922 this manual are in C. @xref{Languages, , Using @value{GDBN} with Different
9923 Languages}, for information on how to use expressions in other
9926 In this section, we discuss operators that you can use in @value{GDBN}
9927 expressions regardless of your programming language.
9929 @cindex casts, in expressions
9930 Casts are supported in all languages, not just in C, because it is so
9931 useful to cast a number into a pointer in order to examine a structure
9932 at that address in memory.
9933 @c FIXME: casts supported---Mod2 true?
9935 @value{GDBN} supports these operators, in addition to those common
9936 to programming languages:
9940 @samp{@@} is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays.
9941 @xref{Arrays, ,Artificial Arrays}, for more information.
9944 @samp{::} allows you to specify a variable in terms of the file or
9945 function where it is defined. @xref{Variables, ,Program Variables}.
9947 @cindex @{@var{type}@}
9948 @cindex type casting memory
9949 @cindex memory, viewing as typed object
9950 @cindex casts, to view memory
9951 @item @{@var{type}@} @var{addr}
9952 Refers to an object of type @var{type} stored at address @var{addr} in
9953 memory. The address @var{addr} may be any expression whose value is
9954 an integer or pointer (but parentheses are required around binary
9955 operators, just as in a cast). This construct is allowed regardless
9956 of what kind of data is normally supposed to reside at @var{addr}.
9959 @node Ambiguous Expressions
9960 @section Ambiguous Expressions
9961 @cindex ambiguous expressions
9963 Expressions can sometimes contain some ambiguous elements. For instance,
9964 some programming languages (notably Ada, C@t{++} and Objective-C) permit
9965 a single function name to be defined several times, for application in
9966 different contexts. This is called @dfn{overloading}. Another example
9967 involving Ada is generics. A @dfn{generic package} is similar to C@t{++}
9968 templates and is typically instantiated several times, resulting in
9969 the same function name being defined in different contexts.
9971 In some cases and depending on the language, it is possible to adjust
9972 the expression to remove the ambiguity. For instance in C@t{++}, you
9973 can specify the signature of the function you want to break on, as in
9974 @kbd{break @var{function}(@var{types})}. In Ada, using the fully
9975 qualified name of your function often makes the expression unambiguous
9978 When an ambiguity that needs to be resolved is detected, the debugger
9979 has the capability to display a menu of numbered choices for each
9980 possibility, and then waits for the selection with the prompt @samp{>}.
9981 The first option is always @samp{[0] cancel}, and typing @kbd{0 @key{RET}}
9982 aborts the current command. If the command in which the expression was
9983 used allows more than one choice to be selected, the next option in the
9984 menu is @samp{[1] all}, and typing @kbd{1 @key{RET}} selects all possible
9987 For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a
9988 breakpoint at the overloaded symbol @code{String::after}.
9989 We choose three particular definitions of that function name:
9991 @c FIXME! This is likely to change to show arg type lists, at least
9994 (@value{GDBP}) b String::after
9997 [2] file:String.cc; line number:867
9998 [3] file:String.cc; line number:860
9999 [4] file:String.cc; line number:875
10000 [5] file:String.cc; line number:853
10001 [6] file:String.cc; line number:846
10002 [7] file:String.cc; line number:735
10004 Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
10005 Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
10006 Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
10007 Multiple breakpoints were set.
10008 Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted
10015 @kindex set multiple-symbols
10016 @item set multiple-symbols @var{mode}
10017 @cindex multiple-symbols menu
10019 This option allows you to adjust the debugger behavior when an expression
10022 By default, @var{mode} is set to @code{all}. If the command with which
10023 the expression is used allows more than one choice, then @value{GDBN}
10024 automatically selects all possible choices. For instance, inserting
10025 a breakpoint on a function using an ambiguous name results in a breakpoint
10026 inserted on each possible match. However, if a unique choice must be made,
10027 then @value{GDBN} uses the menu to help you disambiguate the expression.
10028 For instance, printing the address of an overloaded function will result
10029 in the use of the menu.
10031 When @var{mode} is set to @code{ask}, the debugger always uses the menu
10032 when an ambiguity is detected.
10034 Finally, when @var{mode} is set to @code{cancel}, the debugger reports
10035 an error due to the ambiguity and the command is aborted.
10037 @kindex show multiple-symbols
10038 @item show multiple-symbols
10039 Show the current value of the @code{multiple-symbols} setting.
10043 @section Program Variables
10045 The most common kind of expression to use is the name of a variable
10048 Variables in expressions are understood in the selected stack frame
10049 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}); they must be either:
10053 global (or file-static)
10060 visible according to the scope rules of the
10061 programming language from the point of execution in that frame
10064 @noindent This means that in the function
10079 you can examine and use the variable @code{a} whenever your program is
10080 executing within the function @code{foo}, but you can only use or
10081 examine the variable @code{b} while your program is executing inside
10082 the block where @code{b} is declared.
10084 @cindex variable name conflict
10085 There is an exception: you can refer to a variable or function whose
10086 scope is a single source file even if the current execution point is not
10087 in this file. But it is possible to have more than one such variable or
10088 function with the same name (in different source files). If that
10089 happens, referring to that name has unpredictable effects. If you wish,
10090 you can specify a static variable in a particular function or file by
10091 using the colon-colon (@code{::}) notation:
10093 @cindex colon-colon, context for variables/functions
10095 @c info cannot cope with a :: index entry, but why deprive hard copy readers?
10096 @cindex @code{::}, context for variables/functions
10099 @var{file}::@var{variable}
10100 @var{function}::@var{variable}
10104 Here @var{file} or @var{function} is the name of the context for the
10105 static @var{variable}. In the case of file names, you can use quotes to
10106 make sure @value{GDBN} parses the file name as a single word---for example,
10107 to print a global value of @code{x} defined in @file{f2.c}:
10110 (@value{GDBP}) p 'f2.c'::x
10113 The @code{::} notation is normally used for referring to
10114 static variables, since you typically disambiguate uses of local variables
10115 in functions by selecting the appropriate frame and using the
10116 simple name of the variable. However, you may also use this notation
10117 to refer to local variables in frames enclosing the selected frame:
10126 process (a); /* Stop here */
10137 For example, if there is a breakpoint at the commented line,
10138 here is what you might see
10139 when the program stops after executing the call @code{bar(0)}:
10144 (@value{GDBP}) p bar::a
10146 (@value{GDBP}) up 2
10147 #2 0x080483d0 in foo (a=5) at foobar.c:12
10150 (@value{GDBP}) p bar::a
10154 @cindex C@t{++} scope resolution
10155 These uses of @samp{::} are very rarely in conflict with the very
10156 similar use of the same notation in C@t{++}. When they are in
10157 conflict, the C@t{++} meaning takes precedence; however, this can be
10158 overridden by quoting the file or function name with single quotes.
10160 For example, suppose the program is stopped in a method of a class
10161 that has a field named @code{includefile}, and there is also an
10162 include file named @file{includefile} that defines a variable,
10163 @code{some_global}.
10166 (@value{GDBP}) p includefile
10168 (@value{GDBP}) p includefile::some_global
10169 A syntax error in expression, near `'.
10170 (@value{GDBP}) p 'includefile'::some_global
10174 @cindex wrong values
10175 @cindex variable values, wrong
10176 @cindex function entry/exit, wrong values of variables
10177 @cindex optimized code, wrong values of variables
10179 @emph{Warning:} Occasionally, a local variable may appear to have the
10180 wrong value at certain points in a function---just after entry to a new
10181 scope, and just before exit.
10183 You may see this problem when you are stepping by machine instructions.
10184 This is because, on most machines, it takes more than one instruction to
10185 set up a stack frame (including local variable definitions); if you are
10186 stepping by machine instructions, variables may appear to have the wrong
10187 values until the stack frame is completely built. On exit, it usually
10188 also takes more than one machine instruction to destroy a stack frame;
10189 after you begin stepping through that group of instructions, local
10190 variable definitions may be gone.
10192 This may also happen when the compiler does significant optimizations.
10193 To be sure of always seeing accurate values, turn off all optimization
10196 @cindex ``No symbol "foo" in current context''
10197 Another possible effect of compiler optimizations is to optimize
10198 unused variables out of existence, or assign variables to registers (as
10199 opposed to memory addresses). Depending on the support for such cases
10200 offered by the debug info format used by the compiler, @value{GDBN}
10201 might not be able to display values for such local variables. If that
10202 happens, @value{GDBN} will print a message like this:
10205 No symbol "foo" in current context.
10208 To solve such problems, either recompile without optimizations, or use a
10209 different debug info format, if the compiler supports several such
10210 formats. @xref{Compilation}, for more information on choosing compiler
10211 options. @xref{C, ,C and C@t{++}}, for more information about debug
10212 info formats that are best suited to C@t{++} programs.
10214 If you ask to print an object whose contents are unknown to
10215 @value{GDBN}, e.g., because its data type is not completely specified
10216 by the debug information, @value{GDBN} will say @samp{<incomplete
10217 type>}. @xref{Symbols, incomplete type}, for more about this.
10219 @cindex no debug info variables
10220 If you try to examine or use the value of a (global) variable for
10221 which @value{GDBN} has no type information, e.g., because the program
10222 includes no debug information, @value{GDBN} displays an error message.
10223 @xref{Symbols, unknown type}, for more about unknown types. If you
10224 cast the variable to its declared type, @value{GDBN} gets the
10225 variable's value using the cast-to type as the variable's type. For
10226 example, in a C program:
10229 (@value{GDBP}) p var
10230 'var' has unknown type; cast it to its declared type
10231 (@value{GDBP}) p (float) var
10235 If you append @kbd{@@entry} string to a function parameter name you get its
10236 value at the time the function got called. If the value is not available an
10237 error message is printed. Entry values are available only with some compilers.
10238 Entry values are normally also printed at the function parameter list according
10239 to @ref{set print entry-values}.
10242 Breakpoint 1, d (i=30) at gdb.base/entry-value.c:29
10248 (gdb) print i@@entry
10252 Strings are identified as arrays of @code{char} values without specified
10253 signedness. Arrays of either @code{signed char} or @code{unsigned char} get
10254 printed as arrays of 1 byte sized integers. @code{-fsigned-char} or
10255 @code{-funsigned-char} @value{NGCC} options have no effect as @value{GDBN}
10256 defines literal string type @code{"char"} as @code{char} without a sign.
10261 signed char var1[] = "A";
10264 You get during debugging
10269 $2 = @{65 'A', 0 '\0'@}
10273 @section Artificial Arrays
10275 @cindex artificial array
10277 @kindex @@@r{, referencing memory as an array}
10278 It is often useful to print out several successive objects of the
10279 same type in memory; a section of an array, or an array of
10280 dynamically determined size for which only a pointer exists in the
10283 You can do this by referring to a contiguous span of memory as an
10284 @dfn{artificial array}, using the binary operator @samp{@@}. The left
10285 operand of @samp{@@} should be the first element of the desired array
10286 and be an individual object. The right operand should be the desired length
10287 of the array. The result is an array value whose elements are all of
10288 the type of the left argument. The first element is actually the left
10289 argument; the second element comes from bytes of memory immediately
10290 following those that hold the first element, and so on. Here is an
10291 example. If a program says
10294 int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
10298 you can print the contents of @code{array} with
10304 The left operand of @samp{@@} must reside in memory. Array values made
10305 with @samp{@@} in this way behave just like other arrays in terms of
10306 subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
10307 Artificial arrays most often appear in expressions via the value history
10308 (@pxref{Value History, ,Value History}), after printing one out.
10310 Another way to create an artificial array is to use a cast.
10311 This re-interprets a value as if it were an array.
10312 The value need not be in memory:
10314 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[2])0x12345678
10315 $1 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
10318 As a convenience, if you leave the array length out (as in
10319 @samp{(@var{type}[])@var{value}}) @value{GDBN} calculates the size to fill
10320 the value (as @samp{sizeof(@var{value})/sizeof(@var{type})}:
10322 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[])0x12345678
10323 $2 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
10326 Sometimes the artificial array mechanism is not quite enough; in
10327 moderately complex data structures, the elements of interest may not
10328 actually be adjacent---for example, if you are interested in the values
10329 of pointers in an array. One useful work-around in this situation is
10330 to use a convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
10331 Variables}) as a counter in an expression that prints the first
10332 interesting value, and then repeat that expression via @key{RET}. For
10333 instance, suppose you have an array @code{dtab} of pointers to
10334 structures, and you are interested in the values of a field @code{fv}
10335 in each structure. Here is an example of what you might type:
10345 @node Output Formats
10346 @section Output Formats
10348 @cindex formatted output
10349 @cindex output formats
10350 By default, @value{GDBN} prints a value according to its data type. Sometimes
10351 this is not what you want. For example, you might want to print a number
10352 in hex, or a pointer in decimal. Or you might want to view data in memory
10353 at a certain address as a character string or as an instruction. To do
10354 these things, specify an @dfn{output format} when you print a value.
10356 The simplest use of output formats is to say how to print a value
10357 already computed. This is done by starting the arguments of the
10358 @code{print} command with a slash and a format letter. The format
10359 letters supported are:
10363 Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer in
10367 Print as integer in signed decimal.
10370 Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
10373 Print as integer in octal.
10376 Print as integer in binary. The letter @samp{t} stands for ``two''.
10377 @footnote{@samp{b} cannot be used because these format letters are also
10378 used with the @code{x} command, where @samp{b} stands for ``byte'';
10379 see @ref{Memory,,Examining Memory}.}
10382 @cindex unknown address, locating
10383 @cindex locate address
10384 Print as an address, both absolute in hexadecimal and as an offset from
10385 the nearest preceding symbol. You can use this format used to discover
10386 where (in what function) an unknown address is located:
10389 (@value{GDBP}) p/a 0x54320
10390 $3 = 0x54320 <_initialize_vx+396>
10394 The command @code{info symbol 0x54320} yields similar results.
10395 @xref{Symbols, info symbol}.
10398 Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant. This
10399 prints both the numerical value and its character representation. The
10400 character representation is replaced with the octal escape @samp{\nnn}
10401 for characters outside the 7-bit @sc{ascii} range.
10403 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays @code{char},
10404 @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} data as character
10405 constants. Single-byte members of vectors are displayed as integer
10409 Regard the bits of the value as a floating point number and print
10410 using typical floating point syntax.
10413 @cindex printing strings
10414 @cindex printing byte arrays
10415 Regard as a string, if possible. With this format, pointers to single-byte
10416 data are displayed as null-terminated strings and arrays of single-byte data
10417 are displayed as fixed-length strings. Other values are displayed in their
10420 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays pointers to and arrays of
10421 @code{char}, @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} as
10422 strings. Single-byte members of a vector are displayed as an integer
10426 Like @samp{x} formatting, the value is treated as an integer and
10427 printed as hexadecimal, but leading zeros are printed to pad the value
10428 to the size of the integer type.
10431 @cindex raw printing
10432 Print using the @samp{raw} formatting. By default, @value{GDBN} will
10433 use a Python-based pretty-printer, if one is available (@pxref{Pretty
10434 Printing}). This typically results in a higher-level display of the
10435 value's contents. The @samp{r} format bypasses any Python
10436 pretty-printer which might exist.
10439 For example, to print the program counter in hex (@pxref{Registers}), type
10446 Note that no space is required before the slash; this is because command
10447 names in @value{GDBN} cannot contain a slash.
10449 To reprint the last value in the value history with a different format,
10450 you can use the @code{print} command with just a format and no
10451 expression. For example, @samp{p/x} reprints the last value in hex.
10454 @section Examining Memory
10456 You can use the command @code{x} (for ``examine'') to examine memory in
10457 any of several formats, independently of your program's data types.
10459 @cindex examining memory
10461 @kindex x @r{(examine memory)}
10462 @item x/@var{nfu} @var{addr}
10463 @itemx x @var{addr}
10465 Use the @code{x} command to examine memory.
10468 @var{n}, @var{f}, and @var{u} are all optional parameters that specify how
10469 much memory to display and how to format it; @var{addr} is an
10470 expression giving the address where you want to start displaying memory.
10471 If you use defaults for @var{nfu}, you need not type the slash @samp{/}.
10472 Several commands set convenient defaults for @var{addr}.
10475 @item @var{n}, the repeat count
10476 The repeat count is a decimal integer; the default is 1. It specifies
10477 how much memory (counting by units @var{u}) to display. If a negative
10478 number is specified, memory is examined backward from @var{addr}.
10479 @c This really is **decimal**; unaffected by 'set radix' as of GDB
10482 @item @var{f}, the display format
10483 The display format is one of the formats used by @code{print}
10484 (@samp{x}, @samp{d}, @samp{u}, @samp{o}, @samp{t}, @samp{a}, @samp{c},
10485 @samp{f}, @samp{s}), and in addition @samp{i} (for machine instructions).
10486 The default is @samp{x} (hexadecimal) initially. The default changes
10487 each time you use either @code{x} or @code{print}.
10489 @item @var{u}, the unit size
10490 The unit size is any of
10496 Halfwords (two bytes).
10498 Words (four bytes). This is the initial default.
10500 Giant words (eight bytes).
10503 Each time you specify a unit size with @code{x}, that size becomes the
10504 default unit the next time you use @code{x}. For the @samp{i} format,
10505 the unit size is ignored and is normally not written. For the @samp{s} format,
10506 the unit size defaults to @samp{b}, unless it is explicitly given.
10507 Use @kbd{x /hs} to display 16-bit char strings and @kbd{x /ws} to display
10508 32-bit strings. The next use of @kbd{x /s} will again display 8-bit strings.
10509 Note that the results depend on the programming language of the
10510 current compilation unit. If the language is C, the @samp{s}
10511 modifier will use the UTF-16 encoding while @samp{w} will use
10512 UTF-32. The encoding is set by the programming language and cannot
10515 @item @var{addr}, starting display address
10516 @var{addr} is the address where you want @value{GDBN} to begin displaying
10517 memory. The expression need not have a pointer value (though it may);
10518 it is always interpreted as an integer address of a byte of memory.
10519 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information on expressions. The default for
10520 @var{addr} is usually just after the last address examined---but several
10521 other commands also set the default address: @code{info breakpoints} (to
10522 the address of the last breakpoint listed), @code{info line} (to the
10523 starting address of a line), and @code{print} (if you use it to display
10524 a value from memory).
10527 For example, @samp{x/3uh 0x54320} is a request to display three halfwords
10528 (@code{h}) of memory, formatted as unsigned decimal integers (@samp{u}),
10529 starting at address @code{0x54320}. @samp{x/4xw $sp} prints the four
10530 words (@samp{w}) of memory above the stack pointer (here, @samp{$sp};
10531 @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}) in hexadecimal (@samp{x}).
10533 You can also specify a negative repeat count to examine memory backward
10534 from the given address. For example, @samp{x/-3uh 0x54320} prints three
10535 halfwords (@code{h}) at @code{0x54314}, @code{0x54328}, and @code{0x5431c}.
10537 Since the letters indicating unit sizes are all distinct from the
10538 letters specifying output formats, you do not have to remember whether
10539 unit size or format comes first; either order works. The output
10540 specifications @samp{4xw} and @samp{4wx} mean exactly the same thing.
10541 (However, the count @var{n} must come first; @samp{wx4} does not work.)
10543 Even though the unit size @var{u} is ignored for the formats @samp{s}
10544 and @samp{i}, you might still want to use a count @var{n}; for example,
10545 @samp{3i} specifies that you want to see three machine instructions,
10546 including any operands. For convenience, especially when used with
10547 the @code{display} command, the @samp{i} format also prints branch delay
10548 slot instructions, if any, beyond the count specified, which immediately
10549 follow the last instruction that is within the count. The command
10550 @code{disassemble} gives an alternative way of inspecting machine
10551 instructions; see @ref{Machine Code,,Source and Machine Code}.
10553 If a negative repeat count is specified for the formats @samp{s} or @samp{i},
10554 the command displays null-terminated strings or instructions before the given
10555 address as many as the absolute value of the given number. For the @samp{i}
10556 format, we use line number information in the debug info to accurately locate
10557 instruction boundaries while disassembling backward. If line info is not
10558 available, the command stops examining memory with an error message.
10560 All the defaults for the arguments to @code{x} are designed to make it
10561 easy to continue scanning memory with minimal specifications each time
10562 you use @code{x}. For example, after you have inspected three machine
10563 instructions with @samp{x/3i @var{addr}}, you can inspect the next seven
10564 with just @samp{x/7}. If you use @key{RET} to repeat the @code{x} command,
10565 the repeat count @var{n} is used again; the other arguments default as
10566 for successive uses of @code{x}.
10568 When examining machine instructions, the instruction at current program
10569 counter is shown with a @code{=>} marker. For example:
10572 (@value{GDBP}) x/5i $pc-6
10573 0x804837f <main+11>: mov %esp,%ebp
10574 0x8048381 <main+13>: push %ecx
10575 0x8048382 <main+14>: sub $0x4,%esp
10576 => 0x8048385 <main+17>: movl $0x8048460,(%esp)
10577 0x804838c <main+24>: call 0x80482d4 <puts@@plt>
10580 @cindex @code{$_}, @code{$__}, and value history
10581 The addresses and contents printed by the @code{x} command are not saved
10582 in the value history because there is often too much of them and they
10583 would get in the way. Instead, @value{GDBN} makes these values available for
10584 subsequent use in expressions as values of the convenience variables
10585 @code{$_} and @code{$__}. After an @code{x} command, the last address
10586 examined is available for use in expressions in the convenience variable
10587 @code{$_}. The contents of that address, as examined, are available in
10588 the convenience variable @code{$__}.
10590 If the @code{x} command has a repeat count, the address and contents saved
10591 are from the last memory unit printed; this is not the same as the last
10592 address printed if several units were printed on the last line of output.
10594 @anchor{addressable memory unit}
10595 @cindex addressable memory unit
10596 Most targets have an addressable memory unit size of 8 bits. This means
10597 that to each memory address are associated 8 bits of data. Some
10598 targets, however, have other addressable memory unit sizes.
10599 Within @value{GDBN} and this document, the term
10600 @dfn{addressable memory unit} (or @dfn{memory unit} for short) is used
10601 when explicitly referring to a chunk of data of that size. The word
10602 @dfn{byte} is used to refer to a chunk of data of 8 bits, regardless of
10603 the addressable memory unit size of the target. For most systems,
10604 addressable memory unit is a synonym of byte.
10606 @cindex remote memory comparison
10607 @cindex target memory comparison
10608 @cindex verify remote memory image
10609 @cindex verify target memory image
10610 When you are debugging a program running on a remote target machine
10611 (@pxref{Remote Debugging}), you may wish to verify the program's image
10612 in the remote machine's memory against the executable file you
10613 downloaded to the target. Or, on any target, you may want to check
10614 whether the program has corrupted its own read-only sections. The
10615 @code{compare-sections} command is provided for such situations.
10618 @kindex compare-sections
10619 @item compare-sections @r{[}@var{section-name}@r{|}@code{-r}@r{]}
10620 Compare the data of a loadable section @var{section-name} in the
10621 executable file of the program being debugged with the same section in
10622 the target machine's memory, and report any mismatches. With no
10623 arguments, compares all loadable sections. With an argument of
10624 @code{-r}, compares all loadable read-only sections.
10626 Note: for remote targets, this command can be accelerated if the
10627 target supports computing the CRC checksum of a block of memory
10628 (@pxref{qCRC packet}).
10632 @section Automatic Display
10633 @cindex automatic display
10634 @cindex display of expressions
10636 If you find that you want to print the value of an expression frequently
10637 (to see how it changes), you might want to add it to the @dfn{automatic
10638 display list} so that @value{GDBN} prints its value each time your program stops.
10639 Each expression added to the list is given a number to identify it;
10640 to remove an expression from the list, you specify that number.
10641 The automatic display looks like this:
10645 3: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
10649 This display shows item numbers, expressions and their current values. As with
10650 displays you request manually using @code{x} or @code{print}, you can
10651 specify the output format you prefer; in fact, @code{display} decides
10652 whether to use @code{print} or @code{x} depending your format
10653 specification---it uses @code{x} if you specify either the @samp{i}
10654 or @samp{s} format, or a unit size; otherwise it uses @code{print}.
10658 @item display @var{expr}
10659 Add the expression @var{expr} to the list of expressions to display
10660 each time your program stops. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
10662 @code{display} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
10664 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{expr}
10665 For @var{fmt} specifying only a display format and not a size or
10666 count, add the expression @var{expr} to the auto-display list but
10667 arrange to display it each time in the specified format @var{fmt}.
10668 @xref{Output Formats,,Output Formats}.
10670 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{addr}
10671 For @var{fmt} @samp{i} or @samp{s}, or including a unit-size or a
10672 number of units, add the expression @var{addr} as a memory address to
10673 be examined each time your program stops. Examining means in effect
10674 doing @samp{x/@var{fmt} @var{addr}}. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
10677 For example, @samp{display/i $pc} can be helpful, to see the machine
10678 instruction about to be executed each time execution stops (@samp{$pc}
10679 is a common name for the program counter; @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
10682 @kindex delete display
10684 @item undisplay @var{dnums}@dots{}
10685 @itemx delete display @var{dnums}@dots{}
10686 Remove items from the list of expressions to display. Specify the
10687 numbers of the displays that you want affected with the command
10688 argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one of the
10689 numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display} display;
10690 or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
10692 @code{undisplay} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
10693 (Otherwise you would just get the error @samp{No display number @dots{}}.)
10695 @kindex disable display
10696 @item disable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
10697 Disable the display of item numbers @var{dnums}. A disabled display
10698 item is not printed automatically, but is not forgotten. It may be
10699 enabled again later. Specify the numbers of the displays that you
10700 want affected with the command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a
10701 single display number, one of the numbers shown in the first field of
10702 the @samp{info display} display; or it could be a range of display
10703 numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
10705 @kindex enable display
10706 @item enable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
10707 Enable display of item numbers @var{dnums}. It becomes effective once
10708 again in auto display of its expression, until you specify otherwise.
10709 Specify the numbers of the displays that you want affected with the
10710 command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one
10711 of the numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display}
10712 display; or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
10715 Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as is
10716 done when your program stops.
10718 @kindex info display
10720 Print the list of expressions previously set up to display
10721 automatically, each one with its item number, but without showing the
10722 values. This includes disabled expressions, which are marked as such.
10723 It also includes expressions which would not be displayed right now
10724 because they refer to automatic variables not currently available.
10727 @cindex display disabled out of scope
10728 If a display expression refers to local variables, then it does not make
10729 sense outside the lexical context for which it was set up. Such an
10730 expression is disabled when execution enters a context where one of its
10731 variables is not defined. For example, if you give the command
10732 @code{display last_char} while inside a function with an argument
10733 @code{last_char}, @value{GDBN} displays this argument while your program
10734 continues to stop inside that function. When it stops elsewhere---where
10735 there is no variable @code{last_char}---the display is disabled
10736 automatically. The next time your program stops where @code{last_char}
10737 is meaningful, you can enable the display expression once again.
10739 @node Print Settings
10740 @section Print Settings
10742 @cindex format options
10743 @cindex print settings
10744 @value{GDBN} provides the following ways to control how arrays, structures,
10745 and symbols are printed.
10748 These settings are useful for debugging programs in any language:
10752 @anchor{set print address}
10753 @item set print address
10754 @itemx set print address on
10755 @cindex print/don't print memory addresses
10756 @value{GDBN} prints memory addresses showing the location of stack
10757 traces, structure values, pointer values, breakpoints, and so forth,
10758 even when it also displays the contents of those addresses. The default
10759 is @code{on}. For example, this is what a stack frame display looks like with
10760 @code{set print address on}:
10765 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<<", rq=0x34c88 ">>")
10767 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
10771 @item set print address off
10772 Do not print addresses when displaying their contents. For example,
10773 this is the same stack frame displayed with @code{set print address off}:
10777 (@value{GDBP}) set print addr off
10779 #0 set_quotes (lq="<<", rq=">>") at input.c:530
10780 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
10784 You can use @samp{set print address off} to eliminate all machine
10785 dependent displays from the @value{GDBN} interface. For example, with
10786 @code{print address off}, you should get the same text for backtraces on
10787 all machines---whether or not they involve pointer arguments.
10790 @item show print address
10791 Show whether or not addresses are to be printed.
10794 When @value{GDBN} prints a symbolic address, it normally prints the
10795 closest earlier symbol plus an offset. If that symbol does not uniquely
10796 identify the address (for example, it is a name whose scope is a single
10797 source file), you may need to clarify. One way to do this is with
10798 @code{info line}, for example @samp{info line *0x4537}. Alternately,
10799 you can set @value{GDBN} to print the source file and line number when
10800 it prints a symbolic address:
10803 @item set print symbol-filename on
10804 @cindex source file and line of a symbol
10805 @cindex symbol, source file and line
10806 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the source file name and line number of a
10807 symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
10809 @item set print symbol-filename off
10810 Do not print source file name and line number of a symbol. This is the
10813 @item show print symbol-filename
10814 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} will print the source file name and
10815 line number of a symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
10818 Another situation where it is helpful to show symbol filenames and line
10819 numbers is when disassembling code; @value{GDBN} shows you the line
10820 number and source file that corresponds to each instruction.
10822 Also, you may wish to see the symbolic form only if the address being
10823 printed is reasonably close to the closest earlier symbol:
10826 @item set print max-symbolic-offset @var{max-offset}
10827 @itemx set print max-symbolic-offset unlimited
10828 @cindex maximum value for offset of closest symbol
10829 Tell @value{GDBN} to only display the symbolic form of an address if the
10830 offset between the closest earlier symbol and the address is less than
10831 @var{max-offset}. The default is @code{unlimited}, which tells @value{GDBN}
10832 to always print the symbolic form of an address if any symbol precedes
10833 it. Zero is equivalent to @code{unlimited}.
10835 @item show print max-symbolic-offset
10836 Ask how large the maximum offset is that @value{GDBN} prints in a
10840 @cindex wild pointer, interpreting
10841 @cindex pointer, finding referent
10842 If you have a pointer and you are not sure where it points, try
10843 @samp{set print symbol-filename on}. Then you can determine the name
10844 and source file location of the variable where it points, using
10845 @samp{p/a @var{pointer}}. This interprets the address in symbolic form.
10846 For example, here @value{GDBN} shows that a variable @code{ptt} points
10847 at another variable @code{t}, defined in @file{hi2.c}:
10850 (@value{GDBP}) set print symbol-filename on
10851 (@value{GDBP}) p/a ptt
10852 $4 = 0xe008 <t in hi2.c>
10856 @emph{Warning:} For pointers that point to a local variable, @samp{p/a}
10857 does not show the symbol name and filename of the referent, even with
10858 the appropriate @code{set print} options turned on.
10861 You can also enable @samp{/a}-like formatting all the time using
10862 @samp{set print symbol on}:
10864 @anchor{set print symbol}
10866 @item set print symbol on
10867 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the symbol corresponding to an address, if
10870 @item set print symbol off
10871 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print the symbol corresponding to an
10872 address. In this mode, @value{GDBN} will still print the symbol
10873 corresponding to pointers to functions. This is the default.
10875 @item show print symbol
10876 Show whether @value{GDBN} will display the symbol corresponding to an
10880 Other settings control how different kinds of objects are printed:
10883 @anchor{set print array}
10884 @item set print array
10885 @itemx set print array on
10886 @cindex pretty print arrays
10887 Pretty print arrays. This format is more convenient to read,
10888 but uses more space. The default is off.
10890 @item set print array off
10891 Return to compressed format for arrays.
10893 @item show print array
10894 Show whether compressed or pretty format is selected for displaying
10897 @cindex print array indexes
10898 @anchor{set print array-indexes}
10899 @item set print array-indexes
10900 @itemx set print array-indexes on
10901 Print the index of each element when displaying arrays. May be more
10902 convenient to locate a given element in the array or quickly find the
10903 index of a given element in that printed array. The default is off.
10905 @item set print array-indexes off
10906 Stop printing element indexes when displaying arrays.
10908 @item show print array-indexes
10909 Show whether the index of each element is printed when displaying
10912 @anchor{set print elements}
10913 @item set print elements @var{number-of-elements}
10914 @itemx set print elements unlimited
10915 @cindex number of array elements to print
10916 @cindex limit on number of printed array elements
10917 Set a limit on how many elements of an array @value{GDBN} will print.
10918 If @value{GDBN} is printing a large array, it stops printing after it has
10919 printed the number of elements set by the @code{set print elements} command.
10920 This limit also applies to the display of strings.
10921 When @value{GDBN} starts, this limit is set to 200.
10922 Setting @var{number-of-elements} to @code{unlimited} or zero means
10923 that the number of elements to print is unlimited.
10925 @item show print elements
10926 Display the number of elements of a large array that @value{GDBN} will print.
10927 If the number is 0, then the printing is unlimited.
10929 @anchor{set print frame-arguments}
10930 @item set print frame-arguments @var{value}
10931 @kindex set print frame-arguments
10932 @cindex printing frame argument values
10933 @cindex print all frame argument values
10934 @cindex print frame argument values for scalars only
10935 @cindex do not print frame arguments
10936 This command allows to control how the values of arguments are printed
10937 when the debugger prints a frame (@pxref{Frames}). The possible
10942 The values of all arguments are printed.
10945 Print the value of an argument only if it is a scalar. The value of more
10946 complex arguments such as arrays, structures, unions, etc, is replaced
10947 by @code{@dots{}}. This is the default. Here is an example where
10948 only scalar arguments are shown:
10951 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=3, s=@dots{}, ss=0xbf8d508c, u=@dots{}, e=green)
10956 None of the argument values are printed. Instead, the value of each argument
10957 is replaced by @code{@dots{}}. In this case, the example above now becomes:
10960 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=@dots{}, s=@dots{}, ss=@dots{}, u=@dots{}, e=@dots{})
10965 Only the presence of arguments is indicated by @code{@dots{}}.
10966 The @code{@dots{}} are not printed for function without any arguments.
10967 None of the argument names and values are printed.
10968 In this case, the example above now becomes:
10971 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (@dots{}) at frame-args.c:23
10976 By default, only scalar arguments are printed. This command can be used
10977 to configure the debugger to print the value of all arguments, regardless
10978 of their type. However, it is often advantageous to not print the value
10979 of more complex parameters. For instance, it reduces the amount of
10980 information printed in each frame, making the backtrace more readable.
10981 Also, it improves performance when displaying Ada frames, because
10982 the computation of large arguments can sometimes be CPU-intensive,
10983 especially in large applications. Setting @code{print frame-arguments}
10984 to @code{scalars} (the default), @code{none} or @code{presence} avoids
10985 this computation, thus speeding up the display of each Ada frame.
10987 @item show print frame-arguments
10988 Show how the value of arguments should be displayed when printing a frame.
10990 @anchor{set print raw-frame-arguments}
10991 @item set print raw-frame-arguments on
10992 Print frame arguments in raw, non pretty-printed, form.
10994 @item set print raw-frame-arguments off
10995 Print frame arguments in pretty-printed form, if there is a pretty-printer
10996 for the value (@pxref{Pretty Printing}),
10997 otherwise print the value in raw form.
10998 This is the default.
11000 @item show print raw-frame-arguments
11001 Show whether to print frame arguments in raw form.
11003 @anchor{set print entry-values}
11004 @item set print entry-values @var{value}
11005 @kindex set print entry-values
11006 Set printing of frame argument values at function entry. In some cases
11007 @value{GDBN} can determine the value of function argument which was passed by
11008 the function caller, even if the value was modified inside the called function
11009 and therefore is different. With optimized code, the current value could be
11010 unavailable, but the entry value may still be known.
11012 The default value is @code{default} (see below for its description). Older
11013 @value{GDBN} behaved as with the setting @code{no}. Compilers not supporting
11014 this feature will behave in the @code{default} setting the same way as with the
11017 This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
11018 the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_call_site} tags. With
11019 @value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
11022 The @var{value} parameter can be one of the following:
11026 Print only actual parameter values, never print values from function entry
11030 #0 different (val=6)
11031 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>)
11033 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
11037 Print only parameter values from function entry point. The actual parameter
11038 values are never printed.
11040 #0 equal (val@@entry=5)
11041 #0 different (val@@entry=5)
11042 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
11043 #0 born (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
11044 #0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
11048 Print only parameter values from function entry point. If value from function
11049 entry point is not known while the actual value is known, print the actual
11050 value for such parameter.
11052 #0 equal (val@@entry=5)
11053 #0 different (val@@entry=5)
11054 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
11056 #0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
11060 Print actual parameter values. If actual parameter value is not known while
11061 value from function entry point is known, print the entry point value for such
11065 #0 different (val=6)
11066 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
11068 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
11072 Always print both the actual parameter value and its value from function entry
11073 point, even if values of one or both are not available due to compiler
11076 #0 equal (val=5, val@@entry=5)
11077 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
11078 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
11079 #0 born (val=10, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
11080 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
11084 Print the actual parameter value if it is known and also its value from
11085 function entry point if it is known. If neither is known, print for the actual
11086 value @code{<optimized out>}. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and if both
11087 values are known and identical, print the shortened
11088 @code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
11090 #0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
11091 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
11092 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
11094 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
11098 Always print the actual parameter value. Print also its value from function
11099 entry point, but only if it is known. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and
11100 if both values are known and identical, print the shortened
11101 @code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
11103 #0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
11104 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
11105 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
11107 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
11111 For analysis messages on possible failures of frame argument values at function
11112 entry resolution see @ref{set debug entry-values}.
11114 @item show print entry-values
11115 Show the method being used for printing of frame argument values at function
11118 @anchor{set print frame-info}
11119 @item set print frame-info @var{value}
11120 @kindex set print frame-info
11121 @cindex printing frame information
11122 @cindex frame information, printing
11123 This command allows to control the information printed when
11124 the debugger prints a frame. See @ref{Frames}, @ref{Backtrace},
11125 for a general explanation about frames and frame information.
11126 Note that some other settings (such as @code{set print frame-arguments}
11127 and @code{set print address}) are also influencing if and how some frame
11128 information is displayed. In particular, the frame program counter is never
11129 printed if @code{set print address} is off.
11131 The possible values for @code{set print frame-info} are:
11133 @item short-location
11134 Print the frame level, the program counter (if not at the
11135 beginning of the location source line), the function, the function
11138 Same as @code{short-location} but also print the source file and source line
11140 @item location-and-address
11141 Same as @code{location} but print the program counter even if located at the
11142 beginning of the location source line.
11144 Print the program counter (if not at the beginning of the location
11145 source line), the line number and the source line.
11146 @item source-and-location
11147 Print what @code{location} and @code{source-line} are printing.
11149 The information printed for a frame is decided automatically
11150 by the @value{GDBN} command that prints a frame.
11151 For example, @code{frame} prints the information printed by
11152 @code{source-and-location} while @code{stepi} will switch between
11153 @code{source-line} and @code{source-and-location} depending on the program
11155 The default value is @code{auto}.
11158 @anchor{set print repeats}
11159 @item set print repeats @var{number-of-repeats}
11160 @itemx set print repeats unlimited
11161 @cindex repeated array elements
11162 Set the threshold for suppressing display of repeated array
11163 elements. When the number of consecutive identical elements of an
11164 array exceeds the threshold, @value{GDBN} prints the string
11165 @code{"<repeats @var{n} times>"}, where @var{n} is the number of
11166 identical repetitions, instead of displaying the identical elements
11167 themselves. Setting the threshold to @code{unlimited} or zero will
11168 cause all elements to be individually printed. The default threshold
11171 @item show print repeats
11172 Display the current threshold for printing repeated identical
11175 @anchor{set print max-depth}
11176 @item set print max-depth @var{depth}
11177 @item set print max-depth unlimited
11178 @cindex printing nested structures
11179 Set the threshold after which nested structures are replaced with
11180 ellipsis, this can make visualising deeply nested structures easier.
11182 For example, given this C code
11185 typedef struct s1 @{ int a; @} s1;
11186 typedef struct s2 @{ s1 b; @} s2;
11187 typedef struct s3 @{ s2 c; @} s3;
11188 typedef struct s4 @{ s3 d; @} s4;
11190 s4 var = @{ @{ @{ @{ 3 @} @} @} @};
11193 The following table shows how different values of @var{depth} will
11194 effect how @code{var} is printed by @value{GDBN}:
11196 @multitable @columnfractions .3 .7
11197 @headitem @var{depth} setting @tab Result of @samp{p var}
11199 @tab @code{$1 = @{d = @{c = @{b = @{a = 3@}@}@}@}}
11201 @tab @code{$1 = @{...@}}
11203 @tab @code{$1 = @{d = @{...@}@}}
11205 @tab @code{$1 = @{d = @{c = @{...@}@}@}}
11207 @tab @code{$1 = @{d = @{c = @{b = @{...@}@}@}@}}
11209 @tab @code{$1 = @{d = @{c = @{b = @{a = 3@}@}@}@}}
11212 To see the contents of structures that have been hidden the user can
11213 either increase the print max-depth, or they can print the elements of
11214 the structure that are visible, for example
11217 (gdb) set print max-depth 2
11219 $1 = @{d = @{c = @{...@}@}@}
11221 $2 = @{c = @{b = @{...@}@}@}
11223 $3 = @{b = @{a = 3@}@}
11226 The pattern used to replace nested structures varies based on
11227 language, for most languages @code{@{...@}} is used, but Fortran uses
11230 @item show print max-depth
11231 Display the current threshold after which nested structures are
11232 replaces with ellipsis.
11234 @anchor{set print null-stop}
11235 @item set print null-stop
11236 @cindex @sc{null} elements in arrays
11237 Cause @value{GDBN} to stop printing the characters of an array when the first
11238 @sc{null} is encountered. This is useful when large arrays actually
11239 contain only short strings.
11240 The default is off.
11242 @item show print null-stop
11243 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops printing an array on the first
11244 @sc{null} character.
11246 @anchor{set print pretty}
11247 @item set print pretty on
11248 @cindex print structures in indented form
11249 @cindex indentation in structure display
11250 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in an indented format with one member
11251 per line, like this:
11266 @item set print pretty off
11267 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in a compact format, like this:
11271 $1 = @{next = 0x0, flags = @{sweet = 1, sour = 1@}, \
11272 meat = 0x54 "Pork"@}
11277 This is the default format.
11279 @item show print pretty
11280 Show which format @value{GDBN} is using to print structures.
11282 @anchor{set print raw-values}
11283 @item set print raw-values on
11284 Print values in raw form, without applying the pretty
11285 printers for the value.
11287 @item set print raw-values off
11288 Print values in pretty-printed form, if there is a pretty-printer
11289 for the value (@pxref{Pretty Printing}),
11290 otherwise print the value in raw form.
11292 The default setting is ``off''.
11294 @item show print raw-values
11295 Show whether to print values in raw form.
11297 @item set print sevenbit-strings on
11298 @cindex eight-bit characters in strings
11299 @cindex octal escapes in strings
11300 Print using only seven-bit characters; if this option is set,
11301 @value{GDBN} displays any eight-bit characters (in strings or
11302 character values) using the notation @code{\}@var{nnn}. This setting is
11303 best if you are working in English (@sc{ascii}) and you use the
11304 high-order bit of characters as a marker or ``meta'' bit.
11306 @item set print sevenbit-strings off
11307 Print full eight-bit characters. This allows the use of more
11308 international character sets, and is the default.
11310 @item show print sevenbit-strings
11311 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} is printing only seven-bit characters.
11313 @anchor{set print union}
11314 @item set print union on
11315 @cindex unions in structures, printing
11316 Tell @value{GDBN} to print unions which are contained in structures
11317 and other unions. This is the default setting.
11319 @item set print union off
11320 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print unions which are contained in
11321 structures and other unions. @value{GDBN} will print @code{"@{...@}"}
11324 @item show print union
11325 Ask @value{GDBN} whether or not it will print unions which are contained in
11326 structures and other unions.
11328 For example, given the declarations
11331 typedef enum @{Tree, Bug@} Species;
11332 typedef enum @{Big_tree, Acorn, Seedling@} Tree_forms;
11333 typedef enum @{Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly@}
11344 struct thing foo = @{Tree, @{Acorn@}@};
11348 with @code{set print union on} in effect @samp{p foo} would print
11351 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{tree = Acorn, bug = Cocoon@}@}
11355 and with @code{set print union off} in effect it would print
11358 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{...@}@}
11362 @code{set print union} affects programs written in C-like languages
11368 These settings are of interest when debugging C@t{++} programs:
11371 @cindex demangling C@t{++} names
11372 @item set print demangle
11373 @itemx set print demangle on
11374 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than in the encoded
11375 (``mangled'') form passed to the assembler and linker for type-safe
11376 linkage. The default is on.
11378 @item show print demangle
11379 Show whether C@t{++} names are printed in mangled or demangled form.
11381 @item set print asm-demangle
11382 @itemx set print asm-demangle on
11383 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than their mangled form, even
11384 in assembler code printouts such as instruction disassemblies.
11385 The default is off.
11387 @item show print asm-demangle
11388 Show whether C@t{++} names in assembly listings are printed in mangled
11391 @cindex C@t{++} symbol decoding style
11392 @cindex symbol decoding style, C@t{++}
11393 @kindex set demangle-style
11394 @item set demangle-style @var{style}
11395 Choose among several encoding schemes used by different compilers to represent
11396 C@t{++} names. If you omit @var{style}, you will see a list of possible
11397 formats. The default value is @var{auto}, which lets @value{GDBN} choose a
11398 decoding style by inspecting your program.
11400 @item show demangle-style
11401 Display the encoding style currently in use for decoding C@t{++} symbols.
11403 @anchor{set print object}
11404 @item set print object
11405 @itemx set print object on
11406 @cindex derived type of an object, printing
11407 @cindex display derived types
11408 When displaying a pointer to an object, identify the @emph{actual}
11409 (derived) type of the object rather than the @emph{declared} type, using
11410 the virtual function table. Note that the virtual function table is
11411 required---this feature can only work for objects that have run-time
11412 type identification; a single virtual method in the object's declared
11413 type is sufficient. Note that this setting is also taken into account when
11414 working with variable objects via MI (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
11416 @item set print object off
11417 Display only the declared type of objects, without reference to the
11418 virtual function table. This is the default setting.
11420 @item show print object
11421 Show whether actual, or declared, object types are displayed.
11423 @anchor{set print static-members}
11424 @item set print static-members
11425 @itemx set print static-members on
11426 @cindex static members of C@t{++} objects
11427 Print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object. The default is on.
11429 @item set print static-members off
11430 Do not print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object.
11432 @item show print static-members
11433 Show whether C@t{++} static members are printed or not.
11435 @item set print pascal_static-members
11436 @itemx set print pascal_static-members on
11437 @cindex static members of Pascal objects
11438 @cindex Pascal objects, static members display
11439 Print static members when displaying a Pascal object. The default is on.
11441 @item set print pascal_static-members off
11442 Do not print static members when displaying a Pascal object.
11444 @item show print pascal_static-members
11445 Show whether Pascal static members are printed or not.
11447 @c These don't work with HP ANSI C++ yet.
11448 @anchor{set print vtbl}
11449 @item set print vtbl
11450 @itemx set print vtbl on
11451 @cindex pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables
11452 @cindex virtual functions (C@t{++}) display
11453 @cindex VTBL display
11454 Pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables. The default is off.
11455 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
11456 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
11458 @item set print vtbl off
11459 Do not pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables.
11461 @item show print vtbl
11462 Show whether C@t{++} virtual function tables are pretty printed, or not.
11465 @node Pretty Printing
11466 @section Pretty Printing
11468 @value{GDBN} provides a mechanism to allow pretty-printing of values using
11469 Python code. It greatly simplifies the display of complex objects. This
11470 mechanism works for both MI and the CLI.
11473 * Pretty-Printer Introduction:: Introduction to pretty-printers
11474 * Pretty-Printer Example:: An example pretty-printer
11475 * Pretty-Printer Commands:: Pretty-printer commands
11478 @node Pretty-Printer Introduction
11479 @subsection Pretty-Printer Introduction
11481 When @value{GDBN} prints a value, it first sees if there is a pretty-printer
11482 registered for the value. If there is then @value{GDBN} invokes the
11483 pretty-printer to print the value. Otherwise the value is printed normally.
11485 Pretty-printers are normally named. This makes them easy to manage.
11486 The @samp{info pretty-printer} command will list all the installed
11487 pretty-printers with their names.
11488 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
11489 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
11490 Each such subprinter has its own name.
11491 The format of the name is @var{printer-name};@var{subprinter-name}.
11493 Pretty-printers are installed by @dfn{registering} them with @value{GDBN}.
11494 Typically they are automatically loaded and registered when the corresponding
11495 debug information is loaded, thus making them available without having to
11496 do anything special.
11498 There are three places where a pretty-printer can be registered.
11502 Pretty-printers registered globally are available when debugging
11506 Pretty-printers registered with a program space are available only
11507 when debugging that program.
11508 @xref{Progspaces In Python}, for more details on program spaces in Python.
11511 Pretty-printers registered with an objfile are loaded and unloaded
11512 with the corresponding objfile (e.g., shared library).
11513 @xref{Objfiles In Python}, for more details on objfiles in Python.
11516 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for further information on how
11517 pretty-printers are selected,
11519 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for implementing pretty printers
11522 @node Pretty-Printer Example
11523 @subsection Pretty-Printer Example
11525 Here is how a C@t{++} @code{std::string} looks without a pretty-printer:
11528 (@value{GDBP}) print s
11530 static npos = 4294967295,
11532 <std::allocator<char>> = @{
11533 <__gnu_cxx::new_allocator<char>> = @{
11534 <No data fields>@}, <No data fields>
11536 members of std::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>,
11537 std::allocator<char> >::_Alloc_hider:
11538 _M_p = 0x804a014 "abcd"
11543 With a pretty-printer for @code{std::string} only the contents are printed:
11546 (@value{GDBP}) print s
11550 @node Pretty-Printer Commands
11551 @subsection Pretty-Printer Commands
11552 @cindex pretty-printer commands
11555 @kindex info pretty-printer
11556 @item info pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
11557 Print the list of installed pretty-printers.
11558 This includes disabled pretty-printers, which are marked as such.
11560 @var{object-regexp} is a regular expression matching the objects
11561 whose pretty-printers to list.
11562 Objects can be @code{global}, the program space's file
11563 (@pxref{Progspaces In Python}),
11564 and the object files within that program space (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}).
11565 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for details on how @value{GDBN}
11566 looks up a printer from these three objects.
11568 @var{name-regexp} is a regular expression matching the name of the printers
11571 @kindex disable pretty-printer
11572 @item disable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
11573 Disable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
11574 A disabled pretty-printer is not forgotten, it may be enabled again later.
11576 @kindex enable pretty-printer
11577 @item enable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
11578 Enable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
11583 Suppose we have three pretty-printers installed: one from library1.so
11584 named @code{foo} that prints objects of type @code{foo}, and
11585 another from library2.so named @code{bar} that prints two types of objects,
11586 @code{bar1} and @code{bar2}.
11589 (gdb) info pretty-printer
11596 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
11601 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library1
11603 2 of 3 printers enabled
11604 (gdb) info pretty-printer
11611 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar;bar1
11613 1 of 3 printers enabled
11614 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
11621 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar
11623 0 of 3 printers enabled
11624 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
11633 Note that for @code{bar} the entire printer can be disabled,
11634 as can each individual subprinter.
11636 Printing values and frame arguments is done by default using
11637 the enabled pretty printers.
11639 The print option @code{-raw-values} and @value{GDBN} setting
11640 @code{set print raw-values} (@pxref{set print raw-values}) can be
11641 used to print values without applying the enabled pretty printers.
11643 Similarly, the backtrace option @code{-raw-frame-arguments} and
11644 @value{GDBN} setting @code{set print raw-frame-arguments}
11645 (@pxref{set print raw-frame-arguments}) can be used to ignore the
11646 enabled pretty printers when printing frame argument values.
11648 @node Value History
11649 @section Value History
11651 @cindex value history
11652 @cindex history of values printed by @value{GDBN}
11653 Values printed by the @code{print} command are saved in the @value{GDBN}
11654 @dfn{value history}. This allows you to refer to them in other expressions.
11655 Values are kept until the symbol table is re-read or discarded
11656 (for example with the @code{file} or @code{symbol-file} commands).
11657 When the symbol table changes, the value history is discarded,
11658 since the values may contain pointers back to the types defined in the
11663 @cindex history number
11664 The values printed are given @dfn{history numbers} by which you can
11665 refer to them. These are successive integers starting with one.
11666 @code{print} shows you the history number assigned to a value by
11667 printing @samp{$@var{num} = } before the value; here @var{num} is the
11670 To refer to any previous value, use @samp{$} followed by the value's
11671 history number. The way @code{print} labels its output is designed to
11672 remind you of this. Just @code{$} refers to the most recent value in
11673 the history, and @code{$$} refers to the value before that.
11674 @code{$$@var{n}} refers to the @var{n}th value from the end; @code{$$2}
11675 is the value just prior to @code{$$}, @code{$$1} is equivalent to
11676 @code{$$}, and @code{$$0} is equivalent to @code{$}.
11678 For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure and
11679 want to see the contents of the structure. It suffices to type
11685 If you have a chain of structures where the component @code{next} points
11686 to the next one, you can print the contents of the next one with this:
11693 You can print successive links in the chain by repeating this
11694 command---which you can do by just typing @key{RET}.
11696 Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value of
11697 @code{x} is 4 and you type these commands:
11705 then the value recorded in the value history by the @code{print} command
11706 remains 4 even though the value of @code{x} has changed.
11709 @kindex show values
11711 Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item numbers.
11712 This is like @samp{p@ $$9} repeated ten times, except that @code{show
11713 values} does not change the history.
11715 @item show values @var{n}
11716 Print ten history values centered on history item number @var{n}.
11718 @item show values +
11719 Print ten history values just after the values last printed. If no more
11720 values are available, @code{show values +} produces no display.
11723 Pressing @key{RET} to repeat @code{show values @var{n}} has exactly the
11724 same effect as @samp{show values +}.
11726 @node Convenience Vars
11727 @section Convenience Variables
11729 @cindex convenience variables
11730 @cindex user-defined variables
11731 @value{GDBN} provides @dfn{convenience variables} that you can use within
11732 @value{GDBN} to hold on to a value and refer to it later. These variables
11733 exist entirely within @value{GDBN}; they are not part of your program, and
11734 setting a convenience variable has no direct effect on further execution
11735 of your program. That is why you can use them freely.
11737 Convenience variables are prefixed with @samp{$}. Any name preceded by
11738 @samp{$} can be used for a convenience variable, unless it is one of
11739 the predefined machine-specific register names (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
11740 (Value history references, in contrast, are @emph{numbers} preceded
11741 by @samp{$}. @xref{Value History, ,Value History}.)
11743 You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment
11744 expression, just as you would set a variable in your program.
11748 set $foo = *object_ptr
11752 would save in @code{$foo} the value contained in the object pointed to by
11755 Using a convenience variable for the first time creates it, but its
11756 value is @code{void} until you assign a new value. You can alter the
11757 value with another assignment at any time.
11759 Convenience variables have no fixed types. You can assign a convenience
11760 variable any type of value, including structures and arrays, even if
11761 that variable already has a value of a different type. The convenience
11762 variable, when used as an expression, has the type of its current value.
11765 @kindex show convenience
11766 @cindex show all user variables and functions
11767 @item show convenience
11768 Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their values,
11769 as well as a list of the convenience functions.
11770 Abbreviated @code{show conv}.
11772 @kindex init-if-undefined
11773 @cindex convenience variables, initializing
11774 @item init-if-undefined $@var{variable} = @var{expression}
11775 Set a convenience variable if it has not already been set. This is useful
11776 for user-defined commands that keep some state. It is similar, in concept,
11777 to using local static variables with initializers in C (except that
11778 convenience variables are global). It can also be used to allow users to
11779 override default values used in a command script.
11781 If the variable is already defined then the expression is not evaluated so
11782 any side-effects do not occur.
11785 One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be
11786 incremented or a pointer to be advanced. For example, to print
11787 a field from successive elements of an array of structures:
11791 print bar[$i++]->contents
11795 Repeat that command by typing @key{RET}.
11797 Some convenience variables are created automatically by @value{GDBN} and given
11798 values likely to be useful.
11801 @vindex $_@r{, convenience variable}
11803 The variable @code{$_} is automatically set by the @code{x} command to
11804 the last address examined (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}). Other
11805 commands which provide a default address for @code{x} to examine also
11806 set @code{$_} to that address; these commands include @code{info line}
11807 and @code{info breakpoint}. The type of @code{$_} is @code{void *}
11808 except when set by the @code{x} command, in which case it is a pointer
11809 to the type of @code{$__}.
11811 @vindex $__@r{, convenience variable}
11813 The variable @code{$__} is automatically set by the @code{x} command
11814 to the value found in the last address examined. Its type is chosen
11815 to match the format in which the data was printed.
11818 @vindex $_exitcode@r{, convenience variable}
11819 When the program being debugged terminates normally, @value{GDBN}
11820 automatically sets this variable to the exit code of the program, and
11821 resets @code{$_exitsignal} to @code{void}.
11824 @vindex $_exitsignal@r{, convenience variable}
11825 When the program being debugged dies due to an uncaught signal,
11826 @value{GDBN} automatically sets this variable to that signal's number,
11827 and resets @code{$_exitcode} to @code{void}.
11829 To distinguish between whether the program being debugged has exited
11830 (i.e., @code{$_exitcode} is not @code{void}) or signalled (i.e.,
11831 @code{$_exitsignal} is not @code{void}), the convenience function
11832 @code{$_isvoid} can be used (@pxref{Convenience Funs,, Convenience
11833 Functions}). For example, considering the following source code:
11836 #include <signal.h>
11839 main (int argc, char *argv[])
11846 A valid way of telling whether the program being debugged has exited
11847 or signalled would be:
11850 (@value{GDBP}) define has_exited_or_signalled
11851 Type commands for definition of ``has_exited_or_signalled''.
11852 End with a line saying just ``end''.
11853 >if $_isvoid ($_exitsignal)
11854 >echo The program has exited\n
11856 >echo The program has signalled\n
11862 Program terminated with signal SIGALRM, Alarm clock.
11863 The program no longer exists.
11864 (@value{GDBP}) has_exited_or_signalled
11865 The program has signalled
11868 As can be seen, @value{GDBN} correctly informs that the program being
11869 debugged has signalled, since it calls @code{raise} and raises a
11870 @code{SIGALRM} signal. If the program being debugged had not called
11871 @code{raise}, then @value{GDBN} would report a normal exit:
11874 (@value{GDBP}) has_exited_or_signalled
11875 The program has exited
11879 The variable @code{$_exception} is set to the exception object being
11880 thrown at an exception-related catchpoint. @xref{Set Catchpoints}.
11882 @item $_ada_exception
11883 The variable @code{$_ada_exception} is set to the address of the
11884 exception being caught or thrown at an Ada exception-related
11885 catchpoint. @xref{Set Catchpoints}.
11888 @itemx $_probe_arg0@dots{}$_probe_arg11
11889 Arguments to a static probe. @xref{Static Probe Points}.
11892 @vindex $_sdata@r{, inspect, convenience variable}
11893 The variable @code{$_sdata} contains extra collected static tracepoint
11894 data. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}. Note that
11895 @code{$_sdata} could be empty, if not inspecting a trace buffer, or
11896 if extra static tracepoint data has not been collected.
11899 @vindex $_siginfo@r{, convenience variable}
11900 The variable @code{$_siginfo} contains extra signal information
11901 (@pxref{extra signal information}). Note that @code{$_siginfo}
11902 could be empty, if the application has not yet received any signals.
11903 For example, it will be empty before you execute the @code{run} command.
11906 @vindex $_tlb@r{, convenience variable}
11907 The variable @code{$_tlb} is automatically set when debugging
11908 applications running on MS-Windows in native mode or connected to
11909 gdbserver that supports the @code{qGetTIBAddr} request.
11910 @xref{General Query Packets}.
11911 This variable contains the address of the thread information block.
11914 The number of the current inferior. @xref{Inferiors and
11915 Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs}.
11918 The thread number of the current thread. @xref{thread numbers}.
11921 The global number of the current thread. @xref{global thread numbers}.
11925 @vindex $_gdb_major@r{, convenience variable}
11926 @vindex $_gdb_minor@r{, convenience variable}
11927 The major and minor version numbers of the running @value{GDBN}.
11928 Development snapshots and pretest versions have their minor version
11929 incremented by one; thus, @value{GDBN} pretest 9.11.90 will produce
11930 the value 12 for @code{$_gdb_minor}. These variables allow you to
11931 write scripts that work with different versions of @value{GDBN}
11932 without errors caused by features unavailable in some of those
11935 @item $_shell_exitcode
11936 @itemx $_shell_exitsignal
11937 @vindex $_shell_exitcode@r{, convenience variable}
11938 @vindex $_shell_exitsignal@r{, convenience variable}
11939 @cindex shell command, exit code
11940 @cindex shell command, exit signal
11941 @cindex exit status of shell commands
11942 @value{GDBN} commands such as @code{shell} and @code{|} are launching
11943 shell commands. When a launched command terminates, @value{GDBN}
11944 automatically maintains the variables @code{$_shell_exitcode}
11945 and @code{$_shell_exitsignal} according to the exit status of the last
11946 launched command. These variables are set and used similarly to
11947 the variables @code{$_exitcode} and @code{$_exitsignal}.
11951 @node Convenience Funs
11952 @section Convenience Functions
11954 @cindex convenience functions
11955 @value{GDBN} also supplies some @dfn{convenience functions}. These
11956 have a syntax similar to convenience variables. A convenience
11957 function can be used in an expression just like an ordinary function;
11958 however, a convenience function is implemented internally to
11961 These functions do not require @value{GDBN} to be configured with
11962 @code{Python} support, which means that they are always available.
11966 @item $_isvoid (@var{expr})
11967 @findex $_isvoid@r{, convenience function}
11968 Return one if the expression @var{expr} is @code{void}. Otherwise it
11971 A @code{void} expression is an expression where the type of the result
11972 is @code{void}. For example, you can examine a convenience variable
11973 (see @ref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}) to check whether
11977 (@value{GDBP}) print $_exitcode
11979 (@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid ($_exitcode)
11982 Starting program: ./a.out
11983 [Inferior 1 (process 29572) exited normally]
11984 (@value{GDBP}) print $_exitcode
11986 (@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid ($_exitcode)
11990 In the example above, we used @code{$_isvoid} to check whether
11991 @code{$_exitcode} is @code{void} before and after the execution of the
11992 program being debugged. Before the execution there is no exit code to
11993 be examined, therefore @code{$_exitcode} is @code{void}. After the
11994 execution the program being debugged returned zero, therefore
11995 @code{$_exitcode} is zero, which means that it is not @code{void}
11998 The @code{void} expression can also be a call of a function from the
11999 program being debugged. For example, given the following function:
12008 The result of calling it inside @value{GDBN} is @code{void}:
12011 (@value{GDBP}) print foo ()
12013 (@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid (foo ())
12015 (@value{GDBP}) set $v = foo ()
12016 (@value{GDBP}) print $v
12018 (@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid ($v)
12022 @item $_gdb_setting_str (@var{setting})
12023 @findex $_gdb_setting_str@r{, convenience function}
12024 Return the value of the @value{GDBN} @var{setting} as a string.
12025 @var{setting} is any setting that can be used in a @code{set} or
12026 @code{show} command (@pxref{Controlling GDB}).
12029 (@value{GDBP}) show print frame-arguments
12030 Printing of non-scalar frame arguments is "scalars".
12031 (@value{GDBP}) p $_gdb_setting_str("print frame-arguments")
12033 (@value{GDBP}) p $_gdb_setting_str("height")
12038 @item $_gdb_setting (@var{setting})
12039 @findex $_gdb_setting@r{, convenience function}
12040 Return the value of the @value{GDBN} @var{setting}.
12041 The type of the returned value depends on the setting.
12043 The value type for boolean and auto boolean settings is @code{int}.
12044 The boolean values @code{off} and @code{on} are converted to
12045 the integer values @code{0} and @code{1}. The value @code{auto} is
12046 converted to the value @code{-1}.
12048 The value type for integer settings is either @code{unsigned int}
12049 or @code{int}, depending on the setting.
12051 Some integer settings accept an @code{unlimited} value.
12052 Depending on the setting, the @code{set} command also accepts
12053 the value @code{0} or the value @code{@minus{}1} as a synonym for
12055 For example, @code{set height unlimited} is equivalent to
12056 @code{set height 0}.
12058 Some other settings that accept the @code{unlimited} value
12059 use the value @code{0} to literally mean zero.
12060 For example, @code{set history size 0} indicates to not
12061 record any @value{GDBN} commands in the command history.
12062 For such settings, @code{@minus{}1} is the synonym
12063 for @code{unlimited}.
12065 See the documentation of the corresponding @code{set} command for
12066 the numerical value equivalent to @code{unlimited}.
12068 The @code{$_gdb_setting} function converts the unlimited value
12069 to a @code{0} or a @code{@minus{}1} value according to what the
12070 @code{set} command uses.
12074 (@value{GDBP}) p $_gdb_setting_str("height")
12076 (@value{GDBP}) p $_gdb_setting("height")
12078 (@value{GDBP}) set height unlimited
12079 (@value{GDBP}) p $_gdb_setting_str("height")
12081 (@value{GDBP}) p $_gdb_setting("height")
12085 (@value{GDBP}) p $_gdb_setting_str("history size")
12087 (@value{GDBP}) p $_gdb_setting("history size")
12089 (@value{GDBP}) p $_gdb_setting_str("disassemble-next-line")
12091 (@value{GDBP}) p $_gdb_setting("disassemble-next-line")
12097 Other setting types (enum, filename, optional filename, string, string noescape)
12098 are returned as string values.
12101 @item $_gdb_maint_setting_str (@var{setting})
12102 @findex $_gdb_maint_setting_str@r{, convenience function}
12103 Like the @code{$_gdb_setting_str} function, but works with
12104 @code{maintenance set} variables.
12106 @item $_gdb_maint_setting (@var{setting})
12107 @findex $_gdb_maint_setting@r{, convenience function}
12108 Like the @code{$_gdb_setting} function, but works with
12109 @code{maintenance set} variables.
12113 The following functions require @value{GDBN} to be configured with
12114 @code{Python} support.
12118 @item $_memeq(@var{buf1}, @var{buf2}, @var{length})
12119 @findex $_memeq@r{, convenience function}
12120 Returns one if the @var{length} bytes at the addresses given by
12121 @var{buf1} and @var{buf2} are equal.
12122 Otherwise it returns zero.
12124 @item $_regex(@var{str}, @var{regex})
12125 @findex $_regex@r{, convenience function}
12126 Returns one if the string @var{str} matches the regular expression
12127 @var{regex}. Otherwise it returns zero.
12128 The syntax of the regular expression is that specified by @code{Python}'s
12129 regular expression support.
12131 @item $_streq(@var{str1}, @var{str2})
12132 @findex $_streq@r{, convenience function}
12133 Returns one if the strings @var{str1} and @var{str2} are equal.
12134 Otherwise it returns zero.
12136 @item $_strlen(@var{str})
12137 @findex $_strlen@r{, convenience function}
12138 Returns the length of string @var{str}.
12140 @item $_caller_is(@var{name}@r{[}, @var{number_of_frames}@r{]})
12141 @findex $_caller_is@r{, convenience function}
12142 Returns one if the calling function's name is equal to @var{name}.
12143 Otherwise it returns zero.
12145 If the optional argument @var{number_of_frames} is provided,
12146 it is the number of frames up in the stack to look.
12154 at testsuite/gdb.python/py-caller-is.c:21
12155 #1 0x00000000004005a0 in middle_func ()
12156 at testsuite/gdb.python/py-caller-is.c:27
12157 #2 0x00000000004005ab in top_func ()
12158 at testsuite/gdb.python/py-caller-is.c:33
12159 #3 0x00000000004005b6 in main ()
12160 at testsuite/gdb.python/py-caller-is.c:39
12161 (gdb) print $_caller_is ("middle_func")
12163 (gdb) print $_caller_is ("top_func", 2)
12167 @item $_caller_matches(@var{regexp}@r{[}, @var{number_of_frames}@r{]})
12168 @findex $_caller_matches@r{, convenience function}
12169 Returns one if the calling function's name matches the regular expression
12170 @var{regexp}. Otherwise it returns zero.
12172 If the optional argument @var{number_of_frames} is provided,
12173 it is the number of frames up in the stack to look.
12176 @item $_any_caller_is(@var{name}@r{[}, @var{number_of_frames}@r{]})
12177 @findex $_any_caller_is@r{, convenience function}
12178 Returns one if any calling function's name is equal to @var{name}.
12179 Otherwise it returns zero.
12181 If the optional argument @var{number_of_frames} is provided,
12182 it is the number of frames up in the stack to look.
12185 This function differs from @code{$_caller_is} in that this function
12186 checks all stack frames from the immediate caller to the frame specified
12187 by @var{number_of_frames}, whereas @code{$_caller_is} only checks the
12188 frame specified by @var{number_of_frames}.
12190 @item $_any_caller_matches(@var{regexp}@r{[}, @var{number_of_frames}@r{]})
12191 @findex $_any_caller_matches@r{, convenience function}
12192 Returns one if any calling function's name matches the regular expression
12193 @var{regexp}. Otherwise it returns zero.
12195 If the optional argument @var{number_of_frames} is provided,
12196 it is the number of frames up in the stack to look.
12199 This function differs from @code{$_caller_matches} in that this function
12200 checks all stack frames from the immediate caller to the frame specified
12201 by @var{number_of_frames}, whereas @code{$_caller_matches} only checks the
12202 frame specified by @var{number_of_frames}.
12204 @item $_as_string(@var{value})
12205 @findex $_as_string@r{, convenience function}
12206 Return the string representation of @var{value}.
12208 This function is useful to obtain the textual label (enumerator) of an
12209 enumeration value. For example, assuming the variable @var{node} is of
12210 an enumerated type:
12213 (gdb) printf "Visiting node of type %s\n", $_as_string(node)
12214 Visiting node of type NODE_INTEGER
12217 @item $_cimag(@var{value})
12218 @itemx $_creal(@var{value})
12219 @findex $_cimag@r{, convenience function}
12220 @findex $_creal@r{, convenience function}
12221 Return the imaginary (@code{$_cimag}) or real (@code{$_creal}) part of
12222 the complex number @var{value}.
12224 The type of the imaginary or real part depends on the type of the
12225 complex number, e.g., using @code{$_cimag} on a @code{float complex}
12226 will return an imaginary part of type @code{float}.
12230 @value{GDBN} provides the ability to list and get help on
12231 convenience functions.
12234 @item help function
12235 @kindex help function
12236 @cindex show all convenience functions
12237 Print a list of all convenience functions.
12244 You can refer to machine register contents, in expressions, as variables
12245 with names starting with @samp{$}. The names of registers are different
12246 for each machine; use @code{info registers} to see the names used on
12250 @kindex info registers
12251 @item info registers
12252 Print the names and values of all registers except floating-point
12253 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
12255 @kindex info all-registers
12256 @cindex floating point registers
12257 @item info all-registers
12258 Print the names and values of all registers, including floating-point
12259 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
12261 @item info registers @var{reggroup} @dots{}
12262 Print the name and value of the registers in each of the specified
12263 @var{reggroup}s. The @var{reggroup} can be any of those returned by
12264 @code{maint print reggroups} (@pxref{Maintenance Commands}).
12266 @item info registers @var{regname} @dots{}
12267 Print the @dfn{relativized} value of each specified register @var{regname}.
12268 As discussed in detail below, register values are normally relative to
12269 the selected stack frame. The @var{regname} may be any register name valid on
12270 the machine you are using, with or without the initial @samp{$}.
12273 @anchor{standard registers}
12274 @cindex stack pointer register
12275 @cindex program counter register
12276 @cindex process status register
12277 @cindex frame pointer register
12278 @cindex standard registers
12279 @value{GDBN} has four ``standard'' register names that are available (in
12280 expressions) on most machines---whenever they do not conflict with an
12281 architecture's canonical mnemonics for registers. The register names
12282 @code{$pc} and @code{$sp} are used for the program counter register and
12283 the stack pointer. @code{$fp} is used for a register that contains a
12284 pointer to the current stack frame, and @code{$ps} is used for a
12285 register that contains the processor status. For example,
12286 you could print the program counter in hex with
12293 or print the instruction to be executed next with
12300 or add four to the stack pointer@footnote{This is a way of removing
12301 one word from the stack, on machines where stacks grow downward in
12302 memory (most machines, nowadays). This assumes that the innermost
12303 stack frame is selected; setting @code{$sp} is not allowed when other
12304 stack frames are selected. To pop entire frames off the stack,
12305 regardless of machine architecture, use @code{return};
12306 see @ref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}.} with
12312 Whenever possible, these four standard register names are available on
12313 your machine even though the machine has different canonical mnemonics,
12314 so long as there is no conflict. The @code{info registers} command
12315 shows the canonical names. For example, on the SPARC, @code{info
12316 registers} displays the processor status register as @code{$psr} but you
12317 can also refer to it as @code{$ps}; and on x86-based machines @code{$ps}
12318 is an alias for the @sc{eflags} register.
12320 @value{GDBN} always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an
12321 integer when the register is examined in this way. Some machines have
12322 special registers which can hold nothing but floating point; these
12323 registers are considered to have floating point values. There is no way
12324 to refer to the contents of an ordinary register as floating point value
12325 (although you can @emph{print} it as a floating point value with
12326 @samp{print/f $@var{regname}}).
12328 Some registers have distinct ``raw'' and ``virtual'' data formats. This
12329 means that the data format in which the register contents are saved by
12330 the operating system is not the same one that your program normally
12331 sees. For example, the registers of the 68881 floating point
12332 coprocessor are always saved in ``extended'' (raw) format, but all C
12333 programs expect to work with ``double'' (virtual) format. In such
12334 cases, @value{GDBN} normally works with the virtual format only (the format
12335 that makes sense for your program), but the @code{info registers} command
12336 prints the data in both formats.
12338 @cindex SSE registers (x86)
12339 @cindex MMX registers (x86)
12340 Some machines have special registers whose contents can be interpreted
12341 in several different ways. For example, modern x86-based machines
12342 have SSE and MMX registers that can hold several values packed
12343 together in several different formats. @value{GDBN} refers to such
12344 registers in @code{struct} notation:
12347 (@value{GDBP}) print $xmm1
12349 v4_float = @{0, 3.43859137e-038, 1.54142831e-044, 1.821688e-044@},
12350 v2_double = @{9.92129282474342e-303, 2.7585945287983262e-313@},
12351 v16_int8 = "\000\000\000\000\3706;\001\v\000\000\000\r\000\000",
12352 v8_int16 = @{0, 0, 14072, 315, 11, 0, 13, 0@},
12353 v4_int32 = @{0, 20657912, 11, 13@},
12354 v2_int64 = @{88725056443645952, 55834574859@},
12355 uint128 = 0x0000000d0000000b013b36f800000000
12360 To set values of such registers, you need to tell @value{GDBN} which
12361 view of the register you wish to change, as if you were assigning
12362 value to a @code{struct} member:
12365 (@value{GDBP}) set $xmm1.uint128 = 0x000000000000000000000000FFFFFFFF
12368 Normally, register values are relative to the selected stack frame
12369 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). This means that you get the
12370 value that the register would contain if all stack frames farther in
12371 were exited and their saved registers restored. In order to see the
12372 true contents of hardware registers, you must select the innermost
12373 frame (with @samp{frame 0}).
12375 @cindex caller-saved registers
12376 @cindex call-clobbered registers
12377 @cindex volatile registers
12378 @cindex <not saved> values
12379 Usually ABIs reserve some registers as not needed to be saved by the
12380 callee (a.k.a.: ``caller-saved'', ``call-clobbered'' or ``volatile''
12381 registers). It may therefore not be possible for @value{GDBN} to know
12382 the value a register had before the call (in other words, in the outer
12383 frame), if the register value has since been changed by the callee.
12384 @value{GDBN} tries to deduce where the inner frame saved
12385 (``callee-saved'') registers, from the debug info, unwind info, or the
12386 machine code generated by your compiler. If some register is not
12387 saved, and @value{GDBN} knows the register is ``caller-saved'' (via
12388 its own knowledge of the ABI, or because the debug/unwind info
12389 explicitly says the register's value is undefined), @value{GDBN}
12390 displays @w{@samp{<not saved>}} as the register's value. With targets
12391 that @value{GDBN} has no knowledge of the register saving convention,
12392 if a register was not saved by the callee, then its value and location
12393 in the outer frame are assumed to be the same of the inner frame.
12394 This is usually harmless, because if the register is call-clobbered,
12395 the caller either does not care what is in the register after the
12396 call, or has code to restore the value that it does care about. Note,
12397 however, that if you change such a register in the outer frame, you
12398 may also be affecting the inner frame. Also, the more ``outer'' the
12399 frame is you're looking at, the more likely a call-clobbered
12400 register's value is to be wrong, in the sense that it doesn't actually
12401 represent the value the register had just before the call.
12403 @node Floating Point Hardware
12404 @section Floating Point Hardware
12405 @cindex floating point
12407 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give
12408 you more information about the status of the floating point hardware.
12413 Display hardware-dependent information about the floating
12414 point unit. The exact contents and layout vary depending on the
12415 floating point chip. Currently, @samp{info float} is supported on
12416 the ARM and x86 machines.
12420 @section Vector Unit
12421 @cindex vector unit
12423 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give you
12424 more information about the status of the vector unit.
12427 @kindex info vector
12429 Display information about the vector unit. The exact contents and
12430 layout vary depending on the hardware.
12433 @node OS Information
12434 @section Operating System Auxiliary Information
12435 @cindex OS information
12437 @value{GDBN} provides interfaces to useful OS facilities that can help
12438 you debug your program.
12440 @cindex auxiliary vector
12441 @cindex vector, auxiliary
12442 Some operating systems supply an @dfn{auxiliary vector} to programs at
12443 startup. This is akin to the arguments and environment that you
12444 specify for a program, but contains a system-dependent variety of
12445 binary values that tell system libraries important details about the
12446 hardware, operating system, and process. Each value's purpose is
12447 identified by an integer tag; the meanings are well-known but system-specific.
12448 Depending on the configuration and operating system facilities,
12449 @value{GDBN} may be able to show you this information. For remote
12450 targets, this functionality may further depend on the remote stub's
12451 support of the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet, see
12452 @ref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}.
12457 Display the auxiliary vector of the inferior, which can be either a
12458 live process or a core dump file. @value{GDBN} prints each tag value
12459 numerically, and also shows names and text descriptions for recognized
12460 tags. Some values in the vector are numbers, some bit masks, and some
12461 pointers to strings or other data. @value{GDBN} displays each value in the
12462 most appropriate form for a recognized tag, and in hexadecimal for
12463 an unrecognized tag.
12466 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can access operating system-specific
12467 information and show it to you. The types of information available
12468 will differ depending on the type of operating system running on the
12469 target. The mechanism used to fetch the data is described in
12470 @ref{Operating System Information}. For remote targets, this
12471 functionality depends on the remote stub's support of the
12472 @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet, see @ref{qXfer osdata read}.
12476 @item info os @var{infotype}
12478 Display OS information of the requested type.
12480 On @sc{gnu}/Linux, the following values of @var{infotype} are valid:
12482 @anchor{linux info os infotypes}
12484 @kindex info os cpus
12486 Display the list of all CPUs/cores. For each CPU/core, @value{GDBN} prints
12487 the available fields from /proc/cpuinfo. For each supported architecture
12488 different fields are available. Two common entries are processor which gives
12489 CPU number and bogomips; a system constant that is calculated during
12490 kernel initialization.
12492 @kindex info os files
12494 Display the list of open file descriptors on the target. For each
12495 file descriptor, @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process
12496 owning the descriptor, the command of the owning process, the value
12497 of the descriptor, and the target of the descriptor.
12499 @kindex info os modules
12501 Display the list of all loaded kernel modules on the target. For each
12502 module, @value{GDBN} prints the module name, the size of the module in
12503 bytes, the number of times the module is used, the dependencies of the
12504 module, the status of the module, and the address of the loaded module
12507 @kindex info os msg
12509 Display the list of all System V message queues on the target. For each
12510 message queue, @value{GDBN} prints the message queue key, the message
12511 queue identifier, the access permissions, the current number of bytes
12512 on the queue, the current number of messages on the queue, the processes
12513 that last sent and received a message on the queue, the user and group
12514 of the owner and creator of the message queue, the times at which a
12515 message was last sent and received on the queue, and the time at which
12516 the message queue was last changed.
12518 @kindex info os processes
12520 Display the list of processes on the target. For each process,
12521 @value{GDBN} prints the process identifier, the name of the user, the
12522 command corresponding to the process, and the list of processor cores
12523 that the process is currently running on. (To understand what these
12524 properties mean, for this and the following info types, please consult
12525 the general @sc{gnu}/Linux documentation.)
12527 @kindex info os procgroups
12529 Display the list of process groups on the target. For each process,
12530 @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process group that it belongs
12531 to, the command corresponding to the process group leader, the process
12532 identifier, and the command line of the process. The list is sorted
12533 first by the process group identifier, then by the process identifier,
12534 so that processes belonging to the same process group are grouped together
12535 and the process group leader is listed first.
12537 @kindex info os semaphores
12539 Display the list of all System V semaphore sets on the target. For each
12540 semaphore set, @value{GDBN} prints the semaphore set key, the semaphore
12541 set identifier, the access permissions, the number of semaphores in the
12542 set, the user and group of the owner and creator of the semaphore set,
12543 and the times at which the semaphore set was operated upon and changed.
12545 @kindex info os shm
12547 Display the list of all System V shared-memory regions on the target.
12548 For each shared-memory region, @value{GDBN} prints the region key,
12549 the shared-memory identifier, the access permissions, the size of the
12550 region, the process that created the region, the process that last
12551 attached to or detached from the region, the current number of live
12552 attaches to the region, and the times at which the region was last
12553 attached to, detach from, and changed.
12555 @kindex info os sockets
12557 Display the list of Internet-domain sockets on the target. For each
12558 socket, @value{GDBN} prints the address and port of the local and
12559 remote endpoints, the current state of the connection, the creator of
12560 the socket, the IP address family of the socket, and the type of the
12563 @kindex info os threads
12565 Display the list of threads running on the target. For each thread,
12566 @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process that the thread
12567 belongs to, the command of the process, the thread identifier, and the
12568 processor core that it is currently running on. The main thread of a
12569 process is not listed.
12573 If @var{infotype} is omitted, then list the possible values for
12574 @var{infotype} and the kind of OS information available for each
12575 @var{infotype}. If the target does not return a list of possible
12576 types, this command will report an error.
12579 @node Memory Region Attributes
12580 @section Memory Region Attributes
12581 @cindex memory region attributes
12583 @dfn{Memory region attributes} allow you to describe special handling
12584 required by regions of your target's memory. @value{GDBN} uses
12585 attributes to determine whether to allow certain types of memory
12586 accesses; whether to use specific width accesses; and whether to cache
12587 target memory. By default the description of memory regions is
12588 fetched from the target (if the current target supports this), but the
12589 user can override the fetched regions.
12591 Defined memory regions can be individually enabled and disabled. When a
12592 memory region is disabled, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when
12593 accessing memory in that region. Similarly, if no memory regions have
12594 been defined, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when accessing
12597 When a memory region is defined, it is given a number to identify it;
12598 to enable, disable, or remove a memory region, you specify that number.
12602 @item mem @var{lower} @var{upper} @var{attributes}@dots{}
12603 Define a memory region bounded by @var{lower} and @var{upper} with
12604 attributes @var{attributes}@dots{}, and add it to the list of regions
12605 monitored by @value{GDBN}. Note that @var{upper} == 0 is a special
12606 case: it is treated as the target's maximum memory address.
12607 (0xffff on 16 bit targets, 0xffffffff on 32 bit targets, etc.)
12610 Discard any user changes to the memory regions and use target-supplied
12611 regions, if available, or no regions if the target does not support.
12614 @item delete mem @var{nums}@dots{}
12615 Remove memory regions @var{nums}@dots{} from the list of regions
12616 monitored by @value{GDBN}.
12618 @kindex disable mem
12619 @item disable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
12620 Disable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
12621 A disabled memory region is not forgotten.
12622 It may be enabled again later.
12625 @item enable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
12626 Enable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
12630 Print a table of all defined memory regions, with the following columns
12634 @item Memory Region Number
12635 @item Enabled or Disabled.
12636 Enabled memory regions are marked with @samp{y}.
12637 Disabled memory regions are marked with @samp{n}.
12640 The address defining the inclusive lower bound of the memory region.
12643 The address defining the exclusive upper bound of the memory region.
12646 The list of attributes set for this memory region.
12651 @subsection Attributes
12653 @subsubsection Memory Access Mode
12654 The access mode attributes set whether @value{GDBN} may make read or
12655 write accesses to a memory region.
12657 While these attributes prevent @value{GDBN} from performing invalid
12658 memory accesses, they do nothing to prevent the target system, I/O DMA,
12659 etc.@: from accessing memory.
12663 Memory is read only.
12665 Memory is write only.
12667 Memory is read/write. This is the default.
12670 @subsubsection Memory Access Size
12671 The access size attribute tells @value{GDBN} to use specific sized
12672 accesses in the memory region. Often memory mapped device registers
12673 require specific sized accesses. If no access size attribute is
12674 specified, @value{GDBN} may use accesses of any size.
12678 Use 8 bit memory accesses.
12680 Use 16 bit memory accesses.
12682 Use 32 bit memory accesses.
12684 Use 64 bit memory accesses.
12687 @c @subsubsection Hardware/Software Breakpoints
12688 @c The hardware/software breakpoint attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
12689 @c will use hardware or software breakpoints for the internal breakpoints
12690 @c used by the step, next, finish, until, etc. commands.
12694 @c Always use hardware breakpoints
12695 @c @item swbreak (default)
12698 @subsubsection Data Cache
12699 The data cache attributes set whether @value{GDBN} will cache target
12700 memory. While this generally improves performance by reducing debug
12701 protocol overhead, it can lead to incorrect results because @value{GDBN}
12702 does not know about volatile variables or memory mapped device
12707 Enable @value{GDBN} to cache target memory.
12709 Disable @value{GDBN} from caching target memory. This is the default.
12712 @subsection Memory Access Checking
12713 @value{GDBN} can be instructed to refuse accesses to memory that is
12714 not explicitly described. This can be useful if accessing such
12715 regions has undesired effects for a specific target, or to provide
12716 better error checking. The following commands control this behaviour.
12719 @kindex set mem inaccessible-by-default
12720 @item set mem inaccessible-by-default [on|off]
12721 If @code{on} is specified, make @value{GDBN} treat memory not
12722 explicitly described by the memory ranges as non-existent and refuse accesses
12723 to such memory. The checks are only performed if there's at least one
12724 memory range defined. If @code{off} is specified, make @value{GDBN}
12725 treat the memory not explicitly described by the memory ranges as RAM.
12726 The default value is @code{on}.
12727 @kindex show mem inaccessible-by-default
12728 @item show mem inaccessible-by-default
12729 Show the current handling of accesses to unknown memory.
12733 @c @subsubsection Memory Write Verification
12734 @c The memory write verification attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
12735 @c will re-reads data after each write to verify the write was successful.
12739 @c @item noverify (default)
12742 @node Dump/Restore Files
12743 @section Copy Between Memory and a File
12744 @cindex dump/restore files
12745 @cindex append data to a file
12746 @cindex dump data to a file
12747 @cindex restore data from a file
12749 You can use the commands @code{dump}, @code{append}, and
12750 @code{restore} to copy data between target memory and a file. The
12751 @code{dump} and @code{append} commands write data to a file, and the
12752 @code{restore} command reads data from a file back into the inferior's
12753 memory. Files may be in binary, Motorola S-record, Intel hex,
12754 Tektronix Hex, or Verilog Hex format; however, @value{GDBN} can only
12755 append to binary files, and cannot read from Verilog Hex files.
12760 @item dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
12761 @itemx dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
12762 Dump the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
12763 or the value of @var{expr}, to @var{filename} in the given format.
12765 The @var{format} parameter may be any one of:
12772 Motorola S-record format.
12774 Tektronix Hex format.
12776 Verilog Hex format.
12779 @value{GDBN} uses the same definitions of these formats as the
12780 @sc{gnu} binary utilities, like @samp{objdump} and @samp{objcopy}. If
12781 @var{format} is omitted, @value{GDBN} dumps the data in raw binary
12785 @item append @r{[}binary@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
12786 @itemx append @r{[}binary@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
12787 Append the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
12788 or the value of @var{expr}, to the file @var{filename}, in raw binary form.
12789 (@value{GDBN} can only append data to files in raw binary form.)
12792 @item restore @var{filename} @r{[}binary@r{]} @var{bias} @var{start} @var{end}
12793 Restore the contents of file @var{filename} into memory. The
12794 @code{restore} command can automatically recognize any known @sc{bfd}
12795 file format, except for raw binary. To restore a raw binary file you
12796 must specify the optional keyword @code{binary} after the filename.
12798 If @var{bias} is non-zero, its value will be added to the addresses
12799 contained in the file. Binary files always start at address zero, so
12800 they will be restored at address @var{bias}. Other bfd files have
12801 a built-in location; they will be restored at offset @var{bias}
12802 from that location.
12804 If @var{start} and/or @var{end} are non-zero, then only data between
12805 file offset @var{start} and file offset @var{end} will be restored.
12806 These offsets are relative to the addresses in the file, before
12807 the @var{bias} argument is applied.
12811 @node Core File Generation
12812 @section How to Produce a Core File from Your Program
12813 @cindex dump core from inferior
12815 A @dfn{core file} or @dfn{core dump} is a file that records the memory
12816 image of a running process and its process status (register values
12817 etc.). Its primary use is post-mortem debugging of a program that
12818 crashed while it ran outside a debugger. A program that crashes
12819 automatically produces a core file, unless this feature is disabled by
12820 the user. @xref{Files}, for information on invoking @value{GDBN} in
12821 the post-mortem debugging mode.
12823 Occasionally, you may wish to produce a core file of the program you
12824 are debugging in order to preserve a snapshot of its state.
12825 @value{GDBN} has a special command for that.
12829 @kindex generate-core-file
12830 @item generate-core-file [@var{file}]
12831 @itemx gcore [@var{file}]
12832 Produce a core dump of the inferior process. The optional argument
12833 @var{file} specifies the file name where to put the core dump. If not
12834 specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}}, where
12835 @var{pid} is the inferior process ID.
12837 Note that this command is implemented only for some systems (as of
12838 this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, and S390).
12840 On @sc{gnu}/Linux, this command can take into account the value of the
12841 file @file{/proc/@var{pid}/coredump_filter} when generating the core
12842 dump (@pxref{set use-coredump-filter}), and by default honors the
12843 @code{VM_DONTDUMP} flag for mappings where it is present in the file
12844 @file{/proc/@var{pid}/smaps} (@pxref{set dump-excluded-mappings}).
12846 @kindex set use-coredump-filter
12847 @anchor{set use-coredump-filter}
12848 @item set use-coredump-filter on
12849 @itemx set use-coredump-filter off
12850 Enable or disable the use of the file
12851 @file{/proc/@var{pid}/coredump_filter} when generating core dump
12852 files. This file is used by the Linux kernel to decide what types of
12853 memory mappings will be dumped or ignored when generating a core dump
12854 file. @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process.
12856 To make use of this feature, you have to write in the
12857 @file{/proc/@var{pid}/coredump_filter} file a value, in hexadecimal,
12858 which is a bit mask representing the memory mapping types. If a bit
12859 is set in the bit mask, then the memory mappings of the corresponding
12860 types will be dumped; otherwise, they will be ignored. This
12861 configuration is inherited by child processes. For more information
12862 about the bits that can be set in the
12863 @file{/proc/@var{pid}/coredump_filter} file, please refer to the
12864 manpage of @code{core(5)}.
12866 By default, this option is @code{on}. If this option is turned
12867 @code{off}, @value{GDBN} does not read the @file{coredump_filter} file
12868 and instead uses the same default value as the Linux kernel in order
12869 to decide which pages will be dumped in the core dump file. This
12870 value is currently @code{0x33}, which means that bits @code{0}
12871 (anonymous private mappings), @code{1} (anonymous shared mappings),
12872 @code{4} (ELF headers) and @code{5} (private huge pages) are active.
12873 This will cause these memory mappings to be dumped automatically.
12875 @kindex set dump-excluded-mappings
12876 @anchor{set dump-excluded-mappings}
12877 @item set dump-excluded-mappings on
12878 @itemx set dump-excluded-mappings off
12879 If @code{on} is specified, @value{GDBN} will dump memory mappings
12880 marked with the @code{VM_DONTDUMP} flag. This flag is represented in
12881 the file @file{/proc/@var{pid}/smaps} with the acronym @code{dd}.
12883 The default value is @code{off}.
12886 @node Character Sets
12887 @section Character Sets
12888 @cindex character sets
12890 @cindex translating between character sets
12891 @cindex host character set
12892 @cindex target character set
12894 If the program you are debugging uses a different character set to
12895 represent characters and strings than the one @value{GDBN} uses itself,
12896 @value{GDBN} can automatically translate between the character sets for
12897 you. The character set @value{GDBN} uses we call the @dfn{host
12898 character set}; the one the inferior program uses we call the
12899 @dfn{target character set}.
12901 For example, if you are running @value{GDBN} on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, which
12902 uses the ISO Latin 1 character set, but you are using @value{GDBN}'s
12903 remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Debugging}) to debug a program
12904 running on an IBM mainframe, which uses the @sc{ebcdic} character set,
12905 then the host character set is Latin-1, and the target character set is
12906 @sc{ebcdic}. If you give @value{GDBN} the command @code{set
12907 target-charset EBCDIC-US}, then @value{GDBN} translates between
12908 @sc{ebcdic} and Latin 1 as you print character or string values, or use
12909 character and string literals in expressions.
12911 @value{GDBN} has no way to automatically recognize which character set
12912 the inferior program uses; you must tell it, using the @code{set
12913 target-charset} command, described below.
12915 Here are the commands for controlling @value{GDBN}'s character set
12919 @item set target-charset @var{charset}
12920 @kindex set target-charset
12921 Set the current target character set to @var{charset}. To display the
12922 list of supported target character sets, type
12923 @kbd{@w{set target-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
12925 @item set host-charset @var{charset}
12926 @kindex set host-charset
12927 Set the current host character set to @var{charset}.
12929 By default, @value{GDBN} uses a host character set appropriate to the
12930 system it is running on; you can override that default using the
12931 @code{set host-charset} command. On some systems, @value{GDBN} cannot
12932 automatically determine the appropriate host character set. In this
12933 case, @value{GDBN} uses @samp{UTF-8}.
12935 @value{GDBN} can only use certain character sets as its host character
12936 set. If you type @kbd{@w{set host-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
12937 @value{GDBN} will list the host character sets it supports.
12939 @item set charset @var{charset}
12940 @kindex set charset
12941 Set the current host and target character sets to @var{charset}. As
12942 above, if you type @kbd{@w{set charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
12943 @value{GDBN} will list the names of the character sets that can be used
12944 for both host and target.
12947 @kindex show charset
12948 Show the names of the current host and target character sets.
12950 @item show host-charset
12951 @kindex show host-charset
12952 Show the name of the current host character set.
12954 @item show target-charset
12955 @kindex show target-charset
12956 Show the name of the current target character set.
12958 @item set target-wide-charset @var{charset}
12959 @kindex set target-wide-charset
12960 Set the current target's wide character set to @var{charset}. This is
12961 the character set used by the target's @code{wchar_t} type. To
12962 display the list of supported wide character sets, type
12963 @kbd{@w{set target-wide-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
12965 @item show target-wide-charset
12966 @kindex show target-wide-charset
12967 Show the name of the current target's wide character set.
12970 Here is an example of @value{GDBN}'s character set support in action.
12971 Assume that the following source code has been placed in the file
12972 @file{charset-test.c}:
12978 = @{72, 101, 108, 108, 111, 44, 32, 119,
12979 111, 114, 108, 100, 33, 10, 0@};
12980 char ibm1047_hello[]
12981 = @{200, 133, 147, 147, 150, 107, 64, 166,
12982 150, 153, 147, 132, 90, 37, 0@};
12986 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
12990 In this program, @code{ascii_hello} and @code{ibm1047_hello} are arrays
12991 containing the string @samp{Hello, world!} followed by a newline,
12992 encoded in the @sc{ascii} and @sc{ibm1047} character sets.
12994 We compile the program, and invoke the debugger on it:
12997 $ gcc -g charset-test.c -o charset-test
12998 $ gdb -nw charset-test
12999 GNU gdb 2001-12-19-cvs
13000 Copyright 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
13005 We can use the @code{show charset} command to see what character sets
13006 @value{GDBN} is currently using to interpret and display characters and
13010 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
13011 The current host and target character set is `ISO-8859-1'.
13015 For the sake of printing this manual, let's use @sc{ascii} as our
13016 initial character set:
13018 (@value{GDBP}) set charset ASCII
13019 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
13020 The current host and target character set is `ASCII'.
13024 Let's assume that @sc{ascii} is indeed the correct character set for our
13025 host system --- in other words, let's assume that if @value{GDBN} prints
13026 characters using the @sc{ascii} character set, our terminal will display
13027 them properly. Since our current target character set is also
13028 @sc{ascii}, the contents of @code{ascii_hello} print legibly:
13031 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
13032 $1 = 0x401698 "Hello, world!\n"
13033 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
13038 @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and string
13039 literals you use in expressions:
13042 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
13047 The @sc{ascii} character set uses the number 43 to encode the @samp{+}
13050 @value{GDBN} relies on the user to tell it which character set the
13051 target program uses. If we print @code{ibm1047_hello} while our target
13052 character set is still @sc{ascii}, we get jibberish:
13055 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
13056 $4 = 0x4016a8 "\310\205\223\223\226k@@\246\226\231\223\204Z%"
13057 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
13062 If we invoke the @code{set target-charset} followed by @key{TAB}@key{TAB},
13063 @value{GDBN} tells us the character sets it supports:
13066 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
13067 ASCII EBCDIC-US IBM1047 ISO-8859-1
13068 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
13071 We can select @sc{ibm1047} as our target character set, and examine the
13072 program's strings again. Now the @sc{ascii} string is wrong, but
13073 @value{GDBN} translates the contents of @code{ibm1047_hello} from the
13074 target character set, @sc{ibm1047}, to the host character set,
13075 @sc{ascii}, and they display correctly:
13078 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset IBM1047
13079 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
13080 The current host character set is `ASCII'.
13081 The current target character set is `IBM1047'.
13082 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
13083 $6 = 0x401698 "\110\145%%?\054\040\167?\162%\144\041\012"
13084 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
13086 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
13087 $8 = 0x4016a8 "Hello, world!\n"
13088 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
13093 As above, @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and
13094 string literals you use in expressions:
13097 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
13102 The @sc{ibm1047} character set uses the number 78 to encode the @samp{+}
13105 @node Caching Target Data
13106 @section Caching Data of Targets
13107 @cindex caching data of targets
13109 @value{GDBN} caches data exchanged between the debugger and a target.
13110 Each cache is associated with the address space of the inferior.
13111 @xref{Inferiors and Programs}, about inferior and address space.
13112 Such caching generally improves performance in remote debugging
13113 (@pxref{Remote Debugging}), because it reduces the overhead of the
13114 remote protocol by bundling memory reads and writes into large chunks.
13115 Unfortunately, simply caching everything would lead to incorrect results,
13116 since @value{GDBN} does not necessarily know anything about volatile
13117 values, memory-mapped I/O addresses, etc. Furthermore, in non-stop mode
13118 (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) memory can be changed @emph{while} a gdb command
13120 Therefore, by default, @value{GDBN} only caches data
13121 known to be on the stack@footnote{In non-stop mode, it is moderately
13122 rare for a running thread to modify the stack of a stopped thread
13123 in a way that would interfere with a backtrace, and caching of
13124 stack reads provides a significant speed up of remote backtraces.} or
13125 in the code segment.
13126 Other regions of memory can be explicitly marked as
13127 cacheable; @pxref{Memory Region Attributes}.
13130 @kindex set remotecache
13131 @item set remotecache on
13132 @itemx set remotecache off
13133 This option no longer does anything; it exists for compatibility
13136 @kindex show remotecache
13137 @item show remotecache
13138 Show the current state of the obsolete remotecache flag.
13140 @kindex set stack-cache
13141 @item set stack-cache on
13142 @itemx set stack-cache off
13143 Enable or disable caching of stack accesses. When @code{on}, use
13144 caching. By default, this option is @code{on}.
13146 @kindex show stack-cache
13147 @item show stack-cache
13148 Show the current state of data caching for memory accesses.
13150 @kindex set code-cache
13151 @item set code-cache on
13152 @itemx set code-cache off
13153 Enable or disable caching of code segment accesses. When @code{on},
13154 use caching. By default, this option is @code{on}. This improves
13155 performance of disassembly in remote debugging.
13157 @kindex show code-cache
13158 @item show code-cache
13159 Show the current state of target memory cache for code segment
13162 @kindex info dcache
13163 @item info dcache @r{[}line@r{]}
13164 Print the information about the performance of data cache of the
13165 current inferior's address space. The information displayed
13166 includes the dcache width and depth, and for each cache line, its
13167 number, address, and how many times it was referenced. This
13168 command is useful for debugging the data cache operation.
13170 If a line number is specified, the contents of that line will be
13173 @item set dcache size @var{size}
13174 @cindex dcache size
13175 @kindex set dcache size
13176 Set maximum number of entries in dcache (dcache depth above).
13178 @item set dcache line-size @var{line-size}
13179 @cindex dcache line-size
13180 @kindex set dcache line-size
13181 Set number of bytes each dcache entry caches (dcache width above).
13182 Must be a power of 2.
13184 @item show dcache size
13185 @kindex show dcache size
13186 Show maximum number of dcache entries. @xref{Caching Target Data, info dcache}.
13188 @item show dcache line-size
13189 @kindex show dcache line-size
13190 Show default size of dcache lines.
13194 @node Searching Memory
13195 @section Search Memory
13196 @cindex searching memory
13198 Memory can be searched for a particular sequence of bytes with the
13199 @code{find} command.
13203 @item find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, +@var{len}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
13204 @itemx find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, @var{end_addr}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
13205 Search memory for the sequence of bytes specified by @var{val1}, @var{val2},
13206 etc. The search begins at address @var{start_addr} and continues for either
13207 @var{len} bytes or through to @var{end_addr} inclusive.
13210 @var{s} and @var{n} are optional parameters.
13211 They may be specified in either order, apart or together.
13214 @item @var{s}, search query size
13215 The size of each search query value.
13221 halfwords (two bytes)
13225 giant words (eight bytes)
13228 All values are interpreted in the current language.
13229 This means, for example, that if the current source language is C/C@t{++}
13230 then searching for the string ``hello'' includes the trailing '\0'.
13231 The null terminator can be removed from searching by using casts,
13232 e.g.: @samp{@{char[5]@}"hello"}.
13234 If the value size is not specified, it is taken from the
13235 value's type in the current language.
13236 This is useful when one wants to specify the search
13237 pattern as a mixture of types.
13238 Note that this means, for example, that in the case of C-like languages
13239 a search for an untyped 0x42 will search for @samp{(int) 0x42}
13240 which is typically four bytes.
13242 @item @var{n}, maximum number of finds
13243 The maximum number of matches to print. The default is to print all finds.
13246 You can use strings as search values. Quote them with double-quotes
13248 The string value is copied into the search pattern byte by byte,
13249 regardless of the endianness of the target and the size specification.
13251 The address of each match found is printed as well as a count of the
13252 number of matches found.
13254 The address of the last value found is stored in convenience variable
13256 A count of the number of matches is stored in @samp{$numfound}.
13258 For example, if stopped at the @code{printf} in this function:
13264 static char hello[] = "hello-hello";
13265 static struct @{ char c; short s; int i; @}
13266 __attribute__ ((packed)) mixed
13267 = @{ 'c', 0x1234, 0x87654321 @};
13268 printf ("%s\n", hello);
13273 you get during debugging:
13276 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), "hello"
13277 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
13279 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o'
13280 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
13281 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
13283 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), @{char[5]@}"hello"
13284 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
13285 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
13287 (gdb) find /b1 &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 0x65, 'l'
13288 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
13290 (gdb) find &mixed, +sizeof(mixed), (char) 'c', (short) 0x1234, (int) 0x87654321
13291 0x8049560 <mixed.1625>
13293 (gdb) print $numfound
13296 $2 = (void *) 0x8049560
13300 @section Value Sizes
13302 Whenever @value{GDBN} prints a value memory will be allocated within
13303 @value{GDBN} to hold the contents of the value. It is possible in
13304 some languages with dynamic typing systems, that an invalid program
13305 may indicate a value that is incorrectly large, this in turn may cause
13306 @value{GDBN} to try and allocate an overly large amount of memory.
13309 @kindex set max-value-size
13310 @item set max-value-size @var{bytes}
13311 @itemx set max-value-size unlimited
13312 Set the maximum size of memory that @value{GDBN} will allocate for the
13313 contents of a value to @var{bytes}, trying to display a value that
13314 requires more memory than that will result in an error.
13316 Setting this variable does not effect values that have already been
13317 allocated within @value{GDBN}, only future allocations.
13319 There's a minimum size that @code{max-value-size} can be set to in
13320 order that @value{GDBN} can still operate correctly, this minimum is
13321 currently 16 bytes.
13323 The limit applies to the results of some subexpressions as well as to
13324 complete expressions. For example, an expression denoting a simple
13325 integer component, such as @code{x.y.z}, may fail if the size of
13326 @var{x.y} is dynamic and exceeds @var{bytes}. On the other hand,
13327 @value{GDBN} is sometimes clever; the expression @code{A[i]}, where
13328 @var{A} is an array variable with non-constant size, will generally
13329 succeed regardless of the bounds on @var{A}, as long as the component
13330 size is less than @var{bytes}.
13332 The default value of @code{max-value-size} is currently 64k.
13334 @kindex show max-value-size
13335 @item show max-value-size
13336 Show the maximum size of memory, in bytes, that @value{GDBN} will
13337 allocate for the contents of a value.
13340 @node Optimized Code
13341 @chapter Debugging Optimized Code
13342 @cindex optimized code, debugging
13343 @cindex debugging optimized code
13345 Almost all compilers support optimization. With optimization
13346 disabled, the compiler generates assembly code that corresponds
13347 directly to your source code, in a simplistic way. As the compiler
13348 applies more powerful optimizations, the generated assembly code
13349 diverges from your original source code. With help from debugging
13350 information generated by the compiler, @value{GDBN} can map from
13351 the running program back to constructs from your original source.
13353 @value{GDBN} is more accurate with optimization disabled. If you
13354 can recompile without optimization, it is easier to follow the
13355 progress of your program during debugging. But, there are many cases
13356 where you may need to debug an optimized version.
13358 When you debug a program compiled with @samp{-g -O}, remember that the
13359 optimizer has rearranged your code; the debugger shows you what is
13360 really there. Do not be too surprised when the execution path does not
13361 exactly match your source file! An extreme example: if you define a
13362 variable, but never use it, @value{GDBN} never sees that
13363 variable---because the compiler optimizes it out of existence.
13365 Some things do not work as well with @samp{-g -O} as with just
13366 @samp{-g}, particularly on machines with instruction scheduling. If in
13367 doubt, recompile with @samp{-g} alone, and if this fixes the problem,
13368 please report it to us as a bug (including a test case!).
13369 @xref{Variables}, for more information about debugging optimized code.
13372 * Inline Functions:: How @value{GDBN} presents inlining
13373 * Tail Call Frames:: @value{GDBN} analysis of jumps to functions
13376 @node Inline Functions
13377 @section Inline Functions
13378 @cindex inline functions, debugging
13380 @dfn{Inlining} is an optimization that inserts a copy of the function
13381 body directly at each call site, instead of jumping to a shared
13382 routine. @value{GDBN} displays inlined functions just like
13383 non-inlined functions. They appear in backtraces. You can view their
13384 arguments and local variables, step into them with @code{step}, skip
13385 them with @code{next}, and escape from them with @code{finish}.
13386 You can check whether a function was inlined by using the
13387 @code{info frame} command.
13389 For @value{GDBN} to support inlined functions, the compiler must
13390 record information about inlining in the debug information ---
13391 @value{NGCC} using the @sc{dwarf 2} format does this, and several
13392 other compilers do also. @value{GDBN} only supports inlined functions
13393 when using @sc{dwarf 2}. Versions of @value{NGCC} before 4.1
13394 do not emit two required attributes (@samp{DW_AT_call_file} and
13395 @samp{DW_AT_call_line}); @value{GDBN} does not display inlined
13396 function calls with earlier versions of @value{NGCC}. It instead
13397 displays the arguments and local variables of inlined functions as
13398 local variables in the caller.
13400 The body of an inlined function is directly included at its call site;
13401 unlike a non-inlined function, there are no instructions devoted to
13402 the call. @value{GDBN} still pretends that the call site and the
13403 start of the inlined function are different instructions. Stepping to
13404 the call site shows the call site, and then stepping again shows
13405 the first line of the inlined function, even though no additional
13406 instructions are executed.
13408 This makes source-level debugging much clearer; you can see both the
13409 context of the call and then the effect of the call. Only stepping by
13410 a single instruction using @code{stepi} or @code{nexti} does not do
13411 this; single instruction steps always show the inlined body.
13413 There are some ways that @value{GDBN} does not pretend that inlined
13414 function calls are the same as normal calls:
13418 Setting breakpoints at the call site of an inlined function may not
13419 work, because the call site does not contain any code. @value{GDBN}
13420 may incorrectly move the breakpoint to the next line of the enclosing
13421 function, after the call. This limitation will be removed in a future
13422 version of @value{GDBN}; until then, set a breakpoint on an earlier line
13423 or inside the inlined function instead.
13426 @value{GDBN} cannot locate the return value of inlined calls after
13427 using the @code{finish} command. This is a limitation of compiler-generated
13428 debugging information; after @code{finish}, you can step to the next line
13429 and print a variable where your program stored the return value.
13433 @node Tail Call Frames
13434 @section Tail Call Frames
13435 @cindex tail call frames, debugging
13437 Function @code{B} can call function @code{C} in its very last statement. In
13438 unoptimized compilation the call of @code{C} is immediately followed by return
13439 instruction at the end of @code{B} code. Optimizing compiler may replace the
13440 call and return in function @code{B} into one jump to function @code{C}
13441 instead. Such use of a jump instruction is called @dfn{tail call}.
13443 During execution of function @code{C}, there will be no indication in the
13444 function call stack frames that it was tail-called from @code{B}. If function
13445 @code{A} regularly calls function @code{B} which tail-calls function @code{C},
13446 then @value{GDBN} will see @code{A} as the caller of @code{C}. However, in
13447 some cases @value{GDBN} can determine that @code{C} was tail-called from
13448 @code{B}, and it will then create fictitious call frame for that, with the
13449 return address set up as if @code{B} called @code{C} normally.
13451 This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
13452 the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_call_site} tags. With
13453 @value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
13456 @kbd{info frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info}) will indicate the tail call frame
13457 kind by text @code{tail call frame} such as in this sample @value{GDBN} output:
13461 0x40066b <b(int, double)+11>: jmp 0x400640 <c(int, double)>
13463 Stack level 1, frame at 0x7fffffffda30:
13464 rip = 0x40066d in b (amd64-entry-value.cc:59); saved rip 0x4004c5
13465 tail call frame, caller of frame at 0x7fffffffda30
13466 source language c++.
13467 Arglist at unknown address.
13468 Locals at unknown address, Previous frame's sp is 0x7fffffffda30
13471 The detection of all the possible code path executions can find them ambiguous.
13472 There is no execution history stored (possible @ref{Reverse Execution} is never
13473 used for this purpose) and the last known caller could have reached the known
13474 callee by multiple different jump sequences. In such case @value{GDBN} still
13475 tries to show at least all the unambiguous top tail callers and all the
13476 unambiguous bottom tail calees, if any.
13479 @anchor{set debug entry-values}
13480 @item set debug entry-values
13481 @kindex set debug entry-values
13482 When set to on, enables printing of analysis messages for both frame argument
13483 values at function entry and tail calls. It will show all the possible valid
13484 tail calls code paths it has considered. It will also print the intersection
13485 of them with the final unambiguous (possibly partial or even empty) code path
13488 @item show debug entry-values
13489 @kindex show debug entry-values
13490 Show the current state of analysis messages printing for both frame argument
13491 values at function entry and tail calls.
13494 The analysis messages for tail calls can for example show why the virtual tail
13495 call frame for function @code{c} has not been recognized (due to the indirect
13496 reference by variable @code{x}):
13499 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void);
13500 void (*x) (void) = c;
13501 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
13502 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ a (); @}
13503 int main (void) @{ x (); return 0; @}
13505 Breakpoint 1, DW_OP_entry_value resolving cannot find
13506 DW_TAG_call_site 0x40039a in main
13508 3 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
13511 #1 0x000000000040039a in main () at t.c:5
13514 Another possibility is an ambiguous virtual tail call frames resolution:
13518 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) f (void) @{ i++; @}
13519 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) e (void) @{ f (); @}
13520 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) d (void) @{ f (); @}
13521 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ d (); @}
13522 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (void)
13523 @{ if (i) c (); else e (); @}
13524 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ b (); @}
13525 int main (void) @{ a (); return 0; @}
13527 tailcall: initial: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004ce(b) 0x4004b2(c) 0x4004a2(d)
13528 tailcall: compare: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004cc(b) 0x400492(e)
13529 tailcall: reduced: 0x4004d2(a) |
13532 #1 0x00000000004004d2 in a () at t.c:8
13533 #2 0x0000000000400395 in main () at t.c:9
13536 @set CALLSEQ1A @code{main@value{ARROW}a@value{ARROW}b@value{ARROW}c@value{ARROW}d@value{ARROW}f}
13537 @set CALLSEQ2A @code{main@value{ARROW}a@value{ARROW}b@value{ARROW}e@value{ARROW}f}
13539 @c Convert CALLSEQ#A to CALLSEQ#B depending on HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK.
13540 @ifset HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK
13541 @set ARROW @click{}
13542 @set CALLSEQ1B @clicksequence{@value{CALLSEQ1A}}
13543 @set CALLSEQ2B @clicksequence{@value{CALLSEQ2A}}
13545 @ifclear HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK
13547 @set CALLSEQ1B @value{CALLSEQ1A}
13548 @set CALLSEQ2B @value{CALLSEQ2A}
13551 Frames #0 and #2 are real, #1 is a virtual tail call frame.
13552 The code can have possible execution paths @value{CALLSEQ1B} or
13553 @value{CALLSEQ2B}, @value{GDBN} cannot find which one from the inferior state.
13555 @code{initial:} state shows some random possible calling sequence @value{GDBN}
13556 has found. It then finds another possible calling sequence - that one is
13557 prefixed by @code{compare:}. The non-ambiguous intersection of these two is
13558 printed as the @code{reduced:} calling sequence. That one could have many
13559 further @code{compare:} and @code{reduced:} statements as long as there remain
13560 any non-ambiguous sequence entries.
13562 For the frame of function @code{b} in both cases there are different possible
13563 @code{$pc} values (@code{0x4004cc} or @code{0x4004ce}), therefore this frame is
13564 also ambiguous. The only non-ambiguous frame is the one for function @code{a},
13565 therefore this one is displayed to the user while the ambiguous frames are
13568 There can be also reasons why printing of frame argument values at function
13573 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (int i) @{ v++; @}
13574 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i);
13575 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (int i) @{ a (i); @}
13576 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i)
13577 @{ if (i) b (i - 1); else c (0); @}
13578 int main (void) @{ a (5); return 0; @}
13581 #0 c (i=i@@entry=0) at t.c:2
13582 #1 0x0000000000400428 in a (DW_OP_entry_value resolving has found
13583 function "a" at 0x400420 can call itself via tail calls
13584 i=<optimized out>) at t.c:6
13585 #2 0x000000000040036e in main () at t.c:7
13588 @value{GDBN} cannot find out from the inferior state if and how many times did
13589 function @code{a} call itself (via function @code{b}) as these calls would be
13590 tail calls. Such tail calls would modify the @code{i} variable, therefore
13591 @value{GDBN} cannot be sure the value it knows would be right - @value{GDBN}
13592 prints @code{<optimized out>} instead.
13595 @chapter C Preprocessor Macros
13597 Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, provide a way to define and invoke
13598 ``preprocessor macros'' which expand into strings of tokens.
13599 @value{GDBN} can evaluate expressions containing macro invocations, show
13600 the result of macro expansion, and show a macro's definition, including
13601 where it was defined.
13603 You may need to compile your program specially to provide @value{GDBN}
13604 with information about preprocessor macros. Most compilers do not
13605 include macros in their debugging information, even when you compile
13606 with the @option{-g} flag. @xref{Compilation}.
13608 A program may define a macro at one point, remove that definition later,
13609 and then provide a different definition after that. Thus, at different
13610 points in the program, a macro may have different definitions, or have
13611 no definition at all. If there is a current stack frame, @value{GDBN}
13612 uses the macros in scope at that frame's source code line. Otherwise,
13613 @value{GDBN} uses the macros in scope at the current listing location;
13616 Whenever @value{GDBN} evaluates an expression, it always expands any
13617 macro invocations present in the expression. @value{GDBN} also provides
13618 the following commands for working with macros explicitly.
13622 @kindex macro expand
13623 @cindex macro expansion, showing the results of preprocessor
13624 @cindex preprocessor macro expansion, showing the results of
13625 @cindex expanding preprocessor macros
13626 @item macro expand @var{expression}
13627 @itemx macro exp @var{expression}
13628 Show the results of expanding all preprocessor macro invocations in
13629 @var{expression}. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does
13630 not parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression;
13631 it can be any string of tokens.
13634 @item macro expand-once @var{expression}
13635 @itemx macro exp1 @var{expression}
13636 @cindex expand macro once
13637 @i{(This command is not yet implemented.)} Show the results of
13638 expanding those preprocessor macro invocations that appear explicitly in
13639 @var{expression}. Macro invocations appearing in that expansion are
13640 left unchanged. This command allows you to see the effect of a
13641 particular macro more clearly, without being confused by further
13642 expansions. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does not
13643 parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression; it
13644 can be any string of tokens.
13647 @cindex macro definition, showing
13648 @cindex definition of a macro, showing
13649 @cindex macros, from debug info
13650 @item info macro [-a|-all] [--] @var{macro}
13651 Show the current definition or all definitions of the named @var{macro},
13652 and describe the source location or compiler command-line where that
13653 definition was established. The optional double dash is to signify the end of
13654 argument processing and the beginning of @var{macro} for non C-like macros where
13655 the macro may begin with a hyphen.
13657 @kindex info macros
13658 @item info macros @var{location}
13659 Show all macro definitions that are in effect at the location specified
13660 by @var{location}, and describe the source location or compiler
13661 command-line where those definitions were established.
13663 @kindex macro define
13664 @cindex user-defined macros
13665 @cindex defining macros interactively
13666 @cindex macros, user-defined
13667 @item macro define @var{macro} @var{replacement-list}
13668 @itemx macro define @var{macro}(@var{arglist}) @var{replacement-list}
13669 Introduce a definition for a preprocessor macro named @var{macro},
13670 invocations of which are replaced by the tokens given in
13671 @var{replacement-list}. The first form of this command defines an
13672 ``object-like'' macro, which takes no arguments; the second form
13673 defines a ``function-like'' macro, which takes the arguments given in
13676 A definition introduced by this command is in scope in every
13677 expression evaluated in @value{GDBN}, until it is removed with the
13678 @code{macro undef} command, described below. The definition overrides
13679 all definitions for @var{macro} present in the program being debugged,
13680 as well as any previous user-supplied definition.
13682 @kindex macro undef
13683 @item macro undef @var{macro}
13684 Remove any user-supplied definition for the macro named @var{macro}.
13685 This command only affects definitions provided with the @code{macro
13686 define} command, described above; it cannot remove definitions present
13687 in the program being debugged.
13691 List all the macros defined using the @code{macro define} command.
13694 @cindex macros, example of debugging with
13695 Here is a transcript showing the above commands in action. First, we
13696 show our source files:
13701 #include "sample.h"
13704 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
13709 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
13711 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
13713 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
13720 Now, we compile the program using the @sc{gnu} C compiler,
13721 @value{NGCC}. We pass the @option{-gdwarf-2}@footnote{This is the
13722 minimum. Recent versions of @value{NGCC} support @option{-gdwarf-3}
13723 and @option{-gdwarf-4}; we recommend always choosing the most recent
13724 version of DWARF.} @emph{and} @option{-g3} flags to ensure the compiler
13725 includes information about preprocessor macros in the debugging
13729 $ gcc -gdwarf-2 -g3 sample.c -o sample
13733 Now, we start @value{GDBN} on our sample program:
13737 GNU gdb 2002-05-06-cvs
13738 Copyright 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
13739 GDB is free software, @dots{}
13743 We can expand macros and examine their definitions, even when the
13744 program is not running. @value{GDBN} uses the current listing position
13745 to decide which macro definitions are in scope:
13748 (@value{GDBP}) list main
13751 5 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
13756 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
13758 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
13759 (@value{GDBP}) info macro ADD
13760 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:5
13761 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
13762 (@value{GDBP}) info macro Q
13763 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.h:1
13764 included at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:2
13766 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand ADD(1)
13767 expands to: (42 + 1)
13768 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand-once ADD(1)
13769 expands to: once (M + 1)
13773 In the example above, note that @code{macro expand-once} expands only
13774 the macro invocation explicit in the original text --- the invocation of
13775 @code{ADD} --- but does not expand the invocation of the macro @code{M},
13776 which was introduced by @code{ADD}.
13778 Once the program is running, @value{GDBN} uses the macro definitions in
13779 force at the source line of the current stack frame:
13782 (@value{GDBP}) break main
13783 Breakpoint 1 at 0x8048370: file sample.c, line 10.
13785 Starting program: /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample
13787 Breakpoint 1, main () at sample.c:10
13788 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
13792 At line 10, the definition of the macro @code{N} at line 9 is in force:
13795 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
13796 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:9
13798 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
13799 expands to: 28 < 42
13800 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
13805 As we step over directives that remove @code{N}'s definition, and then
13806 give it a new definition, @value{GDBN} finds the definition (or lack
13807 thereof) in force at each point:
13810 (@value{GDBP}) next
13812 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
13813 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
13814 The symbol `N' has no definition as a C/C++ preprocessor macro
13815 at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:12
13816 (@value{GDBP}) next
13818 14 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
13819 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
13820 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:13
13822 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
13823 expands to: 1729 < 42
13824 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
13829 In addition to source files, macros can be defined on the compilation command
13830 line using the @option{-D@var{name}=@var{value}} syntax. For macros defined in
13831 such a way, @value{GDBN} displays the location of their definition as line zero
13832 of the source file submitted to the compiler.
13835 (@value{GDBP}) info macro __STDC__
13836 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:0
13843 @chapter Tracepoints
13844 @c This chapter is based on the documentation written by Michael
13845 @c Snyder, David Taylor, Jim Blandy, and Elena Zannoni.
13847 @cindex tracepoints
13848 In some applications, it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt
13849 the program's execution long enough for the developer to learn
13850 anything helpful about its behavior. If the program's correctness
13851 depends on its real-time behavior, delays introduced by a debugger
13852 might cause the program to change its behavior drastically, or perhaps
13853 fail, even when the code itself is correct. It is useful to be able
13854 to observe the program's behavior without interrupting it.
13856 Using @value{GDBN}'s @code{trace} and @code{collect} commands, you can
13857 specify locations in the program, called @dfn{tracepoints}, and
13858 arbitrary expressions to evaluate when those tracepoints are reached.
13859 Later, using the @code{tfind} command, you can examine the values
13860 those expressions had when the program hit the tracepoints. The
13861 expressions may also denote objects in memory---structures or arrays,
13862 for example---whose values @value{GDBN} should record; while visiting
13863 a particular tracepoint, you may inspect those objects as if they were
13864 in memory at that moment. However, because @value{GDBN} records these
13865 values without interacting with you, it can do so quickly and
13866 unobtrusively, hopefully not disturbing the program's behavior.
13868 The tracepoint facility is currently available only for remote
13869 targets. @xref{Targets}. In addition, your remote target must know
13870 how to collect trace data. This functionality is implemented in the
13871 remote stub; however, none of the stubs distributed with @value{GDBN}
13872 support tracepoints as of this writing. The format of the remote
13873 packets used to implement tracepoints are described in @ref{Tracepoint
13876 It is also possible to get trace data from a file, in a manner reminiscent
13877 of corefiles; you specify the filename, and use @code{tfind} to search
13878 through the file. @xref{Trace Files}, for more details.
13880 This chapter describes the tracepoint commands and features.
13883 * Set Tracepoints::
13884 * Analyze Collected Data::
13885 * Tracepoint Variables::
13889 @node Set Tracepoints
13890 @section Commands to Set Tracepoints
13892 Before running such a @dfn{trace experiment}, an arbitrary number of
13893 tracepoints can be set. A tracepoint is actually a special type of
13894 breakpoint (@pxref{Set Breaks}), so you can manipulate it using
13895 standard breakpoint commands. For instance, as with breakpoints,
13896 tracepoint numbers are successive integers starting from one, and many
13897 of the commands associated with tracepoints take the tracepoint number
13898 as their argument, to identify which tracepoint to work on.
13900 For each tracepoint, you can specify, in advance, some arbitrary set
13901 of data that you want the target to collect in the trace buffer when
13902 it hits that tracepoint. The collected data can include registers,
13903 local variables, or global data. Later, you can use @value{GDBN}
13904 commands to examine the values these data had at the time the
13905 tracepoint was hit.
13907 Tracepoints do not support every breakpoint feature. Ignore counts on
13908 tracepoints have no effect, and tracepoints cannot run @value{GDBN}
13909 commands when they are hit. Tracepoints may not be thread-specific
13912 @cindex fast tracepoints
13913 Some targets may support @dfn{fast tracepoints}, which are inserted in
13914 a different way (such as with a jump instead of a trap), that is
13915 faster but possibly restricted in where they may be installed.
13917 @cindex static tracepoints
13918 @cindex markers, static tracepoints
13919 @cindex probing markers, static tracepoints
13920 Regular and fast tracepoints are dynamic tracing facilities, meaning
13921 that they can be used to insert tracepoints at (almost) any location
13922 in the target. Some targets may also support controlling @dfn{static
13923 tracepoints} from @value{GDBN}. With static tracing, a set of
13924 instrumentation points, also known as @dfn{markers}, are embedded in
13925 the target program, and can be activated or deactivated by name or
13926 address. These are usually placed at locations which facilitate
13927 investigating what the target is actually doing. @value{GDBN}'s
13928 support for static tracing includes being able to list instrumentation
13929 points, and attach them with @value{GDBN} defined high level
13930 tracepoints that expose the whole range of convenience of
13931 @value{GDBN}'s tracepoints support. Namely, support for collecting
13932 registers values and values of global or local (to the instrumentation
13933 point) variables; tracepoint conditions and trace state variables.
13934 The act of installing a @value{GDBN} static tracepoint on an
13935 instrumentation point, or marker, is referred to as @dfn{probing} a
13936 static tracepoint marker.
13938 @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints on some target systems.
13939 @xref{Server,,Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}}.
13941 This section describes commands to set tracepoints and associated
13942 conditions and actions.
13945 * Create and Delete Tracepoints::
13946 * Enable and Disable Tracepoints::
13947 * Tracepoint Passcounts::
13948 * Tracepoint Conditions::
13949 * Trace State Variables::
13950 * Tracepoint Actions::
13951 * Listing Tracepoints::
13952 * Listing Static Tracepoint Markers::
13953 * Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments::
13954 * Tracepoint Restrictions::
13957 @node Create and Delete Tracepoints
13958 @subsection Create and Delete Tracepoints
13961 @cindex set tracepoint
13963 @item trace @var{location}
13964 The @code{trace} command is very similar to the @code{break} command.
13965 Its argument @var{location} can be any valid location.
13966 @xref{Specify Location}. The @code{trace} command defines a tracepoint,
13967 which is a point in the target program where the debugger will briefly stop,
13968 collect some data, and then allow the program to continue. Setting a tracepoint
13969 or changing its actions takes effect immediately if the remote stub
13970 supports the @samp{InstallInTrace} feature (@pxref{install tracepoint
13972 If remote stub doesn't support the @samp{InstallInTrace} feature, all
13973 these changes don't take effect until the next @code{tstart}
13974 command, and once a trace experiment is running, further changes will
13975 not have any effect until the next trace experiment starts. In addition,
13976 @value{GDBN} supports @dfn{pending tracepoints}---tracepoints whose
13977 address is not yet resolved. (This is similar to pending breakpoints.)
13978 Pending tracepoints are not downloaded to the target and not installed
13979 until they are resolved. The resolution of pending tracepoints requires
13980 @value{GDBN} support---when debugging with the remote target, and
13981 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the remote stub (@pxref{disconnected
13982 tracing}), pending tracepoints can not be resolved (and downloaded to
13983 the remote stub) while @value{GDBN} is disconnected.
13985 Here are some examples of using the @code{trace} command:
13988 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo.c:121} // a source file and line number
13990 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace +2} // 2 lines forward
13992 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace my_function} // first source line of function
13994 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *my_function} // EXACT start address of function
13996 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *0x2117c4} // an address
14000 You can abbreviate @code{trace} as @code{tr}.
14002 @item trace @var{location} if @var{cond}
14003 Set a tracepoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
14004 @var{cond} each time the tracepoint is reached, and collect data only
14005 if the value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
14006 @xref{Tracepoint Conditions, ,Tracepoint Conditions}, for more
14007 information on tracepoint conditions.
14009 @item ftrace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
14010 @cindex set fast tracepoint
14011 @cindex fast tracepoints, setting
14013 The @code{ftrace} command sets a fast tracepoint. For targets that
14014 support them, fast tracepoints will use a more efficient but possibly
14015 less general technique to trigger data collection, such as a jump
14016 instruction instead of a trap, or some sort of hardware support. It
14017 may not be possible to create a fast tracepoint at the desired
14018 location, in which case the command will exit with an explanatory
14021 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{ftrace} exactly as for
14024 On 32-bit x86-architecture systems, fast tracepoints normally need to
14025 be placed at an instruction that is 5 bytes or longer, but can be
14026 placed at 4-byte instructions if the low 64K of memory of the target
14027 program is available to install trampolines. Some Unix-type systems,
14028 such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, exclude low addresses from the program's
14029 address space; but for instance with the Linux kernel it is possible
14030 to let @value{GDBN} use this area by doing a @command{sysctl} command
14031 to set the @code{mmap_min_addr} kernel parameter, as in
14034 sudo sysctl -w vm.mmap_min_addr=32768
14038 which sets the low address to 32K, which leaves plenty of room for
14039 trampolines. The minimum address should be set to a page boundary.
14041 @item strace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
14042 @cindex set static tracepoint
14043 @cindex static tracepoints, setting
14044 @cindex probe static tracepoint marker
14046 The @code{strace} command sets a static tracepoint. For targets that
14047 support it, setting a static tracepoint probes a static
14048 instrumentation point, or marker, found at @var{location}. It may not
14049 be possible to set a static tracepoint at the desired location, in
14050 which case the command will exit with an explanatory message.
14052 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{strace} exactly as for
14053 @code{trace}, with the addition that the user can also specify
14054 @code{-m @var{marker}} as @var{location}. This probes the marker
14055 identified by the @var{marker} string identifier. This identifier
14056 depends on the static tracepoint backend library your program is
14057 using. You can find all the marker identifiers in the @samp{ID} field
14058 of the @code{info static-tracepoint-markers} command output.
14059 @xref{Listing Static Tracepoint Markers,,Listing Static Tracepoint
14060 Markers}. For example, in the following small program using the UST
14066 trace_mark(ust, bar33, "str %s", "FOOBAZ");
14071 the marker id is composed of joining the first two arguments to the
14072 @code{trace_mark} call with a slash, which translates to:
14075 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
14076 Cnt Enb ID Address What
14077 1 n ust/bar33 0x0000000000400ddc in main at stexample.c:22
14083 so you may probe the marker above with:
14086 (@value{GDBP}) strace -m ust/bar33
14089 Static tracepoints accept an extra collect action --- @code{collect
14090 $_sdata}. This collects arbitrary user data passed in the probe point
14091 call to the tracing library. In the UST example above, you'll see
14092 that the third argument to @code{trace_mark} is a printf-like format
14093 string. The user data is then the result of running that formatting
14094 string against the following arguments. Note that @code{info
14095 static-tracepoint-markers} command output lists that format string in
14096 the @samp{Data:} field.
14098 You can inspect this data when analyzing the trace buffer, by printing
14099 the $_sdata variable like any other variable available to
14100 @value{GDBN}. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}.
14103 @cindex last tracepoint number
14104 @cindex recent tracepoint number
14105 @cindex tracepoint number
14106 The convenience variable @code{$tpnum} records the tracepoint number
14107 of the most recently set tracepoint.
14109 @kindex delete tracepoint
14110 @cindex tracepoint deletion
14111 @item delete tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
14112 Permanently delete one or more tracepoints. With no argument, the
14113 default is to delete all tracepoints. Note that the regular
14114 @code{delete} command can remove tracepoints also.
14119 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace 1 2 3} // remove three tracepoints
14121 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace} // remove all tracepoints
14125 You can abbreviate this command as @code{del tr}.
14128 @node Enable and Disable Tracepoints
14129 @subsection Enable and Disable Tracepoints
14131 These commands are deprecated; they are equivalent to plain @code{disable} and @code{enable}.
14134 @kindex disable tracepoint
14135 @item disable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
14136 Disable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints if no argument
14137 @var{num} is given. A disabled tracepoint will have no effect during
14138 a trace experiment, but it is not forgotten. You can re-enable
14139 a disabled tracepoint using the @code{enable tracepoint} command.
14140 If the command is issued during a trace experiment and the debug target
14141 has support for disabling tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the
14142 change will be effective immediately. Otherwise, it will be applied to the
14143 next trace experiment.
14145 @kindex enable tracepoint
14146 @item enable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
14147 Enable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints. If this command is
14148 issued during a trace experiment and the debug target supports enabling
14149 tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the enabled tracepoints will
14150 become effective immediately. Otherwise, they will become effective the
14151 next time a trace experiment is run.
14154 @node Tracepoint Passcounts
14155 @subsection Tracepoint Passcounts
14159 @cindex tracepoint pass count
14160 @item passcount @r{[}@var{n} @r{[}@var{num}@r{]]}
14161 Set the @dfn{passcount} of a tracepoint. The passcount is a way to
14162 automatically stop a trace experiment. If a tracepoint's passcount is
14163 @var{n}, then the trace experiment will be automatically stopped on
14164 the @var{n}'th time that tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number
14165 @var{num} is not specified, the @code{passcount} command sets the
14166 passcount of the most recently defined tracepoint. If no passcount is
14167 given, the trace experiment will run until stopped explicitly by the
14173 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 5 2} // Stop on the 5th execution of
14174 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// tracepoint 2}
14176 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 12} // Stop on the 12th execution of the
14177 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// most recently defined tracepoint.}
14178 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
14179 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 3}
14180 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace bar}
14181 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 2}
14182 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace baz}
14183 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 1} // Stop tracing when foo has been
14184 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// executed 3 times OR when bar has}
14185 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// been executed 2 times}
14186 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// OR when baz has been executed 1 time.}
14190 @node Tracepoint Conditions
14191 @subsection Tracepoint Conditions
14192 @cindex conditional tracepoints
14193 @cindex tracepoint conditions
14195 The simplest sort of tracepoint collects data every time your program
14196 reaches a specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for
14197 a tracepoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
14198 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A
14199 tracepoint with a condition evaluates the expression each time your
14200 program reaches it, and data collection happens only if the condition
14203 Tracepoint conditions can be specified when a tracepoint is set, by
14204 using @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{trace} command.
14205 @xref{Create and Delete Tracepoints, ,Setting Tracepoints}. They can
14206 also be set or changed at any time with the @code{condition} command,
14207 just as with breakpoints.
14209 Unlike breakpoint conditions, @value{GDBN} does not actually evaluate
14210 the conditional expression itself. Instead, @value{GDBN} encodes the
14211 expression into an agent expression (@pxref{Agent Expressions})
14212 suitable for execution on the target, independently of @value{GDBN}.
14213 Global variables become raw memory locations, locals become stack
14214 accesses, and so forth.
14216 For instance, suppose you have a function that is usually called
14217 frequently, but should not be called after an error has occurred. You
14218 could use the following tracepoint command to collect data about calls
14219 of that function that happen while the error code is propagating
14220 through the program; an unconditional tracepoint could end up
14221 collecting thousands of useless trace frames that you would have to
14225 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{trace normal_operation if errcode > 0}
14228 @node Trace State Variables
14229 @subsection Trace State Variables
14230 @cindex trace state variables
14232 A @dfn{trace state variable} is a special type of variable that is
14233 created and managed by target-side code. The syntax is the same as
14234 that for GDB's convenience variables (a string prefixed with ``$''),
14235 but they are stored on the target. They must be created explicitly,
14236 using a @code{tvariable} command. They are always 64-bit signed
14239 Trace state variables are remembered by @value{GDBN}, and downloaded
14240 to the target along with tracepoint information when the trace
14241 experiment starts. There are no intrinsic limits on the number of
14242 trace state variables, beyond memory limitations of the target.
14244 @cindex convenience variables, and trace state variables
14245 Although trace state variables are managed by the target, you can use
14246 them in print commands and expressions as if they were convenience
14247 variables; @value{GDBN} will get the current value from the target
14248 while the trace experiment is running. Trace state variables share
14249 the same namespace as other ``$'' variables, which means that you
14250 cannot have trace state variables with names like @code{$23} or
14251 @code{$pc}, nor can you have a trace state variable and a convenience
14252 variable with the same name.
14256 @item tvariable $@var{name} [ = @var{expression} ]
14258 The @code{tvariable} command creates a new trace state variable named
14259 @code{$@var{name}}, and optionally gives it an initial value of
14260 @var{expression}. The @var{expression} is evaluated when this command is
14261 entered; the result will be converted to an integer if possible,
14262 otherwise @value{GDBN} will report an error. A subsequent
14263 @code{tvariable} command specifying the same name does not create a
14264 variable, but instead assigns the supplied initial value to the
14265 existing variable of that name, overwriting any previous initial
14266 value. The default initial value is 0.
14268 @item info tvariables
14269 @kindex info tvariables
14270 List all the trace state variables along with their initial values.
14271 Their current values may also be displayed, if the trace experiment is
14274 @item delete tvariable @r{[} $@var{name} @dots{} @r{]}
14275 @kindex delete tvariable
14276 Delete the given trace state variables, or all of them if no arguments
14281 @node Tracepoint Actions
14282 @subsection Tracepoint Action Lists
14286 @cindex tracepoint actions
14287 @item actions @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
14288 This command will prompt for a list of actions to be taken when the
14289 tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number @var{num} is not
14290 specified, this command sets the actions for the one that was most
14291 recently defined (so that you can define a tracepoint and then say
14292 @code{actions} without bothering about its number). You specify the
14293 actions themselves on the following lines, one action at a time, and
14294 terminate the actions list with a line containing just @code{end}. So
14295 far, the only defined actions are @code{collect}, @code{teval}, and
14296 @code{while-stepping}.
14298 @code{actions} is actually equivalent to @code{commands} (@pxref{Break
14299 Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}), except that only the defined
14300 actions are allowed; any other @value{GDBN} command is rejected.
14302 @cindex remove actions from a tracepoint
14303 To remove all actions from a tracepoint, type @samp{actions @var{num}}
14304 and follow it immediately with @samp{end}.
14307 (@value{GDBP}) @b{collect @var{data}} // collect some data
14309 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while-stepping 5} // single-step 5 times, collect data
14311 (@value{GDBP}) @b{end} // signals the end of actions.
14314 In the following example, the action list begins with @code{collect}
14315 commands indicating the things to be collected when the tracepoint is
14316 hit. Then, in order to single-step and collect additional data
14317 following the tracepoint, a @code{while-stepping} command is used,
14318 followed by the list of things to be collected after each step in a
14319 sequence of single steps. The @code{while-stepping} command is
14320 terminated by its own separate @code{end} command. Lastly, the action
14321 list is terminated by an @code{end} command.
14324 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
14325 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
14326 Enter actions for tracepoint 1, one per line:
14329 > while-stepping 12
14330 > collect $pc, arr[i]
14335 @kindex collect @r{(tracepoints)}
14336 @item collect@r{[}/@var{mods}@r{]} @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
14337 Collect values of the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit.
14338 This command accepts a comma-separated list of any valid expressions.
14339 In addition to global, static, or local variables, the following
14340 special arguments are supported:
14344 Collect all registers.
14347 Collect all function arguments.
14350 Collect all local variables.
14353 Collect the return address. This is helpful if you want to see more
14356 @emph{Note:} The return address location can not always be reliably
14357 determined up front, and the wrong address / registers may end up
14358 collected instead. On some architectures the reliability is higher
14359 for tracepoints at function entry, while on others it's the opposite.
14360 When this happens, backtracing will stop because the return address is
14361 found unavailable (unless another collect rule happened to match it).
14364 Collects the number of arguments from the static probe at which the
14365 tracepoint is located.
14366 @xref{Static Probe Points}.
14368 @item $_probe_arg@var{n}
14369 @var{n} is an integer between 0 and 11. Collects the @var{n}th argument
14370 from the static probe at which the tracepoint is located.
14371 @xref{Static Probe Points}.
14374 @vindex $_sdata@r{, collect}
14375 Collect static tracepoint marker specific data. Only available for
14376 static tracepoints. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action
14377 Lists}. On the UST static tracepoints library backend, an
14378 instrumentation point resembles a @code{printf} function call. The
14379 tracing library is able to collect user specified data formatted to a
14380 character string using the format provided by the programmer that
14381 instrumented the program. Other backends have similar mechanisms.
14382 Here's an example of a UST marker call:
14385 const char master_name[] = "$your_name";
14386 trace_mark(channel1, marker1, "hello %s", master_name)
14389 In this case, collecting @code{$_sdata} collects the string
14390 @samp{hello $yourname}. When analyzing the trace buffer, you can
14391 inspect @samp{$_sdata} like any other variable available to
14395 You can give several consecutive @code{collect} commands, each one
14396 with a single argument, or one @code{collect} command with several
14397 arguments separated by commas; the effect is the same.
14399 The optional @var{mods} changes the usual handling of the arguments.
14400 @code{s} requests that pointers to chars be handled as strings, in
14401 particular collecting the contents of the memory being pointed at, up
14402 to the first zero. The upper bound is by default the value of the
14403 @code{print elements} variable; if @code{s} is followed by a decimal
14404 number, that is the upper bound instead. So for instance
14405 @samp{collect/s25 mystr} collects as many as 25 characters at
14408 The command @code{info scope} (@pxref{Symbols, info scope}) is
14409 particularly useful for figuring out what data to collect.
14411 @kindex teval @r{(tracepoints)}
14412 @item teval @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
14413 Evaluate the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit. This
14414 command accepts a comma-separated list of expressions. The results
14415 are discarded, so this is mainly useful for assigning values to trace
14416 state variables (@pxref{Trace State Variables}) without adding those
14417 values to the trace buffer, as would be the case if the @code{collect}
14420 @kindex while-stepping @r{(tracepoints)}
14421 @item while-stepping @var{n}
14422 Perform @var{n} single-step instruction traces after the tracepoint,
14423 collecting new data after each step. The @code{while-stepping}
14424 command is followed by the list of what to collect while stepping
14425 (followed by its own @code{end} command):
14428 > while-stepping 12
14429 > collect $regs, myglobal
14435 Note that @code{$pc} is not automatically collected by
14436 @code{while-stepping}; you need to explicitly collect that register if
14437 you need it. You may abbreviate @code{while-stepping} as @code{ws} or
14440 @item set default-collect @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
14441 @kindex set default-collect
14442 @cindex default collection action
14443 This variable is a list of expressions to collect at each tracepoint
14444 hit. It is effectively an additional @code{collect} action prepended
14445 to every tracepoint action list. The expressions are parsed
14446 individually for each tracepoint, so for instance a variable named
14447 @code{xyz} may be interpreted as a global for one tracepoint, and a
14448 local for another, as appropriate to the tracepoint's location.
14450 @item show default-collect
14451 @kindex show default-collect
14452 Show the list of expressions that are collected by default at each
14457 @node Listing Tracepoints
14458 @subsection Listing Tracepoints
14461 @kindex info tracepoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
14462 @kindex info tp @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
14463 @cindex information about tracepoints
14464 @item info tracepoints @r{[}@var{num}@dots{}@r{]}
14465 Display information about the tracepoint @var{num}. If you don't
14466 specify a tracepoint number, displays information about all the
14467 tracepoints defined so far. The format is similar to that used for
14468 @code{info breakpoints}; in fact, @code{info tracepoints} is the same
14469 command, simply restricting itself to tracepoints.
14471 A tracepoint's listing may include additional information specific to
14476 its passcount as given by the @code{passcount @var{n}} command
14479 the state about installed on target of each location
14483 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info trace}
14484 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
14485 1 tracepoint keep y 0x0804ab57 in foo() at main.cxx:7
14487 collect globfoo, $regs
14492 2 tracepoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
14494 2.1 y 0x0804859c in func4 at change-loc.h:35
14495 installed on target
14496 2.2 y 0xb7ffc480 in func4 at change-loc.h:35
14497 installed on target
14498 2.3 y <PENDING> set_tracepoint
14499 3 tracepoint keep y 0x080485b1 in foo at change-loc.c:29
14500 not installed on target
14505 This command can be abbreviated @code{info tp}.
14508 @node Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
14509 @subsection Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
14512 @kindex info static-tracepoint-markers
14513 @cindex information about static tracepoint markers
14514 @item info static-tracepoint-markers
14515 Display information about all static tracepoint markers defined in the
14518 For each marker, the following columns are printed:
14522 An incrementing counter, output to help readability. This is not a
14525 The marker ID, as reported by the target.
14526 @item Enabled or Disabled
14527 Probed markers are tagged with @samp{y}. @samp{n} identifies marks
14528 that are not enabled.
14530 Where the marker is in your program, as a memory address.
14532 Where the marker is in the source for your program, as a file and line
14533 number. If the debug information included in the program does not
14534 allow @value{GDBN} to locate the source of the marker, this column
14535 will be left blank.
14539 In addition, the following information may be printed for each marker:
14543 User data passed to the tracing library by the marker call. In the
14544 UST backend, this is the format string passed as argument to the
14546 @item Static tracepoints probing the marker
14547 The list of static tracepoints attached to the marker.
14551 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
14552 Cnt ID Enb Address What
14553 1 ust/bar2 y 0x0000000000400e1a in main at stexample.c:25
14554 Data: number1 %d number2 %d
14555 Probed by static tracepoints: #2
14556 2 ust/bar33 n 0x0000000000400c87 in main at stexample.c:24
14562 @node Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
14563 @subsection Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
14566 @kindex tstart [ @var{notes} ]
14567 @cindex start a new trace experiment
14568 @cindex collected data discarded
14570 This command starts the trace experiment, and begins collecting data.
14571 It has the side effect of discarding all the data collected in the
14572 trace buffer during the previous trace experiment. If any arguments
14573 are supplied, they are taken as a note and stored with the trace
14574 experiment's state. The notes may be arbitrary text, and are
14575 especially useful with disconnected tracing in a multi-user context;
14576 the notes can explain what the trace is doing, supply user contact
14577 information, and so forth.
14579 @kindex tstop [ @var{notes} ]
14580 @cindex stop a running trace experiment
14582 This command stops the trace experiment. If any arguments are
14583 supplied, they are recorded with the experiment as a note. This is
14584 useful if you are stopping a trace started by someone else, for
14585 instance if the trace is interfering with the system's behavior and
14586 needs to be stopped quickly.
14588 @strong{Note}: a trace experiment and data collection may stop
14589 automatically if any tracepoint's passcount is reached
14590 (@pxref{Tracepoint Passcounts}), or if the trace buffer becomes full.
14593 @cindex status of trace data collection
14594 @cindex trace experiment, status of
14596 This command displays the status of the current trace data
14600 Here is an example of the commands we described so far:
14603 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace gdb_c_test}
14604 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
14605 Enter actions for tracepoint #1, one per line.
14606 > collect $regs,$locals,$args
14607 > while-stepping 11
14611 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
14612 [time passes @dots{}]
14613 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstop}
14616 @anchor{disconnected tracing}
14617 @cindex disconnected tracing
14618 You can choose to continue running the trace experiment even if
14619 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target, voluntarily or
14620 involuntarily. For commands such as @code{detach}, the debugger will
14621 ask what you want to do with the trace. But for unexpected
14622 terminations (@value{GDBN} crash, network outage), it would be
14623 unfortunate to lose hard-won trace data, so the variable
14624 @code{disconnected-tracing} lets you decide whether the trace should
14625 continue running without @value{GDBN}.
14628 @item set disconnected-tracing on
14629 @itemx set disconnected-tracing off
14630 @kindex set disconnected-tracing
14631 Choose whether a tracing run should continue to run if @value{GDBN}
14632 has disconnected from the target. Note that @code{detach} or
14633 @code{quit} will ask you directly what to do about a running trace no
14634 matter what this variable's setting, so the variable is mainly useful
14635 for handling unexpected situations, such as loss of the network.
14637 @item show disconnected-tracing
14638 @kindex show disconnected-tracing
14639 Show the current choice for disconnected tracing.
14643 When you reconnect to the target, the trace experiment may or may not
14644 still be running; it might have filled the trace buffer in the
14645 meantime, or stopped for one of the other reasons. If it is running,
14646 it will continue after reconnection.
14648 Upon reconnection, the target will upload information about the
14649 tracepoints in effect. @value{GDBN} will then compare that
14650 information to the set of tracepoints currently defined, and attempt
14651 to match them up, allowing for the possibility that the numbers may
14652 have changed due to creation and deletion in the meantime. If one of
14653 the target's tracepoints does not match any in @value{GDBN}, the
14654 debugger will create a new tracepoint, so that you have a number with
14655 which to specify that tracepoint. This matching-up process is
14656 necessarily heuristic, and it may result in useless tracepoints being
14657 created; you may simply delete them if they are of no use.
14659 @cindex circular trace buffer
14660 If your target agent supports a @dfn{circular trace buffer}, then you
14661 can run a trace experiment indefinitely without filling the trace
14662 buffer; when space runs out, the agent deletes already-collected trace
14663 frames, oldest first, until there is enough room to continue
14664 collecting. This is especially useful if your tracepoints are being
14665 hit too often, and your trace gets terminated prematurely because the
14666 buffer is full. To ask for a circular trace buffer, simply set
14667 @samp{circular-trace-buffer} to on. You can set this at any time,
14668 including during tracing; if the agent can do it, it will change
14669 buffer handling on the fly, otherwise it will not take effect until
14673 @item set circular-trace-buffer on
14674 @itemx set circular-trace-buffer off
14675 @kindex set circular-trace-buffer
14676 Choose whether a tracing run should use a linear or circular buffer
14677 for trace data. A linear buffer will not lose any trace data, but may
14678 fill up prematurely, while a circular buffer will discard old trace
14679 data, but it will have always room for the latest tracepoint hits.
14681 @item show circular-trace-buffer
14682 @kindex show circular-trace-buffer
14683 Show the current choice for the trace buffer. Note that this may not
14684 match the agent's current buffer handling, nor is it guaranteed to
14685 match the setting that might have been in effect during a past run,
14686 for instance if you are looking at frames from a trace file.
14691 @item set trace-buffer-size @var{n}
14692 @itemx set trace-buffer-size unlimited
14693 @kindex set trace-buffer-size
14694 Request that the target use a trace buffer of @var{n} bytes. Not all
14695 targets will honor the request; they may have a compiled-in size for
14696 the trace buffer, or some other limitation. Set to a value of
14697 @code{unlimited} or @code{-1} to let the target use whatever size it
14698 likes. This is also the default.
14700 @item show trace-buffer-size
14701 @kindex show trace-buffer-size
14702 Show the current requested size for the trace buffer. Note that this
14703 will only match the actual size if the target supports size-setting,
14704 and was able to handle the requested size. For instance, if the
14705 target can only change buffer size between runs, this variable will
14706 not reflect the change until the next run starts. Use @code{tstatus}
14707 to get a report of the actual buffer size.
14711 @item set trace-user @var{text}
14712 @kindex set trace-user
14714 @item show trace-user
14715 @kindex show trace-user
14717 @item set trace-notes @var{text}
14718 @kindex set trace-notes
14719 Set the trace run's notes.
14721 @item show trace-notes
14722 @kindex show trace-notes
14723 Show the trace run's notes.
14725 @item set trace-stop-notes @var{text}
14726 @kindex set trace-stop-notes
14727 Set the trace run's stop notes. The handling of the note is as for
14728 @code{tstop} arguments; the set command is convenient way to fix a
14729 stop note that is mistaken or incomplete.
14731 @item show trace-stop-notes
14732 @kindex show trace-stop-notes
14733 Show the trace run's stop notes.
14737 @node Tracepoint Restrictions
14738 @subsection Tracepoint Restrictions
14740 @cindex tracepoint restrictions
14741 There are a number of restrictions on the use of tracepoints. As
14742 described above, tracepoint data gathering occurs on the target
14743 without interaction from @value{GDBN}. Thus the full capabilities of
14744 the debugger are not available during data gathering, and then at data
14745 examination time, you will be limited by only having what was
14746 collected. The following items describe some common problems, but it
14747 is not exhaustive, and you may run into additional difficulties not
14753 Tracepoint expressions are intended to gather objects (lvalues). Thus
14754 the full flexibility of GDB's expression evaluator is not available.
14755 You cannot call functions, cast objects to aggregate types, access
14756 convenience variables or modify values (except by assignment to trace
14757 state variables). Some language features may implicitly call
14758 functions (for instance Objective-C fields with accessors), and therefore
14759 cannot be collected either.
14762 Collection of local variables, either individually or in bulk with
14763 @code{$locals} or @code{$args}, during @code{while-stepping} may
14764 behave erratically. The stepping action may enter a new scope (for
14765 instance by stepping into a function), or the location of the variable
14766 may change (for instance it is loaded into a register). The
14767 tracepoint data recorded uses the location information for the
14768 variables that is correct for the tracepoint location. When the
14769 tracepoint is created, it is not possible, in general, to determine
14770 where the steps of a @code{while-stepping} sequence will advance the
14771 program---particularly if a conditional branch is stepped.
14774 Collection of an incompletely-initialized or partially-destroyed object
14775 may result in something that @value{GDBN} cannot display, or displays
14776 in a misleading way.
14779 When @value{GDBN} displays a pointer to character it automatically
14780 dereferences the pointer to also display characters of the string
14781 being pointed to. However, collecting the pointer during tracing does
14782 not automatically collect the string. You need to explicitly
14783 dereference the pointer and provide size information if you want to
14784 collect not only the pointer, but the memory pointed to. For example,
14785 @code{*ptr@@50} can be used to collect the 50 element array pointed to
14789 It is not possible to collect a complete stack backtrace at a
14790 tracepoint. Instead, you may collect the registers and a few hundred
14791 bytes from the stack pointer with something like @code{*(unsigned char *)$esp@@300}
14792 (adjust to use the name of the actual stack pointer register on your
14793 target architecture, and the amount of stack you wish to capture).
14794 Then the @code{backtrace} command will show a partial backtrace when
14795 using a trace frame. The number of stack frames that can be examined
14796 depends on the sizes of the frames in the collected stack. Note that
14797 if you ask for a block so large that it goes past the bottom of the
14798 stack, the target agent may report an error trying to read from an
14802 If you do not collect registers at a tracepoint, @value{GDBN} can
14803 infer that the value of @code{$pc} must be the same as the address of
14804 the tracepoint and use that when you are looking at a trace frame
14805 for that tracepoint. However, this cannot work if the tracepoint has
14806 multiple locations (for instance if it was set in a function that was
14807 inlined), or if it has a @code{while-stepping} loop. In those cases
14808 @value{GDBN} will warn you that it can't infer @code{$pc}, and default
14813 @node Analyze Collected Data
14814 @section Using the Collected Data
14816 After the tracepoint experiment ends, you use @value{GDBN} commands
14817 for examining the trace data. The basic idea is that each tracepoint
14818 collects a trace @dfn{snapshot} every time it is hit and another
14819 snapshot every time it single-steps. All these snapshots are
14820 consecutively numbered from zero and go into a buffer, and you can
14821 examine them later. The way you examine them is to @dfn{focus} on a
14822 specific trace snapshot. When the remote stub is focused on a trace
14823 snapshot, it will respond to all @value{GDBN} requests for memory and
14824 registers by reading from the buffer which belongs to that snapshot,
14825 rather than from @emph{real} memory or registers of the program being
14826 debugged. This means that @strong{all} @value{GDBN} commands
14827 (@code{print}, @code{info registers}, @code{backtrace}, etc.) will
14828 behave as if we were currently debugging the program state as it was
14829 when the tracepoint occurred. Any requests for data that are not in
14830 the buffer will fail.
14833 * tfind:: How to select a trace snapshot
14834 * tdump:: How to display all data for a snapshot
14835 * save tracepoints:: How to save tracepoints for a future run
14839 @subsection @code{tfind @var{n}}
14842 @cindex select trace snapshot
14843 @cindex find trace snapshot
14844 The basic command for selecting a trace snapshot from the buffer is
14845 @code{tfind @var{n}}, which finds trace snapshot number @var{n},
14846 counting from zero. If no argument @var{n} is given, the next
14847 snapshot is selected.
14849 Here are the various forms of using the @code{tfind} command.
14853 Find the first snapshot in the buffer. This is a synonym for
14854 @code{tfind 0} (since 0 is the number of the first snapshot).
14857 Stop debugging trace snapshots, resume @emph{live} debugging.
14860 Same as @samp{tfind none}.
14863 No argument means find the next trace snapshot or find the first
14864 one if no trace snapshot is selected.
14867 Find the previous trace snapshot before the current one. This permits
14868 retracing earlier steps.
14870 @item tfind tracepoint @var{num}
14871 Find the next snapshot associated with tracepoint @var{num}. Search
14872 proceeds forward from the last examined trace snapshot. If no
14873 argument @var{num} is given, it means find the next snapshot collected
14874 for the same tracepoint as the current snapshot.
14876 @item tfind pc @var{addr}
14877 Find the next snapshot associated with the value @var{addr} of the
14878 program counter. Search proceeds forward from the last examined trace
14879 snapshot. If no argument @var{addr} is given, it means find the next
14880 snapshot with the same value of PC as the current snapshot.
14882 @item tfind outside @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
14883 Find the next snapshot whose PC is outside the given range of
14884 addresses (exclusive).
14886 @item tfind range @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
14887 Find the next snapshot whose PC is between @var{addr1} and
14888 @var{addr2} (inclusive).
14890 @item tfind line @r{[}@var{file}:@r{]}@var{n}
14891 Find the next snapshot associated with the source line @var{n}. If
14892 the optional argument @var{file} is given, refer to line @var{n} in
14893 that source file. Search proceeds forward from the last examined
14894 trace snapshot. If no argument @var{n} is given, it means find the
14895 next line other than the one currently being examined; thus saying
14896 @code{tfind line} repeatedly can appear to have the same effect as
14897 stepping from line to line in a @emph{live} debugging session.
14900 The default arguments for the @code{tfind} commands are specifically
14901 designed to make it easy to scan through the trace buffer. For
14902 instance, @code{tfind} with no argument selects the next trace
14903 snapshot, and @code{tfind -} with no argument selects the previous
14904 trace snapshot. So, by giving one @code{tfind} command, and then
14905 simply hitting @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine all the trace
14906 snapshots in order. Or, by saying @code{tfind -} and then hitting
14907 @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine the snapshots in reverse order.
14908 The @code{tfind line} command with no argument selects the snapshot
14909 for the next source line executed. The @code{tfind pc} command with
14910 no argument selects the next snapshot with the same program counter
14911 (PC) as the current frame. The @code{tfind tracepoint} command with
14912 no argument selects the next trace snapshot collected by the same
14913 tracepoint as the current one.
14915 In addition to letting you scan through the trace buffer manually,
14916 these commands make it easy to construct @value{GDBN} scripts that
14917 scan through the trace buffer and print out whatever collected data
14918 you are interested in. Thus, if we want to examine the PC, FP, and SP
14919 registers from each trace frame in the buffer, we can say this:
14922 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
14923 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
14924 > printf "Frame %d, PC = %08X, SP = %08X, FP = %08X\n", \
14925 $trace_frame, $pc, $sp, $fp
14929 Frame 0, PC = 0020DC64, SP = 0030BF3C, FP = 0030BF44
14930 Frame 1, PC = 0020DC6C, SP = 0030BF38, FP = 0030BF44
14931 Frame 2, PC = 0020DC70, SP = 0030BF34, FP = 0030BF44
14932 Frame 3, PC = 0020DC74, SP = 0030BF30, FP = 0030BF44
14933 Frame 4, PC = 0020DC78, SP = 0030BF2C, FP = 0030BF44
14934 Frame 5, PC = 0020DC7C, SP = 0030BF28, FP = 0030BF44
14935 Frame 6, PC = 0020DC80, SP = 0030BF24, FP = 0030BF44
14936 Frame 7, PC = 0020DC84, SP = 0030BF20, FP = 0030BF44
14937 Frame 8, PC = 0020DC88, SP = 0030BF1C, FP = 0030BF44
14938 Frame 9, PC = 0020DC8E, SP = 0030BF18, FP = 0030BF44
14939 Frame 10, PC = 00203F6C, SP = 0030BE3C, FP = 0030BF14
14942 Or, if we want to examine the variable @code{X} at each source line in
14946 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
14947 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
14948 > printf "Frame %d, X == %d\n", $trace_frame, X
14958 @subsection @code{tdump}
14960 @cindex dump all data collected at tracepoint
14961 @cindex tracepoint data, display
14963 This command takes no arguments. It prints all the data collected at
14964 the current trace snapshot.
14967 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace 444}
14968 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
14969 Enter actions for tracepoint #2, one per line:
14970 > collect $regs, $locals, $args, gdb_long_test
14973 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
14975 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind line 444}
14976 #0 gdb_test (p1=0x11, p2=0x22, p3=0x33, p4=0x44, p5=0x55, p6=0x66)
14978 444 printp( "%s: arguments = 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X\n", )
14980 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tdump}
14981 Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 1:
14982 d0 0xc4aa0085 -995491707
14986 d4 0x71aea3d 119204413
14989 d7 0x380035 3670069
14990 a0 0x19e24a 1696330
14991 a1 0x3000668 50333288
14993 a3 0x322000 3284992
14994 a4 0x3000698 50333336
14995 a5 0x1ad3cc 1758156
14996 fp 0x30bf3c 0x30bf3c
14997 sp 0x30bf34 0x30bf34
14999 pc 0x20b2c8 0x20b2c8
15003 p = 0x20e5b4 "gdb-test"
15010 gdb_long_test = 17 '\021'
15015 @code{tdump} works by scanning the tracepoint's current collection
15016 actions and printing the value of each expression listed. So
15017 @code{tdump} can fail, if after a run, you change the tracepoint's
15018 actions to mention variables that were not collected during the run.
15020 Also, for tracepoints with @code{while-stepping} loops, @code{tdump}
15021 uses the collected value of @code{$pc} to distinguish between trace
15022 frames that were collected at the tracepoint hit, and frames that were
15023 collected while stepping. This allows it to correctly choose whether
15024 to display the basic list of collections, or the collections from the
15025 body of the while-stepping loop. However, if @code{$pc} was not collected,
15026 then @code{tdump} will always attempt to dump using the basic collection
15027 list, and may fail if a while-stepping frame does not include all the
15028 same data that is collected at the tracepoint hit.
15029 @c This is getting pretty arcane, example would be good.
15031 @node save tracepoints
15032 @subsection @code{save tracepoints @var{filename}}
15033 @kindex save tracepoints
15034 @kindex save-tracepoints
15035 @cindex save tracepoints for future sessions
15037 This command saves all current tracepoint definitions together with
15038 their actions and passcounts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
15039 suitable for use in a later debugging session. To read the saved
15040 tracepoint definitions, use the @code{source} command (@pxref{Command
15041 Files}). The @w{@code{save-tracepoints}} command is a deprecated
15042 alias for @w{@code{save tracepoints}}
15044 @node Tracepoint Variables
15045 @section Convenience Variables for Tracepoints
15046 @cindex tracepoint variables
15047 @cindex convenience variables for tracepoints
15050 @vindex $trace_frame
15051 @item (int) $trace_frame
15052 The current trace snapshot (a.k.a.@: @dfn{frame}) number, or -1 if no
15053 snapshot is selected.
15055 @vindex $tracepoint
15056 @item (int) $tracepoint
15057 The tracepoint for the current trace snapshot.
15059 @vindex $trace_line
15060 @item (int) $trace_line
15061 The line number for the current trace snapshot.
15063 @vindex $trace_file
15064 @item (char []) $trace_file
15065 The source file for the current trace snapshot.
15067 @vindex $trace_func
15068 @item (char []) $trace_func
15069 The name of the function containing @code{$tracepoint}.
15072 Note: @code{$trace_file} is not suitable for use in @code{printf},
15073 use @code{output} instead.
15075 Here's a simple example of using these convenience variables for
15076 stepping through all the trace snapshots and printing some of their
15077 data. Note that these are not the same as trace state variables,
15078 which are managed by the target.
15081 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
15083 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while $trace_frame != -1}
15084 > output $trace_file
15085 > printf ", line %d (tracepoint #%d)\n", $trace_line, $tracepoint
15091 @section Using Trace Files
15092 @cindex trace files
15094 In some situations, the target running a trace experiment may no
15095 longer be available; perhaps it crashed, or the hardware was needed
15096 for a different activity. To handle these cases, you can arrange to
15097 dump the trace data into a file, and later use that file as a source
15098 of trace data, via the @code{target tfile} command.
15103 @item tsave [ -r ] @var{filename}
15104 @itemx tsave [-ctf] @var{dirname}
15105 Save the trace data to @var{filename}. By default, this command
15106 assumes that @var{filename} refers to the host filesystem, so if
15107 necessary @value{GDBN} will copy raw trace data up from the target and
15108 then save it. If the target supports it, you can also supply the
15109 optional argument @code{-r} (``remote'') to direct the target to save
15110 the data directly into @var{filename} in its own filesystem, which may be
15111 more efficient if the trace buffer is very large. (Note, however, that
15112 @code{target tfile} can only read from files accessible to the host.)
15113 By default, this command will save trace frame in tfile format.
15114 You can supply the optional argument @code{-ctf} to save data in CTF
15115 format. The @dfn{Common Trace Format} (CTF) is proposed as a trace format
15116 that can be shared by multiple debugging and tracing tools. Please go to
15117 @indicateurl{http://www.efficios.com/ctf} to get more information.
15119 @kindex target tfile
15123 @item target tfile @var{filename}
15124 @itemx target ctf @var{dirname}
15125 Use the file named @var{filename} or directory named @var{dirname} as
15126 a source of trace data. Commands that examine data work as they do with
15127 a live target, but it is not possible to run any new trace experiments.
15128 @code{tstatus} will report the state of the trace run at the moment
15129 the data was saved, as well as the current trace frame you are examining.
15130 Both @var{filename} and @var{dirname} must be on a filesystem accessible to
15134 (@value{GDBP}) target ctf ctf.ctf
15135 (@value{GDBP}) tfind
15136 Found trace frame 0, tracepoint 2
15137 39 ++a; /* set tracepoint 1 here */
15138 (@value{GDBP}) tdump
15139 Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 0:
15143 c = @{"123", "456", "789", "123", "456", "789"@}
15144 d = @{@{@{a = 1, b = 2@}, @{a = 3, b = 4@}@}, @{@{a = 5, b = 6@}, @{a = 7, b = 8@}@}@}
15152 @chapter Debugging Programs That Use Overlays
15155 If your program is too large to fit completely in your target system's
15156 memory, you can sometimes use @dfn{overlays} to work around this
15157 problem. @value{GDBN} provides some support for debugging programs that
15161 * How Overlays Work:: A general explanation of overlays.
15162 * Overlay Commands:: Managing overlays in @value{GDBN}.
15163 * Automatic Overlay Debugging:: @value{GDBN} can find out which overlays are
15164 mapped by asking the inferior.
15165 * Overlay Sample Program:: A sample program using overlays.
15168 @node How Overlays Work
15169 @section How Overlays Work
15170 @cindex mapped overlays
15171 @cindex unmapped overlays
15172 @cindex load address, overlay's
15173 @cindex mapped address
15174 @cindex overlay area
15176 Suppose you have a computer whose instruction address space is only 64
15177 kilobytes long, but which has much more memory which can be accessed by
15178 other means: special instructions, segment registers, or memory
15179 management hardware, for example. Suppose further that you want to
15180 adapt a program which is larger than 64 kilobytes to run on this system.
15182 One solution is to identify modules of your program which are relatively
15183 independent, and need not call each other directly; call these modules
15184 @dfn{overlays}. Separate the overlays from the main program, and place
15185 their machine code in the larger memory. Place your main program in
15186 instruction memory, but leave at least enough space there to hold the
15187 largest overlay as well.
15189 Now, to call a function located in an overlay, you must first copy that
15190 overlay's machine code from the large memory into the space set aside
15191 for it in the instruction memory, and then jump to its entry point
15194 @c NB: In the below the mapped area's size is greater or equal to the
15195 @c size of all overlays. This is intentional to remind the developer
15196 @c that overlays don't necessarily need to be the same size.
15200 Data Instruction Larger
15201 Address Space Address Space Address Space
15202 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+
15204 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+<-- overlay 1
15205 | program | | main | .----| overlay 1 | load address
15206 | variables | | program | | +-----------+
15207 | and heap | | | | | |
15208 +-----------+ | | | +-----------+<-- overlay 2
15209 | | +-----------+ | | | load address
15210 +-----------+ | | | .-| overlay 2 |
15212 mapped --->+-----------+ | | +-----------+
15213 address | | | | | |
15214 | overlay | <-' | | |
15215 | area | <---' +-----------+<-- overlay 3
15216 | | <---. | | load address
15217 +-----------+ `--| overlay 3 |
15224 @anchor{A code overlay}A code overlay
15228 The diagram (@pxref{A code overlay}) shows a system with separate data
15229 and instruction address spaces. To map an overlay, the program copies
15230 its code from the larger address space to the instruction address space.
15231 Since the overlays shown here all use the same mapped address, only one
15232 may be mapped at a time. For a system with a single address space for
15233 data and instructions, the diagram would be similar, except that the
15234 program variables and heap would share an address space with the main
15235 program and the overlay area.
15237 An overlay loaded into instruction memory and ready for use is called a
15238 @dfn{mapped} overlay; its @dfn{mapped address} is its address in the
15239 instruction memory. An overlay not present (or only partially present)
15240 in instruction memory is called @dfn{unmapped}; its @dfn{load address}
15241 is its address in the larger memory. The mapped address is also called
15242 the @dfn{virtual memory address}, or @dfn{VMA}; the load address is also
15243 called the @dfn{load memory address}, or @dfn{LMA}.
15245 Unfortunately, overlays are not a completely transparent way to adapt a
15246 program to limited instruction memory. They introduce a new set of
15247 global constraints you must keep in mind as you design your program:
15252 Before calling or returning to a function in an overlay, your program
15253 must make sure that overlay is actually mapped. Otherwise, the call or
15254 return will transfer control to the right address, but in the wrong
15255 overlay, and your program will probably crash.
15258 If the process of mapping an overlay is expensive on your system, you
15259 will need to choose your overlays carefully to minimize their effect on
15260 your program's performance.
15263 The executable file you load onto your system must contain each
15264 overlay's instructions, appearing at the overlay's load address, not its
15265 mapped address. However, each overlay's instructions must be relocated
15266 and its symbols defined as if the overlay were at its mapped address.
15267 You can use GNU linker scripts to specify different load and relocation
15268 addresses for pieces of your program; see @ref{Overlay Description,,,
15269 ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}.
15272 The procedure for loading executable files onto your system must be able
15273 to load their contents into the larger address space as well as the
15274 instruction and data spaces.
15278 The overlay system described above is rather simple, and could be
15279 improved in many ways:
15284 If your system has suitable bank switch registers or memory management
15285 hardware, you could use those facilities to make an overlay's load area
15286 contents simply appear at their mapped address in instruction space.
15287 This would probably be faster than copying the overlay to its mapped
15288 area in the usual way.
15291 If your overlays are small enough, you could set aside more than one
15292 overlay area, and have more than one overlay mapped at a time.
15295 You can use overlays to manage data, as well as instructions. In
15296 general, data overlays are even less transparent to your design than
15297 code overlays: whereas code overlays only require care when you call or
15298 return to functions, data overlays require care every time you access
15299 the data. Also, if you change the contents of a data overlay, you
15300 must copy its contents back out to its load address before you can copy a
15301 different data overlay into the same mapped area.
15306 @node Overlay Commands
15307 @section Overlay Commands
15309 To use @value{GDBN}'s overlay support, each overlay in your program must
15310 correspond to a separate section of the executable file. The section's
15311 virtual memory address and load memory address must be the overlay's
15312 mapped and load addresses. Identifying overlays with sections allows
15313 @value{GDBN} to determine the appropriate address of a function or
15314 variable, depending on whether the overlay is mapped or not.
15316 @value{GDBN}'s overlay commands all start with the word @code{overlay};
15317 you can abbreviate this as @code{ov} or @code{ovly}. The commands are:
15322 Disable @value{GDBN}'s overlay support. When overlay support is
15323 disabled, @value{GDBN} assumes that all functions and variables are
15324 always present at their mapped addresses. By default, @value{GDBN}'s
15325 overlay support is disabled.
15327 @item overlay manual
15328 @cindex manual overlay debugging
15329 Enable @dfn{manual} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
15330 relies on you to tell it which overlays are mapped, and which are not,
15331 using the @code{overlay map-overlay} and @code{overlay unmap-overlay}
15332 commands described below.
15334 @item overlay map-overlay @var{overlay}
15335 @itemx overlay map @var{overlay}
15336 @cindex map an overlay
15337 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is now mapped; @var{overlay} must
15338 be the name of the object file section containing the overlay. When an
15339 overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the overlay's
15340 functions and variables at their mapped addresses. @value{GDBN} assumes
15341 that any other overlays whose mapped ranges overlap that of
15342 @var{overlay} are now unmapped.
15344 @item overlay unmap-overlay @var{overlay}
15345 @itemx overlay unmap @var{overlay}
15346 @cindex unmap an overlay
15347 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is no longer mapped; @var{overlay}
15348 must be the name of the object file section containing the overlay.
15349 When an overlay is unmapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the
15350 overlay's functions and variables at their load addresses.
15353 Enable @dfn{automatic} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
15354 consults a data structure the overlay manager maintains in the inferior
15355 to see which overlays are mapped. For details, see @ref{Automatic
15356 Overlay Debugging}.
15358 @item overlay load-target
15359 @itemx overlay load
15360 @cindex reloading the overlay table
15361 Re-read the overlay table from the inferior. Normally, @value{GDBN}
15362 re-reads the table @value{GDBN} automatically each time the inferior
15363 stops, so this command should only be necessary if you have changed the
15364 overlay mapping yourself using @value{GDBN}. This command is only
15365 useful when using automatic overlay debugging.
15367 @item overlay list-overlays
15368 @itemx overlay list
15369 @cindex listing mapped overlays
15370 Display a list of the overlays currently mapped, along with their mapped
15371 addresses, load addresses, and sizes.
15375 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a code address, it includes the name
15376 of the function the address falls in:
15379 (@value{GDBP}) print main
15380 $3 = @{int ()@} 0x11a0 <main>
15383 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} recognizes code in
15384 unmapped overlays, and prints the names of unmapped functions with
15385 asterisks around them. For example, if @code{foo} is a function in an
15386 unmapped overlay, @value{GDBN} prints it this way:
15389 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
15390 No sections are mapped.
15391 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
15392 $5 = @{int (int)@} 0x100000 <*foo*>
15395 When @code{foo}'s overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} prints the function's
15399 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
15400 Section .ov.foo.text, loaded at 0x100000 - 0x100034,
15401 mapped at 0x1016 - 0x104a
15402 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
15403 $6 = @{int (int)@} 0x1016 <foo>
15406 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} can find the correct
15407 address for functions and variables in an overlay, whether or not the
15408 overlay is mapped. This allows most @value{GDBN} commands, like
15409 @code{break} and @code{disassemble}, to work normally, even on unmapped
15410 code. However, @value{GDBN}'s breakpoint support has some limitations:
15414 @cindex breakpoints in overlays
15415 @cindex overlays, setting breakpoints in
15416 You can set breakpoints in functions in unmapped overlays, as long as
15417 @value{GDBN} can write to the overlay at its load address.
15419 @value{GDBN} can not set hardware or simulator-based breakpoints in
15420 unmapped overlays. However, if you set a breakpoint at the end of your
15421 overlay manager (and tell @value{GDBN} which overlays are now mapped, if
15422 you are using manual overlay management), @value{GDBN} will re-set its
15423 breakpoints properly.
15427 @node Automatic Overlay Debugging
15428 @section Automatic Overlay Debugging
15429 @cindex automatic overlay debugging
15431 @value{GDBN} can automatically track which overlays are mapped and which
15432 are not, given some simple co-operation from the overlay manager in the
15433 inferior. If you enable automatic overlay debugging with the
15434 @code{overlay auto} command (@pxref{Overlay Commands}), @value{GDBN}
15435 looks in the inferior's memory for certain variables describing the
15436 current state of the overlays.
15438 Here are the variables your overlay manager must define to support
15439 @value{GDBN}'s automatic overlay debugging:
15443 @item @code{_ovly_table}:
15444 This variable must be an array of the following structures:
15449 /* The overlay's mapped address. */
15452 /* The size of the overlay, in bytes. */
15453 unsigned long size;
15455 /* The overlay's load address. */
15458 /* Non-zero if the overlay is currently mapped;
15460 unsigned long mapped;
15464 @item @code{_novlys}:
15465 This variable must be a four-byte signed integer, holding the total
15466 number of elements in @code{_ovly_table}.
15470 To decide whether a particular overlay is mapped or not, @value{GDBN}
15471 looks for an entry in @w{@code{_ovly_table}} whose @code{vma} and
15472 @code{lma} members equal the VMA and LMA of the overlay's section in the
15473 executable file. When @value{GDBN} finds a matching entry, it consults
15474 the entry's @code{mapped} member to determine whether the overlay is
15477 In addition, your overlay manager may define a function called
15478 @code{_ovly_debug_event}. If this function is defined, @value{GDBN}
15479 will silently set a breakpoint there. If the overlay manager then
15480 calls this function whenever it has changed the overlay table, this
15481 will enable @value{GDBN} to accurately keep track of which overlays
15482 are in program memory, and update any breakpoints that may be set
15483 in overlays. This will allow breakpoints to work even if the
15484 overlays are kept in ROM or other non-writable memory while they
15485 are not being executed.
15487 @node Overlay Sample Program
15488 @section Overlay Sample Program
15489 @cindex overlay example program
15491 When linking a program which uses overlays, you must place the overlays
15492 at their load addresses, while relocating them to run at their mapped
15493 addresses. To do this, you must write a linker script (@pxref{Overlay
15494 Description,,, ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}). Unfortunately,
15495 since linker scripts are specific to a particular host system, target
15496 architecture, and target memory layout, this manual cannot provide
15497 portable sample code demonstrating @value{GDBN}'s overlay support.
15499 However, the @value{GDBN} source distribution does contain an overlaid
15500 program, with linker scripts for a few systems, as part of its test
15501 suite. The program consists of the following files from
15502 @file{gdb/testsuite/gdb.base}:
15506 The main program file.
15508 A simple overlay manager, used by @file{overlays.c}.
15513 Overlay modules, loaded and used by @file{overlays.c}.
15516 Linker scripts for linking the test program on the @code{d10v-elf}
15517 and @code{m32r-elf} targets.
15520 You can build the test program using the @code{d10v-elf} GCC
15521 cross-compiler like this:
15524 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c overlays.c
15525 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c ovlymgr.c
15526 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c foo.c
15527 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c bar.c
15528 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c baz.c
15529 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c grbx.c
15530 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g overlays.o ovlymgr.o foo.o bar.o \
15531 baz.o grbx.o -Wl,-Td10v.ld -o overlays
15534 The build process is identical for any other architecture, except that
15535 you must substitute the appropriate compiler and linker script for the
15536 target system for @code{d10v-elf-gcc} and @code{d10v.ld}.
15540 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages
15543 Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they are
15544 rarely expressed in the same manner. For instance, in ANSI C,
15545 dereferencing a pointer @code{p} is accomplished by @code{*p}, but in
15546 Modula-2, it is accomplished by @code{p^}. Values can also be
15547 represented (and displayed) differently. Hex numbers in C appear as
15548 @samp{0x1ae}, while in Modula-2 they appear as @samp{1AEH}.
15550 @cindex working language
15551 Language-specific information is built into @value{GDBN} for some languages,
15552 allowing you to express operations like the above in your program's
15553 native language, and allowing @value{GDBN} to output values in a manner
15554 consistent with the syntax of your program's native language. The
15555 language you use to build expressions is called the @dfn{working
15559 * Setting:: Switching between source languages
15560 * Show:: Displaying the language
15561 * Checks:: Type and range checks
15562 * Supported Languages:: Supported languages
15563 * Unsupported Languages:: Unsupported languages
15567 @section Switching Between Source Languages
15569 There are two ways to control the working language---either have @value{GDBN}
15570 set it automatically, or select it manually yourself. You can use the
15571 @code{set language} command for either purpose. On startup, @value{GDBN}
15572 defaults to setting the language automatically. The working language is
15573 used to determine how expressions you type are interpreted, how values
15576 In addition to the working language, every source file that
15577 @value{GDBN} knows about has its own working language. For some object
15578 file formats, the compiler might indicate which language a particular
15579 source file is in. However, most of the time @value{GDBN} infers the
15580 language from the name of the file. The language of a source file
15581 controls whether C@t{++} names are demangled---this way @code{backtrace} can
15582 show each frame appropriately for its own language. There is no way to
15583 set the language of a source file from within @value{GDBN}, but you can
15584 set the language associated with a filename extension. @xref{Show, ,
15585 Displaying the Language}.
15587 This is most commonly a problem when you use a program, such
15588 as @code{cfront} or @code{f2c}, that generates C but is written in
15589 another language. In that case, make the
15590 program use @code{#line} directives in its C output; that way
15591 @value{GDBN} will know the correct language of the source code of the original
15592 program, and will display that source code, not the generated C code.
15595 * Filenames:: Filename extensions and languages.
15596 * Manually:: Setting the working language manually
15597 * Automatically:: Having @value{GDBN} infer the source language
15601 @subsection List of Filename Extensions and Languages
15603 If a source file name ends in one of the following extensions, then
15604 @value{GDBN} infers that its language is the one indicated.
15622 C@t{++} source file
15628 Objective-C source file
15632 Fortran source file
15635 Modula-2 source file
15639 Assembler source file. This actually behaves almost like C, but
15640 @value{GDBN} does not skip over function prologues when stepping.
15643 In addition, you may set the language associated with a filename
15644 extension. @xref{Show, , Displaying the Language}.
15647 @subsection Setting the Working Language
15649 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically,
15650 expressions are interpreted the same way in your debugging session and
15653 @kindex set language
15654 If you wish, you may set the language manually. To do this, issue the
15655 command @samp{set language @var{lang}}, where @var{lang} is the name of
15656 a language, such as
15657 @code{c} or @code{modula-2}.
15658 For a list of the supported languages, type @samp{set language}.
15660 Setting the language manually prevents @value{GDBN} from updating the working
15661 language automatically. This can lead to confusion if you try
15662 to debug a program when the working language is not the same as the
15663 source language, when an expression is acceptable to both
15664 languages---but means different things. For instance, if the current
15665 source file were written in C, and @value{GDBN} was parsing Modula-2, a
15673 might not have the effect you intended. In C, this means to add
15674 @code{b} and @code{c} and place the result in @code{a}. The result
15675 printed would be the value of @code{a}. In Modula-2, this means to compare
15676 @code{a} to the result of @code{b+c}, yielding a @code{BOOLEAN} value.
15678 @node Automatically
15679 @subsection Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language
15681 To have @value{GDBN} set the working language automatically, use
15682 @samp{set language local} or @samp{set language auto}. @value{GDBN}
15683 then infers the working language. That is, when your program stops in a
15684 frame (usually by encountering a breakpoint), @value{GDBN} sets the
15685 working language to the language recorded for the function in that
15686 frame. If the language for a frame is unknown (that is, if the function
15687 or block corresponding to the frame was defined in a source file that
15688 does not have a recognized extension), the current working language is
15689 not changed, and @value{GDBN} issues a warning.
15691 This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written
15692 entirely in one source language. However, program modules and libraries
15693 written in one source language can be used by a main program written in
15694 a different source language. Using @samp{set language auto} in this
15695 case frees you from having to set the working language manually.
15698 @section Displaying the Language
15700 The following commands help you find out which language is the
15701 working language, and also what language source files were written in.
15704 @item show language
15705 @anchor{show language}
15706 @kindex show language
15707 Display the current working language. This is the
15708 language you can use with commands such as @code{print} to
15709 build and compute expressions that may involve variables in your program.
15712 @kindex info frame@r{, show the source language}
15713 Display the source language for this frame. This language becomes the
15714 working language if you use an identifier from this frame.
15715 @xref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}, to identify the other
15716 information listed here.
15719 @kindex info source@r{, show the source language}
15720 Display the source language of this source file.
15721 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, to identify the other
15722 information listed here.
15725 In unusual circumstances, you may have source files with extensions
15726 not in the standard list. You can then set the extension associated
15727 with a language explicitly:
15730 @item set extension-language @var{ext} @var{language}
15731 @kindex set extension-language
15732 Tell @value{GDBN} that source files with extension @var{ext} are to be
15733 assumed as written in the source language @var{language}.
15735 @item info extensions
15736 @kindex info extensions
15737 List all the filename extensions and the associated languages.
15741 @section Type and Range Checking
15743 Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly common
15744 errors through a series of compile- and run-time checks. These include
15745 checking the type of arguments to functions and operators and making
15746 sure mathematical overflows are caught at run time. Checks such as
15747 these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been compiled
15748 by eliminating type mismatches and providing active checks for range
15749 errors when your program is running.
15751 By default @value{GDBN} checks for these errors according to the
15752 rules of the current source language. Although @value{GDBN} does not check
15753 the statements in your program, it can check expressions entered directly
15754 into @value{GDBN} for evaluation via the @code{print} command, for example.
15757 * Type Checking:: An overview of type checking
15758 * Range Checking:: An overview of range checking
15761 @cindex type checking
15762 @cindex checks, type
15763 @node Type Checking
15764 @subsection An Overview of Type Checking
15766 Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, are strongly typed, meaning that the
15767 arguments to operators and functions have to be of the correct type,
15768 otherwise an error occurs. These checks prevent type mismatch
15769 errors from ever causing any run-time problems. For example,
15772 int klass::my_method(char *b) @{ return b ? 1 : 2; @}
15774 (@value{GDBP}) print obj.my_method (0)
15777 (@value{GDBP}) print obj.my_method (0x1234)
15778 Cannot resolve method klass::my_method to any overloaded instance
15781 The second example fails because in C@t{++} the integer constant
15782 @samp{0x1234} is not type-compatible with the pointer parameter type.
15784 For the expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
15785 @value{GDBN} to not enforce strict type checking or
15786 to treat any mismatches as errors and abandon the expression;
15787 When type checking is disabled, @value{GDBN} successfully evaluates
15788 expressions like the second example above.
15790 Even if type checking is off, there may be other reasons
15791 related to type that prevent @value{GDBN} from evaluating an expression.
15792 For instance, @value{GDBN} does not know how to add an @code{int} and
15793 a @code{struct foo}. These particular type errors have nothing to do
15794 with the language in use and usually arise from expressions which make
15795 little sense to evaluate anyway.
15797 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling type checking:
15799 @kindex set check type
15800 @kindex show check type
15802 @item set check type on
15803 @itemx set check type off
15804 Set strict type checking on or off. If any type mismatches occur in
15805 evaluating an expression while type checking is on, @value{GDBN} prints a
15806 message and aborts evaluation of the expression.
15808 @item show check type
15809 Show the current setting of type checking and whether @value{GDBN}
15810 is enforcing strict type checking rules.
15813 @cindex range checking
15814 @cindex checks, range
15815 @node Range Checking
15816 @subsection An Overview of Range Checking
15818 In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the
15819 bounds of a type; this is enforced with run-time checks. Such range
15820 checking is meant to ensure program correctness by making sure
15821 computations do not overflow, or indices on an array element access do
15822 not exceed the bounds of the array.
15824 For expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
15825 @value{GDBN} to treat range errors in one of three ways: ignore them,
15826 always treat them as errors and abandon the expression, or issue
15827 warnings but evaluate the expression anyway.
15829 A range error can result from numerical overflow, from exceeding an
15830 array index bound, or when you type a constant that is not a member
15831 of any type. Some languages, however, do not treat overflows as an
15832 error. In many implementations of C, mathematical overflow causes the
15833 result to ``wrap around'' to lower values---for example, if @var{m} is
15834 the largest integer value, and @var{s} is the smallest, then
15837 @var{m} + 1 @result{} @var{s}
15840 This, too, is specific to individual languages, and in some cases
15841 specific to individual compilers or machines. @xref{Supported Languages, ,
15842 Supported Languages}, for further details on specific languages.
15844 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the range checker:
15846 @kindex set check range
15847 @kindex show check range
15849 @item set check range auto
15850 Set range checking on or off based on the current working language.
15851 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
15854 @item set check range on
15855 @itemx set check range off
15856 Set range checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
15857 current working language. A warning is issued if the setting does not
15858 match the language default. If a range error occurs and range checking is on,
15859 then a message is printed and evaluation of the expression is aborted.
15861 @item set check range warn
15862 Output messages when the @value{GDBN} range checker detects a range error,
15863 but attempt to evaluate the expression anyway. Evaluating the
15864 expression may still be impossible for other reasons, such as accessing
15865 memory that the process does not own (a typical example from many Unix
15869 Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not it is
15870 being set automatically by @value{GDBN}.
15873 @node Supported Languages
15874 @section Supported Languages
15876 @value{GDBN} supports C, C@t{++}, D, Go, Objective-C, Fortran,
15877 OpenCL C, Pascal, Rust, assembly, Modula-2, and Ada.
15878 @c This is false ...
15879 Some @value{GDBN} features may be used in expressions regardless of the
15880 language you use: the @value{GDBN} @code{@@} and @code{::} operators,
15881 and the @samp{@{type@}addr} construct (@pxref{Expressions,
15882 ,Expressions}) can be used with the constructs of any supported
15885 The following sections detail to what degree each source language is
15886 supported by @value{GDBN}. These sections are not meant to be language
15887 tutorials or references, but serve only as a reference guide to what the
15888 @value{GDBN} expression parser accepts, and what input and output
15889 formats should look like for different languages. There are many good
15890 books written on each of these languages; please look to these for a
15891 language reference or tutorial.
15894 * C:: C and C@t{++}
15897 * Objective-C:: Objective-C
15898 * OpenCL C:: OpenCL C
15899 * Fortran:: Fortran
15902 * Modula-2:: Modula-2
15907 @subsection C and C@t{++}
15909 @cindex C and C@t{++}
15910 @cindex expressions in C or C@t{++}
15912 Since C and C@t{++} are so closely related, many features of @value{GDBN} apply
15913 to both languages. Whenever this is the case, we discuss those languages
15917 @cindex @code{g++}, @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler
15918 @cindex @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
15919 The C@t{++} debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the C@t{++}
15920 compiler and @value{GDBN}. Therefore, to debug your C@t{++} code
15921 effectively, you must compile your C@t{++} programs with a supported
15922 C@t{++} compiler, such as @sc{gnu} @code{g++}, or the HP ANSI C@t{++}
15923 compiler (@code{aCC}).
15926 * C Operators:: C and C@t{++} operators
15927 * C Constants:: C and C@t{++} constants
15928 * C Plus Plus Expressions:: C@t{++} expressions
15929 * C Defaults:: Default settings for C and C@t{++}
15930 * C Checks:: C and C@t{++} type and range checks
15931 * Debugging C:: @value{GDBN} and C
15932 * Debugging C Plus Plus:: @value{GDBN} features for C@t{++}
15933 * Decimal Floating Point:: Numbers in Decimal Floating Point format
15937 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Operators
15939 @cindex C and C@t{++} operators
15941 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
15942 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
15943 often defined on groups of types.
15945 For the purposes of C and C@t{++}, the following definitions hold:
15950 @emph{Integral types} include @code{int} with any of its storage-class
15951 specifiers; @code{char}; @code{enum}; and, for C@t{++}, @code{bool}.
15954 @emph{Floating-point types} include @code{float}, @code{double}, and
15955 @code{long double} (if supported by the target platform).
15958 @emph{Pointer types} include all types defined as @code{(@var{type} *)}.
15961 @emph{Scalar types} include all of the above.
15966 The following operators are supported. They are listed here
15967 in order of increasing precedence:
15971 The comma or sequencing operator. Expressions in a comma-separated list
15972 are evaluated from left to right, with the result of the entire
15973 expression being the last expression evaluated.
15976 Assignment. The value of an assignment expression is the value
15977 assigned. Defined on scalar types.
15980 Used in an expression of the form @w{@code{@var{a} @var{op}= @var{b}}},
15981 and translated to @w{@code{@var{a} = @var{a op b}}}.
15982 @w{@code{@var{op}=}} and @code{=} have the same precedence. The operator
15983 @var{op} is any one of the operators @code{|}, @code{^}, @code{&},
15984 @code{<<}, @code{>>}, @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{%}.
15987 The ternary operator. @code{@var{a} ? @var{b} : @var{c}} can be thought
15988 of as: if @var{a} then @var{b} else @var{c}. The argument @var{a}
15989 should be of an integral type.
15992 Logical @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
15995 Logical @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
15998 Bitwise @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
16001 Bitwise exclusive-@sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
16004 Bitwise @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
16007 Equality and inequality. Defined on scalar types. The value of these
16008 expressions is 0 for false and non-zero for true.
16010 @item <@r{, }>@r{, }<=@r{, }>=
16011 Less than, greater than, less than or equal, greater than or equal.
16012 Defined on scalar types. The value of these expressions is 0 for false
16013 and non-zero for true.
16016 left shift, and right shift. Defined on integral types.
16019 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
16022 Addition and subtraction. Defined on integral types, floating-point types and
16025 @item *@r{, }/@r{, }%
16026 Multiplication, division, and modulus. Multiplication and division are
16027 defined on integral and floating-point types. Modulus is defined on
16031 Increment and decrement. When appearing before a variable, the
16032 operation is performed before the variable is used in an expression;
16033 when appearing after it, the variable's value is used before the
16034 operation takes place.
16037 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types. Same precedence as
16041 Address operator. Defined on variables. Same precedence as @code{++}.
16043 For debugging C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} implements a use of @samp{&} beyond what is
16044 allowed in the C@t{++} language itself: you can use @samp{&(&@var{ref})}
16045 to examine the address
16046 where a C@t{++} reference variable (declared with @samp{&@var{ref}}) is
16050 Negative. Defined on integral and floating-point types. Same
16051 precedence as @code{++}.
16054 Logical negation. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
16058 Bitwise complement operator. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
16063 Structure member, and pointer-to-structure member. For convenience,
16064 @value{GDBN} regards the two as equivalent, choosing whether to dereference a
16065 pointer based on the stored type information.
16066 Defined on @code{struct} and @code{union} data.
16069 Dereferences of pointers to members.
16072 Array indexing. @code{@var{a}[@var{i}]} is defined as
16073 @code{*(@var{a}+@var{i})}. Same precedence as @code{->}.
16076 Function parameter list. Same precedence as @code{->}.
16079 C@t{++} scope resolution operator. Defined on @code{struct}, @code{union},
16080 and @code{class} types.
16083 Doubled colons also represent the @value{GDBN} scope operator
16084 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). Same precedence as @code{::},
16088 If an operator is redefined in the user code, @value{GDBN} usually
16089 attempts to invoke the redefined version instead of using the operator's
16090 predefined meaning.
16093 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Constants
16095 @cindex C and C@t{++} constants
16097 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of C and C@t{++} in the
16102 Integer constants are a sequence of digits. Octal constants are
16103 specified by a leading @samp{0} (i.e.@: zero), and hexadecimal constants
16104 by a leading @samp{0x} or @samp{0X}. Constants may also end with a letter
16105 @samp{l}, specifying that the constant should be treated as a
16109 Floating point constants are a sequence of digits, followed by a decimal
16110 point, followed by a sequence of digits, and optionally followed by an
16111 exponent. An exponent is of the form:
16112 @samp{@w{e@r{[[}+@r{]|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}}, where @var{nnn} is another
16113 sequence of digits. The @samp{+} is optional for positive exponents.
16114 A floating-point constant may also end with a letter @samp{f} or
16115 @samp{F}, specifying that the constant should be treated as being of
16116 the @code{float} (as opposed to the default @code{double}) type; or with
16117 a letter @samp{l} or @samp{L}, which specifies a @code{long double}
16121 Enumerated constants consist of enumerated identifiers, or their
16122 integral equivalents.
16125 Character constants are a single character surrounded by single quotes
16126 (@code{'}), or a number---the ordinal value of the corresponding character
16127 (usually its @sc{ascii} value). Within quotes, the single character may
16128 be represented by a letter or by @dfn{escape sequences}, which are of
16129 the form @samp{\@var{nnn}}, where @var{nnn} is the octal representation
16130 of the character's ordinal value; or of the form @samp{\@var{x}}, where
16131 @samp{@var{x}} is a predefined special character---for example,
16132 @samp{\n} for newline.
16134 Wide character constants can be written by prefixing a character
16135 constant with @samp{L}, as in C. For example, @samp{L'x'} is the wide
16136 form of @samp{x}. The target wide character set is used when
16137 computing the value of this constant (@pxref{Character Sets}).
16140 String constants are a sequence of character constants surrounded by
16141 double quotes (@code{"}). Any valid character constant (as described
16142 above) may appear. Double quotes within the string must be preceded by
16143 a backslash, so for instance @samp{"a\"b'c"} is a string of five
16146 Wide string constants can be written by prefixing a string constant
16147 with @samp{L}, as in C. The target wide character set is used when
16148 computing the value of this constant (@pxref{Character Sets}).
16151 Pointer constants are an integral value. You can also write pointers
16152 to constants using the C operator @samp{&}.
16155 Array constants are comma-separated lists surrounded by braces @samp{@{}
16156 and @samp{@}}; for example, @samp{@{1,2,3@}} is a three-element array of
16157 integers, @samp{@{@{1,2@}, @{3,4@}, @{5,6@}@}} is a three-by-two array,
16158 and @samp{@{&"hi", &"there", &"fred"@}} is a three-element array of pointers.
16161 @node C Plus Plus Expressions
16162 @subsubsection C@t{++} Expressions
16164 @cindex expressions in C@t{++}
16165 @value{GDBN} expression handling can interpret most C@t{++} expressions.
16167 @cindex debugging C@t{++} programs
16168 @cindex C@t{++} compilers
16169 @cindex debug formats and C@t{++}
16170 @cindex @value{NGCC} and C@t{++}
16172 @emph{Warning:} @value{GDBN} can only debug C@t{++} code if you use
16173 the proper compiler and the proper debug format. Currently,
16174 @value{GDBN} works best when debugging C@t{++} code that is compiled
16175 with the most recent version of @value{NGCC} possible. The DWARF
16176 debugging format is preferred; @value{NGCC} defaults to this on most
16177 popular platforms. Other compilers and/or debug formats are likely to
16178 work badly or not at all when using @value{GDBN} to debug C@t{++}
16179 code. @xref{Compilation}.
16184 @cindex member functions
16186 Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
16189 count = aml->GetOriginal(x, y)
16192 @vindex this@r{, inside C@t{++} member functions}
16193 @cindex namespace in C@t{++}
16195 While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame), your
16196 expressions have the same namespace available as the member function;
16197 that is, @value{GDBN} allows implicit references to the class instance
16198 pointer @code{this} following the same rules as C@t{++}. @code{using}
16199 declarations in the current scope are also respected by @value{GDBN}.
16201 @cindex call overloaded functions
16202 @cindex overloaded functions, calling
16203 @cindex type conversions in C@t{++}
16205 You can call overloaded functions; @value{GDBN} resolves the function
16206 call to the right definition, with some restrictions. @value{GDBN} does not
16207 perform overload resolution involving user-defined type conversions,
16208 calls to constructors, or instantiations of templates that do not exist
16209 in the program. It also cannot handle ellipsis argument lists or
16212 It does perform integral conversions and promotions, floating-point
16213 promotions, arithmetic conversions, pointer conversions, conversions of
16214 class objects to base classes, and standard conversions such as those of
16215 functions or arrays to pointers; it requires an exact match on the
16216 number of function arguments.
16218 Overload resolution is always performed, unless you have specified
16219 @code{set overload-resolution off}. @xref{Debugging C Plus Plus,
16220 ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
16222 You must specify @code{set overload-resolution off} in order to use an
16223 explicit function signature to call an overloaded function, as in
16225 p 'foo(char,int)'('x', 13)
16228 The @value{GDBN} command-completion facility can simplify this;
16229 see @ref{Completion, ,Command Completion}.
16231 @cindex reference declarations
16233 @value{GDBN} understands variables declared as C@t{++} lvalue or rvalue
16234 references; you can use them in expressions just as you do in C@t{++}
16235 source---they are automatically dereferenced.
16237 In the parameter list shown when @value{GDBN} displays a frame, the values of
16238 reference variables are not displayed (unlike other variables); this
16239 avoids clutter, since references are often used for large structures.
16240 The @emph{address} of a reference variable is always shown, unless
16241 you have specified @samp{set print address off}.
16244 @value{GDBN} supports the C@t{++} name resolution operator @code{::}---your
16245 expressions can use it just as expressions in your program do. Since
16246 one scope may be defined in another, you can use @code{::} repeatedly if
16247 necessary, for example in an expression like
16248 @samp{@var{scope1}::@var{scope2}::@var{name}}. @value{GDBN} also allows
16249 resolving name scope by reference to source files, in both C and C@t{++}
16250 debugging (@pxref{Variables, ,Program Variables}).
16253 @value{GDBN} performs argument-dependent lookup, following the C@t{++}
16258 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Defaults
16260 @cindex C and C@t{++} defaults
16262 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set range checking automatically, it
16263 defaults to @code{off} whenever the working language changes to
16264 C or C@t{++}. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
16265 selects the working language.
16267 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, it
16268 recognizes source files whose names end with @file{.c}, @file{.C}, or
16269 @file{.cc}, etc, and when @value{GDBN} enters code compiled from one of
16270 these files, it sets the working language to C or C@t{++}.
16271 @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language},
16272 for further details.
16275 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Type and Range Checks
16277 @cindex C and C@t{++} checks
16279 By default, when @value{GDBN} parses C or C@t{++} expressions, strict type
16280 checking is used. However, if you turn type checking off, @value{GDBN}
16281 will allow certain non-standard conversions, such as promoting integer
16282 constants to pointers.
16284 Range checking, if turned on, is done on mathematical operations. Array
16285 indices are not checked, since they are often used to index a pointer
16286 that is not itself an array.
16289 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and C
16291 The @code{set print union} and @code{show print union} commands apply to
16292 the @code{union} type. When set to @samp{on}, any @code{union} that is
16293 inside a @code{struct} or @code{class} is also printed. Otherwise, it
16294 appears as @samp{@{...@}}.
16296 The @code{@@} operator aids in the debugging of dynamic arrays, formed
16297 with pointers and a memory allocation function. @xref{Expressions,
16300 @node Debugging C Plus Plus
16301 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}
16303 @cindex commands for C@t{++}
16305 Some @value{GDBN} commands are particularly useful with C@t{++}, and some are
16306 designed specifically for use with C@t{++}. Here is a summary:
16309 @cindex break in overloaded functions
16310 @item @r{breakpoint menus}
16311 When you want a breakpoint in a function whose name is overloaded,
16312 @value{GDBN} has the capability to display a menu of possible breakpoint
16313 locations to help you specify which function definition you want.
16314 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}.
16316 @cindex overloading in C@t{++}
16317 @item rbreak @var{regex}
16318 Setting breakpoints using regular expressions is helpful for setting
16319 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
16321 @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
16323 @cindex C@t{++} exception handling
16325 @itemx catch rethrow
16327 Debug C@t{++} exception handling using these commands. @xref{Set
16328 Catchpoints, , Setting Catchpoints}.
16330 @cindex inheritance
16331 @item ptype @var{typename}
16332 Print inheritance relationships as well as other information for type
16334 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
16336 @item info vtbl @var{expression}.
16337 The @code{info vtbl} command can be used to display the virtual
16338 method tables of the object computed by @var{expression}. This shows
16339 one entry per virtual table; there may be multiple virtual tables when
16340 multiple inheritance is in use.
16342 @cindex C@t{++} demangling
16343 @item demangle @var{name}
16344 Demangle @var{name}.
16345 @xref{Symbols}, for a more complete description of the @code{demangle} command.
16347 @cindex C@t{++} symbol display
16348 @item set print demangle
16349 @itemx show print demangle
16350 @itemx set print asm-demangle
16351 @itemx show print asm-demangle
16352 Control whether C@t{++} symbols display in their source form, both when
16353 displaying code as C@t{++} source and when displaying disassemblies.
16354 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
16356 @item set print object
16357 @itemx show print object
16358 Choose whether to print derived (actual) or declared types of objects.
16359 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
16361 @item set print vtbl
16362 @itemx show print vtbl
16363 Control the format for printing virtual function tables.
16364 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
16365 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
16366 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
16368 @kindex set overload-resolution
16369 @cindex overloaded functions, overload resolution
16370 @item set overload-resolution on
16371 Enable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. The default
16372 is on. For overloaded functions, @value{GDBN} evaluates the arguments
16373 and searches for a function whose signature matches the argument types,
16374 using the standard C@t{++} conversion rules (see @ref{C Plus Plus
16375 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}, for details).
16376 If it cannot find a match, it emits a message.
16378 @item set overload-resolution off
16379 Disable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. For
16380 overloaded functions that are not class member functions, @value{GDBN}
16381 chooses the first function of the specified name that it finds in the
16382 symbol table, whether or not its arguments are of the correct type. For
16383 overloaded functions that are class member functions, @value{GDBN}
16384 searches for a function whose signature @emph{exactly} matches the
16387 @kindex show overload-resolution
16388 @item show overload-resolution
16389 Show the current setting of overload resolution.
16391 @item @r{Overloaded symbol names}
16392 You can specify a particular definition of an overloaded symbol, using
16393 the same notation that is used to declare such symbols in C@t{++}: type
16394 @code{@var{symbol}(@var{types})} rather than just @var{symbol}. You can
16395 also use the @value{GDBN} command-line word completion facilities to list the
16396 available choices, or to finish the type list for you.
16397 @xref{Completion,, Command Completion}, for details on how to do this.
16399 @item @r{Breakpoints in functions with ABI tags}
16401 The GNU C@t{++} compiler introduced the notion of ABI ``tags'', which
16402 correspond to changes in the ABI of a type, function, or variable that
16403 would not otherwise be reflected in a mangled name. See
16404 @url{https://developers.redhat.com/blog/2015/02/05/gcc5-and-the-c11-abi/}
16407 The ABI tags are visible in C@t{++} demangled names. For example, a
16408 function that returns a std::string:
16411 std::string function(int);
16415 when compiled for the C++11 ABI is marked with the @code{cxx11} ABI
16416 tag, and @value{GDBN} displays the symbol like this:
16419 function[abi:cxx11](int)
16422 You can set a breakpoint on such functions simply as if they had no
16426 (gdb) b function(int)
16427 Breakpoint 2 at 0x40060d: file main.cc, line 10.
16428 (gdb) info breakpoints
16429 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
16430 1 breakpoint keep y 0x0040060d in function[abi:cxx11](int)
16434 On the rare occasion you need to disambiguate between different ABI
16435 tags, you can do so by simply including the ABI tag in the function
16439 (@value{GDBP}) b ambiguous[abi:other_tag](int)
16443 @node Decimal Floating Point
16444 @subsubsection Decimal Floating Point format
16445 @cindex decimal floating point format
16447 @value{GDBN} can examine, set and perform computations with numbers in
16448 decimal floating point format, which in the C language correspond to the
16449 @code{_Decimal32}, @code{_Decimal64} and @code{_Decimal128} types as
16450 specified by the extension to support decimal floating-point arithmetic.
16452 There are two encodings in use, depending on the architecture: BID (Binary
16453 Integer Decimal) for x86 and x86-64, and DPD (Densely Packed Decimal) for
16454 PowerPC and S/390. @value{GDBN} will use the appropriate encoding for the
16457 Because of a limitation in @file{libdecnumber}, the library used by @value{GDBN}
16458 to manipulate decimal floating point numbers, it is not possible to convert
16459 (using a cast, for example) integers wider than 32-bit to decimal float.
16461 In addition, in order to imitate @value{GDBN}'s behaviour with binary floating
16462 point computations, error checking in decimal float operations ignores
16463 underflow, overflow and divide by zero exceptions.
16465 In the PowerPC architecture, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers
16466 to inspect @code{_Decimal128} values stored in floating point registers.
16467 See @ref{PowerPC,,PowerPC} for more details.
16473 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in D and compiled with
16474 GDC, LDC or DMD compilers. Currently @value{GDBN} supports only one D
16475 specific feature --- dynamic arrays.
16480 @cindex Go (programming language)
16481 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Go and compiled with
16482 @file{gccgo} or @file{6g} compilers.
16484 Here is a summary of the Go-specific features and restrictions:
16487 @cindex current Go package
16488 @item The current Go package
16489 The name of the current package does not need to be specified when
16490 specifying global variables and functions.
16492 For example, given the program:
16496 var myglob = "Shall we?"
16502 When stopped inside @code{main} either of these work:
16506 (gdb) p main.myglob
16509 @cindex builtin Go types
16510 @item Builtin Go types
16511 The @code{string} type is recognized by @value{GDBN} and is printed
16514 @cindex builtin Go functions
16515 @item Builtin Go functions
16516 The @value{GDBN} expression parser recognizes the @code{unsafe.Sizeof}
16517 function and handles it internally.
16519 @cindex restrictions on Go expressions
16520 @item Restrictions on Go expressions
16521 All Go operators are supported except @code{&^}.
16522 The Go @code{_} ``blank identifier'' is not supported.
16523 Automatic dereferencing of pointers is not supported.
16527 @subsection Objective-C
16529 @cindex Objective-C
16530 This section provides information about some commands and command
16531 options that are useful for debugging Objective-C code. See also
16532 @ref{Symbols, info classes}, and @ref{Symbols, info selectors}, for a
16533 few more commands specific to Objective-C support.
16536 * Method Names in Commands::
16537 * The Print Command with Objective-C::
16540 @node Method Names in Commands
16541 @subsubsection Method Names in Commands
16543 The following commands have been extended to accept Objective-C method
16544 names as line specifications:
16546 @kindex clear@r{, and Objective-C}
16547 @kindex break@r{, and Objective-C}
16548 @kindex info line@r{, and Objective-C}
16549 @kindex jump@r{, and Objective-C}
16550 @kindex list@r{, and Objective-C}
16554 @item @code{info line}
16559 A fully qualified Objective-C method name is specified as
16562 -[@var{Class} @var{methodName}]
16565 where the minus sign is used to indicate an instance method and a
16566 plus sign (not shown) is used to indicate a class method. The class
16567 name @var{Class} and method name @var{methodName} are enclosed in
16568 brackets, similar to the way messages are specified in Objective-C
16569 source code. For example, to set a breakpoint at the @code{create}
16570 instance method of class @code{Fruit} in the program currently being
16574 break -[Fruit create]
16577 To list ten program lines around the @code{initialize} class method,
16581 list +[NSText initialize]
16584 In the current version of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus sign is
16585 required. In future versions of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus
16586 sign will be optional, but you can use it to narrow the search. It
16587 is also possible to specify just a method name:
16593 You must specify the complete method name, including any colons. If
16594 your program's source files contain more than one @code{create} method,
16595 you'll be presented with a numbered list of classes that implement that
16596 method. Indicate your choice by number, or type @samp{0} to exit if
16599 As another example, to clear a breakpoint established at the
16600 @code{makeKeyAndOrderFront:} method of the @code{NSWindow} class, enter:
16603 clear -[NSWindow makeKeyAndOrderFront:]
16606 @node The Print Command with Objective-C
16607 @subsubsection The Print Command With Objective-C
16608 @cindex Objective-C, print objects
16609 @kindex print-object
16610 @kindex po @r{(@code{print-object})}
16612 The print command has also been extended to accept methods. For example:
16615 print -[@var{object} hash]
16618 @cindex print an Objective-C object description
16619 @cindex @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, and printing Objective-C objects
16621 will tell @value{GDBN} to send the @code{hash} message to @var{object}
16622 and print the result. Also, an additional command has been added,
16623 @code{print-object} or @code{po} for short, which is meant to print
16624 the description of an object. However, this command may only work
16625 with certain Objective-C libraries that have a particular hook
16626 function, @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, defined.
16629 @subsection OpenCL C
16632 This section provides information about @value{GDBN}s OpenCL C support.
16635 * OpenCL C Datatypes::
16636 * OpenCL C Expressions::
16637 * OpenCL C Operators::
16640 @node OpenCL C Datatypes
16641 @subsubsection OpenCL C Datatypes
16643 @cindex OpenCL C Datatypes
16644 @value{GDBN} supports the builtin scalar and vector datatypes specified
16645 by OpenCL 1.1. In addition the half- and double-precision floating point
16646 data types of the @code{cl_khr_fp16} and @code{cl_khr_fp64} OpenCL
16647 extensions are also known to @value{GDBN}.
16649 @node OpenCL C Expressions
16650 @subsubsection OpenCL C Expressions
16652 @cindex OpenCL C Expressions
16653 @value{GDBN} supports accesses to vector components including the access as
16654 lvalue where possible. Since OpenCL C is based on C99 most C expressions
16655 supported by @value{GDBN} can be used as well.
16657 @node OpenCL C Operators
16658 @subsubsection OpenCL C Operators
16660 @cindex OpenCL C Operators
16661 @value{GDBN} supports the operators specified by OpenCL 1.1 for scalar and
16665 @subsection Fortran
16666 @cindex Fortran-specific support in @value{GDBN}
16668 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, but it
16669 currently supports only the features of Fortran 77 language.
16671 @cindex trailing underscore, in Fortran symbols
16672 Some Fortran compilers (@sc{gnu} Fortran 77 and Fortran 95 compilers
16673 among them) append an underscore to the names of variables and
16674 functions. When you debug programs compiled by those compilers, you
16675 will need to refer to variables and functions with a trailing
16679 * Fortran Operators:: Fortran operators and expressions
16680 * Fortran Defaults:: Default settings for Fortran
16681 * Special Fortran Commands:: Special @value{GDBN} commands for Fortran
16684 @node Fortran Operators
16685 @subsubsection Fortran Operators and Expressions
16687 @cindex Fortran operators and expressions
16689 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
16690 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on characters or other non-
16691 arithmetic types. Operators are often defined on groups of types.
16695 The exponentiation operator. It raises the first operand to the power
16699 The range operator. Normally used in the form of array(low:high) to
16700 represent a section of array.
16703 The access component operator. Normally used to access elements in derived
16704 types. Also suitable for unions. As unions aren't part of regular Fortran,
16705 this can only happen when accessing a register that uses a gdbarch-defined
16708 The scope operator. Normally used to access variables in modules or
16709 to set breakpoints on subroutines nested in modules or in other
16710 subroutines (internal subroutines).
16713 @node Fortran Defaults
16714 @subsubsection Fortran Defaults
16716 @cindex Fortran Defaults
16718 Fortran symbols are usually case-insensitive, so @value{GDBN} by
16719 default uses case-insensitive matches for Fortran symbols. You can
16720 change that with the @samp{set case-insensitive} command, see
16721 @ref{Symbols}, for the details.
16723 @node Special Fortran Commands
16724 @subsubsection Special Fortran Commands
16726 @cindex Special Fortran commands
16728 @value{GDBN} has some commands to support Fortran-specific features,
16729 such as displaying common blocks.
16732 @cindex @code{COMMON} blocks, Fortran
16733 @kindex info common
16734 @item info common @r{[}@var{common-name}@r{]}
16735 This command prints the values contained in the Fortran @code{COMMON}
16736 block whose name is @var{common-name}. With no argument, the names of
16737 all @code{COMMON} blocks visible at the current program location are
16744 @cindex Pascal support in @value{GDBN}, limitations
16745 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
16746 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
16747 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
16750 The Pascal-specific command @code{set print pascal_static-members}
16751 controls whether static members of Pascal objects are displayed.
16752 @xref{Print Settings, pascal_static-members}.
16757 @value{GDBN} supports the @url{https://www.rust-lang.org/, Rust
16758 Programming Language}. Type- and value-printing, and expression
16759 parsing, are reasonably complete. However, there are a few
16760 peculiarities and holes to be aware of.
16764 Linespecs (@pxref{Specify Location}) are never relative to the current
16765 crate. Instead, they act as if there were a global namespace of
16766 crates, somewhat similar to the way @code{extern crate} behaves.
16768 That is, if @value{GDBN} is stopped at a breakpoint in a function in
16769 crate @samp{A}, module @samp{B}, then @code{break B::f} will attempt
16770 to set a breakpoint in a function named @samp{f} in a crate named
16773 As a consequence of this approach, linespecs also cannot refer to
16774 items using @samp{self::} or @samp{super::}.
16777 Because @value{GDBN} implements Rust name-lookup semantics in
16778 expressions, it will sometimes prepend the current crate to a name.
16779 For example, if @value{GDBN} is stopped at a breakpoint in the crate
16780 @samp{K}, then @code{print ::x::y} will try to find the symbol
16783 However, since it is useful to be able to refer to other crates when
16784 debugging, @value{GDBN} provides the @code{extern} extension to
16785 circumvent this. To use the extension, just put @code{extern} before
16786 a path expression to refer to the otherwise unavailable ``global''
16789 In the above example, if you wanted to refer to the symbol @samp{y} in
16790 the crate @samp{x}, you would use @code{print extern x::y}.
16793 The Rust expression evaluator does not support ``statement-like''
16794 expressions such as @code{if} or @code{match}, or lambda expressions.
16797 Tuple expressions are not implemented.
16800 The Rust expression evaluator does not currently implement the
16801 @code{Drop} trait. Objects that may be created by the evaluator will
16802 never be destroyed.
16805 @value{GDBN} does not implement type inference for generics. In order
16806 to call generic functions or otherwise refer to generic items, you
16807 will have to specify the type parameters manually.
16810 @value{GDBN} currently uses the C@t{++} demangler for Rust. In most
16811 cases this does not cause any problems. However, in an expression
16812 context, completing a generic function name will give syntactically
16813 invalid results. This happens because Rust requires the @samp{::}
16814 operator between the function name and its generic arguments. For
16815 example, @value{GDBN} might provide a completion like
16816 @code{crate::f<u32>}, where the parser would require
16817 @code{crate::f::<u32>}.
16820 As of this writing, the Rust compiler (version 1.8) has a few holes in
16821 the debugging information it generates. These holes prevent certain
16822 features from being implemented by @value{GDBN}:
16826 Method calls cannot be made via traits.
16829 Operator overloading is not implemented.
16832 When debugging in a monomorphized function, you cannot use the generic
16836 The type @code{Self} is not available.
16839 @code{use} statements are not available, so some names may not be
16840 available in the crate.
16845 @subsection Modula-2
16847 @cindex Modula-2, @value{GDBN} support
16849 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} to support Modula-2 only support
16850 output from the @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler (which is currently being
16851 developed). Other Modula-2 compilers are not currently supported, and
16852 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
16853 to give an error as @value{GDBN} reads in the executable's symbol
16856 @cindex expressions in Modula-2
16858 * M2 Operators:: Built-in operators
16859 * Built-In Func/Proc:: Built-in functions and procedures
16860 * M2 Constants:: Modula-2 constants
16861 * M2 Types:: Modula-2 types
16862 * M2 Defaults:: Default settings for Modula-2
16863 * Deviations:: Deviations from standard Modula-2
16864 * M2 Checks:: Modula-2 type and range checks
16865 * M2 Scope:: The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
16866 * GDB/M2:: @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
16870 @subsubsection Operators
16871 @cindex Modula-2 operators
16873 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
16874 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
16875 often defined on groups of types. For the purposes of Modula-2, the
16876 following definitions hold:
16881 @emph{Integral types} consist of @code{INTEGER}, @code{CARDINAL}, and
16885 @emph{Character types} consist of @code{CHAR} and its subranges.
16888 @emph{Floating-point types} consist of @code{REAL}.
16891 @emph{Pointer types} consist of anything declared as @code{POINTER TO
16895 @emph{Scalar types} consist of all of the above.
16898 @emph{Set types} consist of @code{SET} and @code{BITSET} types.
16901 @emph{Boolean types} consist of @code{BOOLEAN}.
16905 The following operators are supported, and appear in order of
16906 increasing precedence:
16910 Function argument or array index separator.
16913 Assignment. The value of @var{var} @code{:=} @var{value} is
16917 Less than, greater than on integral, floating-point, or enumerated
16921 Less than or equal to, greater than or equal to
16922 on integral, floating-point and enumerated types, or set inclusion on
16923 set types. Same precedence as @code{<}.
16925 @item =@r{, }<>@r{, }#
16926 Equality and two ways of expressing inequality, valid on scalar types.
16927 Same precedence as @code{<}. In @value{GDBN} scripts, only @code{<>} is
16928 available for inequality, since @code{#} conflicts with the script
16932 Set membership. Defined on set types and the types of their members.
16933 Same precedence as @code{<}.
16936 Boolean disjunction. Defined on boolean types.
16939 Boolean conjunction. Defined on boolean types.
16942 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
16945 Addition and subtraction on integral and floating-point types, or union
16946 and difference on set types.
16949 Multiplication on integral and floating-point types, or set intersection
16953 Division on floating-point types, or symmetric set difference on set
16954 types. Same precedence as @code{*}.
16957 Integer division and remainder. Defined on integral types. Same
16958 precedence as @code{*}.
16961 Negative. Defined on @code{INTEGER} and @code{REAL} data.
16964 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types.
16967 Boolean negation. Defined on boolean types. Same precedence as
16971 @code{RECORD} field selector. Defined on @code{RECORD} data. Same
16972 precedence as @code{^}.
16975 Array indexing. Defined on @code{ARRAY} data. Same precedence as @code{^}.
16978 Procedure argument list. Defined on @code{PROCEDURE} objects. Same precedence
16982 @value{GDBN} and Modula-2 scope operators.
16986 @emph{Warning:} Set expressions and their operations are not yet supported, so @value{GDBN}
16987 treats the use of the operator @code{IN}, or the use of operators
16988 @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{=}, , @code{<>}, @code{#},
16989 @code{<=}, and @code{>=} on sets as an error.
16993 @node Built-In Func/Proc
16994 @subsubsection Built-in Functions and Procedures
16995 @cindex Modula-2 built-ins
16997 Modula-2 also makes available several built-in procedures and functions.
16998 In describing these, the following metavariables are used:
17003 represents an @code{ARRAY} variable.
17006 represents a @code{CHAR} constant or variable.
17009 represents a variable or constant of integral type.
17012 represents an identifier that belongs to a set. Generally used in the
17013 same function with the metavariable @var{s}. The type of @var{s} should
17014 be @code{SET OF @var{mtype}} (where @var{mtype} is the type of @var{m}).
17017 represents a variable or constant of integral or floating-point type.
17020 represents a variable or constant of floating-point type.
17026 represents a variable.
17029 represents a variable or constant of one of many types. See the
17030 explanation of the function for details.
17033 All Modula-2 built-in procedures also return a result, described below.
17037 Returns the absolute value of @var{n}.
17040 If @var{c} is a lower case letter, it returns its upper case
17041 equivalent, otherwise it returns its argument.
17044 Returns the character whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
17047 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
17049 @item DEC(@var{v},@var{i})
17050 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
17053 @item EXCL(@var{m},@var{s})
17054 Removes the element @var{m} from the set @var{s}. Returns the new
17057 @item FLOAT(@var{i})
17058 Returns the floating point equivalent of the integer @var{i}.
17060 @item HIGH(@var{a})
17061 Returns the index of the last member of @var{a}.
17064 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
17066 @item INC(@var{v},@var{i})
17067 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
17070 @item INCL(@var{m},@var{s})
17071 Adds the element @var{m} to the set @var{s} if it is not already
17072 there. Returns the new set.
17075 Returns the maximum value of the type @var{t}.
17078 Returns the minimum value of the type @var{t}.
17081 Returns boolean TRUE if @var{i} is an odd number.
17084 Returns the ordinal value of its argument. For example, the ordinal
17085 value of a character is its @sc{ascii} value (on machines supporting
17086 the @sc{ascii} character set). The argument @var{x} must be of an
17087 ordered type, which include integral, character and enumerated types.
17089 @item SIZE(@var{x})
17090 Returns the size of its argument. The argument @var{x} can be a
17091 variable or a type.
17093 @item TRUNC(@var{r})
17094 Returns the integral part of @var{r}.
17096 @item TSIZE(@var{x})
17097 Returns the size of its argument. The argument @var{x} can be a
17098 variable or a type.
17100 @item VAL(@var{t},@var{i})
17101 Returns the member of the type @var{t} whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
17105 @emph{Warning:} Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so
17106 @value{GDBN} treats the use of procedures @code{INCL} and @code{EXCL} as
17110 @cindex Modula-2 constants
17112 @subsubsection Constants
17114 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of Modula-2 in the following
17120 Integer constants are simply a sequence of digits. When used in an
17121 expression, a constant is interpreted to be type-compatible with the
17122 rest of the expression. Hexadecimal integers are specified by a
17123 trailing @samp{H}, and octal integers by a trailing @samp{B}.
17126 Floating point constants appear as a sequence of digits, followed by a
17127 decimal point and another sequence of digits. An optional exponent can
17128 then be specified, in the form @samp{E@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}, where
17129 @samp{@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}} is the desired exponent. All of the
17130 digits of the floating point constant must be valid decimal (base 10)
17134 Character constants consist of a single character enclosed by a pair of
17135 like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}). They may
17136 also be expressed by their ordinal value (their @sc{ascii} value, usually)
17137 followed by a @samp{C}.
17140 String constants consist of a sequence of characters enclosed by a
17141 pair of like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}).
17142 Escape sequences in the style of C are also allowed. @xref{C
17143 Constants, ,C and C@t{++} Constants}, for a brief explanation of escape
17147 Enumerated constants consist of an enumerated identifier.
17150 Boolean constants consist of the identifiers @code{TRUE} and
17154 Pointer constants consist of integral values only.
17157 Set constants are not yet supported.
17161 @subsubsection Modula-2 Types
17162 @cindex Modula-2 types
17164 Currently @value{GDBN} can print the following data types in Modula-2
17165 syntax: array types, record types, set types, pointer types, procedure
17166 types, enumerated types, subrange types and base types. You can also
17167 print the contents of variables declared using these type.
17168 This section gives a number of simple source code examples together with
17169 sample @value{GDBN} sessions.
17171 The first example contains the following section of code:
17180 and you can request @value{GDBN} to interrogate the type and value of
17181 @code{r} and @code{s}.
17184 (@value{GDBP}) print s
17186 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
17188 (@value{GDBP}) print r
17190 (@value{GDBP}) ptype r
17195 Likewise if your source code declares @code{s} as:
17199 s: SET ['A'..'Z'] ;
17203 then you may query the type of @code{s} by:
17206 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
17207 type = SET ['A'..'Z']
17211 Note that at present you cannot interactively manipulate set
17212 expressions using the debugger.
17214 The following example shows how you might declare an array in Modula-2
17215 and how you can interact with @value{GDBN} to print its type and contents:
17219 s: ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR ;
17223 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
17224 ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR
17227 Note that the array handling is not yet complete and although the type
17228 is printed correctly, expression handling still assumes that all
17229 arrays have a lower bound of zero and not @code{-10} as in the example
17232 Here are some more type related Modula-2 examples:
17236 colour = (blue, red, yellow, green) ;
17237 t = [blue..yellow] ;
17245 The @value{GDBN} interaction shows how you can query the data type
17246 and value of a variable.
17249 (@value{GDBP}) print s
17251 (@value{GDBP}) ptype t
17252 type = [blue..yellow]
17256 In this example a Modula-2 array is declared and its contents
17257 displayed. Observe that the contents are written in the same way as
17258 their @code{C} counterparts.
17262 s: ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
17268 (@value{GDBP}) print s
17269 $1 = @{1, 0, 0, 0, 0@}
17270 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
17271 type = ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
17274 The Modula-2 language interface to @value{GDBN} also understands
17275 pointer types as shown in this example:
17279 s: POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
17286 and you can request that @value{GDBN} describes the type of @code{s}.
17289 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
17290 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
17293 @value{GDBN} handles compound types as we can see in this example.
17294 Here we combine array types, record types, pointer types and subrange
17305 myarray = ARRAY myrange OF CARDINAL ;
17306 myrange = [-2..2] ;
17308 s: POINTER TO ARRAY myrange OF foo ;
17312 and you can ask @value{GDBN} to describe the type of @code{s} as shown
17316 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
17317 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [-2..2] OF foo = RECORD
17320 f3 : ARRAY [-2..2] OF CARDINAL;
17325 @subsubsection Modula-2 Defaults
17326 @cindex Modula-2 defaults
17328 If type and range checking are set automatically by @value{GDBN}, they
17329 both default to @code{on} whenever the working language changes to
17330 Modula-2. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
17331 selected the working language.
17333 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, then entering
17334 code compiled from a file whose name ends with @file{.mod} sets the
17335 working language to Modula-2. @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN}
17336 Infer the Source Language}, for further details.
17339 @subsubsection Deviations from Standard Modula-2
17340 @cindex Modula-2, deviations from
17342 A few changes have been made to make Modula-2 programs easier to debug.
17343 This is done primarily via loosening its type strictness:
17347 Unlike in standard Modula-2, pointer constants can be formed by
17348 integers. This allows you to modify pointer variables during
17349 debugging. (In standard Modula-2, the actual address contained in a
17350 pointer variable is hidden from you; it can only be modified
17351 through direct assignment to another pointer variable or expression that
17352 returned a pointer.)
17355 C escape sequences can be used in strings and characters to represent
17356 non-printable characters. @value{GDBN} prints out strings with these
17357 escape sequences embedded. Single non-printable characters are
17358 printed using the @samp{CHR(@var{nnn})} format.
17361 The assignment operator (@code{:=}) returns the value of its right-hand
17365 All built-in procedures both modify @emph{and} return their argument.
17369 @subsubsection Modula-2 Type and Range Checks
17370 @cindex Modula-2 checks
17373 @emph{Warning:} in this release, @value{GDBN} does not yet perform type or
17376 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range checks added
17378 @value{GDBN} considers two Modula-2 variables type equivalent if:
17382 They are of types that have been declared equivalent via a @code{TYPE
17383 @var{t1} = @var{t2}} statement
17386 They have been declared on the same line. (Note: This is true of the
17387 @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler, but it may not be true of other compilers.)
17390 As long as type checking is enabled, any attempt to combine variables
17391 whose types are not equivalent is an error.
17393 Range checking is done on all mathematical operations, assignment, array
17394 index bounds, and all built-in functions and procedures.
17397 @subsubsection The Scope Operators @code{::} and @code{.}
17399 @cindex @code{.}, Modula-2 scope operator
17400 @cindex colon, doubled as scope operator
17402 @vindex colon-colon@r{, in Modula-2}
17403 @c Info cannot handle :: but TeX can.
17406 @vindex ::@r{, in Modula-2}
17409 There are a few subtle differences between the Modula-2 scope operator
17410 (@code{.}) and the @value{GDBN} scope operator (@code{::}). The two have
17415 @var{module} . @var{id}
17416 @var{scope} :: @var{id}
17420 where @var{scope} is the name of a module or a procedure,
17421 @var{module} the name of a module, and @var{id} is any declared
17422 identifier within your program, except another module.
17424 Using the @code{::} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the scope
17425 specified by @var{scope} for the identifier @var{id}. If it is not
17426 found in the specified scope, then @value{GDBN} searches all scopes
17427 enclosing the one specified by @var{scope}.
17429 Using the @code{.} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the current scope for
17430 the identifier specified by @var{id} that was imported from the
17431 definition module specified by @var{module}. With this operator, it is
17432 an error if the identifier @var{id} was not imported from definition
17433 module @var{module}, or if @var{id} is not an identifier in
17437 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
17439 Some @value{GDBN} commands have little use when debugging Modula-2 programs.
17440 Five subcommands of @code{set print} and @code{show print} apply
17441 specifically to C and C@t{++}: @samp{vtbl}, @samp{demangle},
17442 @samp{asm-demangle}, @samp{object}, and @samp{union}. The first four
17443 apply to C@t{++}, and the last to the C @code{union} type, which has no direct
17444 analogue in Modula-2.
17446 The @code{@@} operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), while available
17447 with any language, is not useful with Modula-2. Its
17448 intent is to aid the debugging of @dfn{dynamic arrays}, which cannot be
17449 created in Modula-2 as they can in C or C@t{++}. However, because an
17450 address can be specified by an integral constant, the construct
17451 @samp{@{@var{type}@}@var{adrexp}} is still useful.
17453 @cindex @code{#} in Modula-2
17454 In @value{GDBN} scripts, the Modula-2 inequality operator @code{#} is
17455 interpreted as the beginning of a comment. Use @code{<>} instead.
17461 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} for Ada only support
17462 output from the @sc{gnu} Ada (GNAT) compiler.
17463 Other Ada compilers are not currently supported, and
17464 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
17468 @cindex expressions in Ada
17470 * Ada Mode Intro:: General remarks on the Ada syntax
17471 and semantics supported by Ada mode
17473 * Omissions from Ada:: Restrictions on the Ada expression syntax.
17474 * Additions to Ada:: Extensions of the Ada expression syntax.
17475 * Overloading support for Ada:: Support for expressions involving overloaded
17477 * Stopping Before Main Program:: Debugging the program during elaboration.
17478 * Ada Exceptions:: Ada Exceptions
17479 * Ada Tasks:: Listing and setting breakpoints in tasks.
17480 * Ada Tasks and Core Files:: Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
17481 * Ravenscar Profile:: Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar
17483 * Ada Settings:: New settable GDB parameters for Ada.
17484 * Ada Glitches:: Known peculiarities of Ada mode.
17487 @node Ada Mode Intro
17488 @subsubsection Introduction
17489 @cindex Ada mode, general
17491 The Ada mode of @value{GDBN} supports a fairly large subset of Ada expression
17492 syntax, with some extensions.
17493 The philosophy behind the design of this subset is
17497 That @value{GDBN} should provide basic literals and access to operations for
17498 arithmetic, dereferencing, field selection, indexing, and subprogram calls,
17499 leaving more sophisticated computations to subprograms written into the
17500 program (which therefore may be called from @value{GDBN}).
17503 That type safety and strict adherence to Ada language restrictions
17504 are not particularly important to the @value{GDBN} user.
17507 That brevity is important to the @value{GDBN} user.
17510 Thus, for brevity, the debugger acts as if all names declared in
17511 user-written packages are directly visible, even if they are not visible
17512 according to Ada rules, thus making it unnecessary to fully qualify most
17513 names with their packages, regardless of context. Where this causes
17514 ambiguity, @value{GDBN} asks the user's intent.
17516 The debugger will start in Ada mode if it detects an Ada main program.
17517 As for other languages, it will enter Ada mode when stopped in a program that
17518 was translated from an Ada source file.
17520 While in Ada mode, you may use `@t{--}' for comments. This is useful
17521 mostly for documenting command files. The standard @value{GDBN} comment
17522 (@samp{#}) still works at the beginning of a line in Ada mode, but not in the
17523 middle (to allow based literals).
17525 @node Omissions from Ada
17526 @subsubsection Omissions from Ada
17527 @cindex Ada, omissions from
17529 Here are the notable omissions from the subset:
17533 Only a subset of the attributes are supported:
17537 @t{'First}, @t{'Last}, and @t{'Length}
17538 on array objects (not on types and subtypes).
17541 @t{'Min} and @t{'Max}.
17544 @t{'Pos} and @t{'Val}.
17550 @t{'Range} on array objects (not subtypes), but only as the right
17551 operand of the membership (@code{in}) operator.
17554 @t{'Access}, @t{'Unchecked_Access}, and
17555 @t{'Unrestricted_Access} (a GNAT extension).
17563 @code{Characters.Latin_1} are not available and
17564 concatenation is not implemented. Thus, escape characters in strings are
17565 not currently available.
17568 Equality tests (@samp{=} and @samp{/=}) on arrays test for bitwise
17569 equality of representations. They will generally work correctly
17570 for strings and arrays whose elements have integer or enumeration types.
17571 They may not work correctly for arrays whose element
17572 types have user-defined equality, for arrays of real values
17573 (in particular, IEEE-conformant floating point, because of negative
17574 zeroes and NaNs), and for arrays whose elements contain unused bits with
17575 indeterminate values.
17578 The other component-by-component array operations (@code{and}, @code{or},
17579 @code{xor}, @code{not}, and relational tests other than equality)
17580 are not implemented.
17583 @cindex array aggregates (Ada)
17584 @cindex record aggregates (Ada)
17585 @cindex aggregates (Ada)
17586 There is limited support for array and record aggregates. They are
17587 permitted only on the right sides of assignments, as in these examples:
17590 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
17591 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, others => 0)
17592 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (0|4 => 1, 1..3 => 2, 5 => 6)
17593 (@value{GDBP}) set A_2D_Array := ((1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6), (7, 8, 9))
17594 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (1, "Peter", True);
17595 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (Name => "Peter", Id => 1, Alive => True)
17599 discriminant's value by assigning an aggregate has an
17600 undefined effect if that discriminant is used within the record.
17601 However, you can first modify discriminants by directly assigning to
17602 them (which normally would not be allowed in Ada), and then performing an
17603 aggregate assignment. For example, given a variable @code{A_Rec}
17604 declared to have a type such as:
17607 type Rec (Len : Small_Integer := 0) is record
17609 Vals : IntArray (1 .. Len);
17613 you can assign a value with a different size of @code{Vals} with two
17617 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec.Len := 4
17618 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec := (Id => 42, Vals => (1, 2, 3, 4))
17621 As this example also illustrates, @value{GDBN} is very loose about the usual
17622 rules concerning aggregates. You may leave out some of the
17623 components of an array or record aggregate (such as the @code{Len}
17624 component in the assignment to @code{A_Rec} above); they will retain their
17625 original values upon assignment. You may freely use dynamic values as
17626 indices in component associations. You may even use overlapping or
17627 redundant component associations, although which component values are
17628 assigned in such cases is not defined.
17631 Calls to dispatching subprograms are not implemented.
17634 The overloading algorithm is much more limited (i.e., less selective)
17635 than that of real Ada. It makes only limited use of the context in
17636 which a subexpression appears to resolve its meaning, and it is much
17637 looser in its rules for allowing type matches. As a result, some
17638 function calls will be ambiguous, and the user will be asked to choose
17639 the proper resolution.
17642 The @code{new} operator is not implemented.
17645 Entry calls are not implemented.
17648 Aside from printing, arithmetic operations on the native VAX floating-point
17649 formats are not supported.
17652 It is not possible to slice a packed array.
17655 The names @code{True} and @code{False}, when not part of a qualified name,
17656 are interpreted as if implicitly prefixed by @code{Standard}, regardless of
17658 Should your program
17659 redefine these names in a package or procedure (at best a dubious practice),
17660 you will have to use fully qualified names to access their new definitions.
17663 @node Additions to Ada
17664 @subsubsection Additions to Ada
17665 @cindex Ada, deviations from
17667 As it does for other languages, @value{GDBN} makes certain generic
17668 extensions to Ada (@pxref{Expressions}):
17672 If the expression @var{E} is a variable residing in memory (typically
17673 a local variable or array element) and @var{N} is a positive integer,
17674 then @code{@var{E}@@@var{N}} displays the values of @var{E} and the
17675 @var{N}-1 adjacent variables following it in memory as an array. In
17676 Ada, this operator is generally not necessary, since its prime use is
17677 in displaying parts of an array, and slicing will usually do this in
17678 Ada. However, there are occasional uses when debugging programs in
17679 which certain debugging information has been optimized away.
17682 @code{@var{B}::@var{var}} means ``the variable named @var{var} that
17683 appears in function or file @var{B}.'' When @var{B} is a file name,
17684 you must typically surround it in single quotes.
17687 The expression @code{@{@var{type}@} @var{addr}} means ``the variable of type
17688 @var{type} that appears at address @var{addr}.''
17691 A name starting with @samp{$} is a convenience variable
17692 (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) or a machine register (@pxref{Registers}).
17695 In addition, @value{GDBN} provides a few other shortcuts and outright
17696 additions specific to Ada:
17700 The assignment statement is allowed as an expression, returning
17701 its right-hand operand as its value. Thus, you may enter
17704 (@value{GDBP}) set x := y + 3
17705 (@value{GDBP}) print A(tmp := y + 1)
17709 The semicolon is allowed as an ``operator,'' returning as its value
17710 the value of its right-hand operand.
17711 This allows, for example,
17712 complex conditional breaks:
17715 (@value{GDBP}) break f
17716 (@value{GDBP}) condition 1 (report(i); k += 1; A(k) > 100)
17720 Rather than use catenation and symbolic character names to introduce special
17721 characters into strings, one may instead use a special bracket notation,
17722 which is also used to print strings. A sequence of characters of the form
17723 @samp{["@var{XX}"]} within a string or character literal denotes the
17724 (single) character whose numeric encoding is @var{XX} in hexadecimal. The
17725 sequence of characters @samp{["""]} also denotes a single quotation mark
17726 in strings. For example,
17728 "One line.["0a"]Next line.["0a"]"
17731 contains an ASCII newline character (@code{Ada.Characters.Latin_1.LF})
17735 The subtype used as a prefix for the attributes @t{'Pos}, @t{'Min}, and
17736 @t{'Max} is optional (and is ignored in any case). For example, it is valid
17740 (@value{GDBP}) print 'max(x, y)
17744 When printing arrays, @value{GDBN} uses positional notation when the
17745 array has a lower bound of 1, and uses a modified named notation otherwise.
17746 For example, a one-dimensional array of three integers with a lower bound
17747 of 3 might print as
17754 That is, in contrast to valid Ada, only the first component has a @code{=>}
17758 You may abbreviate attributes in expressions with any unique,
17759 multi-character subsequence of
17760 their names (an exact match gets preference).
17761 For example, you may use @t{a'len}, @t{a'gth}, or @t{a'lh}
17762 in place of @t{a'length}.
17765 @cindex quoting Ada internal identifiers
17766 Since Ada is case-insensitive, the debugger normally maps identifiers you type
17767 to lower case. The GNAT compiler uses upper-case characters for
17768 some of its internal identifiers, which are normally of no interest to users.
17769 For the rare occasions when you actually have to look at them,
17770 enclose them in angle brackets to avoid the lower-case mapping.
17773 (@value{GDBP}) print <JMPBUF_SAVE>[0]
17777 Printing an object of class-wide type or dereferencing an
17778 access-to-class-wide value will display all the components of the object's
17779 specific type (as indicated by its run-time tag). Likewise, component
17780 selection on such a value will operate on the specific type of the
17785 @node Overloading support for Ada
17786 @subsubsection Overloading support for Ada
17787 @cindex overloading, Ada
17789 The debugger supports limited overloading. Given a subprogram call in which
17790 the function symbol has multiple definitions, it will use the number of
17791 actual parameters and some information about their types to attempt to narrow
17792 the set of definitions. It also makes very limited use of context, preferring
17793 procedures to functions in the context of the @code{call} command, and
17794 functions to procedures elsewhere.
17796 If, after narrowing, the set of matching definitions still contains more than
17797 one definition, @value{GDBN} will display a menu to query which one it should
17801 (@value{GDBP}) print f(1)
17802 Multiple matches for f
17804 [1] foo.f (integer) return boolean at foo.adb:23
17805 [2] foo.f (foo.new_integer) return boolean at foo.adb:28
17809 In this case, just select one menu entry either to cancel expression evaluation
17810 (type @kbd{0} and press @key{RET}) or to continue evaluation with a specific
17811 instance (type the corresponding number and press @key{RET}).
17813 Here are a couple of commands to customize @value{GDBN}'s behavior in this
17818 @kindex set ada print-signatures
17819 @item set ada print-signatures
17820 Control whether parameter types and return types are displayed in overloads
17821 selection menus. It is @code{on} by default.
17822 @xref{Overloading support for Ada}.
17824 @kindex show ada print-signatures
17825 @item show ada print-signatures
17826 Show the current setting for displaying parameter types and return types in
17827 overloads selection menu.
17828 @xref{Overloading support for Ada}.
17832 @node Stopping Before Main Program
17833 @subsubsection Stopping at the Very Beginning
17835 @cindex breakpointing Ada elaboration code
17836 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration, and
17837 before reaching the main procedure.
17838 As defined in the Ada Reference
17839 Manual, the elaboration code is invoked from a procedure called
17840 @code{adainit}. To run your program up to the beginning of
17841 elaboration, simply use the following two commands:
17842 @code{tbreak adainit} and @code{run}.
17844 @node Ada Exceptions
17845 @subsubsection Ada Exceptions
17847 A command is provided to list all Ada exceptions:
17850 @kindex info exceptions
17851 @item info exceptions
17852 @itemx info exceptions @var{regexp}
17853 The @code{info exceptions} command allows you to list all Ada exceptions
17854 defined within the program being debugged, as well as their addresses.
17855 With a regular expression, @var{regexp}, as argument, only those exceptions
17856 whose names match @var{regexp} are listed.
17859 Below is a small example, showing how the command can be used, first
17860 without argument, and next with a regular expression passed as an
17864 (@value{GDBP}) info exceptions
17865 All defined Ada exceptions:
17866 constraint_error: 0x613da0
17867 program_error: 0x613d20
17868 storage_error: 0x613ce0
17869 tasking_error: 0x613ca0
17870 const.aint_global_e: 0x613b00
17871 (@value{GDBP}) info exceptions const.aint
17872 All Ada exceptions matching regular expression "const.aint":
17873 constraint_error: 0x613da0
17874 const.aint_global_e: 0x613b00
17877 It is also possible to ask @value{GDBN} to stop your program's execution
17878 when an exception is raised. For more details, see @ref{Set Catchpoints}.
17881 @subsubsection Extensions for Ada Tasks
17882 @cindex Ada, tasking
17884 Support for Ada tasks is analogous to that for threads (@pxref{Threads}).
17885 @value{GDBN} provides the following task-related commands:
17890 This command shows a list of current Ada tasks, as in the following example:
17897 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
17898 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
17899 1 8088000 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
17900 2 80a4000 1 15 Accept Statement b
17901 3 809a800 1 15 Child Activation Wait a
17902 * 4 80ae800 3 15 Runnable c
17907 In this listing, the asterisk before the last task indicates it to be the
17908 task currently being inspected.
17912 Represents @value{GDBN}'s internal task number.
17918 The parent's task ID (@value{GDBN}'s internal task number).
17921 The base priority of the task.
17924 Current state of the task.
17928 The task has been created but has not been activated. It cannot be
17932 The task is not blocked for any reason known to Ada. (It may be waiting
17933 for a mutex, though.) It is conceptually "executing" in normal mode.
17936 The task is terminated, in the sense of ARM 9.3 (5). Any dependents
17937 that were waiting on terminate alternatives have been awakened and have
17938 terminated themselves.
17940 @item Child Activation Wait
17941 The task is waiting for created tasks to complete activation.
17943 @item Accept Statement
17944 The task is waiting on an accept or selective wait statement.
17946 @item Waiting on entry call
17947 The task is waiting on an entry call.
17949 @item Async Select Wait
17950 The task is waiting to start the abortable part of an asynchronous
17954 The task is waiting on a select statement with only a delay
17957 @item Child Termination Wait
17958 The task is sleeping having completed a master within itself, and is
17959 waiting for the tasks dependent on that master to become terminated or
17960 waiting on a terminate Phase.
17962 @item Wait Child in Term Alt
17963 The task is sleeping waiting for tasks on terminate alternatives to
17964 finish terminating.
17966 @item Accepting RV with @var{taskno}
17967 The task is accepting a rendez-vous with the task @var{taskno}.
17971 Name of the task in the program.
17975 @kindex info task @var{taskno}
17976 @item info task @var{taskno}
17977 This command shows detailed informations on the specified task, as in
17978 the following example:
17983 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
17984 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
17985 1 8077880 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
17986 * 2 807c468 1 15 Runnable task_1
17987 (@value{GDBP}) info task 2
17988 Ada Task: 0x807c468
17992 Parent: 1 ("main_task")
17998 @kindex task@r{ (Ada)}
17999 @cindex current Ada task ID
18000 This command prints the ID and name of the current task.
18006 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
18007 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
18008 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
18009 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable some_task
18010 (@value{GDBP}) task
18011 [Current task is 2 "some_task"]
18014 @item task @var{taskno}
18015 @cindex Ada task switching
18016 This command is like the @code{thread @var{thread-id}}
18017 command (@pxref{Threads}). It switches the context of debugging
18018 from the current task to the given task.
18024 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
18025 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
18026 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
18027 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable some_task
18028 (@value{GDBP}) task 1
18029 [Switching to task 1 "main_task"]
18030 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
18032 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
18033 #1 0x8056714 in system.os_interface.pthread_cond_wait ()
18034 #2 0x805cb63 in system.task_primitives.operations.sleep ()
18035 #3 0x806153e in system.tasking.stages.activate_tasks ()
18036 #4 0x804aacc in un () at un.adb:5
18039 @item break @var{location} task @var{taskno}
18040 @itemx break @var{location} task @var{taskno} if @dots{}
18041 @cindex breakpoints and tasks, in Ada
18042 @cindex task breakpoints, in Ada
18043 @kindex break @dots{} task @var{taskno}@r{ (Ada)}
18044 These commands are like the @code{break @dots{} thread @dots{}}
18045 command (@pxref{Thread Stops}). The
18046 @var{location} argument specifies source lines, as described
18047 in @ref{Specify Location}.
18049 Use the qualifier @samp{task @var{taskno}} with a breakpoint command
18050 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
18051 particular Ada task reaches this breakpoint. The @var{taskno} is one of the
18052 numeric task identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
18053 column of the @samp{info tasks} display.
18055 If you do not specify @samp{task @var{taskno}} when you set a
18056 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} tasks of your
18059 You can use the @code{task} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
18060 well; in this case, place @samp{task @var{taskno}} before the
18061 breakpoint condition (before the @code{if}).
18069 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
18070 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
18071 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
18072 2 140045060 1 15 Accept/Select Wait t2
18073 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
18074 * 4 140056040 1 15 Runnable t3
18075 (@value{GDBP}) b 15 task 2
18076 Breakpoint 5 at 0x120044cb0: file test_task_debug.adb, line 15.
18077 (@value{GDBP}) cont
18082 Breakpoint 5, test_task_debug () at test_task_debug.adb:15
18084 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
18085 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
18086 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
18087 * 2 140045060 1 15 Runnable t2
18088 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
18089 4 140056040 1 15 Delay Sleep t3
18093 @node Ada Tasks and Core Files
18094 @subsubsection Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
18095 @cindex Ada tasking and core file debugging
18097 When inspecting a core file, as opposed to debugging a live program,
18098 tasking support may be limited or even unavailable, depending on
18099 the platform being used.
18100 For instance, on x86-linux, the list of tasks is available, but task
18101 switching is not supported.
18103 On certain platforms, the debugger needs to perform some
18104 memory writes in order to provide Ada tasking support. When inspecting
18105 a core file, this means that the core file must be opened with read-write
18106 privileges, using the command @samp{"set write on"} (@pxref{Patching}).
18107 Under these circumstances, you should make a backup copy of the core
18108 file before inspecting it with @value{GDBN}.
18110 @node Ravenscar Profile
18111 @subsubsection Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar Profile
18112 @cindex Ravenscar Profile
18114 The @dfn{Ravenscar Profile} is a subset of the Ada tasking features,
18115 specifically designed for systems with safety-critical real-time
18119 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching on
18120 @cindex task switching with program using Ravenscar Profile
18121 @item set ravenscar task-switching on
18122 Allows task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
18123 Profile. This is the default.
18125 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching off
18126 @item set ravenscar task-switching off
18127 Turn off task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
18128 Profile. This is mostly intended to disable the code that adds support
18129 for the Ravenscar Profile, in case a bug in either @value{GDBN} or in
18130 the Ravenscar runtime is preventing @value{GDBN} from working properly.
18131 To be effective, this command should be run before the program is started.
18133 @kindex show ravenscar task-switching
18134 @item show ravenscar task-switching
18135 Show whether it is possible to switch from task to task in a program
18136 using the Ravenscar Profile.
18141 @subsubsection Ada Settings
18142 @cindex Ada settings
18145 @kindex set varsize-limit
18146 @item set varsize-limit @var{size}
18147 Prevent @value{GDBN} from attempting to evaluate objects whose size
18148 is above the given limit (@var{size}) when those sizes are computed
18149 from run-time quantities. This is typically the case when the object
18150 has a variable size, such as an array whose bounds are not known at
18151 compile time for example. Setting @var{size} to @code{unlimited}
18152 removes the size limitation. By default, the limit is about 65KB.
18154 The purpose of having such a limit is to prevent @value{GDBN} from
18155 trying to grab enormous chunks of virtual memory when asked to evaluate
18156 a quantity whose bounds have been corrupted or have not yet been fully
18157 initialized. The limit applies to the results of some subexpressions
18158 as well as to complete expressions. For example, an expression denoting
18159 a simple integer component, such as @code{x.y.z}, may fail if the size of
18160 @code{x.y} is variable and exceeds @code{size}. On the other hand,
18161 @value{GDBN} is sometimes clever; the expression @code{A(i)}, where
18162 @code{A} is an array variable with non-constant size, will generally
18163 succeed regardless of the bounds on @code{A}, as long as the component
18164 size is less than @var{size}.
18166 @kindex show varsize-limit
18167 @item show varsize-limit
18168 Show the limit on types whose size is determined by run-time quantities.
18172 @subsubsection Known Peculiarities of Ada Mode
18173 @cindex Ada, problems
18175 Besides the omissions listed previously (@pxref{Omissions from Ada}),
18176 we know of several problems with and limitations of Ada mode in
18178 some of which will be fixed with planned future releases of the debugger
18179 and the GNU Ada compiler.
18183 Static constants that the compiler chooses not to materialize as objects in
18184 storage are invisible to the debugger.
18187 Named parameter associations in function argument lists are ignored (the
18188 argument lists are treated as positional).
18191 Many useful library packages are currently invisible to the debugger.
18194 Fixed-point arithmetic, conversions, input, and output is carried out using
18195 floating-point arithmetic, and may give results that only approximate those on
18199 The GNAT compiler never generates the prefix @code{Standard} for any of
18200 the standard symbols defined by the Ada language. @value{GDBN} knows about
18201 this: it will strip the prefix from names when you use it, and will never
18202 look for a name you have so qualified among local symbols, nor match against
18203 symbols in other packages or subprograms. If you have
18204 defined entities anywhere in your program other than parameters and
18205 local variables whose simple names match names in @code{Standard},
18206 GNAT's lack of qualification here can cause confusion. When this happens,
18207 you can usually resolve the confusion
18208 by qualifying the problematic names with package
18209 @code{Standard} explicitly.
18212 Older versions of the compiler sometimes generate erroneous debugging
18213 information, resulting in the debugger incorrectly printing the value
18214 of affected entities. In some cases, the debugger is able to work
18215 around an issue automatically. In other cases, the debugger is able
18216 to work around the issue, but the work-around has to be specifically
18219 @kindex set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
18220 @kindex show ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
18223 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS on
18224 Configure GDB to strictly follow the GNAT encoding when computing the
18225 value of Ada entities, particularly when @code{PAD} and @code{PAD___XVS}
18226 types are involved (see @code{ada/exp_dbug.ads} in the GCC sources for
18227 a complete description of the encoding used by the GNAT compiler).
18228 This is the default.
18230 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS off
18231 This is related to the encoding using by the GNAT compiler. If @value{GDBN}
18232 sometimes prints the wrong value for certain entities, changing @code{ada
18233 trust-PAD-over-XVS} to @code{off} activates a work-around which may fix
18234 the issue. It is always safe to set @code{ada trust-PAD-over-XVS} to
18235 @code{off}, but this incurs a slight performance penalty, so it is
18236 recommended to leave this setting to @code{on} unless necessary.
18240 @cindex GNAT descriptive types
18241 @cindex GNAT encoding
18242 Internally, the debugger also relies on the compiler following a number
18243 of conventions known as the @samp{GNAT Encoding}, all documented in
18244 @file{gcc/ada/exp_dbug.ads} in the GCC sources. This encoding describes
18245 how the debugging information should be generated for certain types.
18246 In particular, this convention makes use of @dfn{descriptive types},
18247 which are artificial types generated purely to help the debugger.
18249 These encodings were defined at a time when the debugging information
18250 format used was not powerful enough to describe some of the more complex
18251 types available in Ada. Since DWARF allows us to express nearly all
18252 Ada features, the long-term goal is to slowly replace these descriptive
18253 types by their pure DWARF equivalent. To facilitate that transition,
18254 a new maintenance option is available to force the debugger to ignore
18255 those descriptive types. It allows the user to quickly evaluate how
18256 well @value{GDBN} works without them.
18260 @kindex maint ada set ignore-descriptive-types
18261 @item maintenance ada set ignore-descriptive-types [on|off]
18262 Control whether the debugger should ignore descriptive types.
18263 The default is not to ignore descriptives types (@code{off}).
18265 @kindex maint ada show ignore-descriptive-types
18266 @item maintenance ada show ignore-descriptive-types
18267 Show if descriptive types are ignored by @value{GDBN}.
18271 @node Unsupported Languages
18272 @section Unsupported Languages
18274 @cindex unsupported languages
18275 @cindex minimal language
18276 In addition to the other fully-supported programming languages,
18277 @value{GDBN} also provides a pseudo-language, called @code{minimal}.
18278 It does not represent a real programming language, but provides a set
18279 of capabilities close to what the C or assembly languages provide.
18280 This should allow most simple operations to be performed while debugging
18281 an application that uses a language currently not supported by @value{GDBN}.
18283 If the language is set to @code{auto}, @value{GDBN} will automatically
18284 select this language if the current frame corresponds to an unsupported
18288 @chapter Examining the Symbol Table
18290 The commands described in this chapter allow you to inquire about the
18291 symbols (names of variables, functions and types) defined in your
18292 program. This information is inherent in the text of your program and
18293 does not change as your program executes. @value{GDBN} finds it in your
18294 program's symbol table, in the file indicated when you started @value{GDBN}
18295 (@pxref{File Options, ,Choosing Files}), or by one of the
18296 file-management commands (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
18298 @cindex symbol names
18299 @cindex names of symbols
18300 @cindex quoting names
18301 @anchor{quoting names}
18302 Occasionally, you may need to refer to symbols that contain unusual
18303 characters, which @value{GDBN} ordinarily treats as word delimiters. The
18304 most frequent case is in referring to static variables in other
18305 source files (@pxref{Variables,,Program Variables}). File names
18306 are recorded in object files as debugging symbols, but @value{GDBN} would
18307 ordinarily parse a typical file name, like @file{foo.c}, as the three words
18308 @samp{foo} @samp{.} @samp{c}. To allow @value{GDBN} to recognize
18309 @samp{foo.c} as a single symbol, enclose it in single quotes; for example,
18316 looks up the value of @code{x} in the scope of the file @file{foo.c}.
18319 @cindex case-insensitive symbol names
18320 @cindex case sensitivity in symbol names
18321 @kindex set case-sensitive
18322 @item set case-sensitive on
18323 @itemx set case-sensitive off
18324 @itemx set case-sensitive auto
18325 Normally, when @value{GDBN} looks up symbols, it matches their names
18326 with case sensitivity determined by the current source language.
18327 Occasionally, you may wish to control that. The command @code{set
18328 case-sensitive} lets you do that by specifying @code{on} for
18329 case-sensitive matches or @code{off} for case-insensitive ones. If
18330 you specify @code{auto}, case sensitivity is reset to the default
18331 suitable for the source language. The default is case-sensitive
18332 matches for all languages except for Fortran, for which the default is
18333 case-insensitive matches.
18335 @kindex show case-sensitive
18336 @item show case-sensitive
18337 This command shows the current setting of case sensitivity for symbols
18340 @kindex set print type methods
18341 @item set print type methods
18342 @itemx set print type methods on
18343 @itemx set print type methods off
18344 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a class, it displays any methods
18345 declared in that class. You can control this behavior either by
18346 passing the appropriate flag to @code{ptype}, or using @command{set
18347 print type methods}. Specifying @code{on} will cause @value{GDBN} to
18348 display the methods; this is the default. Specifying @code{off} will
18349 cause @value{GDBN} to omit the methods.
18351 @kindex show print type methods
18352 @item show print type methods
18353 This command shows the current setting of method display when printing
18356 @kindex set print type nested-type-limit
18357 @item set print type nested-type-limit @var{limit}
18358 @itemx set print type nested-type-limit unlimited
18359 Set the limit of displayed nested types that the type printer will
18360 show. A @var{limit} of @code{unlimited} or @code{-1} will show all
18361 nested definitions. By default, the type printer will not show any nested
18362 types defined in classes.
18364 @kindex show print type nested-type-limit
18365 @item show print type nested-type-limit
18366 This command shows the current display limit of nested types when
18369 @kindex set print type typedefs
18370 @item set print type typedefs
18371 @itemx set print type typedefs on
18372 @itemx set print type typedefs off
18374 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a class, it displays any typedefs
18375 defined in that class. You can control this behavior either by
18376 passing the appropriate flag to @code{ptype}, or using @command{set
18377 print type typedefs}. Specifying @code{on} will cause @value{GDBN} to
18378 display the typedef definitions; this is the default. Specifying
18379 @code{off} will cause @value{GDBN} to omit the typedef definitions.
18380 Note that this controls whether the typedef definition itself is
18381 printed, not whether typedef names are substituted when printing other
18384 @kindex show print type typedefs
18385 @item show print type typedefs
18386 This command shows the current setting of typedef display when
18389 @kindex info address
18390 @cindex address of a symbol
18391 @item info address @var{symbol}
18392 Describe where the data for @var{symbol} is stored. For a register
18393 variable, this says which register it is kept in. For a non-register
18394 local variable, this prints the stack-frame offset at which the variable
18397 Note the contrast with @samp{print &@var{symbol}}, which does not work
18398 at all for a register variable, and for a stack local variable prints
18399 the exact address of the current instantiation of the variable.
18401 @kindex info symbol
18402 @cindex symbol from address
18403 @cindex closest symbol and offset for an address
18404 @item info symbol @var{addr}
18405 Print the name of a symbol which is stored at the address @var{addr}.
18406 If no symbol is stored exactly at @var{addr}, @value{GDBN} prints the
18407 nearest symbol and an offset from it:
18410 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x54320
18411 _initialize_vx + 396 in section .text
18415 This is the opposite of the @code{info address} command. You can use
18416 it to find out the name of a variable or a function given its address.
18418 For dynamically linked executables, the name of executable or shared
18419 library containing the symbol is also printed:
18422 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x400225
18423 _start + 5 in section .text of /tmp/a.out
18424 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x2aaaac2811cf
18425 __read_nocancel + 6 in section .text of /usr/lib64/libc.so.6
18430 @item demangle @r{[}-l @var{language}@r{]} @r{[}@var{--}@r{]} @var{name}
18431 Demangle @var{name}.
18432 If @var{language} is provided it is the name of the language to demangle
18433 @var{name} in. Otherwise @var{name} is demangled in the current language.
18435 The @samp{--} option specifies the end of options,
18436 and is useful when @var{name} begins with a dash.
18438 The parameter @code{demangle-style} specifies how to interpret the kind
18439 of mangling used. @xref{Print Settings}.
18442 @item whatis[/@var{flags}] [@var{arg}]
18443 Print the data type of @var{arg}, which can be either an expression
18444 or a name of a data type. With no argument, print the data type of
18445 @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
18447 If @var{arg} is an expression (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), it
18448 is not actually evaluated, and any side-effecting operations (such as
18449 assignments or function calls) inside it do not take place.
18451 If @var{arg} is a variable or an expression, @code{whatis} prints its
18452 literal type as it is used in the source code. If the type was
18453 defined using a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will @emph{not} print
18454 the data type underlying the @code{typedef}. If the type of the
18455 variable or the expression is a compound data type, such as
18456 @code{struct} or @code{class}, @code{whatis} never prints their
18457 fields or methods. It just prints the @code{struct}/@code{class}
18458 name (a.k.a.@: its @dfn{tag}). If you want to see the members of
18459 such a compound data type, use @code{ptype}.
18461 If @var{arg} is a type name that was defined using @code{typedef},
18462 @code{whatis} @dfn{unrolls} only one level of that @code{typedef}.
18463 Unrolling means that @code{whatis} will show the underlying type used
18464 in the @code{typedef} declaration of @var{arg}. However, if that
18465 underlying type is also a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will not
18468 For C code, the type names may also have the form @samp{class
18469 @var{class-name}}, @samp{struct @var{struct-tag}}, @samp{union
18470 @var{union-tag}} or @samp{enum @var{enum-tag}}.
18472 @var{flags} can be used to modify how the type is displayed.
18473 Available flags are:
18477 Display in ``raw'' form. Normally, @value{GDBN} substitutes template
18478 parameters and typedefs defined in a class when printing the class'
18479 members. The @code{/r} flag disables this.
18482 Do not print methods defined in the class.
18485 Print methods defined in the class. This is the default, but the flag
18486 exists in case you change the default with @command{set print type methods}.
18489 Do not print typedefs defined in the class. Note that this controls
18490 whether the typedef definition itself is printed, not whether typedef
18491 names are substituted when printing other types.
18494 Print typedefs defined in the class. This is the default, but the flag
18495 exists in case you change the default with @command{set print type typedefs}.
18498 Print the offsets and sizes of fields in a struct, similar to what the
18499 @command{pahole} tool does. This option implies the @code{/tm} flags.
18501 For example, given the following declarations:
18537 Issuing a @kbd{ptype /o struct tuv} command would print:
18540 (@value{GDBP}) ptype /o struct tuv
18541 /* offset | size */ type = struct tuv @{
18542 /* 0 | 4 */ int a1;
18543 /* XXX 4-byte hole */
18544 /* 8 | 8 */ char *a2;
18545 /* 16 | 4 */ int a3;
18547 /* total size (bytes): 24 */
18551 Notice the format of the first column of comments. There, you can
18552 find two parts separated by the @samp{|} character: the @emph{offset},
18553 which indicates where the field is located inside the struct, in
18554 bytes, and the @emph{size} of the field. Another interesting line is
18555 the marker of a @emph{hole} in the struct, indicating that it may be
18556 possible to pack the struct and make it use less space by reorganizing
18559 It is also possible to print offsets inside an union:
18562 (@value{GDBP}) ptype /o union qwe
18563 /* offset | size */ type = union qwe @{
18564 /* 24 */ struct tuv @{
18565 /* 0 | 4 */ int a1;
18566 /* XXX 4-byte hole */
18567 /* 8 | 8 */ char *a2;
18568 /* 16 | 4 */ int a3;
18570 /* total size (bytes): 24 */
18572 /* 40 */ struct xyz @{
18573 /* 0 | 4 */ int f1;
18574 /* 4 | 1 */ char f2;
18575 /* XXX 3-byte hole */
18576 /* 8 | 8 */ void *f3;
18577 /* 16 | 24 */ struct tuv @{
18578 /* 16 | 4 */ int a1;
18579 /* XXX 4-byte hole */
18580 /* 24 | 8 */ char *a2;
18581 /* 32 | 4 */ int a3;
18583 /* total size (bytes): 24 */
18586 /* total size (bytes): 40 */
18589 /* total size (bytes): 40 */
18593 In this case, since @code{struct tuv} and @code{struct xyz} occupy the
18594 same space (because we are dealing with an union), the offset is not
18595 printed for them. However, you can still examine the offset of each
18596 of these structures' fields.
18598 Another useful scenario is printing the offsets of a struct containing
18602 (@value{GDBP}) ptype /o struct tyu
18603 /* offset | size */ type = struct tyu @{
18604 /* 0:31 | 4 */ int a1 : 1;
18605 /* 0:28 | 4 */ int a2 : 3;
18606 /* 0: 5 | 4 */ int a3 : 23;
18607 /* 3: 3 | 1 */ signed char a4 : 2;
18608 /* XXX 3-bit hole */
18609 /* XXX 4-byte hole */
18610 /* 8 | 8 */ int64_t a5;
18611 /* 16: 0 | 4 */ int a6 : 5;
18612 /* 16: 5 | 8 */ int64_t a7 : 3;
18613 "/* XXX 7-byte padding */
18615 /* total size (bytes): 24 */
18619 Note how the offset information is now extended to also include the
18620 first bit of the bitfield.
18624 @item ptype[/@var{flags}] [@var{arg}]
18625 @code{ptype} accepts the same arguments as @code{whatis}, but prints a
18626 detailed description of the type, instead of just the name of the type.
18627 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
18629 Contrary to @code{whatis}, @code{ptype} always unrolls any
18630 @code{typedef}s in its argument declaration, whether the argument is
18631 a variable, expression, or a data type. This means that @code{ptype}
18632 of a variable or an expression will not print literally its type as
18633 present in the source code---use @code{whatis} for that. @code{typedef}s at
18634 the pointer or reference targets are also unrolled. Only @code{typedef}s of
18635 fields, methods and inner @code{class typedef}s of @code{struct}s,
18636 @code{class}es and @code{union}s are not unrolled even with @code{ptype}.
18638 For example, for this variable declaration:
18641 typedef double real_t;
18642 struct complex @{ real_t real; double imag; @};
18643 typedef struct complex complex_t;
18645 real_t *real_pointer_var;
18649 the two commands give this output:
18653 (@value{GDBP}) whatis var
18655 (@value{GDBP}) ptype var
18656 type = struct complex @{
18660 (@value{GDBP}) whatis complex_t
18661 type = struct complex
18662 (@value{GDBP}) whatis struct complex
18663 type = struct complex
18664 (@value{GDBP}) ptype struct complex
18665 type = struct complex @{
18669 (@value{GDBP}) whatis real_pointer_var
18671 (@value{GDBP}) ptype real_pointer_var
18677 As with @code{whatis}, using @code{ptype} without an argument refers to
18678 the type of @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
18680 @cindex incomplete type
18681 Sometimes, programs use opaque data types or incomplete specifications
18682 of complex data structure. If the debug information included in the
18683 program does not allow @value{GDBN} to display a full declaration of
18684 the data type, it will say @samp{<incomplete type>}. For example,
18685 given these declarations:
18689 struct foo *fooptr;
18693 but no definition for @code{struct foo} itself, @value{GDBN} will say:
18696 (@value{GDBP}) ptype foo
18697 $1 = <incomplete type>
18701 ``Incomplete type'' is C terminology for data types that are not
18702 completely specified.
18704 @cindex unknown type
18705 Othertimes, information about a variable's type is completely absent
18706 from the debug information included in the program. This most often
18707 happens when the program or library where the variable is defined
18708 includes no debug information at all. @value{GDBN} knows the variable
18709 exists from inspecting the linker/loader symbol table (e.g., the ELF
18710 dynamic symbol table), but such symbols do not contain type
18711 information. Inspecting the type of a (global) variable for which
18712 @value{GDBN} has no type information shows:
18715 (@value{GDBP}) ptype var
18716 type = <data variable, no debug info>
18719 @xref{Variables, no debug info variables}, for how to print the values
18723 @item info types [-q] [@var{regexp}]
18724 Print a brief description of all types whose names match the regular
18725 expression @var{regexp} (or all types in your program, if you supply
18726 no argument). Each complete typename is matched as though it were a
18727 complete line; thus, @samp{i type value} gives information on all
18728 types in your program whose names include the string @code{value}, but
18729 @samp{i type ^value$} gives information only on types whose complete
18730 name is @code{value}.
18732 In programs using different languages, @value{GDBN} chooses the syntax
18733 to print the type description according to the
18734 @samp{set language} value: using @samp{set language auto}
18735 (see @ref{Automatically, ,Set Language Automatically}) means to use the
18736 language of the type, other values mean to use
18737 the manually specified language (see @ref{Manually, ,Set Language Manually}).
18739 This command differs from @code{ptype} in two ways: first, like
18740 @code{whatis}, it does not print a detailed description; second, it
18741 lists all source files and line numbers where a type is defined.
18743 The output from @samp{into types} is proceeded with a header line
18744 describing what types are being listed. The optional flag @samp{-q},
18745 which stands for @samp{quiet}, disables printing this header
18748 @kindex info type-printers
18749 @item info type-printers
18750 Versions of @value{GDBN} that ship with Python scripting enabled may
18751 have ``type printers'' available. When using @command{ptype} or
18752 @command{whatis}, these printers are consulted when the name of a type
18753 is needed. @xref{Type Printing API}, for more information on writing
18756 @code{info type-printers} displays all the available type printers.
18758 @kindex enable type-printer
18759 @kindex disable type-printer
18760 @item enable type-printer @var{name}@dots{}
18761 @item disable type-printer @var{name}@dots{}
18762 These commands can be used to enable or disable type printers.
18765 @cindex local variables
18766 @item info scope @var{location}
18767 List all the variables local to a particular scope. This command
18768 accepts a @var{location} argument---a function name, a source line, or
18769 an address preceded by a @samp{*}, and prints all the variables local
18770 to the scope defined by that location. (@xref{Specify Location}, for
18771 details about supported forms of @var{location}.) For example:
18774 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info scope command_line_handler}
18775 Scope for command_line_handler:
18776 Symbol rl is an argument at stack/frame offset 8, length 4.
18777 Symbol linebuffer is in static storage at address 0x150a18, length 4.
18778 Symbol linelength is in static storage at address 0x150a1c, length 4.
18779 Symbol p is a local variable in register $esi, length 4.
18780 Symbol p1 is a local variable in register $ebx, length 4.
18781 Symbol nline is a local variable in register $edx, length 4.
18782 Symbol repeat is a local variable at frame offset -8, length 4.
18786 This command is especially useful for determining what data to collect
18787 during a @dfn{trace experiment}, see @ref{Tracepoint Actions,
18790 @kindex info source
18792 Show information about the current source file---that is, the source file for
18793 the function containing the current point of execution:
18796 the name of the source file, and the directory containing it,
18798 the directory it was compiled in,
18800 its length, in lines,
18802 which programming language it is written in,
18804 if the debug information provides it, the program that compiled the file
18805 (which may include, e.g., the compiler version and command line arguments),
18807 whether the executable includes debugging information for that file, and
18808 if so, what format the information is in (e.g., STABS, Dwarf 2, etc.), and
18810 whether the debugging information includes information about
18811 preprocessor macros.
18815 @kindex info sources
18817 Print the names of all source files in your program for which there is
18818 debugging information, organized into two lists: files whose symbols
18819 have already been read, and files whose symbols will be read when needed.
18821 @item info sources [-dirname | -basename] [--] [@var{regexp}]
18822 Like @samp{info sources}, but only print the names of the files
18823 matching the provided @var{regexp}.
18824 By default, the @var{regexp} is used to match anywhere in the filename.
18825 If @code{-dirname}, only files having a dirname matching @var{regexp} are shown.
18826 If @code{-basename}, only files having a basename matching @var{regexp}
18828 The matching is case-sensitive, except on operating systems that
18829 have case-insensitive filesystem (e.g., MS-Windows).
18831 @kindex info functions
18832 @item info functions [-q] [-n]
18833 Print the names and data types of all defined functions.
18834 Similarly to @samp{info types}, this command groups its output by source
18835 files and annotates each function definition with its source line
18838 In programs using different languages, @value{GDBN} chooses the syntax
18839 to print the function name and type according to the
18840 @samp{set language} value: using @samp{set language auto}
18841 (see @ref{Automatically, ,Set Language Automatically}) means to use the
18842 language of the function, other values mean to use
18843 the manually specified language (see @ref{Manually, ,Set Language Manually}).
18845 The @samp{-n} flag excludes @dfn{non-debugging symbols} from the
18846 results. A non-debugging symbol is a symbol that comes from the
18847 executable's symbol table, not from the debug information (for
18848 example, DWARF) associated with the executable.
18850 The optional flag @samp{-q}, which stands for @samp{quiet}, disables
18851 printing header information and messages explaining why no functions
18854 @item info functions [-q] [-n] [-t @var{type_regexp}] [@var{regexp}]
18855 Like @samp{info functions}, but only print the names and data types
18856 of the functions selected with the provided regexp(s).
18858 If @var{regexp} is provided, print only the functions whose names
18859 match the regular expression @var{regexp}.
18860 Thus, @samp{info fun step} finds all functions whose
18861 names include @code{step}; @samp{info fun ^step} finds those whose names
18862 start with @code{step}. If a function name contains characters that
18863 conflict with the regular expression language (e.g.@:
18864 @samp{operator*()}), they may be quoted with a backslash.
18866 If @var{type_regexp} is provided, print only the functions whose
18867 types, as printed by the @code{whatis} command, match
18868 the regular expression @var{type_regexp}.
18869 If @var{type_regexp} contains space(s), it should be enclosed in
18870 quote characters. If needed, use backslash to escape the meaning
18871 of special characters or quotes.
18872 Thus, @samp{info fun -t '^int ('} finds the functions that return
18873 an integer; @samp{info fun -t '(.*int.*'} finds the functions that
18874 have an argument type containing int; @samp{info fun -t '^int (' ^step}
18875 finds the functions whose names start with @code{step} and that return
18878 If both @var{regexp} and @var{type_regexp} are provided, a function
18879 is printed only if its name matches @var{regexp} and its type matches
18883 @kindex info variables
18884 @item info variables [-q] [-n]
18885 Print the names and data types of all variables that are defined
18886 outside of functions (i.e.@: excluding local variables).
18887 The printed variables are grouped by source files and annotated with
18888 their respective source line numbers.
18890 In programs using different languages, @value{GDBN} chooses the syntax
18891 to print the variable name and type according to the
18892 @samp{set language} value: using @samp{set language auto}
18893 (see @ref{Automatically, ,Set Language Automatically}) means to use the
18894 language of the variable, other values mean to use
18895 the manually specified language (see @ref{Manually, ,Set Language Manually}).
18897 The @samp{-n} flag excludes non-debugging symbols from the results.
18899 The optional flag @samp{-q}, which stands for @samp{quiet}, disables
18900 printing header information and messages explaining why no variables
18903 @item info variables [-q] [-n] [-t @var{type_regexp}] [@var{regexp}]
18904 Like @kbd{info variables}, but only print the variables selected
18905 with the provided regexp(s).
18907 If @var{regexp} is provided, print only the variables whose names
18908 match the regular expression @var{regexp}.
18910 If @var{type_regexp} is provided, print only the variables whose
18911 types, as printed by the @code{whatis} command, match
18912 the regular expression @var{type_regexp}.
18913 If @var{type_regexp} contains space(s), it should be enclosed in
18914 quote characters. If needed, use backslash to escape the meaning
18915 of special characters or quotes.
18917 If both @var{regexp} and @var{type_regexp} are provided, an argument
18918 is printed only if its name matches @var{regexp} and its type matches
18921 @kindex info modules
18923 @item info modules @r{[}-q@r{]} @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
18924 List all Fortran modules in the program, or all modules matching the
18925 optional regular expression @var{regexp}.
18927 The optional flag @samp{-q}, which stands for @samp{quiet}, disables
18928 printing header information and messages explaining why no modules
18931 @kindex info module
18932 @cindex Fortran modules, information about
18933 @cindex functions and variables by Fortran module
18934 @cindex module functions and variables
18935 @item info module functions @r{[}-q@r{]} @r{[}-m @var{module-regexp}@r{]} @r{[}-t @var{type-regexp}@r{]} @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
18936 @itemx info module variables @r{[}-q@r{]} @r{[}-m @var{module-regexp}@r{]} @r{[}-t @var{type-regexp}@r{]} @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
18937 List all functions or variables within all Fortran modules. The set
18938 of functions or variables listed can be limited by providing some or
18939 all of the optional regular expressions. If @var{module-regexp} is
18940 provided, then only Fortran modules matching @var{module-regexp} will
18941 be searched. Only functions or variables whose type matches the
18942 optional regular expression @var{type-regexp} will be listed. And
18943 only functions or variables whose name matches the optional regular
18944 expression @var{regexp} will be listed.
18946 The optional flag @samp{-q}, which stands for @samp{quiet}, disables
18947 printing header information and messages explaining why no functions
18948 or variables have been printed.
18950 @kindex info classes
18951 @cindex Objective-C, classes and selectors
18953 @itemx info classes @var{regexp}
18954 Display all Objective-C classes in your program, or
18955 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
18958 @kindex info selectors
18959 @item info selectors
18960 @itemx info selectors @var{regexp}
18961 Display all Objective-C selectors in your program, or
18962 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
18966 This was never implemented.
18967 @kindex info methods
18969 @itemx info methods @var{regexp}
18970 The @code{info methods} command permits the user to examine all defined
18971 methods within C@t{++} program, or (with the @var{regexp} argument) a
18972 specific set of methods found in the various C@t{++} classes. Many
18973 C@t{++} classes provide a large number of methods. Thus, the output
18974 from the @code{ptype} command can be overwhelming and hard to use. The
18975 @code{info-methods} command filters the methods, printing only those
18976 which match the regular-expression @var{regexp}.
18979 @cindex opaque data types
18980 @kindex set opaque-type-resolution
18981 @item set opaque-type-resolution on
18982 Tell @value{GDBN} to resolve opaque types. An opaque type is a type
18983 declared as a pointer to a @code{struct}, @code{class}, or
18984 @code{union}---for example, @code{struct MyType *}---that is used in one
18985 source file although the full declaration of @code{struct MyType} is in
18986 another source file. The default is on.
18988 A change in the setting of this subcommand will not take effect until
18989 the next time symbols for a file are loaded.
18991 @item set opaque-type-resolution off
18992 Tell @value{GDBN} not to resolve opaque types. In this case, the type
18993 is printed as follows:
18995 @{<no data fields>@}
18998 @kindex show opaque-type-resolution
18999 @item show opaque-type-resolution
19000 Show whether opaque types are resolved or not.
19002 @kindex set print symbol-loading
19003 @cindex print messages when symbols are loaded
19004 @item set print symbol-loading
19005 @itemx set print symbol-loading full
19006 @itemx set print symbol-loading brief
19007 @itemx set print symbol-loading off
19008 The @code{set print symbol-loading} command allows you to control the
19009 printing of messages when @value{GDBN} loads symbol information.
19010 By default a message is printed for the executable and one for each
19011 shared library, and normally this is what you want. However, when
19012 debugging apps with large numbers of shared libraries these messages
19014 When set to @code{brief} a message is printed for each executable,
19015 and when @value{GDBN} loads a collection of shared libraries at once
19016 it will only print one message regardless of the number of shared
19017 libraries. When set to @code{off} no messages are printed.
19019 @kindex show print symbol-loading
19020 @item show print symbol-loading
19021 Show whether messages will be printed when a @value{GDBN} command
19022 entered from the keyboard causes symbol information to be loaded.
19024 @kindex maint print symbols
19025 @cindex symbol dump
19026 @kindex maint print psymbols
19027 @cindex partial symbol dump
19028 @kindex maint print msymbols
19029 @cindex minimal symbol dump
19030 @item maint print symbols @r{[}-pc @var{address}@r{]} @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
19031 @itemx maint print symbols @r{[}-objfile @var{objfile}@r{]} @r{[}-source @var{source}@r{]} @r{[}--@r{]} @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
19032 @itemx maint print psymbols @r{[}-objfile @var{objfile}@r{]} @r{[}-pc @var{address}@r{]} @r{[}--@r{]} @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
19033 @itemx maint print psymbols @r{[}-objfile @var{objfile}@r{]} @r{[}-source @var{source}@r{]} @r{[}--@r{]} @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
19034 @itemx maint print msymbols @r{[}-objfile @var{objfile}@r{]} @r{[}--@r{]} @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
19035 Write a dump of debugging symbol data into the file @var{filename} or
19036 the terminal if @var{filename} is unspecified.
19037 If @code{-objfile @var{objfile}} is specified, only dump symbols for
19039 If @code{-pc @var{address}} is specified, only dump symbols for the file
19040 with code at that address. Note that @var{address} may be a symbol like
19042 If @code{-source @var{source}} is specified, only dump symbols for that
19045 These commands are used to debug the @value{GDBN} symbol-reading code.
19046 These commands do not modify internal @value{GDBN} state, therefore
19047 @samp{maint print symbols} will only print symbols for already expanded symbol
19049 You can use the command @code{info sources} to find out which files these are.
19050 If you use @samp{maint print psymbols} instead, the dump shows information
19051 about symbols that @value{GDBN} only knows partially---that is, symbols
19052 defined in files that @value{GDBN} has skimmed, but not yet read completely.
19053 Finally, @samp{maint print msymbols} just dumps ``minimal symbols'', e.g.,
19056 @xref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}, for a discussion of how
19057 @value{GDBN} reads symbols (in the description of @code{symbol-file}).
19059 @kindex maint info symtabs
19060 @kindex maint info psymtabs
19061 @cindex listing @value{GDBN}'s internal symbol tables
19062 @cindex symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
19063 @cindex full symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
19064 @cindex partial symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
19065 @item maint info symtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
19066 @itemx maint info psymtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
19068 List the @code{struct symtab} or @code{struct partial_symtab}
19069 structures whose names match @var{regexp}. If @var{regexp} is not
19070 given, list them all. The output includes expressions which you can
19071 copy into a @value{GDBN} debugging this one to examine a particular
19072 structure in more detail. For example:
19075 (@value{GDBP}) maint info psymtabs dwarf2read
19076 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
19077 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
19078 @{ psymtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
19079 ((struct partial_symtab *) 0x8474b10)
19082 text addresses 0x814d3c8 -- 0x8158074
19083 globals (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x8507a08 @@ 9)
19084 statics (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x40e95b78 @@ 2882)
19085 dependencies (none)
19088 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
19092 We see that there is one partial symbol table whose filename contains
19093 the string @samp{dwarf2read}, belonging to the @samp{gdb} executable;
19094 and we see that @value{GDBN} has not read in any symtabs yet at all.
19095 If we set a breakpoint on a function, that will cause @value{GDBN} to
19096 read the symtab for the compilation unit containing that function:
19099 (@value{GDBP}) break dwarf2_psymtab_to_symtab
19100 Breakpoint 1 at 0x814e5da: file /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c,
19102 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
19103 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
19104 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
19105 @{ symtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
19106 ((struct symtab *) 0x86c1f38)
19109 blockvector ((struct blockvector *) 0x86c1bd0) (primary)
19110 linetable ((struct linetable *) 0x8370fa0)
19111 debugformat DWARF 2
19117 @kindex maint info line-table
19118 @cindex listing @value{GDBN}'s internal line tables
19119 @cindex line tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
19120 @item maint info line-table @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
19122 List the @code{struct linetable} from all @code{struct symtab}
19123 instances whose name matches @var{regexp}. If @var{regexp} is not
19124 given, list the @code{struct linetable} from all @code{struct symtab}.
19126 @kindex maint set symbol-cache-size
19127 @cindex symbol cache size
19128 @item maint set symbol-cache-size @var{size}
19129 Set the size of the symbol cache to @var{size}.
19130 The default size is intended to be good enough for debugging
19131 most applications. This option exists to allow for experimenting
19132 with different sizes.
19134 @kindex maint show symbol-cache-size
19135 @item maint show symbol-cache-size
19136 Show the size of the symbol cache.
19138 @kindex maint print symbol-cache
19139 @cindex symbol cache, printing its contents
19140 @item maint print symbol-cache
19141 Print the contents of the symbol cache.
19142 This is useful when debugging symbol cache issues.
19144 @kindex maint print symbol-cache-statistics
19145 @cindex symbol cache, printing usage statistics
19146 @item maint print symbol-cache-statistics
19147 Print symbol cache usage statistics.
19148 This helps determine how well the cache is being utilized.
19150 @kindex maint flush-symbol-cache
19151 @cindex symbol cache, flushing
19152 @item maint flush-symbol-cache
19153 Flush the contents of the symbol cache, all entries are removed.
19154 This command is useful when debugging the symbol cache.
19155 It is also useful when collecting performance data.
19160 @chapter Altering Execution
19162 Once you think you have found an error in your program, you might want to
19163 find out for certain whether correcting the apparent error would lead to
19164 correct results in the rest of the run. You can find the answer by
19165 experiment, using the @value{GDBN} features for altering execution of the
19168 For example, you can store new values into variables or memory
19169 locations, give your program a signal, restart it at a different
19170 address, or even return prematurely from a function.
19173 * Assignment:: Assignment to variables
19174 * Jumping:: Continuing at a different address
19175 * Signaling:: Giving your program a signal
19176 * Returning:: Returning from a function
19177 * Calling:: Calling your program's functions
19178 * Patching:: Patching your program
19179 * Compiling and Injecting Code:: Compiling and injecting code in @value{GDBN}
19183 @section Assignment to Variables
19186 @cindex setting variables
19187 To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression.
19188 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}. For example,
19195 stores the value 4 into the variable @code{x}, and then prints the
19196 value of the assignment expression (which is 4).
19197 @xref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages}, for more
19198 information on operators in supported languages.
19200 @kindex set variable
19201 @cindex variables, setting
19202 If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use the
19203 @code{set} command instead of the @code{print} command. @code{set} is
19204 really the same as @code{print} except that the expression's value is
19205 not printed and is not put in the value history (@pxref{Value History,
19206 ,Value History}). The expression is evaluated only for its effects.
19208 If the beginning of the argument string of the @code{set} command
19209 appears identical to a @code{set} subcommand, use the @code{set
19210 variable} command instead of just @code{set}. This command is identical
19211 to @code{set} except for its lack of subcommands. For example, if your
19212 program has a variable @code{width}, you get an error if you try to set
19213 a new value with just @samp{set width=13}, because @value{GDBN} has the
19214 command @code{set width}:
19217 (@value{GDBP}) whatis width
19219 (@value{GDBP}) p width
19221 (@value{GDBP}) set width=47
19222 Invalid syntax in expression.
19226 The invalid expression, of course, is @samp{=47}. In
19227 order to actually set the program's variable @code{width}, use
19230 (@value{GDBP}) set var width=47
19233 Because the @code{set} command has many subcommands that can conflict
19234 with the names of program variables, it is a good idea to use the
19235 @code{set variable} command instead of just @code{set}. For example, if
19236 your program has a variable @code{g}, you run into problems if you try
19237 to set a new value with just @samp{set g=4}, because @value{GDBN} has
19238 the command @code{set gnutarget}, abbreviated @code{set g}:
19242 (@value{GDBP}) whatis g
19246 (@value{GDBP}) set g=4
19250 The program being debugged has been started already.
19251 Start it from the beginning? (y or n) y
19252 Starting program: /home/smith/cc_progs/a.out
19253 "/home/smith/cc_progs/a.out": can't open to read symbols:
19254 Invalid bfd target.
19255 (@value{GDBP}) show g
19256 The current BFD target is "=4".
19261 The program variable @code{g} did not change, and you silently set the
19262 @code{gnutarget} to an invalid value. In order to set the variable
19266 (@value{GDBP}) set var g=4
19269 @value{GDBN} allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C; you can
19270 freely store an integer value into a pointer variable or vice versa,
19271 and you can convert any structure to any other structure that is the
19272 same length or shorter.
19273 @comment FIXME: how do structs align/pad in these conversions?
19274 @comment /doc@cygnus.com 18dec1990
19276 To store values into arbitrary places in memory, use the @samp{@{@dots{}@}}
19277 construct to generate a value of specified type at a specified address
19278 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). For example, @code{@{int@}0x83040} refers
19279 to memory location @code{0x83040} as an integer (which implies a certain size
19280 and representation in memory), and
19283 set @{int@}0x83040 = 4
19287 stores the value 4 into that memory location.
19290 @section Continuing at a Different Address
19292 Ordinarily, when you continue your program, you do so at the place where
19293 it stopped, with the @code{continue} command. You can instead continue at
19294 an address of your own choosing, with the following commands:
19298 @kindex j @r{(@code{jump})}
19299 @item jump @var{location}
19300 @itemx j @var{location}
19301 Resume execution at @var{location}. Execution stops again immediately
19302 if there is a breakpoint there. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description
19303 of the different forms of @var{location}. It is common
19304 practice to use the @code{tbreak} command in conjunction with
19305 @code{jump}. @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
19307 The @code{jump} command does not change the current stack frame, or
19308 the stack pointer, or the contents of any memory location or any
19309 register other than the program counter. If @var{location} is in
19310 a different function from the one currently executing, the results may
19311 be bizarre if the two functions expect different patterns of arguments or
19312 of local variables. For this reason, the @code{jump} command requests
19313 confirmation if the specified line is not in the function currently
19314 executing. However, even bizarre results are predictable if you are
19315 well acquainted with the machine-language code of your program.
19318 On many systems, you can get much the same effect as the @code{jump}
19319 command by storing a new value into the register @code{$pc}. The
19320 difference is that this does not start your program running; it only
19321 changes the address of where it @emph{will} run when you continue. For
19329 makes the next @code{continue} command or stepping command execute at
19330 address @code{0x485}, rather than at the address where your program stopped.
19331 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}.
19333 The most common occasion to use the @code{jump} command is to back
19334 up---perhaps with more breakpoints set---over a portion of a program
19335 that has already executed, in order to examine its execution in more
19340 @section Giving your Program a Signal
19341 @cindex deliver a signal to a program
19345 @item signal @var{signal}
19346 Resume execution where your program is stopped, but immediately give it the
19347 signal @var{signal}. The @var{signal} can be the name or the number of a
19348 signal. For example, on many systems @code{signal 2} and @code{signal
19349 SIGINT} are both ways of sending an interrupt signal.
19351 Alternatively, if @var{signal} is zero, continue execution without
19352 giving a signal. This is useful when your program stopped on account of
19353 a signal and would ordinarily see the signal when resumed with the
19354 @code{continue} command; @samp{signal 0} causes it to resume without a
19357 @emph{Note:} When resuming a multi-threaded program, @var{signal} is
19358 delivered to the currently selected thread, not the thread that last
19359 reported a stop. This includes the situation where a thread was
19360 stopped due to a signal. So if you want to continue execution
19361 suppressing the signal that stopped a thread, you should select that
19362 same thread before issuing the @samp{signal 0} command. If you issue
19363 the @samp{signal 0} command with another thread as the selected one,
19364 @value{GDBN} detects that and asks for confirmation.
19366 Invoking the @code{signal} command is not the same as invoking the
19367 @code{kill} utility from the shell. Sending a signal with @code{kill}
19368 causes @value{GDBN} to decide what to do with the signal depending on
19369 the signal handling tables (@pxref{Signals}). The @code{signal} command
19370 passes the signal directly to your program.
19372 @code{signal} does not repeat when you press @key{RET} a second time
19373 after executing the command.
19375 @kindex queue-signal
19376 @item queue-signal @var{signal}
19377 Queue @var{signal} to be delivered immediately to the current thread
19378 when execution of the thread resumes. The @var{signal} can be the name or
19379 the number of a signal. For example, on many systems @code{signal 2} and
19380 @code{signal SIGINT} are both ways of sending an interrupt signal.
19381 The handling of the signal must be set to pass the signal to the program,
19382 otherwise @value{GDBN} will report an error.
19383 You can control the handling of signals from @value{GDBN} with the
19384 @code{handle} command (@pxref{Signals}).
19386 Alternatively, if @var{signal} is zero, any currently queued signal
19387 for the current thread is discarded and when execution resumes no signal
19388 will be delivered. This is useful when your program stopped on account
19389 of a signal and would ordinarily see the signal when resumed with the
19390 @code{continue} command.
19392 This command differs from the @code{signal} command in that the signal
19393 is just queued, execution is not resumed. And @code{queue-signal} cannot
19394 be used to pass a signal whose handling state has been set to @code{nopass}
19399 @xref{stepping into signal handlers}, for information on how stepping
19400 commands behave when the thread has a signal queued.
19403 @section Returning from a Function
19406 @cindex returning from a function
19409 @itemx return @var{expression}
19410 You can cancel execution of a function call with the @code{return}
19411 command. If you give an
19412 @var{expression} argument, its value is used as the function's return
19416 When you use @code{return}, @value{GDBN} discards the selected stack frame
19417 (and all frames within it). You can think of this as making the
19418 discarded frame return prematurely. If you wish to specify a value to
19419 be returned, give that value as the argument to @code{return}.
19421 This pops the selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a
19422 Frame}), and any other frames inside of it, leaving its caller as the
19423 innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes selected. The
19424 specified value is stored in the registers used for returning values
19427 The @code{return} command does not resume execution; it leaves the
19428 program stopped in the state that would exist if the function had just
19429 returned. In contrast, the @code{finish} command (@pxref{Continuing
19430 and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}) resumes execution until the
19431 selected stack frame returns naturally.
19433 @value{GDBN} needs to know how the @var{expression} argument should be set for
19434 the inferior. The concrete registers assignment depends on the OS ABI and the
19435 type being returned by the selected stack frame. For example it is common for
19436 OS ABI to return floating point values in FPU registers while integer values in
19437 CPU registers. Still some ABIs return even floating point values in CPU
19438 registers. Larger integer widths (such as @code{long long int}) also have
19439 specific placement rules. @value{GDBN} already knows the OS ABI from its
19440 current target so it needs to find out also the type being returned to make the
19441 assignment into the right register(s).
19443 Normally, the selected stack frame has debug info. @value{GDBN} will always
19444 use the debug info instead of the implicit type of @var{expression} when the
19445 debug info is available. For example, if you type @kbd{return -1}, and the
19446 function in the current stack frame is declared to return a @code{long long
19447 int}, @value{GDBN} transparently converts the implicit @code{int} value of -1
19448 into a @code{long long int}:
19451 Breakpoint 1, func () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:29
19453 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
19454 Make func return now? (y or n) y
19455 #0 0x004004f6 in main () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:43
19456 43 printf ("result=%lld\n", func ());
19460 However, if the selected stack frame does not have a debug info, e.g., if the
19461 function was compiled without debug info, @value{GDBN} has to find out the type
19462 to return from user. Specifying a different type by mistake may set the value
19463 in different inferior registers than the caller code expects. For example,
19464 typing @kbd{return -1} with its implicit type @code{int} would set only a part
19465 of a @code{long long int} result for a debug info less function (on 32-bit
19466 architectures). Therefore the user is required to specify the return type by
19467 an appropriate cast explicitly:
19470 Breakpoint 2, 0x0040050b in func ()
19471 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
19472 Return value type not available for selected stack frame.
19473 Please use an explicit cast of the value to return.
19474 (@value{GDBP}) return (long long int) -1
19475 Make selected stack frame return now? (y or n) y
19476 #0 0x00400526 in main ()
19481 @section Calling Program Functions
19484 @cindex calling functions
19485 @cindex inferior functions, calling
19486 @item print @var{expr}
19487 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} and display the resulting value.
19488 The expression may include calls to functions in the program being
19492 @item call @var{expr}
19493 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} without displaying @code{void}
19496 You can use this variant of the @code{print} command if you want to
19497 execute a function from your program that does not return anything
19498 (a.k.a.@: @dfn{a void function}), but without cluttering the output
19499 with @code{void} returned values that @value{GDBN} will otherwise
19500 print. If the result is not void, it is printed and saved in the
19504 It is possible for the function you call via the @code{print} or
19505 @code{call} command to generate a signal (e.g., if there's a bug in
19506 the function, or if you passed it incorrect arguments). What happens
19507 in that case is controlled by the @code{set unwindonsignal} command.
19509 Similarly, with a C@t{++} program it is possible for the function you
19510 call via the @code{print} or @code{call} command to generate an
19511 exception that is not handled due to the constraints of the dummy
19512 frame. In this case, any exception that is raised in the frame, but has
19513 an out-of-frame exception handler will not be found. GDB builds a
19514 dummy-frame for the inferior function call, and the unwinder cannot
19515 seek for exception handlers outside of this dummy-frame. What happens
19516 in that case is controlled by the
19517 @code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception} command.
19520 @item set unwindonsignal
19521 @kindex set unwindonsignal
19522 @cindex unwind stack in called functions
19523 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding
19524 Set unwinding of the stack if a signal is received while in a function
19525 that @value{GDBN} called in the program being debugged. If set to on,
19526 @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack it created for the call and restores
19527 the context to what it was before the call. If set to off (the
19528 default), @value{GDBN} stops in the frame where the signal was
19531 @item show unwindonsignal
19532 @kindex show unwindonsignal
19533 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
19536 @item set unwind-on-terminating-exception
19537 @kindex set unwind-on-terminating-exception
19538 @cindex unwind stack in called functions with unhandled exceptions
19539 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding on unhandled exception.
19540 Set unwinding of the stack if a C@t{++} exception is raised, but left
19541 unhandled while in a function that @value{GDBN} called in the program being
19542 debugged. If set to on (the default), @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack
19543 it created for the call and restores the context to what it was before
19544 the call. If set to off, @value{GDBN} the exception is delivered to
19545 the default C@t{++} exception handler and the inferior terminated.
19547 @item show unwind-on-terminating-exception
19548 @kindex show unwind-on-terminating-exception
19549 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
19552 @item set may-call-functions
19553 @kindex set may-call-functions
19554 @cindex disabling calling functions in the program
19555 @cindex calling functions in the program, disabling
19556 Set permission to call functions in the program.
19557 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to call functions in
19558 the program, such as with expressions in the @code{print} command. It
19559 defaults to @code{on}.
19561 To call a function in the program, @value{GDBN} has to temporarily
19562 modify the state of the inferior. This has potentially undesired side
19563 effects. Also, having @value{GDBN} call nested functions is likely to
19564 be erroneous and may even crash the program being debugged. You can
19565 avoid such hazards by forbidding @value{GDBN} from calling functions
19566 in the program being debugged. If calling functions in the program
19567 is forbidden, GDB will throw an error when a command (such as printing
19568 an expression) starts a function call in the program.
19570 @item show may-call-functions
19571 @kindex show may-call-functions
19572 Show permission to call functions in the program.
19576 @subsection Calling functions with no debug info
19578 @cindex no debug info functions
19579 Sometimes, a function you wish to call is missing debug information.
19580 In such case, @value{GDBN} does not know the type of the function,
19581 including the types of the function's parameters. To avoid calling
19582 the inferior function incorrectly, which could result in the called
19583 function functioning erroneously and even crash, @value{GDBN} refuses
19584 to call the function unless you tell it the type of the function.
19586 For prototyped (i.e.@: ANSI/ISO style) functions, there are two ways
19587 to do that. The simplest is to cast the call to the function's
19588 declared return type. For example:
19591 (@value{GDBP}) p getenv ("PATH")
19592 'getenv' has unknown return type; cast the call to its declared return type
19593 (@value{GDBP}) p (char *) getenv ("PATH")
19594 $1 = 0x7fffffffe7ba "/usr/local/bin:/"...
19597 Casting the return type of a no-debug function is equivalent to
19598 casting the function to a pointer to a prototyped function that has a
19599 prototype that matches the types of the passed-in arguments, and
19600 calling that. I.e., the call above is equivalent to:
19603 (@value{GDBP}) p ((char * (*) (const char *)) getenv) ("PATH")
19607 and given this prototyped C or C++ function with float parameters:
19610 float multiply (float v1, float v2) @{ return v1 * v2; @}
19614 these calls are equivalent:
19617 (@value{GDBP}) p (float) multiply (2.0f, 3.0f)
19618 (@value{GDBP}) p ((float (*) (float, float)) multiply) (2.0f, 3.0f)
19621 If the function you wish to call is declared as unprototyped (i.e.@:
19622 old K&R style), you must use the cast-to-function-pointer syntax, so
19623 that @value{GDBN} knows that it needs to apply default argument
19624 promotions (promote float arguments to double). @xref{ABI, float
19625 promotion}. For example, given this unprototyped C function with
19626 float parameters, and no debug info:
19630 multiply_noproto (v1, v2)
19638 you call it like this:
19641 (@value{GDBP}) p ((float (*) ()) multiply_noproto) (2.0f, 3.0f)
19645 @section Patching Programs
19647 @cindex patching binaries
19648 @cindex writing into executables
19649 @cindex writing into corefiles
19651 By default, @value{GDBN} opens the file containing your program's
19652 executable code (or the corefile) read-only. This prevents accidental
19653 alterations to machine code; but it also prevents you from intentionally
19654 patching your program's binary.
19656 If you'd like to be able to patch the binary, you can specify that
19657 explicitly with the @code{set write} command. For example, you might
19658 want to turn on internal debugging flags, or even to make emergency
19664 @itemx set write off
19665 If you specify @samp{set write on}, @value{GDBN} opens executable and
19666 core files for both reading and writing; if you specify @kbd{set write
19667 off} (the default), @value{GDBN} opens them read-only.
19669 If you have already loaded a file, you must load it again (using the
19670 @code{exec-file} or @code{core-file} command) after changing @code{set
19671 write}, for your new setting to take effect.
19675 Display whether executable files and core files are opened for writing
19676 as well as reading.
19679 @node Compiling and Injecting Code
19680 @section Compiling and injecting code in @value{GDBN}
19681 @cindex injecting code
19682 @cindex writing into executables
19683 @cindex compiling code
19685 @value{GDBN} supports on-demand compilation and code injection into
19686 programs running under @value{GDBN}. GCC 5.0 or higher built with
19687 @file{libcc1.so} must be installed for this functionality to be enabled.
19688 This functionality is implemented with the following commands.
19691 @kindex compile code
19692 @item compile code @var{source-code}
19693 @itemx compile code -raw @var{--} @var{source-code}
19694 Compile @var{source-code} with the compiler language found as the current
19695 language in @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Languages}). If compilation and
19696 injection is not supported with the current language specified in
19697 @value{GDBN}, or the compiler does not support this feature, an error
19698 message will be printed. If @var{source-code} compiles and links
19699 successfully, @value{GDBN} will load the object-code emitted,
19700 and execute it within the context of the currently selected inferior.
19701 It is important to note that the compiled code is executed immediately.
19702 After execution, the compiled code is removed from @value{GDBN} and any
19703 new types or variables you have defined will be deleted.
19705 The command allows you to specify @var{source-code} in two ways.
19706 The simplest method is to provide a single line of code to the command.
19710 compile code printf ("hello world\n");
19713 If you specify options on the command line as well as source code, they
19714 may conflict. The @samp{--} delimiter can be used to separate options
19715 from actual source code. E.g.:
19718 compile code -r -- printf ("hello world\n");
19721 Alternatively you can enter source code as multiple lines of text. To
19722 enter this mode, invoke the @samp{compile code} command without any text
19723 following the command. This will start the multiple-line editor and
19724 allow you to type as many lines of source code as required. When you
19725 have completed typing, enter @samp{end} on its own line to exit the
19730 >printf ("hello\n");
19731 >printf ("world\n");
19735 Specifying @samp{-raw}, prohibits @value{GDBN} from wrapping the
19736 provided @var{source-code} in a callable scope. In this case, you must
19737 specify the entry point of the code by defining a function named
19738 @code{_gdb_expr_}. The @samp{-raw} code cannot access variables of the
19739 inferior. Using @samp{-raw} option may be needed for example when
19740 @var{source-code} requires @samp{#include} lines which may conflict with
19741 inferior symbols otherwise.
19743 @kindex compile file
19744 @item compile file @var{filename}
19745 @itemx compile file -raw @var{filename}
19746 Like @code{compile code}, but take the source code from @var{filename}.
19749 compile file /home/user/example.c
19754 @item compile print [[@var{options}] --] @var{expr}
19755 @itemx compile print [[@var{options}] --] /@var{f} @var{expr}
19756 Compile and execute @var{expr} with the compiler language found as the
19757 current language in @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Languages}). By default the
19758 value of @var{expr} is printed in a format appropriate to its data type;
19759 you can choose a different format by specifying @samp{/@var{f}}, where
19760 @var{f} is a letter specifying the format; see @ref{Output Formats,,Output
19761 Formats}. The @code{compile print} command accepts the same options
19762 as the @code{print} command; see @ref{print options}.
19764 @item compile print [[@var{options}] --]
19765 @itemx compile print [[@var{options}] --] /@var{f}
19766 @cindex reprint the last value
19767 Alternatively you can enter the expression (source code producing it) as
19768 multiple lines of text. To enter this mode, invoke the @samp{compile print}
19769 command without any text following the command. This will start the
19770 multiple-line editor.
19774 The process of compiling and injecting the code can be inspected using:
19777 @anchor{set debug compile}
19778 @item set debug compile
19779 @cindex compile command debugging info
19780 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} process of compiling and
19781 injecting the code. The default is off.
19783 @item show debug compile
19784 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} process of
19785 compiling and injecting the code.
19787 @anchor{set debug compile-cplus-types}
19788 @item set debug compile-cplus-types
19789 @cindex compile C@t{++} type conversion
19790 Turns on or off the display of C@t{++} type conversion debugging information.
19791 The default is off.
19793 @item show debug compile-cplus-types
19794 Displays the current state of displaying debugging information for
19795 C@t{++} type conversion.
19798 @subsection Compilation options for the @code{compile} command
19800 @value{GDBN} needs to specify the right compilation options for the code
19801 to be injected, in part to make its ABI compatible with the inferior
19802 and in part to make the injected code compatible with @value{GDBN}'s
19806 The options used, in increasing precedence:
19809 @item target architecture and OS options (@code{gdbarch})
19810 These options depend on target processor type and target operating
19811 system, usually they specify at least 32-bit (@code{-m32}) or 64-bit
19812 (@code{-m64}) compilation option.
19814 @item compilation options recorded in the target
19815 @value{NGCC} (since version 4.7) stores the options used for compilation
19816 into @code{DW_AT_producer} part of DWARF debugging information according
19817 to the @value{NGCC} option @code{-grecord-gcc-switches}. One has to
19818 explicitly specify @code{-g} during inferior compilation otherwise
19819 @value{NGCC} produces no DWARF. This feature is only relevant for
19820 platforms where @code{-g} produces DWARF by default, otherwise one may
19821 try to enforce DWARF by using @code{-gdwarf-4}.
19823 @item compilation options set by @code{set compile-args}
19827 You can override compilation options using the following command:
19830 @item set compile-args
19831 @cindex compile command options override
19832 Set compilation options used for compiling and injecting code with the
19833 @code{compile} commands. These options override any conflicting ones
19834 from the target architecture and/or options stored during inferior
19837 @item show compile-args
19838 Displays the current state of compilation options override.
19839 This does not show all the options actually used during compilation,
19840 use @ref{set debug compile} for that.
19843 @subsection Caveats when using the @code{compile} command
19845 There are a few caveats to keep in mind when using the @code{compile}
19846 command. As the caveats are different per language, the table below
19847 highlights specific issues on a per language basis.
19850 @item C code examples and caveats
19851 When the language in @value{GDBN} is set to @samp{C}, the compiler will
19852 attempt to compile the source code with a @samp{C} compiler. The source
19853 code provided to the @code{compile} command will have much the same
19854 access to variables and types as it normally would if it were part of
19855 the program currently being debugged in @value{GDBN}.
19857 Below is a sample program that forms the basis of the examples that
19858 follow. This program has been compiled and loaded into @value{GDBN},
19859 much like any other normal debugging session.
19862 void function1 (void)
19865 printf ("function 1\n");
19868 void function2 (void)
19883 For the purposes of the examples in this section, the program above has
19884 been compiled, loaded into @value{GDBN}, stopped at the function
19885 @code{main}, and @value{GDBN} is awaiting input from the user.
19887 To access variables and types for any program in @value{GDBN}, the
19888 program must be compiled and packaged with debug information. The
19889 @code{compile} command is not an exception to this rule. Without debug
19890 information, you can still use the @code{compile} command, but you will
19891 be very limited in what variables and types you can access.
19893 So with that in mind, the example above has been compiled with debug
19894 information enabled. The @code{compile} command will have access to
19895 all variables and types (except those that may have been optimized
19896 out). Currently, as @value{GDBN} has stopped the program in the
19897 @code{main} function, the @code{compile} command would have access to
19898 the variable @code{k}. You could invoke the @code{compile} command
19899 and type some source code to set the value of @code{k}. You can also
19900 read it, or do anything with that variable you would normally do in
19901 @code{C}. Be aware that changes to inferior variables in the
19902 @code{compile} command are persistent. In the following example:
19905 compile code k = 3;
19909 the variable @code{k} is now 3. It will retain that value until
19910 something else in the example program changes it, or another
19911 @code{compile} command changes it.
19913 Normal scope and access rules apply to source code compiled and
19914 injected by the @code{compile} command. In the example, the variables
19915 @code{j} and @code{k} are not accessible yet, because the program is
19916 currently stopped in the @code{main} function, where these variables
19917 are not in scope. Therefore, the following command
19920 compile code j = 3;
19924 will result in a compilation error message.
19926 Once the program is continued, execution will bring these variables in
19927 scope, and they will become accessible; then the code you specify via
19928 the @code{compile} command will be able to access them.
19930 You can create variables and types with the @code{compile} command as
19931 part of your source code. Variables and types that are created as part
19932 of the @code{compile} command are not visible to the rest of the program for
19933 the duration of its run. This example is valid:
19936 compile code int ff = 5; printf ("ff is %d\n", ff);
19939 However, if you were to type the following into @value{GDBN} after that
19940 command has completed:
19943 compile code printf ("ff is %d\n'', ff);
19947 a compiler error would be raised as the variable @code{ff} no longer
19948 exists. Object code generated and injected by the @code{compile}
19949 command is removed when its execution ends. Caution is advised
19950 when assigning to program variables values of variables created by the
19951 code submitted to the @code{compile} command. This example is valid:
19954 compile code int ff = 5; k = ff;
19957 The value of the variable @code{ff} is assigned to @code{k}. The variable
19958 @code{k} does not require the existence of @code{ff} to maintain the value
19959 it has been assigned. However, pointers require particular care in
19960 assignment. If the source code compiled with the @code{compile} command
19961 changed the address of a pointer in the example program, perhaps to a
19962 variable created in the @code{compile} command, that pointer would point
19963 to an invalid location when the command exits. The following example
19964 would likely cause issues with your debugged program:
19967 compile code int ff = 5; p = &ff;
19970 In this example, @code{p} would point to @code{ff} when the
19971 @code{compile} command is executing the source code provided to it.
19972 However, as variables in the (example) program persist with their
19973 assigned values, the variable @code{p} would point to an invalid
19974 location when the command exists. A general rule should be followed
19975 in that you should either assign @code{NULL} to any assigned pointers,
19976 or restore a valid location to the pointer before the command exits.
19978 Similar caution must be exercised with any structs, unions, and typedefs
19979 defined in @code{compile} command. Types defined in the @code{compile}
19980 command will no longer be available in the next @code{compile} command.
19981 Therefore, if you cast a variable to a type defined in the
19982 @code{compile} command, care must be taken to ensure that any future
19983 need to resolve the type can be achieved.
19986 (gdb) compile code static struct a @{ int a; @} v = @{ 42 @}; argv = &v;
19987 (gdb) compile code printf ("%d\n", ((struct a *) argv)->a);
19988 gdb command line:1:36: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type ‘struct a’
19989 Compilation failed.
19990 (gdb) compile code struct a @{ int a; @}; printf ("%d\n", ((struct a *) argv)->a);
19994 Variables that have been optimized away by the compiler are not
19995 accessible to the code submitted to the @code{compile} command.
19996 Access to those variables will generate a compiler error which @value{GDBN}
19997 will print to the console.
20000 @subsection Compiler search for the @code{compile} command
20002 @value{GDBN} needs to find @value{NGCC} for the inferior being debugged
20003 which may not be obvious for remote targets of different architecture
20004 than where @value{GDBN} is running. Environment variable @code{PATH} on
20005 @value{GDBN} host is searched for @value{NGCC} binary matching the
20006 target architecture and operating system. This search can be overriden
20007 by @code{set compile-gcc} @value{GDBN} command below. @code{PATH} is
20008 taken from shell that executed @value{GDBN}, it is not the value set by
20009 @value{GDBN} command @code{set environment}). @xref{Environment}.
20012 Specifically @code{PATH} is searched for binaries matching regular expression
20013 @code{@var{arch}(-[^-]*)?-@var{os}-gcc} according to the inferior target being
20014 debugged. @var{arch} is processor name --- multiarch is supported, so for
20015 example both @code{i386} and @code{x86_64} targets look for pattern
20016 @code{(x86_64|i.86)} and both @code{s390} and @code{s390x} targets look
20017 for pattern @code{s390x?}. @var{os} is currently supported only for
20018 pattern @code{linux(-gnu)?}.
20020 On Posix hosts the compiler driver @value{GDBN} needs to find also
20021 shared library @file{libcc1.so} from the compiler. It is searched in
20022 default shared library search path (overridable with usual environment
20023 variable @code{LD_LIBRARY_PATH}), unrelated to @code{PATH} or @code{set
20024 compile-gcc} settings. Contrary to it @file{libcc1plugin.so} is found
20025 according to the installation of the found compiler --- as possibly
20026 specified by the @code{set compile-gcc} command.
20029 @item set compile-gcc
20030 @cindex compile command driver filename override
20031 Set compilation command used for compiling and injecting code with the
20032 @code{compile} commands. If this option is not set (it is set to
20033 an empty string), the search described above will occur --- that is the
20036 @item show compile-gcc
20037 Displays the current compile command @value{NGCC} driver filename.
20038 If set, it is the main command @command{gcc}, found usually for example
20039 under name @file{x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc}.
20043 @chapter @value{GDBN} Files
20045 @value{GDBN} needs to know the file name of the program to be debugged,
20046 both in order to read its symbol table and in order to start your
20047 program. To debug a core dump of a previous run, you must also tell
20048 @value{GDBN} the name of the core dump file.
20051 * Files:: Commands to specify files
20052 * File Caching:: Information about @value{GDBN}'s file caching
20053 * Separate Debug Files:: Debugging information in separate files
20054 * MiniDebugInfo:: Debugging information in a special section
20055 * Index Files:: Index files speed up GDB
20056 * Symbol Errors:: Errors reading symbol files
20057 * Data Files:: GDB data files
20061 @section Commands to Specify Files
20063 @cindex symbol table
20064 @cindex core dump file
20066 You may want to specify executable and core dump file names. The usual
20067 way to do this is at start-up time, using the arguments to
20068 @value{GDBN}'s start-up commands (@pxref{Invocation, , Getting In and
20069 Out of @value{GDBN}}).
20071 Occasionally it is necessary to change to a different file during a
20072 @value{GDBN} session. Or you may run @value{GDBN} and forget to
20073 specify a file you want to use. Or you are debugging a remote target
20074 via @code{gdbserver} (@pxref{Server, file, Using the @code{gdbserver}
20075 Program}). In these situations the @value{GDBN} commands to specify
20076 new files are useful.
20079 @cindex executable file
20081 @item file @var{filename}
20082 Use @var{filename} as the program to be debugged. It is read for its
20083 symbols and for the contents of pure memory. It is also the program
20084 executed when you use the @code{run} command. If you do not specify a
20085 directory and the file is not found in the @value{GDBN} working directory,
20086 @value{GDBN} uses the environment variable @code{PATH} as a list of
20087 directories to search, just as the shell does when looking for a program
20088 to run. You can change the value of this variable, for both @value{GDBN}
20089 and your program, using the @code{path} command.
20091 @cindex unlinked object files
20092 @cindex patching object files
20093 You can load unlinked object @file{.o} files into @value{GDBN} using
20094 the @code{file} command. You will not be able to ``run'' an object
20095 file, but you can disassemble functions and inspect variables. Also,
20096 if the underlying BFD functionality supports it, you could use
20097 @kbd{gdb -write} to patch object files using this technique. Note
20098 that @value{GDBN} can neither interpret nor modify relocations in this
20099 case, so branches and some initialized variables will appear to go to
20100 the wrong place. But this feature is still handy from time to time.
20103 @code{file} with no argument makes @value{GDBN} discard any information it
20104 has on both executable file and the symbol table.
20107 @item exec-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
20108 Specify that the program to be run (but not the symbol table) is found
20109 in @var{filename}. @value{GDBN} searches the environment variable @code{PATH}
20110 if necessary to locate your program. Omitting @var{filename} means to
20111 discard information on the executable file.
20113 @kindex symbol-file
20114 @item symbol-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{[} -o @var{offset} @r{]]}
20115 Read symbol table information from file @var{filename}. @code{PATH} is
20116 searched when necessary. Use the @code{file} command to get both symbol
20117 table and program to run from the same file.
20119 If an optional @var{offset} is specified, it is added to the start
20120 address of each section in the symbol file. This is useful if the
20121 program is relocated at runtime, such as the Linux kernel with kASLR
20124 @code{symbol-file} with no argument clears out @value{GDBN} information on your
20125 program's symbol table.
20127 The @code{symbol-file} command causes @value{GDBN} to forget the contents of
20128 some breakpoints and auto-display expressions. This is because they may
20129 contain pointers to the internal data recording symbols and data types,
20130 which are part of the old symbol table data being discarded inside
20133 @code{symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
20136 When @value{GDBN} is configured for a particular environment, it
20137 understands debugging information in whatever format is the standard
20138 generated for that environment; you may use either a @sc{gnu} compiler, or
20139 other compilers that adhere to the local conventions.
20140 Best results are usually obtained from @sc{gnu} compilers; for example,
20141 using @code{@value{NGCC}} you can generate debugging information for
20144 For most kinds of object files, with the exception of old SVR3 systems
20145 using COFF, the @code{symbol-file} command does not normally read the
20146 symbol table in full right away. Instead, it scans the symbol table
20147 quickly to find which source files and which symbols are present. The
20148 details are read later, one source file at a time, as they are needed.
20150 The purpose of this two-stage reading strategy is to make @value{GDBN}
20151 start up faster. For the most part, it is invisible except for
20152 occasional pauses while the symbol table details for a particular source
20153 file are being read. (The @code{set verbose} command can turn these
20154 pauses into messages if desired. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional
20155 Warnings and Messages}.)
20157 We have not implemented the two-stage strategy for COFF yet. When the
20158 symbol table is stored in COFF format, @code{symbol-file} reads the
20159 symbol table data in full right away. Note that ``stabs-in-COFF''
20160 still does the two-stage strategy, since the debug info is actually
20164 @cindex reading symbols immediately
20165 @cindex symbols, reading immediately
20166 @item symbol-file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
20167 @itemx file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
20168 You can override the @value{GDBN} two-stage strategy for reading symbol
20169 tables by using the @samp{-readnow} option with any of the commands that
20170 load symbol table information, if you want to be sure @value{GDBN} has the
20171 entire symbol table available.
20173 @cindex @code{-readnever}, option for symbol-file command
20174 @cindex never read symbols
20175 @cindex symbols, never read
20176 @item symbol-file @r{[} -readnever @r{]} @var{filename}
20177 @itemx file @r{[} -readnever @r{]} @var{filename}
20178 You can instruct @value{GDBN} to never read the symbolic information
20179 contained in @var{filename} by using the @samp{-readnever} option.
20180 @xref{--readnever}.
20182 @c FIXME: for now no mention of directories, since this seems to be in
20183 @c flux. 13mar1992 status is that in theory GDB would look either in
20184 @c current dir or in same dir as myprog; but issues like competing
20185 @c GDB's, or clutter in system dirs, mean that in practice right now
20186 @c only current dir is used. FFish says maybe a special GDB hierarchy
20187 @c (eg rooted in val of env var GDBSYMS) could exist for mappable symbol
20191 @item core-file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
20193 Specify the whereabouts of a core dump file to be used as the ``contents
20194 of memory''. Traditionally, core files contain only some parts of the
20195 address space of the process that generated them; @value{GDBN} can access the
20196 executable file itself for other parts.
20198 @code{core-file} with no argument specifies that no core file is
20201 Note that the core file is ignored when your program is actually running
20202 under @value{GDBN}. So, if you have been running your program and you
20203 wish to debug a core file instead, you must kill the subprocess in which
20204 the program is running. To do this, use the @code{kill} command
20205 (@pxref{Kill Process, ,Killing the Child Process}).
20207 @kindex add-symbol-file
20208 @cindex dynamic linking
20209 @item add-symbol-file @var{filename} @r{[} -readnow @r{|} -readnever @r{]} @r{[} -o @var{offset} @r{]} @r{[} @var{textaddress} @r{]} @r{[} -s @var{section} @var{address} @dots{} @r{]}
20210 The @code{add-symbol-file} command reads additional symbol table
20211 information from the file @var{filename}. You would use this command
20212 when @var{filename} has been dynamically loaded (by some other means)
20213 into the program that is running. The @var{textaddress} parameter gives
20214 the memory address at which the file's text section has been loaded.
20215 You can additionally specify the base address of other sections using
20216 an arbitrary number of @samp{-s @var{section} @var{address}} pairs.
20217 If a section is omitted, @value{GDBN} will use its default addresses
20218 as found in @var{filename}. Any @var{address} or @var{textaddress}
20219 can be given as an expression.
20221 If an optional @var{offset} is specified, it is added to the start
20222 address of each section, except those for which the address was
20223 specified explicitly.
20225 The symbol table of the file @var{filename} is added to the symbol table
20226 originally read with the @code{symbol-file} command. You can use the
20227 @code{add-symbol-file} command any number of times; the new symbol data
20228 thus read is kept in addition to the old.
20230 Changes can be reverted using the command @code{remove-symbol-file}.
20232 @cindex relocatable object files, reading symbols from
20233 @cindex object files, relocatable, reading symbols from
20234 @cindex reading symbols from relocatable object files
20235 @cindex symbols, reading from relocatable object files
20236 @cindex @file{.o} files, reading symbols from
20237 Although @var{filename} is typically a shared library file, an
20238 executable file, or some other object file which has been fully
20239 relocated for loading into a process, you can also load symbolic
20240 information from relocatable @file{.o} files, as long as:
20244 the file's symbolic information refers only to linker symbols defined in
20245 that file, not to symbols defined by other object files,
20247 every section the file's symbolic information refers to has actually
20248 been loaded into the inferior, as it appears in the file, and
20250 you can determine the address at which every section was loaded, and
20251 provide these to the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
20255 Some embedded operating systems, like Sun Chorus and VxWorks, can load
20256 relocatable files into an already running program; such systems
20257 typically make the requirements above easy to meet. However, it's
20258 important to recognize that many native systems use complex link
20259 procedures (@code{.linkonce} section factoring and C@t{++} constructor table
20260 assembly, for example) that make the requirements difficult to meet. In
20261 general, one cannot assume that using @code{add-symbol-file} to read a
20262 relocatable object file's symbolic information will have the same effect
20263 as linking the relocatable object file into the program in the normal
20266 @code{add-symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
20268 @kindex remove-symbol-file
20269 @item remove-symbol-file @var{filename}
20270 @item remove-symbol-file -a @var{address}
20271 Remove a symbol file added via the @code{add-symbol-file} command. The
20272 file to remove can be identified by its @var{filename} or by an @var{address}
20273 that lies within the boundaries of this symbol file in memory. Example:
20276 (gdb) add-symbol-file /home/user/gdb/mylib.so 0x7ffff7ff9480
20277 add symbol table from file "/home/user/gdb/mylib.so" at
20278 .text_addr = 0x7ffff7ff9480
20280 Reading symbols from /home/user/gdb/mylib.so...done.
20281 (gdb) remove-symbol-file -a 0x7ffff7ff9480
20282 Remove symbol table from file "/home/user/gdb/mylib.so"? (y or n) y
20287 @code{remove-symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
20289 @kindex add-symbol-file-from-memory
20290 @cindex @code{syscall DSO}
20291 @cindex load symbols from memory
20292 @item add-symbol-file-from-memory @var{address}
20293 Load symbols from the given @var{address} in a dynamically loaded
20294 object file whose image is mapped directly into the inferior's memory.
20295 For example, the Linux kernel maps a @code{syscall DSO} into each
20296 process's address space; this DSO provides kernel-specific code for
20297 some system calls. The argument can be any expression whose
20298 evaluation yields the address of the file's shared object file header.
20299 For this command to work, you must have used @code{symbol-file} or
20300 @code{exec-file} commands in advance.
20303 @item section @var{section} @var{addr}
20304 The @code{section} command changes the base address of the named
20305 @var{section} of the exec file to @var{addr}. This can be used if the
20306 exec file does not contain section addresses, (such as in the
20307 @code{a.out} format), or when the addresses specified in the file
20308 itself are wrong. Each section must be changed separately. The
20309 @code{info files} command, described below, lists all the sections and
20313 @kindex info target
20316 @code{info files} and @code{info target} are synonymous; both print the
20317 current target (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}),
20318 including the names of the executable and core dump files currently in
20319 use by @value{GDBN}, and the files from which symbols were loaded. The
20320 command @code{help target} lists all possible targets rather than
20323 @kindex maint info sections
20324 @item maint info sections
20325 Another command that can give you extra information about program sections
20326 is @code{maint info sections}. In addition to the section information
20327 displayed by @code{info files}, this command displays the flags and file
20328 offset of each section in the executable and core dump files. In addition,
20329 @code{maint info sections} provides the following command options (which
20330 may be arbitrarily combined):
20334 Display sections for all loaded object files, including shared libraries.
20335 @item @var{sections}
20336 Display info only for named @var{sections}.
20337 @item @var{section-flags}
20338 Display info only for sections for which @var{section-flags} are true.
20339 The section flags that @value{GDBN} currently knows about are:
20342 Section will have space allocated in the process when loaded.
20343 Set for all sections except those containing debug information.
20345 Section will be loaded from the file into the child process memory.
20346 Set for pre-initialized code and data, clear for @code{.bss} sections.
20348 Section needs to be relocated before loading.
20350 Section cannot be modified by the child process.
20352 Section contains executable code only.
20354 Section contains data only (no executable code).
20356 Section will reside in ROM.
20358 Section contains data for constructor/destructor lists.
20360 Section is not empty.
20362 An instruction to the linker to not output the section.
20363 @item COFF_SHARED_LIBRARY
20364 A notification to the linker that the section contains
20365 COFF shared library information.
20367 Section contains common symbols.
20370 @kindex set trust-readonly-sections
20371 @cindex read-only sections
20372 @item set trust-readonly-sections on
20373 Tell @value{GDBN} that readonly sections in your object file
20374 really are read-only (i.e.@: that their contents will not change).
20375 In that case, @value{GDBN} can fetch values from these sections
20376 out of the object file, rather than from the target program.
20377 For some targets (notably embedded ones), this can be a significant
20378 enhancement to debugging performance.
20380 The default is off.
20382 @item set trust-readonly-sections off
20383 Tell @value{GDBN} not to trust readonly sections. This means that
20384 the contents of the section might change while the program is running,
20385 and must therefore be fetched from the target when needed.
20387 @item show trust-readonly-sections
20388 Show the current setting of trusting readonly sections.
20391 All file-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative file names
20392 as arguments. @value{GDBN} always converts the file name to an absolute file
20393 name and remembers it that way.
20395 @cindex shared libraries
20396 @anchor{Shared Libraries}
20397 @value{GDBN} supports @sc{gnu}/Linux, MS-Windows, SunOS,
20398 Darwin/Mach-O, SVr4, IBM RS/6000 AIX, QNX Neutrino, FDPIC (FR-V), and
20399 DSBT (TIC6X) shared libraries.
20401 On MS-Windows @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support
20402 shared libraries. @xref{Expat}.
20404 @value{GDBN} automatically loads symbol definitions from shared libraries
20405 when you use the @code{run} command, or when you examine a core file.
20406 (Before you issue the @code{run} command, @value{GDBN} does not understand
20407 references to a function in a shared library, however---unless you are
20408 debugging a core file).
20410 @c FIXME: some @value{GDBN} release may permit some refs to undef
20411 @c FIXME...symbols---eg in a break cmd---assuming they are from a shared
20412 @c FIXME...lib; check this from time to time when updating manual
20414 There are times, however, when you may wish to not automatically load
20415 symbol definitions from shared libraries, such as when they are
20416 particularly large or there are many of them.
20418 To control the automatic loading of shared library symbols, use the
20422 @kindex set auto-solib-add
20423 @item set auto-solib-add @var{mode}
20424 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, symbols from all shared object libraries
20425 will be loaded automatically when the inferior begins execution, you
20426 attach to an independently started inferior, or when the dynamic linker
20427 informs @value{GDBN} that a new library has been loaded. If @var{mode}
20428 is @code{off}, symbols must be loaded manually, using the
20429 @code{sharedlibrary} command. The default value is @code{on}.
20431 @cindex memory used for symbol tables
20432 If your program uses lots of shared libraries with debug info that
20433 takes large amounts of memory, you can decrease the @value{GDBN}
20434 memory footprint by preventing it from automatically loading the
20435 symbols from shared libraries. To that end, type @kbd{set
20436 auto-solib-add off} before running the inferior, then load each
20437 library whose debug symbols you do need with @kbd{sharedlibrary
20438 @var{regexp}}, where @var{regexp} is a regular expression that matches
20439 the libraries whose symbols you want to be loaded.
20441 @kindex show auto-solib-add
20442 @item show auto-solib-add
20443 Display the current autoloading mode.
20446 @cindex load shared library
20447 To explicitly load shared library symbols, use the @code{sharedlibrary}
20451 @kindex info sharedlibrary
20453 @item info share @var{regex}
20454 @itemx info sharedlibrary @var{regex}
20455 Print the names of the shared libraries which are currently loaded
20456 that match @var{regex}. If @var{regex} is omitted then print
20457 all shared libraries that are loaded.
20460 @item info dll @var{regex}
20461 This is an alias of @code{info sharedlibrary}.
20463 @kindex sharedlibrary
20465 @item sharedlibrary @var{regex}
20466 @itemx share @var{regex}
20467 Load shared object library symbols for files matching a
20468 Unix regular expression.
20469 As with files loaded automatically, it only loads shared libraries
20470 required by your program for a core file or after typing @code{run}. If
20471 @var{regex} is omitted all shared libraries required by your program are
20474 @item nosharedlibrary
20475 @kindex nosharedlibrary
20476 @cindex unload symbols from shared libraries
20477 Unload all shared object library symbols. This discards all symbols
20478 that have been loaded from all shared libraries. Symbols from shared
20479 libraries that were loaded by explicit user requests are not
20483 Sometimes you may wish that @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control
20484 when any of shared library events happen. The best way to do this is
20485 to use @code{catch load} and @code{catch unload} (@pxref{Set
20488 @value{GDBN} also supports the the @code{set stop-on-solib-events}
20489 command for this. This command exists for historical reasons. It is
20490 less useful than setting a catchpoint, because it does not allow for
20491 conditions or commands as a catchpoint does.
20494 @item set stop-on-solib-events
20495 @kindex set stop-on-solib-events
20496 This command controls whether @value{GDBN} should give you control
20497 when the dynamic linker notifies it about some shared library event.
20498 The most common event of interest is loading or unloading of a new
20501 @item show stop-on-solib-events
20502 @kindex show stop-on-solib-events
20503 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control when shared
20504 library events happen.
20507 Shared libraries are also supported in many cross or remote debugging
20508 configurations. @value{GDBN} needs to have access to the target's libraries;
20509 this can be accomplished either by providing copies of the libraries
20510 on the host system, or by asking @value{GDBN} to automatically retrieve the
20511 libraries from the target. If copies of the target libraries are
20512 provided, they need to be the same as the target libraries, although the
20513 copies on the target can be stripped as long as the copies on the host are
20516 @cindex where to look for shared libraries
20517 For remote debugging, you need to tell @value{GDBN} where the target
20518 libraries are, so that it can load the correct copies---otherwise, it
20519 may try to load the host's libraries. @value{GDBN} has two variables
20520 to specify the search directories for target libraries.
20523 @cindex prefix for executable and shared library file names
20524 @cindex system root, alternate
20525 @kindex set solib-absolute-prefix
20526 @kindex set sysroot
20527 @item set sysroot @var{path}
20528 Use @var{path} as the system root for the program being debugged. Any
20529 absolute shared library paths will be prefixed with @var{path}; many
20530 runtime loaders store the absolute paths to the shared library in the
20531 target program's memory. When starting processes remotely, and when
20532 attaching to already-running processes (local or remote), their
20533 executable filenames will be prefixed with @var{path} if reported to
20534 @value{GDBN} as absolute by the operating system. If you use
20535 @code{set sysroot} to find executables and shared libraries, they need
20536 to be laid out in the same way that they are on the target, with
20537 e.g.@: a @file{/bin}, @file{/lib} and @file{/usr/lib} hierarchy under
20540 If @var{path} starts with the sequence @file{target:} and the target
20541 system is remote then @value{GDBN} will retrieve the target binaries
20542 from the remote system. This is only supported when using a remote
20543 target that supports the @code{remote get} command (@pxref{File
20544 Transfer,,Sending files to a remote system}). The part of @var{path}
20545 following the initial @file{target:} (if present) is used as system
20546 root prefix on the remote file system. If @var{path} starts with the
20547 sequence @file{remote:} this is converted to the sequence
20548 @file{target:} by @code{set sysroot}@footnote{Historically the
20549 functionality to retrieve binaries from the remote system was
20550 provided by prefixing @var{path} with @file{remote:}}. If you want
20551 to specify a local system root using a directory that happens to be
20552 named @file{target:} or @file{remote:}, you need to use some
20553 equivalent variant of the name like @file{./target:}.
20555 For targets with an MS-DOS based filesystem, such as MS-Windows and
20556 SymbianOS, @value{GDBN} tries prefixing a few variants of the target
20557 absolute file name with @var{path}. But first, on Unix hosts,
20558 @value{GDBN} converts all backslash directory separators into forward
20559 slashes, because the backslash is not a directory separator on Unix:
20562 c:\foo\bar.dll @result{} c:/foo/bar.dll
20565 Then, @value{GDBN} attempts prefixing the target file name with
20566 @var{path}, and looks for the resulting file name in the host file
20570 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c:/foo/bar.dll
20573 If that does not find the binary, @value{GDBN} tries removing
20574 the @samp{:} character from the drive spec, both for convenience, and,
20575 for the case of the host file system not supporting file names with
20579 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c/foo/bar.dll
20582 This makes it possible to have a system root that mirrors a target
20583 with more than one drive. E.g., you may want to setup your local
20584 copies of the target system shared libraries like so (note @samp{c} vs
20588 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/foo.dll}
20589 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/bar.dll}
20590 @file{/path/to/sysroot/z/sys/bin/bar.dll}
20594 and point the system root at @file{/path/to/sysroot}, so that
20595 @value{GDBN} can find the correct copies of both
20596 @file{c:\sys\bin\foo.dll}, and @file{z:\sys\bin\bar.dll}.
20598 If that still does not find the binary, @value{GDBN} tries
20599 removing the whole drive spec from the target file name:
20602 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/foo/bar.dll
20605 This last lookup makes it possible to not care about the drive name,
20606 if you don't want or need to.
20608 The @code{set solib-absolute-prefix} command is an alias for @code{set
20611 @cindex default system root
20612 @cindex @samp{--with-sysroot}
20613 You can set the default system root by using the configure-time
20614 @samp{--with-sysroot} option. If the system root is inside
20615 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
20616 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default system root will be updated
20617 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
20620 @kindex show sysroot
20622 Display the current executable and shared library prefix.
20624 @kindex set solib-search-path
20625 @item set solib-search-path @var{path}
20626 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
20627 directories to search for shared libraries. @samp{solib-search-path}
20628 is used after @samp{sysroot} fails to locate the library, or if the
20629 path to the library is relative instead of absolute. If you want to
20630 use @samp{solib-search-path} instead of @samp{sysroot}, be sure to set
20631 @samp{sysroot} to a nonexistent directory to prevent @value{GDBN} from
20632 finding your host's libraries. @samp{sysroot} is preferred; setting
20633 it to a nonexistent directory may interfere with automatic loading
20634 of shared library symbols.
20636 @kindex show solib-search-path
20637 @item show solib-search-path
20638 Display the current shared library search path.
20640 @cindex DOS file-name semantics of file names.
20641 @kindex set target-file-system-kind (unix|dos-based|auto)
20642 @kindex show target-file-system-kind
20643 @item set target-file-system-kind @var{kind}
20644 Set assumed file system kind for target reported file names.
20646 Shared library file names as reported by the target system may not
20647 make sense as is on the system @value{GDBN} is running on. For
20648 example, when remote debugging a target that has MS-DOS based file
20649 system semantics, from a Unix host, the target may be reporting to
20650 @value{GDBN} a list of loaded shared libraries with file names such as
20651 @file{c:\Windows\kernel32.dll}. On Unix hosts, there's no concept of
20652 drive letters, so the @samp{c:\} prefix is not normally understood as
20653 indicating an absolute file name, and neither is the backslash
20654 normally considered a directory separator character. In that case,
20655 the native file system would interpret this whole absolute file name
20656 as a relative file name with no directory components. This would make
20657 it impossible to point @value{GDBN} at a copy of the remote target's
20658 shared libraries on the host using @code{set sysroot}, and impractical
20659 with @code{set solib-search-path}. Setting
20660 @code{target-file-system-kind} to @code{dos-based} tells @value{GDBN}
20661 to interpret such file names similarly to how the target would, and to
20662 map them to file names valid on @value{GDBN}'s native file system
20663 semantics. The value of @var{kind} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition
20664 to one of the supported file system kinds. In that case, @value{GDBN}
20665 tries to determine the appropriate file system variant based on the
20666 current target's operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the
20667 Current ABI}). The supported file system settings are:
20671 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is of Unix
20672 kind. Only file names starting the forward slash (@samp{/}) character
20673 are considered absolute, and the directory separator character is also
20677 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is DOS based.
20678 File names starting with either a forward slash, or a drive letter
20679 followed by a colon (e.g., @samp{c:}), are considered absolute, and
20680 both the slash (@samp{/}) and the backslash (@samp{\\}) characters are
20681 considered directory separators.
20684 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the file system kind associated with the
20685 target operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
20686 This is the default.
20690 @cindex file name canonicalization
20691 @cindex base name differences
20692 When processing file names provided by the user, @value{GDBN}
20693 frequently needs to compare them to the file names recorded in the
20694 program's debug info. Normally, @value{GDBN} compares just the
20695 @dfn{base names} of the files as strings, which is reasonably fast
20696 even for very large programs. (The base name of a file is the last
20697 portion of its name, after stripping all the leading directories.)
20698 This shortcut in comparison is based upon the assumption that files
20699 cannot have more than one base name. This is usually true, but
20700 references to files that use symlinks or similar filesystem
20701 facilities violate that assumption. If your program records files
20702 using such facilities, or if you provide file names to @value{GDBN}
20703 using symlinks etc., you can set @code{basenames-may-differ} to
20704 @code{true} to instruct @value{GDBN} to completely canonicalize each
20705 pair of file names it needs to compare. This will make file-name
20706 comparisons accurate, but at a price of a significant slowdown.
20709 @item set basenames-may-differ
20710 @kindex set basenames-may-differ
20711 Set whether a source file may have multiple base names.
20713 @item show basenames-may-differ
20714 @kindex show basenames-may-differ
20715 Show whether a source file may have multiple base names.
20719 @section File Caching
20720 @cindex caching of opened files
20721 @cindex caching of bfd objects
20723 To speed up file loading, and reduce memory usage, @value{GDBN} will
20724 reuse the @code{bfd} objects used to track open files. @xref{Top, ,
20725 BFD, bfd, The Binary File Descriptor Library}. The following commands
20726 allow visibility and control of the caching behavior.
20729 @kindex maint info bfds
20730 @item maint info bfds
20731 This prints information about each @code{bfd} object that is known to
20734 @kindex maint set bfd-sharing
20735 @kindex maint show bfd-sharing
20736 @kindex bfd caching
20737 @item maint set bfd-sharing
20738 @item maint show bfd-sharing
20739 Control whether @code{bfd} objects can be shared. When sharing is
20740 enabled @value{GDBN} reuses already open @code{bfd} objects rather
20741 than reopening the same file. Turning sharing off does not cause
20742 already shared @code{bfd} objects to be unshared, but all future files
20743 that are opened will create a new @code{bfd} object. Similarly,
20744 re-enabling sharing does not cause multiple existing @code{bfd}
20745 objects to be collapsed into a single shared @code{bfd} object.
20747 @kindex set debug bfd-cache @var{level}
20748 @kindex bfd caching
20749 @item set debug bfd-cache @var{level}
20750 Turns on debugging of the bfd cache, setting the level to @var{level}.
20752 @kindex show debug bfd-cache
20753 @kindex bfd caching
20754 @item show debug bfd-cache
20755 Show the current debugging level of the bfd cache.
20758 @node Separate Debug Files
20759 @section Debugging Information in Separate Files
20760 @cindex separate debugging information files
20761 @cindex debugging information in separate files
20762 @cindex @file{.debug} subdirectories
20763 @cindex debugging information directory, global
20764 @cindex global debugging information directories
20765 @cindex build ID, and separate debugging files
20766 @cindex @file{.build-id} directory
20768 @value{GDBN} allows you to put a program's debugging information in a
20769 file separate from the executable itself, in a way that allows
20770 @value{GDBN} to find and load the debugging information automatically.
20771 Since debugging information can be very large---sometimes larger
20772 than the executable code itself---some systems distribute debugging
20773 information for their executables in separate files, which users can
20774 install only when they need to debug a problem.
20776 @value{GDBN} supports two ways of specifying the separate debug info
20781 The executable contains a @dfn{debug link} that specifies the name of
20782 the separate debug info file. The separate debug file's name is
20783 usually @file{@var{executable}.debug}, where @var{executable} is the
20784 name of the corresponding executable file without leading directories
20785 (e.g., @file{ls.debug} for @file{/usr/bin/ls}). In addition, the
20786 debug link specifies a 32-bit @dfn{Cyclic Redundancy Check} (CRC)
20787 checksum for the debug file, which @value{GDBN} uses to validate that
20788 the executable and the debug file came from the same build.
20791 The executable contains a @dfn{build ID}, a unique bit string that is
20792 also present in the corresponding debug info file. (This is supported
20793 only on some operating systems, when using the ELF or PE file formats
20794 for binary files and the @sc{gnu} Binutils.) For more details about
20795 this feature, see the description of the @option{--build-id}
20796 command-line option in @ref{Options, , Command Line Options, ld,
20797 The GNU Linker}. The debug info file's name is not specified
20798 explicitly by the build ID, but can be computed from the build ID, see
20802 Depending on the way the debug info file is specified, @value{GDBN}
20803 uses two different methods of looking for the debug file:
20807 For the ``debug link'' method, @value{GDBN} looks up the named file in
20808 the directory of the executable file, then in a subdirectory of that
20809 directory named @file{.debug}, and finally under each one of the
20810 global debug directories, in a subdirectory whose name is identical to
20811 the leading directories of the executable's absolute file name. (On
20812 MS-Windows/MS-DOS, the drive letter of the executable's leading
20813 directories is converted to a one-letter subdirectory, i.e.@:
20814 @file{d:/usr/bin/} is converted to @file{/d/usr/bin/}, because Windows
20815 filesystems disallow colons in file names.)
20818 For the ``build ID'' method, @value{GDBN} looks in the
20819 @file{.build-id} subdirectory of each one of the global debug directories for
20820 a file named @file{@var{nn}/@var{nnnnnnnn}.debug}, where @var{nn} are the
20821 first 2 hex characters of the build ID bit string, and @var{nnnnnnnn}
20822 are the rest of the bit string. (Real build ID strings are 32 or more
20823 hex characters, not 10.)
20826 So, for example, suppose you ask @value{GDBN} to debug
20827 @file{/usr/bin/ls}, which has a debug link that specifies the
20828 file @file{ls.debug}, and a build ID whose value in hex is
20829 @code{abcdef1234}. If the list of the global debug directories includes
20830 @file{/usr/lib/debug}, then @value{GDBN} will look for the following
20831 debug information files, in the indicated order:
20835 @file{/usr/lib/debug/.build-id/ab/cdef1234.debug}
20837 @file{/usr/bin/ls.debug}
20839 @file{/usr/bin/.debug/ls.debug}
20841 @file{/usr/lib/debug/usr/bin/ls.debug}.
20844 @anchor{debug-file-directory}
20845 Global debugging info directories default to what is set by @value{GDBN}
20846 configure option @option{--with-separate-debug-dir}. During @value{GDBN} run
20847 you can also set the global debugging info directories, and view the list
20848 @value{GDBN} is currently using.
20852 @kindex set debug-file-directory
20853 @item set debug-file-directory @var{directories}
20854 Set the directories which @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
20855 information files to @var{directory}. Multiple path components can be set
20856 concatenating them by a path separator.
20858 @kindex show debug-file-directory
20859 @item show debug-file-directory
20860 Show the directories @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
20865 @cindex @code{.gnu_debuglink} sections
20866 @cindex debug link sections
20867 A debug link is a special section of the executable file named
20868 @code{.gnu_debuglink}. The section must contain:
20872 A filename, with any leading directory components removed, followed by
20875 zero to three bytes of padding, as needed to reach the next four-byte
20876 boundary within the section, and
20878 a four-byte CRC checksum, stored in the same endianness used for the
20879 executable file itself. The checksum is computed on the debugging
20880 information file's full contents by the function given below, passing
20881 zero as the @var{crc} argument.
20884 Any executable file format can carry a debug link, as long as it can
20885 contain a section named @code{.gnu_debuglink} with the contents
20888 @cindex @code{.note.gnu.build-id} sections
20889 @cindex build ID sections
20890 The build ID is a special section in the executable file (and in other
20891 ELF binary files that @value{GDBN} may consider). This section is
20892 often named @code{.note.gnu.build-id}, but that name is not mandatory.
20893 It contains unique identification for the built files---the ID remains
20894 the same across multiple builds of the same build tree. The default
20895 algorithm SHA1 produces 160 bits (40 hexadecimal characters) of the
20896 content for the build ID string. The same section with an identical
20897 value is present in the original built binary with symbols, in its
20898 stripped variant, and in the separate debugging information file.
20900 The debugging information file itself should be an ordinary
20901 executable, containing a full set of linker symbols, sections, and
20902 debugging information. The sections of the debugging information file
20903 should have the same names, addresses, and sizes as the original file,
20904 but they need not contain any data---much like a @code{.bss} section
20905 in an ordinary executable.
20907 The @sc{gnu} binary utilities (Binutils) package includes the
20908 @samp{objcopy} utility that can produce
20909 the separated executable / debugging information file pairs using the
20910 following commands:
20913 @kbd{objcopy --only-keep-debug foo foo.debug}
20918 These commands remove the debugging
20919 information from the executable file @file{foo} and place it in the file
20920 @file{foo.debug}. You can use the first, second or both methods to link the
20925 The debug link method needs the following additional command to also leave
20926 behind a debug link in @file{foo}:
20929 @kbd{objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.debug foo}
20932 Ulrich Drepper's @file{elfutils} package, starting with version 0.53, contains
20933 a version of the @code{strip} command such that the command @kbd{strip foo -f
20934 foo.debug} has the same functionality as the two @code{objcopy} commands and
20935 the @code{ln -s} command above, together.
20938 Build ID gets embedded into the main executable using @code{ld --build-id} or
20939 the @value{NGCC} counterpart @code{gcc -Wl,--build-id}. Build ID support plus
20940 compatibility fixes for debug files separation are present in @sc{gnu} binary
20941 utilities (Binutils) package since version 2.18.
20946 @cindex CRC algorithm definition
20947 The CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink} is the CRC-32 defined in
20948 IEEE 802.3 using the polynomial:
20950 @c TexInfo requires naked braces for multi-digit exponents for Tex
20951 @c output, but this causes HTML output to barf. HTML has to be set using
20952 @c raw commands. So we end up having to specify this equation in 2
20957 <em>x</em><sup>32</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>26</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>23</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>22</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>16</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>12</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>11</sup>
20958 + <em>x</em><sup>10</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>8</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>7</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>5</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>4</sup> + <em>x</em><sup>2</sup> + <em>x</em> + 1
20964 @math{x^{32} + x^{26} + x^{23} + x^{22} + x^{16} + x^{12} + x^{11}}
20965 @math{+ x^{10} + x^8 + x^7 + x^5 + x^4 + x^2 + x + 1}
20969 The function is computed byte at a time, taking the least
20970 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern
20971 @code{0xffffffff} is used, to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC and
20972 the final result is inverted to ensure trailing zeros also affect the
20975 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC polynomial as used in handling the
20976 @dfn{Remote Serial Protocol} @code{qCRC} packet (@pxref{qCRC packet}).
20977 However in the case of the Remote Serial Protocol, the CRC is computed
20978 @emph{most} significant bit first, and the result is not inverted, so
20979 trailing zeros have no effect on the CRC value.
20981 To complete the description, we show below the code of the function
20982 which produces the CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink}. Inverting the
20983 initially supplied @code{crc} argument means that an initial call to
20984 this function passing in zero will start computing the CRC using
20987 @kindex gnu_debuglink_crc32
20990 gnu_debuglink_crc32 (unsigned long crc,
20991 unsigned char *buf, size_t len)
20993 static const unsigned long crc32_table[256] =
20995 0x00000000, 0x77073096, 0xee0e612c, 0x990951ba, 0x076dc419,
20996 0x706af48f, 0xe963a535, 0x9e6495a3, 0x0edb8832, 0x79dcb8a4,
20997 0xe0d5e91e, 0x97d2d988, 0x09b64c2b, 0x7eb17cbd, 0xe7b82d07,
20998 0x90bf1d91, 0x1db71064, 0x6ab020f2, 0xf3b97148, 0x84be41de,
20999 0x1adad47d, 0x6ddde4eb, 0xf4d4b551, 0x83d385c7, 0x136c9856,
21000 0x646ba8c0, 0xfd62f97a, 0x8a65c9ec, 0x14015c4f, 0x63066cd9,
21001 0xfa0f3d63, 0x8d080df5, 0x3b6e20c8, 0x4c69105e, 0xd56041e4,
21002 0xa2677172, 0x3c03e4d1, 0x4b04d447, 0xd20d85fd, 0xa50ab56b,
21003 0x35b5a8fa, 0x42b2986c, 0xdbbbc9d6, 0xacbcf940, 0x32d86ce3,
21004 0x45df5c75, 0xdcd60dcf, 0xabd13d59, 0x26d930ac, 0x51de003a,
21005 0xc8d75180, 0xbfd06116, 0x21b4f4b5, 0x56b3c423, 0xcfba9599,
21006 0xb8bda50f, 0x2802b89e, 0x5f058808, 0xc60cd9b2, 0xb10be924,
21007 0x2f6f7c87, 0x58684c11, 0xc1611dab, 0xb6662d3d, 0x76dc4190,
21008 0x01db7106, 0x98d220bc, 0xefd5102a, 0x71b18589, 0x06b6b51f,
21009 0x9fbfe4a5, 0xe8b8d433, 0x7807c9a2, 0x0f00f934, 0x9609a88e,
21010 0xe10e9818, 0x7f6a0dbb, 0x086d3d2d, 0x91646c97, 0xe6635c01,
21011 0x6b6b51f4, 0x1c6c6162, 0x856530d8, 0xf262004e, 0x6c0695ed,
21012 0x1b01a57b, 0x8208f4c1, 0xf50fc457, 0x65b0d9c6, 0x12b7e950,
21013 0x8bbeb8ea, 0xfcb9887c, 0x62dd1ddf, 0x15da2d49, 0x8cd37cf3,
21014 0xfbd44c65, 0x4db26158, 0x3ab551ce, 0xa3bc0074, 0xd4bb30e2,
21015 0x4adfa541, 0x3dd895d7, 0xa4d1c46d, 0xd3d6f4fb, 0x4369e96a,
21016 0x346ed9fc, 0xad678846, 0xda60b8d0, 0x44042d73, 0x33031de5,
21017 0xaa0a4c5f, 0xdd0d7cc9, 0x5005713c, 0x270241aa, 0xbe0b1010,
21018 0xc90c2086, 0x5768b525, 0x206f85b3, 0xb966d409, 0xce61e49f,
21019 0x5edef90e, 0x29d9c998, 0xb0d09822, 0xc7d7a8b4, 0x59b33d17,
21020 0x2eb40d81, 0xb7bd5c3b, 0xc0ba6cad, 0xedb88320, 0x9abfb3b6,
21021 0x03b6e20c, 0x74b1d29a, 0xead54739, 0x9dd277af, 0x04db2615,
21022 0x73dc1683, 0xe3630b12, 0x94643b84, 0x0d6d6a3e, 0x7a6a5aa8,
21023 0xe40ecf0b, 0x9309ff9d, 0x0a00ae27, 0x7d079eb1, 0xf00f9344,
21024 0x8708a3d2, 0x1e01f268, 0x6906c2fe, 0xf762575d, 0x806567cb,
21025 0x196c3671, 0x6e6b06e7, 0xfed41b76, 0x89d32be0, 0x10da7a5a,
21026 0x67dd4acc, 0xf9b9df6f, 0x8ebeeff9, 0x17b7be43, 0x60b08ed5,
21027 0xd6d6a3e8, 0xa1d1937e, 0x38d8c2c4, 0x4fdff252, 0xd1bb67f1,
21028 0xa6bc5767, 0x3fb506dd, 0x48b2364b, 0xd80d2bda, 0xaf0a1b4c,
21029 0x36034af6, 0x41047a60, 0xdf60efc3, 0xa867df55, 0x316e8eef,
21030 0x4669be79, 0xcb61b38c, 0xbc66831a, 0x256fd2a0, 0x5268e236,
21031 0xcc0c7795, 0xbb0b4703, 0x220216b9, 0x5505262f, 0xc5ba3bbe,
21032 0xb2bd0b28, 0x2bb45a92, 0x5cb36a04, 0xc2d7ffa7, 0xb5d0cf31,
21033 0x2cd99e8b, 0x5bdeae1d, 0x9b64c2b0, 0xec63f226, 0x756aa39c,
21034 0x026d930a, 0x9c0906a9, 0xeb0e363f, 0x72076785, 0x05005713,
21035 0x95bf4a82, 0xe2b87a14, 0x7bb12bae, 0x0cb61b38, 0x92d28e9b,
21036 0xe5d5be0d, 0x7cdcefb7, 0x0bdbdf21, 0x86d3d2d4, 0xf1d4e242,
21037 0x68ddb3f8, 0x1fda836e, 0x81be16cd, 0xf6b9265b, 0x6fb077e1,
21038 0x18b74777, 0x88085ae6, 0xff0f6a70, 0x66063bca, 0x11010b5c,
21039 0x8f659eff, 0xf862ae69, 0x616bffd3, 0x166ccf45, 0xa00ae278,
21040 0xd70dd2ee, 0x4e048354, 0x3903b3c2, 0xa7672661, 0xd06016f7,
21041 0x4969474d, 0x3e6e77db, 0xaed16a4a, 0xd9d65adc, 0x40df0b66,
21042 0x37d83bf0, 0xa9bcae53, 0xdebb9ec5, 0x47b2cf7f, 0x30b5ffe9,
21043 0xbdbdf21c, 0xcabac28a, 0x53b39330, 0x24b4a3a6, 0xbad03605,
21044 0xcdd70693, 0x54de5729, 0x23d967bf, 0xb3667a2e, 0xc4614ab8,
21045 0x5d681b02, 0x2a6f2b94, 0xb40bbe37, 0xc30c8ea1, 0x5a05df1b,
21048 unsigned char *end;
21050 crc = ~crc & 0xffffffff;
21051 for (end = buf + len; buf < end; ++buf)
21052 crc = crc32_table[(crc ^ *buf) & 0xff] ^ (crc >> 8);
21053 return ~crc & 0xffffffff;
21058 This computation does not apply to the ``build ID'' method.
21060 @node MiniDebugInfo
21061 @section Debugging information in a special section
21062 @cindex separate debug sections
21063 @cindex @samp{.gnu_debugdata} section
21065 Some systems ship pre-built executables and libraries that have a
21066 special @samp{.gnu_debugdata} section. This feature is called
21067 @dfn{MiniDebugInfo}. This section holds an LZMA-compressed object and
21068 is used to supply extra symbols for backtraces.
21070 The intent of this section is to provide extra minimal debugging
21071 information for use in simple backtraces. It is not intended to be a
21072 replacement for full separate debugging information (@pxref{Separate
21073 Debug Files}). The example below shows the intended use; however,
21074 @value{GDBN} does not currently put restrictions on what sort of
21075 debugging information might be included in the section.
21077 @value{GDBN} has support for this extension. If the section exists,
21078 then it is used provided that no other source of debugging information
21079 can be found, and that @value{GDBN} was configured with LZMA support.
21081 This section can be easily created using @command{objcopy} and other
21082 standard utilities:
21085 # Extract the dynamic symbols from the main binary, there is no need
21086 # to also have these in the normal symbol table.
21087 nm -D @var{binary} --format=posix --defined-only \
21088 | awk '@{ print $1 @}' | sort > dynsyms
21090 # Extract all the text (i.e. function) symbols from the debuginfo.
21091 # (Note that we actually also accept "D" symbols, for the benefit
21092 # of platforms like PowerPC64 that use function descriptors.)
21093 nm @var{binary} --format=posix --defined-only \
21094 | awk '@{ if ($2 == "T" || $2 == "t" || $2 == "D") print $1 @}' \
21097 # Keep all the function symbols not already in the dynamic symbol
21099 comm -13 dynsyms funcsyms > keep_symbols
21101 # Separate full debug info into debug binary.
21102 objcopy --only-keep-debug @var{binary} debug
21104 # Copy the full debuginfo, keeping only a minimal set of symbols and
21105 # removing some unnecessary sections.
21106 objcopy -S --remove-section .gdb_index --remove-section .comment \
21107 --keep-symbols=keep_symbols debug mini_debuginfo
21109 # Drop the full debug info from the original binary.
21110 strip --strip-all -R .comment @var{binary}
21112 # Inject the compressed data into the .gnu_debugdata section of the
21115 objcopy --add-section .gnu_debugdata=mini_debuginfo.xz @var{binary}
21119 @section Index Files Speed Up @value{GDBN}
21120 @cindex index files
21121 @cindex @samp{.gdb_index} section
21123 When @value{GDBN} finds a symbol file, it scans the symbols in the
21124 file in order to construct an internal symbol table. This lets most
21125 @value{GDBN} operations work quickly---at the cost of a delay early
21126 on. For large programs, this delay can be quite lengthy, so
21127 @value{GDBN} provides a way to build an index, which speeds up
21130 For convenience, @value{GDBN} comes with a program,
21131 @command{gdb-add-index}, which can be used to add the index to a
21132 symbol file. It takes the symbol file as its only argument:
21135 $ gdb-add-index symfile
21138 @xref{gdb-add-index}.
21140 It is also possible to do the work manually. Here is what
21141 @command{gdb-add-index} does behind the curtains.
21143 The index is stored as a section in the symbol file. @value{GDBN} can
21144 write the index to a file, then you can put it into the symbol file
21145 using @command{objcopy}.
21147 To create an index file, use the @code{save gdb-index} command:
21150 @item save gdb-index [-dwarf-5] @var{directory}
21151 @kindex save gdb-index
21152 Create index files for all symbol files currently known by
21153 @value{GDBN}. For each known @var{symbol-file}, this command by
21154 default creates it produces a single file
21155 @file{@var{symbol-file}.gdb-index}. If you invoke this command with
21156 the @option{-dwarf-5} option, it produces 2 files:
21157 @file{@var{symbol-file}.debug_names} and
21158 @file{@var{symbol-file}.debug_str}. The files are created in the
21159 given @var{directory}.
21162 Once you have created an index file you can merge it into your symbol
21163 file, here named @file{symfile}, using @command{objcopy}:
21166 $ objcopy --add-section .gdb_index=symfile.gdb-index \
21167 --set-section-flags .gdb_index=readonly symfile symfile
21170 Or for @code{-dwarf-5}:
21173 $ objcopy --dump-section .debug_str=symfile.debug_str.new symfile
21174 $ cat symfile.debug_str >>symfile.debug_str.new
21175 $ objcopy --add-section .debug_names=symfile.gdb-index \
21176 --set-section-flags .debug_names=readonly \
21177 --update-section .debug_str=symfile.debug_str.new symfile symfile
21180 @value{GDBN} will normally ignore older versions of @file{.gdb_index}
21181 sections that have been deprecated. Usually they are deprecated because
21182 they are missing a new feature or have performance issues.
21183 To tell @value{GDBN} to use a deprecated index section anyway
21184 specify @code{set use-deprecated-index-sections on}.
21185 The default is @code{off}.
21186 This can speed up startup, but may result in some functionality being lost.
21187 @xref{Index Section Format}.
21189 @emph{Warning:} Setting @code{use-deprecated-index-sections} to @code{on}
21190 must be done before gdb reads the file. The following will not work:
21193 $ gdb -ex "set use-deprecated-index-sections on" <program>
21196 Instead you must do, for example,
21199 $ gdb -iex "set use-deprecated-index-sections on" <program>
21202 There are currently some limitation on indices. They only work when
21203 using DWARF debugging information, not stabs. And, only the
21204 @code{-dwarf-5} index works for programs using Ada.
21206 @subsection Automatic symbol index cache
21208 @cindex automatic symbol index cache
21209 It is possible for @value{GDBN} to automatically save a copy of this index in a
21210 cache on disk and retrieve it from there when loading the same binary in the
21211 future. This feature can be turned on with @kbd{set index-cache on}. The
21212 following commands can be used to tweak the behavior of the index cache.
21216 @kindex set index-cache
21217 @item set index-cache on
21218 @itemx set index-cache off
21219 Enable or disable the use of the symbol index cache.
21221 @item set index-cache directory @var{directory}
21222 @kindex show index-cache
21223 @itemx show index-cache directory
21224 Set/show the directory where index files will be saved.
21226 The default value for this directory depends on the host platform. On
21227 most systems, the index is cached in the @file{gdb} subdirectory of
21228 the directory pointed to by the @env{XDG_CACHE_HOME} environment
21229 variable, if it is defined, else in the @file{.cache/gdb} subdirectory
21230 of your home directory. However, on some systems, the default may
21231 differ according to local convention.
21233 There is no limit on the disk space used by index cache. It is perfectly safe
21234 to delete the content of that directory to free up disk space.
21236 @item show index-cache stats
21237 Print the number of cache hits and misses since the launch of @value{GDBN}.
21241 @node Symbol Errors
21242 @section Errors Reading Symbol Files
21244 While reading a symbol file, @value{GDBN} occasionally encounters problems,
21245 such as symbol types it does not recognize, or known bugs in compiler
21246 output. By default, @value{GDBN} does not notify you of such problems, since
21247 they are relatively common and primarily of interest to people
21248 debugging compilers. If you are interested in seeing information
21249 about ill-constructed symbol tables, you can either ask @value{GDBN} to print
21250 only one message about each such type of problem, no matter how many
21251 times the problem occurs; or you can ask @value{GDBN} to print more messages,
21252 to see how many times the problems occur, with the @code{set
21253 complaints} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
21256 The messages currently printed, and their meanings, include:
21259 @item inner block not inside outer block in @var{symbol}
21261 The symbol information shows where symbol scopes begin and end
21262 (such as at the start of a function or a block of statements). This
21263 error indicates that an inner scope block is not fully contained
21264 in its outer scope blocks.
21266 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the inner block as if it had
21267 the same scope as the outer block. In the error message, @var{symbol}
21268 may be shown as ``@code{(don't know)}'' if the outer block is not a
21271 @item block at @var{address} out of order
21273 The symbol information for symbol scope blocks should occur in
21274 order of increasing addresses. This error indicates that it does not
21277 @value{GDBN} does not circumvent this problem, and has trouble
21278 locating symbols in the source file whose symbols it is reading. (You
21279 can often determine what source file is affected by specifying
21280 @code{set verbose on}. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
21283 @item bad block start address patched
21285 The symbol information for a symbol scope block has a start address
21286 smaller than the address of the preceding source line. This is known
21287 to occur in the SunOS 4.1.1 (and earlier) C compiler.
21289 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the symbol scope block as
21290 starting on the previous source line.
21292 @item bad string table offset in symbol @var{n}
21295 Symbol number @var{n} contains a pointer into the string table which is
21296 larger than the size of the string table.
21298 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by considering the symbol to have the
21299 name @code{foo}, which may cause other problems if many symbols end up
21302 @item unknown symbol type @code{0x@var{nn}}
21304 The symbol information contains new data types that @value{GDBN} does
21305 not yet know how to read. @code{0x@var{nn}} is the symbol type of the
21306 uncomprehended information, in hexadecimal.
21308 @value{GDBN} circumvents the error by ignoring this symbol information.
21309 This usually allows you to debug your program, though certain symbols
21310 are not accessible. If you encounter such a problem and feel like
21311 debugging it, you can debug @code{@value{GDBP}} with itself, breakpoint
21312 on @code{complain}, then go up to the function @code{read_dbx_symtab}
21313 and examine @code{*bufp} to see the symbol.
21315 @item stub type has NULL name
21317 @value{GDBN} could not find the full definition for a struct or class.
21319 @item const/volatile indicator missing (ok if using g++ v1.x), got@dots{}
21320 The symbol information for a C@t{++} member function is missing some
21321 information that recent versions of the compiler should have output for
21324 @item info mismatch between compiler and debugger
21326 @value{GDBN} could not parse a type specification output by the compiler.
21331 @section GDB Data Files
21333 @cindex prefix for data files
21334 @value{GDBN} will sometimes read an auxiliary data file. These files
21335 are kept in a directory known as the @dfn{data directory}.
21337 You can set the data directory's name, and view the name @value{GDBN}
21338 is currently using.
21341 @kindex set data-directory
21342 @item set data-directory @var{directory}
21343 Set the directory which @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files
21344 to @var{directory}.
21346 @kindex show data-directory
21347 @item show data-directory
21348 Show the directory @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files.
21351 @cindex default data directory
21352 @cindex @samp{--with-gdb-datadir}
21353 You can set the default data directory by using the configure-time
21354 @samp{--with-gdb-datadir} option. If the data directory is inside
21355 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
21356 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default data directory will be updated
21357 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
21360 The data directory may also be specified with the
21361 @code{--data-directory} command line option.
21362 @xref{Mode Options}.
21365 @chapter Specifying a Debugging Target
21367 @cindex debugging target
21368 A @dfn{target} is the execution environment occupied by your program.
21370 Often, @value{GDBN} runs in the same host environment as your program;
21371 in that case, the debugging target is specified as a side effect when
21372 you use the @code{file} or @code{core} commands. When you need more
21373 flexibility---for example, running @value{GDBN} on a physically separate
21374 host, or controlling a standalone system over a serial port or a
21375 realtime system over a TCP/IP connection---you can use the @code{target}
21376 command to specify one of the target types configured for @value{GDBN}
21377 (@pxref{Target Commands, ,Commands for Managing Targets}).
21379 @cindex target architecture
21380 It is possible to build @value{GDBN} for several different @dfn{target
21381 architectures}. When @value{GDBN} is built like that, you can choose
21382 one of the available architectures with the @kbd{set architecture}
21386 @kindex set architecture
21387 @kindex show architecture
21388 @item set architecture @var{arch}
21389 This command sets the current target architecture to @var{arch}. The
21390 value of @var{arch} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition to one of the
21391 supported architectures.
21393 @item show architecture
21394 Show the current target architecture.
21396 @item set processor
21398 @kindex set processor
21399 @kindex show processor
21400 These are alias commands for, respectively, @code{set architecture}
21401 and @code{show architecture}.
21405 * Active Targets:: Active targets
21406 * Target Commands:: Commands for managing targets
21407 * Byte Order:: Choosing target byte order
21410 @node Active Targets
21411 @section Active Targets
21413 @cindex stacking targets
21414 @cindex active targets
21415 @cindex multiple targets
21417 There are multiple classes of targets such as: processes, executable files or
21418 recording sessions. Core files belong to the process class, making core file
21419 and process mutually exclusive. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} can work concurrently
21420 on multiple active targets, one in each class. This allows you to (for
21421 example) start a process and inspect its activity, while still having access to
21422 the executable file after the process finishes. Or if you start process
21423 recording (@pxref{Reverse Execution}) and @code{reverse-step} there, you are
21424 presented a virtual layer of the recording target, while the process target
21425 remains stopped at the chronologically last point of the process execution.
21427 Use the @code{core-file} and @code{exec-file} commands to select a new core
21428 file or executable target (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}). To
21429 specify as a target a process that is already running, use the @code{attach}
21430 command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
21432 @node Target Commands
21433 @section Commands for Managing Targets
21436 @item target @var{type} @var{parameters}
21437 Connects the @value{GDBN} host environment to a target machine or
21438 process. A target is typically a protocol for talking to debugging
21439 facilities. You use the argument @var{type} to specify the type or
21440 protocol of the target machine.
21442 Further @var{parameters} are interpreted by the target protocol, but
21443 typically include things like device names or host names to connect
21444 with, process numbers, and baud rates.
21446 The @code{target} command does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again
21447 after executing the command.
21449 @kindex help target
21451 Displays the names of all targets available. To display targets
21452 currently selected, use either @code{info target} or @code{info files}
21453 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
21455 @item help target @var{name}
21456 Describe a particular target, including any parameters necessary to
21459 @kindex set gnutarget
21460 @item set gnutarget @var{args}
21461 @value{GDBN} uses its own library BFD to read your files. @value{GDBN}
21462 knows whether it is reading an @dfn{executable},
21463 a @dfn{core}, or a @dfn{.o} file; however, you can specify the file format
21464 with the @code{set gnutarget} command. Unlike most @code{target} commands,
21465 with @code{gnutarget} the @code{target} refers to a program, not a machine.
21468 @emph{Warning:} To specify a file format with @code{set gnutarget},
21469 you must know the actual BFD name.
21473 @xref{Files, , Commands to Specify Files}.
21475 @kindex show gnutarget
21476 @item show gnutarget
21477 Use the @code{show gnutarget} command to display what file format
21478 @code{gnutarget} is set to read. If you have not set @code{gnutarget},
21479 @value{GDBN} will determine the file format for each file automatically,
21480 and @code{show gnutarget} displays @samp{The current BFD target is "auto"}.
21483 @cindex common targets
21484 Here are some common targets (available, or not, depending on the GDB
21489 @item target exec @var{program}
21490 @cindex executable file target
21491 An executable file. @samp{target exec @var{program}} is the same as
21492 @samp{exec-file @var{program}}.
21494 @item target core @var{filename}
21495 @cindex core dump file target
21496 A core dump file. @samp{target core @var{filename}} is the same as
21497 @samp{core-file @var{filename}}.
21499 @item target remote @var{medium}
21500 @cindex remote target
21501 A remote system connected to @value{GDBN} via a serial line or network
21502 connection. This command tells @value{GDBN} to use its own remote
21503 protocol over @var{medium} for debugging. @xref{Remote Debugging}.
21505 For example, if you have a board connected to @file{/dev/ttya} on the
21506 machine running @value{GDBN}, you could say:
21509 target remote /dev/ttya
21512 @code{target remote} supports the @code{load} command. This is only
21513 useful if you have some other way of getting the stub to the target
21514 system, and you can put it somewhere in memory where it won't get
21515 clobbered by the download.
21517 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
21518 @cindex built-in simulator target
21519 Builtin CPU simulator. @value{GDBN} includes simulators for most architectures.
21527 works; however, you cannot assume that a specific memory map, device
21528 drivers, or even basic I/O is available, although some simulators do
21529 provide these. For info about any processor-specific simulator details,
21530 see the appropriate section in @ref{Embedded Processors, ,Embedded
21533 @item target native
21534 @cindex native target
21535 Setup for local/native process debugging. Useful to make the
21536 @code{run} command spawn native processes (likewise @code{attach},
21537 etc.@:) even when @code{set auto-connect-native-target} is @code{off}
21538 (@pxref{set auto-connect-native-target}).
21542 Different targets are available on different configurations of @value{GDBN};
21543 your configuration may have more or fewer targets.
21545 Many remote targets require you to download the executable's code once
21546 you've successfully established a connection. You may wish to control
21547 various aspects of this process.
21552 @kindex set hash@r{, for remote monitors}
21553 @cindex hash mark while downloading
21554 This command controls whether a hash mark @samp{#} is displayed while
21555 downloading a file to the remote monitor. If on, a hash mark is
21556 displayed after each S-record is successfully downloaded to the
21560 @kindex show hash@r{, for remote monitors}
21561 Show the current status of displaying the hash mark.
21563 @item set debug monitor
21564 @kindex set debug monitor
21565 @cindex display remote monitor communications
21566 Enable or disable display of communications messages between
21567 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
21569 @item show debug monitor
21570 @kindex show debug monitor
21571 Show the current status of displaying communications between
21572 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
21577 @kindex load @var{filename} @var{offset}
21578 @item load @var{filename} @var{offset}
21580 Depending on what remote debugging facilities are configured into
21581 @value{GDBN}, the @code{load} command may be available. Where it exists, it
21582 is meant to make @var{filename} (an executable) available for debugging
21583 on the remote system---by downloading, or dynamic linking, for example.
21584 @code{load} also records the @var{filename} symbol table in @value{GDBN}, like
21585 the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
21587 If your @value{GDBN} does not have a @code{load} command, attempting to
21588 execute it gets the error message ``@code{You can't do that when your
21589 target is @dots{}}''
21591 The file is loaded at whatever address is specified in the executable.
21592 For some object file formats, you can specify the load address when you
21593 link the program; for other formats, like a.out, the object file format
21594 specifies a fixed address.
21595 @c FIXME! This would be a good place for an xref to the GNU linker doc.
21597 It is also possible to tell @value{GDBN} to load the executable file at a
21598 specific offset described by the optional argument @var{offset}. When
21599 @var{offset} is provided, @var{filename} must also be provided.
21601 Depending on the remote side capabilities, @value{GDBN} may be able to
21602 load programs into flash memory.
21604 @code{load} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
21609 @kindex flash-erase
21611 @anchor{flash-erase}
21613 Erases all known flash memory regions on the target.
21618 @section Choosing Target Byte Order
21620 @cindex choosing target byte order
21621 @cindex target byte order
21623 Some types of processors, such as the @acronym{MIPS}, PowerPC, and Renesas SH,
21624 offer the ability to run either big-endian or little-endian byte
21625 orders. Usually the executable or symbol will include a bit to
21626 designate the endian-ness, and you will not need to worry about
21627 which to use. However, you may still find it useful to adjust
21628 @value{GDBN}'s idea of processor endian-ness manually.
21632 @item set endian big
21633 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is big-endian.
21635 @item set endian little
21636 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is little-endian.
21638 @item set endian auto
21639 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the byte order associated with the
21643 Display @value{GDBN}'s current idea of the target byte order.
21647 If the @code{set endian auto} mode is in effect and no executable has
21648 been selected, then the endianness used is the last one chosen either
21649 by one of the @code{set endian big} and @code{set endian little}
21650 commands or by inferring from the last executable used. If no
21651 endianness has been previously chosen, then the default for this mode
21652 is inferred from the target @value{GDBN} has been built for, and is
21653 @code{little} if the name of the target CPU has an @code{el} suffix
21654 and @code{big} otherwise.
21656 Note that these commands merely adjust interpretation of symbolic
21657 data on the host, and that they have absolutely no effect on the
21661 @node Remote Debugging
21662 @chapter Debugging Remote Programs
21663 @cindex remote debugging
21665 If you are trying to debug a program running on a machine that cannot run
21666 @value{GDBN} in the usual way, it is often useful to use remote debugging.
21667 For example, you might use remote debugging on an operating system kernel,
21668 or on a small system which does not have a general purpose operating system
21669 powerful enough to run a full-featured debugger.
21671 Some configurations of @value{GDBN} have special serial or TCP/IP interfaces
21672 to make this work with particular debugging targets. In addition,
21673 @value{GDBN} comes with a generic serial protocol (specific to @value{GDBN},
21674 but not specific to any particular target system) which you can use if you
21675 write the remote stubs---the code that runs on the remote system to
21676 communicate with @value{GDBN}.
21678 Other remote targets may be available in your
21679 configuration of @value{GDBN}; use @code{help target} to list them.
21682 * Connecting:: Connecting to a remote target
21683 * File Transfer:: Sending files to a remote system
21684 * Server:: Using the gdbserver program
21685 * Remote Configuration:: Remote configuration
21686 * Remote Stub:: Implementing a remote stub
21690 @section Connecting to a Remote Target
21691 @cindex remote debugging, connecting
21692 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, connecting
21693 @cindex remote debugging, types of connections
21694 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, types of connections
21695 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, @code{target remote} mode
21696 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, @code{target extended-remote} mode
21698 This section describes how to connect to a remote target, including the
21699 types of connections and their differences, how to set up executable and
21700 symbol files on the host and target, and the commands used for
21701 connecting to and disconnecting from the remote target.
21703 @subsection Types of Remote Connections
21705 @value{GDBN} supports two types of remote connections, @code{target remote}
21706 mode and @code{target extended-remote} mode. Note that many remote targets
21707 support only @code{target remote} mode. There are several major
21708 differences between the two types of connections, enumerated here:
21712 @cindex remote debugging, detach and program exit
21713 @item Result of detach or program exit
21714 @strong{With target remote mode:} When the debugged program exits or you
21715 detach from it, @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target. When using
21716 @code{gdbserver}, @code{gdbserver} will exit.
21718 @strong{With target extended-remote mode:} When the debugged program exits or
21719 you detach from it, @value{GDBN} remains connected to the target, even
21720 though no program is running. You can rerun the program, attach to a
21721 running program, or use @code{monitor} commands specific to the target.
21723 When using @code{gdbserver} in this case, it does not exit unless it was
21724 invoked using the @option{--once} option. If the @option{--once} option
21725 was not used, you can ask @code{gdbserver} to exit using the
21726 @code{monitor exit} command (@pxref{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}).
21728 @item Specifying the program to debug
21729 For both connection types you use the @code{file} command to specify the
21730 program on the host system. If you are using @code{gdbserver} there are
21731 some differences in how to specify the location of the program on the
21734 @strong{With target remote mode:} You must either specify the program to debug
21735 on the @code{gdbserver} command line or use the @option{--attach} option
21736 (@pxref{Attaching to a program,,Attaching to a Running Program}).
21738 @cindex @option{--multi}, @code{gdbserver} option
21739 @strong{With target extended-remote mode:} You may specify the program to debug
21740 on the @code{gdbserver} command line, or you can load the program or attach
21741 to it using @value{GDBN} commands after connecting to @code{gdbserver}.
21743 @anchor{--multi Option in Types of Remote Connnections}
21744 You can start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
21745 or process ID to attach. To do this, use the @option{--multi} command line
21746 option. Then you can connect using @code{target extended-remote} and start
21747 the program you want to debug (see below for details on using the
21748 @code{run} command in this scenario). Note that the conditions under which
21749 @code{gdbserver} terminates depend on how @value{GDBN} connects to it
21750 (@code{target remote} or @code{target extended-remote}). The
21751 @option{--multi} option to @code{gdbserver} has no influence on that.
21753 @item The @code{run} command
21754 @strong{With target remote mode:} The @code{run} command is not
21755 supported. Once a connection has been established, you can use all
21756 the usual @value{GDBN} commands to examine and change data. The
21757 remote program is already running, so you can use commands like
21758 @kbd{step} and @kbd{continue}.
21760 @strong{With target extended-remote mode:} The @code{run} command is
21761 supported. The @code{run} command uses the value set by
21762 @code{set remote exec-file} (@pxref{set remote exec-file}) to select
21763 the program to run. Command line arguments are supported, except for
21764 wildcard expansion and I/O redirection (@pxref{Arguments}).
21766 If you specify the program to debug on the command line, then the
21767 @code{run} command is not required to start execution, and you can
21768 resume using commands like @kbd{step} and @kbd{continue} as with
21769 @code{target remote} mode.
21771 @anchor{Attaching in Types of Remote Connections}
21773 @strong{With target remote mode:} The @value{GDBN} command @code{attach} is
21774 not supported. To attach to a running program using @code{gdbserver}, you
21775 must use the @option{--attach} option (@pxref{Running gdbserver}).
21777 @strong{With target extended-remote mode:} To attach to a running program,
21778 you may use the @code{attach} command after the connection has been
21779 established. If you are using @code{gdbserver}, you may also invoke
21780 @code{gdbserver} using the @option{--attach} option
21781 (@pxref{Running gdbserver}).
21785 @anchor{Host and target files}
21786 @subsection Host and Target Files
21787 @cindex remote debugging, symbol files
21788 @cindex symbol files, remote debugging
21790 @value{GDBN}, running on the host, needs access to symbol and debugging
21791 information for your program running on the target. This requires
21792 access to an unstripped copy of your program, and possibly any associated
21793 symbol files. Note that this section applies equally to both @code{target
21794 remote} mode and @code{target extended-remote} mode.
21796 Some remote targets (@pxref{qXfer executable filename read}, and
21797 @pxref{Host I/O Packets}) allow @value{GDBN} to access program files over
21798 the same connection used to communicate with @value{GDBN}. With such a
21799 target, if the remote program is unstripped, the only command you need is
21800 @code{target remote} (or @code{target extended-remote}).
21802 If the remote program is stripped, or the target does not support remote
21803 program file access, start up @value{GDBN} using the name of the local
21804 unstripped copy of your program as the first argument, or use the
21805 @code{file} command. Use @code{set sysroot} to specify the location (on
21806 the host) of target libraries (unless your @value{GDBN} was compiled with
21807 the correct sysroot using @code{--with-sysroot}). Alternatively, you
21808 may use @code{set solib-search-path} to specify how @value{GDBN} locates
21811 The symbol file and target libraries must exactly match the executable
21812 and libraries on the target, with one exception: the files on the host
21813 system should not be stripped, even if the files on the target system
21814 are. Mismatched or missing files will lead to confusing results
21815 during debugging. On @sc{gnu}/Linux targets, mismatched or missing
21816 files may also prevent @code{gdbserver} from debugging multi-threaded
21819 @subsection Remote Connection Commands
21820 @cindex remote connection commands
21821 @value{GDBN} can communicate with the target over a serial line, a
21822 local Unix domain socket, or
21823 over an @acronym{IP} network using @acronym{TCP} or @acronym{UDP}. In
21824 each case, @value{GDBN} uses the same protocol for debugging your
21825 program; only the medium carrying the debugging packets varies. The
21826 @code{target remote} and @code{target extended-remote} commands
21827 establish a connection to the target. Both commands accept the same
21828 arguments, which indicate the medium to use:
21832 @item target remote @var{serial-device}
21833 @itemx target extended-remote @var{serial-device}
21834 @cindex serial line, @code{target remote}
21835 Use @var{serial-device} to communicate with the target. For example,
21836 to use a serial line connected to the device named @file{/dev/ttyb}:
21839 target remote /dev/ttyb
21842 If you're using a serial line, you may want to give @value{GDBN} the
21843 @samp{--baud} option, or use the @code{set serial baud} command
21844 (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set serial baud}) before the
21845 @code{target} command.
21847 @item target remote @var{local-socket}
21848 @itemx target extended-remote @var{local-socket}
21849 @cindex local socket, @code{target remote}
21850 @cindex Unix domain socket
21851 Use @var{local-socket} to communicate with the target. For example,
21852 to use a local Unix domain socket bound to the file system entry @file{/tmp/gdb-socket0}:
21855 target remote /tmp/gdb-socket0
21858 Note that this command has the same form as the command to connect
21859 to a serial line. @value{GDBN} will automatically determine which
21860 kind of file you have specified and will make the appropriate kind
21862 This feature is not available if the host system does not support
21863 Unix domain sockets.
21865 @item target remote @code{@var{host}:@var{port}}
21866 @itemx target remote @code{@var{[host]}:@var{port}}
21867 @itemx target remote @code{tcp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
21868 @itemx target remote @code{tcp:@var{[host]}:@var{port}}
21869 @itemx target remote @code{tcp4:@var{host}:@var{port}}
21870 @itemx target remote @code{tcp6:@var{host}:@var{port}}
21871 @itemx target remote @code{tcp6:@var{[host]}:@var{port}}
21872 @itemx target extended-remote @code{@var{host}:@var{port}}
21873 @itemx target extended-remote @code{@var{[host]}:@var{port}}
21874 @itemx target extended-remote @code{tcp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
21875 @itemx target extended-remote @code{tcp:@var{[host]}:@var{port}}
21876 @itemx target extended-remote @code{tcp4:@var{host}:@var{port}}
21877 @itemx target extended-remote @code{tcp6:@var{host}:@var{port}}
21878 @itemx target extended-remote @code{tcp6:@var{[host]}:@var{port}}
21879 @cindex @acronym{TCP} port, @code{target remote}
21880 Debug using a @acronym{TCP} connection to @var{port} on @var{host}.
21881 The @var{host} may be either a host name, a numeric @acronym{IPv4}
21882 address, or a numeric @acronym{IPv6} address (with or without the
21883 square brackets to separate the address from the port); @var{port}
21884 must be a decimal number. The @var{host} could be the target machine
21885 itself, if it is directly connected to the net, or it might be a
21886 terminal server which in turn has a serial line to the target.
21888 For example, to connect to port 2828 on a terminal server named
21892 target remote manyfarms:2828
21895 To connect to port 2828 on a terminal server whose address is
21896 @code{2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334}, you can either use the
21897 square bracket syntax:
21900 target remote [2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334]:2828
21904 or explicitly specify the @acronym{IPv6} protocol:
21907 target remote tcp6:2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334:2828
21910 This last example may be confusing to the reader, because there is no
21911 visible separation between the hostname and the port number.
21912 Therefore, we recommend the user to provide @acronym{IPv6} addresses
21913 using square brackets for clarity. However, it is important to
21914 mention that for @value{GDBN} there is no ambiguity: the number after
21915 the last colon is considered to be the port number.
21917 If your remote target is actually running on the same machine as your
21918 debugger session (e.g.@: a simulator for your target running on the
21919 same host), you can omit the hostname. For example, to connect to
21920 port 1234 on your local machine:
21923 target remote :1234
21927 Note that the colon is still required here.
21929 @item target remote @code{udp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
21930 @itemx target remote @code{udp:@var{[host]}:@var{port}}
21931 @itemx target remote @code{udp4:@var{host}:@var{port}}
21932 @itemx target remote @code{udp6:@var{[host]}:@var{port}}
21933 @itemx target extended-remote @code{udp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
21934 @itemx target extended-remote @code{udp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
21935 @itemx target extended-remote @code{udp:@var{[host]}:@var{port}}
21936 @itemx target extended-remote @code{udp4:@var{host}:@var{port}}
21937 @itemx target extended-remote @code{udp6:@var{host}:@var{port}}
21938 @itemx target extended-remote @code{udp6:@var{[host]}:@var{port}}
21939 @cindex @acronym{UDP} port, @code{target remote}
21940 Debug using @acronym{UDP} packets to @var{port} on @var{host}. For example, to
21941 connect to @acronym{UDP} port 2828 on a terminal server named @code{manyfarms}:
21944 target remote udp:manyfarms:2828
21947 When using a @acronym{UDP} connection for remote debugging, you should
21948 keep in mind that the `U' stands for ``Unreliable''. @acronym{UDP}
21949 can silently drop packets on busy or unreliable networks, which will
21950 cause havoc with your debugging session.
21952 @item target remote | @var{command}
21953 @itemx target extended-remote | @var{command}
21954 @cindex pipe, @code{target remote} to
21955 Run @var{command} in the background and communicate with it using a
21956 pipe. The @var{command} is a shell command, to be parsed and expanded
21957 by the system's command shell, @code{/bin/sh}; it should expect remote
21958 protocol packets on its standard input, and send replies on its
21959 standard output. You could use this to run a stand-alone simulator
21960 that speaks the remote debugging protocol, to make net connections
21961 using programs like @code{ssh}, or for other similar tricks.
21963 If @var{command} closes its standard output (perhaps by exiting),
21964 @value{GDBN} will try to send it a @code{SIGTERM} signal. (If the
21965 program has already exited, this will have no effect.)
21969 @cindex interrupting remote programs
21970 @cindex remote programs, interrupting
21971 Whenever @value{GDBN} is waiting for the remote program, if you type the
21972 interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}), @value{GDBN} attempts to stop the
21973 program. This may or may not succeed, depending in part on the hardware
21974 and the serial drivers the remote system uses. If you type the
21975 interrupt character once again, @value{GDBN} displays this prompt:
21978 Interrupted while waiting for the program.
21979 Give up (and stop debugging it)? (y or n)
21982 In @code{target remote} mode, if you type @kbd{y}, @value{GDBN} abandons
21983 the remote debugging session. (If you decide you want to try again later,
21984 you can use @kbd{target remote} again to connect once more.) If you type
21985 @kbd{n}, @value{GDBN} goes back to waiting.
21987 In @code{target extended-remote} mode, typing @kbd{n} will leave
21988 @value{GDBN} connected to the target.
21991 @kindex detach (remote)
21993 When you have finished debugging the remote program, you can use the
21994 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control.
21995 Detaching from the target normally resumes its execution, but the results
21996 will depend on your particular remote stub. After the @code{detach}
21997 command in @code{target remote} mode, @value{GDBN} is free to connect to
21998 another target. In @code{target extended-remote} mode, @value{GDBN} is
21999 still connected to the target.
22003 The @code{disconnect} command closes the connection to the target, and
22004 the target is generally not resumed. It will wait for @value{GDBN}
22005 (this instance or another one) to connect and continue debugging. After
22006 the @code{disconnect} command, @value{GDBN} is again free to connect to
22009 @cindex send command to remote monitor
22010 @cindex extend @value{GDBN} for remote targets
22011 @cindex add new commands for external monitor
22013 @item monitor @var{cmd}
22014 This command allows you to send arbitrary commands directly to the
22015 remote monitor. Since @value{GDBN} doesn't care about the commands it
22016 sends like this, this command is the way to extend @value{GDBN}---you
22017 can add new commands that only the external monitor will understand
22021 @node File Transfer
22022 @section Sending files to a remote system
22023 @cindex remote target, file transfer
22024 @cindex file transfer
22025 @cindex sending files to remote systems
22027 Some remote targets offer the ability to transfer files over the same
22028 connection used to communicate with @value{GDBN}. This is convenient
22029 for targets accessible through other means, e.g.@: @sc{gnu}/Linux systems
22030 running @code{gdbserver} over a network interface. For other targets,
22031 e.g.@: embedded devices with only a single serial port, this may be
22032 the only way to upload or download files.
22034 Not all remote targets support these commands.
22038 @item remote put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
22039 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
22040 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
22043 @item remote get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
22044 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
22045 on the host system.
22047 @kindex remote delete
22048 @item remote delete @var{targetfile}
22049 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
22054 @section Using the @code{gdbserver} Program
22057 @cindex remote connection without stubs
22058 @code{gdbserver} is a control program for Unix-like systems, which
22059 allows you to connect your program with a remote @value{GDBN} via
22060 @code{target remote} or @code{target extended-remote}---but without
22061 linking in the usual debugging stub.
22063 @code{gdbserver} is not a complete replacement for the debugging stubs,
22064 because it requires essentially the same operating-system facilities
22065 that @value{GDBN} itself does. In fact, a system that can run
22066 @code{gdbserver} to connect to a remote @value{GDBN} could also run
22067 @value{GDBN} locally! @code{gdbserver} is sometimes useful nevertheless,
22068 because it is a much smaller program than @value{GDBN} itself. It is
22069 also easier to port than all of @value{GDBN}, so you may be able to get
22070 started more quickly on a new system by using @code{gdbserver}.
22071 Finally, if you develop code for real-time systems, you may find that
22072 the tradeoffs involved in real-time operation make it more convenient to
22073 do as much development work as possible on another system, for example
22074 by cross-compiling. You can use @code{gdbserver} to make a similar
22075 choice for debugging.
22077 @value{GDBN} and @code{gdbserver} communicate via either a serial line
22078 or a TCP connection, using the standard @value{GDBN} remote serial
22082 @emph{Warning:} @code{gdbserver} does not have any built-in security.
22083 Do not run @code{gdbserver} connected to any public network; a
22084 @value{GDBN} connection to @code{gdbserver} provides access to the
22085 target system with the same privileges as the user running
22089 @anchor{Running gdbserver}
22090 @subsection Running @code{gdbserver}
22091 @cindex arguments, to @code{gdbserver}
22092 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, command-line arguments
22094 Run @code{gdbserver} on the target system. You need a copy of the
22095 program you want to debug, including any libraries it requires.
22096 @code{gdbserver} does not need your program's symbol table, so you can
22097 strip the program if necessary to save space. @value{GDBN} on the host
22098 system does all the symbol handling.
22100 To use the server, you must tell it how to communicate with @value{GDBN};
22101 the name of your program; and the arguments for your program. The usual
22105 target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [ @var{args} @dots{} ]
22108 @var{comm} is either a device name (to use a serial line), or a TCP
22109 hostname and portnumber, or @code{-} or @code{stdio} to use
22110 stdin/stdout of @code{gdbserver}.
22111 For example, to debug Emacs with the argument
22112 @samp{foo.txt} and communicate with @value{GDBN} over the serial port
22116 target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
22119 @code{gdbserver} waits passively for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate
22122 To use a TCP connection instead of a serial line:
22125 target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
22128 The only difference from the previous example is the first argument,
22129 specifying that you are communicating with the host @value{GDBN} via
22130 TCP. The @samp{host:2345} argument means that @code{gdbserver} is to
22131 expect a TCP connection from machine @samp{host} to local TCP port 2345.
22132 (Currently, the @samp{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number
22133 you want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any
22134 TCP ports already in use on the target system (for example, @code{23} is
22135 reserved for @code{telnet}).@footnote{If you choose a port number that
22136 conflicts with another service, @code{gdbserver} prints an error message
22137 and exits.} You must use the same port number with the host @value{GDBN}
22138 @code{target remote} command.
22140 The @code{stdio} connection is useful when starting @code{gdbserver}
22144 (gdb) target remote | ssh -T hostname gdbserver - hello
22147 The @samp{-T} option to ssh is provided because we don't need a remote pty,
22148 and we don't want escape-character handling. Ssh does this by default when
22149 a command is provided, the flag is provided to make it explicit.
22150 You could elide it if you want to.
22152 Programs started with stdio-connected gdbserver have @file{/dev/null} for
22153 @code{stdin}, and @code{stdout},@code{stderr} are sent back to gdb for
22154 display through a pipe connected to gdbserver.
22155 Both @code{stdout} and @code{stderr} use the same pipe.
22157 @anchor{Attaching to a program}
22158 @subsubsection Attaching to a Running Program
22159 @cindex attach to a program, @code{gdbserver}
22160 @cindex @option{--attach}, @code{gdbserver} option
22162 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
22163 This is accomplished via the @code{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
22166 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
22169 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't
22170 necessary to point @code{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
22172 In @code{target extended-remote} mode, you can also attach using the
22173 @value{GDBN} attach command
22174 (@pxref{Attaching in Types of Remote Connections}).
22177 You can debug processes by name instead of process ID if your target has the
22178 @code{pidof} utility:
22181 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} `pidof @var{program}`
22184 In case more than one copy of @var{program} is running, or @var{program}
22185 has multiple threads, most versions of @code{pidof} support the
22186 @code{-s} option to only return the first process ID.
22188 @subsubsection TCP port allocation lifecycle of @code{gdbserver}
22190 This section applies only when @code{gdbserver} is run to listen on a TCP
22193 @code{gdbserver} normally terminates after all of its debugged processes have
22194 terminated in @kbd{target remote} mode. On the other hand, for @kbd{target
22195 extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver} stays running even with no processes left.
22196 @value{GDBN} normally terminates the spawned debugged process on its exit,
22197 which normally also terminates @code{gdbserver} in the @kbd{target remote}
22198 mode. Therefore, when the connection drops unexpectedly, and @value{GDBN}
22199 cannot ask @code{gdbserver} to kill its debugged processes, @code{gdbserver}
22200 stays running even in the @kbd{target remote} mode.
22202 When @code{gdbserver} stays running, @value{GDBN} can connect to it again later.
22203 Such reconnecting is useful for features like @ref{disconnected tracing}. For
22204 completeness, at most one @value{GDBN} can be connected at a time.
22206 @cindex @option{--once}, @code{gdbserver} option
22207 By default, @code{gdbserver} keeps the listening TCP port open, so that
22208 subsequent connections are possible. However, if you start @code{gdbserver}
22209 with the @option{--once} option, it will stop listening for any further
22210 connection attempts after connecting to the first @value{GDBN} session. This
22211 means no further connections to @code{gdbserver} will be possible after the
22212 first one. It also means @code{gdbserver} will terminate after the first
22213 connection with remote @value{GDBN} has closed, even for unexpectedly closed
22214 connections and even in the @kbd{target extended-remote} mode. The
22215 @option{--once} option allows reusing the same port number for connecting to
22216 multiple instances of @code{gdbserver} running on the same host, since each
22217 instance closes its port after the first connection.
22219 @anchor{Other Command-Line Arguments for gdbserver}
22220 @subsubsection Other Command-Line Arguments for @code{gdbserver}
22222 You can use the @option{--multi} option to start @code{gdbserver} without
22223 specifying a program to debug or a process to attach to. Then you can
22224 attach in @code{target extended-remote} mode and run or attach to a
22225 program. For more information,
22226 @pxref{--multi Option in Types of Remote Connnections}.
22228 @cindex @option{--debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
22229 The @option{--debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display extra
22230 status information about the debugging process.
22231 @cindex @option{--remote-debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
22232 The @option{--remote-debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display
22233 remote protocol debug output.
22234 @cindex @option{--debug-file}, @code{gdbserver} option
22235 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, send all debug output to a single file
22236 The @option{--debug-file=@var{filename}} option tells @code{gdbserver} to
22237 write any debug output to the given @var{filename}. These options are intended
22238 for @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to the developers.
22240 @cindex @option{--debug-format}, @code{gdbserver} option
22241 The @option{--debug-format=option1[,option2,...]} option tells
22242 @code{gdbserver} to include additional information in each output.
22243 Possible options are:
22247 Turn off all extra information in debugging output.
22249 Turn on all extra information in debugging output.
22251 Include a timestamp in each line of debugging output.
22254 Options are processed in order. Thus, for example, if @option{none}
22255 appears last then no additional information is added to debugging output.
22257 @cindex @option{--wrapper}, @code{gdbserver} option
22258 The @option{--wrapper} option specifies a wrapper to launch programs
22259 for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
22260 wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
22261 @kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
22263 @code{gdbserver} runs the specified wrapper program with a combined
22264 command line including the wrapper arguments, then the name of the
22265 program to debug, then any arguments to the program. The wrapper
22266 runs until it executes your program, and then @value{GDBN} gains control.
22268 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
22269 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
22270 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
22271 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
22273 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
22274 the debugged program, without setting the variable in @code{gdbserver}'s
22278 $ gdbserver --wrapper env LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so -- :2222 ./testprog
22281 @cindex @option{--selftest}
22282 The @option{--selftest} option runs the self tests in @code{gdbserver}:
22285 $ gdbserver --selftest
22286 Ran 2 unit tests, 0 failed
22289 These tests are disabled in release.
22290 @subsection Connecting to @code{gdbserver}
22292 The basic procedure for connecting to the remote target is:
22296 Run @value{GDBN} on the host system.
22299 Make sure you have the necessary symbol files
22300 (@pxref{Host and target files}).
22301 Load symbols for your application using the @code{file} command before you
22302 connect. Use @code{set sysroot} to locate target libraries (unless your
22303 @value{GDBN} was compiled with the correct sysroot using
22304 @code{--with-sysroot}).
22307 Connect to your target (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
22308 For TCP connections, you must start up @code{gdbserver} prior to using
22309 the @code{target} command. Otherwise you may get an error whose
22310 text depends on the host system, but which usually looks something like
22311 @samp{Connection refused}. Don't use the @code{load}
22312 command in @value{GDBN} when using @code{target remote} mode, since the
22313 program is already on the target.
22317 @anchor{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}
22318 @subsection Monitor Commands for @code{gdbserver}
22319 @cindex monitor commands, for @code{gdbserver}
22321 During a @value{GDBN} session using @code{gdbserver}, you can use the
22322 @code{monitor} command to send special requests to @code{gdbserver}.
22323 Here are the available commands.
22327 List the available monitor commands.
22329 @item monitor set debug 0
22330 @itemx monitor set debug 1
22331 Disable or enable general debugging messages.
22333 @item monitor set remote-debug 0
22334 @itemx monitor set remote-debug 1
22335 Disable or enable specific debugging messages associated with the remote
22336 protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}).
22338 @item monitor set debug-file filename
22339 @itemx monitor set debug-file
22340 Send any debug output to the given file, or to stderr.
22342 @item monitor set debug-format option1@r{[},option2,...@r{]}
22343 Specify additional text to add to debugging messages.
22344 Possible options are:
22348 Turn off all extra information in debugging output.
22350 Turn on all extra information in debugging output.
22352 Include a timestamp in each line of debugging output.
22355 Options are processed in order. Thus, for example, if @option{none}
22356 appears last then no additional information is added to debugging output.
22358 @item monitor set libthread-db-search-path [PATH]
22359 @cindex gdbserver, search path for @code{libthread_db}
22360 When this command is issued, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
22361 directories to search for @code{libthread_db} (@pxref{Threads,,set
22362 libthread-db-search-path}). If you omit @var{path},
22363 @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to its default value.
22365 The special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path} is
22366 not supported in @code{gdbserver}.
22369 Tell gdbserver to exit immediately. This command should be followed by
22370 @code{disconnect} to close the debugging session. @code{gdbserver} will
22371 detach from any attached processes and kill any processes it created.
22372 Use @code{monitor exit} to terminate @code{gdbserver} at the end
22373 of a multi-process mode debug session.
22377 @subsection Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
22378 @cindex tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
22380 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints, fast
22381 tracepoints and static tracepoints.
22383 For fast or static tracepoints to work, a special library called the
22384 @dfn{in-process agent} (IPA), must be loaded in the inferior process.
22385 This library is built and distributed as an integral part of
22386 @code{gdbserver}. In addition, support for static tracepoints
22387 requires building the in-process agent library with static tracepoints
22388 support. At present, the UST (LTTng Userspace Tracer,
22389 @url{http://lttng.org/ust}) tracing engine is supported. This support
22390 is automatically available if UST development headers are found in the
22391 standard include path when @code{gdbserver} is built, or if
22392 @code{gdbserver} was explicitly configured using @option{--with-ust}
22393 to point at such headers. You can explicitly disable the support
22394 using @option{--with-ust=no}.
22396 There are several ways to load the in-process agent in your program:
22399 @item Specifying it as dependency at link time
22401 You can link your program dynamically with the in-process agent
22402 library. On most systems, this is accomplished by adding
22403 @code{-linproctrace} to the link command.
22405 @item Using the system's preloading mechanisms
22407 You can force loading the in-process agent at startup time by using
22408 your system's support for preloading shared libraries. Many Unixes
22409 support the concept of preloading user defined libraries. In most
22410 cases, you do that by specifying @code{LD_PRELOAD=libinproctrace.so}
22411 in the environment. See also the description of @code{gdbserver}'s
22412 @option{--wrapper} command line option.
22414 @item Using @value{GDBN} to force loading the agent at run time
22416 On some systems, you can force the inferior to load a shared library,
22417 by calling a dynamic loader function in the inferior that takes care
22418 of dynamically looking up and loading a shared library. On most Unix
22419 systems, the function is @code{dlopen}. You'll use the @code{call}
22420 command for that. For example:
22423 (@value{GDBP}) call dlopen ("libinproctrace.so", ...)
22426 Note that on most Unix systems, for the @code{dlopen} function to be
22427 available, the program needs to be linked with @code{-ldl}.
22430 On systems that have a userspace dynamic loader, like most Unix
22431 systems, when you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target
22432 remote}, you'll find that the program is stopped at the dynamic
22433 loader's entry point, and no shared library has been loaded in the
22434 program's address space yet, including the in-process agent. In that
22435 case, before being able to use any of the fast or static tracepoints
22436 features, you need to let the loader run and load the shared
22437 libraries. The simplest way to do that is to run the program to the
22438 main procedure. E.g., if debugging a C or C@t{++} program, start
22439 @code{gdbserver} like so:
22442 $ gdbserver :9999 myprogram
22445 Start GDB and connect to @code{gdbserver} like so, and run to main:
22449 (@value{GDBP}) target remote myhost:9999
22450 0x00007f215893ba60 in ?? () from /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
22451 (@value{GDBP}) b main
22452 (@value{GDBP}) continue
22455 The in-process tracing agent library should now be loaded into the
22456 process; you can confirm it with the @code{info sharedlibrary}
22457 command, which will list @file{libinproctrace.so} as loaded in the
22458 process. You are now ready to install fast tracepoints, list static
22459 tracepoint markers, probe static tracepoints markers, and start
22462 @node Remote Configuration
22463 @section Remote Configuration
22466 @kindex show remote
22467 This section documents the configuration options available when
22468 debugging remote programs. For the options related to the File I/O
22469 extensions of the remote protocol, see @ref{system,
22470 system-call-allowed}.
22473 @item set remoteaddresssize @var{bits}
22474 @cindex address size for remote targets
22475 @cindex bits in remote address
22476 Set the maximum size of address in a memory packet to the specified
22477 number of bits. @value{GDBN} will mask off the address bits above
22478 that number, when it passes addresses to the remote target. The
22479 default value is the number of bits in the target's address.
22481 @item show remoteaddresssize
22482 Show the current value of remote address size in bits.
22484 @item set serial baud @var{n}
22485 @cindex baud rate for remote targets
22486 Set the baud rate for the remote serial I/O to @var{n} baud. The
22487 value is used to set the speed of the serial port used for debugging
22490 @item show serial baud
22491 Show the current speed of the remote connection.
22493 @item set serial parity @var{parity}
22494 Set the parity for the remote serial I/O. Supported values of @var{parity} are:
22495 @code{even}, @code{none}, and @code{odd}. The default is @code{none}.
22497 @item show serial parity
22498 Show the current parity of the serial port.
22500 @item set remotebreak
22501 @cindex interrupt remote programs
22502 @cindex BREAK signal instead of Ctrl-C
22503 @anchor{set remotebreak}
22504 If set to on, @value{GDBN} sends a @code{BREAK} signal to the remote
22505 when you type @kbd{Ctrl-c} to interrupt the program running
22506 on the remote. If set to off, @value{GDBN} sends the @samp{Ctrl-C}
22507 character instead. The default is off, since most remote systems
22508 expect to see @samp{Ctrl-C} as the interrupt signal.
22510 @item show remotebreak
22511 Show whether @value{GDBN} sends @code{BREAK} or @samp{Ctrl-C} to
22512 interrupt the remote program.
22514 @item set remoteflow on
22515 @itemx set remoteflow off
22516 @kindex set remoteflow
22517 Enable or disable hardware flow control (@code{RTS}/@code{CTS})
22518 on the serial port used to communicate to the remote target.
22520 @item show remoteflow
22521 @kindex show remoteflow
22522 Show the current setting of hardware flow control.
22524 @item set remotelogbase @var{base}
22525 Set the base (a.k.a.@: radix) of logging serial protocol
22526 communications to @var{base}. Supported values of @var{base} are:
22527 @code{ascii}, @code{octal}, and @code{hex}. The default is
22530 @item show remotelogbase
22531 Show the current setting of the radix for logging remote serial
22534 @item set remotelogfile @var{file}
22535 @cindex record serial communications on file
22536 Record remote serial communications on the named @var{file}. The
22537 default is not to record at all.
22539 @item show remotelogfile
22540 Show the current setting of the file name on which to record the
22541 serial communications.
22543 @item set remotetimeout @var{num}
22544 @cindex timeout for serial communications
22545 @cindex remote timeout
22546 Set the timeout limit to wait for the remote target to respond to
22547 @var{num} seconds. The default is 2 seconds.
22549 @item show remotetimeout
22550 Show the current number of seconds to wait for the remote target
22553 @cindex limit hardware breakpoints and watchpoints
22554 @cindex remote target, limit break- and watchpoints
22555 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}
22556 @anchor{set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit}
22557 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit @var{limit}
22558 @itemx set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit @var{limit}
22559 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} remote hardware watchpoints
22560 or breakpoints. The @var{limit} can be set to 0 to disable hardware
22561 watchpoints or breakpoints, and @code{unlimited} for unlimited
22562 watchpoints or breakpoints.
22564 @item show remote hardware-watchpoint-limit
22565 @itemx show remote hardware-breakpoint-limit
22566 Show the current limit for the number of hardware watchpoints or
22567 breakpoints that @value{GDBN} can use.
22569 @cindex limit hardware watchpoints length
22570 @cindex remote target, limit watchpoints length
22571 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit}
22572 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit @var{limit}
22573 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} bytes for the maximum
22574 length of a remote hardware watchpoint. A @var{limit} of 0 disables
22575 hardware watchpoints and @code{unlimited} allows watchpoints of any
22578 @item show remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit
22579 Show the current limit (in bytes) of the maximum length of
22580 a remote hardware watchpoint.
22582 @item set remote exec-file @var{filename}
22583 @itemx show remote exec-file
22584 @anchor{set remote exec-file}
22585 @cindex executable file, for remote target
22586 Select the file used for @code{run} with @code{target
22587 extended-remote}. This should be set to a filename valid on the
22588 target system. If it is not set, the target will use a default
22589 filename (e.g.@: the last program run).
22591 @item set remote interrupt-sequence
22592 @cindex interrupt remote programs
22593 @cindex select Ctrl-C, BREAK or BREAK-g
22594 Allow the user to select one of @samp{Ctrl-C}, a @code{BREAK} or
22595 @samp{BREAK-g} as the
22596 sequence to the remote target in order to interrupt the execution.
22597 @samp{Ctrl-C} is a default. Some system prefers @code{BREAK} which
22598 is high level of serial line for some certain time.
22599 Linux kernel prefers @samp{BREAK-g}, a.k.a Magic SysRq g.
22600 It is @code{BREAK} signal followed by character @code{g}.
22602 @item show interrupt-sequence
22603 Show which of @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or @code{BREAK-g}
22604 is sent by @value{GDBN} to interrupt the remote program.
22605 @code{BREAK-g} is BREAK signal followed by @code{g} and
22606 also known as Magic SysRq g.
22608 @item set remote interrupt-on-connect
22609 @cindex send interrupt-sequence on start
22610 Specify whether interrupt-sequence is sent to remote target when
22611 @value{GDBN} connects to it. This is mostly needed when you debug
22612 Linux kernel. Linux kernel expects @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g}
22613 which is known as Magic SysRq g in order to connect @value{GDBN}.
22615 @item show interrupt-on-connect
22616 Show whether interrupt-sequence is sent
22617 to remote target when @value{GDBN} connects to it.
22621 @item set tcp auto-retry on
22622 @cindex auto-retry, for remote TCP target
22623 Enable auto-retry for remote TCP connections. This is useful if the remote
22624 debugging agent is launched in parallel with @value{GDBN}; there is a race
22625 condition because the agent may not become ready to accept the connection
22626 before @value{GDBN} attempts to connect. When auto-retry is
22627 enabled, if the initial attempt to connect fails, @value{GDBN} reattempts
22628 to establish the connection using the timeout specified by
22629 @code{set tcp connect-timeout}.
22631 @item set tcp auto-retry off
22632 Do not auto-retry failed TCP connections.
22634 @item show tcp auto-retry
22635 Show the current auto-retry setting.
22637 @item set tcp connect-timeout @var{seconds}
22638 @itemx set tcp connect-timeout unlimited
22639 @cindex connection timeout, for remote TCP target
22640 @cindex timeout, for remote target connection
22641 Set the timeout for establishing a TCP connection to the remote target to
22642 @var{seconds}. The timeout affects both polling to retry failed connections
22643 (enabled by @code{set tcp auto-retry on}) and waiting for connections
22644 that are merely slow to complete, and represents an approximate cumulative
22645 value. If @var{seconds} is @code{unlimited}, there is no timeout and
22646 @value{GDBN} will keep attempting to establish a connection forever,
22647 unless interrupted with @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The default is 15 seconds.
22649 @item show tcp connect-timeout
22650 Show the current connection timeout setting.
22653 @cindex remote packets, enabling and disabling
22654 The @value{GDBN} remote protocol autodetects the packets supported by
22655 your debugging stub. If you need to override the autodetection, you
22656 can use these commands to enable or disable individual packets. Each
22657 packet can be set to @samp{on} (the remote target supports this
22658 packet), @samp{off} (the remote target does not support this packet),
22659 or @samp{auto} (detect remote target support for this packet). They
22660 all default to @samp{auto}. For more information about each packet,
22661 see @ref{Remote Protocol}.
22663 During normal use, you should not have to use any of these commands.
22664 If you do, that may be a bug in your remote debugging stub, or a bug
22665 in @value{GDBN}. You may want to report the problem to the
22666 @value{GDBN} developers.
22668 For each packet @var{name}, the command to enable or disable the
22669 packet is @code{set remote @var{name}-packet}. The available settings
22672 @multitable @columnfractions 0.28 0.32 0.25
22675 @tab Related Features
22677 @item @code{fetch-register}
22679 @tab @code{info registers}
22681 @item @code{set-register}
22685 @item @code{binary-download}
22687 @tab @code{load}, @code{set}
22689 @item @code{read-aux-vector}
22690 @tab @code{qXfer:auxv:read}
22691 @tab @code{info auxv}
22693 @item @code{symbol-lookup}
22694 @tab @code{qSymbol}
22695 @tab Detecting multiple threads
22697 @item @code{attach}
22698 @tab @code{vAttach}
22701 @item @code{verbose-resume}
22703 @tab Stepping or resuming multiple threads
22709 @item @code{software-breakpoint}
22713 @item @code{hardware-breakpoint}
22717 @item @code{write-watchpoint}
22721 @item @code{read-watchpoint}
22725 @item @code{access-watchpoint}
22729 @item @code{pid-to-exec-file}
22730 @tab @code{qXfer:exec-file:read}
22731 @tab @code{attach}, @code{run}
22733 @item @code{target-features}
22734 @tab @code{qXfer:features:read}
22735 @tab @code{set architecture}
22737 @item @code{library-info}
22738 @tab @code{qXfer:libraries:read}
22739 @tab @code{info sharedlibrary}
22741 @item @code{memory-map}
22742 @tab @code{qXfer:memory-map:read}
22743 @tab @code{info mem}
22745 @item @code{read-sdata-object}
22746 @tab @code{qXfer:sdata:read}
22747 @tab @code{print $_sdata}
22749 @item @code{read-siginfo-object}
22750 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:read}
22751 @tab @code{print $_siginfo}
22753 @item @code{write-siginfo-object}
22754 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:write}
22755 @tab @code{set $_siginfo}
22757 @item @code{threads}
22758 @tab @code{qXfer:threads:read}
22759 @tab @code{info threads}
22761 @item @code{get-thread-local-@*storage-address}
22762 @tab @code{qGetTLSAddr}
22763 @tab Displaying @code{__thread} variables
22765 @item @code{get-thread-information-block-address}
22766 @tab @code{qGetTIBAddr}
22767 @tab Display MS-Windows Thread Information Block.
22769 @item @code{search-memory}
22770 @tab @code{qSearch:memory}
22773 @item @code{supported-packets}
22774 @tab @code{qSupported}
22775 @tab Remote communications parameters
22777 @item @code{catch-syscalls}
22778 @tab @code{QCatchSyscalls}
22779 @tab @code{catch syscall}
22781 @item @code{pass-signals}
22782 @tab @code{QPassSignals}
22783 @tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
22785 @item @code{program-signals}
22786 @tab @code{QProgramSignals}
22787 @tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
22789 @item @code{hostio-close-packet}
22790 @tab @code{vFile:close}
22791 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
22793 @item @code{hostio-open-packet}
22794 @tab @code{vFile:open}
22795 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
22797 @item @code{hostio-pread-packet}
22798 @tab @code{vFile:pread}
22799 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
22801 @item @code{hostio-pwrite-packet}
22802 @tab @code{vFile:pwrite}
22803 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
22805 @item @code{hostio-unlink-packet}
22806 @tab @code{vFile:unlink}
22807 @tab @code{remote delete}
22809 @item @code{hostio-readlink-packet}
22810 @tab @code{vFile:readlink}
22813 @item @code{hostio-fstat-packet}
22814 @tab @code{vFile:fstat}
22817 @item @code{hostio-setfs-packet}
22818 @tab @code{vFile:setfs}
22821 @item @code{noack-packet}
22822 @tab @code{QStartNoAckMode}
22823 @tab Packet acknowledgment
22825 @item @code{osdata}
22826 @tab @code{qXfer:osdata:read}
22827 @tab @code{info os}
22829 @item @code{query-attached}
22830 @tab @code{qAttached}
22831 @tab Querying remote process attach state.
22833 @item @code{trace-buffer-size}
22834 @tab @code{QTBuffer:size}
22835 @tab @code{set trace-buffer-size}
22837 @item @code{trace-status}
22838 @tab @code{qTStatus}
22839 @tab @code{tstatus}
22841 @item @code{traceframe-info}
22842 @tab @code{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
22843 @tab Traceframe info
22845 @item @code{install-in-trace}
22846 @tab @code{InstallInTrace}
22847 @tab Install tracepoint in tracing
22849 @item @code{disable-randomization}
22850 @tab @code{QDisableRandomization}
22851 @tab @code{set disable-randomization}
22853 @item @code{startup-with-shell}
22854 @tab @code{QStartupWithShell}
22855 @tab @code{set startup-with-shell}
22857 @item @code{environment-hex-encoded}
22858 @tab @code{QEnvironmentHexEncoded}
22859 @tab @code{set environment}
22861 @item @code{environment-unset}
22862 @tab @code{QEnvironmentUnset}
22863 @tab @code{unset environment}
22865 @item @code{environment-reset}
22866 @tab @code{QEnvironmentReset}
22867 @tab @code{Reset the inferior environment (i.e., unset user-set variables)}
22869 @item @code{set-working-dir}
22870 @tab @code{QSetWorkingDir}
22871 @tab @code{set cwd}
22873 @item @code{conditional-breakpoints-packet}
22874 @tab @code{Z0 and Z1}
22875 @tab @code{Support for target-side breakpoint condition evaluation}
22877 @item @code{multiprocess-extensions}
22878 @tab @code{multiprocess extensions}
22879 @tab Debug multiple processes and remote process PID awareness
22881 @item @code{swbreak-feature}
22882 @tab @code{swbreak stop reason}
22885 @item @code{hwbreak-feature}
22886 @tab @code{hwbreak stop reason}
22889 @item @code{fork-event-feature}
22890 @tab @code{fork stop reason}
22893 @item @code{vfork-event-feature}
22894 @tab @code{vfork stop reason}
22897 @item @code{exec-event-feature}
22898 @tab @code{exec stop reason}
22901 @item @code{thread-events}
22902 @tab @code{QThreadEvents}
22903 @tab Tracking thread lifetime.
22905 @item @code{no-resumed-stop-reply}
22906 @tab @code{no resumed thread left stop reply}
22907 @tab Tracking thread lifetime.
22912 @section Implementing a Remote Stub
22914 @cindex debugging stub, example
22915 @cindex remote stub, example
22916 @cindex stub example, remote debugging
22917 The stub files provided with @value{GDBN} implement the target side of the
22918 communication protocol, and the @value{GDBN} side is implemented in the
22919 @value{GDBN} source file @file{remote.c}. Normally, you can simply allow
22920 these subroutines to communicate, and ignore the details. (If you're
22921 implementing your own stub file, you can still ignore the details: start
22922 with one of the existing stub files. @file{sparc-stub.c} is the best
22923 organized, and therefore the easiest to read.)
22925 @cindex remote serial debugging, overview
22926 To debug a program running on another machine (the debugging
22927 @dfn{target} machine), you must first arrange for all the usual
22928 prerequisites for the program to run by itself. For example, for a C
22933 A startup routine to set up the C runtime environment; these usually
22934 have a name like @file{crt0}. The startup routine may be supplied by
22935 your hardware supplier, or you may have to write your own.
22938 A C subroutine library to support your program's
22939 subroutine calls, notably managing input and output.
22942 A way of getting your program to the other machine---for example, a
22943 download program. These are often supplied by the hardware
22944 manufacturer, but you may have to write your own from hardware
22948 The next step is to arrange for your program to use a serial port to
22949 communicate with the machine where @value{GDBN} is running (the @dfn{host}
22950 machine). In general terms, the scheme looks like this:
22954 @value{GDBN} already understands how to use this protocol; when everything
22955 else is set up, you can simply use the @samp{target remote} command
22956 (@pxref{Targets,,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
22958 @item On the target,
22959 you must link with your program a few special-purpose subroutines that
22960 implement the @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol. The file containing these
22961 subroutines is called a @dfn{debugging stub}.
22963 On certain remote targets, you can use an auxiliary program
22964 @code{gdbserver} instead of linking a stub into your program.
22965 @xref{Server,,Using the @code{gdbserver} Program}, for details.
22968 The debugging stub is specific to the architecture of the remote
22969 machine; for example, use @file{sparc-stub.c} to debug programs on
22972 @cindex remote serial stub list
22973 These working remote stubs are distributed with @value{GDBN}:
22978 @cindex @file{i386-stub.c}
22981 For Intel 386 and compatible architectures.
22984 @cindex @file{m68k-stub.c}
22985 @cindex Motorola 680x0
22987 For Motorola 680x0 architectures.
22990 @cindex @file{sh-stub.c}
22993 For Renesas SH architectures.
22996 @cindex @file{sparc-stub.c}
22998 For @sc{sparc} architectures.
23000 @item sparcl-stub.c
23001 @cindex @file{sparcl-stub.c}
23004 For Fujitsu @sc{sparclite} architectures.
23008 The @file{README} file in the @value{GDBN} distribution may list other
23009 recently added stubs.
23012 * Stub Contents:: What the stub can do for you
23013 * Bootstrapping:: What you must do for the stub
23014 * Debug Session:: Putting it all together
23017 @node Stub Contents
23018 @subsection What the Stub Can Do for You
23020 @cindex remote serial stub
23021 The debugging stub for your architecture supplies these three
23025 @item set_debug_traps
23026 @findex set_debug_traps
23027 @cindex remote serial stub, initialization
23028 This routine arranges for @code{handle_exception} to run when your
23029 program stops. You must call this subroutine explicitly in your
23030 program's startup code.
23032 @item handle_exception
23033 @findex handle_exception
23034 @cindex remote serial stub, main routine
23035 This is the central workhorse, but your program never calls it
23036 explicitly---the setup code arranges for @code{handle_exception} to
23037 run when a trap is triggered.
23039 @code{handle_exception} takes control when your program stops during
23040 execution (for example, on a breakpoint), and mediates communications
23041 with @value{GDBN} on the host machine. This is where the communications
23042 protocol is implemented; @code{handle_exception} acts as the @value{GDBN}
23043 representative on the target machine. It begins by sending summary
23044 information on the state of your program, then continues to execute,
23045 retrieving and transmitting any information @value{GDBN} needs, until you
23046 execute a @value{GDBN} command that makes your program resume; at that point,
23047 @code{handle_exception} returns control to your own code on the target
23051 @cindex @code{breakpoint} subroutine, remote
23052 Use this auxiliary subroutine to make your program contain a
23053 breakpoint. Depending on the particular situation, this may be the only
23054 way for @value{GDBN} to get control. For instance, if your target
23055 machine has some sort of interrupt button, you won't need to call this;
23056 pressing the interrupt button transfers control to
23057 @code{handle_exception}---in effect, to @value{GDBN}. On some machines,
23058 simply receiving characters on the serial port may also trigger a trap;
23059 again, in that situation, you don't need to call @code{breakpoint} from
23060 your own program---simply running @samp{target remote} from the host
23061 @value{GDBN} session gets control.
23063 Call @code{breakpoint} if none of these is true, or if you simply want
23064 to make certain your program stops at a predetermined point for the
23065 start of your debugging session.
23068 @node Bootstrapping
23069 @subsection What You Must Do for the Stub
23071 @cindex remote stub, support routines
23072 The debugging stubs that come with @value{GDBN} are set up for a particular
23073 chip architecture, but they have no information about the rest of your
23074 debugging target machine.
23076 First of all you need to tell the stub how to communicate with the
23080 @item int getDebugChar()
23081 @findex getDebugChar
23082 Write this subroutine to read a single character from the serial port.
23083 It may be identical to @code{getchar} for your target system; a
23084 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
23086 @item void putDebugChar(int)
23087 @findex putDebugChar
23088 Write this subroutine to write a single character to the serial port.
23089 It may be identical to @code{putchar} for your target system; a
23090 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
23093 @cindex control C, and remote debugging
23094 @cindex interrupting remote targets
23095 If you want @value{GDBN} to be able to stop your program while it is
23096 running, you need to use an interrupt-driven serial driver, and arrange
23097 for it to stop when it receives a @code{^C} (@samp{\003}, the control-C
23098 character). That is the character which @value{GDBN} uses to tell the
23099 remote system to stop.
23101 Getting the debugging target to return the proper status to @value{GDBN}
23102 probably requires changes to the standard stub; one quick and dirty way
23103 is to just execute a breakpoint instruction (the ``dirty'' part is that
23104 @value{GDBN} reports a @code{SIGTRAP} instead of a @code{SIGINT}).
23106 Other routines you need to supply are:
23109 @item void exceptionHandler (int @var{exception_number}, void *@var{exception_address})
23110 @findex exceptionHandler
23111 Write this function to install @var{exception_address} in the exception
23112 handling tables. You need to do this because the stub does not have any
23113 way of knowing what the exception handling tables on your target system
23114 are like (for example, the processor's table might be in @sc{rom},
23115 containing entries which point to a table in @sc{ram}).
23116 The @var{exception_number} specifies the exception which should be changed;
23117 its meaning is architecture-dependent (for example, different numbers
23118 might represent divide by zero, misaligned access, etc). When this
23119 exception occurs, control should be transferred directly to
23120 @var{exception_address}, and the processor state (stack, registers,
23121 and so on) should be just as it is when a processor exception occurs. So if
23122 you want to use a jump instruction to reach @var{exception_address}, it
23123 should be a simple jump, not a jump to subroutine.
23125 For the 386, @var{exception_address} should be installed as an interrupt
23126 gate so that interrupts are masked while the handler runs. The gate
23127 should be at privilege level 0 (the most privileged level). The
23128 @sc{sparc} and 68k stubs are able to mask interrupts themselves without
23129 help from @code{exceptionHandler}.
23131 @item void flush_i_cache()
23132 @findex flush_i_cache
23133 On @sc{sparc} and @sc{sparclite} only, write this subroutine to flush the
23134 instruction cache, if any, on your target machine. If there is no
23135 instruction cache, this subroutine may be a no-op.
23137 On target machines that have instruction caches, @value{GDBN} requires this
23138 function to make certain that the state of your program is stable.
23142 You must also make sure this library routine is available:
23145 @item void *memset(void *, int, int)
23147 This is the standard library function @code{memset} that sets an area of
23148 memory to a known value. If you have one of the free versions of
23149 @code{libc.a}, @code{memset} can be found there; otherwise, you must
23150 either obtain it from your hardware manufacturer, or write your own.
23153 If you do not use the GNU C compiler, you may need other standard
23154 library subroutines as well; this varies from one stub to another,
23155 but in general the stubs are likely to use any of the common library
23156 subroutines which @code{@value{NGCC}} generates as inline code.
23159 @node Debug Session
23160 @subsection Putting it All Together
23162 @cindex remote serial debugging summary
23163 In summary, when your program is ready to debug, you must follow these
23168 Make sure you have defined the supporting low-level routines
23169 (@pxref{Bootstrapping,,What You Must Do for the Stub}):
23171 @code{getDebugChar}, @code{putDebugChar},
23172 @code{flush_i_cache}, @code{memset}, @code{exceptionHandler}.
23176 Insert these lines in your program's startup code, before the main
23177 procedure is called:
23184 On some machines, when a breakpoint trap is raised, the hardware
23185 automatically makes the PC point to the instruction after the
23186 breakpoint. If your machine doesn't do that, you may need to adjust
23187 @code{handle_exception} to arrange for it to return to the instruction
23188 after the breakpoint on this first invocation, so that your program
23189 doesn't keep hitting the initial breakpoint instead of making
23193 For the 680x0 stub only, you need to provide a variable called
23194 @code{exceptionHook}. Normally you just use:
23197 void (*exceptionHook)() = 0;
23201 but if before calling @code{set_debug_traps}, you set it to point to a
23202 function in your program, that function is called when
23203 @code{@value{GDBN}} continues after stopping on a trap (for example, bus
23204 error). The function indicated by @code{exceptionHook} is called with
23205 one parameter: an @code{int} which is the exception number.
23208 Compile and link together: your program, the @value{GDBN} debugging stub for
23209 your target architecture, and the supporting subroutines.
23212 Make sure you have a serial connection between your target machine and
23213 the @value{GDBN} host, and identify the serial port on the host.
23216 @c The "remote" target now provides a `load' command, so we should
23217 @c document that. FIXME.
23218 Download your program to your target machine (or get it there by
23219 whatever means the manufacturer provides), and start it.
23222 Start @value{GDBN} on the host, and connect to the target
23223 (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
23227 @node Configurations
23228 @chapter Configuration-Specific Information
23230 While nearly all @value{GDBN} commands are available for all native and
23231 cross versions of the debugger, there are some exceptions. This chapter
23232 describes things that are only available in certain configurations.
23234 There are three major categories of configurations: native
23235 configurations, where the host and target are the same, embedded
23236 operating system configurations, which are usually the same for several
23237 different processor architectures, and bare embedded processors, which
23238 are quite different from each other.
23243 * Embedded Processors::
23250 This section describes details specific to particular native
23254 * BSD libkvm Interface:: Debugging BSD kernel memory images
23255 * Process Information:: Process information
23256 * DJGPP Native:: Features specific to the DJGPP port
23257 * Cygwin Native:: Features specific to the Cygwin port
23258 * Hurd Native:: Features specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd
23259 * Darwin:: Features specific to Darwin
23260 * FreeBSD:: Features specific to FreeBSD
23263 @node BSD libkvm Interface
23264 @subsection BSD libkvm Interface
23267 @cindex kernel memory image
23268 @cindex kernel crash dump
23270 BSD-derived systems (FreeBSD/NetBSD/OpenBSD) have a kernel memory
23271 interface that provides a uniform interface for accessing kernel virtual
23272 memory images, including live systems and crash dumps. @value{GDBN}
23273 uses this interface to allow you to debug live kernels and kernel crash
23274 dumps on many native BSD configurations. This is implemented as a
23275 special @code{kvm} debugging target. For debugging a live system, load
23276 the currently running kernel into @value{GDBN} and connect to the
23280 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm}
23283 For debugging crash dumps, provide the file name of the crash dump as an
23287 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm /var/crash/bsd.0}
23290 Once connected to the @code{kvm} target, the following commands are
23296 Set current context from the @dfn{Process Control Block} (PCB) address.
23299 Set current context from proc address. This command isn't available on
23300 modern FreeBSD systems.
23303 @node Process Information
23304 @subsection Process Information
23306 @cindex examine process image
23307 @cindex process info via @file{/proc}
23309 Some operating systems provide interfaces to fetch additional
23310 information about running processes beyond memory and per-thread
23311 register state. If @value{GDBN} is configured for an operating system
23312 with a supported interface, the command @code{info proc} is available
23313 to report information about the process running your program, or about
23314 any process running on your system.
23316 One supported interface is a facility called @samp{/proc} that can be
23317 used to examine the image of a running process using file-system
23318 subroutines. This facility is supported on @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris
23321 On FreeBSD systems, system control nodes are used to query process
23324 In addition, some systems may provide additional process information
23325 in core files. Note that a core file may include a subset of the
23326 information available from a live process. Process information is
23327 currently available from cores created on @sc{gnu}/Linux and FreeBSD
23334 @itemx info proc @var{process-id}
23335 Summarize available information about a process. If a
23336 process ID is specified by @var{process-id}, display information about
23337 that process; otherwise display information about the program being
23338 debugged. The summary includes the debugged process ID, the command
23339 line used to invoke it, its current working directory, and its
23340 executable file's absolute file name.
23342 On some systems, @var{process-id} can be of the form
23343 @samp{[@var{pid}]/@var{tid}} which specifies a certain thread ID
23344 within a process. If the optional @var{pid} part is missing, it means
23345 a thread from the process being debugged (the leading @samp{/} still
23346 needs to be present, or else @value{GDBN} will interpret the number as
23347 a process ID rather than a thread ID).
23349 @item info proc cmdline
23350 @cindex info proc cmdline
23351 Show the original command line of the process. This command is
23352 supported on @sc{gnu}/Linux and FreeBSD.
23354 @item info proc cwd
23355 @cindex info proc cwd
23356 Show the current working directory of the process. This command is
23357 supported on @sc{gnu}/Linux and FreeBSD.
23359 @item info proc exe
23360 @cindex info proc exe
23361 Show the name of executable of the process. This command is supported
23362 on @sc{gnu}/Linux and FreeBSD.
23364 @item info proc files
23365 @cindex info proc files
23366 Show the file descriptors open by the process. For each open file
23367 descriptor, @value{GDBN} shows its number, type (file, directory,
23368 character device, socket), file pointer offset, and the name of the
23369 resource open on the descriptor. The resource name can be a file name
23370 (for files, directories, and devices) or a protocol followed by socket
23371 address (for network connections). This command is supported on
23374 This example shows the open file descriptors for a process using a
23375 tty for standard input and output as well as two network sockets:
23378 (gdb) info proc files 22136
23382 FD Type Offset Flags Name
23383 text file - r-------- /usr/bin/ssh
23384 ctty chr - rw------- /dev/pts/20
23385 cwd dir - r-------- /usr/home/john
23386 root dir - r-------- /
23387 0 chr 0x32933a4 rw------- /dev/pts/20
23388 1 chr 0x32933a4 rw------- /dev/pts/20
23389 2 chr 0x32933a4 rw------- /dev/pts/20
23390 3 socket 0x0 rw----n-- tcp4 10.0.1.2:53014 -> 10.0.1.10:22
23391 4 socket 0x0 rw------- unix stream:/tmp/ssh-FIt89oAzOn5f/agent.2456
23394 @item info proc mappings
23395 @cindex memory address space mappings
23396 Report the memory address space ranges accessible in a process. On
23397 Solaris and FreeBSD systems, each memory range includes information on
23398 whether the process has read, write, or execute access rights to each
23399 range. On @sc{gnu}/Linux and FreeBSD systems, each memory range
23400 includes the object file which is mapped to that range.
23402 @item info proc stat
23403 @itemx info proc status
23404 @cindex process detailed status information
23405 Show additional process-related information, including the user ID and
23406 group ID; virtual memory usage; the signals that are pending, blocked,
23407 and ignored; its TTY; its consumption of system and user time; its
23408 stack size; its @samp{nice} value; etc. These commands are supported
23409 on @sc{gnu}/Linux and FreeBSD.
23411 For @sc{gnu}/Linux systems, see the @samp{proc} man page for more
23412 information (type @kbd{man 5 proc} from your shell prompt).
23414 For FreeBSD systems, @code{info proc stat} is an alias for @code{info
23417 @item info proc all
23418 Show all the information about the process described under all of the
23419 above @code{info proc} subcommands.
23422 @comment These sub-options of 'info proc' were not included when
23423 @comment procfs.c was re-written. Keep their descriptions around
23424 @comment against the day when someone finds the time to put them back in.
23425 @kindex info proc times
23426 @item info proc times
23427 Starting time, user CPU time, and system CPU time for your program and
23430 @kindex info proc id
23432 Report on the process IDs related to your program: its own process ID,
23433 the ID of its parent, the process group ID, and the session ID.
23436 @item set procfs-trace
23437 @kindex set procfs-trace
23438 @cindex @code{procfs} API calls
23439 This command enables and disables tracing of @code{procfs} API calls.
23441 @item show procfs-trace
23442 @kindex show procfs-trace
23443 Show the current state of @code{procfs} API call tracing.
23445 @item set procfs-file @var{file}
23446 @kindex set procfs-file
23447 Tell @value{GDBN} to write @code{procfs} API trace to the named
23448 @var{file}. @value{GDBN} appends the trace info to the previous
23449 contents of the file. The default is to display the trace on the
23452 @item show procfs-file
23453 @kindex show procfs-file
23454 Show the file to which @code{procfs} API trace is written.
23456 @item proc-trace-entry
23457 @itemx proc-trace-exit
23458 @itemx proc-untrace-entry
23459 @itemx proc-untrace-exit
23460 @kindex proc-trace-entry
23461 @kindex proc-trace-exit
23462 @kindex proc-untrace-entry
23463 @kindex proc-untrace-exit
23464 These commands enable and disable tracing of entries into and exits
23465 from the @code{syscall} interface.
23468 @kindex info pidlist
23469 @cindex process list, QNX Neutrino
23470 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all the
23471 processes and all the threads within each process.
23474 @kindex info meminfo
23475 @cindex mapinfo list, QNX Neutrino
23476 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all mapinfos.
23480 @subsection Features for Debugging @sc{djgpp} Programs
23481 @cindex @sc{djgpp} debugging
23482 @cindex native @sc{djgpp} debugging
23483 @cindex MS-DOS-specific commands
23486 @sc{djgpp} is a port of the @sc{gnu} development tools to MS-DOS and
23487 MS-Windows. @sc{djgpp} programs are 32-bit protected-mode programs
23488 that use the @dfn{DPMI} (DOS Protected-Mode Interface) API to run on
23489 top of real-mode DOS systems and their emulations.
23491 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of @sc{djgpp} programs, and
23492 defines a few commands specific to the @sc{djgpp} port. This
23493 subsection describes those commands.
23498 This is a prefix of @sc{djgpp}-specific commands which print
23499 information about the target system and important OS structures.
23502 @cindex MS-DOS system info
23503 @cindex free memory information (MS-DOS)
23504 @item info dos sysinfo
23505 This command displays assorted information about the underlying
23506 platform: the CPU type and features, the OS version and flavor, the
23507 DPMI version, and the available conventional and DPMI memory.
23512 @cindex segment descriptor tables
23513 @cindex descriptor tables display
23515 @itemx info dos ldt
23516 @itemx info dos idt
23517 These 3 commands display entries from, respectively, Global, Local,
23518 and Interrupt Descriptor Tables (GDT, LDT, and IDT). The descriptor
23519 tables are data structures which store a descriptor for each segment
23520 that is currently in use. The segment's selector is an index into a
23521 descriptor table; the table entry for that index holds the
23522 descriptor's base address and limit, and its attributes and access
23525 A typical @sc{djgpp} program uses 3 segments: a code segment, a data
23526 segment (used for both data and the stack), and a DOS segment (which
23527 allows access to DOS/BIOS data structures and absolute addresses in
23528 conventional memory). However, the DPMI host will usually define
23529 additional segments in order to support the DPMI environment.
23531 @cindex garbled pointers
23532 These commands allow to display entries from the descriptor tables.
23533 Without an argument, all entries from the specified table are
23534 displayed. An argument, which should be an integer expression, means
23535 display a single entry whose index is given by the argument. For
23536 example, here's a convenient way to display information about the
23537 debugged program's data segment:
23540 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos ldt $ds}
23541 @exdent @code{0x13f: base=0x11970000 limit=0x0009ffff 32-Bit Data (Read/Write, Exp-up)}
23545 This comes in handy when you want to see whether a pointer is outside
23546 the data segment's limit (i.e.@: @dfn{garbled}).
23548 @cindex page tables display (MS-DOS)
23550 @itemx info dos pte
23551 These two commands display entries from, respectively, the Page
23552 Directory and the Page Tables. Page Directories and Page Tables are
23553 data structures which control how virtual memory addresses are mapped
23554 into physical addresses. A Page Table includes an entry for every
23555 page of memory that is mapped into the program's address space; there
23556 may be several Page Tables, each one holding up to 4096 entries. A
23557 Page Directory has up to 4096 entries, one each for every Page Table
23558 that is currently in use.
23560 Without an argument, @kbd{info dos pde} displays the entire Page
23561 Directory, and @kbd{info dos pte} displays all the entries in all of
23562 the Page Tables. An argument, an integer expression, given to the
23563 @kbd{info dos pde} command means display only that entry from the Page
23564 Directory table. An argument given to the @kbd{info dos pte} command
23565 means display entries from a single Page Table, the one pointed to by
23566 the specified entry in the Page Directory.
23568 @cindex direct memory access (DMA) on MS-DOS
23569 These commands are useful when your program uses @dfn{DMA} (Direct
23570 Memory Access), which needs physical addresses to program the DMA
23573 These commands are supported only with some DPMI servers.
23575 @cindex physical address from linear address
23576 @item info dos address-pte @var{addr}
23577 This command displays the Page Table entry for a specified linear
23578 address. The argument @var{addr} is a linear address which should
23579 already have the appropriate segment's base address added to it,
23580 because this command accepts addresses which may belong to @emph{any}
23581 segment. For example, here's how to display the Page Table entry for
23582 the page where a variable @code{i} is stored:
23585 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte __djgpp_base_address + (char *)&i}
23586 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x11a00d30:}
23587 @exdent @code{Base=0x02698000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0xd30}
23591 This says that @code{i} is stored at offset @code{0xd30} from the page
23592 whose physical base address is @code{0x02698000}, and shows all the
23593 attributes of that page.
23595 Note that you must cast the addresses of variables to a @code{char *},
23596 since otherwise the value of @code{__djgpp_base_address}, the base
23597 address of all variables and functions in a @sc{djgpp} program, will
23598 be added using the rules of C pointer arithmetics: if @code{i} is
23599 declared an @code{int}, @value{GDBN} will add 4 times the value of
23600 @code{__djgpp_base_address} to the address of @code{i}.
23602 Here's another example, it displays the Page Table entry for the
23606 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte *((unsigned *)&_go32_info_block + 3)}
23607 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x29110:}
23608 @exdent @code{Base=0x00029000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0x110}
23612 (The @code{+ 3} offset is because the transfer buffer's address is the
23613 3rd member of the @code{_go32_info_block} structure.) The output
23614 clearly shows that this DPMI server maps the addresses in conventional
23615 memory 1:1, i.e.@: the physical (@code{0x00029000} + @code{0x110}) and
23616 linear (@code{0x29110}) addresses are identical.
23618 This command is supported only with some DPMI servers.
23621 @cindex DOS serial data link, remote debugging
23622 In addition to native debugging, the DJGPP port supports remote
23623 debugging via a serial data link. The following commands are specific
23624 to remote serial debugging in the DJGPP port of @value{GDBN}.
23627 @kindex set com1base
23628 @kindex set com1irq
23629 @kindex set com2base
23630 @kindex set com2irq
23631 @kindex set com3base
23632 @kindex set com3irq
23633 @kindex set com4base
23634 @kindex set com4irq
23635 @item set com1base @var{addr}
23636 This command sets the base I/O port address of the @file{COM1} serial
23639 @item set com1irq @var{irq}
23640 This command sets the @dfn{Interrupt Request} (@code{IRQ}) line to use
23641 for the @file{COM1} serial port.
23643 There are similar commands @samp{set com2base}, @samp{set com3irq},
23644 etc.@: for setting the port address and the @code{IRQ} lines for the
23647 @kindex show com1base
23648 @kindex show com1irq
23649 @kindex show com2base
23650 @kindex show com2irq
23651 @kindex show com3base
23652 @kindex show com3irq
23653 @kindex show com4base
23654 @kindex show com4irq
23655 The related commands @samp{show com1base}, @samp{show com1irq} etc.@:
23656 display the current settings of the base address and the @code{IRQ}
23657 lines used by the COM ports.
23660 @kindex info serial
23661 @cindex DOS serial port status
23662 This command prints the status of the 4 DOS serial ports. For each
23663 port, it prints whether it's active or not, its I/O base address and
23664 IRQ number, whether it uses a 16550-style FIFO, its baudrate, and the
23665 counts of various errors encountered so far.
23669 @node Cygwin Native
23670 @subsection Features for Debugging MS Windows PE Executables
23671 @cindex MS Windows debugging
23672 @cindex native Cygwin debugging
23673 @cindex Cygwin-specific commands
23675 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of MS Windows programs, including
23676 DLLs with and without symbolic debugging information.
23678 @cindex Ctrl-BREAK, MS-Windows
23679 @cindex interrupt debuggee on MS-Windows
23680 MS-Windows programs that call @code{SetConsoleMode} to switch off the
23681 special meaning of the @samp{Ctrl-C} keystroke cannot be interrupted
23682 by typing @kbd{C-c}. For this reason, @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows
23683 supports @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} as an alternative interrupt key
23684 sequence, which can be used to interrupt the debuggee even if it
23687 There are various additional Cygwin-specific commands, described in
23688 this section. Working with DLLs that have no debugging symbols is
23689 described in @ref{Non-debug DLL Symbols}.
23694 This is a prefix of MS Windows-specific commands which print
23695 information about the target system and important OS structures.
23697 @item info w32 selector
23698 This command displays information returned by
23699 the Win32 API @code{GetThreadSelectorEntry} function.
23700 It takes an optional argument that is evaluated to
23701 a long value to give the information about this given selector.
23702 Without argument, this command displays information
23703 about the six segment registers.
23705 @item info w32 thread-information-block
23706 This command displays thread specific information stored in the
23707 Thread Information Block (readable on the X86 CPU family using @code{$fs}
23708 selector for 32-bit programs and @code{$gs} for 64-bit programs).
23710 @kindex signal-event
23711 @item signal-event @var{id}
23712 This command signals an event with user-provided @var{id}. Used to resume
23713 crashing process when attached to it using MS-Windows JIT debugging (AeDebug).
23715 To use it, create or edit the following keys in
23716 @code{HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AeDebug} and/or
23717 @code{HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AeDebug}
23718 (for x86_64 versions):
23722 @code{Debugger} (REG_SZ) --- a command to launch the debugger.
23723 Suggested command is: @code{@var{fully-qualified-path-to-gdb.exe} -ex
23724 "attach %ld" -ex "signal-event %ld" -ex "continue"}.
23726 The first @code{%ld} will be replaced by the process ID of the
23727 crashing process, the second @code{%ld} will be replaced by the ID of
23728 the event that blocks the crashing process, waiting for @value{GDBN}
23732 @code{Auto} (REG_SZ) --- either @code{1} or @code{0}. @code{1} will
23733 make the system run debugger specified by the Debugger key
23734 automatically, @code{0} will cause a dialog box with ``OK'' and
23735 ``Cancel'' buttons to appear, which allows the user to either
23736 terminate the crashing process (OK) or debug it (Cancel).
23739 @kindex set cygwin-exceptions
23740 @cindex debugging the Cygwin DLL
23741 @cindex Cygwin DLL, debugging
23742 @item set cygwin-exceptions @var{mode}
23743 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that
23744 happen inside the Cygwin DLL. If @var{mode} is @code{off},
23745 @value{GDBN} will delay recognition of exceptions, and may ignore some
23746 exceptions which seem to be caused by internal Cygwin DLL
23747 ``bookkeeping''. This option is meant primarily for debugging the
23748 Cygwin DLL itself; the default value is @code{off} to avoid annoying
23749 @value{GDBN} users with false @code{SIGSEGV} signals.
23751 @kindex show cygwin-exceptions
23752 @item show cygwin-exceptions
23753 Displays whether @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that happen
23754 inside the Cygwin DLL itself.
23756 @kindex set new-console
23757 @item set new-console @var{mode}
23758 If @var{mode} is @code{on} the debuggee will
23759 be started in a new console on next start.
23760 If @var{mode} is @code{off}, the debuggee will
23761 be started in the same console as the debugger.
23763 @kindex show new-console
23764 @item show new-console
23765 Displays whether a new console is used
23766 when the debuggee is started.
23768 @kindex set new-group
23769 @item set new-group @var{mode}
23770 This boolean value controls whether the debuggee should
23771 start a new group or stay in the same group as the debugger.
23772 This affects the way the Windows OS handles
23775 @kindex show new-group
23776 @item show new-group
23777 Displays current value of new-group boolean.
23779 @kindex set debugevents
23780 @item set debugevents
23781 This boolean value adds debug output concerning kernel events related
23782 to the debuggee seen by the debugger. This includes events that
23783 signal thread and process creation and exit, DLL loading and
23784 unloading, console interrupts, and debugging messages produced by the
23785 Windows @code{OutputDebugString} API call.
23787 @kindex set debugexec
23788 @item set debugexec
23789 This boolean value adds debug output concerning execute events
23790 (such as resume thread) seen by the debugger.
23792 @kindex set debugexceptions
23793 @item set debugexceptions
23794 This boolean value adds debug output concerning exceptions in the
23795 debuggee seen by the debugger.
23797 @kindex set debugmemory
23798 @item set debugmemory
23799 This boolean value adds debug output concerning debuggee memory reads
23800 and writes by the debugger.
23804 This boolean values specifies whether the debuggee is called
23805 via a shell or directly (default value is on).
23809 Displays if the debuggee will be started with a shell.
23814 * Non-debug DLL Symbols:: Support for DLLs without debugging symbols
23817 @node Non-debug DLL Symbols
23818 @subsubsection Support for DLLs without Debugging Symbols
23819 @cindex DLLs with no debugging symbols
23820 @cindex Minimal symbols and DLLs
23822 Very often on windows, some of the DLLs that your program relies on do
23823 not include symbolic debugging information (for example,
23824 @file{kernel32.dll}). When @value{GDBN} doesn't recognize any debugging
23825 symbols in a DLL, it relies on the minimal amount of symbolic
23826 information contained in the DLL's export table. This section
23827 describes working with such symbols, known internally to @value{GDBN} as
23828 ``minimal symbols''.
23830 Note that before the debugged program has started execution, no DLLs
23831 will have been loaded. The easiest way around this problem is simply to
23832 start the program --- either by setting a breakpoint or letting the
23833 program run once to completion.
23835 @subsubsection DLL Name Prefixes
23837 In keeping with the naming conventions used by the Microsoft debugging
23838 tools, DLL export symbols are made available with a prefix based on the
23839 DLL name, for instance @code{KERNEL32!CreateFileA}. The plain name is
23840 also entered into the symbol table, so @code{CreateFileA} is often
23841 sufficient. In some cases there will be name clashes within a program
23842 (particularly if the executable itself includes full debugging symbols)
23843 necessitating the use of the fully qualified name when referring to the
23844 contents of the DLL. Use single-quotes around the name to avoid the
23845 exclamation mark (``!'') being interpreted as a language operator.
23847 Note that the internal name of the DLL may be all upper-case, even
23848 though the file name of the DLL is lower-case, or vice-versa. Since
23849 symbols within @value{GDBN} are @emph{case-sensitive} this may cause
23850 some confusion. If in doubt, try the @code{info functions} and
23851 @code{info variables} commands or even @code{maint print msymbols}
23852 (@pxref{Symbols}). Here's an example:
23855 (@value{GDBP}) info function CreateFileA
23856 All functions matching regular expression "CreateFileA":
23858 Non-debugging symbols:
23859 0x77e885f4 CreateFileA
23860 0x77e885f4 KERNEL32!CreateFileA
23864 (@value{GDBP}) info function !
23865 All functions matching regular expression "!":
23867 Non-debugging symbols:
23868 0x6100114c cygwin1!__assert
23869 0x61004034 cygwin1!_dll_crt0@@0
23870 0x61004240 cygwin1!dll_crt0(per_process *)
23874 @subsubsection Working with Minimal Symbols
23876 Symbols extracted from a DLL's export table do not contain very much
23877 type information. All that @value{GDBN} can do is guess whether a symbol
23878 refers to a function or variable depending on the linker section that
23879 contains the symbol. Also note that the actual contents of the memory
23880 contained in a DLL are not available unless the program is running. This
23881 means that you cannot examine the contents of a variable or disassemble
23882 a function within a DLL without a running program.
23884 Variables are generally treated as pointers and dereferenced
23885 automatically. For this reason, it is often necessary to prefix a
23886 variable name with the address-of operator (``&'') and provide explicit
23887 type information in the command. Here's an example of the type of
23891 (@value{GDBP}) print 'cygwin1!__argv'
23892 'cygwin1!__argv' has unknown type; cast it to its declared type
23896 (@value{GDBP}) x 'cygwin1!__argv'
23897 'cygwin1!__argv' has unknown type; cast it to its declared type
23900 And two possible solutions:
23903 (@value{GDBP}) print ((char **)'cygwin1!__argv')[0]
23904 $2 = 0x22fd98 "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
23908 (@value{GDBP}) x/2x &'cygwin1!__argv'
23909 0x610c0aa8 <cygwin1!__argv>: 0x10021608 0x00000000
23910 (@value{GDBP}) x/x 0x10021608
23911 0x10021608: 0x0022fd98
23912 (@value{GDBP}) x/s 0x0022fd98
23913 0x22fd98: "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
23916 Setting a break point within a DLL is possible even before the program
23917 starts execution. However, under these circumstances, @value{GDBN} can't
23918 examine the initial instructions of the function in order to skip the
23919 function's frame set-up code. You can work around this by using ``*&''
23920 to set the breakpoint at a raw memory address:
23923 (@value{GDBP}) break *&'python22!PyOS_Readline'
23924 Breakpoint 1 at 0x1e04eff0
23927 The author of these extensions is not entirely convinced that setting a
23928 break point within a shared DLL like @file{kernel32.dll} is completely
23932 @subsection Commands Specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd Systems
23933 @cindex @sc{gnu} Hurd debugging
23935 This subsection describes @value{GDBN} commands specific to the
23936 @sc{gnu} Hurd native debugging.
23941 @kindex set signals@r{, Hurd command}
23942 @kindex set sigs@r{, Hurd command}
23943 This command toggles the state of inferior signal interception by
23944 @value{GDBN}. Mach exceptions, such as breakpoint traps, are not
23945 affected by this command. @code{sigs} is a shorthand alias for
23950 @kindex show signals@r{, Hurd command}
23951 @kindex show sigs@r{, Hurd command}
23952 Show the current state of intercepting inferior's signals.
23954 @item set signal-thread
23955 @itemx set sigthread
23956 @kindex set signal-thread
23957 @kindex set sigthread
23958 This command tells @value{GDBN} which thread is the @code{libc} signal
23959 thread. That thread is run when a signal is delivered to a running
23960 process. @code{set sigthread} is the shorthand alias of @code{set
23963 @item show signal-thread
23964 @itemx show sigthread
23965 @kindex show signal-thread
23966 @kindex show sigthread
23967 These two commands show which thread will run when the inferior is
23968 delivered a signal.
23971 @kindex set stopped@r{, Hurd command}
23972 This commands tells @value{GDBN} that the inferior process is stopped,
23973 as with the @code{SIGSTOP} signal. The stopped process can be
23974 continued by delivering a signal to it.
23977 @kindex show stopped@r{, Hurd command}
23978 This command shows whether @value{GDBN} thinks the debuggee is
23981 @item set exceptions
23982 @kindex set exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
23983 Use this command to turn off trapping of exceptions in the inferior.
23984 When exception trapping is off, neither breakpoints nor
23985 single-stepping will work. To restore the default, set exception
23988 @item show exceptions
23989 @kindex show exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
23990 Show the current state of trapping exceptions in the inferior.
23992 @item set task pause
23993 @kindex set task@r{, Hurd commands}
23994 @cindex task attributes (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
23995 @cindex pause current task (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
23996 This command toggles task suspension when @value{GDBN} has control.
23997 Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the task is suspended
23998 whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to off will take
23999 effect the next time the inferior is continued. If this option is set
24000 to off, you can use @code{set thread default pause on} or @code{set
24001 thread pause on} (see below) to pause individual threads.
24003 @item show task pause
24004 @kindex show task@r{, Hurd commands}
24005 Show the current state of task suspension.
24007 @item set task detach-suspend-count
24008 @cindex task suspend count
24009 @cindex detach from task, @sc{gnu} Hurd
24010 This command sets the suspend count the task will be left with when
24011 @value{GDBN} detaches from it.
24013 @item show task detach-suspend-count
24014 Show the suspend count the task will be left with when detaching.
24016 @item set task exception-port
24017 @itemx set task excp
24018 @cindex task exception port, @sc{gnu} Hurd
24019 This command sets the task exception port to which @value{GDBN} will
24020 forward exceptions. The argument should be the value of the @dfn{send
24021 rights} of the task. @code{set task excp} is a shorthand alias.
24023 @item set noninvasive
24024 @cindex noninvasive task options
24025 This command switches @value{GDBN} to a mode that is the least
24026 invasive as far as interfering with the inferior is concerned. This
24027 is the same as using @code{set task pause}, @code{set exceptions}, and
24028 @code{set signals} to values opposite to the defaults.
24030 @item info send-rights
24031 @itemx info receive-rights
24032 @itemx info port-rights
24033 @itemx info port-sets
24034 @itemx info dead-names
24037 @cindex send rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
24038 @cindex receive rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
24039 @cindex port rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
24040 @cindex port sets, @sc{gnu} Hurd
24041 @cindex dead names, @sc{gnu} Hurd
24042 These commands display information about, respectively, send rights,
24043 receive rights, port rights, port sets, and dead names of a task.
24044 There are also shorthand aliases: @code{info ports} for @code{info
24045 port-rights} and @code{info psets} for @code{info port-sets}.
24047 @item set thread pause
24048 @kindex set thread@r{, Hurd command}
24049 @cindex thread properties, @sc{gnu} Hurd
24050 @cindex pause current thread (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
24051 This command toggles current thread suspension when @value{GDBN} has
24052 control. Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the current
24053 thread is suspended whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to
24054 off will take effect the next time the inferior is continued.
24055 Normally, this command has no effect, since when @value{GDBN} has
24056 control, the whole task is suspended. However, if you used @code{set
24057 task pause off} (see above), this command comes in handy to suspend
24058 only the current thread.
24060 @item show thread pause
24061 @kindex show thread@r{, Hurd command}
24062 This command shows the state of current thread suspension.
24064 @item set thread run
24065 This command sets whether the current thread is allowed to run.
24067 @item show thread run
24068 Show whether the current thread is allowed to run.
24070 @item set thread detach-suspend-count
24071 @cindex thread suspend count, @sc{gnu} Hurd
24072 @cindex detach from thread, @sc{gnu} Hurd
24073 This command sets the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on a
24074 thread when detaching. This number is relative to the suspend count
24075 found by @value{GDBN} when it notices the thread; use @code{set thread
24076 takeover-suspend-count} to force it to an absolute value.
24078 @item show thread detach-suspend-count
24079 Show the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on the thread when
24082 @item set thread exception-port
24083 @itemx set thread excp
24084 Set the thread exception port to which to forward exceptions. This
24085 overrides the port set by @code{set task exception-port} (see above).
24086 @code{set thread excp} is the shorthand alias.
24088 @item set thread takeover-suspend-count
24089 Normally, @value{GDBN}'s thread suspend counts are relative to the
24090 value @value{GDBN} finds when it notices each thread. This command
24091 changes the suspend counts to be absolute instead.
24093 @item set thread default
24094 @itemx show thread default
24095 @cindex thread default settings, @sc{gnu} Hurd
24096 Each of the above @code{set thread} commands has a @code{set thread
24097 default} counterpart (e.g., @code{set thread default pause}, @code{set
24098 thread default exception-port}, etc.). The @code{thread default}
24099 variety of commands sets the default thread properties for all
24100 threads; you can then change the properties of individual threads with
24101 the non-default commands.
24108 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the Darwin target:
24111 @item set debug darwin @var{num}
24112 @kindex set debug darwin
24113 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages specific to
24114 the Darwin support. Higher values produce more verbose output.
24116 @item show debug darwin
24117 @kindex show debug darwin
24118 Show the current state of Darwin messages.
24120 @item set debug mach-o @var{num}
24121 @kindex set debug mach-o
24122 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages while
24123 @value{GDBN} is reading Darwin object files. (@dfn{Mach-O} is the
24124 file format used on Darwin for object and executable files.) Higher
24125 values produce more verbose output. This is a command to diagnose
24126 problems internal to @value{GDBN} and should not be needed in normal
24129 @item show debug mach-o
24130 @kindex show debug mach-o
24131 Show the current state of Mach-O file messages.
24133 @item set mach-exceptions on
24134 @itemx set mach-exceptions off
24135 @kindex set mach-exceptions
24136 On Darwin, faults are first reported as a Mach exception and are then
24137 mapped to a Posix signal. Use this command to turn on trapping of
24138 Mach exceptions in the inferior. This might be sometimes useful to
24139 better understand the cause of a fault. The default is off.
24141 @item show mach-exceptions
24142 @kindex show mach-exceptions
24143 Show the current state of exceptions trapping.
24147 @subsection FreeBSD
24150 When the ABI of a system call is changed in the FreeBSD kernel, this
24151 is implemented by leaving a compatibility system call using the old
24152 ABI at the existing number and allocating a new system call number for
24153 the version using the new ABI. As a convenience, when a system call
24154 is caught by name (@pxref{catch syscall}), compatibility system calls
24157 For example, FreeBSD 12 introduced a new variant of the @code{kevent}
24158 system call and catching the @code{kevent} system call by name catches
24162 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall kevent
24163 Catchpoint 1 (syscalls 'freebsd11_kevent' [363] 'kevent' [560])
24169 @section Embedded Operating Systems
24171 This section describes configurations involving the debugging of
24172 embedded operating systems that are available for several different
24175 @value{GDBN} includes the ability to debug programs running on
24176 various real-time operating systems.
24178 @node Embedded Processors
24179 @section Embedded Processors
24181 This section goes into details specific to particular embedded
24184 @cindex send command to simulator
24185 Whenever a specific embedded processor has a simulator, @value{GDBN}
24186 allows to send an arbitrary command to the simulator.
24189 @item sim @var{command}
24190 @kindex sim@r{, a command}
24191 Send an arbitrary @var{command} string to the simulator. Consult the
24192 documentation for the specific simulator in use for information about
24193 acceptable commands.
24198 * ARC:: Synopsys ARC
24200 * M68K:: Motorola M68K
24201 * MicroBlaze:: Xilinx MicroBlaze
24202 * MIPS Embedded:: MIPS Embedded
24203 * OpenRISC 1000:: OpenRISC 1000 (or1k)
24204 * PowerPC Embedded:: PowerPC Embedded
24207 * Super-H:: Renesas Super-H
24211 @subsection Synopsys ARC
24212 @cindex Synopsys ARC
24213 @cindex ARC specific commands
24219 @value{GDBN} provides the following ARC-specific commands:
24222 @item set debug arc
24223 @kindex set debug arc
24224 Control the level of ARC specific debug messages. Use 0 for no messages (the
24225 default), 1 for debug messages, and 2 for even more debug messages.
24227 @item show debug arc
24228 @kindex show debug arc
24229 Show the level of ARC specific debugging in operation.
24231 @item maint print arc arc-instruction @var{address}
24232 @kindex maint print arc arc-instruction
24233 Print internal disassembler information about instruction at a given address.
24240 @value{GDBN} provides the following ARM-specific commands:
24243 @item set arm disassembler
24245 This commands selects from a list of disassembly styles. The
24246 @code{"std"} style is the standard style.
24248 @item show arm disassembler
24250 Show the current disassembly style.
24252 @item set arm apcs32
24253 @cindex ARM 32-bit mode
24254 This command toggles ARM operation mode between 32-bit and 26-bit.
24256 @item show arm apcs32
24257 Display the current usage of the ARM 32-bit mode.
24259 @item set arm fpu @var{fputype}
24260 This command sets the ARM floating-point unit (FPU) type. The
24261 argument @var{fputype} can be one of these:
24265 Determine the FPU type by querying the OS ABI.
24267 Software FPU, with mixed-endian doubles on little-endian ARM
24270 GCC-compiled FPA co-processor.
24272 Software FPU with pure-endian doubles.
24278 Show the current type of the FPU.
24281 This command forces @value{GDBN} to use the specified ABI.
24284 Show the currently used ABI.
24286 @item set arm fallback-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
24287 @value{GDBN} uses the symbol table, when available, to determine
24288 whether instructions are ARM or Thumb. This command controls
24289 @value{GDBN}'s default behavior when the symbol table is not
24290 available. The default is @samp{auto}, which causes @value{GDBN} to
24291 use the current execution mode (from the @code{T} bit in the @code{CPSR}
24294 @item show arm fallback-mode
24295 Show the current fallback instruction mode.
24297 @item set arm force-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
24298 This command overrides use of the symbol table to determine whether
24299 instructions are ARM or Thumb. The default is @samp{auto}, which
24300 causes @value{GDBN} to use the symbol table and then the setting
24301 of @samp{set arm fallback-mode}.
24303 @item show arm force-mode
24304 Show the current forced instruction mode.
24306 @item set debug arm
24307 Toggle whether to display ARM-specific debugging messages from the ARM
24308 target support subsystem.
24310 @item show debug arm
24311 Show whether ARM-specific debugging messages are enabled.
24315 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
24316 The @value{GDBN} ARM simulator accepts the following optional arguments.
24319 @item --swi-support=@var{type}
24320 Tell the simulator which SWI interfaces to support. The argument
24321 @var{type} may be a comma separated list of the following values.
24322 The default value is @code{all}.
24337 The Motorola m68k configuration includes ColdFire support.
24340 @subsection MicroBlaze
24341 @cindex Xilinx MicroBlaze
24342 @cindex XMD, Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger
24344 The MicroBlaze is a soft-core processor supported on various Xilinx
24345 FPGAs, such as Spartan or Virtex series. Boards with these processors
24346 usually have JTAG ports which connect to a host system running the Xilinx
24347 Embedded Development Kit (EDK) or Software Development Kit (SDK).
24348 This host system is used to download the configuration bitstream to
24349 the target FPGA. The Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger (XMD) program
24350 communicates with the target board using the JTAG interface and
24351 presents a @code{gdbserver} interface to the board. By default
24352 @code{xmd} uses port @code{1234}. (While it is possible to change
24353 this default port, it requires the use of undocumented @code{xmd}
24354 commands. Contact Xilinx support if you need to do this.)
24356 Use these GDB commands to connect to the MicroBlaze target processor.
24359 @item target remote :1234
24360 Use this command to connect to the target if you are running @value{GDBN}
24361 on the same system as @code{xmd}.
24363 @item target remote @var{xmd-host}:1234
24364 Use this command to connect to the target if it is connected to @code{xmd}
24365 running on a different system named @var{xmd-host}.
24368 Use this command to download a program to the MicroBlaze target.
24370 @item set debug microblaze @var{n}
24371 Enable MicroBlaze-specific debugging messages if non-zero.
24373 @item show debug microblaze @var{n}
24374 Show MicroBlaze-specific debugging level.
24377 @node MIPS Embedded
24378 @subsection @acronym{MIPS} Embedded
24381 @value{GDBN} supports these special commands for @acronym{MIPS} targets:
24384 @item set mipsfpu double
24385 @itemx set mipsfpu single
24386 @itemx set mipsfpu none
24387 @itemx set mipsfpu auto
24388 @itemx show mipsfpu
24389 @kindex set mipsfpu
24390 @kindex show mipsfpu
24391 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} remote floating point
24392 @cindex floating point, @acronym{MIPS} remote
24393 If your target board does not support the @acronym{MIPS} floating point
24394 coprocessor, you should use the command @samp{set mipsfpu none} (if you
24395 need this, you may wish to put the command in your @value{GDBN} init
24396 file). This tells @value{GDBN} how to find the return value of
24397 functions which return floating point values. It also allows
24398 @value{GDBN} to avoid saving the floating point registers when calling
24399 functions on the board. If you are using a floating point coprocessor
24400 with only single precision floating point support, as on the @sc{r4650}
24401 processor, use the command @samp{set mipsfpu single}. The default
24402 double precision floating point coprocessor may be selected using
24403 @samp{set mipsfpu double}.
24405 In previous versions the only choices were double precision or no
24406 floating point, so @samp{set mipsfpu on} will select double precision
24407 and @samp{set mipsfpu off} will select no floating point.
24409 As usual, you can inquire about the @code{mipsfpu} variable with
24410 @samp{show mipsfpu}.
24413 @node OpenRISC 1000
24414 @subsection OpenRISC 1000
24415 @cindex OpenRISC 1000
24418 The OpenRISC 1000 provides a free RISC instruction set architecture. It is
24419 mainly provided as a soft-core which can run on Xilinx, Altera and other
24422 @value{GDBN} for OpenRISC supports the below commands when connecting to
24430 Runs the builtin CPU simulator which can run very basic
24431 programs but does not support most hardware functions like MMU.
24432 For more complex use cases the user is advised to run an external
24433 target, and connect using @samp{target remote}.
24435 Example: @code{target sim}
24437 @item set debug or1k
24438 Toggle whether to display OpenRISC-specific debugging messages from the
24439 OpenRISC target support subsystem.
24441 @item show debug or1k
24442 Show whether OpenRISC-specific debugging messages are enabled.
24445 @node PowerPC Embedded
24446 @subsection PowerPC Embedded
24448 @cindex DVC register
24449 @value{GDBN} supports using the DVC (Data Value Compare) register to
24450 implement in hardware simple hardware watchpoint conditions of the form:
24453 (@value{GDBP}) watch @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} \
24454 if @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} == @var{CONSTANT EXPRESSION}
24457 The DVC register will be automatically used when @value{GDBN} detects
24458 such pattern in a condition expression, and the created watchpoint uses one
24459 debug register (either the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on and the
24460 variable is scalar, or the variable has a length of one byte). This feature
24461 is available in native @value{GDBN} running on a Linux kernel version 2.6.34
24464 When running on PowerPC embedded processors, @value{GDBN} automatically uses
24465 ranged hardware watchpoints, unless the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on,
24466 in which case watchpoints using only one debug register are created when
24467 watching variables of scalar types.
24469 You can create an artificial array to watch an arbitrary memory
24470 region using one of the following commands (@pxref{Expressions}):
24473 (@value{GDBP}) watch *((char *) @var{address})@@@var{length}
24474 (@value{GDBP}) watch @{char[@var{length}]@} @var{address}
24477 PowerPC embedded processors support masked watchpoints. See the discussion
24478 about the @code{mask} argument in @ref{Set Watchpoints}.
24480 @cindex ranged breakpoint
24481 PowerPC embedded processors support hardware accelerated
24482 @dfn{ranged breakpoints}. A ranged breakpoint stops execution of
24483 the inferior whenever it executes an instruction at any address within
24484 the range it specifies. To set a ranged breakpoint in @value{GDBN},
24485 use the @code{break-range} command.
24487 @value{GDBN} provides the following PowerPC-specific commands:
24490 @kindex break-range
24491 @item break-range @var{start-location}, @var{end-location}
24492 Set a breakpoint for an address range given by
24493 @var{start-location} and @var{end-location}, which can specify a function name,
24494 a line number, an offset of lines from the current line or from the start
24495 location, or an address of an instruction (see @ref{Specify Location},
24496 for a list of all the possible ways to specify a @var{location}.)
24497 The breakpoint will stop execution of the inferior whenever it
24498 executes an instruction at any address within the specified range,
24499 (including @var{start-location} and @var{end-location}.)
24501 @kindex set powerpc
24502 @item set powerpc soft-float
24503 @itemx show powerpc soft-float
24504 Force @value{GDBN} to use (or not use) a software floating point calling
24505 convention. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention based
24506 on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
24508 @item set powerpc vector-abi
24509 @itemx show powerpc vector-abi
24510 Force @value{GDBN} to use the specified calling convention for vector
24511 arguments and return values. The valid options are @samp{auto};
24512 @samp{generic}, to avoid vector registers even if they are present;
24513 @samp{altivec}, to use AltiVec registers; and @samp{spe} to use SPE
24514 registers. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention
24515 based on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
24517 @item set powerpc exact-watchpoints
24518 @itemx show powerpc exact-watchpoints
24519 Allow @value{GDBN} to use only one debug register when watching a variable
24520 of scalar type, thus assuming that the variable is accessed through the
24521 address of its first byte.
24526 @subsection Atmel AVR
24529 When configured for debugging the Atmel AVR, @value{GDBN} supports the
24530 following AVR-specific commands:
24533 @item info io_registers
24534 @kindex info io_registers@r{, AVR}
24535 @cindex I/O registers (Atmel AVR)
24536 This command displays information about the AVR I/O registers. For
24537 each register, @value{GDBN} prints its number and value.
24544 When configured for debugging CRIS, @value{GDBN} provides the
24545 following CRIS-specific commands:
24548 @item set cris-version @var{ver}
24549 @cindex CRIS version
24550 Set the current CRIS version to @var{ver}, either @samp{10} or @samp{32}.
24551 The CRIS version affects register names and sizes. This command is useful in
24552 case autodetection of the CRIS version fails.
24554 @item show cris-version
24555 Show the current CRIS version.
24557 @item set cris-dwarf2-cfi
24558 @cindex DWARF-2 CFI and CRIS
24559 Set the usage of DWARF-2 CFI for CRIS debugging. The default is @samp{on}.
24560 Change to @samp{off} when using @code{gcc-cris} whose version is below
24563 @item show cris-dwarf2-cfi
24564 Show the current state of using DWARF-2 CFI.
24566 @item set cris-mode @var{mode}
24568 Set the current CRIS mode to @var{mode}. It should only be changed when
24569 debugging in guru mode, in which case it should be set to
24570 @samp{guru} (the default is @samp{normal}).
24572 @item show cris-mode
24573 Show the current CRIS mode.
24577 @subsection Renesas Super-H
24580 For the Renesas Super-H processor, @value{GDBN} provides these
24584 @item set sh calling-convention @var{convention}
24585 @kindex set sh calling-convention
24586 Set the calling-convention used when calling functions from @value{GDBN}.
24587 Allowed values are @samp{gcc}, which is the default setting, and @samp{renesas}.
24588 With the @samp{gcc} setting, functions are called using the @value{NGCC} calling
24589 convention. If the DWARF-2 information of the called function specifies
24590 that the function follows the Renesas calling convention, the function
24591 is called using the Renesas calling convention. If the calling convention
24592 is set to @samp{renesas}, the Renesas calling convention is always used,
24593 regardless of the DWARF-2 information. This can be used to override the
24594 default of @samp{gcc} if debug information is missing, or the compiler
24595 does not emit the DWARF-2 calling convention entry for a function.
24597 @item show sh calling-convention
24598 @kindex show sh calling-convention
24599 Show the current calling convention setting.
24604 @node Architectures
24605 @section Architectures
24607 This section describes characteristics of architectures that affect
24608 all uses of @value{GDBN} with the architecture, both native and cross.
24615 * HPPA:: HP PA architecture
24623 @subsection AArch64
24624 @cindex AArch64 support
24626 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the AArch64 architecture, it provides the
24627 following special commands:
24630 @item set debug aarch64
24631 @kindex set debug aarch64
24632 This command determines whether AArch64 architecture-specific debugging
24633 messages are to be displayed.
24635 @item show debug aarch64
24636 Show whether AArch64 debugging messages are displayed.
24640 @subsubsection AArch64 SVE.
24641 @cindex AArch64 SVE.
24643 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the AArch64 architecture, if the Scalable Vector
24644 Extension (SVE) is present, then @value{GDBN} will provide the vector registers
24645 @code{$z0} through @code{$z31}, vector predicate registers @code{$p0} through
24646 @code{$p15}, and the @code{$ffr} register. In addition, the pseudo register
24647 @code{$vg} will be provided. This is the vector granule for the current thread
24648 and represents the number of 64-bit chunks in an SVE @code{z} register.
24650 If the vector length changes, then the @code{$vg} register will be updated,
24651 but the lengths of the @code{z} and @code{p} registers will not change. This
24652 is a known limitation of @value{GDBN} and does not affect the execution of the
24655 @subsubsection AArch64 Pointer Authentication.
24656 @cindex AArch64 Pointer Authentication.
24658 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the AArch64 architecture, and the program is
24659 using the v8.3-A feature Pointer Authentication (PAC), then whenever the link
24660 register @code{$lr} is pointing to an PAC function its value will be masked.
24661 When GDB prints a backtrace, any addresses that required unmasking will be
24662 postfixed with the marker [PAC]. When using the MI, this is printed as part
24663 of the @code{addr_flags} field.
24666 @subsection x86 Architecture-specific Issues
24669 @item set struct-convention @var{mode}
24670 @kindex set struct-convention
24671 @cindex struct return convention
24672 @cindex struct/union returned in registers
24673 Set the convention used by the inferior to return @code{struct}s and
24674 @code{union}s from functions to @var{mode}. Possible values of
24675 @var{mode} are @code{"pcc"}, @code{"reg"}, and @code{"default"} (the
24676 default). @code{"default"} or @code{"pcc"} means that @code{struct}s
24677 are returned on the stack, while @code{"reg"} means that a
24678 @code{struct} or a @code{union} whose size is 1, 2, 4, or 8 bytes will
24679 be returned in a register.
24681 @item show struct-convention
24682 @kindex show struct-convention
24683 Show the current setting of the convention to return @code{struct}s
24688 @subsubsection Intel @dfn{Memory Protection Extensions} (MPX).
24689 @cindex Intel Memory Protection Extensions (MPX).
24691 Memory Protection Extension (MPX) adds the bound registers @samp{BND0}
24692 @footnote{The register named with capital letters represent the architecture
24693 registers.} through @samp{BND3}. Bound registers store a pair of 64-bit values
24694 which are the lower bound and upper bound. Bounds are effective addresses or
24695 memory locations. The upper bounds are architecturally represented in 1's
24696 complement form. A bound having lower bound = 0, and upper bound = 0
24697 (1's complement of all bits set) will allow access to the entire address space.
24699 @samp{BND0} through @samp{BND3} are represented in @value{GDBN} as @samp{bnd0raw}
24700 through @samp{bnd3raw}. Pseudo registers @samp{bnd0} through @samp{bnd3}
24701 display the upper bound performing the complement of one operation on the
24702 upper bound value, i.e.@ when upper bound in @samp{bnd0raw} is 0 in the
24703 @value{GDBN} @samp{bnd0} it will be @code{0xfff@dots{}}. In this sense it
24704 can also be noted that the upper bounds are inclusive.
24706 As an example, assume that the register BND0 holds bounds for a pointer having
24707 access allowed for the range between 0x32 and 0x71. The values present on
24708 bnd0raw and bnd registers are presented as follows:
24711 bnd0raw = @{0x32, 0xffffffff8e@}
24712 bnd0 = @{lbound = 0x32, ubound = 0x71@} : size 64
24715 This way the raw value can be accessed via bnd0raw@dots{}bnd3raw. Any
24716 change on bnd0@dots{}bnd3 or bnd0raw@dots{}bnd3raw is reflect on its
24717 counterpart. When the bnd0@dots{}bnd3 registers are displayed via
24718 Python, the display includes the memory size, in bits, accessible to
24721 Bounds can also be stored in bounds tables, which are stored in
24722 application memory. These tables store bounds for pointers by specifying
24723 the bounds pointer's value along with its bounds. Evaluating and changing
24724 bounds located in bound tables is therefore interesting while investigating
24725 bugs on MPX context. @value{GDBN} provides commands for this purpose:
24728 @item show mpx bound @var{pointer}
24729 @kindex show mpx bound
24730 Display bounds of the given @var{pointer}.
24732 @item set mpx bound @var{pointer}, @var{lbound}, @var{ubound}
24733 @kindex set mpx bound
24734 Set the bounds of a pointer in the bound table.
24735 This command takes three parameters: @var{pointer} is the pointers
24736 whose bounds are to be changed, @var{lbound} and @var{ubound} are new values
24737 for lower and upper bounds respectively.
24740 When you call an inferior function on an Intel MPX enabled program,
24741 GDB sets the inferior's bound registers to the init (disabled) state
24742 before calling the function. As a consequence, bounds checks for the
24743 pointer arguments passed to the function will always pass.
24745 This is necessary because when you call an inferior function, the
24746 program is usually in the middle of the execution of other function.
24747 Since at that point bound registers are in an arbitrary state, not
24748 clearing them would lead to random bound violations in the called
24751 You can still examine the influence of the bound registers on the
24752 execution of the called function by stopping the execution of the
24753 called function at its prologue, setting bound registers, and
24754 continuing the execution. For example:
24758 Breakpoint 2 at 0x4009de: file i386-mpx-call.c, line 47.
24759 $ print upper (a, b, c, d, 1)
24760 Breakpoint 2, upper (a=0x0, b=0x6e0000005b, c=0x0, d=0x0, len=48)....
24762 @{lbound = 0x0, ubound = ffffffff@} : size -1
24765 At this last step the value of bnd0 can be changed for investigation of bound
24766 violations caused along the execution of the call. In order to know how to
24767 set the bound registers or bound table for the call consult the ABI.
24772 See the following section.
24775 @subsection @acronym{MIPS}
24777 @cindex stack on Alpha
24778 @cindex stack on @acronym{MIPS}
24779 @cindex Alpha stack
24780 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} stack
24781 Alpha- and @acronym{MIPS}-based computers use an unusual stack frame, which
24782 sometimes requires @value{GDBN} to search backward in the object code to
24783 find the beginning of a function.
24785 @cindex response time, @acronym{MIPS} debugging
24786 To improve response time (especially for embedded applications, where
24787 @value{GDBN} may be restricted to a slow serial line for this search)
24788 you may want to limit the size of this search, using one of these
24792 @cindex @code{heuristic-fence-post} (Alpha, @acronym{MIPS})
24793 @item set heuristic-fence-post @var{limit}
24794 Restrict @value{GDBN} to examining at most @var{limit} bytes in its
24795 search for the beginning of a function. A value of @var{0} (the
24796 default) means there is no limit. However, except for @var{0}, the
24797 larger the limit the more bytes @code{heuristic-fence-post} must search
24798 and therefore the longer it takes to run. You should only need to use
24799 this command when debugging a stripped executable.
24801 @item show heuristic-fence-post
24802 Display the current limit.
24806 These commands are available @emph{only} when @value{GDBN} is configured
24807 for debugging programs on Alpha or @acronym{MIPS} processors.
24809 Several @acronym{MIPS}-specific commands are available when debugging @acronym{MIPS}
24813 @item set mips abi @var{arg}
24814 @kindex set mips abi
24815 @cindex set ABI for @acronym{MIPS}
24816 Tell @value{GDBN} which @acronym{MIPS} ABI is used by the inferior. Possible
24817 values of @var{arg} are:
24821 The default ABI associated with the current binary (this is the
24831 @item show mips abi
24832 @kindex show mips abi
24833 Show the @acronym{MIPS} ABI used by @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
24835 @item set mips compression @var{arg}
24836 @kindex set mips compression
24837 @cindex code compression, @acronym{MIPS}
24838 Tell @value{GDBN} which @acronym{MIPS} compressed
24839 @acronym{ISA, Instruction Set Architecture} encoding is used by the
24840 inferior. @value{GDBN} uses this for code disassembly and other
24841 internal interpretation purposes. This setting is only referred to
24842 when no executable has been associated with the debugging session or
24843 the executable does not provide information about the encoding it uses.
24844 Otherwise this setting is automatically updated from information
24845 provided by the executable.
24847 Possible values of @var{arg} are @samp{mips16} and @samp{micromips}.
24848 The default compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding is @samp{mips16}, as
24849 executables containing @acronym{MIPS16} code frequently are not
24850 identified as such.
24852 This setting is ``sticky''; that is, it retains its value across
24853 debugging sessions until reset either explicitly with this command or
24854 implicitly from an executable.
24856 The compiler and/or assembler typically add symbol table annotations to
24857 identify functions compiled for the @acronym{MIPS16} or
24858 @acronym{microMIPS} @acronym{ISA}s. If these function-scope annotations
24859 are present, @value{GDBN} uses them in preference to the global
24860 compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding setting.
24862 @item show mips compression
24863 @kindex show mips compression
24864 Show the @acronym{MIPS} compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding used by
24865 @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
24868 @itemx show mipsfpu
24869 @xref{MIPS Embedded, set mipsfpu}.
24871 @item set mips mask-address @var{arg}
24872 @kindex set mips mask-address
24873 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} addresses, masking
24874 This command determines whether the most-significant 32 bits of 64-bit
24875 @acronym{MIPS} addresses are masked off. The argument @var{arg} can be
24876 @samp{on}, @samp{off}, or @samp{auto}. The latter is the default
24877 setting, which lets @value{GDBN} determine the correct value.
24879 @item show mips mask-address
24880 @kindex show mips mask-address
24881 Show whether the upper 32 bits of @acronym{MIPS} addresses are masked off or
24884 @item set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
24885 @kindex set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
24886 This command controls compatibility with 64-bit @acronym{MIPS} targets that
24887 transfer data in 32-bit quantities. If you have an old @acronym{MIPS} 64 target
24888 that transfers 32 bits for some registers, like @sc{sr} and @sc{fsr},
24889 and 64 bits for other registers, set this option to @samp{on}.
24891 @item show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
24892 @kindex show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
24893 Show the current setting of compatibility with older @acronym{MIPS} 64 targets.
24895 @item set debug mips
24896 @kindex set debug mips
24897 This command turns on and off debugging messages for the @acronym{MIPS}-specific
24898 target code in @value{GDBN}.
24900 @item show debug mips
24901 @kindex show debug mips
24902 Show the current setting of @acronym{MIPS} debugging messages.
24908 @cindex HPPA support
24910 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the HP PA architecture, it provides the
24911 following special commands:
24914 @item set debug hppa
24915 @kindex set debug hppa
24916 This command determines whether HPPA architecture-specific debugging
24917 messages are to be displayed.
24919 @item show debug hppa
24920 Show whether HPPA debugging messages are displayed.
24922 @item maint print unwind @var{address}
24923 @kindex maint print unwind@r{, HPPA}
24924 This command displays the contents of the unwind table entry at the
24925 given @var{address}.
24931 @subsection PowerPC
24932 @cindex PowerPC architecture
24934 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the PowerPC architecture, it provides a set of
24935 pseudo-registers to enable inspection of 128-bit wide Decimal Floating Point
24936 numbers stored in the floating point registers. These values must be stored
24937 in two consecutive registers, always starting at an even register like
24938 @code{f0} or @code{f2}.
24940 The pseudo-registers go from @code{$dl0} through @code{$dl15}, and are formed
24941 by joining the even/odd register pairs @code{f0} and @code{f1} for @code{$dl0},
24942 @code{f2} and @code{f3} for @code{$dl1} and so on.
24944 For POWER7 processors, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers, the 64-bit
24945 wide Extended Floating Point Registers (@samp{f32} through @samp{f63}).
24948 @subsection Nios II
24949 @cindex Nios II architecture
24951 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the Nios II architecture,
24952 it provides the following special commands:
24956 @item set debug nios2
24957 @kindex set debug nios2
24958 This command turns on and off debugging messages for the Nios II
24959 target code in @value{GDBN}.
24961 @item show debug nios2
24962 @kindex show debug nios2
24963 Show the current setting of Nios II debugging messages.
24967 @subsection Sparc64
24968 @cindex Sparc64 support
24969 @cindex Application Data Integrity
24970 @subsubsection ADI Support
24972 The M7 processor supports an Application Data Integrity (ADI) feature that
24973 detects invalid data accesses. When software allocates memory and enables
24974 ADI on the allocated memory, it chooses a 4-bit version number, sets the
24975 version in the upper 4 bits of the 64-bit pointer to that data, and stores
24976 the 4-bit version in every cacheline of that data. Hardware saves the latter
24977 in spare bits in the cache and memory hierarchy. On each load and store,
24978 the processor compares the upper 4 VA (virtual address) bits to the
24979 cacheline's version. If there is a mismatch, the processor generates a
24980 version mismatch trap which can be either precise or disrupting. The trap
24981 is an error condition which the kernel delivers to the process as a SIGSEGV
24984 Note that only 64-bit applications can use ADI and need to be built with
24987 Values of the ADI version tags, which are in granularity of a
24988 cacheline (64 bytes), can be viewed or modified.
24992 @kindex adi examine
24993 @item adi (examine | x) [ / @var{n} ] @var{addr}
24995 The @code{adi examine} command displays the value of one ADI version tag per
24998 @var{n} is a decimal integer specifying the number in bytes; the default
24999 is 1. It specifies how much ADI version information, at the ratio of 1:ADI
25000 block size, to display.
25002 @var{addr} is the address in user address space where you want @value{GDBN}
25003 to begin displaying the ADI version tags.
25005 Below is an example of displaying ADI versions of variable "shmaddr".
25008 (@value{GDBP}) adi x/100 shmaddr
25009 0xfff800010002c000: 0 0
25013 @item adi (assign | a) [ / @var{n} ] @var{addr} = @var{tag}
25015 The @code{adi assign} command is used to assign new ADI version tag
25018 @var{n} is a decimal integer specifying the number in bytes;
25019 the default is 1. It specifies how much ADI version information, at the
25020 ratio of 1:ADI block size, to modify.
25022 @var{addr} is the address in user address space where you want @value{GDBN}
25023 to begin modifying the ADI version tags.
25025 @var{tag} is the new ADI version tag.
25027 For example, do the following to modify then verify ADI versions of
25028 variable "shmaddr":
25031 (@value{GDBP}) adi a/100 shmaddr = 7
25032 (@value{GDBP}) adi x/100 shmaddr
25033 0xfff800010002c000: 7 7
25040 @cindex S12Z support
25042 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the S12Z architecture,
25043 it provides the following special command:
25046 @item maint info bdccsr
25047 @kindex maint info bdccsr@r{, S12Z}
25048 This command displays the current value of the microprocessor's
25053 @node Controlling GDB
25054 @chapter Controlling @value{GDBN}
25056 You can alter the way @value{GDBN} interacts with you by using the
25057 @code{set} command. For commands controlling how @value{GDBN} displays
25058 data, see @ref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}. Other settings are
25063 * Editing:: Command editing
25064 * Command History:: Command history
25065 * Screen Size:: Screen size
25066 * Output Styling:: Output styling
25067 * Numbers:: Numbers
25068 * ABI:: Configuring the current ABI
25069 * Auto-loading:: Automatically loading associated files
25070 * Messages/Warnings:: Optional warnings and messages
25071 * Debugging Output:: Optional messages about internal happenings
25072 * Other Misc Settings:: Other Miscellaneous Settings
25080 @value{GDBN} indicates its readiness to read a command by printing a string
25081 called the @dfn{prompt}. This string is normally @samp{(@value{GDBP})}. You
25082 can change the prompt string with the @code{set prompt} command. For
25083 instance, when debugging @value{GDBN} with @value{GDBN}, it is useful to change
25084 the prompt in one of the @value{GDBN} sessions so that you can always tell
25085 which one you are talking to.
25087 @emph{Note:} @code{set prompt} does not add a space for you after the
25088 prompt you set. This allows you to set a prompt which ends in a space
25089 or a prompt that does not.
25093 @item set prompt @var{newprompt}
25094 Directs @value{GDBN} to use @var{newprompt} as its prompt string henceforth.
25096 @kindex show prompt
25098 Prints a line of the form: @samp{Gdb's prompt is: @var{your-prompt}}
25101 Versions of @value{GDBN} that ship with Python scripting enabled have
25102 prompt extensions. The commands for interacting with these extensions
25106 @kindex set extended-prompt
25107 @item set extended-prompt @var{prompt}
25108 Set an extended prompt that allows for substitutions.
25109 @xref{gdb.prompt}, for a list of escape sequences that can be used for
25110 substitution. Any escape sequences specified as part of the prompt
25111 string are replaced with the corresponding strings each time the prompt
25117 set extended-prompt Current working directory: \w (gdb)
25120 Note that when an extended-prompt is set, it takes control of the
25121 @var{prompt_hook} hook. @xref{prompt_hook}, for further information.
25123 @kindex show extended-prompt
25124 @item show extended-prompt
25125 Prints the extended prompt. Any escape sequences specified as part of
25126 the prompt string with @code{set extended-prompt}, are replaced with the
25127 corresponding strings each time the prompt is displayed.
25131 @section Command Editing
25133 @cindex command line editing
25135 @value{GDBN} reads its input commands via the @dfn{Readline} interface. This
25136 @sc{gnu} library provides consistent behavior for programs which provide a
25137 command line interface to the user. Advantages are @sc{gnu} Emacs-style
25138 or @dfn{vi}-style inline editing of commands, @code{csh}-like history
25139 substitution, and a storage and recall of command history across
25140 debugging sessions.
25142 You may control the behavior of command line editing in @value{GDBN} with the
25143 command @code{set}.
25146 @kindex set editing
25149 @itemx set editing on
25150 Enable command line editing (enabled by default).
25152 @item set editing off
25153 Disable command line editing.
25155 @kindex show editing
25157 Show whether command line editing is enabled.
25160 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
25161 @xref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library},
25163 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
25164 @xref{Command Line Editing},
25166 for more details about the Readline
25167 interface. Users unfamiliar with @sc{gnu} Emacs or @code{vi} are
25168 encouraged to read that chapter.
25170 @cindex Readline application name
25171 @value{GDBN} sets the Readline application name to @samp{gdb}. This
25172 is useful for conditions in @file{.inputrc}.
25174 @cindex operate-and-get-next
25175 @value{GDBN} defines a bindable Readline command,
25176 @code{operate-and-get-next}. This is bound to @kbd{C-o} by default.
25177 This command accepts the current line for execution and fetches the
25178 next line relative to the current line from the history for editing.
25179 Any argument is ignored.
25181 @node Command History
25182 @section Command History
25183 @cindex command history
25185 @value{GDBN} can keep track of the commands you type during your
25186 debugging sessions, so that you can be certain of precisely what
25187 happened. Use these commands to manage the @value{GDBN} command
25190 @value{GDBN} uses the @sc{gnu} History library, a part of the Readline
25191 package, to provide the history facility.
25192 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
25193 @xref{Using History Interactively, , , history, GNU History Library},
25195 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
25196 @xref{Using History Interactively},
25198 for the detailed description of the History library.
25200 To issue a command to @value{GDBN} without affecting certain aspects of
25201 the state which is seen by users, prefix it with @samp{server }
25202 (@pxref{Server Prefix}). This
25203 means that this command will not affect the command history, nor will it
25204 affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which command to repeat if @key{RET} is
25205 pressed on a line by itself.
25207 @cindex @code{server}, command prefix
25208 The server prefix does not affect the recording of values into the value
25209 history; to print a value without recording it into the value history,
25210 use the @code{output} command instead of the @code{print} command.
25212 Here is the description of @value{GDBN} commands related to command
25216 @cindex history substitution
25217 @cindex history file
25218 @kindex set history filename
25219 @cindex @env{GDBHISTFILE}, environment variable
25220 @item set history filename @var{fname}
25221 Set the name of the @value{GDBN} command history file to @var{fname}.
25222 This is the file where @value{GDBN} reads an initial command history
25223 list, and where it writes the command history from this session when it
25224 exits. You can access this list through history expansion or through
25225 the history command editing characters listed below. This file defaults
25226 to the value of the environment variable @code{GDBHISTFILE}, or to
25227 @file{./.gdb_history} (@file{./_gdb_history} on MS-DOS) if this variable
25230 @cindex save command history
25231 @kindex set history save
25232 @item set history save
25233 @itemx set history save on
25234 Record command history in a file, whose name may be specified with the
25235 @code{set history filename} command. By default, this option is disabled.
25237 @item set history save off
25238 Stop recording command history in a file.
25240 @cindex history size
25241 @kindex set history size
25242 @cindex @env{GDBHISTSIZE}, environment variable
25243 @item set history size @var{size}
25244 @itemx set history size unlimited
25245 Set the number of commands which @value{GDBN} keeps in its history list.
25246 This defaults to the value of the environment variable @env{GDBHISTSIZE}, or
25247 to 256 if this variable is not set. Non-numeric values of @env{GDBHISTSIZE}
25248 are ignored. If @var{size} is @code{unlimited} or if @env{GDBHISTSIZE} is
25249 either a negative number or the empty string, then the number of commands
25250 @value{GDBN} keeps in the history list is unlimited.
25252 @cindex remove duplicate history
25253 @kindex set history remove-duplicates
25254 @item set history remove-duplicates @var{count}
25255 @itemx set history remove-duplicates unlimited
25256 Control the removal of duplicate history entries in the command history list.
25257 If @var{count} is non-zero, @value{GDBN} will look back at the last @var{count}
25258 history entries and remove the first entry that is a duplicate of the current
25259 entry being added to the command history list. If @var{count} is
25260 @code{unlimited} then this lookbehind is unbounded. If @var{count} is 0, then
25261 removal of duplicate history entries is disabled.
25263 Only history entries added during the current session are considered for
25264 removal. This option is set to 0 by default.
25268 History expansion assigns special meaning to the character @kbd{!}.
25269 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
25270 @xref{Event Designators, , , history, GNU History Library},
25272 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
25273 @xref{Event Designators},
25277 @cindex history expansion, turn on/off
25278 Since @kbd{!} is also the logical not operator in C, history expansion
25279 is off by default. If you decide to enable history expansion with the
25280 @code{set history expansion on} command, you may sometimes need to
25281 follow @kbd{!} (when it is used as logical not, in an expression) with
25282 a space or a tab to prevent it from being expanded. The readline
25283 history facilities do not attempt substitution on the strings
25284 @kbd{!=} and @kbd{!(}, even when history expansion is enabled.
25286 The commands to control history expansion are:
25289 @item set history expansion on
25290 @itemx set history expansion
25291 @kindex set history expansion
25292 Enable history expansion. History expansion is off by default.
25294 @item set history expansion off
25295 Disable history expansion.
25298 @kindex show history
25300 @itemx show history filename
25301 @itemx show history save
25302 @itemx show history size
25303 @itemx show history expansion
25304 These commands display the state of the @value{GDBN} history parameters.
25305 @code{show history} by itself displays all four states.
25310 @kindex show commands
25311 @cindex show last commands
25312 @cindex display command history
25313 @item show commands
25314 Display the last ten commands in the command history.
25316 @item show commands @var{n}
25317 Print ten commands centered on command number @var{n}.
25319 @item show commands +
25320 Print ten commands just after the commands last printed.
25324 @section Screen Size
25325 @cindex size of screen
25326 @cindex screen size
25329 @cindex pauses in output
25331 Certain commands to @value{GDBN} may produce large amounts of
25332 information output to the screen. To help you read all of it,
25333 @value{GDBN} pauses and asks you for input at the end of each page of
25334 output. Type @key{RET} when you want to see one more page of output,
25335 @kbd{q} to discard the remaining output, or @kbd{c} to continue
25336 without paging for the rest of the current command. Also, the screen
25337 width setting determines when to wrap lines of output. Depending on
25338 what is being printed, @value{GDBN} tries to break the line at a
25339 readable place, rather than simply letting it overflow onto the
25342 Normally @value{GDBN} knows the size of the screen from the terminal
25343 driver software. For example, on Unix @value{GDBN} uses the termcap data base
25344 together with the value of the @code{TERM} environment variable and the
25345 @code{stty rows} and @code{stty cols} settings. If this is not correct,
25346 you can override it with the @code{set height} and @code{set
25353 @kindex show height
25354 @item set height @var{lpp}
25355 @itemx set height unlimited
25357 @itemx set width @var{cpl}
25358 @itemx set width unlimited
25360 These @code{set} commands specify a screen height of @var{lpp} lines and
25361 a screen width of @var{cpl} characters. The associated @code{show}
25362 commands display the current settings.
25364 If you specify a height of either @code{unlimited} or zero lines,
25365 @value{GDBN} does not pause during output no matter how long the
25366 output is. This is useful if output is to a file or to an editor
25369 Likewise, you can specify @samp{set width unlimited} or @samp{set
25370 width 0} to prevent @value{GDBN} from wrapping its output.
25372 @item set pagination on
25373 @itemx set pagination off
25374 @kindex set pagination
25375 Turn the output pagination on or off; the default is on. Turning
25376 pagination off is the alternative to @code{set height unlimited}. Note that
25377 running @value{GDBN} with the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode
25378 Options, -batch}) also automatically disables pagination.
25380 @item show pagination
25381 @kindex show pagination
25382 Show the current pagination mode.
25385 @node Output Styling
25386 @section Output Styling
25392 @value{GDBN} can style its output on a capable terminal. This is
25393 enabled by default on most systems, but disabled by default when in
25394 batch mode (@pxref{Mode Options}). Various style settings are available;
25395 and styles can also be disabled entirely.
25398 @item set style enabled @samp{on|off}
25399 Enable or disable all styling. The default is host-dependent, with
25400 most hosts defaulting to @samp{on}.
25402 @item show style enabled
25403 Show the current state of styling.
25405 @item set style sources @samp{on|off}
25406 Enable or disable source code styling. This affects whether source
25407 code, such as the output of the @code{list} command, is styled. Note
25408 that source styling only works if styling in general is enabled, and
25409 if @value{GDBN} was linked with the GNU Source Highlight library. The
25410 default is @samp{on}.
25412 @item show style sources
25413 Show the current state of source code styling.
25416 Subcommands of @code{set style} control specific forms of styling.
25417 These subcommands all follow the same pattern: each style-able object
25418 can be styled with a foreground color, a background color, and an
25421 For example, the style of file names can be controlled using the
25422 @code{set style filename} group of commands:
25425 @item set style filename background @var{color}
25426 Set the background to @var{color}. Valid colors are @samp{none}
25427 (meaning the terminal's default color), @samp{black}, @samp{red},
25428 @samp{green}, @samp{yellow}, @samp{blue}, @samp{magenta}, @samp{cyan},
25431 @item set style filename foreground @var{color}
25432 Set the foreground to @var{color}. Valid colors are @samp{none}
25433 (meaning the terminal's default color), @samp{black}, @samp{red},
25434 @samp{green}, @samp{yellow}, @samp{blue}, @samp{magenta}, @samp{cyan},
25437 @item set style filename intensity @var{value}
25438 Set the intensity to @var{value}. Valid intensities are @samp{normal}
25439 (the default), @samp{bold}, and @samp{dim}.
25442 The @code{show style} command and its subcommands are styling
25443 a style name in their output using its own style.
25444 So, use @command{show style} to see the complete list of styles,
25445 their characteristics and the visual aspect of each style.
25447 The style-able objects are:
25450 Control the styling of file names. By default, this style's
25451 foreground color is green.
25454 Control the styling of function names. These are managed with the
25455 @code{set style function} family of commands. By default, this
25456 style's foreground color is yellow.
25459 Control the styling of variable names. These are managed with the
25460 @code{set style variable} family of commands. By default, this style's
25461 foreground color is cyan.
25464 Control the styling of addresses. These are managed with the
25465 @code{set style address} family of commands. By default, this style's
25466 foreground color is blue.
25469 Control the styling of titles. These are managed with the
25470 @code{set style title} family of commands. By default, this style's
25471 intensity is bold. Commands are using the title style to improve
25472 the readability of large output. For example, the commands
25473 @command{apropos} and @command{help} are using the title style
25474 for the command names.
25477 Control the styling of highlightings. These are managed with the
25478 @code{set style highlight} family of commands. By default, this style's
25479 foreground color is red. Commands are using the highlight style to draw
25480 the user attention to some specific parts of their output. For example,
25481 the command @command{apropos -v REGEXP} uses the highlight style to
25482 mark the documentation parts matching @var{regexp}.
25485 Control the styling of the TUI border. Note that, unlike other
25486 styling options, only the color of the border can be controlled via
25487 @code{set style}. This was done for compatibility reasons, as TUI
25488 controls to set the border's intensity predated the addition of
25489 general styling to @value{GDBN}. @xref{TUI Configuration}.
25491 @item tui-active-border
25492 Control the styling of the active TUI border; that is, the TUI window
25493 that has the focus.
25499 @cindex number representation
25500 @cindex entering numbers
25502 You can always enter numbers in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal in
25503 @value{GDBN} by the usual conventions: octal numbers begin with
25504 @samp{0}, decimal numbers end with @samp{.}, and hexadecimal numbers
25505 begin with @samp{0x}. Numbers that neither begin with @samp{0} or
25506 @samp{0x}, nor end with a @samp{.} are, by default, entered in base
25507 10; likewise, the default display for numbers---when no particular
25508 format is specified---is base 10. You can change the default base for
25509 both input and output with the commands described below.
25512 @kindex set input-radix
25513 @item set input-radix @var{base}
25514 Set the default base for numeric input. Supported choices
25515 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. The base must itself be
25516 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix; for
25520 set input-radix 012
25521 set input-radix 10.
25522 set input-radix 0xa
25526 sets the input base to decimal. On the other hand, @samp{set input-radix 10}
25527 leaves the input radix unchanged, no matter what it was, since
25528 @samp{10}, being without any leading or trailing signs of its base, is
25529 interpreted in the current radix. Thus, if the current radix is 16,
25530 @samp{10} is interpreted in hex, i.e.@: as 16 decimal, which doesn't
25533 @kindex set output-radix
25534 @item set output-radix @var{base}
25535 Set the default base for numeric display. Supported choices
25536 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. The base must itself be
25537 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix.
25539 @kindex show input-radix
25540 @item show input-radix
25541 Display the current default base for numeric input.
25543 @kindex show output-radix
25544 @item show output-radix
25545 Display the current default base for numeric display.
25547 @item set radix @r{[}@var{base}@r{]}
25551 These commands set and show the default base for both input and output
25552 of numbers. @code{set radix} sets the radix of input and output to
25553 the same base; without an argument, it resets the radix back to its
25554 default value of 10.
25559 @section Configuring the Current ABI
25561 @value{GDBN} can determine the @dfn{ABI} (Application Binary Interface) of your
25562 application automatically. However, sometimes you need to override its
25563 conclusions. Use these commands to manage @value{GDBN}'s view of the
25569 @cindex Newlib OS ABI and its influence on the longjmp handling
25571 One @value{GDBN} configuration can debug binaries for multiple operating
25572 system targets, either via remote debugging or native emulation.
25573 @value{GDBN} will autodetect the @dfn{OS ABI} (Operating System ABI) in use,
25574 but you can override its conclusion using the @code{set osabi} command.
25575 One example where this is useful is in debugging of binaries which use
25576 an alternate C library (e.g.@: @sc{uClibc} for @sc{gnu}/Linux) which does
25577 not have the same identifying marks that the standard C library for your
25580 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the AArch64 architecture, it provides a
25581 ``Newlib'' OS ABI. This is useful for handling @code{setjmp} and
25582 @code{longjmp} when debugging binaries that use the @sc{newlib} C library.
25583 The ``Newlib'' OS ABI can be selected by @code{set osabi Newlib}.
25587 Show the OS ABI currently in use.
25590 With no argument, show the list of registered available OS ABI's.
25592 @item set osabi @var{abi}
25593 Set the current OS ABI to @var{abi}.
25596 @cindex float promotion
25598 Generally, the way that an argument of type @code{float} is passed to a
25599 function depends on whether the function is prototyped. For a prototyped
25600 (i.e.@: ANSI/ISO style) function, @code{float} arguments are passed unchanged,
25601 according to the architecture's convention for @code{float}. For unprototyped
25602 (i.e.@: K&R style) functions, @code{float} arguments are first promoted to type
25603 @code{double} and then passed.
25605 Unfortunately, some forms of debug information do not reliably indicate whether
25606 a function is prototyped. If @value{GDBN} calls a function that is not marked
25607 as prototyped, it consults @kbd{set coerce-float-to-double}.
25610 @kindex set coerce-float-to-double
25611 @item set coerce-float-to-double
25612 @itemx set coerce-float-to-double on
25613 Arguments of type @code{float} will be promoted to @code{double} when passed
25614 to an unprototyped function. This is the default setting.
25616 @item set coerce-float-to-double off
25617 Arguments of type @code{float} will be passed directly to unprototyped
25620 @kindex show coerce-float-to-double
25621 @item show coerce-float-to-double
25622 Show the current setting of promoting @code{float} to @code{double}.
25626 @kindex show cp-abi
25627 @value{GDBN} needs to know the ABI used for your program's C@t{++}
25628 objects. The correct C@t{++} ABI depends on which C@t{++} compiler was
25629 used to build your application. @value{GDBN} only fully supports
25630 programs with a single C@t{++} ABI; if your program contains code using
25631 multiple C@t{++} ABI's or if @value{GDBN} can not identify your
25632 program's ABI correctly, you can tell @value{GDBN} which ABI to use.
25633 Currently supported ABI's include ``gnu-v2'', for @code{g++} versions
25634 before 3.0, ``gnu-v3'', for @code{g++} versions 3.0 and later, and
25635 ``hpaCC'' for the HP ANSI C@t{++} compiler. Other C@t{++} compilers may
25636 use the ``gnu-v2'' or ``gnu-v3'' ABI's as well. The default setting is
25641 Show the C@t{++} ABI currently in use.
25644 With no argument, show the list of supported C@t{++} ABI's.
25646 @item set cp-abi @var{abi}
25647 @itemx set cp-abi auto
25648 Set the current C@t{++} ABI to @var{abi}, or return to automatic detection.
25652 @section Automatically loading associated files
25653 @cindex auto-loading
25655 @value{GDBN} sometimes reads files with commands and settings automatically,
25656 without being explicitly told so by the user. We call this feature
25657 @dfn{auto-loading}. While auto-loading is useful for automatically adapting
25658 @value{GDBN} to the needs of your project, it can sometimes produce unexpected
25659 results or introduce security risks (e.g., if the file comes from untrusted
25663 * Init File in the Current Directory:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load local-gdbinit}
25664 * libthread_db.so.1 file:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load libthread-db}
25666 * Auto-loading safe path:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load safe-path}
25667 * Auto-loading verbose mode:: @samp{set/show debug auto-load}
25670 There are various kinds of files @value{GDBN} can automatically load.
25671 In addition to these files, @value{GDBN} supports auto-loading code written
25672 in various extension languages. @xref{Auto-loading extensions}.
25674 Note that loading of these associated files (including the local @file{.gdbinit}
25675 file) requires accordingly configured @code{auto-load safe-path}
25676 (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
25678 For these reasons, @value{GDBN} includes commands and options to let you
25679 control when to auto-load files and which files should be auto-loaded.
25682 @anchor{set auto-load off}
25683 @kindex set auto-load off
25684 @item set auto-load off
25685 Globally disable loading of all auto-loaded files.
25686 You may want to use this command with the @samp{-iex} option
25687 (@pxref{Option -init-eval-command}) such as:
25689 $ @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load off" untrusted-executable corefile}
25692 Be aware that system init file (@pxref{System-wide configuration})
25693 and init files from your home directory (@pxref{Home Directory Init File})
25694 still get read (as they come from generally trusted directories).
25695 To prevent @value{GDBN} from auto-loading even those init files, use the
25696 @option{-nx} option (@pxref{Mode Options}), in addition to
25697 @code{set auto-load no}.
25699 @anchor{show auto-load}
25700 @kindex show auto-load
25701 @item show auto-load
25702 Show whether auto-loading of each specific @samp{auto-load} file(s) is enabled
25706 (gdb) show auto-load
25707 gdb-scripts: Auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts is on.
25708 libthread-db: Auto-loading of inferior specific libthread_db is on.
25709 local-gdbinit: Auto-loading of .gdbinit script from current directory
25711 python-scripts: Auto-loading of Python scripts is on.
25712 safe-path: List of directories from which it is safe to auto-load files
25713 is $debugdir:$datadir/auto-load.
25714 scripts-directory: List of directories from which to load auto-loaded scripts
25715 is $debugdir:$datadir/auto-load.
25718 @anchor{info auto-load}
25719 @kindex info auto-load
25720 @item info auto-load
25721 Print whether each specific @samp{auto-load} file(s) have been auto-loaded or
25725 (gdb) info auto-load
25728 Yes /home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.gdb
25729 libthread-db: No auto-loaded libthread-db.
25730 local-gdbinit: Local .gdbinit file "/home/user/gdb/.gdbinit" has been
25734 Yes /home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.py
25738 These are @value{GDBN} control commands for the auto-loading:
25740 @multitable @columnfractions .5 .5
25741 @item @xref{set auto-load off}.
25742 @tab Disable auto-loading globally.
25743 @item @xref{show auto-load}.
25744 @tab Show setting of all kinds of files.
25745 @item @xref{info auto-load}.
25746 @tab Show state of all kinds of files.
25747 @item @xref{set auto-load gdb-scripts}.
25748 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} command scripts.
25749 @item @xref{show auto-load gdb-scripts}.
25750 @tab Show setting of @value{GDBN} command scripts.
25751 @item @xref{info auto-load gdb-scripts}.
25752 @tab Show state of @value{GDBN} command scripts.
25753 @item @xref{set auto-load python-scripts}.
25754 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
25755 @item @xref{show auto-load python-scripts}.
25756 @tab Show setting of @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
25757 @item @xref{info auto-load python-scripts}.
25758 @tab Show state of @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
25759 @item @xref{set auto-load guile-scripts}.
25760 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} Guile scripts.
25761 @item @xref{show auto-load guile-scripts}.
25762 @tab Show setting of @value{GDBN} Guile scripts.
25763 @item @xref{info auto-load guile-scripts}.
25764 @tab Show state of @value{GDBN} Guile scripts.
25765 @item @xref{set auto-load scripts-directory}.
25766 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
25767 @item @xref{show auto-load scripts-directory}.
25768 @tab Show @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
25769 @item @xref{add-auto-load-scripts-directory}.
25770 @tab Add directory for auto-loaded scripts location list.
25771 @item @xref{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
25772 @tab Control for init file in the current directory.
25773 @item @xref{show auto-load local-gdbinit}.
25774 @tab Show setting of init file in the current directory.
25775 @item @xref{info auto-load local-gdbinit}.
25776 @tab Show state of init file in the current directory.
25777 @item @xref{set auto-load libthread-db}.
25778 @tab Control for thread debugging library.
25779 @item @xref{show auto-load libthread-db}.
25780 @tab Show setting of thread debugging library.
25781 @item @xref{info auto-load libthread-db}.
25782 @tab Show state of thread debugging library.
25783 @item @xref{set auto-load safe-path}.
25784 @tab Control directories trusted for automatic loading.
25785 @item @xref{show auto-load safe-path}.
25786 @tab Show directories trusted for automatic loading.
25787 @item @xref{add-auto-load-safe-path}.
25788 @tab Add directory trusted for automatic loading.
25791 @node Init File in the Current Directory
25792 @subsection Automatically loading init file in the current directory
25793 @cindex auto-loading init file in the current directory
25795 By default, @value{GDBN} reads and executes the canned sequences of commands
25796 from init file (if any) in the current working directory,
25797 see @ref{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}.
25799 Note that loading of this local @file{.gdbinit} file also requires accordingly
25800 configured @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
25803 @anchor{set auto-load local-gdbinit}
25804 @kindex set auto-load local-gdbinit
25805 @item set auto-load local-gdbinit [on|off]
25806 Enable or disable the auto-loading of canned sequences of commands
25807 (@pxref{Sequences}) found in init file in the current directory.
25809 @anchor{show auto-load local-gdbinit}
25810 @kindex show auto-load local-gdbinit
25811 @item show auto-load local-gdbinit
25812 Show whether auto-loading of canned sequences of commands from init file in the
25813 current directory is enabled or disabled.
25815 @anchor{info auto-load local-gdbinit}
25816 @kindex info auto-load local-gdbinit
25817 @item info auto-load local-gdbinit
25818 Print whether canned sequences of commands from init file in the
25819 current directory have been auto-loaded.
25822 @node libthread_db.so.1 file
25823 @subsection Automatically loading thread debugging library
25824 @cindex auto-loading libthread_db.so.1
25826 This feature is currently present only on @sc{gnu}/Linux native hosts.
25828 @value{GDBN} reads in some cases thread debugging library from places specific
25829 to the inferior (@pxref{set libthread-db-search-path}).
25831 The special @samp{libthread-db-search-path} entry @samp{$sdir} is processed
25832 without checking this @samp{set auto-load libthread-db} switch as system
25833 libraries have to be trusted in general. In all other cases of
25834 @samp{libthread-db-search-path} entries @value{GDBN} checks first if @samp{set
25835 auto-load libthread-db} is enabled before trying to open such thread debugging
25838 Note that loading of this debugging library also requires accordingly configured
25839 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
25842 @anchor{set auto-load libthread-db}
25843 @kindex set auto-load libthread-db
25844 @item set auto-load libthread-db [on|off]
25845 Enable or disable the auto-loading of inferior specific thread debugging library.
25847 @anchor{show auto-load libthread-db}
25848 @kindex show auto-load libthread-db
25849 @item show auto-load libthread-db
25850 Show whether auto-loading of inferior specific thread debugging library is
25851 enabled or disabled.
25853 @anchor{info auto-load libthread-db}
25854 @kindex info auto-load libthread-db
25855 @item info auto-load libthread-db
25856 Print the list of all loaded inferior specific thread debugging libraries and
25857 for each such library print list of inferior @var{pid}s using it.
25860 @node Auto-loading safe path
25861 @subsection Security restriction for auto-loading
25862 @cindex auto-loading safe-path
25864 As the files of inferior can come from untrusted source (such as submitted by
25865 an application user) @value{GDBN} does not always load any files automatically.
25866 @value{GDBN} provides the @samp{set auto-load safe-path} setting to list
25867 directories trusted for loading files not explicitly requested by user.
25868 Each directory can also be a shell wildcard pattern.
25870 If the path is not set properly you will see a warning and the file will not
25875 Reading symbols from /home/user/gdb/gdb...done.
25876 warning: File "/home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.gdb" auto-loading has been
25877 declined by your `auto-load safe-path' set
25878 to "$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load".
25879 warning: File "/home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.py" auto-loading has been
25880 declined by your `auto-load safe-path' set
25881 to "$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load".
25885 To instruct @value{GDBN} to go ahead and use the init files anyway,
25886 invoke @value{GDBN} like this:
25889 $ gdb -q -iex "set auto-load safe-path /home/user/gdb" ./gdb
25892 The list of trusted directories is controlled by the following commands:
25895 @anchor{set auto-load safe-path}
25896 @kindex set auto-load safe-path
25897 @item set auto-load safe-path @r{[}@var{directories}@r{]}
25898 Set the list of directories (and their subdirectories) trusted for automatic
25899 loading and execution of scripts. You can also enter a specific trusted file.
25900 Each directory can also be a shell wildcard pattern; wildcards do not match
25901 directory separator - see @code{FNM_PATHNAME} for system function @code{fnmatch}
25902 (@pxref{Wildcard Matching, fnmatch, , libc, GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
25903 If you omit @var{directories}, @samp{auto-load safe-path} will be reset to
25904 its default value as specified during @value{GDBN} compilation.
25906 The list of directories uses path separator (@samp{:} on GNU and Unix
25907 systems, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS) to separate directories, similarly
25908 to the @env{PATH} environment variable.
25910 @anchor{show auto-load safe-path}
25911 @kindex show auto-load safe-path
25912 @item show auto-load safe-path
25913 Show the list of directories trusted for automatic loading and execution of
25916 @anchor{add-auto-load-safe-path}
25917 @kindex add-auto-load-safe-path
25918 @item add-auto-load-safe-path
25919 Add an entry (or list of entries) to the list of directories trusted for
25920 automatic loading and execution of scripts. Multiple entries may be delimited
25921 by the host platform path separator in use.
25924 This variable defaults to what @code{--with-auto-load-dir} has been configured
25925 to (@pxref{with-auto-load-dir}). @file{$debugdir} and @file{$datadir}
25926 substitution applies the same as for @ref{set auto-load scripts-directory}.
25927 The default @code{set auto-load safe-path} value can be also overriden by
25928 @value{GDBN} configuration option @option{--with-auto-load-safe-path}.
25930 Setting this variable to @file{/} disables this security protection,
25931 corresponding @value{GDBN} configuration option is
25932 @option{--without-auto-load-safe-path}.
25933 This variable is supposed to be set to the system directories writable by the
25934 system superuser only. Users can add their source directories in init files in
25935 their home directories (@pxref{Home Directory Init File}). See also deprecated
25936 init file in the current directory
25937 (@pxref{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}).
25939 To force @value{GDBN} to load the files it declined to load in the previous
25940 example, you could use one of the following ways:
25943 @item @file{~/.gdbinit}: @samp{add-auto-load-safe-path ~/src/gdb}
25944 Specify this trusted directory (or a file) as additional component of the list.
25945 You have to specify also any existing directories displayed by
25946 by @samp{show auto-load safe-path} (such as @samp{/usr:/bin} in this example).
25948 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load safe-path /usr:/bin:~/src/gdb" @dots{}}
25949 Specify this directory as in the previous case but just for a single
25950 @value{GDBN} session.
25952 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load safe-path /" @dots{}}
25953 Disable auto-loading safety for a single @value{GDBN} session.
25954 This assumes all the files you debug during this @value{GDBN} session will come
25955 from trusted sources.
25957 @item @kbd{./configure --without-auto-load-safe-path}
25958 During compilation of @value{GDBN} you may disable any auto-loading safety.
25959 This assumes all the files you will ever debug with this @value{GDBN} come from
25963 On the other hand you can also explicitly forbid automatic files loading which
25964 also suppresses any such warning messages:
25967 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load no" @dots{}}
25968 You can use @value{GDBN} command-line option for a single @value{GDBN} session.
25970 @item @file{~/.gdbinit}: @samp{set auto-load no}
25971 Disable auto-loading globally for the user
25972 (@pxref{Home Directory Init File}). While it is improbable, you could also
25973 use system init file instead (@pxref{System-wide configuration}).
25976 This setting applies to the file names as entered by user. If no entry matches
25977 @value{GDBN} tries as a last resort to also resolve all the file names into
25978 their canonical form (typically resolving symbolic links) and compare the
25979 entries again. @value{GDBN} already canonicalizes most of the filenames on its
25980 own before starting the comparison so a canonical form of directories is
25981 recommended to be entered.
25983 @node Auto-loading verbose mode
25984 @subsection Displaying files tried for auto-load
25985 @cindex auto-loading verbose mode
25987 For better visibility of all the file locations where you can place scripts to
25988 be auto-loaded with inferior --- or to protect yourself against accidental
25989 execution of untrusted scripts --- @value{GDBN} provides a feature for printing
25990 all the files attempted to be loaded. Both existing and non-existing files may
25993 For example the list of directories from which it is safe to auto-load files
25994 (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}) applies also to canonicalized filenames which
25995 may not be too obvious while setting it up.
25998 (gdb) set debug auto-load on
25999 (gdb) file ~/src/t/true
26000 auto-load: Loading canned sequences of commands script "/tmp/true-gdb.gdb"
26001 for objfile "/tmp/true".
26002 auto-load: Updating directories of "/usr:/opt".
26003 auto-load: Using directory "/usr".
26004 auto-load: Using directory "/opt".
26005 warning: File "/tmp/true-gdb.gdb" auto-loading has been declined
26006 by your `auto-load safe-path' set to "/usr:/opt".
26010 @anchor{set debug auto-load}
26011 @kindex set debug auto-load
26012 @item set debug auto-load [on|off]
26013 Set whether to print the filenames attempted to be auto-loaded.
26015 @anchor{show debug auto-load}
26016 @kindex show debug auto-load
26017 @item show debug auto-load
26018 Show whether printing of the filenames attempted to be auto-loaded is turned
26022 @node Messages/Warnings
26023 @section Optional Warnings and Messages
26025 @cindex verbose operation
26026 @cindex optional warnings
26027 By default, @value{GDBN} is silent about its inner workings. If you are
26028 running on a slow machine, you may want to use the @code{set verbose}
26029 command. This makes @value{GDBN} tell you when it does a lengthy
26030 internal operation, so you will not think it has crashed.
26032 Currently, the messages controlled by @code{set verbose} are those
26033 which announce that the symbol table for a source file is being read;
26034 see @code{symbol-file} in @ref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}.
26037 @kindex set verbose
26038 @item set verbose on
26039 Enables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
26041 @item set verbose off
26042 Disables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
26044 @kindex show verbose
26046 Displays whether @code{set verbose} is on or off.
26049 By default, if @value{GDBN} encounters bugs in the symbol table of an
26050 object file, it is silent; but if you are debugging a compiler, you may
26051 find this information useful (@pxref{Symbol Errors, ,Errors Reading
26056 @kindex set complaints
26057 @item set complaints @var{limit}
26058 Permits @value{GDBN} to output @var{limit} complaints about each type of
26059 unusual symbols before becoming silent about the problem. Set
26060 @var{limit} to zero to suppress all complaints; set it to a large number
26061 to prevent complaints from being suppressed.
26063 @kindex show complaints
26064 @item show complaints
26065 Displays how many symbol complaints @value{GDBN} is permitted to produce.
26069 @anchor{confirmation requests}
26070 By default, @value{GDBN} is cautious, and asks what sometimes seems to be a
26071 lot of stupid questions to confirm certain commands. For example, if
26072 you try to run a program which is already running:
26076 The program being debugged has been started already.
26077 Start it from the beginning? (y or n)
26080 If you are willing to unflinchingly face the consequences of your own
26081 commands, you can disable this ``feature'':
26085 @kindex set confirm
26087 @cindex confirmation
26088 @cindex stupid questions
26089 @item set confirm off
26090 Disables confirmation requests. Note that running @value{GDBN} with
26091 the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode Options, -batch}) also
26092 automatically disables confirmation requests.
26094 @item set confirm on
26095 Enables confirmation requests (the default).
26097 @kindex show confirm
26099 Displays state of confirmation requests.
26103 @cindex command tracing
26104 If you need to debug user-defined commands or sourced files you may find it
26105 useful to enable @dfn{command tracing}. In this mode each command will be
26106 printed as it is executed, prefixed with one or more @samp{+} symbols, the
26107 quantity denoting the call depth of each command.
26110 @kindex set trace-commands
26111 @cindex command scripts, debugging
26112 @item set trace-commands on
26113 Enable command tracing.
26114 @item set trace-commands off
26115 Disable command tracing.
26116 @item show trace-commands
26117 Display the current state of command tracing.
26120 @node Debugging Output
26121 @section Optional Messages about Internal Happenings
26122 @cindex optional debugging messages
26124 @value{GDBN} has commands that enable optional debugging messages from
26125 various @value{GDBN} subsystems; normally these commands are of
26126 interest to @value{GDBN} maintainers, or when reporting a bug. This
26127 section documents those commands.
26130 @kindex set exec-done-display
26131 @item set exec-done-display
26132 Turns on or off the notification of asynchronous commands'
26133 completion. When on, @value{GDBN} will print a message when an
26134 asynchronous command finishes its execution. The default is off.
26135 @kindex show exec-done-display
26136 @item show exec-done-display
26137 Displays the current setting of asynchronous command completion
26140 @cindex ARM AArch64
26141 @item set debug aarch64
26142 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to ARM AArch64.
26143 The default is off.
26145 @item show debug aarch64
26146 Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
26148 @cindex gdbarch debugging info
26149 @cindex architecture debugging info
26150 @item set debug arch
26151 Turns on or off display of gdbarch debugging info. The default is off
26152 @item show debug arch
26153 Displays the current state of displaying gdbarch debugging info.
26154 @item set debug aix-solib
26155 @cindex AIX shared library debugging
26156 Control display of debugging messages from the AIX shared library
26157 support module. The default is off.
26158 @item show debug aix-thread
26159 Show the current state of displaying AIX shared library debugging messages.
26160 @item set debug aix-thread
26161 @cindex AIX threads
26162 Display debugging messages about inner workings of the AIX thread
26164 @item show debug aix-thread
26165 Show the current state of AIX thread debugging info display.
26166 @item set debug check-physname
26168 Check the results of the ``physname'' computation. When reading DWARF
26169 debugging information for C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} attempts to compute
26170 each entity's name. @value{GDBN} can do this computation in two
26171 different ways, depending on exactly what information is present.
26172 When enabled, this setting causes @value{GDBN} to compute the names
26173 both ways and display any discrepancies.
26174 @item show debug check-physname
26175 Show the current state of ``physname'' checking.
26176 @item set debug coff-pe-read
26177 @cindex COFF/PE exported symbols
26178 Control display of debugging messages related to reading of COFF/PE
26179 exported symbols. The default is off.
26180 @item show debug coff-pe-read
26181 Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
26182 reading of COFF/PE exported symbols.
26183 @item set debug dwarf-die
26185 Dump DWARF DIEs after they are read in.
26186 The value is the number of nesting levels to print.
26187 A value of zero turns off the display.
26188 @item show debug dwarf-die
26189 Show the current state of DWARF DIE debugging.
26190 @item set debug dwarf-line
26191 @cindex DWARF Line Tables
26192 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to reading
26193 DWARF line tables. The default is 0 (off).
26194 A value of 1 provides basic information.
26195 A value greater than 1 provides more verbose information.
26196 @item show debug dwarf-line
26197 Show the current state of DWARF line table debugging.
26198 @item set debug dwarf-read
26199 @cindex DWARF Reading
26200 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to reading
26201 DWARF debug info. The default is 0 (off).
26202 A value of 1 provides basic information.
26203 A value greater than 1 provides more verbose information.
26204 @item show debug dwarf-read
26205 Show the current state of DWARF reader debugging.
26206 @item set debug displaced
26207 @cindex displaced stepping debugging info
26208 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for the
26209 displaced stepping support. The default is off.
26210 @item show debug displaced
26211 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} debugging info
26212 related to displaced stepping.
26213 @item set debug event
26214 @cindex event debugging info
26215 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} event debugging info. The
26217 @item show debug event
26218 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} event debugging
26220 @item set debug expression
26221 @cindex expression debugging info
26222 Turns on or off display of debugging info about @value{GDBN}
26223 expression parsing. The default is off.
26224 @item show debug expression
26225 Displays the current state of displaying debugging info about
26226 @value{GDBN} expression parsing.
26227 @item set debug fbsd-lwp
26228 @cindex FreeBSD LWP debug messages
26229 Turns on or off debugging messages from the FreeBSD LWP debug support.
26230 @item show debug fbsd-lwp
26231 Show the current state of FreeBSD LWP debugging messages.
26232 @item set debug fbsd-nat
26233 @cindex FreeBSD native target debug messages
26234 Turns on or off debugging messages from the FreeBSD native target.
26235 @item show debug fbsd-nat
26236 Show the current state of FreeBSD native target debugging messages.
26237 @item set debug frame
26238 @cindex frame debugging info
26239 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} frame debugging info. The
26241 @item show debug frame
26242 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} frame debugging
26244 @item set debug gnu-nat
26245 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug messages
26246 Turn on or off debugging messages from the @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug support.
26247 @item show debug gnu-nat
26248 Show the current state of @sc{gnu}/Hurd debugging messages.
26249 @item set debug infrun
26250 @cindex inferior debugging info
26251 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for running the inferior.
26252 The default is off. @file{infrun.c} contains GDB's runtime state machine used
26253 for implementing operations such as single-stepping the inferior.
26254 @item show debug infrun
26255 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} inferior debugging.
26256 @item set debug jit
26257 @cindex just-in-time compilation, debugging messages
26258 Turn on or off debugging messages from JIT debug support.
26259 @item show debug jit
26260 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} JIT debugging.
26261 @item set debug lin-lwp
26262 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Linux LWP debug messages
26263 @cindex Linux lightweight processes
26264 Turn on or off debugging messages from the Linux LWP debug support.
26265 @item show debug lin-lwp
26266 Show the current state of Linux LWP debugging messages.
26267 @item set debug linux-namespaces
26268 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Linux namespaces debug messages
26269 Turn on or off debugging messages from the Linux namespaces debug support.
26270 @item show debug linux-namespaces
26271 Show the current state of Linux namespaces debugging messages.
26272 @item set debug mach-o
26273 @cindex Mach-O symbols processing
26274 Control display of debugging messages related to Mach-O symbols
26275 processing. The default is off.
26276 @item show debug mach-o
26277 Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
26278 reading of COFF/PE exported symbols.
26279 @item set debug notification
26280 @cindex remote async notification debugging info
26281 Turn on or off debugging messages about remote async notification.
26282 The default is off.
26283 @item show debug notification
26284 Displays the current state of remote async notification debugging messages.
26285 @item set debug observer
26286 @cindex observer debugging info
26287 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} observer debugging. This
26288 includes info such as the notification of observable events.
26289 @item show debug observer
26290 Displays the current state of observer debugging.
26291 @item set debug overload
26292 @cindex C@t{++} overload debugging info
26293 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload debugging
26294 info. This includes info such as ranking of functions, etc. The default
26296 @item show debug overload
26297 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload
26299 @cindex expression parser, debugging info
26300 @cindex debug expression parser
26301 @item set debug parser
26302 Turns on or off the display of expression parser debugging output.
26303 Internally, this sets the @code{yydebug} variable in the expression
26304 parser. @xref{Tracing, , Tracing Your Parser, bison, Bison}, for
26305 details. The default is off.
26306 @item show debug parser
26307 Show the current state of expression parser debugging.
26308 @cindex packets, reporting on stdout
26309 @cindex serial connections, debugging
26310 @cindex debug remote protocol
26311 @cindex remote protocol debugging
26312 @cindex display remote packets
26313 @item set debug remote
26314 Turns on or off display of reports on all packets sent back and forth across
26315 the serial line to the remote machine. The info is printed on the
26316 @value{GDBN} standard output stream. The default is off.
26317 @item show debug remote
26318 Displays the state of display of remote packets.
26320 @item set debug remote-packet-max-chars
26321 Sets the maximum number of characters to display for each remote packet when
26322 @code{set debug remote} is on. This is useful to prevent @value{GDBN} from
26323 displaying lengthy remote packets and polluting the console.
26325 The default value is @code{512}, which means @value{GDBN} will truncate each
26326 remote packet after 512 bytes.
26328 Setting this option to @code{unlimited} will disable truncation and will output
26329 the full length of the remote packets.
26330 @item show debug remote-packet-max-chars
26331 Displays the number of bytes to output for remote packet debugging.
26333 @item set debug separate-debug-file
26334 Turns on or off display of debug output about separate debug file search.
26335 @item show debug separate-debug-file
26336 Displays the state of separate debug file search debug output.
26338 @item set debug serial
26339 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} serial debugging info. The
26341 @item show debug serial
26342 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} serial debugging
26344 @item set debug solib-frv
26345 @cindex FR-V shared-library debugging
26346 Turn on or off debugging messages for FR-V shared-library code.
26347 @item show debug solib-frv
26348 Display the current state of FR-V shared-library code debugging
26350 @item set debug symbol-lookup
26351 @cindex symbol lookup
26352 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to symbol lookup.
26353 The default is 0 (off).
26354 A value of 1 provides basic information.
26355 A value greater than 1 provides more verbose information.
26356 @item show debug symbol-lookup
26357 Show the current state of symbol lookup debugging messages.
26358 @item set debug symfile
26359 @cindex symbol file functions
26360 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to symbol file functions.
26361 The default is off. @xref{Files}.
26362 @item show debug symfile
26363 Show the current state of symbol file debugging messages.
26364 @item set debug symtab-create
26365 @cindex symbol table creation
26366 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to symbol table creation.
26367 The default is 0 (off).
26368 A value of 1 provides basic information.
26369 A value greater than 1 provides more verbose information.
26370 @item show debug symtab-create
26371 Show the current state of symbol table creation debugging.
26372 @item set debug target
26373 @cindex target debugging info
26374 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} target debugging info. This info
26375 includes what is going on at the target level of GDB, as it happens. The
26376 default is 0. Set it to 1 to track events, and to 2 to also track the
26377 value of large memory transfers.
26378 @item show debug target
26379 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} target debugging
26381 @item set debug timestamp
26382 @cindex timestamping debugging info
26383 Turns on or off display of timestamps with @value{GDBN} debugging info.
26384 When enabled, seconds and microseconds are displayed before each debugging
26386 @item show debug timestamp
26387 Displays the current state of displaying timestamps with @value{GDBN}
26389 @item set debug varobj
26390 @cindex variable object debugging info
26391 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} variable object debugging
26392 info. The default is off.
26393 @item show debug varobj
26394 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} variable object
26396 @item set debug xml
26397 @cindex XML parser debugging
26398 Turn on or off debugging messages for built-in XML parsers.
26399 @item show debug xml
26400 Displays the current state of XML debugging messages.
26403 @node Other Misc Settings
26404 @section Other Miscellaneous Settings
26405 @cindex miscellaneous settings
26408 @kindex set interactive-mode
26409 @item set interactive-mode
26410 If @code{on}, forces @value{GDBN} to assume that GDB was started
26411 in a terminal. In practice, this means that @value{GDBN} should wait
26412 for the user to answer queries generated by commands entered at
26413 the command prompt. If @code{off}, forces @value{GDBN} to operate
26414 in the opposite mode, and it uses the default answers to all queries.
26415 If @code{auto} (the default), @value{GDBN} tries to determine whether
26416 its standard input is a terminal, and works in interactive-mode if it
26417 is, non-interactively otherwise.
26419 In the vast majority of cases, the debugger should be able to guess
26420 correctly which mode should be used. But this setting can be useful
26421 in certain specific cases, such as running a MinGW @value{GDBN}
26422 inside a cygwin window.
26424 @kindex show interactive-mode
26425 @item show interactive-mode
26426 Displays whether the debugger is operating in interactive mode or not.
26429 @node Extending GDB
26430 @chapter Extending @value{GDBN}
26431 @cindex extending GDB
26433 @value{GDBN} provides several mechanisms for extension.
26434 @value{GDBN} also provides the ability to automatically load
26435 extensions when it reads a file for debugging. This allows the
26436 user to automatically customize @value{GDBN} for the program
26440 * Sequences:: Canned Sequences of @value{GDBN} Commands
26441 * Python:: Extending @value{GDBN} using Python
26442 * Guile:: Extending @value{GDBN} using Guile
26443 * Auto-loading extensions:: Automatically loading extensions
26444 * Multiple Extension Languages:: Working with multiple extension languages
26445 * Aliases:: Creating new spellings of existing commands
26448 To facilitate the use of extension languages, @value{GDBN} is capable
26449 of evaluating the contents of a file. When doing so, @value{GDBN}
26450 can recognize which extension language is being used by looking at
26451 the filename extension. Files with an unrecognized filename extension
26452 are always treated as a @value{GDBN} Command Files.
26453 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
26455 You can control how @value{GDBN} evaluates these files with the following
26459 @kindex set script-extension
26460 @kindex show script-extension
26461 @item set script-extension off
26462 All scripts are always evaluated as @value{GDBN} Command Files.
26464 @item set script-extension soft
26465 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
26466 extension. If this scripting language is supported, @value{GDBN}
26467 evaluates the script using that language. Otherwise, it evaluates
26468 the file as a @value{GDBN} Command File.
26470 @item set script-extension strict
26471 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
26472 extension, and evaluates the script using that language. If the
26473 language is not supported, then the evaluation fails.
26475 @item show script-extension
26476 Display the current value of the @code{script-extension} option.
26480 @ifset SYSTEM_GDBINIT_DIR
26481 This setting is not used for files in the system-wide gdbinit directory.
26482 Files in that directory must have an extension matching their language,
26483 or have a @file{.gdb} extension to be interpreted as regular @value{GDBN}
26484 commands. @xref{Startup}.
26488 @section Canned Sequences of Commands
26490 Aside from breakpoint commands (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint
26491 Command Lists}), @value{GDBN} provides two ways to store sequences of
26492 commands for execution as a unit: user-defined commands and command
26496 * Define:: How to define your own commands
26497 * Hooks:: Hooks for user-defined commands
26498 * Command Files:: How to write scripts of commands to be stored in a file
26499 * Output:: Commands for controlled output
26500 * Auto-loading sequences:: Controlling auto-loaded command files
26504 @subsection User-defined Commands
26506 @cindex user-defined command
26507 @cindex arguments, to user-defined commands
26508 A @dfn{user-defined command} is a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands to
26509 which you assign a new name as a command. This is done with the
26510 @code{define} command. User commands may accept an unlimited number of arguments
26511 separated by whitespace. Arguments are accessed within the user command
26512 via @code{$arg0@dots{}$argN}. A trivial example:
26516 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
26521 To execute the command use:
26528 This defines the command @code{adder}, which prints the sum of
26529 its three arguments. Note the arguments are text substitutions, so they may
26530 reference variables, use complex expressions, or even perform inferior
26533 @cindex argument count in user-defined commands
26534 @cindex how many arguments (user-defined commands)
26535 In addition, @code{$argc} may be used to find out how many arguments have
26541 print $arg0 + $arg1
26544 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
26549 Combining with the @code{eval} command (@pxref{eval}) makes it easier
26550 to process a variable number of arguments:
26557 eval "set $sum = $sum + $arg%d", $i
26567 @item define @var{commandname}
26568 Define a command named @var{commandname}. If there is already a command
26569 by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine it.
26570 The argument @var{commandname} may be a bare command name consisting of letters,
26571 numbers, dashes, dots, and underscores. It may also start with any
26572 predefined or user-defined prefix command.
26573 For example, @samp{define target my-target} creates
26574 a user-defined @samp{target my-target} command.
26576 The definition of the command is made up of other @value{GDBN} command lines,
26577 which are given following the @code{define} command. The end of these
26578 commands is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
26581 @kindex end@r{ (user-defined commands)}
26582 @item document @var{commandname}
26583 Document the user-defined command @var{commandname}, so that it can be
26584 accessed by @code{help}. The command @var{commandname} must already be
26585 defined. This command reads lines of documentation just as @code{define}
26586 reads the lines of the command definition, ending with @code{end}.
26587 After the @code{document} command is finished, @code{help} on command
26588 @var{commandname} displays the documentation you have written.
26590 You may use the @code{document} command again to change the
26591 documentation of a command. Redefining the command with @code{define}
26592 does not change the documentation.
26594 @kindex define-prefix
26595 @item define-prefix @var{commandname}
26596 Define or mark the command @var{commandname} as a user-defined prefix
26597 command. Once marked, @var{commandname} can be used as prefix command
26598 by the @code{define} command.
26599 Note that @code{define-prefix} can be used with a not yet defined
26600 @var{commandname}. In such a case, @var{commandname} is defined as
26601 an empty user-defined command.
26602 In case you redefine a command that was marked as a user-defined
26603 prefix command, the subcommands of the redefined command are kept
26604 (and @value{GDBN} indicates so to the user).
26608 (gdb) define-prefix abc
26609 (gdb) define-prefix abc def
26610 (gdb) define abc def
26611 Type commands for definition of "abc def".
26612 End with a line saying just "end".
26613 >echo command initial def\n
26615 (gdb) define abc def ghi
26616 Type commands for definition of "abc def ghi".
26617 End with a line saying just "end".
26618 >echo command ghi\n
26620 (gdb) define abc def
26621 Keeping subcommands of prefix command "def".
26622 Redefine command "def"? (y or n) y
26623 Type commands for definition of "abc def".
26624 End with a line saying just "end".
26625 >echo command def\n
26634 @kindex dont-repeat
26635 @cindex don't repeat command
26637 Used inside a user-defined command, this tells @value{GDBN} that this
26638 command should not be repeated when the user hits @key{RET}
26639 (@pxref{Command Syntax, repeat last command}).
26641 @kindex help user-defined
26642 @item help user-defined
26643 List all user-defined commands and all python commands defined in class
26644 COMMAND_USER. The first line of the documentation or docstring is
26649 @itemx show user @var{commandname}
26650 Display the @value{GDBN} commands used to define @var{commandname} (but
26651 not its documentation). If no @var{commandname} is given, display the
26652 definitions for all user-defined commands.
26653 This does not work for user-defined python commands.
26655 @cindex infinite recursion in user-defined commands
26656 @kindex show max-user-call-depth
26657 @kindex set max-user-call-depth
26658 @item show max-user-call-depth
26659 @itemx set max-user-call-depth
26660 The value of @code{max-user-call-depth} controls how many recursion
26661 levels are allowed in user-defined commands before @value{GDBN} suspects an
26662 infinite recursion and aborts the command.
26663 This does not apply to user-defined python commands.
26666 In addition to the above commands, user-defined commands frequently
26667 use control flow commands, described in @ref{Command Files}.
26669 When user-defined commands are executed, the
26670 commands of the definition are not printed. An error in any command
26671 stops execution of the user-defined command.
26673 If used interactively, commands that would ask for confirmation proceed
26674 without asking when used inside a user-defined command. Many @value{GDBN}
26675 commands that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the
26676 messages when used in a user-defined command.
26679 @subsection User-defined Command Hooks
26680 @cindex command hooks
26681 @cindex hooks, for commands
26682 @cindex hooks, pre-command
26685 You may define @dfn{hooks}, which are a special kind of user-defined
26686 command. Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined
26687 command @samp{hook-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments)
26688 before that command.
26690 @cindex hooks, post-command
26692 A hook may also be defined which is run after the command you executed.
26693 Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined command
26694 @samp{hookpost-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments) after
26695 that command. Post-execution hooks may exist simultaneously with
26696 pre-execution hooks, for the same command.
26698 It is valid for a hook to call the command which it hooks. If this
26699 occurs, the hook is not re-executed, thereby avoiding infinite recursion.
26701 @c It would be nice if hookpost could be passed a parameter indicating
26702 @c if the command it hooks executed properly or not. FIXME!
26704 @kindex stop@r{, a pseudo-command}
26705 In addition, a pseudo-command, @samp{stop} exists. Defining
26706 (@samp{hook-stop}) makes the associated commands execute every time
26707 execution stops in your program: before breakpoint commands are run,
26708 displays are printed, or the stack frame is printed.
26710 For example, to ignore @code{SIGALRM} signals while
26711 single-stepping, but treat them normally during normal execution,
26716 handle SIGALRM nopass
26720 handle SIGALRM pass
26723 define hook-continue
26724 handle SIGALRM pass
26728 As a further example, to hook at the beginning and end of the @code{echo}
26729 command, and to add extra text to the beginning and end of the message,
26737 define hookpost-echo
26741 (@value{GDBP}) echo Hello World
26742 <<<---Hello World--->>>
26747 You can define a hook for any single-word command in @value{GDBN}, but
26748 not for command aliases; you should define a hook for the basic command
26749 name, e.g.@: @code{backtrace} rather than @code{bt}.
26750 @c FIXME! So how does Joe User discover whether a command is an alias
26752 You can hook a multi-word command by adding @code{hook-} or
26753 @code{hookpost-} to the last word of the command, e.g.@:
26754 @samp{define target hook-remote} to add a hook to @samp{target remote}.
26756 If an error occurs during the execution of your hook, execution of
26757 @value{GDBN} commands stops and @value{GDBN} issues a prompt
26758 (before the command that you actually typed had a chance to run).
26760 If you try to define a hook which does not match any known command, you
26761 get a warning from the @code{define} command.
26763 @node Command Files
26764 @subsection Command Files
26766 @cindex command files
26767 @cindex scripting commands
26768 A command file for @value{GDBN} is a text file made of lines that are
26769 @value{GDBN} commands. Comments (lines starting with @kbd{#}) may
26770 also be included. An empty line in a command file does nothing; it
26771 does not mean to repeat the last command, as it would from the
26774 You can request the execution of a command file with the @code{source}
26775 command. Note that the @code{source} command is also used to evaluate
26776 scripts that are not Command Files. The exact behavior can be configured
26777 using the @code{script-extension} setting.
26778 @xref{Extending GDB,, Extending GDB}.
26782 @cindex execute commands from a file
26783 @item source [-s] [-v] @var{filename}
26784 Execute the command file @var{filename}.
26787 The lines in a command file are generally executed sequentially,
26788 unless the order of execution is changed by one of the
26789 @emph{flow-control commands} described below. The commands are not
26790 printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates
26791 execution of the command file and control is returned to the console.
26793 @value{GDBN} first searches for @var{filename} in the current directory.
26794 If the file is not found there, and @var{filename} does not specify a
26795 directory, then @value{GDBN} also looks for the file on the source search path
26796 (specified with the @samp{directory} command);
26797 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched because the compilation directory
26798 is not relevant to scripts.
26800 If @code{-s} is specified, then @value{GDBN} searches for @var{filename}
26801 on the search path even if @var{filename} specifies a directory.
26802 The search is done by appending @var{filename} to each element of the
26803 search path. So, for example, if @var{filename} is @file{mylib/myscript}
26804 and the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
26805 look for the script @file{/home/user/mylib/myscript}.
26806 The search is also done if @var{filename} is an absolute path.
26807 For example, if @var{filename} is @file{/tmp/myscript} and
26808 the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
26809 look for the script @file{/home/user/tmp/myscript}.
26810 For DOS-like systems, if @var{filename} contains a drive specification,
26811 it is stripped before concatenation. For example, if @var{filename} is
26812 @file{d:myscript} and the search path contains @file{c:/tmp} then @value{GDBN}
26813 will look for the script @file{c:/tmp/myscript}.
26815 If @code{-v}, for verbose mode, is given then @value{GDBN} displays
26816 each command as it is executed. The option must be given before
26817 @var{filename}, and is interpreted as part of the filename anywhere else.
26819 Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
26820 without asking when used in a command file. Many @value{GDBN} commands that
26821 normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
26822 when called from command files.
26824 @value{GDBN} also accepts command input from standard input. In this
26825 mode, normal output goes to standard output and error output goes to
26826 standard error. Errors in a command file supplied on standard input do
26827 not terminate execution of the command file---execution continues with
26831 gdb < cmds > log 2>&1
26834 (The syntax above will vary depending on the shell used.) This example
26835 will execute commands from the file @file{cmds}. All output and errors
26836 would be directed to @file{log}.
26838 Since commands stored on command files tend to be more general than
26839 commands typed interactively, they frequently need to deal with
26840 complicated situations, such as different or unexpected values of
26841 variables and symbols, changes in how the program being debugged is
26842 built, etc. @value{GDBN} provides a set of flow-control commands to
26843 deal with these complexities. Using these commands, you can write
26844 complex scripts that loop over data structures, execute commands
26845 conditionally, etc.
26852 This command allows to include in your script conditionally executed
26853 commands. The @code{if} command takes a single argument, which is an
26854 expression to evaluate. It is followed by a series of commands that
26855 are executed only if the expression is true (its value is nonzero).
26856 There can then optionally be an @code{else} line, followed by a series
26857 of commands that are only executed if the expression was false. The
26858 end of the list is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
26862 This command allows to write loops. Its syntax is similar to
26863 @code{if}: the command takes a single argument, which is an expression
26864 to evaluate, and must be followed by the commands to execute, one per
26865 line, terminated by an @code{end}. These commands are called the
26866 @dfn{body} of the loop. The commands in the body of @code{while} are
26867 executed repeatedly as long as the expression evaluates to true.
26871 This command exits the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included.
26872 Execution of the script continues after that @code{while}s @code{end}
26875 @kindex loop_continue
26876 @item loop_continue
26877 This command skips the execution of the rest of the body of commands
26878 in the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included. Execution
26879 branches to the beginning of the @code{while} loop, where it evaluates
26880 the controlling expression.
26882 @kindex end@r{ (if/else/while commands)}
26884 Terminate the block of commands that are the body of @code{if},
26885 @code{else}, or @code{while} flow-control commands.
26890 @subsection Commands for Controlled Output
26892 During the execution of a command file or a user-defined command, normal
26893 @value{GDBN} output is suppressed; the only output that appears is what is
26894 explicitly printed by the commands in the definition. This section
26895 describes three commands useful for generating exactly the output you
26900 @item echo @var{text}
26901 @c I do not consider backslash-space a standard C escape sequence
26902 @c because it is not in ANSI.
26903 Print @var{text}. Nonprinting characters can be included in
26904 @var{text} using C escape sequences, such as @samp{\n} to print a
26905 newline. @strong{No newline is printed unless you specify one.}
26906 In addition to the standard C escape sequences, a backslash followed
26907 by a space stands for a space. This is useful for displaying a
26908 string with spaces at the beginning or the end, since leading and
26909 trailing spaces are otherwise trimmed from all arguments.
26910 To print @samp{@w{ }and foo =@w{ }}, use the command
26911 @samp{echo \@w{ }and foo = \@w{ }}.
26913 A backslash at the end of @var{text} can be used, as in C, to continue
26914 the command onto subsequent lines. For example,
26917 echo This is some text\n\
26918 which is continued\n\
26919 onto several lines.\n
26922 produces the same output as
26925 echo This is some text\n
26926 echo which is continued\n
26927 echo onto several lines.\n
26931 @item output @var{expression}
26932 Print the value of @var{expression} and nothing but that value: no
26933 newlines, no @samp{$@var{nn} = }. The value is not entered in the
26934 value history either. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information
26937 @item output/@var{fmt} @var{expression}
26938 Print the value of @var{expression} in format @var{fmt}. You can use
26939 the same formats as for @code{print}. @xref{Output Formats,,Output
26940 Formats}, for more information.
26943 @item printf @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
26944 Print the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
26945 the string @var{template}. To print several values, make
26946 @var{expressions} be a comma-separated list of individual expressions,
26947 which may be either numbers or pointers. Their values are printed as
26948 specified by @var{template}, exactly as a C program would do by
26949 executing the code below:
26952 printf (@var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{});
26955 As in @code{C} @code{printf}, ordinary characters in @var{template}
26956 are printed verbatim, while @dfn{conversion specification} introduced
26957 by the @samp{%} character cause subsequent @var{expressions} to be
26958 evaluated, their values converted and formatted according to type and
26959 style information encoded in the conversion specifications, and then
26962 For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
26965 printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
26968 @code{printf} supports all the standard @code{C} conversion
26969 specifications, including the flags and modifiers between the @samp{%}
26970 character and the conversion letter, with the following exceptions:
26974 The argument-ordering modifiers, such as @samp{2$}, are not supported.
26977 The modifier @samp{*} is not supported for specifying precision or
26981 The @samp{'} flag (for separation of digits into groups according to
26982 @code{LC_NUMERIC'}) is not supported.
26985 The type modifiers @samp{hh}, @samp{j}, @samp{t}, and @samp{z} are not
26989 The conversion letter @samp{n} (as in @samp{%n}) is not supported.
26992 The conversion letters @samp{a} and @samp{A} are not supported.
26996 Note that the @samp{ll} type modifier is supported only if the
26997 underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} supports
26998 the @code{long long int} type, and the @samp{L} type modifier is
26999 supported only if @code{long double} type is available.
27001 As in @code{C}, @code{printf} supports simple backslash-escape
27002 sequences, such as @code{\n}, @samp{\t}, @samp{\\}, @samp{\"},
27003 @samp{\a}, and @samp{\f}, that consist of backslash followed by a
27004 single character. Octal and hexadecimal escape sequences are not
27007 Additionally, @code{printf} supports conversion specifications for DFP
27008 (@dfn{Decimal Floating Point}) types using the following length modifiers
27009 together with a floating point specifier.
27014 @samp{H} for printing @code{Decimal32} types.
27017 @samp{D} for printing @code{Decimal64} types.
27020 @samp{DD} for printing @code{Decimal128} types.
27023 If the underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} has
27024 support for the three length modifiers for DFP types, other modifiers
27025 such as width and precision will also be available for @value{GDBN} to use.
27027 In case there is no such @code{C} support, no additional modifiers will be
27028 available and the value will be printed in the standard way.
27030 Here's an example of printing DFP types using the above conversion letters:
27032 printf "D32: %Hf - D64: %Df - D128: %DDf\n",1.2345df,1.2E10dd,1.2E1dl
27037 @item eval @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
27038 Convert the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
27039 the string @var{template} to a command line, and call it.
27043 @node Auto-loading sequences
27044 @subsection Controlling auto-loading native @value{GDBN} scripts
27045 @cindex native script auto-loading
27047 When a new object file is read (for example, due to the @code{file}
27048 command, or because the inferior has loaded a shared library),
27049 @value{GDBN} will look for the command file @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb}.
27050 @xref{Auto-loading extensions}.
27052 Auto-loading can be enabled or disabled,
27053 and the list of auto-loaded scripts can be printed.
27056 @anchor{set auto-load gdb-scripts}
27057 @kindex set auto-load gdb-scripts
27058 @item set auto-load gdb-scripts [on|off]
27059 Enable or disable the auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts.
27061 @anchor{show auto-load gdb-scripts}
27062 @kindex show auto-load gdb-scripts
27063 @item show auto-load gdb-scripts
27064 Show whether auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts is enabled or
27067 @anchor{info auto-load gdb-scripts}
27068 @kindex info auto-load gdb-scripts
27069 @cindex print list of auto-loaded canned sequences of commands scripts
27070 @item info auto-load gdb-scripts [@var{regexp}]
27071 Print the list of all canned sequences of commands scripts that @value{GDBN}
27075 If @var{regexp} is supplied only canned sequences of commands scripts with
27076 matching names are printed.
27078 @c Python docs live in a separate file.
27079 @include python.texi
27081 @c Guile docs live in a separate file.
27082 @include guile.texi
27084 @node Auto-loading extensions
27085 @section Auto-loading extensions
27086 @cindex auto-loading extensions
27088 @value{GDBN} provides two mechanisms for automatically loading extensions
27089 when a new object file is read (for example, due to the @code{file}
27090 command, or because the inferior has loaded a shared library):
27091 @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.@var{ext}} and the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts}
27092 section of modern file formats like ELF.
27095 * objfile-gdb.ext file: objfile-gdbdotext file. The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.@var{ext}} file
27096 * .debug_gdb_scripts section: dotdebug_gdb_scripts section. The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27097 * Which flavor to choose?::
27100 The auto-loading feature is useful for supplying application-specific
27101 debugging commands and features.
27103 Auto-loading can be enabled or disabled,
27104 and the list of auto-loaded scripts can be printed.
27105 See the @samp{auto-loading} section of each extension language
27106 for more information.
27107 For @value{GDBN} command files see @ref{Auto-loading sequences}.
27108 For Python files see @ref{Python Auto-loading}.
27110 Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
27111 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
27113 @node objfile-gdbdotext file
27114 @subsection The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.@var{ext}} file
27115 @cindex @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb}
27116 @cindex @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py}
27117 @cindex @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.scm}
27119 When a new object file is read, @value{GDBN} looks for a file named
27120 @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.@var{ext}} (we call it @var{script-name} below),
27121 where @var{objfile} is the object file's name and
27122 where @var{ext} is the file extension for the extension language:
27125 @item @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb}
27126 GDB's own command language
27127 @item @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py}
27129 @item @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.scm}
27133 @var{script-name} is formed by ensuring that the file name of @var{objfile}
27134 is absolute, following all symlinks, and resolving @code{.} and @code{..}
27135 components, and appending the @file{-gdb.@var{ext}} suffix.
27136 If this file exists and is readable, @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as a
27137 script in the specified extension language.
27139 If this file does not exist, then @value{GDBN} will look for
27140 @var{script-name} file in all of the directories as specified below.
27142 Note that loading of these files requires an accordingly configured
27143 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
27145 For object files using @file{.exe} suffix @value{GDBN} tries to load first the
27146 scripts normally according to its @file{.exe} filename. But if no scripts are
27147 found @value{GDBN} also tries script filenames matching the object file without
27148 its @file{.exe} suffix. This @file{.exe} stripping is case insensitive and it
27149 is attempted on any platform. This makes the script filenames compatible
27150 between Unix and MS-Windows hosts.
27153 @anchor{set auto-load scripts-directory}
27154 @kindex set auto-load scripts-directory
27155 @item set auto-load scripts-directory @r{[}@var{directories}@r{]}
27156 Control @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location. Multiple directory entries
27157 may be delimited by the host platform path separator in use
27158 (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS).
27160 Each entry here needs to be covered also by the security setting
27161 @code{set auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{set auto-load safe-path}).
27163 @anchor{with-auto-load-dir}
27164 This variable defaults to @file{$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load}. The default
27165 @code{set auto-load safe-path} value can be also overriden by @value{GDBN}
27166 configuration option @option{--with-auto-load-dir}.
27168 Any reference to @file{$debugdir} will get replaced by
27169 @var{debug-file-directory} value (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}) and any
27170 reference to @file{$datadir} will get replaced by @var{data-directory} which is
27171 determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}). @file{$debugdir} and
27172 @file{$datadir} must be placed as a directory component --- either alone or
27173 delimited by @file{/} or @file{\} directory separators, depending on the host
27176 The list of directories uses path separator (@samp{:} on GNU and Unix
27177 systems, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS) to separate directories, similarly
27178 to the @env{PATH} environment variable.
27180 @anchor{show auto-load scripts-directory}
27181 @kindex show auto-load scripts-directory
27182 @item show auto-load scripts-directory
27183 Show @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
27185 @anchor{add-auto-load-scripts-directory}
27186 @kindex add-auto-load-scripts-directory
27187 @item add-auto-load-scripts-directory @r{[}@var{directories}@dots{}@r{]}
27188 Add an entry (or list of entries) to the list of auto-loaded scripts locations.
27189 Multiple entries may be delimited by the host platform path separator in use.
27192 @value{GDBN} does not track which files it has already auto-loaded this way.
27193 @value{GDBN} will load the associated script every time the corresponding
27194 @var{objfile} is opened.
27195 So your @file{-gdb.@var{ext}} file should be careful to avoid errors if it
27196 is evaluated more than once.
27198 @node dotdebug_gdb_scripts section
27199 @subsection The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27200 @cindex @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27202 For systems using file formats like ELF and COFF,
27203 when @value{GDBN} loads a new object file
27204 it will look for a special section named @code{.debug_gdb_scripts}.
27205 If this section exists, its contents is a list of null-terminated entries
27206 specifying scripts to load. Each entry begins with a non-null prefix byte that
27207 specifies the kind of entry, typically the extension language and whether the
27208 script is in a file or inlined in @code{.debug_gdb_scripts}.
27210 The following entries are supported:
27213 @item SECTION_SCRIPT_ID_PYTHON_FILE = 1
27214 @item SECTION_SCRIPT_ID_SCHEME_FILE = 3
27215 @item SECTION_SCRIPT_ID_PYTHON_TEXT = 4
27216 @item SECTION_SCRIPT_ID_SCHEME_TEXT = 6
27219 @subsubsection Script File Entries
27221 If the entry specifies a file, @value{GDBN} will look for the file first
27222 in the current directory and then along the source search path
27223 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}),
27224 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched, since the compilation
27225 directory is not relevant to scripts.
27227 File entries can be placed in section @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} with,
27228 for example, this GCC macro for Python scripts.
27231 /* Note: The "MS" section flags are to remove duplicates. */
27232 #define DEFINE_GDB_PY_SCRIPT(script_name) \
27234 .pushsection \".debug_gdb_scripts\", \"MS\",@@progbits,1\n\
27235 .byte 1 /* Python */\n\
27236 .asciz \"" script_name "\"\n\
27242 For Guile scripts, replace @code{.byte 1} with @code{.byte 3}.
27243 Then one can reference the macro in a header or source file like this:
27246 DEFINE_GDB_PY_SCRIPT ("my-app-scripts.py")
27249 The script name may include directories if desired.
27251 Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
27252 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
27254 If the macro invocation is put in a header, any application or library
27255 using this header will get a reference to the specified script,
27256 and with the use of @code{"MS"} attributes on the section, the linker
27257 will remove duplicates.
27259 @subsubsection Script Text Entries
27261 Script text entries allow to put the executable script in the entry
27262 itself instead of loading it from a file.
27263 The first line of the entry, everything after the prefix byte and up to
27264 the first newline (@code{0xa}) character, is the script name, and must not
27265 contain any kind of space character, e.g., spaces or tabs.
27266 The rest of the entry, up to the trailing null byte, is the script to
27267 execute in the specified language. The name needs to be unique among
27268 all script names, as @value{GDBN} executes each script only once based
27271 Here is an example from file @file{py-section-script.c} in the @value{GDBN}
27275 #include "symcat.h"
27276 #include "gdb/section-scripts.h"
27278 ".pushsection \".debug_gdb_scripts\", \"MS\",@@progbits,1\n"
27279 ".byte " XSTRING (SECTION_SCRIPT_ID_PYTHON_TEXT) "\n"
27280 ".ascii \"gdb.inlined-script\\n\"\n"
27281 ".ascii \"class test_cmd (gdb.Command):\\n\"\n"
27282 ".ascii \" def __init__ (self):\\n\"\n"
27283 ".ascii \" super (test_cmd, self).__init__ ("
27284 "\\\"test-cmd\\\", gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE)\\n\"\n"
27285 ".ascii \" def invoke (self, arg, from_tty):\\n\"\n"
27286 ".ascii \" print (\\\"test-cmd output, arg = %s\\\" % arg)\\n\"\n"
27287 ".ascii \"test_cmd ()\\n\"\n"
27293 Loading of inlined scripts requires a properly configured
27294 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
27295 The path to specify in @code{auto-load safe-path} is the path of the file
27296 containing the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section.
27298 @node Which flavor to choose?
27299 @subsection Which flavor to choose?
27301 Given the multiple ways of auto-loading extensions, it might not always
27302 be clear which one to choose. This section provides some guidance.
27305 Benefits of the @file{-gdb.@var{ext}} way:
27309 Can be used with file formats that don't support multiple sections.
27312 Ease of finding scripts for public libraries.
27314 Scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section are searched for
27315 in the source search path.
27316 For publicly installed libraries, e.g., @file{libstdc++}, there typically
27317 isn't a source directory in which to find the script.
27320 Doesn't require source code additions.
27324 Benefits of the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} way:
27328 Works with static linking.
27330 Scripts for libraries done the @file{-gdb.@var{ext}} way require an objfile to
27331 trigger their loading. When an application is statically linked the only
27332 objfile available is the executable, and it is cumbersome to attach all the
27333 scripts from all the input libraries to the executable's
27334 @file{-gdb.@var{ext}} script.
27337 Works with classes that are entirely inlined.
27339 Some classes can be entirely inlined, and thus there may not be an associated
27340 shared library to attach a @file{-gdb.@var{ext}} script to.
27343 Scripts needn't be copied out of the source tree.
27345 In some circumstances, apps can be built out of large collections of internal
27346 libraries, and the build infrastructure necessary to install the
27347 @file{-gdb.@var{ext}} scripts in a place where @value{GDBN} can find them is
27348 cumbersome. It may be easier to specify the scripts in the
27349 @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section as relative paths, and add a path to the
27350 top of the source tree to the source search path.
27353 @node Multiple Extension Languages
27354 @section Multiple Extension Languages
27356 The Guile and Python extension languages do not share any state,
27357 and generally do not interfere with each other.
27358 There are some things to be aware of, however.
27360 @subsection Python comes first
27362 Python was @value{GDBN}'s first extension language, and to avoid breaking
27363 existing behaviour Python comes first. This is generally solved by the
27364 ``first one wins'' principle. @value{GDBN} maintains a list of enabled
27365 extension languages, and when it makes a call to an extension language,
27366 (say to pretty-print a value), it tries each in turn until an extension
27367 language indicates it has performed the request (e.g., has returned the
27368 pretty-printed form of a value).
27369 This extends to errors while performing such requests: If an error happens
27370 while, for example, trying to pretty-print an object then the error is
27371 reported and any following extension languages are not tried.
27374 @section Creating new spellings of existing commands
27375 @cindex aliases for commands
27377 It is often useful to define alternate spellings of existing commands.
27378 For example, if a new @value{GDBN} command defined in Python has
27379 a long name to type, it is handy to have an abbreviated version of it
27380 that involves less typing.
27382 @value{GDBN} itself uses aliases. For example @samp{s} is an alias
27383 of the @samp{step} command even though it is otherwise an ambiguous
27384 abbreviation of other commands like @samp{set} and @samp{show}.
27386 Aliases are also used to provide shortened or more common versions
27387 of multi-word commands. For example, @value{GDBN} provides the
27388 @samp{tty} alias of the @samp{set inferior-tty} command.
27390 You can define a new alias with the @samp{alias} command.
27395 @item alias [-a] [--] @var{ALIAS} = @var{COMMAND}
27399 @var{ALIAS} specifies the name of the new alias.
27400 Each word of @var{ALIAS} must consist of letters, numbers, dashes and
27403 @var{COMMAND} specifies the name of an existing command
27404 that is being aliased.
27406 The @samp{-a} option specifies that the new alias is an abbreviation
27407 of the command. Abbreviations are not shown in command
27408 lists displayed by the @samp{help} command.
27410 The @samp{--} option specifies the end of options,
27411 and is useful when @var{ALIAS} begins with a dash.
27413 Here is a simple example showing how to make an abbreviation
27414 of a command so that there is less to type.
27415 Suppose you were tired of typing @samp{disas}, the current
27416 shortest unambiguous abbreviation of the @samp{disassemble} command
27417 and you wanted an even shorter version named @samp{di}.
27418 The following will accomplish this.
27421 (gdb) alias -a di = disas
27424 Note that aliases are different from user-defined commands.
27425 With a user-defined command, you also need to write documentation
27426 for it with the @samp{document} command.
27427 An alias automatically picks up the documentation of the existing command.
27429 Here is an example where we make @samp{elms} an abbreviation of
27430 @samp{elements} in the @samp{set print elements} command.
27431 This is to show that you can make an abbreviation of any part
27435 (gdb) alias -a set print elms = set print elements
27436 (gdb) alias -a show print elms = show print elements
27437 (gdb) set p elms 20
27439 Limit on string chars or array elements to print is 200.
27442 Note that if you are defining an alias of a @samp{set} command,
27443 and you want to have an alias for the corresponding @samp{show}
27444 command, then you need to define the latter separately.
27446 Unambiguously abbreviated commands are allowed in @var{COMMAND} and
27447 @var{ALIAS}, just as they are normally.
27450 (gdb) alias -a set pr elms = set p ele
27453 Finally, here is an example showing the creation of a one word
27454 alias for a more complex command.
27455 This creates alias @samp{spe} of the command @samp{set print elements}.
27458 (gdb) alias spe = set print elements
27463 @chapter Command Interpreters
27464 @cindex command interpreters
27466 @value{GDBN} supports multiple command interpreters, and some command
27467 infrastructure to allow users or user interface writers to switch
27468 between interpreters or run commands in other interpreters.
27470 @value{GDBN} currently supports two command interpreters, the console
27471 interpreter (sometimes called the command-line interpreter or @sc{cli})
27472 and the machine interface interpreter (or @sc{gdb/mi}). This manual
27473 describes both of these interfaces in great detail.
27475 By default, @value{GDBN} will start with the console interpreter.
27476 However, the user may choose to start @value{GDBN} with another
27477 interpreter by specifying the @option{-i} or @option{--interpreter}
27478 startup options. Defined interpreters include:
27482 @cindex console interpreter
27483 The traditional console or command-line interpreter. This is the most often
27484 used interpreter with @value{GDBN}. With no interpreter specified at runtime,
27485 @value{GDBN} will use this interpreter.
27488 @cindex mi interpreter
27489 The newest @sc{gdb/mi} interface (currently @code{mi3}). Used primarily
27490 by programs wishing to use @value{GDBN} as a backend for a debugger GUI
27491 or an IDE. For more information, see @ref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi}
27495 @cindex mi3 interpreter
27496 The @sc{gdb/mi} interface introduced in @value{GDBN} 9.1.
27499 @cindex mi2 interpreter
27500 The @sc{gdb/mi} interface introduced in @value{GDBN} 6.0.
27503 @cindex mi1 interpreter
27504 The @sc{gdb/mi} interface introduced in @value{GDBN} 5.1.
27508 @cindex invoke another interpreter
27510 @kindex interpreter-exec
27511 You may execute commands in any interpreter from the current
27512 interpreter using the appropriate command. If you are running the
27513 console interpreter, simply use the @code{interpreter-exec} command:
27516 interpreter-exec mi "-data-list-register-names"
27519 @sc{gdb/mi} has a similar command, although it is only available in versions of
27520 @value{GDBN} which support @sc{gdb/mi} version 2 (or greater).
27522 Note that @code{interpreter-exec} only changes the interpreter for the
27523 duration of the specified command. It does not change the interpreter
27526 @cindex start a new independent interpreter
27528 Although you may only choose a single interpreter at startup, it is
27529 possible to run an independent interpreter on a specified input/output
27530 device (usually a tty).
27532 For example, consider a debugger GUI or IDE that wants to provide a
27533 @value{GDBN} console view. It may do so by embedding a terminal
27534 emulator widget in its GUI, starting @value{GDBN} in the traditional
27535 command-line mode with stdin/stdout/stderr redirected to that
27536 terminal, and then creating an MI interpreter running on a specified
27537 input/output device. The console interpreter created by @value{GDBN}
27538 at startup handles commands the user types in the terminal widget,
27539 while the GUI controls and synchronizes state with @value{GDBN} using
27540 the separate MI interpreter.
27542 To start a new secondary @dfn{user interface} running MI, use the
27543 @code{new-ui} command:
27546 @cindex new user interface
27548 new-ui @var{interpreter} @var{tty}
27551 The @var{interpreter} parameter specifies the interpreter to run.
27552 This accepts the same values as the @code{interpreter-exec} command.
27553 For example, @samp{console}, @samp{mi}, @samp{mi2}, etc. The
27554 @var{tty} parameter specifies the name of the bidirectional file the
27555 interpreter uses for input/output, usually the name of a
27556 pseudoterminal slave on Unix systems. For example:
27559 (@value{GDBP}) new-ui mi /dev/pts/9
27563 runs an MI interpreter on @file{/dev/pts/9}.
27566 @chapter @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
27568 @cindex Text User Interface
27571 * TUI Overview:: TUI overview
27572 * TUI Keys:: TUI key bindings
27573 * TUI Single Key Mode:: TUI single key mode
27574 * TUI Commands:: TUI-specific commands
27575 * TUI Configuration:: TUI configuration variables
27578 The @value{GDBN} Text User Interface (TUI) is a terminal
27579 interface which uses the @code{curses} library to show the source
27580 file, the assembly output, the program registers and @value{GDBN}
27581 commands in separate text windows. The TUI mode is supported only
27582 on platforms where a suitable version of the @code{curses} library
27585 The TUI mode is enabled by default when you invoke @value{GDBN} as
27586 @samp{@value{GDBP} -tui}.
27587 You can also switch in and out of TUI mode while @value{GDBN} runs by
27588 using various TUI commands and key bindings, such as @command{tui
27589 enable} or @kbd{C-x C-a}. @xref{TUI Commands, ,TUI Commands}, and
27590 @ref{TUI Keys, ,TUI Key Bindings}.
27593 @section TUI Overview
27595 In TUI mode, @value{GDBN} can display several text windows:
27599 This window is the @value{GDBN} command window with the @value{GDBN}
27600 prompt and the @value{GDBN} output. The @value{GDBN} input is still
27601 managed using readline.
27604 The source window shows the source file of the program. The current
27605 line and active breakpoints are displayed in this window.
27608 The assembly window shows the disassembly output of the program.
27611 This window shows the processor registers. Registers are highlighted
27612 when their values change.
27615 The source and assembly windows show the current program position
27616 by highlighting the current line and marking it with a @samp{>} marker.
27617 Breakpoints are indicated with two markers. The first marker
27618 indicates the breakpoint type:
27622 Breakpoint which was hit at least once.
27625 Breakpoint which was never hit.
27628 Hardware breakpoint which was hit at least once.
27631 Hardware breakpoint which was never hit.
27634 The second marker indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled or not:
27638 Breakpoint is enabled.
27641 Breakpoint is disabled.
27644 The source, assembly and register windows are updated when the current
27645 thread changes, when the frame changes, or when the program counter
27648 These windows are not all visible at the same time. The command
27649 window is always visible. The others can be arranged in several
27660 source and assembly,
27663 source and registers, or
27666 assembly and registers.
27669 A status line above the command window shows the following information:
27673 Indicates the current @value{GDBN} target.
27674 (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
27677 Gives the current process or thread number.
27678 When no process is being debugged, this field is set to @code{No process}.
27681 Gives the current function name for the selected frame.
27682 The name is demangled if demangling is turned on (@pxref{Print Settings}).
27683 When there is no symbol corresponding to the current program counter,
27684 the string @code{??} is displayed.
27687 Indicates the current line number for the selected frame.
27688 When the current line number is not known, the string @code{??} is displayed.
27691 Indicates the current program counter address.
27695 @section TUI Key Bindings
27696 @cindex TUI key bindings
27698 The TUI installs several key bindings in the readline keymaps
27699 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
27700 (@pxref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library}).
27702 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
27703 (@pxref{Command Line Editing}).
27705 The following key bindings are installed for both TUI mode and the
27706 @value{GDBN} standard mode.
27715 Enter or leave the TUI mode. When leaving the TUI mode,
27716 the curses window management stops and @value{GDBN} operates using
27717 its standard mode, writing on the terminal directly. When reentering
27718 the TUI mode, control is given back to the curses windows.
27719 The screen is then refreshed.
27721 This key binding uses the bindable Readline function
27722 @code{tui-switch-mode}.
27726 Use a TUI layout with only one window. The layout will
27727 either be @samp{source} or @samp{assembly}. When the TUI mode
27728 is not active, it will switch to the TUI mode.
27730 Think of this key binding as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 1} binding.
27732 This key binding uses the bindable Readline function
27733 @code{tui-delete-other-windows}.
27737 Use a TUI layout with at least two windows. When the current
27738 layout already has two windows, the next layout with two windows is used.
27739 When a new layout is chosen, one window will always be common to the
27740 previous layout and the new one.
27742 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 2} binding.
27744 This key binding uses the bindable Readline function
27745 @code{tui-change-windows}.
27749 Change the active window. The TUI associates several key bindings
27750 (like scrolling and arrow keys) with the active window. This command
27751 gives the focus to the next TUI window.
27753 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x o} binding.
27755 This key binding uses the bindable Readline function
27756 @code{tui-other-window}.
27760 Switch in and out of the TUI SingleKey mode that binds single
27761 keys to @value{GDBN} commands (@pxref{TUI Single Key Mode}).
27763 This key binding uses the bindable Readline function
27764 @code{next-keymap}.
27767 The following key bindings only work in the TUI mode:
27772 Scroll the active window one page up.
27776 Scroll the active window one page down.
27780 Scroll the active window one line up.
27784 Scroll the active window one line down.
27788 Scroll the active window one column left.
27792 Scroll the active window one column right.
27796 Refresh the screen.
27799 Because the arrow keys scroll the active window in the TUI mode, they
27800 are not available for their normal use by readline unless the command
27801 window has the focus. When another window is active, you must use
27802 other readline key bindings such as @kbd{C-p}, @kbd{C-n}, @kbd{C-b}
27803 and @kbd{C-f} to control the command window.
27805 @node TUI Single Key Mode
27806 @section TUI Single Key Mode
27807 @cindex TUI single key mode
27809 The TUI also provides a @dfn{SingleKey} mode, which binds several
27810 frequently used @value{GDBN} commands to single keys. Type @kbd{C-x s} to
27811 switch into this mode, where the following key bindings are used:
27814 @kindex c @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27818 @kindex d @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27822 @kindex f @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27826 @kindex n @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27830 @kindex o @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27832 nexti. The shortcut letter @samp{o} stands for ``step Over''.
27834 @kindex q @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27836 exit the SingleKey mode.
27838 @kindex r @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27842 @kindex s @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27846 @kindex i @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27848 stepi. The shortcut letter @samp{i} stands for ``step Into''.
27850 @kindex u @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27854 @kindex v @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27858 @kindex w @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
27863 Other keys temporarily switch to the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
27864 The key that was pressed is inserted in the editing buffer so that
27865 it is possible to type most @value{GDBN} commands without interaction
27866 with the TUI SingleKey mode. Once the command is entered the TUI
27867 SingleKey mode is restored. The only way to permanently leave
27868 this mode is by typing @kbd{q} or @kbd{C-x s}.
27870 @cindex SingleKey keymap name
27871 If @value{GDBN} was built with Readline 8.0 or later, the TUI
27872 SingleKey keymap will be named @samp{SingleKey}. This can be used in
27873 @file{.inputrc} to add additional bindings to this keymap.
27876 @section TUI-specific Commands
27877 @cindex TUI commands
27879 The TUI has specific commands to control the text windows.
27880 These commands are always available, even when @value{GDBN} is not in
27881 the TUI mode. When @value{GDBN} is in the standard mode, most
27882 of these commands will automatically switch to the TUI mode.
27884 Note that if @value{GDBN}'s @code{stdout} is not connected to a
27885 terminal, or @value{GDBN} has been started with the machine interface
27886 interpreter (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}), most of
27887 these commands will fail with an error, because it would not be
27888 possible or desirable to enable curses window management.
27893 Activate TUI mode. The last active TUI window layout will be used if
27894 TUI mode has previously been used in the current debugging session,
27895 otherwise a default layout is used.
27898 @kindex tui disable
27899 Disable TUI mode, returning to the console interpreter.
27903 List and give the size of all displayed windows.
27905 @item layout @var{name}
27907 Changes which TUI windows are displayed. In each layout the command
27908 window is always displayed, the @var{name} parameter controls which
27909 additional windows are displayed, and can be any of the following:
27913 Display the next layout.
27916 Display the previous layout.
27919 Display the source and command windows.
27922 Display the assembly and command windows.
27925 Display the source, assembly, and command windows.
27928 When in @code{src} layout display the register, source, and command
27929 windows. When in @code{asm} or @code{split} layout display the
27930 register, assembler, and command windows.
27933 @item focus @var{name}
27935 Changes which TUI window is currently active for scrolling. The
27936 @var{name} parameter can be any of the following:
27940 Make the next window active for scrolling.
27943 Make the previous window active for scrolling.
27946 Make the source window active for scrolling.
27949 Make the assembly window active for scrolling.
27952 Make the register window active for scrolling.
27955 Make the command window active for scrolling.
27960 Refresh the screen. This is similar to typing @kbd{C-L}.
27962 @item tui reg @var{group}
27964 Changes the register group displayed in the tui register window to
27965 @var{group}. If the register window is not currently displayed this
27966 command will cause the register window to be displayed. The list of
27967 register groups, as well as their order is target specific. The
27968 following groups are available on most targets:
27971 Repeatedly selecting this group will cause the display to cycle
27972 through all of the available register groups.
27975 Repeatedly selecting this group will cause the display to cycle
27976 through all of the available register groups in the reverse order to
27980 Display the general registers.
27982 Display the floating point registers.
27984 Display the system registers.
27986 Display the vector registers.
27988 Display all registers.
27993 Update the source window and the current execution point.
27995 @item winheight @var{name} +@var{count}
27996 @itemx winheight @var{name} -@var{count}
27998 Change the height of the window @var{name} by @var{count}
27999 lines. Positive counts increase the height, while negative counts
28000 decrease it. The @var{name} parameter can be one of @code{src} (the
28001 source window), @code{cmd} (the command window), @code{asm} (the
28002 disassembly window), or @code{regs} (the register display window).
28005 @node TUI Configuration
28006 @section TUI Configuration Variables
28007 @cindex TUI configuration variables
28009 Several configuration variables control the appearance of TUI windows.
28012 @item set tui border-kind @var{kind}
28013 @kindex set tui border-kind
28014 Select the border appearance for the source, assembly and register windows.
28015 The possible values are the following:
28018 Use a space character to draw the border.
28021 Use @sc{ascii} characters @samp{+}, @samp{-} and @samp{|} to draw the border.
28024 Use the Alternate Character Set to draw the border. The border is
28025 drawn using character line graphics if the terminal supports them.
28028 @item set tui border-mode @var{mode}
28029 @kindex set tui border-mode
28030 @itemx set tui active-border-mode @var{mode}
28031 @kindex set tui active-border-mode
28032 Select the display attributes for the borders of the inactive windows
28033 or the active window. The @var{mode} can be one of the following:
28036 Use normal attributes to display the border.
28042 Use reverse video mode.
28045 Use half bright mode.
28047 @item half-standout
28048 Use half bright and standout mode.
28051 Use extra bright or bold mode.
28053 @item bold-standout
28054 Use extra bright or bold and standout mode.
28057 @item set tui tab-width @var{nchars}
28058 @kindex set tui tab-width
28060 Set the width of tab stops to be @var{nchars} characters. This
28061 setting affects the display of TAB characters in the source and
28064 @item set tui compact-source @r{[}on@r{|}off@r{]}
28065 @kindex set tui compact-source
28066 Set whether the TUI source window is displayed in ``compact'' form.
28067 The default display uses more space for line numbers and starts the
28068 source text at the next tab stop; the compact display uses only as
28069 much space as is needed for the line numbers in the current file, and
28070 only a single space to separate the line numbers from the source.
28073 Note that the colors of the TUI borders can be controlled using the
28074 appropriate @code{set style} commands. @xref{Output Styling}.
28077 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
28080 @cindex @sc{gnu} Emacs
28081 A special interface allows you to use @sc{gnu} Emacs to view (and
28082 edit) the source files for the program you are debugging with
28085 To use this interface, use the command @kbd{M-x gdb} in Emacs. Give the
28086 executable file you want to debug as an argument. This command starts
28087 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess of Emacs, with input and output through a newly
28088 created Emacs buffer.
28089 @c (Do not use the @code{-tui} option to run @value{GDBN} from Emacs.)
28091 Running @value{GDBN} under Emacs can be just like running @value{GDBN} normally except for two
28096 All ``terminal'' input and output goes through an Emacs buffer, called
28099 This applies both to @value{GDBN} commands and their output, and to the input
28100 and output done by the program you are debugging.
28102 This is useful because it means that you can copy the text of previous
28103 commands and input them again; you can even use parts of the output
28106 All the facilities of Emacs' Shell mode are available for interacting
28107 with your program. In particular, you can send signals the usual
28108 way---for example, @kbd{C-c C-c} for an interrupt, @kbd{C-c C-z} for a
28112 @value{GDBN} displays source code through Emacs.
28114 Each time @value{GDBN} displays a stack frame, Emacs automatically finds the
28115 source file for that frame and puts an arrow (@samp{=>}) at the
28116 left margin of the current line. Emacs uses a separate buffer for
28117 source display, and splits the screen to show both your @value{GDBN} session
28120 Explicit @value{GDBN} @code{list} or search commands still produce output as
28121 usual, but you probably have no reason to use them from Emacs.
28124 We call this @dfn{text command mode}. Emacs 22.1, and later, also uses
28125 a graphical mode, enabled by default, which provides further buffers
28126 that can control the execution and describe the state of your program.
28127 @xref{GDB Graphical Interface,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}.
28129 If you specify an absolute file name when prompted for the @kbd{M-x
28130 gdb} argument, then Emacs sets your current working directory to where
28131 your program resides. If you only specify the file name, then Emacs
28132 sets your current working directory to the directory associated
28133 with the previous buffer. In this case, @value{GDBN} may find your
28134 program by searching your environment's @code{PATH} variable, but on
28135 some operating systems it might not find the source. So, although the
28136 @value{GDBN} input and output session proceeds normally, the auxiliary
28137 buffer does not display the current source and line of execution.
28139 The initial working directory of @value{GDBN} is printed on the top
28140 line of the GUD buffer and this serves as a default for the commands
28141 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files,
28142 ,Commands to Specify Files}.
28144 By default, @kbd{M-x gdb} calls the program called @file{gdb}. If you
28145 need to call @value{GDBN} by a different name (for example, if you
28146 keep several configurations around, with different names) you can
28147 customize the Emacs variable @code{gud-gdb-command-name} to run the
28150 In the GUD buffer, you can use these special Emacs commands in
28151 addition to the standard Shell mode commands:
28155 Describe the features of Emacs' GUD Mode.
28158 Execute to another source line, like the @value{GDBN} @code{step} command; also
28159 update the display window to show the current file and location.
28162 Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function
28163 calls, like the @value{GDBN} @code{next} command. Then update the display window
28164 to show the current file and location.
28167 Execute one instruction, like the @value{GDBN} @code{stepi} command; update
28168 display window accordingly.
28171 Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the @value{GDBN}
28172 @code{finish} command.
28175 Continue execution of your program, like the @value{GDBN} @code{continue}
28179 Go up the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument
28180 (@pxref{Arguments, , Numeric Arguments, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}),
28181 like the @value{GDBN} @code{up} command.
28184 Go down the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument, like the
28185 @value{GDBN} @code{down} command.
28188 In any source file, the Emacs command @kbd{C-x @key{SPC}} (@code{gud-break})
28189 tells @value{GDBN} to set a breakpoint on the source line point is on.
28191 In text command mode, if you type @kbd{M-x speedbar}, Emacs displays a
28192 separate frame which shows a backtrace when the GUD buffer is current.
28193 Move point to any frame in the stack and type @key{RET} to make it
28194 become the current frame and display the associated source in the
28195 source buffer. Alternatively, click @kbd{Mouse-2} to make the
28196 selected frame become the current one. In graphical mode, the
28197 speedbar displays watch expressions.
28199 If you accidentally delete the source-display buffer, an easy way to get
28200 it back is to type the command @code{f} in the @value{GDBN} buffer, to
28201 request a frame display; when you run under Emacs, this recreates
28202 the source buffer if necessary to show you the context of the current
28205 The source files displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buffers
28206 which are visiting the source files in the usual way. You can edit
28207 the files with these buffers if you wish; but keep in mind that @value{GDBN}
28208 communicates with Emacs in terms of line numbers. If you add or
28209 delete lines from the text, the line numbers that @value{GDBN} knows cease
28210 to correspond properly with the code.
28212 A more detailed description of Emacs' interaction with @value{GDBN} is
28213 given in the Emacs manual (@pxref{Debuggers,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu}
28217 @chapter The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface
28219 @unnumberedsec Function and Purpose
28221 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, its purpose
28222 @sc{gdb/mi} is a line based machine oriented text interface to
28223 @value{GDBN} and is activated by specifying using the
28224 @option{--interpreter} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}). It
28225 is specifically intended to support the development of systems which
28226 use the debugger as just one small component of a larger system.
28228 This chapter is a specification of the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. It is written
28229 in the form of a reference manual.
28231 Note that @sc{gdb/mi} is still under construction, so some of the
28232 features described below are incomplete and subject to change
28233 (@pxref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, , @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends}).
28235 @unnumberedsec Notation and Terminology
28237 @cindex notational conventions, for @sc{gdb/mi}
28238 This chapter uses the following notation:
28242 @code{|} separates two alternatives.
28245 @code{[ @var{something} ]} indicates that @var{something} is optional:
28246 it may or may not be given.
28249 @code{( @var{group} )*} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
28250 may repeat zero or more times.
28253 @code{( @var{group} )+} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
28254 may repeat one or more times.
28257 @code{"@var{string}"} means a literal @var{string}.
28261 @heading Dependencies
28265 * GDB/MI General Design::
28266 * GDB/MI Command Syntax::
28267 * GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI::
28268 * GDB/MI Development and Front Ends::
28269 * GDB/MI Output Records::
28270 * GDB/MI Simple Examples::
28271 * GDB/MI Command Description Format::
28272 * GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands::
28273 * GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands::
28274 * GDB/MI Program Context::
28275 * GDB/MI Thread Commands::
28276 * GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands::
28277 * GDB/MI Program Execution::
28278 * GDB/MI Stack Manipulation::
28279 * GDB/MI Variable Objects::
28280 * GDB/MI Data Manipulation::
28281 * GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands::
28282 * GDB/MI Symbol Query::
28283 * GDB/MI File Commands::
28285 * GDB/MI Kod Commands::
28286 * GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands::
28287 * GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands::
28289 * GDB/MI Target Manipulation::
28290 * GDB/MI File Transfer Commands::
28291 * GDB/MI Ada Exceptions Commands::
28292 * GDB/MI Support Commands::
28293 * GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands::
28296 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28297 @node GDB/MI General Design
28298 @section @sc{gdb/mi} General Design
28299 @cindex GDB/MI General Design
28301 Interaction of a @sc{GDB/MI} frontend with @value{GDBN} involves three
28302 parts---commands sent to @value{GDBN}, responses to those commands
28303 and notifications. Each command results in exactly one response,
28304 indicating either successful completion of the command, or an error.
28305 For the commands that do not resume the target, the response contains the
28306 requested information. For the commands that resume the target, the
28307 response only indicates whether the target was successfully resumed.
28308 Notifications is the mechanism for reporting changes in the state of the
28309 target, or in @value{GDBN} state, that cannot conveniently be associated with
28310 a command and reported as part of that command response.
28312 The important examples of notifications are:
28316 Exec notifications. These are used to report changes in
28317 target state---when a target is resumed, or stopped. It would not
28318 be feasible to include this information in response of resuming
28319 commands, because one resume commands can result in multiple events in
28320 different threads. Also, quite some time may pass before any event
28321 happens in the target, while a frontend needs to know whether the resuming
28322 command itself was successfully executed.
28325 Console output, and status notifications. Console output
28326 notifications are used to report output of CLI commands, as well as
28327 diagnostics for other commands. Status notifications are used to
28328 report the progress of a long-running operation. Naturally, including
28329 this information in command response would mean no output is produced
28330 until the command is finished, which is undesirable.
28333 General notifications. Commands may have various side effects on
28334 the @value{GDBN} or target state beyond their official purpose. For example,
28335 a command may change the selected thread. Although such changes can
28336 be included in command response, using notification allows for more
28337 orthogonal frontend design.
28341 There's no guarantee that whenever an MI command reports an error,
28342 @value{GDBN} or the target are in any specific state, and especially,
28343 the state is not reverted to the state before the MI command was
28344 processed. Therefore, whenever an MI command results in an error,
28345 we recommend that the frontend refreshes all the information shown in
28346 the user interface.
28350 * Context management::
28351 * Asynchronous and non-stop modes::
28355 @node Context management
28356 @subsection Context management
28358 @subsubsection Threads and Frames
28360 In most cases when @value{GDBN} accesses the target, this access is
28361 done in context of a specific thread and frame (@pxref{Frames}).
28362 Often, even when accessing global data, the target requires that a thread
28363 be specified. The CLI interface maintains the selected thread and frame,
28364 and supplies them to target on each command. This is convenient,
28365 because a command line user would not want to specify that information
28366 explicitly on each command, and because user interacts with
28367 @value{GDBN} via a single terminal, so no confusion is possible as
28368 to what thread and frame are the current ones.
28370 In the case of MI, the concept of selected thread and frame is less
28371 useful. First, a frontend can easily remember this information
28372 itself. Second, a graphical frontend can have more than one window,
28373 each one used for debugging a different thread, and the frontend might
28374 want to access additional threads for internal purposes. This
28375 increases the risk that by relying on implicitly selected thread, the
28376 frontend may be operating on a wrong one. Therefore, each MI command
28377 should explicitly specify which thread and frame to operate on. To
28378 make it possible, each MI command accepts the @samp{--thread} and
28379 @samp{--frame} options, the value to each is @value{GDBN} global
28380 identifier for thread and frame to operate on.
28382 Usually, each top-level window in a frontend allows the user to select
28383 a thread and a frame, and remembers the user selection for further
28384 operations. However, in some cases @value{GDBN} may suggest that the
28385 current thread or frame be changed. For example, when stopping on a
28386 breakpoint it is reasonable to switch to the thread where breakpoint is
28387 hit. For another example, if the user issues the CLI @samp{thread} or
28388 @samp{frame} commands via the frontend, it is desirable to change the
28389 frontend's selection to the one specified by user. @value{GDBN}
28390 communicates the suggestion to change current thread and frame using the
28391 @samp{=thread-selected} notification.
28393 Note that historically, MI shares the selected thread with CLI, so
28394 frontends used the @code{-thread-select} to execute commands in the
28395 right context. However, getting this to work right is cumbersome. The
28396 simplest way is for frontend to emit @code{-thread-select} command
28397 before every command. This doubles the number of commands that need
28398 to be sent. The alternative approach is to suppress @code{-thread-select}
28399 if the selected thread in @value{GDBN} is supposed to be identical to the
28400 thread the frontend wants to operate on. However, getting this
28401 optimization right can be tricky. In particular, if the frontend
28402 sends several commands to @value{GDBN}, and one of the commands changes the
28403 selected thread, then the behaviour of subsequent commands will
28404 change. So, a frontend should either wait for response from such
28405 problematic commands, or explicitly add @code{-thread-select} for
28406 all subsequent commands. No frontend is known to do this exactly
28407 right, so it is suggested to just always pass the @samp{--thread} and
28408 @samp{--frame} options.
28410 @subsubsection Language
28412 The execution of several commands depends on which language is selected.
28413 By default, the current language (@pxref{show language}) is used.
28414 But for commands known to be language-sensitive, it is recommended
28415 to use the @samp{--language} option. This option takes one argument,
28416 which is the name of the language to use while executing the command.
28420 -data-evaluate-expression --language c "sizeof (void*)"
28425 The valid language names are the same names accepted by the
28426 @samp{set language} command (@pxref{Manually}), excluding @samp{auto},
28427 @samp{local} or @samp{unknown}.
28429 @node Asynchronous and non-stop modes
28430 @subsection Asynchronous command execution and non-stop mode
28432 On some targets, @value{GDBN} is capable of processing MI commands
28433 even while the target is running. This is called @dfn{asynchronous
28434 command execution} (@pxref{Background Execution}). The frontend may
28435 specify a preference for asynchronous execution using the
28436 @code{-gdb-set mi-async 1} command, which should be emitted before
28437 either running the executable or attaching to the target. After the
28438 frontend has started the executable or attached to the target, it can
28439 find if asynchronous execution is enabled using the
28440 @code{-list-target-features} command.
28443 @item -gdb-set mi-async on
28444 @item -gdb-set mi-async off
28445 Set whether MI is in asynchronous mode.
28447 When @code{off}, which is the default, MI execution commands (e.g.,
28448 @code{-exec-continue}) are foreground commands, and @value{GDBN} waits
28449 for the program to stop before processing further commands.
28451 When @code{on}, MI execution commands are background execution
28452 commands (e.g., @code{-exec-continue} becomes the equivalent of the
28453 @code{c&} CLI command), and so @value{GDBN} is capable of processing
28454 MI commands even while the target is running.
28456 @item -gdb-show mi-async
28457 Show whether MI asynchronous mode is enabled.
28460 Note: In @value{GDBN} version 7.7 and earlier, this option was called
28461 @code{target-async} instead of @code{mi-async}, and it had the effect
28462 of both putting MI in asynchronous mode and making CLI background
28463 commands possible. CLI background commands are now always possible
28464 ``out of the box'' if the target supports them. The old spelling is
28465 kept as a deprecated alias for backwards compatibility.
28467 Even if @value{GDBN} can accept a command while target is running,
28468 many commands that access the target do not work when the target is
28469 running. Therefore, asynchronous command execution is most useful
28470 when combined with non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}). Then,
28471 it is possible to examine the state of one thread, while other threads
28474 When a given thread is running, MI commands that try to access the
28475 target in the context of that thread may not work, or may work only on
28476 some targets. In particular, commands that try to operate on thread's
28477 stack will not work, on any target. Commands that read memory, or
28478 modify breakpoints, may work or not work, depending on the target. Note
28479 that even commands that operate on global state, such as @code{print},
28480 @code{set}, and breakpoint commands, still access the target in the
28481 context of a specific thread, so frontend should try to find a
28482 stopped thread and perform the operation on that thread (using the
28483 @samp{--thread} option).
28485 Which commands will work in the context of a running thread is
28486 highly target dependent. However, the two commands
28487 @code{-exec-interrupt}, to stop a thread, and @code{-thread-info},
28488 to find the state of a thread, will always work.
28490 @node Thread groups
28491 @subsection Thread groups
28492 @value{GDBN} may be used to debug several processes at the same time.
28493 On some platforms, @value{GDBN} may support debugging of several
28494 hardware systems, each one having several cores with several different
28495 processes running on each core. This section describes the MI
28496 mechanism to support such debugging scenarios.
28498 The key observation is that regardless of the structure of the
28499 target, MI can have a global list of threads, because most commands that
28500 accept the @samp{--thread} option do not need to know what process that
28501 thread belongs to. Therefore, it is not necessary to introduce
28502 neither additional @samp{--process} option, nor an notion of the
28503 current process in the MI interface. The only strictly new feature
28504 that is required is the ability to find how the threads are grouped
28507 To allow the user to discover such grouping, and to support arbitrary
28508 hierarchy of machines/cores/processes, MI introduces the concept of a
28509 @dfn{thread group}. Thread group is a collection of threads and other
28510 thread groups. A thread group always has a string identifier, a type,
28511 and may have additional attributes specific to the type. A new
28512 command, @code{-list-thread-groups}, returns the list of top-level
28513 thread groups, which correspond to processes that @value{GDBN} is
28514 debugging at the moment. By passing an identifier of a thread group
28515 to the @code{-list-thread-groups} command, it is possible to obtain
28516 the members of specific thread group.
28518 To allow the user to easily discover processes, and other objects, he
28519 wishes to debug, a concept of @dfn{available thread group} is
28520 introduced. Available thread group is an thread group that
28521 @value{GDBN} is not debugging, but that can be attached to, using the
28522 @code{-target-attach} command. The list of available top-level thread
28523 groups can be obtained using @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}.
28524 In general, the content of a thread group may be only retrieved only
28525 after attaching to that thread group.
28527 Thread groups are related to inferiors (@pxref{Inferiors and
28528 Programs}). Each inferior corresponds to a thread group of a special
28529 type @samp{process}, and some additional operations are permitted on
28530 such thread groups.
28532 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28533 @node GDB/MI Command Syntax
28534 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Syntax
28537 * GDB/MI Input Syntax::
28538 * GDB/MI Output Syntax::
28541 @node GDB/MI Input Syntax
28542 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Input Syntax
28544 @cindex input syntax for @sc{gdb/mi}
28545 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, input syntax
28547 @item @var{command} @expansion{}
28548 @code{@var{cli-command} | @var{mi-command}}
28550 @item @var{cli-command} @expansion{}
28551 @code{[ @var{token} ] @var{cli-command} @var{nl}}, where
28552 @var{cli-command} is any existing @value{GDBN} CLI command.
28554 @item @var{mi-command} @expansion{}
28555 @code{[ @var{token} ] "-" @var{operation} ( " " @var{option} )*
28556 @code{[} " --" @code{]} ( " " @var{parameter} )* @var{nl}}
28558 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
28559 "any sequence of digits"
28561 @item @var{option} @expansion{}
28562 @code{"-" @var{parameter} [ " " @var{parameter} ]}
28564 @item @var{parameter} @expansion{}
28565 @code{@var{non-blank-sequence} | @var{c-string}}
28567 @item @var{operation} @expansion{}
28568 @emph{any of the operations described in this chapter}
28570 @item @var{non-blank-sequence} @expansion{}
28571 @emph{anything, provided it doesn't contain special characters such as
28572 "-", @var{nl}, """ and of course " "}
28574 @item @var{c-string} @expansion{}
28575 @code{""" @var{seven-bit-iso-c-string-content} """}
28577 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
28586 The CLI commands are still handled by the @sc{mi} interpreter; their
28587 output is described below.
28590 The @code{@var{token}}, when present, is passed back when the command
28594 Some @sc{mi} commands accept optional arguments as part of the parameter
28595 list. Each option is identified by a leading @samp{-} (dash) and may be
28596 followed by an optional argument parameter. Options occur first in the
28597 parameter list and can be delimited from normal parameters using
28598 @samp{--} (this is useful when some parameters begin with a dash).
28605 We want easy access to the existing CLI syntax (for debugging).
28608 We want it to be easy to spot a @sc{mi} operation.
28611 @node GDB/MI Output Syntax
28612 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax
28614 @cindex output syntax of @sc{gdb/mi}
28615 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, output syntax
28616 The output from @sc{gdb/mi} consists of zero or more out-of-band records
28617 followed, optionally, by a single result record. This result record
28618 is for the most recent command. The sequence of output records is
28619 terminated by @samp{(gdb)}.
28621 If an input command was prefixed with a @code{@var{token}} then the
28622 corresponding output for that command will also be prefixed by that same
28626 @item @var{output} @expansion{}
28627 @code{( @var{out-of-band-record} )* [ @var{result-record} ] "(gdb)" @var{nl}}
28629 @item @var{result-record} @expansion{}
28630 @code{ [ @var{token} ] "^" @var{result-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
28632 @item @var{out-of-band-record} @expansion{}
28633 @code{@var{async-record} | @var{stream-record}}
28635 @item @var{async-record} @expansion{}
28636 @code{@var{exec-async-output} | @var{status-async-output} | @var{notify-async-output}}
28638 @item @var{exec-async-output} @expansion{}
28639 @code{[ @var{token} ] "*" @var{async-output nl}}
28641 @item @var{status-async-output} @expansion{}
28642 @code{[ @var{token} ] "+" @var{async-output nl}}
28644 @item @var{notify-async-output} @expansion{}
28645 @code{[ @var{token} ] "=" @var{async-output nl}}
28647 @item @var{async-output} @expansion{}
28648 @code{@var{async-class} ( "," @var{result} )*}
28650 @item @var{result-class} @expansion{}
28651 @code{"done" | "running" | "connected" | "error" | "exit"}
28653 @item @var{async-class} @expansion{}
28654 @code{"stopped" | @var{others}} (where @var{others} will be added
28655 depending on the needs---this is still in development).
28657 @item @var{result} @expansion{}
28658 @code{ @var{variable} "=" @var{value}}
28660 @item @var{variable} @expansion{}
28661 @code{ @var{string} }
28663 @item @var{value} @expansion{}
28664 @code{ @var{const} | @var{tuple} | @var{list} }
28666 @item @var{const} @expansion{}
28667 @code{@var{c-string}}
28669 @item @var{tuple} @expansion{}
28670 @code{ "@{@}" | "@{" @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "@}" }
28672 @item @var{list} @expansion{}
28673 @code{ "[]" | "[" @var{value} ( "," @var{value} )* "]" | "["
28674 @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "]" }
28676 @item @var{stream-record} @expansion{}
28677 @code{@var{console-stream-output} | @var{target-stream-output} | @var{log-stream-output}}
28679 @item @var{console-stream-output} @expansion{}
28680 @code{"~" @var{c-string nl}}
28682 @item @var{target-stream-output} @expansion{}
28683 @code{"@@" @var{c-string nl}}
28685 @item @var{log-stream-output} @expansion{}
28686 @code{"&" @var{c-string nl}}
28688 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
28691 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
28692 @emph{any sequence of digits}.
28700 All output sequences end in a single line containing a period.
28703 The @code{@var{token}} is from the corresponding request. Note that
28704 for all async output, while the token is allowed by the grammar and
28705 may be output by future versions of @value{GDBN} for select async
28706 output messages, it is generally omitted. Frontends should treat
28707 all async output as reporting general changes in the state of the
28708 target and there should be no need to associate async output to any
28712 @cindex status output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28713 @var{status-async-output} contains on-going status information about the
28714 progress of a slow operation. It can be discarded. All status output is
28715 prefixed by @samp{+}.
28718 @cindex async output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28719 @var{exec-async-output} contains asynchronous state change on the target
28720 (stopped, started, disappeared). All async output is prefixed by
28724 @cindex notify output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28725 @var{notify-async-output} contains supplementary information that the
28726 client should handle (e.g., a new breakpoint information). All notify
28727 output is prefixed by @samp{=}.
28730 @cindex console output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28731 @var{console-stream-output} is output that should be displayed as is in the
28732 console. It is the textual response to a CLI command. All the console
28733 output is prefixed by @samp{~}.
28736 @cindex target output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28737 @var{target-stream-output} is the output produced by the target program.
28738 All the target output is prefixed by @samp{@@}.
28741 @cindex log output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28742 @var{log-stream-output} is output text coming from @value{GDBN}'s internals, for
28743 instance messages that should be displayed as part of an error log. All
28744 the log output is prefixed by @samp{&}.
28747 @cindex list output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28748 New @sc{gdb/mi} commands should only output @var{lists} containing
28754 @xref{GDB/MI Stream Records, , @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records}, for more
28755 details about the various output records.
28757 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28758 @node GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI
28759 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Compatibility with CLI
28761 @cindex compatibility, @sc{gdb/mi} and CLI
28762 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, compatibility with CLI
28764 For the developers convenience CLI commands can be entered directly,
28765 but there may be some unexpected behaviour. For example, commands
28766 that query the user will behave as if the user replied yes, breakpoint
28767 command lists are not executed and some CLI commands, such as
28768 @code{if}, @code{when} and @code{define}, prompt for further input with
28769 @samp{>}, which is not valid MI output.
28771 This feature may be removed at some stage in the future and it is
28772 recommended that front ends use the @code{-interpreter-exec} command
28773 (@pxref{-interpreter-exec}).
28775 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28776 @node GDB/MI Development and Front Ends
28777 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends
28778 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi} development
28780 The application which takes the MI output and presents the state of the
28781 program being debugged to the user is called a @dfn{front end}.
28783 Since @sc{gdb/mi} is used by a variety of front ends to @value{GDBN}, changes
28784 to the MI interface may break existing usage. This section describes how the
28785 protocol changes and how to request previous version of the protocol when it
28788 Some changes in MI need not break a carefully designed front end, and
28789 for these the MI version will remain unchanged. The following is a
28790 list of changes that may occur within one level, so front ends should
28791 parse MI output in a way that can handle them:
28795 New MI commands may be added.
28798 New fields may be added to the output of any MI command.
28801 The range of values for fields with specified values, e.g.,
28802 @code{in_scope} (@pxref{-var-update}) may be extended.
28804 @c The format of field's content e.g type prefix, may change so parse it
28805 @c at your own risk. Yes, in general?
28807 @c The order of fields may change? Shouldn't really matter but it might
28808 @c resolve inconsistencies.
28811 If the changes are likely to break front ends, the MI version level
28812 will be increased by one. The new versions of the MI protocol are not compatible
28813 with the old versions. Old versions of MI remain available, allowing front ends
28814 to keep using them until they are modified to use the latest MI version.
28816 Since @code{--interpreter=mi} always points to the latest MI version, it is
28817 recommended that front ends request a specific version of MI when launching
28818 @value{GDBN} (e.g. @code{--interpreter=mi2}) to make sure they get an
28819 interpreter with the MI version they expect.
28821 The following table gives a summary of the the released versions of the MI
28822 interface: the version number, the version of GDB in which it first appeared
28823 and the breaking changes compared to the previous version.
28825 @multitable @columnfractions .05 .05 .9
28826 @headitem MI version @tab GDB version @tab Breaking changes
28843 The @code{-environment-pwd}, @code{-environment-directory} and
28844 @code{-environment-path} commands now returns values using the MI output
28845 syntax, rather than CLI output syntax.
28848 @code{-var-list-children}'s @code{children} result field is now a list, rather
28852 @code{-var-update}'s @code{changelist} result field is now a list, rather than
28864 The output of information about multi-location breakpoints has changed in the
28865 responses to the @code{-break-insert} and @code{-break-info} commands, as well
28866 as in the @code{=breakpoint-created} and @code{=breakpoint-modified} events.
28867 The multiple locations are now placed in a @code{locations} field, whose value
28873 If your front end cannot yet migrate to a more recent version of the
28874 MI protocol, you can nevertheless selectively enable specific features
28875 available in those recent MI versions, using the following commands:
28879 @item -fix-multi-location-breakpoint-output
28880 Use the output for multi-location breakpoints which was introduced by
28881 MI 3, even when using MI versions 2 or 1. This command has no
28882 effect when using MI version 3 or later.
28886 The best way to avoid unexpected changes in MI that might break your front
28887 end is to make your project known to @value{GDBN} developers and
28888 follow development on @email{gdb@@sourceware.org} and
28889 @email{gdb-patches@@sourceware.org}.
28890 @cindex mailing lists
28892 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28893 @node GDB/MI Output Records
28894 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Output Records
28897 * GDB/MI Result Records::
28898 * GDB/MI Stream Records::
28899 * GDB/MI Async Records::
28900 * GDB/MI Breakpoint Information::
28901 * GDB/MI Frame Information::
28902 * GDB/MI Thread Information::
28903 * GDB/MI Ada Exception Information::
28906 @node GDB/MI Result Records
28907 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Result Records
28909 @cindex result records in @sc{gdb/mi}
28910 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, result records
28911 In addition to a number of out-of-band notifications, the response to a
28912 @sc{gdb/mi} command includes one of the following result indications:
28916 @item "^done" [ "," @var{results} ]
28917 The synchronous operation was successful, @code{@var{results}} are the return
28922 This result record is equivalent to @samp{^done}. Historically, it
28923 was output instead of @samp{^done} if the command has resumed the
28924 target. This behaviour is maintained for backward compatibility, but
28925 all frontends should treat @samp{^done} and @samp{^running}
28926 identically and rely on the @samp{*running} output record to determine
28927 which threads are resumed.
28931 @value{GDBN} has connected to a remote target.
28933 @item "^error" "," "msg=" @var{c-string} [ "," "code=" @var{c-string} ]
28935 The operation failed. The @code{msg=@var{c-string}} variable contains
28936 the corresponding error message.
28938 If present, the @code{code=@var{c-string}} variable provides an error
28939 code on which consumers can rely on to detect the corresponding
28940 error condition. At present, only one error code is defined:
28943 @item "undefined-command"
28944 Indicates that the command causing the error does not exist.
28949 @value{GDBN} has terminated.
28953 @node GDB/MI Stream Records
28954 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records
28956 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, stream records
28957 @cindex stream records in @sc{gdb/mi}
28958 @value{GDBN} internally maintains a number of output streams: the console, the
28959 target, and the log. The output intended for each of these streams is
28960 funneled through the @sc{gdb/mi} interface using @dfn{stream records}.
28962 Each stream record begins with a unique @dfn{prefix character} which
28963 identifies its stream (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, , @sc{gdb/mi} Output
28964 Syntax}). In addition to the prefix, each stream record contains a
28965 @code{@var{string-output}}. This is either raw text (with an implicit new
28966 line) or a quoted C string (which does not contain an implicit newline).
28969 @item "~" @var{string-output}
28970 The console output stream contains text that should be displayed in the
28971 CLI console window. It contains the textual responses to CLI commands.
28973 @item "@@" @var{string-output}
28974 The target output stream contains any textual output from the running
28975 target. This is only present when GDB's event loop is truly
28976 asynchronous, which is currently only the case for remote targets.
28978 @item "&" @var{string-output}
28979 The log stream contains debugging messages being produced by @value{GDBN}'s
28983 @node GDB/MI Async Records
28984 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Async Records
28986 @cindex async records in @sc{gdb/mi}
28987 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, async records
28988 @dfn{Async} records are used to notify the @sc{gdb/mi} client of
28989 additional changes that have occurred. Those changes can either be a
28990 consequence of @sc{gdb/mi} commands (e.g., a breakpoint modified) or a result of
28991 target activity (e.g., target stopped).
28993 The following is the list of possible async records:
28997 @item *running,thread-id="@var{thread}"
28998 The target is now running. The @var{thread} field can be the global
28999 thread ID of the the thread that is now running, and it can be
29000 @samp{all} if all threads are running. The frontend should assume
29001 that no interaction with a running thread is possible after this
29002 notification is produced. The frontend should not assume that this
29003 notification is output only once for any command. @value{GDBN} may
29004 emit this notification several times, either for different threads,
29005 because it cannot resume all threads together, or even for a single
29006 thread, if the thread must be stepped though some code before letting
29009 @item *stopped,reason="@var{reason}",thread-id="@var{id}",stopped-threads="@var{stopped}",core="@var{core}"
29010 The target has stopped. The @var{reason} field can have one of the
29014 @item breakpoint-hit
29015 A breakpoint was reached.
29016 @item watchpoint-trigger
29017 A watchpoint was triggered.
29018 @item read-watchpoint-trigger
29019 A read watchpoint was triggered.
29020 @item access-watchpoint-trigger
29021 An access watchpoint was triggered.
29022 @item function-finished
29023 An -exec-finish or similar CLI command was accomplished.
29024 @item location-reached
29025 An -exec-until or similar CLI command was accomplished.
29026 @item watchpoint-scope
29027 A watchpoint has gone out of scope.
29028 @item end-stepping-range
29029 An -exec-next, -exec-next-instruction, -exec-step, -exec-step-instruction or
29030 similar CLI command was accomplished.
29031 @item exited-signalled
29032 The inferior exited because of a signal.
29034 The inferior exited.
29035 @item exited-normally
29036 The inferior exited normally.
29037 @item signal-received
29038 A signal was received by the inferior.
29040 The inferior has stopped due to a library being loaded or unloaded.
29041 This can happen when @code{stop-on-solib-events} (@pxref{Files}) is
29042 set or when a @code{catch load} or @code{catch unload} catchpoint is
29043 in use (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}).
29045 The inferior has forked. This is reported when @code{catch fork}
29046 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29048 The inferior has vforked. This is reported in when @code{catch vfork}
29049 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29050 @item syscall-entry
29051 The inferior entered a system call. This is reported when @code{catch
29052 syscall} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29053 @item syscall-return
29054 The inferior returned from a system call. This is reported when
29055 @code{catch syscall} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29057 The inferior called @code{exec}. This is reported when @code{catch exec}
29058 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29061 The @var{id} field identifies the global thread ID of the thread
29062 that directly caused the stop -- for example by hitting a breakpoint.
29063 Depending on whether all-stop
29064 mode is in effect (@pxref{All-Stop Mode}), @value{GDBN} may either
29065 stop all threads, or only the thread that directly triggered the stop.
29066 If all threads are stopped, the @var{stopped} field will have the
29067 value of @code{"all"}. Otherwise, the value of the @var{stopped}
29068 field will be a list of thread identifiers. Presently, this list will
29069 always include a single thread, but frontend should be prepared to see
29070 several threads in the list. The @var{core} field reports the
29071 processor core on which the stop event has happened. This field may be absent
29072 if such information is not available.
29074 @item =thread-group-added,id="@var{id}"
29075 @itemx =thread-group-removed,id="@var{id}"
29076 A thread group was either added or removed. The @var{id} field
29077 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. When a thread
29078 group is added, it generally might not be associated with a running
29079 process. When a thread group is removed, its id becomes invalid and
29080 cannot be used in any way.
29082 @item =thread-group-started,id="@var{id}",pid="@var{pid}"
29083 A thread group became associated with a running program,
29084 either because the program was just started or the thread group
29085 was attached to a program. The @var{id} field contains the
29086 @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. The @var{pid} field
29087 contains process identifier, specific to the operating system.
29089 @item =thread-group-exited,id="@var{id}"[,exit-code="@var{code}"]
29090 A thread group is no longer associated with a running program,
29091 either because the program has exited, or because it was detached
29092 from. The @var{id} field contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the
29093 thread group. The @var{code} field is the exit code of the inferior; it exists
29094 only when the inferior exited with some code.
29096 @item =thread-created,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
29097 @itemx =thread-exited,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
29098 A thread either was created, or has exited. The @var{id} field
29099 contains the global @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread. The @var{gid}
29100 field identifies the thread group this thread belongs to.
29102 @item =thread-selected,id="@var{id}"[,frame="@var{frame}"]
29103 Informs that the selected thread or frame were changed. This notification
29104 is not emitted as result of the @code{-thread-select} or
29105 @code{-stack-select-frame} commands, but is emitted whenever an MI command
29106 that is not documented to change the selected thread and frame actually
29107 changes them. In particular, invoking, directly or indirectly
29108 (via user-defined command), the CLI @code{thread} or @code{frame} commands,
29109 will generate this notification. Changing the thread or frame from another
29110 user interface (see @ref{Interpreters}) will also generate this notification.
29112 The @var{frame} field is only present if the newly selected thread is
29113 stopped. See @ref{GDB/MI Frame Information} for the format of its value.
29115 We suggest that in response to this notification, front ends
29116 highlight the selected thread and cause subsequent commands to apply to
29119 @item =library-loaded,...
29120 Reports that a new library file was loaded by the program. This
29121 notification has 5 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name},
29122 @var{host-name}, @var{symbols-loaded} and @var{ranges}. The @var{id} field is an
29123 opaque identifier of the library. For remote debugging case,
29124 @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} fields give the name of the
29125 library file on the target, and on the host respectively. For native
29126 debugging, both those fields have the same value. The
29127 @var{symbols-loaded} field is emitted only for backward compatibility
29128 and should not be relied on to convey any useful information. The
29129 @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the thread
29130 group in whose context the library was loaded. If the field is
29131 absent, it means the library was loaded in the context of all present
29132 thread groups. The @var{ranges} field specifies the ranges of addresses belonging
29135 @item =library-unloaded,...
29136 Reports that a library was unloaded by the program. This notification
29137 has 3 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} with
29138 the same meaning as for the @code{=library-loaded} notification.
29139 The @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the
29140 thread group in whose context the library was unloaded. If the field is
29141 absent, it means the library was unloaded in the context of all present
29144 @item =traceframe-changed,num=@var{tfnum},tracepoint=@var{tpnum}
29145 @itemx =traceframe-changed,end
29146 Reports that the trace frame was changed and its new number is
29147 @var{tfnum}. The number of the tracepoint associated with this trace
29148 frame is @var{tpnum}.
29150 @item =tsv-created,name=@var{name},initial=@var{initial}
29151 Reports that the new trace state variable @var{name} is created with
29152 initial value @var{initial}.
29154 @item =tsv-deleted,name=@var{name}
29155 @itemx =tsv-deleted
29156 Reports that the trace state variable @var{name} is deleted or all
29157 trace state variables are deleted.
29159 @item =tsv-modified,name=@var{name},initial=@var{initial}[,current=@var{current}]
29160 Reports that the trace state variable @var{name} is modified with
29161 the initial value @var{initial}. The current value @var{current} of
29162 trace state variable is optional and is reported if the current
29163 value of trace state variable is known.
29165 @item =breakpoint-created,bkpt=@{...@}
29166 @itemx =breakpoint-modified,bkpt=@{...@}
29167 @itemx =breakpoint-deleted,id=@var{number}
29168 Reports that a breakpoint was created, modified, or deleted,
29169 respectively. Only user-visible breakpoints are reported to the MI
29172 The @var{bkpt} argument is of the same form as returned by the various
29173 breakpoint commands; @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands}. The
29174 @var{number} is the ordinal number of the breakpoint.
29176 Note that if a breakpoint is emitted in the result record of a
29177 command, then it will not also be emitted in an async record.
29179 @item =record-started,thread-group="@var{id}",method="@var{method}"[,format="@var{format}"]
29180 @itemx =record-stopped,thread-group="@var{id}"
29181 Execution log recording was either started or stopped on an
29182 inferior. The @var{id} is the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread
29183 group corresponding to the affected inferior.
29185 The @var{method} field indicates the method used to record execution. If the
29186 method in use supports multiple recording formats, @var{format} will be present
29187 and contain the currently used format. @xref{Process Record and Replay},
29188 for existing method and format values.
29190 @item =cmd-param-changed,param=@var{param},value=@var{value}
29191 Reports that a parameter of the command @code{set @var{param}} is
29192 changed to @var{value}. In the multi-word @code{set} command,
29193 the @var{param} is the whole parameter list to @code{set} command.
29194 For example, In command @code{set check type on}, @var{param}
29195 is @code{check type} and @var{value} is @code{on}.
29197 @item =memory-changed,thread-group=@var{id},addr=@var{addr},len=@var{len}[,type="code"]
29198 Reports that bytes from @var{addr} to @var{data} + @var{len} were
29199 written in an inferior. The @var{id} is the identifier of the
29200 thread group corresponding to the affected inferior. The optional
29201 @code{type="code"} part is reported if the memory written to holds
29205 @node GDB/MI Breakpoint Information
29206 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Information
29208 When @value{GDBN} reports information about a breakpoint, a
29209 tracepoint, a watchpoint, or a catchpoint, it uses a tuple with the
29214 The breakpoint number.
29217 The type of the breakpoint. For ordinary breakpoints this will be
29218 @samp{breakpoint}, but many values are possible.
29221 If the type of the breakpoint is @samp{catchpoint}, then this
29222 indicates the exact type of catchpoint.
29225 This is the breakpoint disposition---either @samp{del}, meaning that
29226 the breakpoint will be deleted at the next stop, or @samp{keep},
29227 meaning that the breakpoint will not be deleted.
29230 This indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled, in which case the
29231 value is @samp{y}, or disabled, in which case the value is @samp{n}.
29232 Note that this is not the same as the field @code{enable}.
29235 The address of the breakpoint. This may be a hexidecimal number,
29236 giving the address; or the string @samp{<PENDING>}, for a pending
29237 breakpoint; or the string @samp{<MULTIPLE>}, for a breakpoint with
29238 multiple locations. This field will not be present if no address can
29239 be determined. For example, a watchpoint does not have an address.
29242 Optional field containing any flags related to the address. These flags are
29243 architecture-dependent; see @ref{Architectures} for their meaning for a
29247 If known, the function in which the breakpoint appears.
29248 If not known, this field is not present.
29251 The name of the source file which contains this function, if known.
29252 If not known, this field is not present.
29255 The full file name of the source file which contains this function, if
29256 known. If not known, this field is not present.
29259 The line number at which this breakpoint appears, if known.
29260 If not known, this field is not present.
29263 If the source file is not known, this field may be provided. If
29264 provided, this holds the address of the breakpoint, possibly followed
29268 If this breakpoint is pending, this field is present and holds the
29269 text used to set the breakpoint, as entered by the user.
29272 Where this breakpoint's condition is evaluated, either @samp{host} or
29276 If this is a thread-specific breakpoint, then this identifies the
29277 thread in which the breakpoint can trigger.
29280 If this breakpoint is restricted to a particular Ada task, then this
29281 field will hold the task identifier.
29284 If the breakpoint is conditional, this is the condition expression.
29287 The ignore count of the breakpoint.
29290 The enable count of the breakpoint.
29292 @item traceframe-usage
29295 @item static-tracepoint-marker-string-id
29296 For a static tracepoint, the name of the static tracepoint marker.
29299 For a masked watchpoint, this is the mask.
29302 A tracepoint's pass count.
29304 @item original-location
29305 The location of the breakpoint as originally specified by the user.
29306 This field is optional.
29309 The number of times the breakpoint has been hit.
29312 This field is only given for tracepoints. This is either @samp{y},
29313 meaning that the tracepoint is installed, or @samp{n}, meaning that it
29317 Some extra data, the exact contents of which are type-dependent.
29320 This field is present if the breakpoint has multiple locations. It is also
29321 exceptionally present if the breakpoint is enabled and has a single, disabled
29324 The value is a list of locations. The format of a location is described below.
29328 A location in a multi-location breakpoint is represented as a tuple with the
29334 The location number as a dotted pair, like @samp{1.2}. The first digit is the
29335 number of the parent breakpoint. The second digit is the number of the
29336 location within that breakpoint.
29339 This indicates whether the location is enabled, in which case the
29340 value is @samp{y}, or disabled, in which case the value is @samp{n}.
29341 Note that this is not the same as the field @code{enable}.
29344 The address of this location as an hexidecimal number.
29347 Optional field containing any flags related to the address. These flags are
29348 architecture-dependent; see @ref{Architectures} for their meaning for a
29352 If known, the function in which the location appears.
29353 If not known, this field is not present.
29356 The name of the source file which contains this location, if known.
29357 If not known, this field is not present.
29360 The full file name of the source file which contains this location, if
29361 known. If not known, this field is not present.
29364 The line number at which this location appears, if known.
29365 If not known, this field is not present.
29367 @item thread-groups
29368 The thread groups this location is in.
29372 For example, here is what the output of @code{-break-insert}
29373 (@pxref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands}) might be:
29376 -> -break-insert main
29377 <- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29378 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
29379 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",thread-groups=["i1"],
29384 @node GDB/MI Frame Information
29385 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Frame Information
29387 Response from many MI commands includes an information about stack
29388 frame. This information is a tuple that may have the following
29393 The level of the stack frame. The innermost frame has the level of
29394 zero. This field is always present.
29397 The name of the function corresponding to the frame. This field may
29398 be absent if @value{GDBN} is unable to determine the function name.
29401 The code address for the frame. This field is always present.
29404 Optional field containing any flags related to the address. These flags are
29405 architecture-dependent; see @ref{Architectures} for their meaning for a
29409 The name of the source files that correspond to the frame's code
29410 address. This field may be absent.
29413 The source line corresponding to the frames' code address. This field
29417 The name of the binary file (either executable or shared library) the
29418 corresponds to the frame's code address. This field may be absent.
29422 @node GDB/MI Thread Information
29423 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Information
29425 Whenever @value{GDBN} has to report an information about a thread, it
29426 uses a tuple with the following fields. The fields are always present unless
29431 The global numeric id assigned to the thread by @value{GDBN}.
29434 The target-specific string identifying the thread.
29437 Additional information about the thread provided by the target.
29438 It is supposed to be human-readable and not interpreted by the
29439 frontend. This field is optional.
29442 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using the
29443 @code{thread name} command, then this name is given. Otherwise, if
29444 @value{GDBN} can extract the thread name from the target, then that
29445 name is given. If @value{GDBN} cannot find the thread name, then this
29449 The execution state of the thread, either @samp{stopped} or @samp{running},
29450 depending on whether the thread is presently running.
29453 The stack frame currently executing in the thread. This field is only present
29454 if the thread is stopped. Its format is documented in
29455 @ref{GDB/MI Frame Information}.
29458 The value of this field is an integer number of the processor core the
29459 thread was last seen on. This field is optional.
29462 @node GDB/MI Ada Exception Information
29463 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Exception Information
29465 Whenever a @code{*stopped} record is emitted because the program
29466 stopped after hitting an exception catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}),
29467 @value{GDBN} provides the name of the exception that was raised via
29468 the @code{exception-name} field. Also, for exceptions that were raised
29469 with an exception message, @value{GDBN} provides that message via
29470 the @code{exception-message} field.
29472 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29473 @node GDB/MI Simple Examples
29474 @section Simple Examples of @sc{gdb/mi} Interaction
29475 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, simple examples
29477 This subsection presents several simple examples of interaction using
29478 the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. In these examples, @samp{->} means that the
29479 following line is passed to @sc{gdb/mi} as input, while @samp{<-} means
29480 the output received from @sc{gdb/mi}.
29482 Note the line breaks shown in the examples are here only for
29483 readability, they don't appear in the real output.
29485 @subheading Setting a Breakpoint
29487 Setting a breakpoint generates synchronous output which contains detailed
29488 information of the breakpoint.
29491 -> -break-insert main
29492 <- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29493 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
29494 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",thread-groups=["i1"],
29499 @subheading Program Execution
29501 Program execution generates asynchronous records and MI gives the
29502 reason that execution stopped.
29508 <- *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
29509 frame=@{addr="0x08048564",func="main",
29510 args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},@{name="argv",value="0xbfc4d4d4"@}],
29511 file="myprog.c",fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",
29512 arch="i386:x86_64"@}
29517 <- *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
29521 @subheading Quitting @value{GDBN}
29523 Quitting @value{GDBN} just prints the result class @samp{^exit}.
29531 Please note that @samp{^exit} is printed immediately, but it might
29532 take some time for @value{GDBN} to actually exit. During that time, @value{GDBN}
29533 performs necessary cleanups, including killing programs being debugged
29534 or disconnecting from debug hardware, so the frontend should wait till
29535 @value{GDBN} exits and should only forcibly kill @value{GDBN} if it
29536 fails to exit in reasonable time.
29538 @subheading A Bad Command
29540 Here's what happens if you pass a non-existent command:
29544 <- ^error,msg="Undefined MI command: rubbish"
29549 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29550 @node GDB/MI Command Description Format
29551 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Description Format
29553 The remaining sections describe blocks of commands. Each block of
29554 commands is laid out in a fashion similar to this section.
29556 @subheading Motivation
29558 The motivation for this collection of commands.
29560 @subheading Introduction
29562 A brief introduction to this collection of commands as a whole.
29564 @subheading Commands
29566 For each command in the block, the following is described:
29568 @subsubheading Synopsis
29571 -command @var{args}@dots{}
29574 @subsubheading Result
29576 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29578 The corresponding @value{GDBN} CLI command(s), if any.
29580 @subsubheading Example
29582 Example(s) formatted for readability. Some of the described commands have
29583 not been implemented yet and these are labeled N.A.@: (not available).
29586 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29587 @node GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands
29588 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Commands
29590 @cindex breakpoint commands for @sc{gdb/mi}
29591 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, breakpoint commands
29592 This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
29595 @subheading The @code{-break-after} Command
29596 @findex -break-after
29598 @subsubheading Synopsis
29601 -break-after @var{number} @var{count}
29604 The breakpoint number @var{number} is not in effect until it has been
29605 hit @var{count} times. To see how this is reflected in the output of
29606 the @samp{-break-list} command, see the description of the
29607 @samp{-break-list} command below.
29609 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29611 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ignore}.
29613 @subsubheading Example
29618 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29619 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
29620 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
29628 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29629 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29630 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29631 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29632 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29633 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29634 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29635 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29636 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29637 line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
29642 @subheading The @code{-break-catch} Command
29643 @findex -break-catch
29646 @subheading The @code{-break-commands} Command
29647 @findex -break-commands
29649 @subsubheading Synopsis
29652 -break-commands @var{number} [ @var{command1} ... @var{commandN} ]
29655 Specifies the CLI commands that should be executed when breakpoint
29656 @var{number} is hit. The parameters @var{command1} to @var{commandN}
29657 are the commands. If no command is specified, any previously-set
29658 commands are cleared. @xref{Break Commands}. Typical use of this
29659 functionality is tracing a program, that is, printing of values of
29660 some variables whenever breakpoint is hit and then continuing.
29662 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29664 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{commands}.
29666 @subsubheading Example
29671 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29672 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
29673 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
29676 -break-commands 1 "print v" "continue"
29681 @subheading The @code{-break-condition} Command
29682 @findex -break-condition
29684 @subsubheading Synopsis
29687 -break-condition @var{number} @var{expr}
29690 Breakpoint @var{number} will stop the program only if the condition in
29691 @var{expr} is true. The condition becomes part of the
29692 @samp{-break-list} output (see the description of the @samp{-break-list}
29695 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29697 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{condition}.
29699 @subsubheading Example
29703 -break-condition 1 1
29707 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29708 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29709 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29710 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29711 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29712 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29713 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29714 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29715 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29716 line="5",cond="1",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
29720 @subheading The @code{-break-delete} Command
29721 @findex -break-delete
29723 @subsubheading Synopsis
29726 -break-delete ( @var{breakpoint} )+
29729 Delete the breakpoint(s) whose number(s) are specified in the argument
29730 list. This is obviously reflected in the breakpoint list.
29732 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29734 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{delete}.
29736 @subsubheading Example
29744 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
29745 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29746 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29747 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29748 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29749 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29750 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29755 @subheading The @code{-break-disable} Command
29756 @findex -break-disable
29758 @subsubheading Synopsis
29761 -break-disable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
29764 Disable the named @var{breakpoint}(s). The field @samp{enabled} in the
29765 break list is now set to @samp{n} for the named @var{breakpoint}(s).
29767 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29769 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disable}.
29771 @subsubheading Example
29779 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29780 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29781 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29782 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29783 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29784 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29785 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29786 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
29787 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29788 line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
29792 @subheading The @code{-break-enable} Command
29793 @findex -break-enable
29795 @subsubheading Synopsis
29798 -break-enable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
29801 Enable (previously disabled) @var{breakpoint}(s).
29803 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29805 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{enable}.
29807 @subsubheading Example
29815 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29816 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29817 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29818 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29819 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29820 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29821 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29822 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29823 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29824 line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
29828 @subheading The @code{-break-info} Command
29829 @findex -break-info
29831 @subsubheading Synopsis
29834 -break-info @var{breakpoint}
29838 Get information about a single breakpoint.
29840 The result is a table of breakpoints. @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint
29841 Information}, for details on the format of each breakpoint in the
29844 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29846 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break @var{breakpoint}}.
29848 @subsubheading Example
29851 @subheading The @code{-break-insert} Command
29852 @findex -break-insert
29853 @anchor{-break-insert}
29855 @subsubheading Synopsis
29858 -break-insert [ -t ] [ -h ] [ -f ] [ -d ] [ -a ]
29859 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
29860 [ -p @var{thread-id} ] [ @var{location} ]
29864 If specified, @var{location}, can be one of:
29867 @item linespec location
29868 A linespec location. @xref{Linespec Locations}.
29870 @item explicit location
29871 An explicit location. @sc{gdb/mi} explicit locations are
29872 analogous to the CLI's explicit locations using the option names
29873 listed below. @xref{Explicit Locations}.
29876 @item --source @var{filename}
29877 The source file name of the location. This option requires the use
29878 of either @samp{--function} or @samp{--line}.
29880 @item --function @var{function}
29881 The name of a function or method.
29883 @item --label @var{label}
29884 The name of a label.
29886 @item --line @var{lineoffset}
29887 An absolute or relative line offset from the start of the location.
29890 @item address location
29891 An address location, *@var{address}. @xref{Address Locations}.
29895 The possible optional parameters of this command are:
29899 Insert a temporary breakpoint.
29901 Insert a hardware breakpoint.
29903 If @var{location} cannot be parsed (for example if it
29904 refers to unknown files or functions), create a pending
29905 breakpoint. Without this flag, @value{GDBN} will report
29906 an error, and won't create a breakpoint, if @var{location}
29909 Create a disabled breakpoint.
29911 Create a tracepoint. @xref{Tracepoints}. When this parameter
29912 is used together with @samp{-h}, a fast tracepoint is created.
29913 @item -c @var{condition}
29914 Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
29915 @item -i @var{ignore-count}
29916 Initialize the @var{ignore-count}.
29917 @item -p @var{thread-id}
29918 Restrict the breakpoint to the thread with the specified global
29922 @subsubheading Result
29924 @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Information}, for details on the format of the
29925 resulting breakpoint.
29927 Note: this format is open to change.
29928 @c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
29930 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29932 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{break}, @samp{tbreak},
29933 @samp{hbreak}, and @samp{thbreak}. @c and @samp{rbreak}.
29935 @subsubheading Example
29940 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",
29941 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="4",thread-groups=["i1"],
29944 -break-insert -t foo
29945 ^done,bkpt=@{number="2",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c",
29946 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
29950 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
29951 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29952 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29953 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29954 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29955 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29956 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29957 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29958 addr="0x0001072c", func="main",file="recursive2.c",
29959 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,"line="4",thread-groups=["i1"],
29961 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
29962 addr="0x00010774",func="foo",file="recursive2.c",
29963 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
29966 @c -break-insert -r foo.*
29967 @c ~int foo(int, int);
29968 @c ^done,bkpt=@{number="3",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c,
29969 @c "fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
29974 @subheading The @code{-dprintf-insert} Command
29975 @findex -dprintf-insert
29977 @subsubheading Synopsis
29980 -dprintf-insert [ -t ] [ -f ] [ -d ]
29981 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
29982 [ -p @var{thread-id} ] [ @var{location} ] [ @var{format} ]
29987 If supplied, @var{location} may be specified the same way as for
29988 the @code{-break-insert} command. @xref{-break-insert}.
29990 The possible optional parameters of this command are:
29994 Insert a temporary breakpoint.
29996 If @var{location} cannot be parsed (for example, if it
29997 refers to unknown files or functions), create a pending
29998 breakpoint. Without this flag, @value{GDBN} will report
29999 an error, and won't create a breakpoint, if @var{location}
30002 Create a disabled breakpoint.
30003 @item -c @var{condition}
30004 Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
30005 @item -i @var{ignore-count}
30006 Set the ignore count of the breakpoint (@pxref{Conditions, ignore count})
30007 to @var{ignore-count}.
30008 @item -p @var{thread-id}
30009 Restrict the breakpoint to the thread with the specified global
30013 @subsubheading Result
30015 @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Information}, for details on the format of the
30016 resulting breakpoint.
30018 @c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
30020 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30022 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dprintf}.
30024 @subsubheading Example
30028 4-dprintf-insert foo "At foo entry\n"
30029 4^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="dprintf",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30030 addr="0x000000000040061b",func="foo",file="mi-dprintf.c",
30031 fullname="mi-dprintf.c",line="25",thread-groups=["i1"],
30032 times="0",script=@{"printf \"At foo entry\\n\"","continue"@},
30033 original-location="foo"@}
30035 5-dprintf-insert 26 "arg=%d, g=%d\n" arg g
30036 5^done,bkpt=@{number="2",type="dprintf",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30037 addr="0x000000000040062a",func="foo",file="mi-dprintf.c",
30038 fullname="mi-dprintf.c",line="26",thread-groups=["i1"],
30039 times="0",script=@{"printf \"arg=%d, g=%d\\n\", arg, g","continue"@},
30040 original-location="mi-dprintf.c:26"@}
30044 @subheading The @code{-break-list} Command
30045 @findex -break-list
30047 @subsubheading Synopsis
30053 Displays the list of inserted breakpoints, showing the following fields:
30057 number of the breakpoint
30059 type of the breakpoint: @samp{breakpoint} or @samp{watchpoint}
30061 should the breakpoint be deleted or disabled when it is hit: @samp{keep}
30064 is the breakpoint enabled or no: @samp{y} or @samp{n}
30066 memory location at which the breakpoint is set
30068 logical location of the breakpoint, expressed by function name, file
30070 @item Thread-groups
30071 list of thread groups to which this breakpoint applies
30073 number of times the breakpoint has been hit
30076 If there are no breakpoints or watchpoints, the @code{BreakpointTable}
30077 @code{body} field is an empty list.
30079 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30081 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break}.
30083 @subsubheading Example
30088 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
30089 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30090 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30091 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30092 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30093 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30094 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30095 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30096 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
30098 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30099 addr="0x00010114",func="foo",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
30100 line="13",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
30104 Here's an example of the result when there are no breakpoints:
30109 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
30110 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30111 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30112 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30113 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30114 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30115 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30120 @subheading The @code{-break-passcount} Command
30121 @findex -break-passcount
30123 @subsubheading Synopsis
30126 -break-passcount @var{tracepoint-number} @var{passcount}
30129 Set the passcount for tracepoint @var{tracepoint-number} to
30130 @var{passcount}. If the breakpoint referred to by @var{tracepoint-number}
30131 is not a tracepoint, error is emitted. This corresponds to CLI
30132 command @samp{passcount}.
30134 @subheading The @code{-break-watch} Command
30135 @findex -break-watch
30137 @subsubheading Synopsis
30140 -break-watch [ -a | -r ]
30143 Create a watchpoint. With the @samp{-a} option it will create an
30144 @dfn{access} watchpoint, i.e., a watchpoint that triggers either on a
30145 read from or on a write to the memory location. With the @samp{-r}
30146 option, the watchpoint created is a @dfn{read} watchpoint, i.e., it will
30147 trigger only when the memory location is accessed for reading. Without
30148 either of the options, the watchpoint created is a regular watchpoint,
30149 i.e., it will trigger when the memory location is accessed for writing.
30150 @xref{Set Watchpoints, , Setting Watchpoints}.
30152 Note that @samp{-break-list} will report a single list of watchpoints and
30153 breakpoints inserted.
30155 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30157 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{watch}, @samp{awatch}, and
30160 @subsubheading Example
30162 Setting a watchpoint on a variable in the @code{main} function:
30167 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@}
30172 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@},
30173 value=@{old="-268439212",new="55"@},
30174 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
30175 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="5",arch="i386:x86_64"@}
30179 Setting a watchpoint on a variable local to a function. @value{GDBN} will stop
30180 the program execution twice: first for the variable changing value, then
30181 for the watchpoint going out of scope.
30186 ^done,wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@}
30191 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",
30192 wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@},value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
30193 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
30194 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30195 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13",
30196 arch="i386:x86_64"@}
30201 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="5",
30202 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
30203 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
30204 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30205 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18",
30206 arch="i386:x86_64"@}
30210 Listing breakpoints and watchpoints, at different points in the program
30211 execution. Note that once the watchpoint goes out of scope, it is
30217 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@}
30220 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
30221 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30222 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30223 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30224 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30225 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30226 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30227 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30228 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
30229 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30230 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c"line="8",thread-groups=["i1"],
30232 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
30233 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
30238 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@},
30239 value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
30240 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
30241 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30242 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13",
30243 arch="i386:x86_64"@}
30246 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
30247 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30248 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30249 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30250 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30251 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30252 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30253 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30254 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
30255 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30256 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",thread-groups=["i1"],
30258 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
30259 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",thread-groups=["i1"],times="-5"@}]@}
30263 ^done,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="2",
30264 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
30265 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
30266 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30267 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18",
30268 arch="i386:x86_64"@}
30271 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
30272 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30273 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30274 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30275 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30276 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30277 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30278 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30279 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
30280 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30281 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",
30282 thread-groups=["i1"],times="1"@}]@}
30287 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30288 @node GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands
30289 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Catchpoint Commands
30291 This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
30295 * Shared Library GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands::
30296 * Ada Exception GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands::
30297 * C++ Exception GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands::
30300 @node Shared Library GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands
30301 @subsection Shared Library @sc{gdb/mi} Catchpoints
30303 @subheading The @code{-catch-load} Command
30304 @findex -catch-load
30306 @subsubheading Synopsis
30309 -catch-load [ -t ] [ -d ] @var{regexp}
30312 Add a catchpoint for library load events. If the @samp{-t} option is used,
30313 the catchpoint is a temporary one (@pxref{Set Breaks, ,Setting
30314 Breakpoints}). If the @samp{-d} option is used, the catchpoint is created
30315 in a disabled state. The @samp{regexp} argument is a regular
30316 expression used to match the name of the loaded library.
30319 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30321 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{catch load}.
30323 @subsubheading Example
30326 -catch-load -t foo.so
30327 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="catchpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
30328 what="load of library matching foo.so",catch-type="load",times="0"@}
30333 @subheading The @code{-catch-unload} Command
30334 @findex -catch-unload
30336 @subsubheading Synopsis
30339 -catch-unload [ -t ] [ -d ] @var{regexp}
30342 Add a catchpoint for library unload events. If the @samp{-t} option is
30343 used, the catchpoint is a temporary one (@pxref{Set Breaks, ,Setting
30344 Breakpoints}). If the @samp{-d} option is used, the catchpoint is
30345 created in a disabled state. The @samp{regexp} argument is a regular
30346 expression used to match the name of the unloaded library.
30348 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30350 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{catch unload}.
30352 @subsubheading Example
30355 -catch-unload -d bar.so
30356 ^done,bkpt=@{number="2",type="catchpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
30357 what="load of library matching bar.so",catch-type="unload",times="0"@}
30361 @node Ada Exception GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands
30362 @subsection Ada Exception @sc{gdb/mi} Catchpoints
30364 The following @sc{gdb/mi} commands can be used to create catchpoints
30365 that stop the execution when Ada exceptions are being raised.
30367 @subheading The @code{-catch-assert} Command
30368 @findex -catch-assert
30370 @subsubheading Synopsis
30373 -catch-assert [ -c @var{condition}] [ -d ] [ -t ]
30376 Add a catchpoint for failed Ada assertions.
30378 The possible optional parameters for this command are:
30381 @item -c @var{condition}
30382 Make the catchpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
30384 Create a disabled catchpoint.
30386 Create a temporary catchpoint.
30389 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30391 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{catch assert}.
30393 @subsubheading Example
30397 ^done,bkptno="5",bkpt=@{number="5",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
30398 enabled="y",addr="0x0000000000404888",what="failed Ada assertions",
30399 thread-groups=["i1"],times="0",
30400 original-location="__gnat_debug_raise_assert_failure"@}
30404 @subheading The @code{-catch-exception} Command
30405 @findex -catch-exception
30407 @subsubheading Synopsis
30410 -catch-exception [ -c @var{condition}] [ -d ] [ -e @var{exception-name} ]
30414 Add a catchpoint stopping when Ada exceptions are raised.
30415 By default, the command stops the program when any Ada exception
30416 gets raised. But it is also possible, by using some of the
30417 optional parameters described below, to create more selective
30420 The possible optional parameters for this command are:
30423 @item -c @var{condition}
30424 Make the catchpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
30426 Create a disabled catchpoint.
30427 @item -e @var{exception-name}
30428 Only stop when @var{exception-name} is raised. This option cannot
30429 be used combined with @samp{-u}.
30431 Create a temporary catchpoint.
30433 Stop only when an unhandled exception gets raised. This option
30434 cannot be used combined with @samp{-e}.
30437 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30439 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{catch exception}
30440 and @samp{catch exception unhandled}.
30442 @subsubheading Example
30445 -catch-exception -e Program_Error
30446 ^done,bkptno="4",bkpt=@{number="4",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
30447 enabled="y",addr="0x0000000000404874",
30448 what="`Program_Error' Ada exception", thread-groups=["i1"],
30449 times="0",original-location="__gnat_debug_raise_exception"@}
30453 @subheading The @code{-catch-handlers} Command
30454 @findex -catch-handlers
30456 @subsubheading Synopsis
30459 -catch-handlers [ -c @var{condition}] [ -d ] [ -e @var{exception-name} ]
30463 Add a catchpoint stopping when Ada exceptions are handled.
30464 By default, the command stops the program when any Ada exception
30465 gets handled. But it is also possible, by using some of the
30466 optional parameters described below, to create more selective
30469 The possible optional parameters for this command are:
30472 @item -c @var{condition}
30473 Make the catchpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
30475 Create a disabled catchpoint.
30476 @item -e @var{exception-name}
30477 Only stop when @var{exception-name} is handled.
30479 Create a temporary catchpoint.
30482 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30484 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{catch handlers}.
30486 @subsubheading Example
30489 -catch-handlers -e Constraint_Error
30490 ^done,bkptno="4",bkpt=@{number="4",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
30491 enabled="y",addr="0x0000000000402f68",
30492 what="`Constraint_Error' Ada exception handlers",thread-groups=["i1"],
30493 times="0",original-location="__gnat_begin_handler"@}
30497 @node C++ Exception GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands
30498 @subsection C@t{++} Exception @sc{gdb/mi} Catchpoints
30500 The following @sc{gdb/mi} commands can be used to create catchpoints
30501 that stop the execution when C@t{++} exceptions are being throw, rethrown,
30504 @subheading The @code{-catch-throw} Command
30505 @findex -catch-throw
30507 @subsubheading Synopsis
30510 -catch-throw [ -t ] [ -r @var{regexp}]
30513 Stop when the debuggee throws a C@t{++} exception. If @var{regexp} is
30514 given, then only exceptions whose type matches the regular expression
30517 If @samp{-t} is given, then the catchpoint is enabled only for one
30518 stop, the catchpoint is automatically deleted after stopping once for
30521 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30523 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{catch throw}
30524 and @samp{tcatch throw} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}).
30526 @subsubheading Example
30529 -catch-throw -r exception_type
30530 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="catchpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30531 what="exception throw",catch-type="throw",
30532 thread-groups=["i1"],
30533 regexp="exception_type",times="0"@}
30539 ~"Catchpoint 1 (exception thrown), 0x00007ffff7ae00ed
30540 in __cxa_throw () from /lib64/libstdc++.so.6\n"
30541 *stopped,bkptno="1",reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",
30542 frame=@{addr="0x00007ffff7ae00ed",func="__cxa_throw",
30543 args=[],from="/lib64/libstdc++.so.6",arch="i386:x86-64"@},
30544 thread-id="1",stopped-threads="all",core="6"
30548 @subheading The @code{-catch-rethrow} Command
30549 @findex -catch-rethrow
30551 @subsubheading Synopsis
30554 -catch-rethrow [ -t ] [ -r @var{regexp}]
30557 Stop when a C@t{++} exception is re-thrown. If @var{regexp} is given,
30558 then only exceptions whose type matches the regular expression will be
30561 If @samp{-t} is given, then the catchpoint is enabled only for one
30562 stop, the catchpoint is automatically deleted after the first event is
30565 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30567 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{catch rethrow}
30568 and @samp{tcatch rethrow} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}).
30570 @subsubheading Example
30573 -catch-rethrow -r exception_type
30574 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="catchpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30575 what="exception rethrow",catch-type="rethrow",
30576 thread-groups=["i1"],
30577 regexp="exception_type",times="0"@}
30583 ~"Catchpoint 1 (exception rethrown), 0x00007ffff7ae00ed
30584 in __cxa_rethrow () from /lib64/libstdc++.so.6\n"
30585 *stopped,bkptno="1",reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",
30586 frame=@{addr="0x00007ffff7ae00ed",func="__cxa_rethrow",
30587 args=[],from="/lib64/libstdc++.so.6",arch="i386:x86-64"@},
30588 thread-id="1",stopped-threads="all",core="6"
30592 @subheading The @code{-catch-catch} Command
30593 @findex -catch-catch
30595 @subsubheading Synopsis
30598 -catch-catch [ -t ] [ -r @var{regexp}]
30601 Stop when the debuggee catches a C@t{++} exception. If @var{regexp}
30602 is given, then only exceptions whose type matches the regular
30603 expression will be caught.
30605 If @samp{-t} is given, then the catchpoint is enabled only for one
30606 stop, the catchpoint is automatically deleted after the first event is
30609 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30611 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{catch catch}
30612 and @samp{tcatch catch} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}).
30614 @subsubheading Example
30617 -catch-catch -r exception_type
30618 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="catchpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30619 what="exception catch",catch-type="catch",
30620 thread-groups=["i1"],
30621 regexp="exception_type",times="0"@}
30627 ~"Catchpoint 1 (exception caught), 0x00007ffff7ae00ed
30628 in __cxa_begin_catch () from /lib64/libstdc++.so.6\n"
30629 *stopped,bkptno="1",reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",
30630 frame=@{addr="0x00007ffff7ae00ed",func="__cxa_begin_catch",
30631 args=[],from="/lib64/libstdc++.so.6",arch="i386:x86-64"@},
30632 thread-id="1",stopped-threads="all",core="6"
30636 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30637 @node GDB/MI Program Context
30638 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Context
30640 @subheading The @code{-exec-arguments} Command
30641 @findex -exec-arguments
30644 @subsubheading Synopsis
30647 -exec-arguments @var{args}
30650 Set the inferior program arguments, to be used in the next
30653 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30655 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set args}.
30657 @subsubheading Example
30661 -exec-arguments -v word
30668 @subheading The @code{-exec-show-arguments} Command
30669 @findex -exec-show-arguments
30671 @subsubheading Synopsis
30674 -exec-show-arguments
30677 Print the arguments of the program.
30679 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30681 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show args}.
30683 @subsubheading Example
30688 @subheading The @code{-environment-cd} Command
30689 @findex -environment-cd
30691 @subsubheading Synopsis
30694 -environment-cd @var{pathdir}
30697 Set @value{GDBN}'s working directory.
30699 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30701 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{cd}.
30703 @subsubheading Example
30707 -environment-cd /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
30713 @subheading The @code{-environment-directory} Command
30714 @findex -environment-directory
30716 @subsubheading Synopsis
30719 -environment-directory [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
30722 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for source files.
30723 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the default
30724 search path. If directories @var{pathdir} are supplied in addition to the
30725 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
30727 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
30728 multiple directories in a single command
30729 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
30730 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
30731 If blanks are needed as
30732 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
30733 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
30734 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
30735 character must not be used
30736 in any directory name.
30737 If no directories are specified, the current search path is displayed.
30739 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30741 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dir}.
30743 @subsubheading Example
30747 -environment-directory /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
30748 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
30750 -environment-directory ""
30751 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
30753 -environment-directory -r /home/jjohnstn/src/gdb /usr/src
30754 ^done,source-path="/home/jjohnstn/src/gdb:/usr/src:$cdir:$cwd"
30756 -environment-directory -r
30757 ^done,source-path="$cdir:$cwd"
30762 @subheading The @code{-environment-path} Command
30763 @findex -environment-path
30765 @subsubheading Synopsis
30768 -environment-path [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
30771 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for object files.
30772 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the original
30773 search path that existed at gdb start-up. If directories @var{pathdir} are
30774 supplied in addition to the
30775 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
30777 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
30778 multiple directories in a single command
30779 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
30780 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
30781 If blanks are needed as
30782 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
30783 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
30784 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
30785 character must not be used
30786 in any directory name.
30787 If no directories are specified, the current path is displayed.
30790 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30792 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{path}.
30794 @subsubheading Example
30799 ^done,path="/usr/bin"
30801 -environment-path /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb /bin
30802 ^done,path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb:/bin:/usr/bin"
30804 -environment-path -r /usr/local/bin
30805 ^done,path="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
30810 @subheading The @code{-environment-pwd} Command
30811 @findex -environment-pwd
30813 @subsubheading Synopsis
30819 Show the current working directory.
30821 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30823 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{pwd}.
30825 @subsubheading Example
30830 ^done,cwd="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb"
30834 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30835 @node GDB/MI Thread Commands
30836 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Commands
30839 @subheading The @code{-thread-info} Command
30840 @findex -thread-info
30842 @subsubheading Synopsis
30845 -thread-info [ @var{thread-id} ]
30848 Reports information about either a specific thread, if the
30849 @var{thread-id} parameter is present, or about all threads.
30850 @var{thread-id} is the thread's global thread ID. When printing
30851 information about all threads, also reports the global ID of the
30854 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30856 The @samp{info thread} command prints the same information
30859 @subsubheading Result
30861 The result contains the following attributes:
30865 A list of threads. The format of the elements of the list is described in
30866 @ref{GDB/MI Thread Information}.
30868 @item current-thread-id
30869 The global id of the currently selected thread. This field is omitted if there
30870 is no selected thread (for example, when the selected inferior is not running,
30871 and therefore has no threads) or if a @var{thread-id} argument was passed to
30876 @subsubheading Example
30881 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
30882 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",
30883 args=[]@},state="running"@},
30884 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
30885 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",
30886 args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
30887 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158",arch="i386:x86_64"@},
30888 state="running"@}],
30889 current-thread-id="1"
30893 @subheading The @code{-thread-list-ids} Command
30894 @findex -thread-list-ids
30896 @subsubheading Synopsis
30902 Produces a list of the currently known global @value{GDBN} thread ids.
30903 At the end of the list it also prints the total number of such
30906 This command is retained for historical reasons, the
30907 @code{-thread-info} command should be used instead.
30909 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30911 Part of @samp{info threads} supplies the same information.
30913 @subsubheading Example
30918 ^done,thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
30919 current-thread-id="1",number-of-threads="3"
30924 @subheading The @code{-thread-select} Command
30925 @findex -thread-select
30927 @subsubheading Synopsis
30930 -thread-select @var{thread-id}
30933 Make thread with global thread number @var{thread-id} the current
30934 thread. It prints the number of the new current thread, and the
30935 topmost frame for that thread.
30937 This command is deprecated in favor of explicitly using the
30938 @samp{--thread} option to each command.
30940 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30942 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{thread}.
30944 @subsubheading Example
30951 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",thread-id="2",line="187",
30952 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.threads/linux-dp.c"
30956 thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
30957 number-of-threads="3"
30960 ^done,new-thread-id="3",
30961 frame=@{level="0",func="vprintf",
30962 args=[@{name="format",value="0x8048e9c \"%*s%c %d %c\\n\""@},
30963 @{name="arg",value="0x2"@}],file="vprintf.c",line="31",arch="i386:x86_64"@}
30967 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30968 @node GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands
30969 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Tasking Commands
30971 @subheading The @code{-ada-task-info} Command
30972 @findex -ada-task-info
30974 @subsubheading Synopsis
30977 -ada-task-info [ @var{task-id} ]
30980 Reports information about either a specific Ada task, if the
30981 @var{task-id} parameter is present, or about all Ada tasks.
30983 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30985 The @samp{info tasks} command prints the same information
30986 about all Ada tasks (@pxref{Ada Tasks}).
30988 @subsubheading Result
30990 The result is a table of Ada tasks. The following columns are
30991 defined for each Ada task:
30995 This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
30998 The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the Ada task.
31001 The identifier that the target uses to refer to the Ada task.
31004 The global thread identifier of the thread corresponding to the Ada
31007 This field should always exist, as Ada tasks are always implemented
31008 on top of a thread. But if @value{GDBN} cannot find this corresponding
31009 thread for any reason, the field is omitted.
31012 This field exists only when the task was created by another task.
31013 In this case, it provides the ID of the parent task.
31016 The base priority of the task.
31019 The current state of the task. For a detailed description of the
31020 possible states, see @ref{Ada Tasks}.
31023 The name of the task.
31027 @subsubheading Example
31031 ^done,tasks=@{nr_rows="3",nr_cols="8",
31032 hdr=[@{width="1",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr=""@},
31033 @{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="id",colhdr="ID"@},
31034 @{width="9",alignment="1",col_name="task-id",colhdr="TID"@},
31035 @{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="thread-id",colhdr=""@},
31036 @{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="parent-id",colhdr="P-ID"@},
31037 @{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="priority",colhdr="Pri"@},
31038 @{width="22",alignment="-1",col_name="state",colhdr="State"@},
31039 @{width="1",alignment="2",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@}],
31040 body=[@{current="*",id="1",task-id=" 644010",thread-id="1",priority="48",
31041 state="Child Termination Wait",name="main_task"@}]@}
31045 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31046 @node GDB/MI Program Execution
31047 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Execution
31049 These are the asynchronous commands which generate the out-of-band
31050 record @samp{*stopped}. Currently @value{GDBN} only really executes
31051 asynchronously with remote targets and this interaction is mimicked in
31054 @subheading The @code{-exec-continue} Command
31055 @findex -exec-continue
31057 @subsubheading Synopsis
31060 -exec-continue [--reverse] [--all|--thread-group N]
31063 Resumes the execution of the inferior program, which will continue
31064 to execute until it reaches a debugger stop event. If the
31065 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, execution resumes in reverse until
31066 it reaches a stop event. Stop events may include
31069 breakpoints or watchpoints
31071 signals or exceptions
31073 the end of the process (or its beginning under @samp{--reverse})
31075 the end or beginning of a replay log if one is being used.
31077 In all-stop mode (@pxref{All-Stop
31078 Mode}), may resume only one thread, or all threads, depending on the
31079 value of the @samp{scheduler-locking} variable. If @samp{--all} is
31080 specified, all threads (in all inferiors) will be resumed. The @samp{--all} option is
31081 ignored in all-stop mode. If the @samp{--thread-group} options is
31082 specified, then all threads in that thread group are resumed.
31084 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31086 The corresponding @value{GDBN} corresponding is @samp{continue}.
31088 @subsubheading Example
31095 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="2",frame=@{
31096 func="foo",args=[],file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",
31097 line="13",arch="i386:x86_64"@}
31102 @subheading The @code{-exec-finish} Command
31103 @findex -exec-finish
31105 @subsubheading Synopsis
31108 -exec-finish [--reverse]
31111 Resumes the execution of the inferior program until the current
31112 function is exited. Displays the results returned by the function.
31113 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes the reverse
31114 execution of the inferior program until the point where current
31115 function was called.
31117 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31119 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{finish}.
31121 @subsubheading Example
31123 Function returning @code{void}.
31130 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
31131 file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",line="7",arch="i386:x86_64"@}
31135 Function returning other than @code{void}. The name of the internal
31136 @value{GDBN} variable storing the result is printed, together with the
31143 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{addr="0x000107b0",func="foo",
31144 args=[@{name="a",value="1"],@{name="b",value="9"@}@},
31145 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31146 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31147 gdb-result-var="$1",return-value="0"
31152 @subheading The @code{-exec-interrupt} Command
31153 @findex -exec-interrupt
31155 @subsubheading Synopsis
31158 -exec-interrupt [--all|--thread-group N]
31161 Interrupts the background execution of the target. Note how the token
31162 associated with the stop message is the one for the execution command
31163 that has been interrupted. The token for the interrupt itself only
31164 appears in the @samp{^done} output. If the user is trying to
31165 interrupt a non-running program, an error message will be printed.
31167 Note that when asynchronous execution is enabled, this command is
31168 asynchronous just like other execution commands. That is, first the
31169 @samp{^done} response will be printed, and the target stop will be
31170 reported after that using the @samp{*stopped} notification.
31172 In non-stop mode, only the context thread is interrupted by default.
31173 All threads (in all inferiors) will be interrupted if the
31174 @samp{--all} option is specified. If the @samp{--thread-group}
31175 option is specified, all threads in that group will be interrupted.
31177 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31179 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interrupt}.
31181 @subsubheading Example
31192 111*stopped,signal-name="SIGINT",signal-meaning="Interrupt",
31193 frame=@{addr="0x00010140",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
31194 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="13",arch="i386:x86_64"@}
31199 ^error,msg="mi_cmd_exec_interrupt: Inferior not executing."
31203 @subheading The @code{-exec-jump} Command
31206 @subsubheading Synopsis
31209 -exec-jump @var{location}
31212 Resumes execution of the inferior program at the location specified by
31213 parameter. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
31214 different forms of @var{location}.
31216 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31218 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{jump}.
31220 @subsubheading Example
31223 -exec-jump foo.c:10
31224 *running,thread-id="all"
31229 @subheading The @code{-exec-next} Command
31232 @subsubheading Synopsis
31235 -exec-next [--reverse]
31238 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
31239 of the next source line is reached.
31241 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
31242 of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the previous
31243 source line. If you issue this command on the first line of a
31244 function, it will take you back to the caller of that function, to the
31245 source line where the function was called.
31248 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31250 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{next}.
31252 @subsubheading Example
31258 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="8",file="hello.c"
31263 @subheading The @code{-exec-next-instruction} Command
31264 @findex -exec-next-instruction
31266 @subsubheading Synopsis
31269 -exec-next-instruction [--reverse]
31272 Executes one machine instruction. If the instruction is a function
31273 call, continues until the function returns. If the program stops at an
31274 instruction in the middle of a source line, the address will be
31277 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
31278 of the inferior program, stopping at the previous instruction. If the
31279 previously executed instruction was a return from another function,
31280 it will continue to execute in reverse until the call to that function
31281 (from the current stack frame) is reached.
31283 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31285 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{nexti}.
31287 @subsubheading Example
31291 -exec-next-instruction
31295 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31296 addr="0x000100d4",line="5",file="hello.c"
31301 @subheading The @code{-exec-return} Command
31302 @findex -exec-return
31304 @subsubheading Synopsis
31310 Makes current function return immediately. Doesn't execute the inferior.
31311 Displays the new current frame.
31313 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31315 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{return}.
31317 @subsubheading Example
31321 200-break-insert callee4
31322 200^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x00010734",
31323 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
31328 000*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
31329 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
31330 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31331 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",
31332 arch="i386:x86_64"@}
31338 111^done,frame=@{level="0",func="callee3",
31339 args=[@{name="strarg",
31340 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
31341 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31342 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18",
31343 arch="i386:x86_64"@}
31348 @subheading The @code{-exec-run} Command
31351 @subsubheading Synopsis
31354 -exec-run [ --all | --thread-group N ] [ --start ]
31357 Starts execution of the inferior from the beginning. The inferior
31358 executes until either a breakpoint is encountered or the program
31359 exits. In the latter case the output will include an exit code, if
31360 the program has exited exceptionally.
31362 When neither the @samp{--all} nor the @samp{--thread-group} option
31363 is specified, the current inferior is started. If the
31364 @samp{--thread-group} option is specified, it should refer to a thread
31365 group of type @samp{process}, and that thread group will be started.
31366 If the @samp{--all} option is specified, then all inferiors will be started.
31368 Using the @samp{--start} option instructs the debugger to stop
31369 the execution at the start of the inferior's main subprogram,
31370 following the same behavior as the @code{start} command
31371 (@pxref{Starting}).
31373 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31375 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{run}.
31377 @subsubheading Examples
31382 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",line="4"@}
31387 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
31388 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
31389 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4",arch="i386:x86_64"@}
31394 Program exited normally:
31402 *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
31407 Program exited exceptionally:
31415 *stopped,reason="exited",exit-code="01"
31419 Another way the program can terminate is if it receives a signal such as
31420 @code{SIGINT}. In this case, @sc{gdb/mi} displays this:
31424 *stopped,reason="exited-signalled",signal-name="SIGINT",
31425 signal-meaning="Interrupt"
31429 @c @subheading -exec-signal
31432 @subheading The @code{-exec-step} Command
31435 @subsubheading Synopsis
31438 -exec-step [--reverse]
31441 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
31442 of the next source line is reached, if the next source line is not a
31443 function call. If it is, stop at the first instruction of the called
31444 function. If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse
31445 execution of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the
31446 previously executed source line.
31448 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31450 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{step}.
31452 @subsubheading Example
31454 Stepping into a function:
31460 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31461 frame=@{func="foo",args=[@{name="a",value="10"@},
31462 @{name="b",value="0"@}],file="recursive2.c",
31463 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11",arch="i386:x86_64"@}
31473 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="14",file="recursive2.c"
31478 @subheading The @code{-exec-step-instruction} Command
31479 @findex -exec-step-instruction
31481 @subsubheading Synopsis
31484 -exec-step-instruction [--reverse]
31487 Resumes the inferior which executes one machine instruction. If the
31488 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution of the
31489 inferior program, stopping at the previously executed instruction.
31490 The output, once @value{GDBN} has stopped, will vary depending on
31491 whether we have stopped in the middle of a source line or not. In the
31492 former case, the address at which the program stopped will be printed
31495 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31497 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{stepi}.
31499 @subsubheading Example
31503 -exec-step-instruction
31507 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31508 frame=@{func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
31509 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10",arch="i386:x86_64"@}
31511 -exec-step-instruction
31515 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31516 frame=@{addr="0x000100f4",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
31517 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10",arch="i386:x86_64"@}
31522 @subheading The @code{-exec-until} Command
31523 @findex -exec-until
31525 @subsubheading Synopsis
31528 -exec-until [ @var{location} ]
31531 Executes the inferior until the @var{location} specified in the
31532 argument is reached. If there is no argument, the inferior executes
31533 until a source line greater than the current one is reached. The
31534 reason for stopping in this case will be @samp{location-reached}.
31536 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31538 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{until}.
31540 @subsubheading Example
31544 -exec-until recursive2.c:6
31548 *stopped,reason="location-reached",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
31549 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="6",
31550 arch="i386:x86_64"@}
31555 @subheading -file-clear
31556 Is this going away????
31559 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31560 @node GDB/MI Stack Manipulation
31561 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Stack Manipulation Commands
31563 @subheading The @code{-enable-frame-filters} Command
31564 @findex -enable-frame-filters
31567 -enable-frame-filters
31570 @value{GDBN} allows Python-based frame filters to affect the output of
31571 the MI commands relating to stack traces. As there is no way to
31572 implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
31573 request that this functionality be enabled.
31575 Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
31577 Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
31578 this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
31580 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-frame} Command
31581 @findex -stack-info-frame
31583 @subsubheading Synopsis
31589 Get info on the selected frame.
31591 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31593 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info frame} or @samp{frame}
31594 (without arguments).
31596 @subsubheading Example
31601 ^done,frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
31602 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31603 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17",
31604 arch="i386:x86_64"@}
31608 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-depth} Command
31609 @findex -stack-info-depth
31611 @subsubheading Synopsis
31614 -stack-info-depth [ @var{max-depth} ]
31617 Return the depth of the stack. If the integer argument @var{max-depth}
31618 is specified, do not count beyond @var{max-depth} frames.
31620 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31622 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
31624 @subsubheading Example
31626 For a stack with frame levels 0 through 11:
31633 -stack-info-depth 4
31636 -stack-info-depth 12
31639 -stack-info-depth 11
31642 -stack-info-depth 13
31647 @anchor{-stack-list-arguments}
31648 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-arguments} Command
31649 @findex -stack-list-arguments
31651 @subsubheading Synopsis
31654 -stack-list-arguments [ --no-frame-filters ] [ --skip-unavailable ] @var{print-values}
31655 [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
31658 Display a list of the arguments for the frames between @var{low-frame}
31659 and @var{high-frame} (inclusive). If @var{low-frame} and
31660 @var{high-frame} are not provided, list the arguments for the whole
31661 call stack. If the two arguments are equal, show the single frame
31662 at the corresponding level. It is an error if @var{low-frame} is
31663 larger than the actual number of frames. On the other hand,
31664 @var{high-frame} may be larger than the actual number of frames, in
31665 which case only existing frames will be returned.
31667 If @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
31668 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
31669 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
31670 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
31671 structures and unions. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is
31672 supplied, then Python frame filters will not be executed.
31674 If the @code{--skip-unavailable} option is specified, arguments that
31675 are not available are not listed. Partially available arguments
31676 are still displayed, however.
31678 Use of this command to obtain arguments in a single frame is
31679 deprecated in favor of the @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
31681 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31683 @value{GDBN} does not have an equivalent command. @code{gdbtk} has a
31684 @samp{gdb_get_args} command which partially overlaps with the
31685 functionality of @samp{-stack-list-arguments}.
31687 @subsubheading Example
31694 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
31695 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31696 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",
31697 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31698 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
31699 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31700 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17",
31701 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31702 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x0001078c",func="callee2",
31703 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31704 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="22",
31705 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31706 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107b4",func="callee1",
31707 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31708 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="27",
31709 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31710 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107e0",func="main",
31711 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31712 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="32",
31713 arch="i386:x86_64"@}]
31715 -stack-list-arguments 0
31718 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
31719 frame=@{level="1",args=[name="strarg"]@},
31720 frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@},
31721 frame=@{level="3",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg",name="fltarg"]@},
31722 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
31724 -stack-list-arguments 1
31727 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
31729 args=[@{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
31730 frame=@{level="2",args=[
31731 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
31732 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
31733 @{frame=@{level="3",args=[
31734 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
31735 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@},
31736 @{name="fltarg",value="3.5"@}]@},
31737 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
31739 -stack-list-arguments 0 2 2
31740 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@}]
31742 -stack-list-arguments 1 2 2
31743 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",
31744 args=[@{name="intarg",value="2"@},
31745 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@}]
31749 @c @subheading -stack-list-exception-handlers
31752 @anchor{-stack-list-frames}
31753 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-frames} Command
31754 @findex -stack-list-frames
31756 @subsubheading Synopsis
31759 -stack-list-frames [ --no-frame-filters @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
31762 List the frames currently on the stack. For each frame it displays the
31767 The frame number, 0 being the topmost frame, i.e., the innermost function.
31769 The @code{$pc} value for that frame.
31773 File name of the source file where the function lives.
31774 @item @var{fullname}
31775 The full file name of the source file where the function lives.
31777 Line number corresponding to the @code{$pc}.
31779 The shared library where this function is defined. This is only given
31780 if the frame's function is not known.
31782 Frame's architecture.
31785 If invoked without arguments, this command prints a backtrace for the
31786 whole stack. If given two integer arguments, it shows the frames whose
31787 levels are between the two arguments (inclusive). If the two arguments
31788 are equal, it shows the single frame at the corresponding level. It is
31789 an error if @var{low-frame} is larger than the actual number of
31790 frames. On the other hand, @var{high-frame} may be larger than the
31791 actual number of frames, in which case only existing frames will be
31792 returned. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is supplied, then
31793 Python frame filters will not be executed.
31795 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31797 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{backtrace} and @samp{where}.
31799 @subsubheading Example
31801 Full stack backtrace:
31807 [frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0001076c",func="foo",
31808 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11",
31809 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31810 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31811 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31812 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31813 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31814 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31815 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31816 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31817 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31818 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31819 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31820 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31821 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31822 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31823 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31824 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31825 frame=@{level="6",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31826 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31827 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31828 frame=@{level="7",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31829 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31830 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31831 frame=@{level="8",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31832 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31833 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31834 frame=@{level="9",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31835 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31836 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31837 frame=@{level="10",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31838 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31839 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31840 frame=@{level="11",addr="0x00010738",func="main",
31841 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4",
31842 arch="i386:x86_64"@}]
31846 Show frames between @var{low_frame} and @var{high_frame}:
31850 -stack-list-frames 3 5
31852 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31853 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31854 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31855 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31856 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31857 arch="i386:x86_64"@},
31858 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31859 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31860 arch="i386:x86_64"@}]
31864 Show a single frame:
31868 -stack-list-frames 3 3
31870 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31871 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14",
31872 arch="i386:x86_64"@}]
31877 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-locals} Command
31878 @findex -stack-list-locals
31879 @anchor{-stack-list-locals}
31881 @subsubheading Synopsis
31884 -stack-list-locals [ --no-frame-filters ] [ --skip-unavailable ] @var{print-values}
31887 Display the local variable names for the selected frame. If
31888 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
31889 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
31890 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
31891 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
31892 structures and unions. In this last case, a frontend can immediately
31893 display the value of simple data types and create variable objects for
31894 other data types when the user wishes to explore their values in
31895 more detail. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is supplied, then
31896 Python frame filters will not be executed.
31898 If the @code{--skip-unavailable} option is specified, local variables
31899 that are not available are not listed. Partially available local
31900 variables are still displayed, however.
31902 This command is deprecated in favor of the
31903 @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
31905 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31907 @samp{info locals} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_get_locals} in @code{gdbtk}.
31909 @subsubheading Example
31913 -stack-list-locals 0
31914 ^done,locals=[name="A",name="B",name="C"]
31916 -stack-list-locals --all-values
31917 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",value="1"@},@{name="B",value="2"@},
31918 @{name="C",value="@{1, 2, 3@}"@}]
31919 -stack-list-locals --simple-values
31920 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",type="int",value="1"@},
31921 @{name="B",type="int",value="2"@},@{name="C",type="int [3]"@}]
31925 @anchor{-stack-list-variables}
31926 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-variables} Command
31927 @findex -stack-list-variables
31929 @subsubheading Synopsis
31932 -stack-list-variables [ --no-frame-filters ] [ --skip-unavailable ] @var{print-values}
31935 Display the names of local variables and function arguments for the selected frame. If
31936 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
31937 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
31938 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
31939 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
31940 structures and unions. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is
31941 supplied, then Python frame filters will not be executed.
31943 If the @code{--skip-unavailable} option is specified, local variables
31944 and arguments that are not available are not listed. Partially
31945 available arguments and local variables are still displayed, however.
31947 @subsubheading Example
31951 -stack-list-variables --thread 1 --frame 0 --all-values
31952 ^done,variables=[@{name="x",value="11"@},@{name="s",value="@{a = 1, b = 2@}"@}]
31957 @subheading The @code{-stack-select-frame} Command
31958 @findex -stack-select-frame
31960 @subsubheading Synopsis
31963 -stack-select-frame @var{framenum}
31966 Change the selected frame. Select a different frame @var{framenum} on
31969 This command in deprecated in favor of passing the @samp{--frame}
31970 option to every command.
31972 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31974 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{frame}, @samp{up},
31975 @samp{down}, @samp{select-frame}, @samp{up-silent}, and @samp{down-silent}.
31977 @subsubheading Example
31981 -stack-select-frame 2
31986 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31987 @node GDB/MI Variable Objects
31988 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Variable Objects
31992 @subheading Motivation for Variable Objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
31994 For the implementation of a variable debugger window (locals, watched
31995 expressions, etc.), we are proposing the adaptation of the existing code
31996 used by @code{Insight}.
31998 The two main reasons for that are:
32002 It has been proven in practice (it is already on its second generation).
32005 It will shorten development time (needless to say how important it is
32009 The original interface was designed to be used by Tcl code, so it was
32010 slightly changed so it could be used through @sc{gdb/mi}. This section
32011 describes the @sc{gdb/mi} operations that will be available and gives some
32012 hints about their use.
32014 @emph{Note}: In addition to the set of operations described here, we
32015 expect the @sc{gui} implementation of a variable window to require, at
32016 least, the following operations:
32019 @item @code{-gdb-show} @code{output-radix}
32020 @item @code{-stack-list-arguments}
32021 @item @code{-stack-list-locals}
32022 @item @code{-stack-select-frame}
32027 @subheading Introduction to Variable Objects
32029 @cindex variable objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
32031 Variable objects are "object-oriented" MI interface for examining and
32032 changing values of expressions. Unlike some other MI interfaces that
32033 work with expressions, variable objects are specifically designed for
32034 simple and efficient presentation in the frontend. A variable object
32035 is identified by string name. When a variable object is created, the
32036 frontend specifies the expression for that variable object. The
32037 expression can be a simple variable, or it can be an arbitrary complex
32038 expression, and can even involve CPU registers. After creating a
32039 variable object, the frontend can invoke other variable object
32040 operations---for example to obtain or change the value of a variable
32041 object, or to change display format.
32043 Variable objects have hierarchical tree structure. Any variable object
32044 that corresponds to a composite type, such as structure in C, has
32045 a number of child variable objects, for example corresponding to each
32046 element of a structure. A child variable object can itself have
32047 children, recursively. Recursion ends when we reach
32048 leaf variable objects, which always have built-in types. Child variable
32049 objects are created only by explicit request, so if a frontend
32050 is not interested in the children of a particular variable object, no
32051 child will be created.
32053 For a leaf variable object it is possible to obtain its value as a
32054 string, or set the value from a string. String value can be also
32055 obtained for a non-leaf variable object, but it's generally a string
32056 that only indicates the type of the object, and does not list its
32057 contents. Assignment to a non-leaf variable object is not allowed.
32059 A frontend does not need to read the values of all variable objects each time
32060 the program stops. Instead, MI provides an update command that lists all
32061 variable objects whose values has changed since the last update
32062 operation. This considerably reduces the amount of data that must
32063 be transferred to the frontend. As noted above, children variable
32064 objects are created on demand, and only leaf variable objects have a
32065 real value. As result, gdb will read target memory only for leaf
32066 variables that frontend has created.
32068 The automatic update is not always desirable. For example, a frontend
32069 might want to keep a value of some expression for future reference,
32070 and never update it. For another example, fetching memory is
32071 relatively slow for embedded targets, so a frontend might want
32072 to disable automatic update for the variables that are either not
32073 visible on the screen, or ``closed''. This is possible using so
32074 called ``frozen variable objects''. Such variable objects are never
32075 implicitly updated.
32077 Variable objects can be either @dfn{fixed} or @dfn{floating}. For the
32078 fixed variable object, the expression is parsed when the variable
32079 object is created, including associating identifiers to specific
32080 variables. The meaning of expression never changes. For a floating
32081 variable object the values of variables whose names appear in the
32082 expressions are re-evaluated every time in the context of the current
32083 frame. Consider this example:
32088 struct work_state state;
32095 If a fixed variable object for the @code{state} variable is created in
32096 this function, and we enter the recursive call, the variable
32097 object will report the value of @code{state} in the top-level
32098 @code{do_work} invocation. On the other hand, a floating variable
32099 object will report the value of @code{state} in the current frame.
32101 If an expression specified when creating a fixed variable object
32102 refers to a local variable, the variable object becomes bound to the
32103 thread and frame in which the variable object is created. When such
32104 variable object is updated, @value{GDBN} makes sure that the
32105 thread/frame combination the variable object is bound to still exists,
32106 and re-evaluates the variable object in context of that thread/frame.
32108 The following is the complete set of @sc{gdb/mi} operations defined to
32109 access this functionality:
32111 @multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
32112 @item @strong{Operation}
32113 @tab @strong{Description}
32115 @item @code{-enable-pretty-printing}
32116 @tab enable Python-based pretty-printing
32117 @item @code{-var-create}
32118 @tab create a variable object
32119 @item @code{-var-delete}
32120 @tab delete the variable object and/or its children
32121 @item @code{-var-set-format}
32122 @tab set the display format of this variable
32123 @item @code{-var-show-format}
32124 @tab show the display format of this variable
32125 @item @code{-var-info-num-children}
32126 @tab tells how many children this object has
32127 @item @code{-var-list-children}
32128 @tab return a list of the object's children
32129 @item @code{-var-info-type}
32130 @tab show the type of this variable object
32131 @item @code{-var-info-expression}
32132 @tab print parent-relative expression that this variable object represents
32133 @item @code{-var-info-path-expression}
32134 @tab print full expression that this variable object represents
32135 @item @code{-var-show-attributes}
32136 @tab is this variable editable? does it exist here?
32137 @item @code{-var-evaluate-expression}
32138 @tab get the value of this variable
32139 @item @code{-var-assign}
32140 @tab set the value of this variable
32141 @item @code{-var-update}
32142 @tab update the variable and its children
32143 @item @code{-var-set-frozen}
32144 @tab set frozenness attribute
32145 @item @code{-var-set-update-range}
32146 @tab set range of children to display on update
32149 In the next subsection we describe each operation in detail and suggest
32150 how it can be used.
32152 @subheading Description And Use of Operations on Variable Objects
32154 @subheading The @code{-enable-pretty-printing} Command
32155 @findex -enable-pretty-printing
32158 -enable-pretty-printing
32161 @value{GDBN} allows Python-based visualizers to affect the output of the
32162 MI variable object commands. However, because there was no way to
32163 implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
32164 request that this functionality be enabled.
32166 Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
32168 Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
32169 this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
32171 This feature is currently (as of @value{GDBN} 7.0) experimental, and
32172 may work differently in future versions of @value{GDBN}.
32174 @subheading The @code{-var-create} Command
32175 @findex -var-create
32177 @subsubheading Synopsis
32180 -var-create @{@var{name} | "-"@}
32181 @{@var{frame-addr} | "*" | "@@"@} @var{expression}
32184 This operation creates a variable object, which allows the monitoring of
32185 a variable, the result of an expression, a memory cell or a CPU
32188 The @var{name} parameter is the string by which the object can be
32189 referenced. It must be unique. If @samp{-} is specified, the varobj
32190 system will generate a string ``varNNNNNN'' automatically. It will be
32191 unique provided that one does not specify @var{name} of that format.
32192 The command fails if a duplicate name is found.
32194 The frame under which the expression should be evaluated can be
32195 specified by @var{frame-addr}. A @samp{*} indicates that the current
32196 frame should be used. A @samp{@@} indicates that a floating variable
32197 object must be created.
32199 @var{expression} is any expression valid on the current language set (must not
32200 begin with a @samp{*}), or one of the following:
32204 @samp{*@var{addr}}, where @var{addr} is the address of a memory cell
32207 @samp{*@var{addr}-@var{addr}} --- a memory address range (TBD)
32210 @samp{$@var{regname}} --- a CPU register name
32213 @cindex dynamic varobj
32214 A varobj's contents may be provided by a Python-based pretty-printer. In this
32215 case the varobj is known as a @dfn{dynamic varobj}. Dynamic varobjs
32216 have slightly different semantics in some cases. If the
32217 @code{-enable-pretty-printing} command is not sent, then @value{GDBN}
32218 will never create a dynamic varobj. This ensures backward
32219 compatibility for existing clients.
32221 @subsubheading Result
32223 This operation returns attributes of the newly-created varobj. These
32228 The name of the varobj.
32231 The number of children of the varobj. This number is not necessarily
32232 reliable for a dynamic varobj. Instead, you must examine the
32233 @samp{has_more} attribute.
32236 The varobj's scalar value. For a varobj whose type is some sort of
32237 aggregate (e.g., a @code{struct}), or for a dynamic varobj, this value
32238 will not be interesting.
32241 The varobj's type. This is a string representation of the type, as
32242 would be printed by the @value{GDBN} CLI. If @samp{print object}
32243 (@pxref{Print Settings, set print object}) is set to @code{on}, the
32244 @emph{actual} (derived) type of the object is shown rather than the
32245 @emph{declared} one.
32248 If a variable object is bound to a specific thread, then this is the
32249 thread's global identifier.
32252 For a dynamic varobj, this indicates whether there appear to be any
32253 children available. For a non-dynamic varobj, this will be 0.
32256 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
32257 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
32258 then this attribute will not be present.
32261 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
32262 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
32263 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
32266 Typical output will look like this:
32269 name="@var{name}",numchild="@var{N}",type="@var{type}",thread-id="@var{M}",
32270 has_more="@var{has_more}"
32274 @subheading The @code{-var-delete} Command
32275 @findex -var-delete
32277 @subsubheading Synopsis
32280 -var-delete [ -c ] @var{name}
32283 Deletes a previously created variable object and all of its children.
32284 With the @samp{-c} option, just deletes the children.
32286 Returns an error if the object @var{name} is not found.
32289 @subheading The @code{-var-set-format} Command
32290 @findex -var-set-format
32292 @subsubheading Synopsis
32295 -var-set-format @var{name} @var{format-spec}
32298 Sets the output format for the value of the object @var{name} to be
32301 @anchor{-var-set-format}
32302 The syntax for the @var{format-spec} is as follows:
32305 @var{format-spec} @expansion{}
32306 @{binary | decimal | hexadecimal | octal | natural | zero-hexadecimal@}
32309 The natural format is the default format choosen automatically
32310 based on the variable type (like decimal for an @code{int}, hex
32311 for pointers, etc.).
32313 The zero-hexadecimal format has a representation similar to hexadecimal
32314 but with padding zeroes to the left of the value. For example, a 32-bit
32315 hexadecimal value of 0x1234 would be represented as 0x00001234 in the
32316 zero-hexadecimal format.
32318 For a variable with children, the format is set only on the
32319 variable itself, and the children are not affected.
32321 @subheading The @code{-var-show-format} Command
32322 @findex -var-show-format
32324 @subsubheading Synopsis
32327 -var-show-format @var{name}
32330 Returns the format used to display the value of the object @var{name}.
32333 @var{format} @expansion{}
32338 @subheading The @code{-var-info-num-children} Command
32339 @findex -var-info-num-children
32341 @subsubheading Synopsis
32344 -var-info-num-children @var{name}
32347 Returns the number of children of a variable object @var{name}:
32353 Note that this number is not completely reliable for a dynamic varobj.
32354 It will return the current number of children, but more children may
32358 @subheading The @code{-var-list-children} Command
32359 @findex -var-list-children
32361 @subsubheading Synopsis
32364 -var-list-children [@var{print-values}] @var{name} [@var{from} @var{to}]
32366 @anchor{-var-list-children}
32368 Return a list of the children of the specified variable object and
32369 create variable objects for them, if they do not already exist. With
32370 a single argument or if @var{print-values} has a value of 0 or
32371 @code{--no-values}, print only the names of the variables; if
32372 @var{print-values} is 1 or @code{--all-values}, also print their
32373 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values} print the name and
32374 value for simple data types and just the name for arrays, structures
32377 @var{from} and @var{to}, if specified, indicate the range of children
32378 to report. If @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is
32379 reset and all children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting
32380 at @var{from} (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be
32383 If a child range is requested, it will only affect the current call to
32384 @code{-var-list-children}, but not future calls to @code{-var-update}.
32385 For this, you must instead use @code{-var-set-update-range}. The
32386 intent of this approach is to enable a front end to implement any
32387 update approach it likes; for example, scrolling a view may cause the
32388 front end to request more children with @code{-var-list-children}, and
32389 then the front end could call @code{-var-set-update-range} with a
32390 different range to ensure that future updates are restricted to just
32393 For each child the following results are returned:
32398 Name of the variable object created for this child.
32401 The expression to be shown to the user by the front end to designate this child.
32402 For example this may be the name of a structure member.
32404 For a dynamic varobj, this value cannot be used to form an
32405 expression. There is no way to do this at all with a dynamic varobj.
32407 For C/C@t{++} structures there are several pseudo children returned to
32408 designate access qualifiers. For these pseudo children @var{exp} is
32409 @samp{public}, @samp{private}, or @samp{protected}. In this case the
32410 type and value are not present.
32412 A dynamic varobj will not report the access qualifying
32413 pseudo-children, regardless of the language. This information is not
32414 available at all with a dynamic varobj.
32417 Number of children this child has. For a dynamic varobj, this will be
32421 The type of the child. If @samp{print object}
32422 (@pxref{Print Settings, set print object}) is set to @code{on}, the
32423 @emph{actual} (derived) type of the object is shown rather than the
32424 @emph{declared} one.
32427 If values were requested, this is the value.
32430 If this variable object is associated with a thread, this is the
32431 thread's global thread id. Otherwise this result is not present.
32434 If the variable object is frozen, this variable will be present with a value of 1.
32437 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
32438 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
32439 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
32442 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
32443 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
32444 then this attribute will not be present.
32448 The result may have its own attributes:
32452 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
32453 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
32454 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
32457 This is an integer attribute which is nonzero if there are children
32458 remaining after the end of the selected range.
32461 @subsubheading Example
32465 -var-list-children n
32466 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
32467 numchild=@var{n},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
32469 -var-list-children --all-values n
32470 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
32471 numchild=@var{n},value=@var{value},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
32475 @subheading The @code{-var-info-type} Command
32476 @findex -var-info-type
32478 @subsubheading Synopsis
32481 -var-info-type @var{name}
32484 Returns the type of the specified variable @var{name}. The type is
32485 returned as a string in the same format as it is output by the
32489 type=@var{typename}
32493 @subheading The @code{-var-info-expression} Command
32494 @findex -var-info-expression
32496 @subsubheading Synopsis
32499 -var-info-expression @var{name}
32502 Returns a string that is suitable for presenting this
32503 variable object in user interface. The string is generally
32504 not valid expression in the current language, and cannot be evaluated.
32506 For example, if @code{a} is an array, and variable object
32507 @code{A} was created for @code{a}, then we'll get this output:
32510 (gdb) -var-info-expression A.1
32511 ^done,lang="C",exp="1"
32515 Here, the value of @code{lang} is the language name, which can be
32516 found in @ref{Supported Languages}.
32518 Note that the output of the @code{-var-list-children} command also
32519 includes those expressions, so the @code{-var-info-expression} command
32522 @subheading The @code{-var-info-path-expression} Command
32523 @findex -var-info-path-expression
32525 @subsubheading Synopsis
32528 -var-info-path-expression @var{name}
32531 Returns an expression that can be evaluated in the current
32532 context and will yield the same value that a variable object has.
32533 Compare this with the @code{-var-info-expression} command, which
32534 result can be used only for UI presentation. Typical use of
32535 the @code{-var-info-path-expression} command is creating a
32536 watchpoint from a variable object.
32538 This command is currently not valid for children of a dynamic varobj,
32539 and will give an error when invoked on one.
32541 For example, suppose @code{C} is a C@t{++} class, derived from class
32542 @code{Base}, and that the @code{Base} class has a member called
32543 @code{m_size}. Assume a variable @code{c} is has the type of
32544 @code{C} and a variable object @code{C} was created for variable
32545 @code{c}. Then, we'll get this output:
32547 (gdb) -var-info-path-expression C.Base.public.m_size
32548 ^done,path_expr=((Base)c).m_size)
32551 @subheading The @code{-var-show-attributes} Command
32552 @findex -var-show-attributes
32554 @subsubheading Synopsis
32557 -var-show-attributes @var{name}
32560 List attributes of the specified variable object @var{name}:
32563 status=@var{attr} [ ( ,@var{attr} )* ]
32567 where @var{attr} is @code{@{ @{ editable | noneditable @} | TBD @}}.
32569 @subheading The @code{-var-evaluate-expression} Command
32570 @findex -var-evaluate-expression
32572 @subsubheading Synopsis
32575 -var-evaluate-expression [-f @var{format-spec}] @var{name}
32578 Evaluates the expression that is represented by the specified variable
32579 object and returns its value as a string. The format of the string
32580 can be specified with the @samp{-f} option. The possible values of
32581 this option are the same as for @code{-var-set-format}
32582 (@pxref{-var-set-format}). If the @samp{-f} option is not specified,
32583 the current display format will be used. The current display format
32584 can be changed using the @code{-var-set-format} command.
32590 Note that one must invoke @code{-var-list-children} for a variable
32591 before the value of a child variable can be evaluated.
32593 @subheading The @code{-var-assign} Command
32594 @findex -var-assign
32596 @subsubheading Synopsis
32599 -var-assign @var{name} @var{expression}
32602 Assigns the value of @var{expression} to the variable object specified
32603 by @var{name}. The object must be @samp{editable}. If the variable's
32604 value is altered by the assign, the variable will show up in any
32605 subsequent @code{-var-update} list.
32607 @subsubheading Example
32615 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",in_scope="true",type_changed="false"@}]
32619 @subheading The @code{-var-update} Command
32620 @findex -var-update
32622 @subsubheading Synopsis
32625 -var-update [@var{print-values}] @{@var{name} | "*"@}
32628 Reevaluate the expressions corresponding to the variable object
32629 @var{name} and all its direct and indirect children, and return the
32630 list of variable objects whose values have changed; @var{name} must
32631 be a root variable object. Here, ``changed'' means that the result of
32632 @code{-var-evaluate-expression} before and after the
32633 @code{-var-update} is different. If @samp{*} is used as the variable
32634 object names, all existing variable objects are updated, except
32635 for frozen ones (@pxref{-var-set-frozen}). The option
32636 @var{print-values} determines whether both names and values, or just
32637 names are printed. The possible values of this option are the same
32638 as for @code{-var-list-children} (@pxref{-var-list-children}). It is
32639 recommended to use the @samp{--all-values} option, to reduce the
32640 number of MI commands needed on each program stop.
32642 With the @samp{*} parameter, if a variable object is bound to a
32643 currently running thread, it will not be updated, without any
32646 If @code{-var-set-update-range} was previously used on a varobj, then
32647 only the selected range of children will be reported.
32649 @code{-var-update} reports all the changed varobjs in a tuple named
32652 Each item in the change list is itself a tuple holding:
32656 The name of the varobj.
32659 If values were requested for this update, then this field will be
32660 present and will hold the value of the varobj.
32663 @anchor{-var-update}
32664 This field is a string which may take one of three values:
32668 The variable object's current value is valid.
32671 The variable object does not currently hold a valid value but it may
32672 hold one in the future if its associated expression comes back into
32676 The variable object no longer holds a valid value.
32677 This can occur when the executable file being debugged has changed,
32678 either through recompilation or by using the @value{GDBN} @code{file}
32679 command. The front end should normally choose to delete these variable
32683 In the future new values may be added to this list so the front should
32684 be prepared for this possibility. @xref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, ,@sc{GDB/MI} Development and Front Ends}.
32687 This is only present if the varobj is still valid. If the type
32688 changed, then this will be the string @samp{true}; otherwise it will
32691 When a varobj's type changes, its children are also likely to have
32692 become incorrect. Therefore, the varobj's children are automatically
32693 deleted when this attribute is @samp{true}. Also, the varobj's update
32694 range, when set using the @code{-var-set-update-range} command, is
32698 If the varobj's type changed, then this field will be present and will
32701 @item new_num_children
32702 For a dynamic varobj, if the number of children changed, or if the
32703 type changed, this will be the new number of children.
32705 The @samp{numchild} field in other varobj responses is generally not
32706 valid for a dynamic varobj -- it will show the number of children that
32707 @value{GDBN} knows about, but because dynamic varobjs lazily
32708 instantiate their children, this will not reflect the number of
32709 children which may be available.
32711 The @samp{new_num_children} attribute only reports changes to the
32712 number of children known by @value{GDBN}. This is the only way to
32713 detect whether an update has removed children (which necessarily can
32714 only happen at the end of the update range).
32717 The display hint, if any.
32720 This is an integer value, which will be 1 if there are more children
32721 available outside the varobj's update range.
32724 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
32725 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
32726 then this attribute will not be present.
32729 If new children were added to a dynamic varobj within the selected
32730 update range (as set by @code{-var-set-update-range}), then they will
32731 be listed in this attribute.
32734 @subsubheading Example
32741 -var-update --all-values var1
32742 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",value="3",in_scope="true",
32743 type_changed="false"@}]
32747 @subheading The @code{-var-set-frozen} Command
32748 @findex -var-set-frozen
32749 @anchor{-var-set-frozen}
32751 @subsubheading Synopsis
32754 -var-set-frozen @var{name} @var{flag}
32757 Set the frozenness flag on the variable object @var{name}. The
32758 @var{flag} parameter should be either @samp{1} to make the variable
32759 frozen or @samp{0} to make it unfrozen. If a variable object is
32760 frozen, then neither itself, nor any of its children, are
32761 implicitly updated by @code{-var-update} of
32762 a parent variable or by @code{-var-update *}. Only
32763 @code{-var-update} of the variable itself will update its value and
32764 values of its children. After a variable object is unfrozen, it is
32765 implicitly updated by all subsequent @code{-var-update} operations.
32766 Unfreezing a variable does not update it, only subsequent
32767 @code{-var-update} does.
32769 @subsubheading Example
32773 -var-set-frozen V 1
32778 @subheading The @code{-var-set-update-range} command
32779 @findex -var-set-update-range
32780 @anchor{-var-set-update-range}
32782 @subsubheading Synopsis
32785 -var-set-update-range @var{name} @var{from} @var{to}
32788 Set the range of children to be returned by future invocations of
32789 @code{-var-update}.
32791 @var{from} and @var{to} indicate the range of children to report. If
32792 @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is reset and all
32793 children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting at @var{from}
32794 (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be reported.
32796 @subsubheading Example
32800 -var-set-update-range V 1 2
32804 @subheading The @code{-var-set-visualizer} command
32805 @findex -var-set-visualizer
32806 @anchor{-var-set-visualizer}
32808 @subsubheading Synopsis
32811 -var-set-visualizer @var{name} @var{visualizer}
32814 Set a visualizer for the variable object @var{name}.
32816 @var{visualizer} is the visualizer to use. The special value
32817 @samp{None} means to disable any visualizer in use.
32819 If not @samp{None}, @var{visualizer} must be a Python expression.
32820 This expression must evaluate to a callable object which accepts a
32821 single argument. @value{GDBN} will call this object with the value of
32822 the varobj @var{name} as an argument (this is done so that the same
32823 Python pretty-printing code can be used for both the CLI and MI).
32824 When called, this object must return an object which conforms to the
32825 pretty-printing interface (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}).
32827 The pre-defined function @code{gdb.default_visualizer} may be used to
32828 select a visualizer by following the built-in process
32829 (@pxref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}). This is done automatically when
32830 a varobj is created, and so ordinarily is not needed.
32832 This feature is only available if Python support is enabled. The MI
32833 command @code{-list-features} (@pxref{GDB/MI Support Commands})
32834 can be used to check this.
32836 @subsubheading Example
32838 Resetting the visualizer:
32842 -var-set-visualizer V None
32846 Reselecting the default (type-based) visualizer:
32850 -var-set-visualizer V gdb.default_visualizer
32854 Suppose @code{SomeClass} is a visualizer class. A lambda expression
32855 can be used to instantiate this class for a varobj:
32859 -var-set-visualizer V "lambda val: SomeClass()"
32863 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
32864 @node GDB/MI Data Manipulation
32865 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Data Manipulation
32867 @cindex data manipulation, in @sc{gdb/mi}
32868 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, data manipulation
32869 This section describes the @sc{gdb/mi} commands that manipulate data:
32870 examine memory and registers, evaluate expressions, etc.
32872 For details about what an addressable memory unit is,
32873 @pxref{addressable memory unit}.
32875 @c REMOVED FROM THE INTERFACE.
32876 @c @subheading -data-assign
32877 @c Change the value of a program variable. Plenty of side effects.
32878 @c @subsubheading GDB Command
32880 @c @subsubheading Example
32883 @subheading The @code{-data-disassemble} Command
32884 @findex -data-disassemble
32886 @subsubheading Synopsis
32890 [ -s @var{start-addr} -e @var{end-addr} ]
32891 | [ -a @var{addr} ]
32892 | [ -f @var{filename} -l @var{linenum} [ -n @var{lines} ] ]
32900 @item @var{start-addr}
32901 is the beginning address (or @code{$pc})
32902 @item @var{end-addr}
32905 is an address anywhere within (or the name of) the function to
32906 disassemble. If an address is specified, the whole function
32907 surrounding that address will be disassembled. If a name is
32908 specified, the whole function with that name will be disassembled.
32909 @item @var{filename}
32910 is the name of the file to disassemble
32911 @item @var{linenum}
32912 is the line number to disassemble around
32914 is the number of disassembly lines to be produced. If it is -1,
32915 the whole function will be disassembled, in case no @var{end-addr} is
32916 specified. If @var{end-addr} is specified as a non-zero value, and
32917 @var{lines} is lower than the number of disassembly lines between
32918 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only @var{lines} lines are
32919 displayed; if @var{lines} is higher than the number of lines between
32920 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only the lines up to @var{end-addr}
32925 @item 0 disassembly only
32926 @item 1 mixed source and disassembly (deprecated)
32927 @item 2 disassembly with raw opcodes
32928 @item 3 mixed source and disassembly with raw opcodes (deprecated)
32929 @item 4 mixed source and disassembly
32930 @item 5 mixed source and disassembly with raw opcodes
32933 Modes 1 and 3 are deprecated. The output is ``source centric''
32934 which hasn't proved useful in practice.
32935 @xref{Machine Code}, for a discussion of the difference between
32936 @code{/m} and @code{/s} output of the @code{disassemble} command.
32939 @subsubheading Result
32941 The result of the @code{-data-disassemble} command will be a list named
32942 @samp{asm_insns}, the contents of this list depend on the @var{mode}
32943 used with the @code{-data-disassemble} command.
32945 For modes 0 and 2 the @samp{asm_insns} list contains tuples with the
32950 The address at which this instruction was disassembled.
32953 The name of the function this instruction is within.
32956 The decimal offset in bytes from the start of @samp{func-name}.
32959 The text disassembly for this @samp{address}.
32962 This field is only present for modes 2, 3 and 5. This contains the raw opcode
32963 bytes for the @samp{inst} field.
32967 For modes 1, 3, 4 and 5 the @samp{asm_insns} list contains tuples named
32968 @samp{src_and_asm_line}, each of which has the following fields:
32972 The line number within @samp{file}.
32975 The file name from the compilation unit. This might be an absolute
32976 file name or a relative file name depending on the compile command
32980 Absolute file name of @samp{file}. It is converted to a canonical form
32981 using the source file search path
32982 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories})
32983 and after resolving all the symbolic links.
32985 If the source file is not found this field will contain the path as
32986 present in the debug information.
32988 @item line_asm_insn
32989 This is a list of tuples containing the disassembly for @samp{line} in
32990 @samp{file}. The fields of each tuple are the same as for
32991 @code{-data-disassemble} in @var{mode} 0 and 2, so @samp{address},
32992 @samp{func-name}, @samp{offset}, @samp{inst}, and optionally
32997 Note that whatever included in the @samp{inst} field, is not
32998 manipulated directly by @sc{gdb/mi}, i.e., it is not possible to
33001 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33003 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disassemble}.
33005 @subsubheading Example
33007 Disassemble from the current value of @code{$pc} to @code{$pc + 20}:
33011 -data-disassemble -s $pc -e "$pc + 20" -- 0
33014 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
33015 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
33016 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
33017 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
33018 @{address="0x000107c8",func-name="main",offset="12",
33019 inst="or %o2, 0x140, %o1\t! 0x11940 <_lib_version+8>"@},
33020 @{address="0x000107cc",func-name="main",offset="16",
33021 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
33022 @{address="0x000107d0",func-name="main",offset="20",
33023 inst="or %o2, 0x168, %o4\t! 0x11968 <_lib_version+48>"@}]
33027 Disassemble the whole @code{main} function. Line 32 is part of
33031 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -- 0
33033 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
33034 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
33035 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
33036 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
33037 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
33038 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
33040 @{address="0x0001081c",func-name="main",offset="96",inst="ret "@},
33041 @{address="0x00010820",func-name="main",offset="100",inst="restore "@}]
33045 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main}:
33049 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 0
33051 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
33052 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
33053 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
33054 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
33055 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
33056 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]
33060 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main} in mixed mode:
33064 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 1
33066 src_and_asm_line=@{line="31",
33067 file="../../../src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
33068 fullname="/absolute/path/to/src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
33069 line_asm_insn=[@{address="0x000107bc",
33070 func-name="main",offset="0",inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@}]@},
33071 src_and_asm_line=@{line="32",
33072 file="../../../src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
33073 fullname="/absolute/path/to/src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
33074 line_asm_insn=[@{address="0x000107c0",
33075 func-name="main",offset="4",inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
33076 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
33077 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]@}]
33082 @subheading The @code{-data-evaluate-expression} Command
33083 @findex -data-evaluate-expression
33085 @subsubheading Synopsis
33088 -data-evaluate-expression @var{expr}
33091 Evaluate @var{expr} as an expression. The expression could contain an
33092 inferior function call. The function call will execute synchronously.
33093 If the expression contains spaces, it must be enclosed in double quotes.
33095 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33097 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{print}, @samp{output}, and
33098 @samp{call}. In @code{gdbtk} only, there's a corresponding
33099 @samp{gdb_eval} command.
33101 @subsubheading Example
33103 In the following example, the numbers that precede the commands are the
33104 @dfn{tokens} described in @ref{GDB/MI Command Syntax, ,@sc{gdb/mi}
33105 Command Syntax}. Notice how @sc{gdb/mi} returns the same tokens in its
33109 211-data-evaluate-expression A
33112 311-data-evaluate-expression &A
33113 311^done,value="0xefffeb7c"
33115 411-data-evaluate-expression A+3
33118 511-data-evaluate-expression "A + 3"
33124 @subheading The @code{-data-list-changed-registers} Command
33125 @findex -data-list-changed-registers
33127 @subsubheading Synopsis
33130 -data-list-changed-registers
33133 Display a list of the registers that have changed.
33135 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33137 @value{GDBN} doesn't have a direct analog for this command; @code{gdbtk}
33138 has the corresponding command @samp{gdb_changed_register_list}.
33140 @subsubheading Example
33142 On a PPC MBX board:
33150 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",frame=@{
33151 func="main",args=[],file="try.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",
33152 line="5",arch="powerpc"@}
33154 -data-list-changed-registers
33155 ^done,changed-registers=["0","1","2","4","5","6","7","8","9",
33156 "10","11","13","14","15","16","17","18","19","20","21","22","23",
33157 "24","25","26","27","28","30","31","64","65","66","67","69"]
33162 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-names} Command
33163 @findex -data-list-register-names
33165 @subsubheading Synopsis
33168 -data-list-register-names [ ( @var{regno} )+ ]
33171 Show a list of register names for the current target. If no arguments
33172 are given, it shows a list of the names of all the registers. If
33173 integer numbers are given as arguments, it will print a list of the
33174 names of the registers corresponding to the arguments. To ensure
33175 consistency between a register name and its number, the output list may
33176 include empty register names.
33178 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33180 @value{GDBN} does not have a command which corresponds to
33181 @samp{-data-list-register-names}. In @code{gdbtk} there is a
33182 corresponding command @samp{gdb_regnames}.
33184 @subsubheading Example
33186 For the PPC MBX board:
33189 -data-list-register-names
33190 ^done,register-names=["r0","r1","r2","r3","r4","r5","r6","r7",
33191 "r8","r9","r10","r11","r12","r13","r14","r15","r16","r17","r18",
33192 "r19","r20","r21","r22","r23","r24","r25","r26","r27","r28","r29",
33193 "r30","r31","f0","f1","f2","f3","f4","f5","f6","f7","f8","f9",
33194 "f10","f11","f12","f13","f14","f15","f16","f17","f18","f19","f20",
33195 "f21","f22","f23","f24","f25","f26","f27","f28","f29","f30","f31",
33196 "", "pc","ps","cr","lr","ctr","xer"]
33198 -data-list-register-names 1 2 3
33199 ^done,register-names=["r1","r2","r3"]
33203 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-values} Command
33204 @findex -data-list-register-values
33206 @subsubheading Synopsis
33209 -data-list-register-values
33210 [ @code{--skip-unavailable} ] @var{fmt} [ ( @var{regno} )*]
33213 Display the registers' contents. The format according to which the
33214 registers' contents are to be returned is given by @var{fmt}, followed
33215 by an optional list of numbers specifying the registers to display. A
33216 missing list of numbers indicates that the contents of all the
33217 registers must be returned. The @code{--skip-unavailable} option
33218 indicates that only the available registers are to be returned.
33220 Allowed formats for @var{fmt} are:
33237 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33239 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{info reg}, @samp{info
33240 all-reg}, and (in @code{gdbtk}) @samp{gdb_fetch_registers}.
33242 @subsubheading Example
33244 For a PPC MBX board (note: line breaks are for readability only, they
33245 don't appear in the actual output):
33249 -data-list-register-values r 64 65
33250 ^done,register-values=[@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
33251 @{number="65",value="0x00029002"@}]
33253 -data-list-register-values x
33254 ^done,register-values=[@{number="0",value="0xfe0043c8"@},
33255 @{number="1",value="0x3fff88"@},@{number="2",value="0xfffffffe"@},
33256 @{number="3",value="0x0"@},@{number="4",value="0xa"@},
33257 @{number="5",value="0x3fff68"@},@{number="6",value="0x3fff58"@},
33258 @{number="7",value="0xfe011e98"@},@{number="8",value="0x2"@},
33259 @{number="9",value="0xfa202820"@},@{number="10",value="0xfa202808"@},
33260 @{number="11",value="0x1"@},@{number="12",value="0x0"@},
33261 @{number="13",value="0x4544"@},@{number="14",value="0xffdfffff"@},
33262 @{number="15",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="16",value="0xfffffeff"@},
33263 @{number="17",value="0xefffffed"@},@{number="18",value="0xfffffffe"@},
33264 @{number="19",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="20",value="0xffffffff"@},
33265 @{number="21",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="22",value="0xfffffff7"@},
33266 @{number="23",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="24",value="0xffffffff"@},
33267 @{number="25",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="26",value="0xfffffffb"@},
33268 @{number="27",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="28",value="0xf7bfffff"@},
33269 @{number="29",value="0x0"@},@{number="30",value="0xfe010000"@},
33270 @{number="31",value="0x0"@},@{number="32",value="0x0"@},
33271 @{number="33",value="0x0"@},@{number="34",value="0x0"@},
33272 @{number="35",value="0x0"@},@{number="36",value="0x0"@},
33273 @{number="37",value="0x0"@},@{number="38",value="0x0"@},
33274 @{number="39",value="0x0"@},@{number="40",value="0x0"@},
33275 @{number="41",value="0x0"@},@{number="42",value="0x0"@},
33276 @{number="43",value="0x0"@},@{number="44",value="0x0"@},
33277 @{number="45",value="0x0"@},@{number="46",value="0x0"@},
33278 @{number="47",value="0x0"@},@{number="48",value="0x0"@},
33279 @{number="49",value="0x0"@},@{number="50",value="0x0"@},
33280 @{number="51",value="0x0"@},@{number="52",value="0x0"@},
33281 @{number="53",value="0x0"@},@{number="54",value="0x0"@},
33282 @{number="55",value="0x0"@},@{number="56",value="0x0"@},
33283 @{number="57",value="0x0"@},@{number="58",value="0x0"@},
33284 @{number="59",value="0x0"@},@{number="60",value="0x0"@},
33285 @{number="61",value="0x0"@},@{number="62",value="0x0"@},
33286 @{number="63",value="0x0"@},@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
33287 @{number="65",value="0x29002"@},@{number="66",value="0x202f04b5"@},
33288 @{number="67",value="0xfe0043b0"@},@{number="68",value="0xfe00b3e4"@},
33289 @{number="69",value="0x20002b03"@}]
33294 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory} Command
33295 @findex -data-read-memory
33297 This command is deprecated, use @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} instead.
33299 @subsubheading Synopsis
33302 -data-read-memory [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
33303 @var{address} @var{word-format} @var{word-size}
33304 @var{nr-rows} @var{nr-cols} [ @var{aschar} ]
33311 @item @var{address}
33312 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
33313 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
33314 quoted using the C convention.
33316 @item @var{word-format}
33317 The format to be used to print the memory words. The notation is the
33318 same as for @value{GDBN}'s @code{print} command (@pxref{Output Formats,
33321 @item @var{word-size}
33322 The size of each memory word in bytes.
33324 @item @var{nr-rows}
33325 The number of rows in the output table.
33327 @item @var{nr-cols}
33328 The number of columns in the output table.
33331 If present, indicates that each row should include an @sc{ascii} dump. The
33332 value of @var{aschar} is used as a padding character when a byte is not a
33333 member of the printable @sc{ascii} character set (printable @sc{ascii}
33334 characters are those whose code is between 32 and 126, inclusively).
33336 @item @var{byte-offset}
33337 An offset to add to the @var{address} before fetching memory.
33340 This command displays memory contents as a table of @var{nr-rows} by
33341 @var{nr-cols} words, each word being @var{word-size} bytes. In total,
33342 @code{@var{nr-rows} * @var{nr-cols} * @var{word-size}} bytes are read
33343 (returned as @samp{total-bytes}). Should less than the requested number
33344 of bytes be returned by the target, the missing words are identified
33345 using @samp{N/A}. The number of bytes read from the target is returned
33346 in @samp{nr-bytes} and the starting address used to read memory in
33349 The address of the next/previous row or page is available in
33350 @samp{next-row} and @samp{prev-row}, @samp{next-page} and
33353 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33355 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}. @code{gdbtk} has
33356 @samp{gdb_get_mem} memory read command.
33358 @subsubheading Example
33360 Read six bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+6} but then offset by
33361 @code{-6} bytes. Format as three rows of two columns. One byte per
33362 word. Display each word in hex.
33366 9-data-read-memory -o -6 -- bytes+6 x 1 3 2
33367 9^done,addr="0x00001390",nr-bytes="6",total-bytes="6",
33368 next-row="0x00001396",prev-row="0x0000138e",next-page="0x00001396",
33369 prev-page="0x0000138a",memory=[
33370 @{addr="0x00001390",data=["0x00","0x01"]@},
33371 @{addr="0x00001392",data=["0x02","0x03"]@},
33372 @{addr="0x00001394",data=["0x04","0x05"]@}]
33376 Read two bytes of memory starting at address @code{shorts + 64} and
33377 display as a single word formatted in decimal.
33381 5-data-read-memory shorts+64 d 2 1 1
33382 5^done,addr="0x00001510",nr-bytes="2",total-bytes="2",
33383 next-row="0x00001512",prev-row="0x0000150e",
33384 next-page="0x00001512",prev-page="0x0000150e",memory=[
33385 @{addr="0x00001510",data=["128"]@}]
33389 Read thirty two bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+16} and format
33390 as eight rows of four columns. Include a string encoding with @samp{x}
33391 used as the non-printable character.
33395 4-data-read-memory bytes+16 x 1 8 4 x
33396 4^done,addr="0x000013a0",nr-bytes="32",total-bytes="32",
33397 next-row="0x000013c0",prev-row="0x0000139c",
33398 next-page="0x000013c0",prev-page="0x00001380",memory=[
33399 @{addr="0x000013a0",data=["0x10","0x11","0x12","0x13"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33400 @{addr="0x000013a4",data=["0x14","0x15","0x16","0x17"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33401 @{addr="0x000013a8",data=["0x18","0x19","0x1a","0x1b"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33402 @{addr="0x000013ac",data=["0x1c","0x1d","0x1e","0x1f"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33403 @{addr="0x000013b0",data=["0x20","0x21","0x22","0x23"],ascii=" !\"#"@},
33404 @{addr="0x000013b4",data=["0x24","0x25","0x26","0x27"],ascii="$%&'"@},
33405 @{addr="0x000013b8",data=["0x28","0x29","0x2a","0x2b"],ascii="()*+"@},
33406 @{addr="0x000013bc",data=["0x2c","0x2d","0x2e","0x2f"],ascii=",-./"@}]
33410 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} Command
33411 @findex -data-read-memory-bytes
33413 @subsubheading Synopsis
33416 -data-read-memory-bytes [ -o @var{offset} ]
33417 @var{address} @var{count}
33424 @item @var{address}
33425 An expression specifying the address of the first addressable memory unit
33426 to be read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
33427 quoted using the C convention.
33430 The number of addressable memory units to read. This should be an integer
33434 The offset relative to @var{address} at which to start reading. This
33435 should be an integer literal. This option is provided so that a frontend
33436 is not required to first evaluate address and then perform address
33437 arithmetics itself.
33441 This command attempts to read all accessible memory regions in the
33442 specified range. First, all regions marked as unreadable in the memory
33443 map (if one is defined) will be skipped. @xref{Memory Region
33444 Attributes}. Second, @value{GDBN} will attempt to read the remaining
33445 regions. For each one, if reading full region results in an errors,
33446 @value{GDBN} will try to read a subset of the region.
33448 In general, every single memory unit in the region may be readable or not,
33449 and the only way to read every readable unit is to try a read at
33450 every address, which is not practical. Therefore, @value{GDBN} will
33451 attempt to read all accessible memory units at either beginning or the end
33452 of the region, using a binary division scheme. This heuristic works
33453 well for reading across a memory map boundary. Note that if a region
33454 has a readable range that is neither at the beginning or the end,
33455 @value{GDBN} will not read it.
33457 The result record (@pxref{GDB/MI Result Records}) that is output of
33458 the command includes a field named @samp{memory} whose content is a
33459 list of tuples. Each tuple represent a successfully read memory block
33460 and has the following fields:
33464 The start address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
33467 The end address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
33470 The offset of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal, relative to
33471 the start address passed to @code{-data-read-memory-bytes}.
33474 The contents of the memory block, in hex.
33480 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33482 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}.
33484 @subsubheading Example
33488 -data-read-memory-bytes &a 10
33489 ^done,memory=[@{begin="0xbffff154",offset="0x00000000",
33491 contents="01000000020000000300"@}]
33496 @subheading The @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} Command
33497 @findex -data-write-memory-bytes
33499 @subsubheading Synopsis
33502 -data-write-memory-bytes @var{address} @var{contents}
33503 -data-write-memory-bytes @var{address} @var{contents} @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
33510 @item @var{address}
33511 An expression specifying the address of the first addressable memory unit
33512 to be written. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should
33513 be quoted using the C convention.
33515 @item @var{contents}
33516 The hex-encoded data to write. It is an error if @var{contents} does
33517 not represent an integral number of addressable memory units.
33520 Optional argument indicating the number of addressable memory units to be
33521 written. If @var{count} is greater than @var{contents}' length,
33522 @value{GDBN} will repeatedly write @var{contents} until it fills
33523 @var{count} memory units.
33527 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33529 There's no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
33531 @subsubheading Example
33535 -data-write-memory-bytes &a "aabbccdd"
33542 -data-write-memory-bytes &a "aabbccdd" 16e
33547 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33548 @node GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands
33549 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Tracepoint Commands
33551 The commands defined in this section implement MI support for
33552 tracepoints. For detailed introduction, see @ref{Tracepoints}.
33554 @subheading The @code{-trace-find} Command
33555 @findex -trace-find
33557 @subsubheading Synopsis
33560 -trace-find @var{mode} [@var{parameters}@dots{}]
33563 Find a trace frame using criteria defined by @var{mode} and
33564 @var{parameters}. The following table lists permissible
33565 modes and their parameters. For details of operation, see @ref{tfind}.
33570 No parameters are required. Stops examining trace frames.
33573 An integer is required as parameter. Selects tracepoint frame with
33576 @item tracepoint-number
33577 An integer is required as parameter. Finds next
33578 trace frame that corresponds to tracepoint with the specified number.
33581 An address is required as parameter. Finds
33582 next trace frame that corresponds to any tracepoint at the specified
33585 @item pc-inside-range
33586 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds next trace
33587 frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address inside the
33588 specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
33590 @item pc-outside-range
33591 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds
33592 next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address outside
33593 the specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
33596 Line specification is required as parameter. @xref{Specify Location}.
33597 Finds next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at
33598 the specified location.
33602 If @samp{none} was passed as @var{mode}, the response does not
33603 have fields. Otherwise, the response may have the following fields:
33607 This field has either @samp{0} or @samp{1} as the value, depending
33608 on whether a matching tracepoint was found.
33611 The index of the found traceframe. This field is present iff
33612 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
33615 The index of the found tracepoint. This field is present iff
33616 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
33619 The information about the frame corresponding to the found trace
33620 frame. This field is present only if a trace frame was found.
33621 @xref{GDB/MI Frame Information}, for description of this field.
33625 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33627 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tfind}.
33629 @subheading -trace-define-variable
33630 @findex -trace-define-variable
33632 @subsubheading Synopsis
33635 -trace-define-variable @var{name} [ @var{value} ]
33638 Create trace variable @var{name} if it does not exist. If
33639 @var{value} is specified, sets the initial value of the specified
33640 trace variable to that value. Note that the @var{name} should start
33641 with the @samp{$} character.
33643 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33645 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariable}.
33647 @subheading The @code{-trace-frame-collected} Command
33648 @findex -trace-frame-collected
33650 @subsubheading Synopsis
33653 -trace-frame-collected
33654 [--var-print-values @var{var_pval}]
33655 [--comp-print-values @var{comp_pval}]
33656 [--registers-format @var{regformat}]
33657 [--memory-contents]
33660 This command returns the set of collected objects, register names,
33661 trace state variable names, memory ranges and computed expressions
33662 that have been collected at a particular trace frame. The optional
33663 parameters to the command affect the output format in different ways.
33664 See the output description table below for more details.
33666 The reported names can be used in the normal manner to create
33667 varobjs and inspect the objects themselves. The items returned by
33668 this command are categorized so that it is clear which is a variable,
33669 which is a register, which is a trace state variable, which is a
33670 memory range and which is a computed expression.
33672 For instance, if the actions were
33674 collect myVar, myArray[myIndex], myObj.field, myPtr->field, myCount + 2
33675 collect *(int*)0xaf02bef0@@40
33679 the object collected in its entirety would be @code{myVar}. The
33680 object @code{myArray} would be partially collected, because only the
33681 element at index @code{myIndex} would be collected. The remaining
33682 objects would be computed expressions.
33684 An example output would be:
33688 -trace-frame-collected
33690 explicit-variables=[@{name="myVar",value="1"@}],
33691 computed-expressions=[@{name="myArray[myIndex]",value="0"@},
33692 @{name="myObj.field",value="0"@},
33693 @{name="myPtr->field",value="1"@},
33694 @{name="myCount + 2",value="3"@},
33695 @{name="$tvar1 + 1",value="43970027"@}],
33696 registers=[@{number="0",value="0x7fe2c6e79ec8"@},
33697 @{number="1",value="0x0"@},
33698 @{number="2",value="0x4"@},
33700 @{number="125",value="0x0"@}],
33701 tvars=[@{name="$tvar1",current="43970026"@}],
33702 memory=[@{address="0x0000000000602264",length="4"@},
33703 @{address="0x0000000000615bc0",length="4"@}]
33710 @item explicit-variables
33711 The set of objects that have been collected in their entirety (as
33712 opposed to collecting just a few elements of an array or a few struct
33713 members). For each object, its name and value are printed.
33714 The @code{--var-print-values} option affects how or whether the value
33715 field is output. If @var{var_pval} is 0, then print only the names;
33716 if it is 1, print also their values; and if it is 2, print the name,
33717 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for
33718 arrays, structures and unions.
33720 @item computed-expressions
33721 The set of computed expressions that have been collected at the
33722 current trace frame. The @code{--comp-print-values} option affects
33723 this set like the @code{--var-print-values} option affects the
33724 @code{explicit-variables} set. See above.
33727 The registers that have been collected at the current trace frame.
33728 For each register collected, the name and current value are returned.
33729 The value is formatted according to the @code{--registers-format}
33730 option. See the @command{-data-list-register-values} command for a
33731 list of the allowed formats. The default is @samp{x}.
33734 The trace state variables that have been collected at the current
33735 trace frame. For each trace state variable collected, the name and
33736 current value are returned.
33739 The set of memory ranges that have been collected at the current trace
33740 frame. Its content is a list of tuples. Each tuple represents a
33741 collected memory range and has the following fields:
33745 The start address of the memory range, as hexadecimal literal.
33748 The length of the memory range, as decimal literal.
33751 The contents of the memory block, in hex. This field is only present
33752 if the @code{--memory-contents} option is specified.
33758 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33760 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
33762 @subsubheading Example
33764 @subheading -trace-list-variables
33765 @findex -trace-list-variables
33767 @subsubheading Synopsis
33770 -trace-list-variables
33773 Return a table of all defined trace variables. Each element of the
33774 table has the following fields:
33778 The name of the trace variable. This field is always present.
33781 The initial value. This is a 64-bit signed integer. This
33782 field is always present.
33785 The value the trace variable has at the moment. This is a 64-bit
33786 signed integer. This field is absent iff current value is
33787 not defined, for example if the trace was never run, or is
33792 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33794 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariables}.
33796 @subsubheading Example
33800 -trace-list-variables
33801 ^done,trace-variables=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="3",
33802 hdr=[@{width="15",alignment="-1",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@},
33803 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="initial",colhdr="Initial"@},
33804 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr="Current"@}],
33805 body=[variable=@{name="$trace_timestamp",initial="0"@}
33806 variable=@{name="$foo",initial="10",current="15"@}]@}
33810 @subheading -trace-save
33811 @findex -trace-save
33813 @subsubheading Synopsis
33816 -trace-save [ -r ] [ -ctf ] @var{filename}
33819 Saves the collected trace data to @var{filename}. Without the
33820 @samp{-r} option, the data is downloaded from the target and saved
33821 in a local file. With the @samp{-r} option the target is asked
33822 to perform the save.
33824 By default, this command will save the trace in the tfile format. You can
33825 supply the optional @samp{-ctf} argument to save it the CTF format. See
33826 @ref{Trace Files} for more information about CTF.
33828 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33830 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tsave}.
33833 @subheading -trace-start
33834 @findex -trace-start
33836 @subsubheading Synopsis
33842 Starts a tracing experiment. The result of this command does not
33845 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33847 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstart}.
33849 @subheading -trace-status
33850 @findex -trace-status
33852 @subsubheading Synopsis
33858 Obtains the status of a tracing experiment. The result may include
33859 the following fields:
33864 May have a value of either @samp{0}, when no tracing operations are
33865 supported, @samp{1}, when all tracing operations are supported, or
33866 @samp{file} when examining trace file. In the latter case, examining
33867 of trace frame is possible but new tracing experiement cannot be
33868 started. This field is always present.
33871 May have a value of either @samp{0} or @samp{1} depending on whether
33872 tracing experiement is in progress on target. This field is present
33873 if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
33876 Report the reason why the tracing was stopped last time. This field
33877 may be absent iff tracing was never stopped on target yet. The
33878 value of @samp{request} means the tracing was stopped as result of
33879 the @code{-trace-stop} command. The value of @samp{overflow} means
33880 the tracing buffer is full. The value of @samp{disconnection} means
33881 tracing was automatically stopped when @value{GDBN} has disconnected.
33882 The value of @samp{passcount} means tracing was stopped when a
33883 tracepoint was passed a maximal number of times for that tracepoint.
33884 This field is present if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
33886 @item stopping-tracepoint
33887 The number of tracepoint whose passcount as exceeded. This field is
33888 present iff the @samp{stop-reason} field has the value of
33892 @itemx frames-created
33893 The @samp{frames} field is a count of the total number of trace frames
33894 in the trace buffer, while @samp{frames-created} is the total created
33895 during the run, including ones that were discarded, such as when a
33896 circular trace buffer filled up. Both fields are optional.
33900 These fields tell the current size of the tracing buffer and the
33901 remaining space. These fields are optional.
33904 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
33905 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
33906 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
33910 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
33911 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
33912 that the trace run will stop.
33915 The filename of the trace file being examined. This field is
33916 optional, and only present when examining a trace file.
33920 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33922 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstatus}.
33924 @subheading -trace-stop
33925 @findex -trace-stop
33927 @subsubheading Synopsis
33933 Stops a tracing experiment. The result of this command has the same
33934 fields as @code{-trace-status}, except that the @samp{supported} and
33935 @samp{running} fields are not output.
33937 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33939 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstop}.
33942 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33943 @node GDB/MI Symbol Query
33944 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Symbol Query Commands
33948 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-address} Command
33949 @findex -symbol-info-address
33951 @subsubheading Synopsis
33954 -symbol-info-address @var{symbol}
33957 Describe where @var{symbol} is stored.
33959 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33961 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info address}.
33963 @subsubheading Example
33967 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-file} Command
33968 @findex -symbol-info-file
33970 @subsubheading Synopsis
33976 Show the file for the symbol.
33978 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33980 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command. @code{gdbtk} has
33981 @samp{gdb_find_file}.
33983 @subsubheading Example
33987 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-functions} Command
33988 @findex -symbol-info-functions
33989 @anchor{-symbol-info-functions}
33991 @subsubheading Synopsis
33994 -symbol-info-functions [--include-nondebug]
33995 [--type @var{type_regexp}]
33996 [--name @var{name_regexp}]
33997 [--max-results @var{limit}]
34001 Return a list containing the names and types for all global functions
34002 taken from the debug information. The functions are grouped by source
34003 file, and shown with the line number on which each function is
34006 The @code{--include-nondebug} option causes the output to include
34007 code symbols from the symbol table.
34009 The options @code{--type} and @code{--name} allow the symbols returned
34010 to be filtered based on either the name of the function, or the type
34011 signature of the function.
34013 The option @code{--max-results} restricts the command to return no
34014 more than @var{limit} results. If exactly @var{limit} results are
34015 returned then there might be additional results available if a higher
34018 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34020 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info functions}.
34022 @subsubheading Example
34026 -symbol-info-functions
34029 [@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34030 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34031 symbols=[@{line="36", name="f4", type="void (int *)",
34032 description="void f4(int *);"@},
34033 @{line="42", name="main", type="int ()",
34034 description="int main();"@},
34035 @{line="30", name="f1", type="my_int_t (int, int)",
34036 description="static my_int_t f1(int, int);"@}]@},
34037 @{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34038 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34039 symbols=[@{line="33", name="f2", type="float (another_float_t)",
34040 description="float f2(another_float_t);"@},
34041 @{line="39", name="f3", type="int (another_int_t)",
34042 description="int f3(another_int_t);"@},
34043 @{line="27", name="f1", type="another_float_t (int)",
34044 description="static another_float_t f1(int);"@}]@}]@}
34048 -symbol-info-functions --name f1
34051 [@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34052 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34053 symbols=[@{line="30", name="f1", type="my_int_t (int, int)",
34054 description="static my_int_t f1(int, int);"@}]@},
34055 @{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34056 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34057 symbols=[@{line="27", name="f1", type="another_float_t (int)",
34058 description="static another_float_t f1(int);"@}]@}]@}
34062 -symbol-info-functions --type void
34065 [@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34066 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34067 symbols=[@{line="36", name="f4", type="void (int *)",
34068 description="void f4(int *);"@}]@}]@}
34072 -symbol-info-functions --include-nondebug
34075 [@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34076 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34077 symbols=[@{line="36", name="f4", type="void (int *)",
34078 description="void f4(int *);"@},
34079 @{line="42", name="main", type="int ()",
34080 description="int main();"@},
34081 @{line="30", name="f1", type="my_int_t (int, int)",
34082 description="static my_int_t f1(int, int);"@}]@},
34083 @{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34084 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34085 symbols=[@{line="33", name="f2", type="float (another_float_t)",
34086 description="float f2(another_float_t);"@},
34087 @{line="39", name="f3", type="int (another_int_t)",
34088 description="int f3(another_int_t);"@},
34089 @{line="27", name="f1", type="another_float_t (int)",
34090 description="static another_float_t f1(int);"@}]@}],
34092 [@{address="0x0000000000400398",name="_init"@},
34093 @{address="0x00000000004003b0",name="_start"@},
34099 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-module-functions} Command
34100 @findex -symbol-info-module-functions
34101 @anchor{-symbol-info-module-functions}
34103 @subsubheading Synopsis
34106 -symbol-info-module-functions [--module @var{module_regexp}]
34107 [--name @var{name_regexp}]
34108 [--type @var{type_regexp}]
34112 Return a list containing the names of all known functions within all
34113 know Fortran modules. The functions are grouped by source file and
34114 containing module, and shown with the line number on which each
34115 function is defined.
34117 The option @code{--module} only returns results for modules matching
34118 @var{module_regexp}. The option @code{--name} only returns functions
34119 whose name matches @var{name_regexp}, and @code{--type} only returns
34120 functions whose type matches @var{type_regexp}.
34122 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34124 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info module functions}.
34126 @subsubheading Example
34131 -symbol-info-module-functions
34134 files=[@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules-2.f90",
34135 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules-2.f90",
34136 symbols=[@{line="21",name="mod1::check_all",type="void (void)",
34137 description="void mod1::check_all(void);"@}]@}]@},
34139 files=[@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules-2.f90",
34140 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules-2.f90",
34141 symbols=[@{line="30",name="mod2::check_var_i",type="void (void)",
34142 description="void mod2::check_var_i(void);"@}]@}]@},
34144 files=[@{filename="/projec/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34145 fullname="/projec/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34146 symbols=[@{line="21",name="mod3::check_all",type="void (void)",
34147 description="void mod3::check_all(void);"@},
34148 @{line="27",name="mod3::check_mod2",type="void (void)",
34149 description="void mod3::check_mod2(void);"@}]@}]@},
34150 @{module="modmany",
34151 files=[@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34152 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34153 symbols=[@{line="35",name="modmany::check_some",type="void (void)",
34154 description="void modmany::check_some(void);"@}]@}]@},
34156 files=[@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34157 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34158 symbols=[@{line="44",name="moduse::check_all",type="void (void)",
34159 description="void moduse::check_all(void);"@},
34160 @{line="49",name="moduse::check_var_x",type="void (void)",
34161 description="void moduse::check_var_x(void);"@}]@}]@}]
34165 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-module-variables} Command
34166 @findex -symbol-info-module-variables
34167 @anchor{-symbol-info-module-variables}
34169 @subsubheading Synopsis
34172 -symbol-info-module-variables [--module @var{module_regexp}]
34173 [--name @var{name_regexp}]
34174 [--type @var{type_regexp}]
34178 Return a list containing the names of all known variables within all
34179 know Fortran modules. The variables are grouped by source file and
34180 containing module, and shown with the line number on which each
34181 variable is defined.
34183 The option @code{--module} only returns results for modules matching
34184 @var{module_regexp}. The option @code{--name} only returns variables
34185 whose name matches @var{name_regexp}, and @code{--type} only returns
34186 variables whose type matches @var{type_regexp}.
34188 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34190 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info module variables}.
34192 @subsubheading Example
34197 -symbol-info-module-variables
34200 files=[@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules-2.f90",
34201 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules-2.f90",
34202 symbols=[@{line="18",name="mod1::var_const",type="integer(kind=4)",
34203 description="integer(kind=4) mod1::var_const;"@},
34204 @{line="17",name="mod1::var_i",type="integer(kind=4)",
34205 description="integer(kind=4) mod1::var_i;"@}]@}]@},
34207 files=[@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules-2.f90",
34208 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules-2.f90",
34209 symbols=[@{line="28",name="mod2::var_i",type="integer(kind=4)",
34210 description="integer(kind=4) mod2::var_i;"@}]@}]@},
34212 files=[@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34213 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34214 symbols=[@{line="18",name="mod3::mod1",type="integer(kind=4)",
34215 description="integer(kind=4) mod3::mod1;"@},
34216 @{line="17",name="mod3::mod2",type="integer(kind=4)",
34217 description="integer(kind=4) mod3::mod2;"@},
34218 @{line="19",name="mod3::var_i",type="integer(kind=4)",
34219 description="integer(kind=4) mod3::var_i;"@}]@}]@},
34220 @{module="modmany",
34221 files=[@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34222 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34223 symbols=[@{line="33",name="modmany::var_a",type="integer(kind=4)",
34224 description="integer(kind=4) modmany::var_a;"@},
34225 @{line="33",name="modmany::var_b",type="integer(kind=4)",
34226 description="integer(kind=4) modmany::var_b;"@},
34227 @{line="33",name="modmany::var_c",type="integer(kind=4)",
34228 description="integer(kind=4) modmany::var_c;"@},
34229 @{line="33",name="modmany::var_i",type="integer(kind=4)",
34230 description="integer(kind=4) modmany::var_i;"@}]@}]@},
34232 files=[@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34233 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34234 symbols=[@{line="42",name="moduse::var_x",type="integer(kind=4)",
34235 description="integer(kind=4) moduse::var_x;"@},
34236 @{line="42",name="moduse::var_y",type="integer(kind=4)",
34237 description="integer(kind=4) moduse::var_y;"@}]@}]@}]
34241 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-modules} Command
34242 @findex -symbol-info-modules
34243 @anchor{-symbol-info-modules}
34245 @subsubheading Synopsis
34248 -symbol-info-modules [--name @var{name_regexp}]
34249 [--max-results @var{limit}]
34254 Return a list containing the names of all known Fortran modules. The
34255 modules are grouped by source file, and shown with the line number on
34256 which each modules is defined.
34258 The option @code{--name} allows the modules returned to be filtered
34259 based the name of the module.
34261 The option @code{--max-results} restricts the command to return no
34262 more than @var{limit} results. If exactly @var{limit} results are
34263 returned then there might be additional results available if a higher
34266 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34268 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info modules}.
34270 @subsubheading Example
34274 -symbol-info-modules
34277 [@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules-2.f90",
34278 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules-2.f90",
34279 symbols=[@{line="16",name="mod1"@},
34280 @{line="22",name="mod2"@}]@},
34281 @{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34282 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34283 symbols=[@{line="16",name="mod3"@},
34284 @{line="22",name="modmany"@},
34285 @{line="26",name="moduse"@}]@}]@}
34289 -symbol-info-modules --name mod[123]
34292 [@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules-2.f90",
34293 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules-2.f90",
34294 symbols=[@{line="16",name="mod1"@},
34295 @{line="22",name="mod2"@}]@},
34296 @{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34297 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-fortran-modules.f90",
34298 symbols=[@{line="16",name="mod3"@}]@}]@}
34302 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-types} Command
34303 @findex -symbol-info-types
34304 @anchor{-symbol-info-types}
34306 @subsubheading Synopsis
34309 -symbol-info-types [--name @var{name_regexp}]
34310 [--max-results @var{limit}]
34315 Return a list of all defined types. The types are grouped by source
34316 file, and shown with the line number on which each user defined type
34317 is defined. Some base types are not defined in the source code but
34318 are added to the debug information by the compiler, for example
34319 @code{int}, @code{float}, etc.; these types do not have an associated
34322 The option @code{--name} allows the list of types returned to be
34325 The option @code{--max-results} restricts the command to return no
34326 more than @var{limit} results. If exactly @var{limit} results are
34327 returned then there might be additional results available if a higher
34330 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34332 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info types}.
34334 @subsubheading Example
34341 [@{filename="gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34342 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34343 symbols=[@{name="float"@},
34345 @{line="27",name="typedef int my_int_t;"@}]@},
34346 @{filename="gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34347 fullname="/project/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34348 symbols=[@{line="24",name="typedef float another_float_t;"@},
34349 @{line="23",name="typedef int another_int_t;"@},
34351 @{name="int"@}]@}]@}
34355 -symbol-info-types --name _int_
34358 [@{filename="gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34359 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34360 symbols=[@{line="27",name="typedef int my_int_t;"@}]@},
34361 @{filename="gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34362 fullname="/project/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34363 symbols=[@{line="23",name="typedef int another_int_t;"@}]@}]@}
34367 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-variables} Command
34368 @findex -symbol-info-variables
34369 @anchor{-symbol-info-variables}
34371 @subsubheading Synopsis
34374 -symbol-info-variables [--include-nondebug]
34375 [--type @var{type_regexp}]
34376 [--name @var{name_regexp}]
34377 [--max-results @var{limit}]
34382 Return a list containing the names and types for all global variables
34383 taken from the debug information. The variables are grouped by source
34384 file, and shown with the line number on which each variable is
34387 The @code{--include-nondebug} option causes the output to include
34388 data symbols from the symbol table.
34390 The options @code{--type} and @code{--name} allow the symbols returned
34391 to be filtered based on either the name of the variable, or the type
34394 The option @code{--max-results} restricts the command to return no
34395 more than @var{limit} results. If exactly @var{limit} results are
34396 returned then there might be additional results available if a higher
34399 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34401 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info variables}.
34403 @subsubheading Example
34407 -symbol-info-variables
34410 [@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34411 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34412 symbols=[@{line="25",name="global_f1",type="float",
34413 description="static float global_f1;"@},
34414 @{line="24",name="global_i1",type="int",
34415 description="static int global_i1;"@}]@},
34416 @{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34417 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34418 symbols=[@{line="21",name="global_f2",type="int",
34419 description="int global_f2;"@},
34420 @{line="20",name="global_i2",type="int",
34421 description="int global_i2;"@},
34422 @{line="19",name="global_f1",type="float",
34423 description="static float global_f1;"@},
34424 @{line="18",name="global_i1",type="int",
34425 description="static int global_i1;"@}]@}]@}
34429 -symbol-info-variables --name f1
34432 [@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34433 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34434 symbols=[@{line="25",name="global_f1",type="float",
34435 description="static float global_f1;"@}]@},
34436 @{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34437 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34438 symbols=[@{line="19",name="global_f1",type="float",
34439 description="static float global_f1;"@}]@}]@}
34443 -symbol-info-variables --type float
34446 [@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34447 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34448 symbols=[@{line="25",name="global_f1",type="float",
34449 description="static float global_f1;"@}]@},
34450 @{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34451 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34452 symbols=[@{line="19",name="global_f1",type="float",
34453 description="static float global_f1;"@}]@}]@}
34457 -symbol-info-variables --include-nondebug
34460 [@{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34461 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-1.c",
34462 symbols=[@{line="25",name="global_f1",type="float",
34463 description="static float global_f1;"@},
34464 @{line="24",name="global_i1",type="int",
34465 description="static int global_i1;"@}]@},
34466 @{filename="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34467 fullname="/project/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/mi-sym-info-2.c",
34468 symbols=[@{line="21",name="global_f2",type="int",
34469 description="int global_f2;"@},
34470 @{line="20",name="global_i2",type="int",
34471 description="int global_i2;"@},
34472 @{line="19",name="global_f1",type="float",
34473 description="static float global_f1;"@},
34474 @{line="18",name="global_i1",type="int",
34475 description="static int global_i1;"@}]@}],
34477 [@{address="0x00000000004005d0",name="_IO_stdin_used"@},
34478 @{address="0x00000000004005d8",name="__dso_handle"@}
34485 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-line} Command
34486 @findex -symbol-info-line
34488 @subsubheading Synopsis
34494 Show the core addresses of the code for a source line.
34496 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34498 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info line}.
34499 @code{gdbtk} has the @samp{gdb_get_line} and @samp{gdb_get_file} commands.
34501 @subsubheading Example
34505 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-symbol} Command
34506 @findex -symbol-info-symbol
34508 @subsubheading Synopsis
34511 -symbol-info-symbol @var{addr}
34514 Describe what symbol is at location @var{addr}.
34516 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34518 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info symbol}.
34520 @subsubheading Example
34524 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-functions} Command
34525 @findex -symbol-list-functions
34527 @subsubheading Synopsis
34530 -symbol-list-functions
34533 List the functions in the executable.
34535 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34537 @samp{info functions} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_listfunc} and
34538 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
34540 @subsubheading Example
34545 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-lines} Command
34546 @findex -symbol-list-lines
34548 @subsubheading Synopsis
34551 -symbol-list-lines @var{filename}
34554 Print the list of lines that contain code and their associated program
34555 addresses for the given source filename. The entries are sorted in
34556 ascending PC order.
34558 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34560 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
34562 @subsubheading Example
34565 -symbol-list-lines basics.c
34566 ^done,lines=[@{pc="0x08048554",line="7"@},@{pc="0x0804855a",line="8"@}]
34572 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-types} Command
34573 @findex -symbol-list-types
34575 @subsubheading Synopsis
34581 List all the type names.
34583 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34585 The corresponding commands are @samp{info types} in @value{GDBN},
34586 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
34588 @subsubheading Example
34592 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-variables} Command
34593 @findex -symbol-list-variables
34595 @subsubheading Synopsis
34598 -symbol-list-variables
34601 List all the global and static variable names.
34603 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34605 @samp{info variables} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
34607 @subsubheading Example
34611 @subheading The @code{-symbol-locate} Command
34612 @findex -symbol-locate
34614 @subsubheading Synopsis
34620 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34622 @samp{gdb_loc} in @code{gdbtk}.
34624 @subsubheading Example
34628 @subheading The @code{-symbol-type} Command
34629 @findex -symbol-type
34631 @subsubheading Synopsis
34634 -symbol-type @var{variable}
34637 Show type of @var{variable}.
34639 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34641 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ptype}, @code{gdbtk} has
34642 @samp{gdb_obj_variable}.
34644 @subsubheading Example
34649 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34650 @node GDB/MI File Commands
34651 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Commands
34653 This section describes the GDB/MI commands to specify executable file names
34654 and to read in and obtain symbol table information.
34656 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-and-symbols} Command
34657 @findex -file-exec-and-symbols
34659 @subsubheading Synopsis
34662 -file-exec-and-symbols @var{file}
34665 Specify the executable file to be debugged. This file is the one from
34666 which the symbol table is also read. If no file is specified, the
34667 command clears the executable and symbol information. If breakpoints
34668 are set when using this command with no arguments, @value{GDBN} will produce
34669 error messages. Otherwise, no output is produced, except a completion
34672 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34674 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{file}.
34676 @subsubheading Example
34680 -file-exec-and-symbols /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
34686 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-file} Command
34687 @findex -file-exec-file
34689 @subsubheading Synopsis
34692 -file-exec-file @var{file}
34695 Specify the executable file to be debugged. Unlike
34696 @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols}, the symbol table is @emph{not} read
34697 from this file. If used without argument, @value{GDBN} clears the information
34698 about the executable file. No output is produced, except a completion
34701 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34703 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{exec-file}.
34705 @subsubheading Example
34709 -file-exec-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
34716 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-sections} Command
34717 @findex -file-list-exec-sections
34719 @subsubheading Synopsis
34722 -file-list-exec-sections
34725 List the sections of the current executable file.
34727 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34729 The @value{GDBN} command @samp{info file} shows, among the rest, the same
34730 information as this command. @code{gdbtk} has a corresponding command
34731 @samp{gdb_load_info}.
34733 @subsubheading Example
34738 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-file} Command
34739 @findex -file-list-exec-source-file
34741 @subsubheading Synopsis
34744 -file-list-exec-source-file
34747 List the line number, the current source file, and the absolute path
34748 to the current source file for the current executable. The macro
34749 information field has a value of @samp{1} or @samp{0} depending on
34750 whether or not the file includes preprocessor macro information.
34752 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34754 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info source}
34756 @subsubheading Example
34760 123-file-list-exec-source-file
34761 123^done,line="1",file="foo.c",fullname="/home/bar/foo.c,macro-info="1"
34766 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-files} Command
34767 @findex -file-list-exec-source-files
34769 @subsubheading Synopsis
34772 -file-list-exec-source-files
34775 List the source files for the current executable.
34777 It will always output both the filename and fullname (absolute file
34778 name) of a source file.
34780 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34782 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info sources}.
34783 @code{gdbtk} has an analogous command @samp{gdb_listfiles}.
34785 @subsubheading Example
34788 -file-list-exec-source-files
34790 @{file=foo.c,fullname=/home/foo.c@},
34791 @{file=/home/bar.c,fullname=/home/bar.c@},
34792 @{file=gdb_could_not_find_fullpath.c@}]
34796 @subheading The @code{-file-list-shared-libraries} Command
34797 @findex -file-list-shared-libraries
34799 @subsubheading Synopsis
34802 -file-list-shared-libraries [ @var{regexp} ]
34805 List the shared libraries in the program.
34806 With a regular expression @var{regexp}, only those libraries whose
34807 names match @var{regexp} are listed.
34809 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34811 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info shared}. The fields
34812 have a similar meaning to the @code{=library-loaded} notification.
34813 The @code{ranges} field specifies the multiple segments belonging to this
34814 library. Each range has the following fields:
34818 The address defining the inclusive lower bound of the segment.
34820 The address defining the exclusive upper bound of the segment.
34823 @subsubheading Example
34826 -file-list-exec-source-files
34827 ^done,shared-libraries=[
34828 @{id="/lib/libfoo.so",target-name="/lib/libfoo.so",host-name="/lib/libfoo.so",symbols-loaded="1",thread-group="i1",ranges=[@{from="0x72815989",to="0x728162c0"@}]@},
34829 @{id="/lib/libbar.so",target-name="/lib/libbar.so",host-name="/lib/libbar.so",symbols-loaded="1",thread-group="i1",ranges=[@{from="0x76ee48c0",to="0x76ee9160"@}]@}]
34835 @subheading The @code{-file-list-symbol-files} Command
34836 @findex -file-list-symbol-files
34838 @subsubheading Synopsis
34841 -file-list-symbol-files
34846 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34848 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info file} (part of it).
34850 @subsubheading Example
34855 @subheading The @code{-file-symbol-file} Command
34856 @findex -file-symbol-file
34858 @subsubheading Synopsis
34861 -file-symbol-file @var{file}
34864 Read symbol table info from the specified @var{file} argument. When
34865 used without arguments, clears @value{GDBN}'s symbol table info. No output is
34866 produced, except for a completion notification.
34868 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34870 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{symbol-file}.
34872 @subsubheading Example
34876 -file-symbol-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
34882 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34883 @node GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands
34884 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Memory Overlay Commands
34886 The memory overlay commands are not implemented.
34888 @c @subheading -overlay-auto
34890 @c @subheading -overlay-list-mapping-state
34892 @c @subheading -overlay-list-overlays
34894 @c @subheading -overlay-map
34896 @c @subheading -overlay-off
34898 @c @subheading -overlay-on
34900 @c @subheading -overlay-unmap
34902 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34903 @node GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands
34904 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Signal Handling Commands
34906 Signal handling commands are not implemented.
34908 @c @subheading -signal-handle
34910 @c @subheading -signal-list-handle-actions
34912 @c @subheading -signal-list-signal-types
34916 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34917 @node GDB/MI Target Manipulation
34918 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Target Manipulation Commands
34921 @subheading The @code{-target-attach} Command
34922 @findex -target-attach
34924 @subsubheading Synopsis
34927 -target-attach @var{pid} | @var{gid} | @var{file}
34930 Attach to a process @var{pid} or a file @var{file} outside of
34931 @value{GDBN}, or a thread group @var{gid}. If attaching to a thread
34932 group, the id previously returned by
34933 @samp{-list-thread-groups --available} must be used.
34935 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34937 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{attach}.
34939 @subsubheading Example
34943 =thread-created,id="1"
34944 *stopped,thread-id="1",frame=@{addr="0xb7f7e410",func="bar",args=[]@}
34950 @subheading The @code{-target-compare-sections} Command
34951 @findex -target-compare-sections
34953 @subsubheading Synopsis
34956 -target-compare-sections [ @var{section} ]
34959 Compare data of section @var{section} on target to the exec file.
34960 Without the argument, all sections are compared.
34962 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34964 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{compare-sections}.
34966 @subsubheading Example
34971 @subheading The @code{-target-detach} Command
34972 @findex -target-detach
34974 @subsubheading Synopsis
34977 -target-detach [ @var{pid} | @var{gid} ]
34980 Detach from the remote target which normally resumes its execution.
34981 If either @var{pid} or @var{gid} is specified, detaches from either
34982 the specified process, or specified thread group. There's no output.
34984 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34986 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{detach}.
34988 @subsubheading Example
34998 @subheading The @code{-target-disconnect} Command
34999 @findex -target-disconnect
35001 @subsubheading Synopsis
35007 Disconnect from the remote target. There's no output and the target is
35008 generally not resumed.
35010 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35012 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disconnect}.
35014 @subsubheading Example
35024 @subheading The @code{-target-download} Command
35025 @findex -target-download
35027 @subsubheading Synopsis
35033 Loads the executable onto the remote target.
35034 It prints out an update message every half second, which includes the fields:
35038 The name of the section.
35040 The size of what has been sent so far for that section.
35042 The size of the section.
35044 The total size of what was sent so far (the current and the previous sections).
35046 The size of the overall executable to download.
35050 Each message is sent as status record (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, ,
35051 @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax}).
35053 In addition, it prints the name and size of the sections, as they are
35054 downloaded. These messages include the following fields:
35058 The name of the section.
35060 The size of the section.
35062 The size of the overall executable to download.
35066 At the end, a summary is printed.
35068 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35070 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{load}.
35072 @subsubheading Example
35074 Note: each status message appears on a single line. Here the messages
35075 have been broken down so that they can fit onto a page.
35080 +download,@{section=".text",section-size="6668",total-size="9880"@}
35081 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="512",section-size="6668",
35082 total-sent="512",total-size="9880"@}
35083 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1024",section-size="6668",
35084 total-sent="1024",total-size="9880"@}
35085 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1536",section-size="6668",
35086 total-sent="1536",total-size="9880"@}
35087 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2048",section-size="6668",
35088 total-sent="2048",total-size="9880"@}
35089 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2560",section-size="6668",
35090 total-sent="2560",total-size="9880"@}
35091 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3072",section-size="6668",
35092 total-sent="3072",total-size="9880"@}
35093 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3584",section-size="6668",
35094 total-sent="3584",total-size="9880"@}
35095 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4096",section-size="6668",
35096 total-sent="4096",total-size="9880"@}
35097 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4608",section-size="6668",
35098 total-sent="4608",total-size="9880"@}
35099 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5120",section-size="6668",
35100 total-sent="5120",total-size="9880"@}
35101 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5632",section-size="6668",
35102 total-sent="5632",total-size="9880"@}
35103 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6144",section-size="6668",
35104 total-sent="6144",total-size="9880"@}
35105 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6656",section-size="6668",
35106 total-sent="6656",total-size="9880"@}
35107 +download,@{section=".init",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
35108 +download,@{section=".fini",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
35109 +download,@{section=".data",section-size="3156",total-size="9880"@}
35110 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="512",section-size="3156",
35111 total-sent="7236",total-size="9880"@}
35112 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1024",section-size="3156",
35113 total-sent="7748",total-size="9880"@}
35114 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1536",section-size="3156",
35115 total-sent="8260",total-size="9880"@}
35116 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2048",section-size="3156",
35117 total-sent="8772",total-size="9880"@}
35118 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2560",section-size="3156",
35119 total-sent="9284",total-size="9880"@}
35120 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="3072",section-size="3156",
35121 total-sent="9796",total-size="9880"@}
35122 ^done,address="0x10004",load-size="9880",transfer-rate="6586",
35129 @subheading The @code{-target-exec-status} Command
35130 @findex -target-exec-status
35132 @subsubheading Synopsis
35135 -target-exec-status
35138 Provide information on the state of the target (whether it is running or
35139 not, for instance).
35141 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35143 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
35145 @subsubheading Example
35149 @subheading The @code{-target-list-available-targets} Command
35150 @findex -target-list-available-targets
35152 @subsubheading Synopsis
35155 -target-list-available-targets
35158 List the possible targets to connect to.
35160 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35162 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{help target}.
35164 @subsubheading Example
35168 @subheading The @code{-target-list-current-targets} Command
35169 @findex -target-list-current-targets
35171 @subsubheading Synopsis
35174 -target-list-current-targets
35177 Describe the current target.
35179 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35181 The corresponding information is printed by @samp{info file} (among
35184 @subsubheading Example
35188 @subheading The @code{-target-list-parameters} Command
35189 @findex -target-list-parameters
35191 @subsubheading Synopsis
35194 -target-list-parameters
35200 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35204 @subsubheading Example
35207 @subheading The @code{-target-flash-erase} Command
35208 @findex -target-flash-erase
35210 @subsubheading Synopsis
35213 -target-flash-erase
35216 Erases all known flash memory regions on the target.
35218 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{flash-erase}.
35220 The output is a list of flash regions that have been erased, with starting
35221 addresses and memory region sizes.
35225 -target-flash-erase
35226 ^done,erased-regions=@{address="0x0",size="0x40000"@}
35230 @subheading The @code{-target-select} Command
35231 @findex -target-select
35233 @subsubheading Synopsis
35236 -target-select @var{type} @var{parameters @dots{}}
35239 Connect @value{GDBN} to the remote target. This command takes two args:
35243 The type of target, for instance @samp{remote}, etc.
35244 @item @var{parameters}
35245 Device names, host names and the like. @xref{Target Commands, ,
35246 Commands for Managing Targets}, for more details.
35249 The output is a connection notification, followed by the address at
35250 which the target program is, in the following form:
35253 ^connected,addr="@var{address}",func="@var{function name}",
35254 args=[@var{arg list}]
35257 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35259 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{target}.
35261 @subsubheading Example
35265 -target-select remote /dev/ttya
35266 ^connected,addr="0xfe00a300",func="??",args=[]
35270 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
35271 @node GDB/MI File Transfer Commands
35272 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Transfer Commands
35275 @subheading The @code{-target-file-put} Command
35276 @findex -target-file-put
35278 @subsubheading Synopsis
35281 -target-file-put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
35284 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
35285 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
35287 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35289 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote put}.
35291 @subsubheading Example
35295 -target-file-put localfile remotefile
35301 @subheading The @code{-target-file-get} Command
35302 @findex -target-file-get
35304 @subsubheading Synopsis
35307 -target-file-get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
35310 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
35311 on the host system.
35313 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35315 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote get}.
35317 @subsubheading Example
35321 -target-file-get remotefile localfile
35327 @subheading The @code{-target-file-delete} Command
35328 @findex -target-file-delete
35330 @subsubheading Synopsis
35333 -target-file-delete @var{targetfile}
35336 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
35338 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35340 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote delete}.
35342 @subsubheading Example
35346 -target-file-delete remotefile
35352 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
35353 @node GDB/MI Ada Exceptions Commands
35354 @section Ada Exceptions @sc{gdb/mi} Commands
35356 @subheading The @code{-info-ada-exceptions} Command
35357 @findex -info-ada-exceptions
35359 @subsubheading Synopsis
35362 -info-ada-exceptions [ @var{regexp}]
35365 List all Ada exceptions defined within the program being debugged.
35366 With a regular expression @var{regexp}, only those exceptions whose
35367 names match @var{regexp} are listed.
35369 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35371 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info exceptions}.
35373 @subsubheading Result
35375 The result is a table of Ada exceptions. The following columns are
35376 defined for each exception:
35380 The name of the exception.
35383 The address of the exception.
35387 @subsubheading Example
35390 -info-ada-exceptions aint
35391 ^done,ada-exceptions=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="2",
35392 hdr=[@{width="1",alignment="-1",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@},
35393 @{width="1",alignment="-1",col_name="address",colhdr="Address"@}],
35394 body=[@{name="constraint_error",address="0x0000000000613da0"@},
35395 @{name="const.aint_global_e",address="0x0000000000613b00"@}]@}
35398 @subheading Catching Ada Exceptions
35400 The commands describing how to ask @value{GDBN} to stop when a program
35401 raises an exception are described at @ref{Ada Exception GDB/MI
35402 Catchpoint Commands}.
35405 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
35406 @node GDB/MI Support Commands
35407 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Support Commands
35409 Since new commands and features get regularly added to @sc{gdb/mi},
35410 some commands are available to help front-ends query the debugger
35411 about support for these capabilities. Similarly, it is also possible
35412 to query @value{GDBN} about target support of certain features.
35414 @subheading The @code{-info-gdb-mi-command} Command
35415 @cindex @code{-info-gdb-mi-command}
35416 @findex -info-gdb-mi-command
35418 @subsubheading Synopsis
35421 -info-gdb-mi-command @var{cmd_name}
35424 Query support for the @sc{gdb/mi} command named @var{cmd_name}.
35426 Note that the dash (@code{-}) starting all @sc{gdb/mi} commands
35427 is technically not part of the command name (@pxref{GDB/MI Input
35428 Syntax}), and thus should be omitted in @var{cmd_name}. However,
35429 for ease of use, this command also accepts the form with the leading
35432 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35434 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
35436 @subsubheading Result
35438 The result is a tuple. There is currently only one field:
35442 This field is equal to @code{"true"} if the @sc{gdb/mi} command exists,
35443 @code{"false"} otherwise.
35447 @subsubheading Example
35449 Here is an example where the @sc{gdb/mi} command does not exist:
35452 -info-gdb-mi-command unsupported-command
35453 ^done,command=@{exists="false"@}
35457 And here is an example where the @sc{gdb/mi} command is known
35461 -info-gdb-mi-command symbol-list-lines
35462 ^done,command=@{exists="true"@}
35465 @subheading The @code{-list-features} Command
35466 @findex -list-features
35467 @cindex supported @sc{gdb/mi} features, list
35469 Returns a list of particular features of the MI protocol that
35470 this version of gdb implements. A feature can be a command,
35471 or a new field in an output of some command, or even an
35472 important bugfix. While a frontend can sometimes detect presence
35473 of a feature at runtime, it is easier to perform detection at debugger
35476 The command returns a list of strings, with each string naming an
35477 available feature. Each returned string is just a name, it does not
35478 have any internal structure. The list of possible feature names
35484 (gdb) -list-features
35485 ^done,result=["feature1","feature2"]
35488 The current list of features is:
35491 @item frozen-varobjs
35492 Indicates support for the @code{-var-set-frozen} command, as well
35493 as possible presence of the @code{frozen} field in the output
35494 of @code{-varobj-create}.
35495 @item pending-breakpoints
35496 Indicates support for the @option{-f} option to the @code{-break-insert}
35499 Indicates Python scripting support, Python-based
35500 pretty-printing commands, and possible presence of the
35501 @samp{display_hint} field in the output of @code{-var-list-children}
35503 Indicates support for the @code{-thread-info} command.
35504 @item data-read-memory-bytes
35505 Indicates support for the @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} and the
35506 @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} commands.
35507 @item breakpoint-notifications
35508 Indicates that changes to breakpoints and breakpoints created via the
35509 CLI will be announced via async records.
35510 @item ada-task-info
35511 Indicates support for the @code{-ada-task-info} command.
35512 @item language-option
35513 Indicates that all @sc{gdb/mi} commands accept the @option{--language}
35514 option (@pxref{Context management}).
35515 @item info-gdb-mi-command
35516 Indicates support for the @code{-info-gdb-mi-command} command.
35517 @item undefined-command-error-code
35518 Indicates support for the "undefined-command" error code in error result
35519 records, produced when trying to execute an undefined @sc{gdb/mi} command
35520 (@pxref{GDB/MI Result Records}).
35521 @item exec-run-start-option
35522 Indicates that the @code{-exec-run} command supports the @option{--start}
35523 option (@pxref{GDB/MI Program Execution}).
35524 @item data-disassemble-a-option
35525 Indicates that the @code{-data-disassemble} command supports the @option{-a}
35526 option (@pxref{GDB/MI Data Manipulation}).
35529 @subheading The @code{-list-target-features} Command
35530 @findex -list-target-features
35532 Returns a list of particular features that are supported by the
35533 target. Those features affect the permitted MI commands, but
35534 unlike the features reported by the @code{-list-features} command, the
35535 features depend on which target GDB is using at the moment. Whenever
35536 a target can change, due to commands such as @code{-target-select},
35537 @code{-target-attach} or @code{-exec-run}, the list of target features
35538 may change, and the frontend should obtain it again.
35542 (gdb) -list-target-features
35543 ^done,result=["async"]
35546 The current list of features is:
35550 Indicates that the target is capable of asynchronous command
35551 execution, which means that @value{GDBN} will accept further commands
35552 while the target is running.
35555 Indicates that the target is capable of reverse execution.
35556 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
35560 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
35561 @node GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands
35562 @section Miscellaneous @sc{gdb/mi} Commands
35564 @c @subheading -gdb-complete
35566 @subheading The @code{-gdb-exit} Command
35569 @subsubheading Synopsis
35575 Exit @value{GDBN} immediately.
35577 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35579 Approximately corresponds to @samp{quit}.
35581 @subsubheading Example
35591 @subheading The @code{-exec-abort} Command
35592 @findex -exec-abort
35594 @subsubheading Synopsis
35600 Kill the inferior running program.
35602 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35604 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{kill}.
35606 @subsubheading Example
35611 @subheading The @code{-gdb-set} Command
35614 @subsubheading Synopsis
35620 Set an internal @value{GDBN} variable.
35621 @c IS THIS A DOLLAR VARIABLE? OR SOMETHING LIKE ANNOTATE ?????
35623 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35625 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set}.
35627 @subsubheading Example
35637 @subheading The @code{-gdb-show} Command
35640 @subsubheading Synopsis
35646 Show the current value of a @value{GDBN} variable.
35648 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35650 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show}.
35652 @subsubheading Example
35661 @c @subheading -gdb-source
35664 @subheading The @code{-gdb-version} Command
35665 @findex -gdb-version
35667 @subsubheading Synopsis
35673 Show version information for @value{GDBN}. Used mostly in testing.
35675 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35677 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{show version}. @value{GDBN} by
35678 default shows this information when you start an interactive session.
35680 @subsubheading Example
35682 @c This example modifies the actual output from GDB to avoid overfull
35688 ~Copyright 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
35689 ~GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and
35690 ~you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under
35691 ~ certain conditions.
35692 ~Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
35693 ~There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty" for
35695 ~This GDB was configured as
35696 "--host=sparc-sun-solaris2.5.1 --target=ppc-eabi".
35701 @subheading The @code{-list-thread-groups} Command
35702 @findex -list-thread-groups
35704 @subheading Synopsis
35707 -list-thread-groups [ --available ] [ --recurse 1 ] [ @var{group} ... ]
35710 Lists thread groups (@pxref{Thread groups}). When a single thread
35711 group is passed as the argument, lists the children of that group.
35712 When several thread group are passed, lists information about those
35713 thread groups. Without any parameters, lists information about all
35714 top-level thread groups.
35716 Normally, thread groups that are being debugged are reported.
35717 With the @samp{--available} option, @value{GDBN} reports thread groups
35718 available on the target.
35720 The output of this command may have either a @samp{threads} result or
35721 a @samp{groups} result. The @samp{thread} result has a list of tuples
35722 as value, with each tuple describing a thread (@pxref{GDB/MI Thread
35723 Information}). The @samp{groups} result has a list of tuples as value,
35724 each tuple describing a thread group. If top-level groups are
35725 requested (that is, no parameter is passed), or when several groups
35726 are passed, the output always has a @samp{groups} result. The format
35727 of the @samp{group} result is described below.
35729 To reduce the number of roundtrips it's possible to list thread groups
35730 together with their children, by passing the @samp{--recurse} option
35731 and the recursion depth. Presently, only recursion depth of 1 is
35732 permitted. If this option is present, then every reported thread group
35733 will also include its children, either as @samp{group} or
35734 @samp{threads} field.
35736 In general, any combination of option and parameters is permitted, with
35737 the following caveats:
35741 When a single thread group is passed, the output will typically
35742 be the @samp{threads} result. Because threads may not contain
35743 anything, the @samp{recurse} option will be ignored.
35746 When the @samp{--available} option is passed, limited information may
35747 be available. In particular, the list of threads of a process might
35748 be inaccessible. Further, specifying specific thread groups might
35749 not give any performance advantage over listing all thread groups.
35750 The frontend should assume that @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}
35751 is always an expensive operation and cache the results.
35755 The @samp{groups} result is a list of tuples, where each tuple may
35756 have the following fields:
35760 Identifier of the thread group. This field is always present.
35761 The identifier is an opaque string; frontends should not try to
35762 convert it to an integer, even though it might look like one.
35765 The type of the thread group. At present, only @samp{process} is a
35769 The target-specific process identifier. This field is only present
35770 for thread groups of type @samp{process} and only if the process exists.
35773 The exit code of this group's last exited thread, formatted in octal.
35774 This field is only present for thread groups of type @samp{process} and
35775 only if the process is not running.
35778 The number of children this thread group has. This field may be
35779 absent for an available thread group.
35782 This field has a list of tuples as value, each tuple describing a
35783 thread. It may be present if the @samp{--recurse} option is
35784 specified, and it's actually possible to obtain the threads.
35787 This field is a list of integers, each identifying a core that one
35788 thread of the group is running on. This field may be absent if
35789 such information is not available.
35792 The name of the executable file that corresponds to this thread group.
35793 The field is only present for thread groups of type @samp{process},
35794 and only if there is a corresponding executable file.
35798 @subheading Example
35802 -list-thread-groups
35803 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2"@}]
35804 -list-thread-groups 17
35805 ^done,threads=[@{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
35806 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",args=[]@},state="running"@},
35807 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
35808 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
35809 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158",arch="i386:x86_64"@},state="running"@}]]
35810 -list-thread-groups --available
35811 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2]@}]
35812 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1
35813 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
35814 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
35815 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},..]
35816 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1 17 18
35817 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
35818 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
35819 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},...]
35822 @subheading The @code{-info-os} Command
35825 @subsubheading Synopsis
35828 -info-os [ @var{type} ]
35831 If no argument is supplied, the command returns a table of available
35832 operating-system-specific information types. If one of these types is
35833 supplied as an argument @var{type}, then the command returns a table
35834 of data of that type.
35836 The types of information available depend on the target operating
35839 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35841 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info os}.
35843 @subsubheading Example
35845 When run on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, the output will look something
35851 ^done,OSDataTable=@{nr_rows="10",nr_cols="3",
35852 hdr=[@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col0",colhdr="Type"@},
35853 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col1",colhdr="Description"@},
35854 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col2",colhdr="Title"@}],
35855 body=[item=@{col0="cpus",col1="Listing of all cpus/cores on the system",
35857 item=@{col0="files",col1="Listing of all file descriptors",
35858 col2="File descriptors"@},
35859 item=@{col0="modules",col1="Listing of all loaded kernel modules",
35860 col2="Kernel modules"@},
35861 item=@{col0="msg",col1="Listing of all message queues",
35862 col2="Message queues"@},
35863 item=@{col0="processes",col1="Listing of all processes",
35864 col2="Processes"@},
35865 item=@{col0="procgroups",col1="Listing of all process groups",
35866 col2="Process groups"@},
35867 item=@{col0="semaphores",col1="Listing of all semaphores",
35868 col2="Semaphores"@},
35869 item=@{col0="shm",col1="Listing of all shared-memory regions",
35870 col2="Shared-memory regions"@},
35871 item=@{col0="sockets",col1="Listing of all internet-domain sockets",
35873 item=@{col0="threads",col1="Listing of all threads",
35877 ^done,OSDataTable=@{nr_rows="190",nr_cols="4",
35878 hdr=[@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col0",colhdr="pid"@},
35879 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col1",colhdr="user"@},
35880 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col2",colhdr="command"@},
35881 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col3",colhdr="cores"@}],
35882 body=[item=@{col0="1",col1="root",col2="/sbin/init",col3="0"@},
35883 item=@{col0="2",col1="root",col2="[kthreadd]",col3="1"@},
35884 item=@{col0="3",col1="root",col2="[ksoftirqd/0]",col3="0"@},
35886 item=@{col0="26446",col1="stan",col2="bash",col3="0"@},
35887 item=@{col0="28152",col1="stan",col2="bash",col3="1"@}]@}
35891 (Note that the MI output here includes a @code{"Title"} column that
35892 does not appear in command-line @code{info os}; this column is useful
35893 for MI clients that want to enumerate the types of data, such as in a
35894 popup menu, but is needless clutter on the command line, and
35895 @code{info os} omits it.)
35897 @subheading The @code{-add-inferior} Command
35898 @findex -add-inferior
35900 @subheading Synopsis
35906 Creates a new inferior (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). The created
35907 inferior is not associated with any executable. Such association may
35908 be established with the @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols} command
35909 (@pxref{GDB/MI File Commands}). The command response has a single
35910 field, @samp{inferior}, whose value is the identifier of the
35911 thread group corresponding to the new inferior.
35913 @subheading Example
35918 ^done,inferior="i3"
35921 @subheading The @code{-interpreter-exec} Command
35922 @findex -interpreter-exec
35924 @subheading Synopsis
35927 -interpreter-exec @var{interpreter} @var{command}
35929 @anchor{-interpreter-exec}
35931 Execute the specified @var{command} in the given @var{interpreter}.
35933 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
35935 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interpreter-exec}.
35937 @subheading Example
35941 -interpreter-exec console "break main"
35942 &"During symbol reading, couldn't parse type; debugger out of date?.\n"
35943 &"During symbol reading, bad structure-type format.\n"
35944 ~"Breakpoint 1 at 0x8074fc6: file ../../src/gdb/main.c, line 743.\n"
35949 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-set} Command
35950 @findex -inferior-tty-set
35952 @subheading Synopsis
35955 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
35958 Set terminal for future runs of the program being debugged.
35960 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
35962 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set inferior-tty} /dev/pts/1.
35964 @subheading Example
35968 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
35973 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-show} Command
35974 @findex -inferior-tty-show
35976 @subheading Synopsis
35982 Show terminal for future runs of program being debugged.
35984 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
35986 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show inferior-tty}.
35988 @subheading Example
35992 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
35996 ^done,inferior_tty_terminal="/dev/pts/1"
36000 @subheading The @code{-enable-timings} Command
36001 @findex -enable-timings
36003 @subheading Synopsis
36006 -enable-timings [yes | no]
36009 Toggle the printing of the wallclock, user and system times for an MI
36010 command as a field in its output. This command is to help frontend
36011 developers optimize the performance of their code. No argument is
36012 equivalent to @samp{yes}.
36014 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
36018 @subheading Example
36026 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
36027 addr="0x080484ed",func="main",file="myprog.c",
36028 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73",thread-groups=["i1"],
36030 time=@{wallclock="0.05185",user="0.00800",system="0.00000"@}
36038 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
36039 frame=@{addr="0x080484ed",func="main",args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},
36040 @{name="argv",value="0xbfb60364"@}],file="myprog.c",
36041 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73",arch="i386:x86_64"@}
36045 @subheading The @code{-complete} Command
36048 @subheading Synopsis
36051 -complete @var{command}
36054 Show a list of completions for partially typed CLI @var{command}.
36056 This command is intended for @sc{gdb/mi} frontends that cannot use two separate
36057 CLI and MI channels --- for example: because of lack of PTYs like on Windows or
36058 because @value{GDBN} is used remotely via a SSH connection.
36062 The result consists of two or three fields:
36066 This field contains the completed @var{command}. If @var{command}
36067 has no known completions, this field is omitted.
36070 This field contains a (possibly empty) array of matches. It is always present.
36072 @item max_completions_reached
36073 This field contains @code{1} if number of known completions is above
36074 @code{max-completions} limit (@pxref{Completion}), otherwise it contains
36075 @code{0}. It is always present.
36079 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
36081 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{complete}.
36083 @subheading Example
36088 ^done,completion="break",
36089 matches=["break","break-range"],
36090 max_completions_reached="0"
36093 ^done,completion="b ma",
36094 matches=["b madvise","b main"],max_completions_reached="0"
36096 -complete "b push_b"
36097 ^done,completion="b push_back(",
36099 "b A::push_back(void*)",
36100 "b std::string::push_back(char)",
36101 "b std::vector<int, std::allocator<int> >::push_back(int&&)"],
36102 max_completions_reached="0"
36104 -complete "nonexist"
36105 ^done,matches=[],max_completions_reached="0"
36111 @chapter @value{GDBN} Annotations
36113 This chapter describes annotations in @value{GDBN}. Annotations were
36114 designed to interface @value{GDBN} to graphical user interfaces or other
36115 similar programs which want to interact with @value{GDBN} at a
36116 relatively high level.
36118 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
36122 This is Edition @value{EDITION}, @value{DATE}.
36126 * Annotations Overview:: What annotations are; the general syntax.
36127 * Server Prefix:: Issuing a command without affecting user state.
36128 * Prompting:: Annotations marking @value{GDBN}'s need for input.
36129 * Errors:: Annotations for error messages.
36130 * Invalidation:: Some annotations describe things now invalid.
36131 * Annotations for Running::
36132 Whether the program is running, how it stopped, etc.
36133 * Source Annotations:: Annotations describing source code.
36136 @node Annotations Overview
36137 @section What is an Annotation?
36138 @cindex annotations
36140 Annotations start with a newline character, two @samp{control-z}
36141 characters, and the name of the annotation. If there is no additional
36142 information associated with this annotation, the name of the annotation
36143 is followed immediately by a newline. If there is additional
36144 information, the name of the annotation is followed by a space, the
36145 additional information, and a newline. The additional information
36146 cannot contain newline characters.
36148 Any output not beginning with a newline and two @samp{control-z}
36149 characters denotes literal output from @value{GDBN}. Currently there is
36150 no need for @value{GDBN} to output a newline followed by two
36151 @samp{control-z} characters, but if there was such a need, the
36152 annotations could be extended with an @samp{escape} annotation which
36153 means those three characters as output.
36155 The annotation @var{level}, which is specified using the
36156 @option{--annotate} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}), controls
36157 how much information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt,
36158 values of expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0
36159 is for no annotations, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a
36160 subprocess of @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable
36161 for programs that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 annotations have
36162 been made obsolete (@pxref{Limitations, , Limitations of the Annotation
36163 Interface, annotate, GDB's Obsolete Annotations}).
36166 @kindex set annotate
36167 @item set annotate @var{level}
36168 The @value{GDBN} command @code{set annotate} sets the level of
36169 annotations to the specified @var{level}.
36171 @item show annotate
36172 @kindex show annotate
36173 Show the current annotation level.
36176 This chapter describes level 3 annotations.
36178 A simple example of starting up @value{GDBN} with annotations is:
36181 $ @kbd{gdb --annotate=3}
36183 Copyright 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
36184 GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License,
36185 and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it
36186 under certain conditions.
36187 Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
36188 There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty"
36190 This GDB was configured as "i386-pc-linux-gnu"
36201 Here @samp{quit} is input to @value{GDBN}; the rest is output from
36202 @value{GDBN}. The three lines beginning @samp{^Z^Z} (where @samp{^Z}
36203 denotes a @samp{control-z} character) are annotations; the rest is
36204 output from @value{GDBN}.
36206 @node Server Prefix
36207 @section The Server Prefix
36208 @cindex server prefix
36210 If you prefix a command with @samp{server } then it will not affect
36211 the command history, nor will it affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which
36212 command to repeat if @key{RET} is pressed on a line by itself. This
36213 means that commands can be run behind a user's back by a front-end in
36214 a transparent manner.
36216 The @code{server } prefix does not affect the recording of values into
36217 the value history; to print a value without recording it into the
36218 value history, use the @code{output} command instead of the
36219 @code{print} command.
36221 Using this prefix also disables confirmation requests
36222 (@pxref{confirmation requests}).
36225 @section Annotation for @value{GDBN} Input
36227 @cindex annotations for prompts
36228 When @value{GDBN} prompts for input, it annotates this fact so it is possible
36229 to know when to send output, when the output from a given command is
36232 Different kinds of input each have a different @dfn{input type}. Each
36233 input type has three annotations: a @code{pre-} annotation, which
36234 denotes the beginning of any prompt which is being output, a plain
36235 annotation, which denotes the end of the prompt, and then a @code{post-}
36236 annotation which denotes the end of any echo which may (or may not) be
36237 associated with the input. For example, the @code{prompt} input type
36238 features the following annotations:
36246 The input types are
36249 @findex pre-prompt annotation
36250 @findex prompt annotation
36251 @findex post-prompt annotation
36253 When @value{GDBN} is prompting for a command (the main @value{GDBN} prompt).
36255 @findex pre-commands annotation
36256 @findex commands annotation
36257 @findex post-commands annotation
36259 When @value{GDBN} prompts for a set of commands, like in the @code{commands}
36260 command. The annotations are repeated for each command which is input.
36262 @findex pre-overload-choice annotation
36263 @findex overload-choice annotation
36264 @findex post-overload-choice annotation
36265 @item overload-choice
36266 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to select between various overloaded functions.
36268 @findex pre-query annotation
36269 @findex query annotation
36270 @findex post-query annotation
36272 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to confirm a potentially dangerous operation.
36274 @findex pre-prompt-for-continue annotation
36275 @findex prompt-for-continue annotation
36276 @findex post-prompt-for-continue annotation
36277 @item prompt-for-continue
36278 When @value{GDBN} is asking the user to press return to continue. Note: Don't
36279 expect this to work well; instead use @code{set height 0} to disable
36280 prompting. This is because the counting of lines is buggy in the
36281 presence of annotations.
36286 @cindex annotations for errors, warnings and interrupts
36288 @findex quit annotation
36293 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an interrupt.
36295 @findex error annotation
36300 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an error.
36302 Quit and error annotations indicate that any annotations which @value{GDBN} was
36303 in the middle of may end abruptly. For example, if a
36304 @code{value-history-begin} annotation is followed by a @code{error}, one
36305 cannot expect to receive the matching @code{value-history-end}. One
36306 cannot expect not to receive it either, however; an error annotation
36307 does not necessarily mean that @value{GDBN} is immediately returning all the way
36310 @findex error-begin annotation
36311 A quit or error annotation may be preceded by
36317 Any output between that and the quit or error annotation is the error
36320 Warning messages are not yet annotated.
36321 @c If we want to change that, need to fix warning(), type_error(),
36322 @c range_error(), and possibly other places.
36325 @section Invalidation Notices
36327 @cindex annotations for invalidation messages
36328 The following annotations say that certain pieces of state may have
36332 @findex frames-invalid annotation
36333 @item ^Z^Zframes-invalid
36335 The frames (for example, output from the @code{backtrace} command) may
36338 @findex breakpoints-invalid annotation
36339 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoints-invalid
36341 The breakpoints may have changed. For example, the user just added or
36342 deleted a breakpoint.
36345 @node Annotations for Running
36346 @section Running the Program
36347 @cindex annotations for running programs
36349 @findex starting annotation
36350 @findex stopping annotation
36351 When the program starts executing due to a @value{GDBN} command such as
36352 @code{step} or @code{continue},
36358 is output. When the program stops,
36364 is output. Before the @code{stopped} annotation, a variety of
36365 annotations describe how the program stopped.
36368 @findex exited annotation
36369 @item ^Z^Zexited @var{exit-status}
36370 The program exited, and @var{exit-status} is the exit status (zero for
36371 successful exit, otherwise nonzero).
36373 @findex signalled annotation
36374 @findex signal-name annotation
36375 @findex signal-name-end annotation
36376 @findex signal-string annotation
36377 @findex signal-string-end annotation
36378 @item ^Z^Zsignalled
36379 The program exited with a signal. After the @code{^Z^Zsignalled}, the
36380 annotation continues:
36386 ^Z^Zsignal-name-end
36390 ^Z^Zsignal-string-end
36395 where @var{name} is the name of the signal, such as @code{SIGILL} or
36396 @code{SIGSEGV}, and @var{string} is the explanation of the signal, such
36397 as @code{Illegal Instruction} or @code{Segmentation fault}. The arguments
36398 @var{intro-text}, @var{middle-text}, and @var{end-text} are for the
36399 user's benefit and have no particular format.
36401 @findex signal annotation
36403 The syntax of this annotation is just like @code{signalled}, but @value{GDBN} is
36404 just saying that the program received the signal, not that it was
36405 terminated with it.
36407 @findex breakpoint annotation
36408 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoint @var{number}
36409 The program hit breakpoint number @var{number}.
36411 @findex watchpoint annotation
36412 @item ^Z^Zwatchpoint @var{number}
36413 The program hit watchpoint number @var{number}.
36416 @node Source Annotations
36417 @section Displaying Source
36418 @cindex annotations for source display
36420 @findex source annotation
36421 The following annotation is used instead of displaying source code:
36424 ^Z^Zsource @var{filename}:@var{line}:@var{character}:@var{middle}:@var{addr}
36427 where @var{filename} is an absolute file name indicating which source
36428 file, @var{line} is the line number within that file (where 1 is the
36429 first line in the file), @var{character} is the character position
36430 within the file (where 0 is the first character in the file) (for most
36431 debug formats this will necessarily point to the beginning of a line),
36432 @var{middle} is @samp{middle} if @var{addr} is in the middle of the
36433 line, or @samp{beg} if @var{addr} is at the beginning of the line, and
36434 @var{addr} is the address in the target program associated with the
36435 source which is being displayed. The @var{addr} is in the form @samp{0x}
36436 followed by one or more lowercase hex digits (note that this does not
36437 depend on the language).
36439 @node JIT Interface
36440 @chapter JIT Compilation Interface
36441 @cindex just-in-time compilation
36442 @cindex JIT compilation interface
36444 This chapter documents @value{GDBN}'s @dfn{just-in-time} (JIT) compilation
36445 interface. A JIT compiler is a program or library that generates native
36446 executable code at runtime and executes it, usually in order to achieve good
36447 performance while maintaining platform independence.
36449 Programs that use JIT compilation are normally difficult to debug because
36450 portions of their code are generated at runtime, instead of being loaded from
36451 object files, which is where @value{GDBN} normally finds the program's symbols
36452 and debug information. In order to debug programs that use JIT compilation,
36453 @value{GDBN} has an interface that allows the program to register in-memory
36454 symbol files with @value{GDBN} at runtime.
36456 If you are using @value{GDBN} to debug a program that uses this interface, then
36457 it should work transparently so long as you have not stripped the binary. If
36458 you are developing a JIT compiler, then the interface is documented in the rest
36459 of this chapter. At this time, the only known client of this interface is the
36462 Broadly speaking, the JIT interface mirrors the dynamic loader interface. The
36463 JIT compiler communicates with @value{GDBN} by writing data into a global
36464 variable and calling a function at a well-known symbol. When @value{GDBN}
36465 attaches, it reads a linked list of symbol files from the global variable to
36466 find existing code, and puts a breakpoint in the function so that it can find
36467 out about additional code.
36470 * Declarations:: Relevant C struct declarations
36471 * Registering Code:: Steps to register code
36472 * Unregistering Code:: Steps to unregister code
36473 * Custom Debug Info:: Emit debug information in a custom format
36477 @section JIT Declarations
36479 These are the relevant struct declarations that a C program should include to
36480 implement the interface:
36490 struct jit_code_entry
36492 struct jit_code_entry *next_entry;
36493 struct jit_code_entry *prev_entry;
36494 const char *symfile_addr;
36495 uint64_t symfile_size;
36498 struct jit_descriptor
36501 /* This type should be jit_actions_t, but we use uint32_t
36502 to be explicit about the bitwidth. */
36503 uint32_t action_flag;
36504 struct jit_code_entry *relevant_entry;
36505 struct jit_code_entry *first_entry;
36508 /* GDB puts a breakpoint in this function. */
36509 void __attribute__((noinline)) __jit_debug_register_code() @{ @};
36511 /* Make sure to specify the version statically, because the
36512 debugger may check the version before we can set it. */
36513 struct jit_descriptor __jit_debug_descriptor = @{ 1, 0, 0, 0 @};
36516 If the JIT is multi-threaded, then it is important that the JIT synchronize any
36517 modifications to this global data properly, which can easily be done by putting
36518 a global mutex around modifications to these structures.
36520 @node Registering Code
36521 @section Registering Code
36523 To register code with @value{GDBN}, the JIT should follow this protocol:
36527 Generate an object file in memory with symbols and other desired debug
36528 information. The file must include the virtual addresses of the sections.
36531 Create a code entry for the file, which gives the start and size of the symbol
36535 Add it to the linked list in the JIT descriptor.
36538 Point the relevant_entry field of the descriptor at the entry.
36541 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_REGISTER} and call
36542 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
36545 When @value{GDBN} is attached and the breakpoint fires, @value{GDBN} uses the
36546 @code{relevant_entry} pointer so it doesn't have to walk the list looking for
36547 new code. However, the linked list must still be maintained in order to allow
36548 @value{GDBN} to attach to a running process and still find the symbol files.
36550 @node Unregistering Code
36551 @section Unregistering Code
36553 If code is freed, then the JIT should use the following protocol:
36557 Remove the code entry corresponding to the code from the linked list.
36560 Point the @code{relevant_entry} field of the descriptor at the code entry.
36563 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_UNREGISTER} and call
36564 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
36567 If the JIT frees or recompiles code without unregistering it, then @value{GDBN}
36568 and the JIT will leak the memory used for the associated symbol files.
36570 @node Custom Debug Info
36571 @section Custom Debug Info
36572 @cindex custom JIT debug info
36573 @cindex JIT debug info reader
36575 Generating debug information in platform-native file formats (like ELF
36576 or COFF) may be an overkill for JIT compilers; especially if all the
36577 debug info is used for is displaying a meaningful backtrace. The
36578 issue can be resolved by having the JIT writers decide on a debug info
36579 format and also provide a reader that parses the debug info generated
36580 by the JIT compiler. This section gives a brief overview on writing
36581 such a parser. More specific details can be found in the source file
36582 @file{gdb/jit-reader.in}, which is also installed as a header at
36583 @file{@var{includedir}/gdb/jit-reader.h} for easy inclusion.
36585 The reader is implemented as a shared object (so this functionality is
36586 not available on platforms which don't allow loading shared objects at
36587 runtime). Two @value{GDBN} commands, @code{jit-reader-load} and
36588 @code{jit-reader-unload} are provided, to be used to load and unload
36589 the readers from a preconfigured directory. Once loaded, the shared
36590 object is used the parse the debug information emitted by the JIT
36594 * Using JIT Debug Info Readers:: How to use supplied readers correctly
36595 * Writing JIT Debug Info Readers:: Creating a debug-info reader
36598 @node Using JIT Debug Info Readers
36599 @subsection Using JIT Debug Info Readers
36600 @kindex jit-reader-load
36601 @kindex jit-reader-unload
36603 Readers can be loaded and unloaded using the @code{jit-reader-load}
36604 and @code{jit-reader-unload} commands.
36607 @item jit-reader-load @var{reader}
36608 Load the JIT reader named @var{reader}, which is a shared
36609 object specified as either an absolute or a relative file name. In
36610 the latter case, @value{GDBN} will try to load the reader from a
36611 pre-configured directory, usually @file{@var{libdir}/gdb/} on a UNIX
36612 system (here @var{libdir} is the system library directory, often
36613 @file{/usr/local/lib}).
36615 Only one reader can be active at a time; trying to load a second
36616 reader when one is already loaded will result in @value{GDBN}
36617 reporting an error. A new JIT reader can be loaded by first unloading
36618 the current one using @code{jit-reader-unload} and then invoking
36619 @code{jit-reader-load}.
36621 @item jit-reader-unload
36622 Unload the currently loaded JIT reader.
36626 @node Writing JIT Debug Info Readers
36627 @subsection Writing JIT Debug Info Readers
36628 @cindex writing JIT debug info readers
36630 As mentioned, a reader is essentially a shared object conforming to a
36631 certain ABI. This ABI is described in @file{jit-reader.h}.
36633 @file{jit-reader.h} defines the structures, macros and functions
36634 required to write a reader. It is installed (along with
36635 @value{GDBN}), in @file{@var{includedir}/gdb} where @var{includedir} is
36636 the system include directory.
36638 Readers need to be released under a GPL compatible license. A reader
36639 can be declared as released under such a license by placing the macro
36640 @code{GDB_DECLARE_GPL_COMPATIBLE_READER} in a source file.
36642 The entry point for readers is the symbol @code{gdb_init_reader},
36643 which is expected to be a function with the prototype
36645 @findex gdb_init_reader
36647 extern struct gdb_reader_funcs *gdb_init_reader (void);
36650 @cindex @code{struct gdb_reader_funcs}
36652 @code{struct gdb_reader_funcs} contains a set of pointers to callback
36653 functions. These functions are executed to read the debug info
36654 generated by the JIT compiler (@code{read}), to unwind stack frames
36655 (@code{unwind}) and to create canonical frame IDs
36656 (@code{get_frame_id}). It also has a callback that is called when the
36657 reader is being unloaded (@code{destroy}). The struct looks like this
36660 struct gdb_reader_funcs
36662 /* Must be set to GDB_READER_INTERFACE_VERSION. */
36663 int reader_version;
36665 /* For use by the reader. */
36668 gdb_read_debug_info *read;
36669 gdb_unwind_frame *unwind;
36670 gdb_get_frame_id *get_frame_id;
36671 gdb_destroy_reader *destroy;
36675 @cindex @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks}
36676 @cindex @code{struct gdb_unwind_callbacks}
36678 The callbacks are provided with another set of callbacks by
36679 @value{GDBN} to do their job. For @code{read}, these callbacks are
36680 passed in a @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks} and for @code{unwind}
36681 and @code{get_frame_id}, in a @code{struct gdb_unwind_callbacks}.
36682 @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks} has callbacks to create new object
36683 files and new symbol tables inside those object files. @code{struct
36684 gdb_unwind_callbacks} has callbacks to read registers off the current
36685 frame and to write out the values of the registers in the previous
36686 frame. Both have a callback (@code{target_read}) to read bytes off the
36687 target's address space.
36689 @node In-Process Agent
36690 @chapter In-Process Agent
36691 @cindex debugging agent
36692 The traditional debugging model is conceptually low-speed, but works fine,
36693 because most bugs can be reproduced in debugging-mode execution. However,
36694 as multi-core or many-core processors are becoming mainstream, and
36695 multi-threaded programs become more and more popular, there should be more
36696 and more bugs that only manifest themselves at normal-mode execution, for
36697 example, thread races, because debugger's interference with the program's
36698 timing may conceal the bugs. On the other hand, in some applications,
36699 it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt the program's execution
36700 long enough for the developer to learn anything helpful about its behavior.
36701 If the program's correctness depends on its real-time behavior, delays
36702 introduced by a debugger might cause the program to fail, even when the
36703 code itself is correct. It is useful to be able to observe the program's
36704 behavior without interrupting it.
36706 Therefore, traditional debugging model is too intrusive to reproduce
36707 some bugs. In order to reduce the interference with the program, we can
36708 reduce the number of operations performed by debugger. The
36709 @dfn{In-Process Agent}, a shared library, is running within the same
36710 process with inferior, and is able to perform some debugging operations
36711 itself. As a result, debugger is only involved when necessary, and
36712 performance of debugging can be improved accordingly. Note that
36713 interference with program can be reduced but can't be removed completely,
36714 because the in-process agent will still stop or slow down the program.
36716 The in-process agent can interpret and execute Agent Expressions
36717 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}) during performing debugging operations. The
36718 agent expressions can be used for different purposes, such as collecting
36719 data in tracepoints, and condition evaluation in breakpoints.
36721 @anchor{Control Agent}
36722 You can control whether the in-process agent is used as an aid for
36723 debugging with the following commands:
36726 @kindex set agent on
36728 Causes the in-process agent to perform some operations on behalf of the
36729 debugger. Just which operations requested by the user will be done
36730 by the in-process agent depends on the its capabilities. For example,
36731 if you request to evaluate breakpoint conditions in the in-process agent,
36732 and the in-process agent has such capability as well, then breakpoint
36733 conditions will be evaluated in the in-process agent.
36735 @kindex set agent off
36736 @item set agent off
36737 Disables execution of debugging operations by the in-process agent. All
36738 of the operations will be performed by @value{GDBN}.
36742 Display the current setting of execution of debugging operations by
36743 the in-process agent.
36747 * In-Process Agent Protocol::
36750 @node In-Process Agent Protocol
36751 @section In-Process Agent Protocol
36752 @cindex in-process agent protocol
36754 The in-process agent is able to communicate with both @value{GDBN} and
36755 GDBserver (@pxref{In-Process Agent}). This section documents the protocol
36756 used for communications between @value{GDBN} or GDBserver and the IPA.
36757 In general, @value{GDBN} or GDBserver sends commands
36758 (@pxref{IPA Protocol Commands}) and data to in-process agent, and then
36759 in-process agent replies back with the return result of the command, or
36760 some other information. The data sent to in-process agent is composed
36761 of primitive data types, such as 4-byte or 8-byte type, and composite
36762 types, which are called objects (@pxref{IPA Protocol Objects}).
36765 * IPA Protocol Objects::
36766 * IPA Protocol Commands::
36769 @node IPA Protocol Objects
36770 @subsection IPA Protocol Objects
36771 @cindex ipa protocol objects
36773 The commands sent to and results received from agent may contain some
36774 complex data types called @dfn{objects}.
36776 The in-process agent is running on the same machine with @value{GDBN}
36777 or GDBserver, so it doesn't have to handle as much differences between
36778 two ends as remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}) tries to handle.
36779 However, there are still some differences of two ends in two processes:
36783 word size. On some 64-bit machines, @value{GDBN} or GDBserver can be
36784 compiled as a 64-bit executable, while in-process agent is a 32-bit one.
36786 ABI. Some machines may have multiple types of ABI, @value{GDBN} or
36787 GDBserver is compiled with one, and in-process agent is compiled with
36791 Here are the IPA Protocol Objects:
36795 agent expression object. It represents an agent expression
36796 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}).
36797 @anchor{agent expression object}
36799 tracepoint action object. It represents a tracepoint action
36800 (@pxref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}) to collect registers,
36801 memory, static trace data and to evaluate expression.
36802 @anchor{tracepoint action object}
36804 tracepoint object. It represents a tracepoint (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
36805 @anchor{tracepoint object}
36809 The following table describes important attributes of each IPA protocol
36812 @multitable @columnfractions .30 .20 .50
36813 @headitem Name @tab Size @tab Description
36814 @item @emph{agent expression object} @tab @tab
36815 @item length @tab 4 @tab length of bytes code
36816 @item byte code @tab @var{length} @tab contents of byte code
36817 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting memory} @tab @tab
36818 @item 'M' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
36819 @item addr @tab 8 @tab if @var{basereg} is @samp{-1}, @var{addr} is the
36820 address of the lowest byte to collect, otherwise @var{addr} is the offset
36821 of @var{basereg} for memory collecting.
36822 @item len @tab 8 @tab length of memory for collecting
36823 @item basereg @tab 4 @tab the register number containing the starting
36824 memory address for collecting.
36825 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting registers} @tab @tab
36826 @item 'R' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
36827 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting static trace data} @tab @tab
36828 @item 'L' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
36829 @item @emph{tracepoint action for expression evaluation} @tab @tab
36830 @item 'X' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
36831 @item agent expression @tab length of @tab @ref{agent expression object}
36832 @item @emph{tracepoint object} @tab @tab
36833 @item number @tab 4 @tab number of tracepoint
36834 @item address @tab 8 @tab address of tracepoint inserted on
36835 @item type @tab 4 @tab type of tracepoint
36836 @item enabled @tab 1 @tab enable or disable of tracepoint
36837 @item step_count @tab 8 @tab step
36838 @item pass_count @tab 8 @tab pass
36839 @item numactions @tab 4 @tab number of tracepoint actions
36840 @item hit count @tab 8 @tab hit count
36841 @item trace frame usage @tab 8 @tab trace frame usage
36842 @item compiled_cond @tab 8 @tab compiled condition
36843 @item orig_size @tab 8 @tab orig size
36844 @item condition @tab 4 if condition is NULL otherwise length of
36845 @ref{agent expression object}
36846 @tab zero if condition is NULL, otherwise is
36847 @ref{agent expression object}
36848 @item actions @tab variable
36849 @tab numactions number of @ref{tracepoint action object}
36852 @node IPA Protocol Commands
36853 @subsection IPA Protocol Commands
36854 @cindex ipa protocol commands
36856 The spaces in each command are delimiters to ease reading this commands
36857 specification. They don't exist in real commands.
36861 @item FastTrace:@var{tracepoint_object} @var{gdb_jump_pad_head}
36862 Installs a new fast tracepoint described by @var{tracepoint_object}
36863 (@pxref{tracepoint object}). The @var{gdb_jump_pad_head}, 8-byte long, is the
36864 head of @dfn{jumppad}, which is used to jump to data collection routine
36869 @item OK @var{target_address} @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} @var{fjump_size} @var{fjump}
36870 @var{target_address} is address of tracepoint in the inferior.
36871 The @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} is updated head of jumppad. Both of
36872 @var{target_address} and @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} are 8-byte long.
36873 The @var{fjump} contains a sequence of instructions jump to jumppad entry.
36874 The @var{fjump_size}, 4-byte long, is the size of @var{fjump}.
36881 Closes the in-process agent. This command is sent when @value{GDBN} or GDBserver
36882 is about to kill inferiors.
36890 @item probe_marker_at:@var{address}
36891 Asks in-process agent to probe the marker at @var{address}.
36898 @item unprobe_marker_at:@var{address}
36899 Asks in-process agent to unprobe the marker at @var{address}.
36903 @chapter Reporting Bugs in @value{GDBN}
36904 @cindex bugs in @value{GDBN}
36905 @cindex reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
36907 Your bug reports play an essential role in making @value{GDBN} reliable.
36909 Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it
36910 may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is to help
36911 the entire community by making the next version of @value{GDBN} work better. Bug
36912 reports are your contribution to the maintenance of @value{GDBN}.
36914 In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
36915 information that enables us to fix the bug.
36918 * Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
36919 * Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
36923 @section Have You Found a Bug?
36924 @cindex bug criteria
36926 If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
36929 @cindex fatal signal
36930 @cindex debugger crash
36931 @cindex crash of debugger
36933 If the debugger gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a
36934 @value{GDBN} bug. Reliable debuggers never crash.
36936 @cindex error on valid input
36938 If @value{GDBN} produces an error message for valid input, that is a
36939 bug. (Note that if you're cross debugging, the problem may also be
36940 somewhere in the connection to the target.)
36942 @cindex invalid input
36944 If @value{GDBN} does not produce an error message for invalid input,
36945 that is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of
36946 ``invalid input'' might be our idea of ``an extension'' or ``support
36947 for traditional practice''.
36950 If you are an experienced user of debugging tools, your suggestions
36951 for improvement of @value{GDBN} are welcome in any case.
36954 @node Bug Reporting
36955 @section How to Report Bugs
36956 @cindex bug reports
36957 @cindex @value{GDBN} bugs, reporting
36959 A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu} products.
36960 If you obtained @value{GDBN} from a support organization, we recommend you
36961 contact that organization first.
36963 You can find contact information for many support companies and
36964 individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
36966 @c should add a web page ref...
36969 @ifset BUGURL_DEFAULT
36970 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
36971 @value{GDBN}. The preferred method is to submit them directly using
36972 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/, @value{GDBN}'s Bugs web
36973 page}. Alternatively, the @email{bug-gdb@@gnu.org, e-mail gateway} can
36976 @strong{Do not send bug reports to @samp{info-gdb}, or to
36977 @samp{help-gdb}, or to any newsgroups.} Most users of @value{GDBN} do
36978 not want to receive bug reports. Those that do have arranged to receive
36981 The mailing list @samp{bug-gdb} has a newsgroup @samp{gnu.gdb.bug} which
36982 serves as a repeater. The mailing list and the newsgroup carry exactly
36983 the same messages. Often people think of posting bug reports to the
36984 newsgroup instead of mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one
36985 problem which can be crucial: a newsgroup posting often lacks a mail
36986 path back to the sender. Thus, if we need to ask for more information,
36987 we may be unable to reach you. For this reason, it is better to send
36988 bug reports to the mailing list.
36990 @ifclear BUGURL_DEFAULT
36991 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
36992 @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.
36996 The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
36997 @strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
36998 fact or leave it out, state it!
37000 Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
37001 problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
37002 assume that the name of the variable you use in an example does not matter.
37003 Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is a
37004 stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where that
37005 name is stored in memory; perhaps, if the name were different, the contents
37006 of that location would fool the debugger into doing the right thing despite
37007 the bug. Play it safe and give a specific, complete example. That is the
37008 easiest thing for you to do, and the most helpful.
37010 Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the
37011 bug. It may be that the bug has been reported previously, but neither
37012 you nor we can know that unless your bug report is complete and
37015 Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
37016 bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
37017 @emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
37020 To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
37024 The version of @value{GDBN}. @value{GDBN} announces it if you start
37025 with no arguments; you can also print it at any time using @code{show
37028 Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
37029 the bug in the current version of @value{GDBN}.
37032 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
37036 The details of the @value{GDBN} build-time configuration.
37037 @value{GDBN} shows these details if you invoke it with the
37038 @option{--configuration} command-line option, or if you type
37039 @code{show configuration} at @value{GDBN}'s prompt.
37042 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile @value{GDBN}---e.g.@:
37043 ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1''.
37046 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the program you are
37047 debugging---e.g.@: ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1'', or ``HP92453-01 A.10.32.03 HP
37048 C Compiler''. For @value{NGCC}, you can say @kbd{@value{GCC} --version}
37049 to get this information; for other compilers, see the documentation for
37053 The command arguments you gave the compiler to compile your example and
37054 observe the bug. For example, did you use @samp{-O}? To guarantee
37055 you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy of the
37056 Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
37058 If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
37059 and then we might not encounter the bug.
37062 A complete input script, and all necessary source files, that will
37066 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
37067 incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
37069 Of course, if the bug is that @value{GDBN} gets a fatal signal, then we
37070 will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
37071 not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us
37072 a chance to make a mistake.
37074 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
37075 say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your
37076 copy of @value{GDBN} is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in
37077 the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
37078 crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when
37079 ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not happening for
37080 us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we would not be able
37081 to draw any conclusion from our observations.
37084 @cindex recording a session script
37085 To collect all this information, you can use a session recording program
37086 such as @command{script}, which is available on many Unix systems.
37087 Just run your @value{GDBN} session inside @command{script} and then
37088 include the @file{typescript} file with your bug report.
37090 Another way to record a @value{GDBN} session is to run @value{GDBN}
37091 inside Emacs and then save the entire buffer to a file.
37094 If you wish to suggest changes to the @value{GDBN} source, send us context
37095 diffs. If you even discuss something in the @value{GDBN} source, refer to
37096 it by context, not by line number.
37098 The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
37099 sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
37103 Here are some things that are not necessary:
37107 A description of the envelope of the bug.
37109 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
37110 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
37111 changes will not affect it.
37113 This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
37114 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
37115 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
37116 We recommend that you save your time for something else.
37118 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
37119 of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
37120 output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
37121 less time, and so on.
37123 However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
37124 report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
37127 A patch for the bug.
37129 A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
37130 the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
37131 a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
37132 to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
37134 Sometimes with a program as complicated as @value{GDBN} it is very hard to
37135 construct an example that will make the program follow a certain path
37136 through the code. If you do not send us the example, we will not be able
37137 to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is fixed.
37139 And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
37140 patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
37141 help us to understand.
37144 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
37146 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
37147 things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
37150 @c The readline documentation is distributed with the readline code
37151 @c and consists of the two following files:
37154 @c Use -I with makeinfo to point to the appropriate directory,
37155 @c environment var TEXINPUTS with TeX.
37156 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
37157 @include rluser.texi
37158 @include hsuser.texi
37162 @appendix In Memoriam
37164 The @value{GDBN} project mourns the loss of the following long-time
37169 Fred was a long-standing contributor to @value{GDBN} (1991-2006), and
37170 to Free Software in general. Outside of @value{GDBN}, he was known in
37171 the Amiga world for his series of Fish Disks, and the GeekGadget project.
37173 @item Michael Snyder
37174 Michael was one of the Global Maintainers of the @value{GDBN} project,
37175 with contributions recorded as early as 1996, until 2011. In addition
37176 to his day to day participation, he was a large driving force behind
37177 adding Reverse Debugging to @value{GDBN}.
37180 Beyond their technical contributions to the project, they were also
37181 enjoyable members of the Free Software Community. We will miss them.
37183 @node Formatting Documentation
37184 @appendix Formatting Documentation
37186 @cindex @value{GDBN} reference card
37187 @cindex reference card
37188 The @value{GDBN} 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready
37189 for printing with PostScript or Ghostscript, in the @file{gdb}
37190 subdirectory of the main source directory@footnote{In
37191 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/refcard.ps} of the version @value{GDBVN}
37192 release.}. If you can use PostScript or Ghostscript with your printer,
37193 you can print the reference card immediately with @file{refcard.ps}.
37195 The release also includes the source for the reference card. You
37196 can format it, using @TeX{}, by typing:
37202 The @value{GDBN} reference card is designed to print in @dfn{landscape}
37203 mode on US ``letter'' size paper;
37204 that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches
37205 high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to
37206 your @sc{dvi} output program.
37208 @cindex documentation
37210 All the documentation for @value{GDBN} comes as part of the machine-readable
37211 distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which is
37212 a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both
37213 on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info
37214 formatting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation
37215 and @TeX{} (or @code{texi2roff}) to typeset the printed version.
37217 @value{GDBN} includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info
37218 version of this manual in the @file{gdb} subdirectory. The main Info
37219 file is @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/gdb.info}, and it refers to
37220 subordinate files matching @samp{gdb.info*} in the same directory. If
37221 necessary, you can print out these files, or read them with any editor;
37222 but they are easier to read using the @code{info} subsystem in @sc{gnu}
37223 Emacs or the standalone @code{info} program, available as part of the
37224 @sc{gnu} Texinfo distribution.
37226 If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
37227 Info formatting programs, such as @code{texinfo-format-buffer} or
37230 If you have @code{makeinfo} installed, and are in the top level
37231 @value{GDBN} source directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, in the case of
37232 version @value{GDBVN}), you can make the Info file by typing:
37239 If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need @TeX{},
37240 a program to print its @sc{dvi} output files, and @file{texinfo.tex}, the
37241 Texinfo definitions file.
37243 @TeX{} is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
37244 produces output files called @sc{dvi} files. To print a typeset
37245 document, you need a program to print @sc{dvi} files. If your system
37246 has @TeX{} installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise
37247 command to use depends on your system; @kbd{lpr -d} is common; another
37248 (for PostScript devices) is @kbd{dvips}. The @sc{dvi} print command may
37249 require a file name without any extension or a @samp{.dvi} extension.
37251 @TeX{} also requires a macro definitions file called
37252 @file{texinfo.tex}. This file tells @TeX{} how to typeset a document
37253 written in Texinfo format. On its own, @TeX{} cannot either read or
37254 typeset a Texinfo file. @file{texinfo.tex} is distributed with GDB
37255 and is located in the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}/texinfo}
37258 If you have @TeX{} and a @sc{dvi} printer program installed, you can
37259 typeset and print this manual. First switch to the @file{gdb}
37260 subdirectory of the main source directory (for example, to
37261 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb}) and type:
37267 Then give @file{gdb.dvi} to your @sc{dvi} printing program.
37269 @node Installing GDB
37270 @appendix Installing @value{GDBN}
37271 @cindex installation
37274 * Requirements:: Requirements for building @value{GDBN}
37275 * Running Configure:: Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} script
37276 * Separate Objdir:: Compiling @value{GDBN} in another directory
37277 * Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
37278 * Configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
37279 * System-wide configuration:: Having a system-wide init file
37283 @section Requirements for Building @value{GDBN}
37284 @cindex building @value{GDBN}, requirements for
37286 Building @value{GDBN} requires various tools and packages to be available.
37287 Other packages will be used only if they are found.
37289 @heading Tools/Packages Necessary for Building @value{GDBN}
37291 @item C@t{++}11 compiler
37292 @value{GDBN} is written in C@t{++}11. It should be buildable with any
37293 recent C@t{++}11 compiler, e.g.@: GCC.
37296 @value{GDBN}'s build system relies on features only found in the GNU
37297 make program. Other variants of @code{make} will not work.
37300 @heading Tools/Packages Optional for Building @value{GDBN}
37304 @value{GDBN} can use the Expat XML parsing library. This library may be
37305 included with your operating system distribution; if it is not, you
37306 can get the latest version from @url{http://expat.sourceforge.net}.
37307 The @file{configure} script will search for this library in several
37308 standard locations; if it is installed in an unusual path, you can
37309 use the @option{--with-libexpat-prefix} option to specify its location.
37315 Remote protocol memory maps (@pxref{Memory Map Format})
37317 Target descriptions (@pxref{Target Descriptions})
37319 Remote shared library lists (@xref{Library List Format},
37320 or alternatively @pxref{Library List Format for SVR4 Targets})
37322 MS-Windows shared libraries (@pxref{Shared Libraries})
37324 Traceframe info (@pxref{Traceframe Info Format})
37326 Branch trace (@pxref{Branch Trace Format},
37327 @pxref{Branch Trace Configuration Format})
37331 @value{GDBN} can be scripted using GNU Guile. @xref{Guile}. By
37332 default, @value{GDBN} will be compiled if the Guile libraries are
37333 installed and are found by @file{configure}. You can use the
37334 @code{--with-guile} option to request Guile, and pass either the Guile
37335 version number or the file name of the relevant @code{pkg-config}
37336 program to choose a particular version of Guile.
37339 @value{GDBN}'s features related to character sets (@pxref{Character
37340 Sets}) require a functioning @code{iconv} implementation. If you are
37341 on a GNU system, then this is provided by the GNU C Library. Some
37342 other systems also provide a working @code{iconv}.
37344 If @value{GDBN} is using the @code{iconv} program which is installed
37345 in a non-standard place, you will need to tell @value{GDBN} where to
37346 find it. This is done with @option{--with-iconv-bin} which specifies
37347 the directory that contains the @code{iconv} program. This program is
37348 run in order to make a list of the available character sets.
37350 On systems without @code{iconv}, you can install GNU Libiconv. If
37351 Libiconv is installed in a standard place, @value{GDBN} will
37352 automatically use it if it is needed. If you have previously
37353 installed Libiconv in a non-standard place, you can use the
37354 @option{--with-libiconv-prefix} option to @file{configure}.
37356 @value{GDBN}'s top-level @file{configure} and @file{Makefile} will
37357 arrange to build Libiconv if a directory named @file{libiconv} appears
37358 in the top-most source directory. If Libiconv is built this way, and
37359 if the operating system does not provide a suitable @code{iconv}
37360 implementation, then the just-built library will automatically be used
37361 by @value{GDBN}. One easy way to set this up is to download GNU
37362 Libiconv, unpack it inside the top-level directory of the @value{GDBN}
37363 source tree, and then rename the directory holding the Libiconv source
37364 code to @samp{libiconv}.
37367 @value{GDBN} can support debugging sections that are compressed with
37368 the LZMA library. @xref{MiniDebugInfo}. If this library is not
37369 included with your operating system, you can find it in the xz package
37370 at @url{http://tukaani.org/xz/}. If the LZMA library is available in
37371 the usual place, then the @file{configure} script will use it
37372 automatically. If it is installed in an unusual path, you can use the
37373 @option{--with-lzma-prefix} option to specify its location.
37377 @value{GDBN} can use the GNU MPFR multiple-precision floating-point
37378 library. This library may be included with your operating system
37379 distribution; if it is not, you can get the latest version from
37380 @url{http://www.mpfr.org}. The @file{configure} script will search
37381 for this library in several standard locations; if it is installed
37382 in an unusual path, you can use the @option{--with-libmpfr-prefix}
37383 option to specify its location.
37385 GNU MPFR is used to emulate target floating-point arithmetic during
37386 expression evaluation when the target uses different floating-point
37387 formats than the host. If GNU MPFR it is not available, @value{GDBN}
37388 will fall back to using host floating-point arithmetic.
37391 @value{GDBN} can be scripted using Python language. @xref{Python}.
37392 By default, @value{GDBN} will be compiled if the Python libraries are
37393 installed and are found by @file{configure}. You can use the
37394 @code{--with-python} option to request Python, and pass either the
37395 file name of the relevant @code{python} executable, or the name of the
37396 directory in which Python is installed, to choose a particular
37397 installation of Python.
37400 @cindex compressed debug sections
37401 @value{GDBN} will use the @samp{zlib} library, if available, to read
37402 compressed debug sections. Some linkers, such as GNU gold, are capable
37403 of producing binaries with compressed debug sections. If @value{GDBN}
37404 is compiled with @samp{zlib}, it will be able to read the debug
37405 information in such binaries.
37407 The @samp{zlib} library is likely included with your operating system
37408 distribution; if it is not, you can get the latest version from
37409 @url{http://zlib.net}.
37412 @node Running Configure
37413 @section Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} Script
37414 @cindex configuring @value{GDBN}
37415 @value{GDBN} comes with a @file{configure} script that automates the process
37416 of preparing @value{GDBN} for installation; you can then use @code{make} to
37417 build the @code{gdb} program.
37419 @c irrelevant in info file; it's as current as the code it lives with.
37420 @footnote{If you have a more recent version of @value{GDBN} than @value{GDBVN},
37421 look at the @file{README} file in the sources; we may have improved the
37422 installation procedures since publishing this manual.}
37425 The @value{GDBN} distribution includes all the source code you need for
37426 @value{GDBN} in a single directory, whose name is usually composed by
37427 appending the version number to @samp{gdb}.
37429 For example, the @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN} distribution is in the
37430 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory. That directory contains:
37433 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure @r{(and supporting files)}
37434 script for configuring @value{GDBN} and all its supporting libraries
37436 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb
37437 the source specific to @value{GDBN} itself
37439 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/bfd
37440 source for the Binary File Descriptor library
37442 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/include
37443 @sc{gnu} include files
37445 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/libiberty
37446 source for the @samp{-liberty} free software library
37448 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/opcodes
37449 source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
37451 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/readline
37452 source for the @sc{gnu} command-line interface
37455 There may be other subdirectories as well.
37457 The simplest way to configure and build @value{GDBN} is to run @file{configure}
37458 from the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory, which in
37459 this example is the @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory.
37461 First switch to the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory
37462 if you are not already in it; then run @file{configure}. Pass the
37463 identifier for the platform on which @value{GDBN} will run as an
37469 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
37474 Running @samp{configure} and then running @code{make} builds the
37475 included supporting libraries, then @code{gdb} itself. The configured
37476 source files, and the binaries, are left in the corresponding source
37480 @file{configure} is a Bourne-shell (@code{/bin/sh}) script; if your
37481 system does not recognize this automatically when you run a different
37482 shell, you may need to run @code{sh} on it explicitly:
37488 You should run the @file{configure} script from the top directory in the
37489 source tree, the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory. If you run
37490 @file{configure} from one of the subdirectories, you will configure only
37491 that subdirectory. That is usually not what you want. In particular,
37492 if you run the first @file{configure} from the @file{gdb} subdirectory
37493 of the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory, you will omit the
37494 configuration of @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, and other sibling
37495 directories of the @file{gdb} subdirectory. This leads to build errors
37496 about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
37498 You can install @code{@value{GDBN}} anywhere. The best way to do this
37499 is to pass the @code{--prefix} option to @code{configure}, and then
37500 install it with @code{make install}.
37502 @node Separate Objdir
37503 @section Compiling @value{GDBN} in Another Directory
37505 If you want to run @value{GDBN} versions for several host or target machines,
37506 you need a different @code{gdb} compiled for each combination of
37507 host and target. @file{configure} is designed to make this easy by
37508 allowing you to generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory,
37509 rather than in the source directory. If your @code{make} program
37510 handles the @samp{VPATH} feature (@sc{gnu} @code{make} does), running
37511 @code{make} in each of these directories builds the @code{gdb}
37512 program specified there.
37514 To build @code{gdb} in a separate directory, run @file{configure}
37515 with the @samp{--srcdir} option to specify where to find the source.
37516 (You also need to specify a path to find @file{configure}
37517 itself from your working directory. If the path to @file{configure}
37518 would be the same as the argument to @samp{--srcdir}, you can leave out
37519 the @samp{--srcdir} option; it is assumed.)
37521 For example, with version @value{GDBVN}, you can build @value{GDBN} in a
37522 separate directory for a Sun 4 like this:
37526 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
37529 ../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure
37534 When @file{configure} builds a configuration using a remote source
37535 directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
37536 (and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory. In
37537 the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library @file{libiberty.a} in the
37538 directory @file{gdb-sun4/libiberty}, and @value{GDBN} itself in
37539 @file{gdb-sun4/gdb}.
37541 Make sure that your path to the @file{configure} script has just one
37542 instance of @file{gdb} in it. If your path to @file{configure} looks
37543 like @file{../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/configure}, you are configuring only
37544 one subdirectory of @value{GDBN}, not the whole package. This leads to
37545 build errors about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
37547 One popular reason to build several @value{GDBN} configurations in separate
37548 directories is to configure @value{GDBN} for cross-compiling (where
37549 @value{GDBN} runs on one machine---the @dfn{host}---while debugging
37550 programs that run on another machine---the @dfn{target}).
37551 You specify a cross-debugging target by
37552 giving the @samp{--target=@var{target}} option to @file{configure}.
37554 When you run @code{make} to build a program or library, you must run
37555 it in a configured directory---whatever directory you were in when you
37556 called @file{configure} (or one of its subdirectories).
37558 The @code{Makefile} that @file{configure} generates in each source
37559 directory also runs recursively. If you type @code{make} in a source
37560 directory such as @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} (or in a separate configured
37561 directory configured with @samp{--srcdir=@var{dirname}/gdb-@value{GDBVN}}), you
37562 will build all the required libraries, and then build GDB.
37564 When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
37565 directories, you can run @code{make} on them in parallel (for example,
37566 if they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
37570 @section Specifying Names for Hosts and Targets
37572 The specifications used for hosts and targets in the @file{configure}
37573 script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short predefined
37574 aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes three pieces
37575 of information in the following pattern:
37578 @var{architecture}-@var{vendor}-@var{os}
37581 For example, you can use the alias @code{sun4} as a @var{host} argument,
37582 or as the value for @var{target} in a @code{--target=@var{target}}
37583 option. The equivalent full name is @samp{sparc-sun-sunos4}.
37585 The @file{configure} script accompanying @value{GDBN} does not provide
37586 any query facility to list all supported host and target names or
37587 aliases. @file{configure} calls the Bourne shell script
37588 @code{config.sub} to map abbreviations to full names; you can read the
37589 script, if you wish, or you can use it to test your guesses on
37590 abbreviations---for example:
37593 % sh config.sub i386-linux
37595 % sh config.sub alpha-linux
37596 alpha-unknown-linux-gnu
37597 % sh config.sub hp9k700
37599 % sh config.sub sun4
37600 sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
37601 % sh config.sub sun3
37602 m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
37603 % sh config.sub i986v
37604 Invalid configuration `i986v': machine `i986v' not recognized
37608 @code{config.sub} is also distributed in the @value{GDBN} source
37609 directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, for version @value{GDBVN}).
37611 @node Configure Options
37612 @section @file{configure} Options
37614 Here is a summary of the @file{configure} options and arguments that
37615 are most often useful for building @value{GDBN}. @file{configure}
37616 also has several other options not listed here. @inforef{Running
37617 configure scripts,,autoconf.info}, for a full
37618 explanation of @file{configure}.
37621 configure @r{[}--help@r{]}
37622 @r{[}--prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
37623 @r{[}--exec-prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
37624 @r{[}--srcdir=@var{dirname}@r{]}
37625 @r{[}--target=@var{target}@r{]}
37629 You may introduce options with a single @samp{-} rather than
37630 @samp{--} if you prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use
37635 Display a quick summary of how to invoke @file{configure}.
37637 @item --prefix=@var{dir}
37638 Configure the source to install programs and files under directory
37641 @item --exec-prefix=@var{dir}
37642 Configure the source to install programs under directory
37645 @c avoid splitting the warning from the explanation:
37647 @item --srcdir=@var{dirname}
37648 Use this option to make configurations in directories separate from the
37649 @value{GDBN} source directories. Among other things, you can use this to
37650 build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously, in separate
37651 directories. @file{configure} writes configuration-specific files in
37652 the current directory, but arranges for them to use the source in the
37653 directory @var{dirname}. @file{configure} creates directories under
37654 the working directory in parallel to the source directories below
37657 @item --target=@var{target}
37658 Configure @value{GDBN} for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
37659 @var{target}. Without this option, @value{GDBN} is configured to debug
37660 programs that run on the same machine (@var{host}) as @value{GDBN} itself.
37662 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available
37663 targets. Also see the @code{--enable-targets} option, below.
37666 There are many other options that are specific to @value{GDBN}. This
37667 lists just the most common ones; there are some very specialized
37668 options not described here.
37671 @item --enable-targets=@r{[}@var{target}@r{]}@dots{}
37672 @itemx --enable-targets=all
37673 Configure @value{GDBN} for cross-debugging programs running on the
37674 specified list of targets. The special value @samp{all} configures
37675 @value{GDBN} for debugging programs running on any target it supports.
37677 @item --with-gdb-datadir=@var{path}
37678 Set the @value{GDBN}-specific data directory. @value{GDBN} will look
37679 here for certain supporting files or scripts. This defaults to the
37680 @file{gdb} subdirectory of @samp{datadir} (which can be set using
37683 @item --with-relocated-sources=@var{dir}
37684 Sets up the default source path substitution rule so that directory
37685 names recorded in debug information will be automatically adjusted for
37686 any directory under @var{dir}. @var{dir} should be a subdirectory of
37687 @value{GDBN}'s configured prefix, the one mentioned in the
37688 @code{--prefix} or @code{--exec-prefix} options to configure. This
37689 option is useful if GDB is supposed to be moved to a different place
37692 @item --enable-64-bit-bfd
37693 Enable 64-bit support in BFD on 32-bit hosts.
37695 @item --disable-gdbmi
37696 Build @value{GDBN} without the GDB/MI machine interface
37700 Build @value{GDBN} with the text-mode full-screen user interface
37701 (TUI). Requires a curses library (ncurses and cursesX are also
37704 @item --with-curses
37705 Use the curses library instead of the termcap library, for text-mode
37706 terminal operations.
37708 @item --with-libunwind-ia64
37709 Use the libunwind library for unwinding function call stack on ia64
37710 target platforms. See http://www.nongnu.org/libunwind/index.html for
37713 @item --with-system-readline
37714 Use the readline library installed on the host, rather than the
37715 library supplied as part of @value{GDBN}. Readline 7 or newer is
37716 required; this is enforced by the build system.
37718 @item --with-system-zlib
37719 Use the zlib library installed on the host, rather than the library
37720 supplied as part of @value{GDBN}.
37723 Build @value{GDBN} with Expat, a library for XML parsing. (Done by
37724 default if libexpat is installed and found at configure time.) This
37725 library is used to read XML files supplied with @value{GDBN}. If it
37726 is unavailable, some features, such as remote protocol memory maps,
37727 target descriptions, and shared library lists, that are based on XML
37728 files, will not be available in @value{GDBN}. If your host does not
37729 have libexpat installed, you can get the latest version from
37730 `http://expat.sourceforge.net'.
37732 @item --with-libiconv-prefix@r{[}=@var{dir}@r{]}
37734 Build @value{GDBN} with GNU libiconv, a character set encoding
37735 conversion library. This is not done by default, as on GNU systems
37736 the @code{iconv} that is built in to the C library is sufficient. If
37737 your host does not have a working @code{iconv}, you can get the latest
37738 version of GNU iconv from `https://www.gnu.org/software/libiconv/'.
37740 @value{GDBN}'s build system also supports building GNU libiconv as
37741 part of the overall build. @xref{Requirements}.
37744 Build @value{GDBN} with LZMA, a compression library. (Done by default
37745 if liblzma is installed and found at configure time.) LZMA is used by
37746 @value{GDBN}'s "mini debuginfo" feature, which is only useful on
37747 platforms using the ELF object file format. If your host does not
37748 have liblzma installed, you can get the latest version from
37749 `https://tukaani.org/xz/'.
37752 Build @value{GDBN} with GNU MPFR, a library for multiple-precision
37753 floating-point computation with correct rounding. (Done by default if
37754 GNU MPFR is installed and found at configure time.) This library is
37755 used to emulate target floating-point arithmetic during expression
37756 evaluation when the target uses different floating-point formats than
37757 the host. If GNU MPFR is not available, @value{GDBN} will fall back
37758 to using host floating-point arithmetic. If your host does not have
37759 GNU MPFR installed, you can get the latest version from
37760 `http://www.mpfr.org'.
37762 @item --with-python@r{[}=@var{python}@r{]}
37763 Build @value{GDBN} with Python scripting support. (Done by default if
37764 libpython is present and found at configure time.) Python makes
37765 @value{GDBN} scripting much more powerful than the restricted CLI
37766 scripting language. If your host does not have Python installed, you
37767 can find it on `http://www.python.org/download/'. The oldest version
37768 of Python supported by GDB is 2.6. The optional argument @var{python}
37769 is used to find the Python headers and libraries. It can be either
37770 the name of a Python executable, or the name of the directory in which
37771 Python is installed.
37773 @item --with-guile[=GUILE]'
37774 Build @value{GDBN} with GNU Guile scripting support. (Done by default
37775 if libguile is present and found at configure time.) If your host
37776 does not have Guile installed, you can find it at
37777 `https://www.gnu.org/software/guile/'. The optional argument GUILE
37778 can be a version number, which will cause @code{configure} to try to
37779 use that version of Guile; or the file name of a @code{pkg-config}
37780 executable, which will be queried to find the information needed to
37781 compile and link against Guile.
37783 @item --without-included-regex
37784 Don't use the regex library included with @value{GDBN} (as part of the
37785 libiberty library). This is the default on hosts with version 2 of
37788 @item --with-sysroot=@var{dir}
37789 Use @var{dir} as the default system root directory for libraries whose
37790 file names begin with @file{/lib}' or @file{/usr/lib'}. (The value of
37791 @var{dir} can be modified at run time by using the @command{set
37792 sysroot} command.) If @var{dir} is under the @value{GDBN} configured
37793 prefix (set with @code{--prefix} or @code{--exec-prefix options}, the
37794 default system root will be automatically adjusted if and when
37795 @value{GDBN} is moved to a different location.
37797 @item --with-system-gdbinit=@var{file}
37798 Configure @value{GDBN} to automatically load a system-wide init file.
37799 @var{file} should be an absolute file name. If @var{file} is in a
37800 directory under the configured prefix, and @value{GDBN} is moved to
37801 another location after being built, the location of the system-wide
37802 init file will be adjusted accordingly.
37804 @item --with-system-gdbinit-dir=@var{directory}
37805 Configure @value{GDBN} to automatically load init files from a
37806 system-wide directory. @var{directory} should be an absolute directory
37807 name. If @var{directory} is in a directory under the configured
37808 prefix, and @value{GDBN} is moved to another location after being
37809 built, the location of the system-wide init directory will be
37810 adjusted accordingly.
37812 @item --enable-build-warnings
37813 When building the @value{GDBN} sources, ask the compiler to warn about
37814 any code which looks even vaguely suspicious. It passes many
37815 different warning flags, depending on the exact version of the
37816 compiler you are using.
37818 @item --enable-werror
37819 Treat compiler warnings as werrors. It adds the @code{-Werror} flag
37820 to the compiler, which will fail the compilation if the compiler
37821 outputs any warning messages.
37823 @item --enable-ubsan
37824 Enable the GCC undefined behavior sanitizer. This is disabled by
37825 default, but passing @code{--enable-ubsan=yes} or
37826 @code{--enable-ubsan=auto} to @code{configure} will enable it. The
37827 undefined behavior sanitizer checks for C@t{++} undefined behavior.
37828 It has a performance cost, so if you are looking at @value{GDBN}'s
37829 performance, you should disable it. The undefined behavior sanitizer
37830 was first introduced in GCC 4.9.
37833 @node System-wide configuration
37834 @section System-wide configuration and settings
37835 @cindex system-wide init file
37837 @value{GDBN} can be configured to have a system-wide init file and a
37838 system-wide init file directory; this file and files in that directory
37839 (if they have a recognized file extension) will be read and executed at
37840 startup (@pxref{Startup, , What @value{GDBN} does during startup}).
37842 Here are the corresponding configure options:
37845 @item --with-system-gdbinit=@var{file}
37846 Specify that the default location of the system-wide init file is
37848 @item --with-system-gdbinit-dir=@var{directory}
37849 Specify that the default location of the system-wide init file directory
37850 is @var{directory}.
37853 If @value{GDBN} has been configured with the option @option{--prefix=$prefix},
37854 they may be subject to relocation. Two possible cases:
37858 If the default location of this init file/directory contains @file{$prefix},
37859 it will be subject to relocation. Suppose that the configure options
37860 are @option{--prefix=$prefix --with-system-gdbinit=$prefix/etc/gdbinit};
37861 if @value{GDBN} is moved from @file{$prefix} to @file{$install}, the system
37862 init file is looked for as @file{$install/etc/gdbinit} instead of
37863 @file{$prefix/etc/gdbinit}.
37866 By contrast, if the default location does not contain the prefix,
37867 it will not be relocated. E.g.@: if @value{GDBN} has been configured with
37868 @option{--prefix=/usr/local --with-system-gdbinit=/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
37869 then @value{GDBN} will always look for @file{/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
37870 wherever @value{GDBN} is installed.
37873 If the configured location of the system-wide init file (as given by the
37874 @option{--with-system-gdbinit} option at configure time) is in the
37875 data-directory (as specified by @option{--with-gdb-datadir} at configure
37876 time) or in one of its subdirectories, then @value{GDBN} will look for the
37877 system-wide init file in the directory specified by the
37878 @option{--data-directory} command-line option.
37879 Note that the system-wide init file is only read once, during @value{GDBN}
37880 initialization. If the data-directory is changed after @value{GDBN} has
37881 started with the @code{set data-directory} command, the file will not be
37884 This applies similarly to the system-wide directory specified in
37885 @option{--with-system-gdbinit-dir}.
37887 Any supported scripting language can be used for these init files, as long
37888 as the file extension matches the scripting language. To be interpreted
37889 as regular @value{GDBN} commands, the files needs to have a @file{.gdb}
37893 * System-wide Configuration Scripts:: Installed System-wide Configuration Scripts
37896 @node System-wide Configuration Scripts
37897 @subsection Installed System-wide Configuration Scripts
37898 @cindex system-wide configuration scripts
37900 The @file{system-gdbinit} directory, located inside the data-directory
37901 (as specified by @option{--with-gdb-datadir} at configure time) contains
37902 a number of scripts which can be used as system-wide init files. To
37903 automatically source those scripts at startup, @value{GDBN} should be
37904 configured with @option{--with-system-gdbinit}. Otherwise, any user
37905 should be able to source them by hand as needed.
37907 The following scripts are currently available:
37910 @item @file{elinos.py}
37912 @cindex ELinOS system-wide configuration script
37913 This script is useful when debugging a program on an ELinOS target.
37914 It takes advantage of the environment variables defined in a standard
37915 ELinOS environment in order to determine the location of the system
37916 shared libraries, and then sets the @samp{solib-absolute-prefix}
37917 and @samp{solib-search-path} variables appropriately.
37919 @item @file{wrs-linux.py}
37920 @pindex wrs-linux.py
37921 @cindex Wind River Linux system-wide configuration script
37922 This script is useful when debugging a program on a target running
37923 Wind River Linux. It expects the @env{ENV_PREFIX} to be set to
37924 the host-side sysroot used by the target system.
37928 @node Maintenance Commands
37929 @appendix Maintenance Commands
37930 @cindex maintenance commands
37931 @cindex internal commands
37933 In addition to commands intended for @value{GDBN} users, @value{GDBN}
37934 includes a number of commands intended for @value{GDBN} developers,
37935 that are not documented elsewhere in this manual. These commands are
37936 provided here for reference. (For commands that turn on debugging
37937 messages, see @ref{Debugging Output}.)
37940 @kindex maint agent
37941 @kindex maint agent-eval
37942 @item maint agent @r{[}-at @var{location}@r{,}@r{]} @var{expression}
37943 @itemx maint agent-eval @r{[}-at @var{location}@r{,}@r{]} @var{expression}
37944 Translate the given @var{expression} into remote agent bytecodes.
37945 This command is useful for debugging the Agent Expression mechanism
37946 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}). The @samp{agent} version produces an
37947 expression useful for data collection, such as by tracepoints, while
37948 @samp{maint agent-eval} produces an expression that evaluates directly
37949 to a result. For instance, a collection expression for @code{globa +
37950 globb} will include bytecodes to record four bytes of memory at each
37951 of the addresses of @code{globa} and @code{globb}, while discarding
37952 the result of the addition, while an evaluation expression will do the
37953 addition and return the sum.
37954 If @code{-at} is given, generate remote agent bytecode for @var{location}.
37955 If not, generate remote agent bytecode for current frame PC address.
37957 @kindex maint agent-printf
37958 @item maint agent-printf @var{format},@var{expr},...
37959 Translate the given format string and list of argument expressions
37960 into remote agent bytecodes and display them as a disassembled list.
37961 This command is useful for debugging the agent version of dynamic
37962 printf (@pxref{Dynamic Printf}).
37964 @kindex maint info breakpoints
37965 @item @anchor{maint info breakpoints}maint info breakpoints
37966 Using the same format as @samp{info breakpoints}, display both the
37967 breakpoints you've set explicitly, and those @value{GDBN} is using for
37968 internal purposes. Internal breakpoints are shown with negative
37969 breakpoint numbers. The type column identifies what kind of breakpoint
37974 Normal, explicitly set breakpoint.
37977 Normal, explicitly set watchpoint.
37980 Internal breakpoint, used to handle correctly stepping through
37981 @code{longjmp} calls.
37983 @item longjmp resume
37984 Internal breakpoint at the target of a @code{longjmp}.
37987 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{until} command.
37990 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{finish} command.
37993 Shared library events.
37997 @kindex maint info btrace
37998 @item maint info btrace
37999 Pint information about raw branch tracing data.
38001 @kindex maint btrace packet-history
38002 @item maint btrace packet-history
38003 Print the raw branch trace packets that are used to compute the
38004 execution history for the @samp{record btrace} command. Both the
38005 information and the format in which it is printed depend on the btrace
38010 For the BTS recording format, print a list of blocks of sequential
38011 code. For each block, the following information is printed:
38015 Newer blocks have higher numbers. The oldest block has number zero.
38016 @item Lowest @samp{PC}
38017 @item Highest @samp{PC}
38021 For the Intel Processor Trace recording format, print a list of
38022 Intel Processor Trace packets. For each packet, the following
38023 information is printed:
38026 @item Packet number
38027 Newer packets have higher numbers. The oldest packet has number zero.
38029 The packet's offset in the trace stream.
38030 @item Packet opcode and payload
38034 @kindex maint btrace clear-packet-history
38035 @item maint btrace clear-packet-history
38036 Discards the cached packet history printed by the @samp{maint btrace
38037 packet-history} command. The history will be computed again when
38040 @kindex maint btrace clear
38041 @item maint btrace clear
38042 Discard the branch trace data. The data will be fetched anew and the
38043 branch trace will be recomputed when needed.
38045 This implicitly truncates the branch trace to a single branch trace
38046 buffer. When updating branch trace incrementally, the branch trace
38047 available to @value{GDBN} may be bigger than a single branch trace
38050 @kindex maint set btrace pt skip-pad
38051 @item maint set btrace pt skip-pad
38052 @kindex maint show btrace pt skip-pad
38053 @item maint show btrace pt skip-pad
38054 Control whether @value{GDBN} will skip PAD packets when computing the
38057 @kindex set displaced-stepping
38058 @kindex show displaced-stepping
38059 @cindex displaced stepping support
38060 @cindex out-of-line single-stepping
38061 @item set displaced-stepping
38062 @itemx show displaced-stepping
38063 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will do @dfn{displaced stepping}
38064 if the target supports it. Displaced stepping is a way to single-step
38065 over breakpoints without removing them from the inferior, by executing
38066 an out-of-line copy of the instruction that was originally at the
38067 breakpoint location. It is also known as out-of-line single-stepping.
38070 @item set displaced-stepping on
38071 If the target architecture supports it, @value{GDBN} will use
38072 displaced stepping to step over breakpoints.
38074 @item set displaced-stepping off
38075 @value{GDBN} will not use displaced stepping to step over breakpoints,
38076 even if such is supported by the target architecture.
38078 @cindex non-stop mode, and @samp{set displaced-stepping}
38079 @item set displaced-stepping auto
38080 This is the default mode. @value{GDBN} will use displaced stepping
38081 only if non-stop mode is active (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) and the target
38082 architecture supports displaced stepping.
38085 @kindex maint check-psymtabs
38086 @item maint check-psymtabs
38087 Check the consistency of currently expanded psymtabs versus symtabs.
38088 Use this to check, for example, whether a symbol is in one but not the other.
38090 @kindex maint check-symtabs
38091 @item maint check-symtabs
38092 Check the consistency of currently expanded symtabs.
38094 @kindex maint expand-symtabs
38095 @item maint expand-symtabs [@var{regexp}]
38096 Expand symbol tables.
38097 If @var{regexp} is specified, only expand symbol tables for file
38098 names matching @var{regexp}.
38100 @kindex maint set catch-demangler-crashes
38101 @kindex maint show catch-demangler-crashes
38102 @cindex demangler crashes
38103 @item maint set catch-demangler-crashes [on|off]
38104 @itemx maint show catch-demangler-crashes
38105 Control whether @value{GDBN} should attempt to catch crashes in the
38106 symbol name demangler. The default is to attempt to catch crashes.
38107 If enabled, the first time a crash is caught, a core file is created,
38108 the offending symbol is displayed and the user is presented with the
38109 option to terminate the current session.
38111 @kindex maint cplus first_component
38112 @item maint cplus first_component @var{name}
38113 Print the first C@t{++} class/namespace component of @var{name}.
38115 @kindex maint cplus namespace
38116 @item maint cplus namespace
38117 Print the list of possible C@t{++} namespaces.
38119 @kindex maint deprecate
38120 @kindex maint undeprecate
38121 @cindex deprecated commands
38122 @item maint deprecate @var{command} @r{[}@var{replacement}@r{]}
38123 @itemx maint undeprecate @var{command}
38124 Deprecate or undeprecate the named @var{command}. Deprecated commands
38125 cause @value{GDBN} to issue a warning when you use them. The optional
38126 argument @var{replacement} says which newer command should be used in
38127 favor of the deprecated one; if it is given, @value{GDBN} will mention
38128 the replacement as part of the warning.
38130 @kindex maint dump-me
38131 @item maint dump-me
38132 @cindex @code{SIGQUIT} signal, dump core of @value{GDBN}
38133 Cause a fatal signal in the debugger and force it to dump its core.
38134 This is supported only on systems which support aborting a program
38135 with the @code{SIGQUIT} signal.
38137 @kindex maint internal-error
38138 @kindex maint internal-warning
38139 @kindex maint demangler-warning
38140 @cindex demangler crashes
38141 @item maint internal-error @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
38142 @itemx maint internal-warning @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
38143 @itemx maint demangler-warning @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
38145 Cause @value{GDBN} to call the internal function @code{internal_error},
38146 @code{internal_warning} or @code{demangler_warning} and hence behave
38147 as though an internal problem has been detected. In addition to
38148 reporting the internal problem, these functions give the user the
38149 opportunity to either quit @value{GDBN} or (for @code{internal_error}
38150 and @code{internal_warning}) create a core file of the current
38151 @value{GDBN} session.
38153 These commands take an optional parameter @var{message-text} that is
38154 used as the text of the error or warning message.
38156 Here's an example of using @code{internal-error}:
38159 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint internal-error testing, 1, 2}
38160 @dots{}/maint.c:121: internal-error: testing, 1, 2
38161 A problem internal to GDB has been detected. Further
38162 debugging may prove unreliable.
38163 Quit this debugging session? (y or n) @kbd{n}
38164 Create a core file? (y or n) @kbd{n}
38168 @cindex @value{GDBN} internal error
38169 @cindex internal errors, control of @value{GDBN} behavior
38170 @cindex demangler crashes
38172 @kindex maint set internal-error
38173 @kindex maint show internal-error
38174 @kindex maint set internal-warning
38175 @kindex maint show internal-warning
38176 @kindex maint set demangler-warning
38177 @kindex maint show demangler-warning
38178 @item maint set internal-error @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
38179 @itemx maint show internal-error @var{action}
38180 @itemx maint set internal-warning @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
38181 @itemx maint show internal-warning @var{action}
38182 @itemx maint set demangler-warning @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
38183 @itemx maint show demangler-warning @var{action}
38184 When @value{GDBN} reports an internal problem (error or warning) it
38185 gives the user the opportunity to both quit @value{GDBN} and create a
38186 core file of the current @value{GDBN} session. These commands let you
38187 override the default behaviour for each particular @var{action},
38188 described in the table below.
38192 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
38193 quit. The default is to ask the user what to do.
38196 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
38197 create a core file. The default is to ask the user what to do. Note
38198 that there is no @code{corefile} option for @code{demangler-warning}:
38199 demangler warnings always create a core file and this cannot be
38203 @kindex maint packet
38204 @item maint packet @var{text}
38205 If @value{GDBN} is talking to an inferior via the serial protocol,
38206 then this command sends the string @var{text} to the inferior, and
38207 displays the response packet. @value{GDBN} supplies the initial
38208 @samp{$} character, the terminating @samp{#} character, and the
38211 @kindex maint print architecture
38212 @item maint print architecture @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
38213 Print the entire architecture configuration. The optional argument
38214 @var{file} names the file where the output goes.
38216 @kindex maint print c-tdesc @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
38217 @item maint print c-tdesc
38218 Print the target description (@pxref{Target Descriptions}) as
38219 a C source file. By default, the target description is for the current
38220 target, but if the optional argument @var{file} is provided, that file
38221 is used to produce the description. The @var{file} should be an XML
38222 document, of the form described in @ref{Target Description Format}.
38223 The created source file is built into @value{GDBN} when @value{GDBN} is
38224 built again. This command is used by developers after they add or
38225 modify XML target descriptions.
38227 @kindex maint check xml-descriptions
38228 @item maint check xml-descriptions @var{dir}
38229 Check that the target descriptions dynamically created by @value{GDBN}
38230 equal the descriptions created from XML files found in @var{dir}.
38232 @anchor{maint check libthread-db}
38233 @kindex maint check libthread-db
38234 @item maint check libthread-db
38235 Run integrity checks on the current inferior's thread debugging
38236 library. This exercises all @code{libthread_db} functionality used by
38237 @value{GDBN} on GNU/Linux systems, and by extension also exercises the
38238 @code{proc_service} functions provided by @value{GDBN} that
38239 @code{libthread_db} uses. Note that parts of the test may be skipped
38240 on some platforms when debugging core files.
38242 @kindex maint print dummy-frames
38243 @item maint print dummy-frames
38244 Prints the contents of @value{GDBN}'s internal dummy-frame stack.
38247 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{b add}
38249 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{print add(2,3)}
38250 Breakpoint 2, add (a=2, b=3) at @dots{}
38252 The program being debugged stopped while in a function called from GDB.
38254 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print dummy-frames}
38255 0xa8206d8: id=@{stack=0xbfffe734,code=0xbfffe73f,!special@}, ptid=process 9353
38259 Takes an optional file parameter.
38261 @kindex maint print registers
38262 @kindex maint print raw-registers
38263 @kindex maint print cooked-registers
38264 @kindex maint print register-groups
38265 @kindex maint print remote-registers
38266 @item maint print registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
38267 @itemx maint print raw-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
38268 @itemx maint print cooked-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
38269 @itemx maint print register-groups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
38270 @itemx maint print remote-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
38271 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register data structures.
38273 The command @code{maint print raw-registers} includes the contents of
38274 the raw register cache; the command @code{maint print
38275 cooked-registers} includes the (cooked) value of all registers,
38276 including registers which aren't available on the target nor visible
38277 to user; the command @code{maint print register-groups} includes the
38278 groups that each register is a member of; and the command @code{maint
38279 print remote-registers} includes the remote target's register numbers
38280 and offsets in the `G' packets.
38282 These commands take an optional parameter, a file name to which to
38283 write the information.
38285 @kindex maint print reggroups
38286 @item maint print reggroups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
38287 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register group data structures. The
38288 optional argument @var{file} tells to what file to write the
38291 The register groups info looks like this:
38294 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print reggroups}
38307 This command forces @value{GDBN} to flush its internal register cache.
38309 @kindex maint print objfiles
38310 @cindex info for known object files
38311 @item maint print objfiles @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
38312 Print a dump of all known object files.
38313 If @var{regexp} is specified, only print object files whose names
38314 match @var{regexp}. For each object file, this command prints its name,
38315 address in memory, and all of its psymtabs and symtabs.
38317 @kindex maint print user-registers
38318 @cindex user registers
38319 @item maint print user-registers
38320 List all currently available @dfn{user registers}. User registers
38321 typically provide alternate names for actual hardware registers. They
38322 include the four ``standard'' registers @code{$fp}, @code{$pc},
38323 @code{$sp}, and @code{$ps}. @xref{standard registers}. User
38324 registers can be used in expressions in the same way as the canonical
38325 register names, but only the latter are listed by the @code{info
38326 registers} and @code{maint print registers} commands.
38328 @kindex maint print section-scripts
38329 @cindex info for known .debug_gdb_scripts-loaded scripts
38330 @item maint print section-scripts [@var{regexp}]
38331 Print a dump of scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_section} section.
38332 If @var{regexp} is specified, only print scripts loaded by object files
38333 matching @var{regexp}.
38334 For each script, this command prints its name as specified in the objfile,
38335 and the full path if known.
38336 @xref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}.
38338 @kindex maint print statistics
38339 @cindex bcache statistics
38340 @item maint print statistics
38341 This command prints, for each object file in the program, various data
38342 about that object file followed by the byte cache (@dfn{bcache})
38343 statistics for the object file. The objfile data includes the number
38344 of minimal, partial, full, and stabs symbols, the number of types
38345 defined by the objfile, the number of as yet unexpanded psym tables,
38346 the number of line tables and string tables, and the amount of memory
38347 used by the various tables. The bcache statistics include the counts,
38348 sizes, and counts of duplicates of all and unique objects, max,
38349 average, and median entry size, total memory used and its overhead and
38350 savings, and various measures of the hash table size and chain
38353 @kindex maint print target-stack
38354 @cindex target stack description
38355 @item maint print target-stack
38356 A @dfn{target} is an interface between the debugger and a particular
38357 kind of file or process. Targets can be stacked in @dfn{strata},
38358 so that more than one target can potentially respond to a request.
38359 In particular, memory accesses will walk down the stack of targets
38360 until they find a target that is interested in handling that particular
38363 This command prints a short description of each layer that was pushed on
38364 the @dfn{target stack}, starting from the top layer down to the bottom one.
38366 @kindex maint print type
38367 @cindex type chain of a data type
38368 @item maint print type @var{expr}
38369 Print the type chain for a type specified by @var{expr}. The argument
38370 can be either a type name or a symbol. If it is a symbol, the type of
38371 that symbol is described. The type chain produced by this command is
38372 a recursive definition of the data type as stored in @value{GDBN}'s
38373 data structures, including its flags and contained types.
38375 @kindex maint selftest
38377 @item maint selftest @r{[}@var{filter}@r{]}
38378 Run any self tests that were compiled in to @value{GDBN}. This will
38379 print a message showing how many tests were run, and how many failed.
38380 If a @var{filter} is passed, only the tests with @var{filter} in their
38383 @kindex maint info selftests
38385 @item maint info selftests
38386 List the selftests compiled in to @value{GDBN}.
38388 @kindex maint set dwarf always-disassemble
38389 @kindex maint show dwarf always-disassemble
38390 @item maint set dwarf always-disassemble
38391 @item maint show dwarf always-disassemble
38392 Control the behavior of @code{info address} when using DWARF debugging
38395 The default is @code{off}, which means that @value{GDBN} should try to
38396 describe a variable's location in an easily readable format. When
38397 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will instead display the DWARF location
38398 expression in an assembly-like format. Note that some locations are
38399 too complex for @value{GDBN} to describe simply; in this case you will
38400 always see the disassembly form.
38402 Here is an example of the resulting disassembly:
38405 (gdb) info addr argc
38406 Symbol "argc" is a complex DWARF expression:
38410 For more information on these expressions, see
38411 @uref{http://www.dwarfstd.org/, the DWARF standard}.
38413 @kindex maint set dwarf max-cache-age
38414 @kindex maint show dwarf max-cache-age
38415 @item maint set dwarf max-cache-age
38416 @itemx maint show dwarf max-cache-age
38417 Control the DWARF compilation unit cache.
38419 @cindex DWARF compilation units cache
38420 In object files with inter-compilation-unit references, such as those
38421 produced by the GCC option @samp{-feliminate-dwarf2-dups}, the DWARF
38422 reader needs to frequently refer to previously read compilation units.
38423 This setting controls how long a compilation unit will remain in the
38424 cache if it is not referenced. A higher limit means that cached
38425 compilation units will be stored in memory longer, and more total
38426 memory will be used. Setting it to zero disables caching, which will
38427 slow down @value{GDBN} startup, but reduce memory consumption.
38429 @kindex maint set dwarf unwinders
38430 @kindex maint show dwarf unwinders
38431 @item maint set dwarf unwinders
38432 @itemx maint show dwarf unwinders
38433 Control use of the DWARF frame unwinders.
38435 @cindex DWARF frame unwinders
38436 Many targets that support DWARF debugging use @value{GDBN}'s DWARF
38437 frame unwinders to build the backtrace. Many of these targets will
38438 also have a second mechanism for building the backtrace for use in
38439 cases where DWARF information is not available, this second mechanism
38440 is often an analysis of a function's prologue.
38442 In order to extend testing coverage of the second level stack
38443 unwinding mechanisms it is helpful to be able to disable the DWARF
38444 stack unwinders, this can be done with this switch.
38446 In normal use of @value{GDBN} disabling the DWARF unwinders is not
38447 advisable, there are cases that are better handled through DWARF than
38448 prologue analysis, and the debug experience is likely to be better
38449 with the DWARF frame unwinders enabled.
38451 If DWARF frame unwinders are not supported for a particular target
38452 architecture, then enabling this flag does not cause them to be used.
38454 @kindex maint set worker-threads
38455 @kindex maint show worker-threads
38456 @item maint set worker-threads
38457 @item maint show worker-threads
38458 Control the number of worker threads that may be used by @value{GDBN}.
38459 On capable hosts, @value{GDBN} may use multiple threads to speed up
38460 certain CPU-intensive operations, such as demangling symbol names.
38461 While the number of threads used by @value{GDBN} may vary, this
38462 command can be used to set an upper bound on this number. The default
38463 is @code{unlimited}, which lets @value{GDBN} choose a reasonable
38464 number. Note that this only controls worker threads started by
38465 @value{GDBN} itself; libraries used by @value{GDBN} may start threads
38468 @kindex maint set profile
38469 @kindex maint show profile
38470 @cindex profiling GDB
38471 @item maint set profile
38472 @itemx maint show profile
38473 Control profiling of @value{GDBN}.
38475 Profiling will be disabled until you use the @samp{maint set profile}
38476 command to enable it. When you enable profiling, the system will begin
38477 collecting timing and execution count data; when you disable profiling or
38478 exit @value{GDBN}, the results will be written to a log file. Remember that
38479 if you use profiling, @value{GDBN} will overwrite the profiling log file
38480 (often called @file{gmon.out}). If you have a record of important profiling
38481 data in a @file{gmon.out} file, be sure to move it to a safe location.
38483 Configuring with @samp{--enable-profiling} arranges for @value{GDBN} to be
38484 compiled with the @samp{-pg} compiler option.
38486 @kindex maint set show-debug-regs
38487 @kindex maint show show-debug-regs
38488 @cindex hardware debug registers
38489 @item maint set show-debug-regs
38490 @itemx maint show show-debug-regs
38491 Control whether to show variables that mirror the hardware debug
38492 registers. Use @code{on} to enable, @code{off} to disable. If
38493 enabled, the debug registers values are shown when @value{GDBN} inserts or
38494 removes a hardware breakpoint or watchpoint, and when the inferior
38495 triggers a hardware-assisted breakpoint or watchpoint.
38497 @kindex maint set show-all-tib
38498 @kindex maint show show-all-tib
38499 @item maint set show-all-tib
38500 @itemx maint show show-all-tib
38501 Control whether to show all non zero areas within a 1k block starting
38502 at thread local base, when using the @samp{info w32 thread-information-block}
38505 @kindex maint set target-async
38506 @kindex maint show target-async
38507 @item maint set target-async
38508 @itemx maint show target-async
38509 This controls whether @value{GDBN} targets operate in synchronous or
38510 asynchronous mode (@pxref{Background Execution}). Normally the
38511 default is asynchronous, if it is available; but this can be changed
38512 to more easily debug problems occurring only in synchronous mode.
38514 @kindex maint set target-non-stop @var{mode} [on|off|auto]
38515 @kindex maint show target-non-stop
38516 @item maint set target-non-stop
38517 @itemx maint show target-non-stop
38519 This controls whether @value{GDBN} targets always operate in non-stop
38520 mode even if @code{set non-stop} is @code{off} (@pxref{Non-Stop
38521 Mode}). The default is @code{auto}, meaning non-stop mode is enabled
38522 if supported by the target.
38525 @item maint set target-non-stop auto
38526 This is the default mode. @value{GDBN} controls the target in
38527 non-stop mode if the target supports it.
38529 @item maint set target-non-stop on
38530 @value{GDBN} controls the target in non-stop mode even if the target
38531 does not indicate support.
38533 @item maint set target-non-stop off
38534 @value{GDBN} does not control the target in non-stop mode even if the
38535 target supports it.
38538 @kindex maint set tui-resize-message
38539 @kindex maint show tui-resize-message
38540 @item maint set tui-resize-message
38541 @item maint show tui-resize-message
38542 Control whether @value{GDBN} displays a message each time the terminal
38543 is resized when in TUI mode. The default is @code{off}, which means
38544 that @value{GDBN} is silent during resizes. When @code{on},
38545 @value{GDBN} will display a message after a resize is completed; the
38546 message will include a number indicating how many times the terminal
38547 has been resized. This setting is intended for use by the test suite,
38548 where it would otherwise be difficult to determine when a resize and
38549 refresh has been completed.
38551 @kindex maint set per-command
38552 @kindex maint show per-command
38553 @item maint set per-command
38554 @itemx maint show per-command
38555 @cindex resources used by commands
38557 @value{GDBN} can display the resources used by each command.
38558 This is useful in debugging performance problems.
38561 @item maint set per-command space [on|off]
38562 @itemx maint show per-command space
38563 Enable or disable the printing of the memory used by GDB for each command.
38564 If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display how much memory each command
38565 took, following the command's own output.
38566 This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
38567 @option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
38569 @item maint set per-command time [on|off]
38570 @itemx maint show per-command time
38571 Enable or disable the printing of the execution time of @value{GDBN}
38573 If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display how much time it
38574 took to execute each command, following the command's own output.
38575 Both CPU time and wallclock time are printed.
38576 Printing both is useful when trying to determine whether the cost is
38577 CPU or, e.g., disk/network latency.
38578 Note that the CPU time printed is for @value{GDBN} only, it does not include
38579 the execution time of the inferior because there's no mechanism currently
38580 to compute how much time was spent by @value{GDBN} and how much time was
38581 spent by the program been debugged.
38582 This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
38583 @option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
38585 @item maint set per-command symtab [on|off]
38586 @itemx maint show per-command symtab
38587 Enable or disable the printing of basic symbol table statistics
38589 If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display the following information:
38593 number of symbol tables
38595 number of primary symbol tables
38597 number of blocks in the blockvector
38601 @kindex maint set check-libthread-db
38602 @kindex maint show check-libthread-db
38603 @item maint set check-libthread-db [on|off]
38604 @itemx maint show check-libthread-db
38605 Control whether @value{GDBN} should run integrity checks on inferior
38606 specific thread debugging libraries as they are loaded. The default
38607 is not to perform such checks. If any check fails @value{GDBN} will
38608 unload the library and continue searching for a suitable candidate as
38609 described in @ref{set libthread-db-search-path}. For more information
38610 about the tests, see @ref{maint check libthread-db}.
38612 @kindex maint space
38613 @cindex memory used by commands
38614 @item maint space @var{value}
38615 An alias for @code{maint set per-command space}.
38616 A non-zero value enables it, zero disables it.
38619 @cindex time of command execution
38620 @item maint time @var{value}
38621 An alias for @code{maint set per-command time}.
38622 A non-zero value enables it, zero disables it.
38624 @kindex maint translate-address
38625 @item maint translate-address @r{[}@var{section}@r{]} @var{addr}
38626 Find the symbol stored at the location specified by the address
38627 @var{addr} and an optional section name @var{section}. If found,
38628 @value{GDBN} prints the name of the closest symbol and an offset from
38629 the symbol's location to the specified address. This is similar to
38630 the @code{info address} command (@pxref{Symbols}), except that this
38631 command also allows to find symbols in other sections.
38633 If section was not specified, the section in which the symbol was found
38634 is also printed. For dynamically linked executables, the name of
38635 executable or shared library containing the symbol is printed as well.
38637 @kindex maint test-options
38638 @item maint test-options require-delimiter
38639 @itemx maint test-options unknown-is-error
38640 @itemx maint test-options unknown-is-operand
38641 These commands are used by the testsuite to validate the command
38642 options framework. The @code{require-delimiter} variant requires a
38643 double-dash delimiter to indicate end of options. The
38644 @code{unknown-is-error} and @code{unknown-is-operand} do not. The
38645 @code{unknown-is-error} variant throws an error on unknown option,
38646 while @code{unknown-is-operand} treats unknown options as the start of
38647 the command's operands. When run, the commands output the result of
38648 the processed options. When completed, the commands store the
38649 internal result of completion in a variable exposed by the @code{maint
38650 show test-options-completion-result} command.
38652 @kindex maint show test-options-completion-result
38653 @item maint show test-options-completion-result
38654 Shows the result of completing the @code{maint test-options}
38655 subcommands. This is used by the testsuite to validate completion
38656 support in the command options framework.
38658 @kindex maint set test-settings
38659 @kindex maint show test-settings
38660 @item maint set test-settings @var{kind}
38661 @itemx maint show test-settings @var{kind}
38662 These are representative commands for each @var{kind} of setting type
38663 @value{GDBN} supports. They are used by the testsuite for exercising
38664 the settings infrastructure.
38667 @item maint with @var{setting} [@var{value}] [-- @var{command}]
38668 Like the @code{with} command, but works with @code{maintenance set}
38669 variables. This is used by the testsuite to exercise the @code{with}
38670 command's infrastructure.
38674 The following command is useful for non-interactive invocations of
38675 @value{GDBN}, such as in the test suite.
38678 @item set watchdog @var{nsec}
38679 @kindex set watchdog
38680 @cindex watchdog timer
38681 @cindex timeout for commands
38682 Set the maximum number of seconds @value{GDBN} will wait for the
38683 target operation to finish. If this time expires, @value{GDBN}
38684 reports and error and the command is aborted.
38686 @item show watchdog
38687 Show the current setting of the target wait timeout.
38690 @node Remote Protocol
38691 @appendix @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol
38696 * Stop Reply Packets::
38697 * General Query Packets::
38698 * Architecture-Specific Protocol Details::
38699 * Tracepoint Packets::
38700 * Host I/O Packets::
38702 * Notification Packets::
38703 * Remote Non-Stop::
38704 * Packet Acknowledgment::
38706 * File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension::
38707 * Library List Format::
38708 * Library List Format for SVR4 Targets::
38709 * Memory Map Format::
38710 * Thread List Format::
38711 * Traceframe Info Format::
38712 * Branch Trace Format::
38713 * Branch Trace Configuration Format::
38719 There may be occasions when you need to know something about the
38720 protocol---for example, if there is only one serial port to your target
38721 machine, you might want your program to do something special if it
38722 recognizes a packet meant for @value{GDBN}.
38724 In the examples below, @samp{->} and @samp{<-} are used to indicate
38725 transmitted and received data, respectively.
38727 @cindex protocol, @value{GDBN} remote serial
38728 @cindex serial protocol, @value{GDBN} remote
38729 @cindex remote serial protocol
38730 All @value{GDBN} commands and responses (other than acknowledgments
38731 and notifications, see @ref{Notification Packets}) are sent as a
38732 @var{packet}. A @var{packet} is introduced with the character
38733 @samp{$}, the actual @var{packet-data}, and the terminating character
38734 @samp{#} followed by a two-digit @var{checksum}:
38737 @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
38741 @cindex checksum, for @value{GDBN} remote
38743 The two-digit @var{checksum} is computed as the modulo 256 sum of all
38744 characters between the leading @samp{$} and the trailing @samp{#} (an
38745 eight bit unsigned checksum).
38747 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0 the protocol
38748 specification also included an optional two-digit @var{sequence-id}:
38751 @code{$}@var{sequence-id}@code{:}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
38754 @cindex sequence-id, for @value{GDBN} remote
38756 That @var{sequence-id} was appended to the acknowledgment. @value{GDBN}
38757 has never output @var{sequence-id}s. Stubs that handle packets added
38758 since @value{GDBN} 5.0 must not accept @var{sequence-id}.
38760 When either the host or the target machine receives a packet, the first
38761 response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
38762 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request
38766 -> @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
38771 The @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments can be disabled
38772 once a connection is established.
38773 @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}, for details.
38775 The host (@value{GDBN}) sends @var{command}s, and the target (the
38776 debugging stub incorporated in your program) sends a @var{response}. In
38777 the case of step and continue @var{command}s, the response is only sent
38778 when the operation has completed, and the target has again stopped all
38779 threads in all attached processes. This is the default all-stop mode
38780 behavior, but the remote protocol also supports @value{GDBN}'s non-stop
38781 execution mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}, for details.
38783 @var{packet-data} consists of a sequence of characters with the
38784 exception of @samp{#} and @samp{$} (see @samp{X} packet for additional
38787 @cindex remote protocol, field separator
38788 Fields within the packet should be separated using @samp{,} @samp{;} or
38789 @samp{:}. Except where otherwise noted all numbers are represented in
38790 @sc{hex} with leading zeros suppressed.
38792 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0, the character
38793 @samp{:} could not appear as the third character in a packet (as it
38794 would potentially conflict with the @var{sequence-id}).
38796 @cindex remote protocol, binary data
38797 @anchor{Binary Data}
38798 Binary data in most packets is encoded either as two hexadecimal
38799 digits per byte of binary data. This allowed the traditional remote
38800 protocol to work over connections which were only seven-bit clean.
38801 Some packets designed more recently assume an eight-bit clean
38802 connection, and use a more efficient encoding to send and receive
38805 The binary data representation uses @code{7d} (@sc{ascii} @samp{@}})
38806 as an escape character. Any escaped byte is transmitted as the escape
38807 character followed by the original character XORed with @code{0x20}.
38808 For example, the byte @code{0x7d} would be transmitted as the two
38809 bytes @code{0x7d 0x5d}. The bytes @code{0x23} (@sc{ascii} @samp{#}),
38810 @code{0x24} (@sc{ascii} @samp{$}), and @code{0x7d} (@sc{ascii}
38811 @samp{@}}) must always be escaped. Responses sent by the stub
38812 must also escape @code{0x2a} (@sc{ascii} @samp{*}), so that it
38813 is not interpreted as the start of a run-length encoded sequence
38816 Response @var{data} can be run-length encoded to save space.
38817 Run-length encoding replaces runs of identical characters with one
38818 instance of the repeated character, followed by a @samp{*} and a
38819 repeat count. The repeat count is itself sent encoded, to avoid
38820 binary characters in @var{data}: a value of @var{n} is sent as
38821 @code{@var{n}+29}. For a repeat count greater or equal to 3, this
38822 produces a printable @sc{ascii} character, e.g.@: a space (@sc{ascii}
38823 code 32) for a repeat count of 3. (This is because run-length
38824 encoding starts to win for counts 3 or more.) Thus, for example,
38825 @samp{0* } is a run-length encoding of ``0000'': the space character
38826 after @samp{*} means repeat the leading @code{0} @w{@code{32 - 29 =
38829 The printable characters @samp{#} and @samp{$} or with a numeric value
38830 greater than 126 must not be used. Runs of six repeats (@samp{#}) or
38831 seven repeats (@samp{$}) can be expanded using a repeat count of only
38832 five (@samp{"}). For example, @samp{00000000} can be encoded as
38835 The error response returned for some packets includes a two character
38836 error number. That number is not well defined.
38838 @cindex empty response, for unsupported packets
38839 For any @var{command} not supported by the stub, an empty response
38840 (@samp{$#00}) should be returned. That way it is possible to extend the
38841 protocol. A newer @value{GDBN} can tell if a packet is supported based
38844 At a minimum, a stub is required to support the @samp{g} and @samp{G}
38845 commands for register access, and the @samp{m} and @samp{M} commands
38846 for memory access. Stubs that only control single-threaded targets
38847 can implement run control with the @samp{c} (continue), and @samp{s}
38848 (step) commands. Stubs that support multi-threading targets should
38849 support the @samp{vCont} command. All other commands are optional.
38854 The following table provides a complete list of all currently defined
38855 @var{command}s and their corresponding response @var{data}.
38856 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for details about the File
38857 I/O extension of the remote protocol.
38859 Each packet's description has a template showing the packet's overall
38860 syntax, followed by an explanation of the packet's meaning. We
38861 include spaces in some of the templates for clarity; these are not
38862 part of the packet's syntax. No @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to
38863 separate its components. For example, a template like @samp{foo
38864 @var{bar} @var{baz}} describes a packet beginning with the three ASCII
38865 bytes @samp{foo}, followed by a @var{bar}, followed directly by a
38866 @var{baz}. @value{GDBN} does not transmit a space character between the
38867 @samp{foo} and the @var{bar}, or between the @var{bar} and the
38870 @cindex @var{thread-id}, in remote protocol
38871 @anchor{thread-id syntax}
38872 Several packets and replies include a @var{thread-id} field to identify
38873 a thread. Normally these are positive numbers with a target-specific
38874 interpretation, formatted as big-endian hex strings. A @var{thread-id}
38875 can also be a literal @samp{-1} to indicate all threads, or @samp{0} to
38878 In addition, the remote protocol supports a multiprocess feature in
38879 which the @var{thread-id} syntax is extended to optionally include both
38880 process and thread ID fields, as @samp{p@var{pid}.@var{tid}}.
38881 The @var{pid} (process) and @var{tid} (thread) components each have the
38882 format described above: a positive number with target-specific
38883 interpretation formatted as a big-endian hex string, literal @samp{-1}
38884 to indicate all processes or threads (respectively), or @samp{0} to
38885 indicate an arbitrary process or thread. Specifying just a process, as
38886 @samp{p@var{pid}}, is equivalent to @samp{p@var{pid}.-1}. It is an
38887 error to specify all processes but a specific thread, such as
38888 @samp{p-1.@var{tid}}. Note that the @samp{p} prefix is @emph{not} used
38889 for those packets and replies explicitly documented to include a process
38890 ID, rather than a @var{thread-id}.
38892 The multiprocess @var{thread-id} syntax extensions are only used if both
38893 @value{GDBN} and the stub report support for the @samp{multiprocess}
38894 feature using @samp{qSupported}. @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for
38897 Note that all packet forms beginning with an upper- or lower-case
38898 letter, other than those described here, are reserved for future use.
38900 Here are the packet descriptions.
38905 @cindex @samp{!} packet
38906 @anchor{extended mode}
38907 Enable extended mode. In extended mode, the remote server is made
38908 persistent. The @samp{R} packet is used to restart the program being
38914 The remote target both supports and has enabled extended mode.
38918 @cindex @samp{?} packet
38920 Indicate the reason the target halted. The reply is the same as for
38921 step and continue. This packet has a special interpretation when the
38922 target is in non-stop mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}.
38925 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
38927 @item A @var{arglen},@var{argnum},@var{arg},@dots{}
38928 @cindex @samp{A} packet
38929 Initialized @code{argv[]} array passed into program. @var{arglen}
38930 specifies the number of bytes in the hex encoded byte stream
38931 @var{arg}. See @code{gdbserver} for more details.
38936 The arguments were set.
38942 @cindex @samp{b} packet
38943 (Don't use this packet; its behavior is not well-defined.)
38944 Change the serial line speed to @var{baud}.
38946 JTC: @emph{When does the transport layer state change? When it's
38947 received, or after the ACK is transmitted. In either case, there are
38948 problems if the command or the acknowledgment packet is dropped.}
38950 Stan: @emph{If people really wanted to add something like this, and get
38951 it working for the first time, they ought to modify ser-unix.c to send
38952 some kind of out-of-band message to a specially-setup stub and have the
38953 switch happen "in between" packets, so that from remote protocol's point
38954 of view, nothing actually happened.}
38956 @item B @var{addr},@var{mode}
38957 @cindex @samp{B} packet
38958 Set (@var{mode} is @samp{S}) or clear (@var{mode} is @samp{C}) a
38959 breakpoint at @var{addr}.
38961 Don't use this packet. Use the @samp{Z} and @samp{z} packets instead
38962 (@pxref{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}).
38964 @cindex @samp{bc} packet
38967 Backward continue. Execute the target system in reverse. No parameter.
38968 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
38971 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
38973 @cindex @samp{bs} packet
38976 Backward single step. Execute one instruction in reverse. No parameter.
38977 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
38980 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
38982 @item c @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
38983 @cindex @samp{c} packet
38984 Continue at @var{addr}, which is the address to resume. If @var{addr}
38985 is omitted, resume at current address.
38987 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
38991 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
38993 @item C @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
38994 @cindex @samp{C} packet
38995 Continue with signal @var{sig} (hex signal number). If
38996 @samp{;@var{addr}} is omitted, resume at same address.
38998 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
39002 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
39005 @cindex @samp{d} packet
39008 Don't use this packet; instead, define a general set packet
39009 (@pxref{General Query Packets}).
39013 @cindex @samp{D} packet
39014 The first form of the packet is used to detach @value{GDBN} from the
39015 remote system. It is sent to the remote target
39016 before @value{GDBN} disconnects via the @code{detach} command.
39018 The second form, including a process ID, is used when multiprocess
39019 protocol extensions are enabled (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}), to
39020 detach only a specific process. The @var{pid} is specified as a
39021 big-endian hex string.
39031 @item F @var{RC},@var{EE},@var{CF};@var{XX}
39032 @cindex @samp{F} packet
39033 A reply from @value{GDBN} to an @samp{F} packet sent by the target.
39034 This is part of the File-I/O protocol extension. @xref{File-I/O
39035 Remote Protocol Extension}, for the specification.
39038 @anchor{read registers packet}
39039 @cindex @samp{g} packet
39040 Read general registers.
39044 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
39045 Each byte of register data is described by two hex digits. The bytes
39046 with the register are transmitted in target byte order. The size of
39047 each register and their position within the @samp{g} packet are
39048 determined by the @value{GDBN} internal gdbarch functions
39049 @code{DEPRECATED_REGISTER_RAW_SIZE} and @code{gdbarch_register_name}.
39051 When reading registers from a trace frame (@pxref{Analyze Collected
39052 Data,,Using the Collected Data}), the stub may also return a string of
39053 literal @samp{x}'s in place of the register data digits, to indicate
39054 that the corresponding register has not been collected, thus its value
39055 is unavailable. For example, for an architecture with 4 registers of
39056 4 bytes each, the following reply indicates to @value{GDBN} that
39057 registers 0 and 2 have not been collected, while registers 1 and 3
39058 have been collected, and both have zero value:
39062 <- @code{xxxxxxxx00000000xxxxxxxx00000000}
39069 @item G @var{XX@dots{}}
39070 @cindex @samp{G} packet
39071 Write general registers. @xref{read registers packet}, for a
39072 description of the @var{XX@dots{}} data.
39082 @item H @var{op} @var{thread-id}
39083 @cindex @samp{H} packet
39084 Set thread for subsequent operations (@samp{m}, @samp{M}, @samp{g},
39085 @samp{G}, et.al.). Depending on the operation to be performed, @var{op}
39086 should be @samp{c} for step and continue operations (note that this
39087 is deprecated, supporting the @samp{vCont} command is a better
39088 option), and @samp{g} for other operations. The thread designator
39089 @var{thread-id} has the format and interpretation described in
39090 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
39101 @c 'H': How restrictive (or permissive) is the thread model. If a
39102 @c thread is selected and stopped, are other threads allowed
39103 @c to continue to execute? As I mentioned above, I think the
39104 @c semantics of each command when a thread is selected must be
39105 @c described. For example:
39107 @c 'g': If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
39108 @c selected, returns the register block from that thread;
39109 @c otherwise returns current registers.
39111 @c 'G' If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
39112 @c selected, sets the registers of the register block of
39113 @c that thread; otherwise sets current registers.
39115 @item i @r{[}@var{addr}@r{[},@var{nnn}@r{]]}
39116 @anchor{cycle step packet}
39117 @cindex @samp{i} packet
39118 Step the remote target by a single clock cycle. If @samp{,@var{nnn}} is
39119 present, cycle step @var{nnn} cycles. If @var{addr} is present, cycle
39120 step starting at that address.
39123 @cindex @samp{I} packet
39124 Signal, then cycle step. @xref{step with signal packet}. @xref{cycle
39128 @cindex @samp{k} packet
39131 The exact effect of this packet is not specified.
39133 For a bare-metal target, it may power cycle or reset the target
39134 system. For that reason, the @samp{k} packet has no reply.
39136 For a single-process target, it may kill that process if possible.
39138 A multiple-process target may choose to kill just one process, or all
39139 that are under @value{GDBN}'s control. For more precise control, use
39140 the vKill packet (@pxref{vKill packet}).
39142 If the target system immediately closes the connection in response to
39143 @samp{k}, @value{GDBN} does not consider the lack of packet
39144 acknowledgment to be an error, and assumes the kill was successful.
39146 If connected using @kbd{target extended-remote}, and the target does
39147 not close the connection in response to a kill request, @value{GDBN}
39148 probes the target state as if a new connection was opened
39149 (@pxref{? packet}).
39151 @item m @var{addr},@var{length}
39152 @cindex @samp{m} packet
39153 Read @var{length} addressable memory units starting at address @var{addr}
39154 (@pxref{addressable memory unit}). Note that @var{addr} may not be aligned to
39155 any particular boundary.
39157 The stub need not use any particular size or alignment when gathering
39158 data from memory for the response; even if @var{addr} is word-aligned
39159 and @var{length} is a multiple of the word size, the stub is free to
39160 use byte accesses, or not. For this reason, this packet may not be
39161 suitable for accessing memory-mapped I/O devices.
39162 @cindex alignment of remote memory accesses
39163 @cindex size of remote memory accesses
39164 @cindex memory, alignment and size of remote accesses
39168 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
39169 Memory contents; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit hexadecimal number.
39170 The reply may contain fewer addressable memory units than requested if the
39171 server was able to read only part of the region of memory.
39176 @item M @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
39177 @cindex @samp{M} packet
39178 Write @var{length} addressable memory units starting at address @var{addr}
39179 (@pxref{addressable memory unit}). The data is given by @var{XX@dots{}}; each
39180 byte is transmitted as a two-digit hexadecimal number.
39187 for an error (this includes the case where only part of the data was
39192 @cindex @samp{p} packet
39193 Read the value of register @var{n}; @var{n} is in hex.
39194 @xref{read registers packet}, for a description of how the returned
39195 register value is encoded.
39199 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
39200 the register's value
39204 Indicating an unrecognized @var{query}.
39207 @item P @var{n@dots{}}=@var{r@dots{}}
39208 @anchor{write register packet}
39209 @cindex @samp{P} packet
39210 Write register @var{n@dots{}} with value @var{r@dots{}}. The register
39211 number @var{n} is in hexadecimal, and @var{r@dots{}} contains two hex
39212 digits for each byte in the register (target byte order).
39222 @item q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
39223 @itemx Q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
39224 @cindex @samp{q} packet
39225 @cindex @samp{Q} packet
39226 General query (@samp{q}) and set (@samp{Q}). These packets are
39227 described fully in @ref{General Query Packets}.
39230 @cindex @samp{r} packet
39231 Reset the entire system.
39233 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{R} packet instead.
39236 @cindex @samp{R} packet
39237 Restart the program being debugged. The @var{XX}, while needed, is ignored.
39238 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
39240 The @samp{R} packet has no reply.
39242 @item s @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
39243 @cindex @samp{s} packet
39244 Single step, resuming at @var{addr}. If
39245 @var{addr} is omitted, resume at same address.
39247 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
39251 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
39253 @item S @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
39254 @anchor{step with signal packet}
39255 @cindex @samp{S} packet
39256 Step with signal. This is analogous to the @samp{C} packet, but
39257 requests a single-step, rather than a normal resumption of execution.
39259 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
39263 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
39265 @item t @var{addr}:@var{PP},@var{MM}
39266 @cindex @samp{t} packet
39267 Search backwards starting at address @var{addr} for a match with pattern
39268 @var{PP} and mask @var{MM}, both of which are are 4 byte long.
39269 There must be at least 3 digits in @var{addr}.
39271 @item T @var{thread-id}
39272 @cindex @samp{T} packet
39273 Find out if the thread @var{thread-id} is alive. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
39278 thread is still alive
39284 Packets starting with @samp{v} are identified by a multi-letter name,
39285 up to the first @samp{;} or @samp{?} (or the end of the packet).
39287 @item vAttach;@var{pid}
39288 @cindex @samp{vAttach} packet
39289 Attach to a new process with the specified process ID @var{pid}.
39290 The process ID is a
39291 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. In all-stop mode, all
39292 threads in the attached process are stopped; in non-stop mode, it may be
39293 attached without being stopped if that is supported by the target.
39295 @c In non-stop mode, on a successful vAttach, the stub should set the
39296 @c current thread to a thread of the newly-attached process. After
39297 @c attaching, GDB queries for the attached process's thread ID with qC.
39298 @c Also note that, from a user perspective, whether or not the
39299 @c target is stopped on attach in non-stop mode depends on whether you
39300 @c use the foreground or background version of the attach command, not
39301 @c on what vAttach does; GDB does the right thing with respect to either
39302 @c stopping or restarting threads.
39304 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
39310 @item @r{Any stop packet}
39311 for success in all-stop mode (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
39313 for success in non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop})
39316 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@r{[}:@var{thread-id}@r{]]}@dots{}
39317 @cindex @samp{vCont} packet
39318 @anchor{vCont packet}
39319 Resume the inferior, specifying different actions for each thread.
39321 For each inferior thread, the leftmost action with a matching
39322 @var{thread-id} is applied. Threads that don't match any action
39323 remain in their current state. Thread IDs are specified using the
39324 syntax described in @ref{thread-id syntax}. If multiprocess
39325 extensions (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}) are supported, actions
39326 can be specified to match all threads in a process by using the
39327 @samp{p@var{pid}.-1} form of the @var{thread-id}. An action with no
39328 @var{thread-id} matches all threads. Specifying no actions is an
39331 Currently supported actions are:
39337 Continue with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
39341 Step with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
39344 @item r @var{start},@var{end}
39345 Step once, and then keep stepping as long as the thread stops at
39346 addresses between @var{start} (inclusive) and @var{end} (exclusive).
39347 The remote stub reports a stop reply when either the thread goes out
39348 of the range or is stopped due to an unrelated reason, such as hitting
39349 a breakpoint. @xref{range stepping}.
39351 If the range is empty (@var{start} == @var{end}), then the action
39352 becomes equivalent to the @samp{s} action. In other words,
39353 single-step once, and report the stop (even if the stepped instruction
39354 jumps to @var{start}).
39356 (A stop reply may be sent at any point even if the PC is still within
39357 the stepping range; for example, it is valid to implement this packet
39358 in a degenerate way as a single instruction step operation.)
39362 The optional argument @var{addr} normally associated with the
39363 @samp{c}, @samp{C}, @samp{s}, and @samp{S} packets is
39364 not supported in @samp{vCont}.
39366 The @samp{t} action is only relevant in non-stop mode
39367 (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}) and may be ignored by the stub otherwise.
39368 A stop reply should be generated for any affected thread not already stopped.
39369 When a thread is stopped by means of a @samp{t} action,
39370 the corresponding stop reply should indicate that the thread has stopped with
39371 signal @samp{0}, regardless of whether the target uses some other signal
39372 as an implementation detail.
39374 The server must ignore @samp{c}, @samp{C}, @samp{s}, @samp{S}, and
39375 @samp{r} actions for threads that are already running. Conversely,
39376 the server must ignore @samp{t} actions for threads that are already
39379 @emph{Note:} In non-stop mode, a thread is considered running until
39380 @value{GDBN} acknowledges an asynchronous stop notification for it with
39381 the @samp{vStopped} packet (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}).
39383 The stub must support @samp{vCont} if it reports support for
39384 multiprocess extensions (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}).
39387 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
39390 @cindex @samp{vCont?} packet
39391 Request a list of actions supported by the @samp{vCont} packet.
39395 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@dots{}@r{]}
39396 The @samp{vCont} packet is supported. Each @var{action} is a supported
39397 command in the @samp{vCont} packet.
39399 The @samp{vCont} packet is not supported.
39402 @anchor{vCtrlC packet}
39404 @cindex @samp{vCtrlC} packet
39405 Interrupt remote target as if a control-C was pressed on the remote
39406 terminal. This is the equivalent to reacting to the @code{^C}
39407 (@samp{\003}, the control-C character) character in all-stop mode
39408 while the target is running, except this works in non-stop mode.
39409 @xref{interrupting remote targets}, for more info on the all-stop
39420 @item vFile:@var{operation}:@var{parameter}@dots{}
39421 @cindex @samp{vFile} packet
39422 Perform a file operation on the target system. For details,
39423 see @ref{Host I/O Packets}.
39425 @item vFlashErase:@var{addr},@var{length}
39426 @cindex @samp{vFlashErase} packet
39427 Direct the stub to erase @var{length} bytes of flash starting at
39428 @var{addr}. The region may enclose any number of flash blocks, but
39429 its start and end must fall on block boundaries, as indicated by the
39430 flash block size appearing in the memory map (@pxref{Memory Map
39431 Format}). @value{GDBN} groups flash memory programming operations
39432 together, and sends a @samp{vFlashDone} request after each group; the
39433 stub is allowed to delay erase operation until the @samp{vFlashDone}
39434 packet is received.
39444 @item vFlashWrite:@var{addr}:@var{XX@dots{}}
39445 @cindex @samp{vFlashWrite} packet
39446 Direct the stub to write data to flash address @var{addr}. The data
39447 is passed in binary form using the same encoding as for the @samp{X}
39448 packet (@pxref{Binary Data}). The memory ranges specified by
39449 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets preceding a @samp{vFlashDone} packet must
39450 not overlap, and must appear in order of increasing addresses
39451 (although @samp{vFlashErase} packets for higher addresses may already
39452 have been received; the ordering is guaranteed only between
39453 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets). If a packet writes to an address that was
39454 neither erased by a preceding @samp{vFlashErase} packet nor by some other
39455 target-specific method, the results are unpredictable.
39463 for vFlashWrite addressing non-flash memory
39469 @cindex @samp{vFlashDone} packet
39470 Indicate to the stub that flash programming operation is finished.
39471 The stub is permitted to delay or batch the effects of a group of
39472 @samp{vFlashErase} and @samp{vFlashWrite} packets until a
39473 @samp{vFlashDone} packet is received. The contents of the affected
39474 regions of flash memory are unpredictable until the @samp{vFlashDone}
39475 request is completed.
39477 @item vKill;@var{pid}
39478 @cindex @samp{vKill} packet
39479 @anchor{vKill packet}
39480 Kill the process with the specified process ID @var{pid}, which is a
39481 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. This packet is used in
39482 preference to @samp{k} when multiprocess protocol extensions are
39483 supported; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
39493 @item vMustReplyEmpty
39494 @cindex @samp{vMustReplyEmpty} packet
39495 The correct reply to an unknown @samp{v} packet is to return the empty
39496 string, however, some older versions of @command{gdbserver} would
39497 incorrectly return @samp{OK} for unknown @samp{v} packets.
39499 The @samp{vMustReplyEmpty} is used as a feature test to check how
39500 @command{gdbserver} handles unknown packets, it is important that this
39501 packet be handled in the same way as other unknown @samp{v} packets.
39502 If this packet is handled differently to other unknown @samp{v}
39503 packets then it is possible that @value{GDBN} may run into problems in
39504 other areas, specifically around use of @samp{vFile:setfs:}.
39506 @item vRun;@var{filename}@r{[};@var{argument}@r{]}@dots{}
39507 @cindex @samp{vRun} packet
39508 Run the program @var{filename}, passing it each @var{argument} on its
39509 command line. The file and arguments are hex-encoded strings. If
39510 @var{filename} is an empty string, the stub may use a default program
39511 (e.g.@: the last program run). The program is created in the stopped
39514 @c FIXME: What about non-stop mode?
39516 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
39522 @item @r{Any stop packet}
39523 for success (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
39527 @cindex @samp{vStopped} packet
39528 @xref{Notification Packets}.
39530 @item X @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
39532 @cindex @samp{X} packet
39533 Write data to memory, where the data is transmitted in binary.
39534 Memory is specified by its address @var{addr} and number of addressable memory
39535 units @var{length} (@pxref{addressable memory unit});
39536 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
39546 @item z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
39547 @itemx Z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
39548 @anchor{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}
39549 @cindex @samp{z} packet
39550 @cindex @samp{Z} packets
39551 Insert (@samp{Z}) or remove (@samp{z}) a @var{type} breakpoint or
39552 watchpoint starting at address @var{address} of kind @var{kind}.
39554 Each breakpoint and watchpoint packet @var{type} is documented
39557 @emph{Implementation notes: A remote target shall return an empty string
39558 for an unrecognized breakpoint or watchpoint packet @var{type}. A
39559 remote target shall support either both or neither of a given
39560 @samp{Z@var{type}@dots{}} and @samp{z@var{type}@dots{}} packet pair. To
39561 avoid potential problems with duplicate packets, the operations should
39562 be implemented in an idempotent way.}
39564 @item z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}
39565 @itemx Z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}@r{[};@var{cond_list}@dots{}@r{]}@r{[};cmds:@var{persist},@var{cmd_list}@dots{}@r{]}
39566 @cindex @samp{z0} packet
39567 @cindex @samp{Z0} packet
39568 Insert (@samp{Z0}) or remove (@samp{z0}) a software breakpoint at address
39569 @var{addr} of type @var{kind}.
39571 A software breakpoint is implemented by replacing the instruction at
39572 @var{addr} with a software breakpoint or trap instruction. The
39573 @var{kind} is target-specific and typically indicates the size of the
39574 breakpoint in bytes that should be inserted. E.g., the @sc{arm} and
39575 @sc{mips} can insert either a 2 or 4 byte breakpoint. Some
39576 architectures have additional meanings for @var{kind}
39577 (@pxref{Architecture-Specific Protocol Details}); if no
39578 architecture-specific value is being used, it should be @samp{0}.
39579 @var{kind} is hex-encoded. @var{cond_list} is an optional list of
39580 conditional expressions in bytecode form that should be evaluated on
39581 the target's side. These are the conditions that should be taken into
39582 consideration when deciding if the breakpoint trigger should be
39583 reported back to @value{GDBN}.
39585 See also the @samp{swbreak} stop reason (@pxref{swbreak stop reason})
39586 for how to best report a software breakpoint event to @value{GDBN}.
39588 The @var{cond_list} parameter is comprised of a series of expressions,
39589 concatenated without separators. Each expression has the following form:
39593 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
39594 @var{len} is the length of the bytecode expression and @var{expr} is the
39595 actual conditional expression in bytecode form.
39599 The optional @var{cmd_list} parameter introduces commands that may be
39600 run on the target, rather than being reported back to @value{GDBN}.
39601 The parameter starts with a numeric flag @var{persist}; if the flag is
39602 nonzero, then the breakpoint may remain active and the commands
39603 continue to be run even when @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target.
39604 Following this flag is a series of expressions concatenated with no
39605 separators. Each expression has the following form:
39609 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
39610 @var{len} is the length of the bytecode expression and @var{expr} is the
39611 actual commands expression in bytecode form.
39615 @emph{Implementation note: It is possible for a target to copy or move
39616 code that contains software breakpoints (e.g., when implementing
39617 overlays). The behavior of this packet, in the presence of such a
39618 target, is not defined.}
39630 @item z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}
39631 @itemx Z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}@r{[};@var{cond_list}@dots{}@r{]}@r{[};cmds:@var{persist},@var{cmd_list}@dots{}@r{]}
39632 @cindex @samp{z1} packet
39633 @cindex @samp{Z1} packet
39634 Insert (@samp{Z1}) or remove (@samp{z1}) a hardware breakpoint at
39635 address @var{addr}.
39637 A hardware breakpoint is implemented using a mechanism that is not
39638 dependent on being able to modify the target's memory. The
39639 @var{kind}, @var{cond_list}, and @var{cmd_list} arguments have the
39640 same meaning as in @samp{Z0} packets.
39642 @emph{Implementation note: A hardware breakpoint is not affected by code
39655 @item z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
39656 @itemx Z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
39657 @cindex @samp{z2} packet
39658 @cindex @samp{Z2} packet
39659 Insert (@samp{Z2}) or remove (@samp{z2}) a write watchpoint at @var{addr}.
39660 The number of bytes to watch is specified by @var{kind}.
39672 @item z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
39673 @itemx Z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
39674 @cindex @samp{z3} packet
39675 @cindex @samp{Z3} packet
39676 Insert (@samp{Z3}) or remove (@samp{z3}) a read watchpoint at @var{addr}.
39677 The number of bytes to watch is specified by @var{kind}.
39689 @item z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
39690 @itemx Z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
39691 @cindex @samp{z4} packet
39692 @cindex @samp{Z4} packet
39693 Insert (@samp{Z4}) or remove (@samp{z4}) an access watchpoint at @var{addr}.
39694 The number of bytes to watch is specified by @var{kind}.
39708 @node Stop Reply Packets
39709 @section Stop Reply Packets
39710 @cindex stop reply packets
39712 The @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}, @samp{s}, @samp{vCont},
39713 @samp{vAttach}, @samp{vRun}, @samp{vStopped}, and @samp{?} packets can
39714 receive any of the below as a reply. Except for @samp{?}
39715 and @samp{vStopped}, that reply is only returned
39716 when the target halts. In the below the exact meaning of @dfn{signal
39717 number} is defined by the header @file{include/gdb/signals.h} in the
39718 @value{GDBN} source code.
39720 In non-stop mode, the server will simply reply @samp{OK} to commands
39721 such as @samp{vCont}; any stop will be the subject of a future
39722 notification. @xref{Remote Non-Stop}.
39724 As in the description of request packets, we include spaces in the
39725 reply templates for clarity; these are not part of the reply packet's
39726 syntax. No @value{GDBN} stop reply packet uses spaces to separate its
39732 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
39733 number). This is equivalent to a @samp{T} response with no
39734 @var{n}:@var{r} pairs.
39736 @item T @var{AA} @var{n1}:@var{r1};@var{n2}:@var{r2};@dots{}
39737 @cindex @samp{T} packet reply
39738 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
39739 number). This is equivalent to an @samp{S} response, except that the
39740 @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pairs can carry values of important registers
39741 and other information directly in the stop reply packet, reducing
39742 round-trip latency. Single-step and breakpoint traps are reported
39743 this way. Each @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair is interpreted as follows:
39747 If @var{n} is a hexadecimal number, it is a register number, and the
39748 corresponding @var{r} gives that register's value. The data @var{r} is a
39749 series of bytes in target byte order, with each byte given by a
39750 two-digit hex number.
39753 If @var{n} is @samp{thread}, then @var{r} is the @var{thread-id} of
39754 the stopped thread, as specified in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
39757 If @var{n} is @samp{core}, then @var{r} is the hexadecimal number of
39758 the core on which the stop event was detected.
39761 If @var{n} is a recognized @dfn{stop reason}, it describes a more
39762 specific event that stopped the target. The currently defined stop
39763 reasons are listed below. The @var{aa} should be @samp{05}, the trap
39764 signal. At most one stop reason should be present.
39767 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} should ignore this @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair
39768 and go on to the next; this allows us to extend the protocol in the
39772 The currently defined stop reasons are:
39778 The packet indicates a watchpoint hit, and @var{r} is the data address, in
39781 @item syscall_entry
39782 @itemx syscall_return
39783 The packet indicates a syscall entry or return, and @var{r} is the
39784 syscall number, in hex.
39786 @cindex shared library events, remote reply
39788 The packet indicates that the loaded libraries have changed.
39789 @value{GDBN} should use @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} to fetch a new
39790 list of loaded libraries. The @var{r} part is ignored.
39792 @cindex replay log events, remote reply
39794 The packet indicates that the target cannot continue replaying
39795 logged execution events, because it has reached the end (or the
39796 beginning when executing backward) of the log. The value of @var{r}
39797 will be either @samp{begin} or @samp{end}. @xref{Reverse Execution},
39798 for more information.
39801 @anchor{swbreak stop reason}
39802 The packet indicates a software breakpoint instruction was executed,
39803 irrespective of whether it was @value{GDBN} that planted the
39804 breakpoint or the breakpoint is hardcoded in the program. The @var{r}
39805 part must be left empty.
39807 On some architectures, such as x86, at the architecture level, when a
39808 breakpoint instruction executes the program counter points at the
39809 breakpoint address plus an offset. On such targets, the stub is
39810 responsible for adjusting the PC to point back at the breakpoint
39813 This packet should not be sent by default; older @value{GDBN} versions
39814 did not support it. @value{GDBN} requests it, by supplying an
39815 appropriate @samp{qSupported} feature (@pxref{qSupported}). The
39816 remote stub must also supply the appropriate @samp{qSupported} feature
39817 indicating support.
39819 This packet is required for correct non-stop mode operation.
39822 The packet indicates the target stopped for a hardware breakpoint.
39823 The @var{r} part must be left empty.
39825 The same remarks about @samp{qSupported} and non-stop mode above
39828 @cindex fork events, remote reply
39830 The packet indicates that @code{fork} was called, and @var{r}
39831 is the thread ID of the new child process. Refer to
39832 @ref{thread-id syntax} for the format of the @var{thread-id}
39833 field. This packet is only applicable to targets that support
39836 This packet should not be sent by default; older @value{GDBN} versions
39837 did not support it. @value{GDBN} requests it, by supplying an
39838 appropriate @samp{qSupported} feature (@pxref{qSupported}). The
39839 remote stub must also supply the appropriate @samp{qSupported} feature
39840 indicating support.
39842 @cindex vfork events, remote reply
39844 The packet indicates that @code{vfork} was called, and @var{r}
39845 is the thread ID of the new child process. Refer to
39846 @ref{thread-id syntax} for the format of the @var{thread-id}
39847 field. This packet is only applicable to targets that support
39850 This packet should not be sent by default; older @value{GDBN} versions
39851 did not support it. @value{GDBN} requests it, by supplying an
39852 appropriate @samp{qSupported} feature (@pxref{qSupported}). The
39853 remote stub must also supply the appropriate @samp{qSupported} feature
39854 indicating support.
39856 @cindex vforkdone events, remote reply
39858 The packet indicates that a child process created by a vfork
39859 has either called @code{exec} or terminated, so that the
39860 address spaces of the parent and child process are no longer
39861 shared. The @var{r} part is ignored. This packet is only
39862 applicable to targets that support vforkdone events.
39864 This packet should not be sent by default; older @value{GDBN} versions
39865 did not support it. @value{GDBN} requests it, by supplying an
39866 appropriate @samp{qSupported} feature (@pxref{qSupported}). The
39867 remote stub must also supply the appropriate @samp{qSupported} feature
39868 indicating support.
39870 @cindex exec events, remote reply
39872 The packet indicates that @code{execve} was called, and @var{r}
39873 is the absolute pathname of the file that was executed, in hex.
39874 This packet is only applicable to targets that support exec events.
39876 This packet should not be sent by default; older @value{GDBN} versions
39877 did not support it. @value{GDBN} requests it, by supplying an
39878 appropriate @samp{qSupported} feature (@pxref{qSupported}). The
39879 remote stub must also supply the appropriate @samp{qSupported} feature
39880 indicating support.
39882 @cindex thread create event, remote reply
39883 @anchor{thread create event}
39885 The packet indicates that the thread was just created. The new thread
39886 is stopped until @value{GDBN} sets it running with a resumption packet
39887 (@pxref{vCont packet}). This packet should not be sent by default;
39888 @value{GDBN} requests it with the @ref{QThreadEvents} packet. See
39889 also the @samp{w} (@pxref{thread exit event}) remote reply below. The
39890 @var{r} part is ignored.
39895 @itemx W @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
39896 The process exited, and @var{AA} is the exit status. This is only
39897 applicable to certain targets.
39899 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the
39900 exited process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported
39901 support for multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess
39902 extensions}. Both @var{AA} and @var{pid} are formatted as big-endian
39906 @itemx X @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
39907 The process terminated with signal @var{AA}.
39909 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the
39910 terminated process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported
39911 support for multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess
39912 extensions}. Both @var{AA} and @var{pid} are formatted as big-endian
39915 @anchor{thread exit event}
39916 @cindex thread exit event, remote reply
39917 @item w @var{AA} ; @var{tid}
39919 The thread exited, and @var{AA} is the exit status. This response
39920 should not be sent by default; @value{GDBN} requests it with the
39921 @ref{QThreadEvents} packet. See also @ref{thread create event} above.
39922 @var{AA} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
39925 There are no resumed threads left in the target. In other words, even
39926 though the process is alive, the last resumed thread has exited. For
39927 example, say the target process has two threads: thread 1 and thread
39928 2. The client leaves thread 1 stopped, and resumes thread 2, which
39929 subsequently exits. At this point, even though the process is still
39930 alive, and thus no @samp{W} stop reply is sent, no thread is actually
39931 executing either. The @samp{N} stop reply thus informs the client
39932 that it can stop waiting for stop replies. This packet should not be
39933 sent by default; older @value{GDBN} versions did not support it.
39934 @value{GDBN} requests it, by supplying an appropriate
39935 @samp{qSupported} feature (@pxref{qSupported}). The remote stub must
39936 also supply the appropriate @samp{qSupported} feature indicating
39939 @item O @var{XX}@dots{}
39940 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data, to be
39941 written as the program's console output. This can happen at any time
39942 while the program is running and the debugger should continue to wait
39943 for @samp{W}, @samp{T}, etc. This reply is not permitted in non-stop mode.
39945 @item F @var{call-id},@var{parameter}@dots{}
39946 @var{call-id} is the identifier which says which host system call should
39947 be called. This is just the name of the function. Translation into the
39948 correct system call is only applicable as it's defined in @value{GDBN}.
39949 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for a list of implemented
39952 @samp{@var{parameter}@dots{}} is a list of parameters as defined for
39953 this very system call.
39955 The target replies with this packet when it expects @value{GDBN} to
39956 call a host system call on behalf of the target. @value{GDBN} replies
39957 with an appropriate @samp{F} packet and keeps up waiting for the next
39958 reply packet from the target. The latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
39959 or @samp{s} action is expected to be continued. @xref{File-I/O Remote
39960 Protocol Extension}, for more details.
39964 @node General Query Packets
39965 @section General Query Packets
39966 @cindex remote query requests
39968 Packets starting with @samp{q} are @dfn{general query packets};
39969 packets starting with @samp{Q} are @dfn{general set packets}. General
39970 query and set packets are a semi-unified form for retrieving and
39971 sending information to and from the stub.
39973 The initial letter of a query or set packet is followed by a name
39974 indicating what sort of thing the packet applies to. For example,
39975 @value{GDBN} may use a @samp{qSymbol} packet to exchange symbol
39976 definitions with the stub. These packet names follow some
39981 The name must not contain commas, colons or semicolons.
39983 Most @value{GDBN} query and set packets have a leading upper case
39986 The names of custom vendor packets should use a company prefix, in
39987 lower case, followed by a period. For example, packets designed at
39988 the Acme Corporation might begin with @samp{qacme.foo} (for querying
39989 foos) or @samp{Qacme.bar} (for setting bars).
39992 The name of a query or set packet should be separated from any
39993 parameters by a @samp{:}; the parameters themselves should be
39994 separated by @samp{,} or @samp{;}. Stubs must be careful to match the
39995 full packet name, and check for a separator or the end of the packet,
39996 in case two packet names share a common prefix. New packets should not begin
39997 with @samp{qC}, @samp{qP}, or @samp{qL}@footnote{The @samp{qP} and @samp{qL}
39998 packets predate these conventions, and have arguments without any terminator
39999 for the packet name; we suspect they are in widespread use in places that
40000 are difficult to upgrade. The @samp{qC} packet has no arguments, but some
40001 existing stubs (e.g.@: RedBoot) are known to not check for the end of the
40004 Like the descriptions of the other packets, each description here
40005 has a template showing the packet's overall syntax, followed by an
40006 explanation of the packet's meaning. We include spaces in some of the
40007 templates for clarity; these are not part of the packet's syntax. No
40008 @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to separate its components.
40010 Here are the currently defined query and set packets:
40016 Turn on or off the agent as a helper to perform some debugging operations
40017 delegated from @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Control Agent}).
40019 @item QAllow:@var{op}:@var{val}@dots{}
40020 @cindex @samp{QAllow} packet
40021 Specify which operations @value{GDBN} expects to request of the
40022 target, as a semicolon-separated list of operation name and value
40023 pairs. Possible values for @var{op} include @samp{WriteReg},
40024 @samp{WriteMem}, @samp{InsertBreak}, @samp{InsertTrace},
40025 @samp{InsertFastTrace}, and @samp{Stop}. @var{val} is either 0,
40026 indicating that @value{GDBN} will not request the operation, or 1,
40027 indicating that it may. (The target can then use this to set up its
40028 own internals optimally, for instance if the debugger never expects to
40029 insert breakpoints, it may not need to install its own trap handler.)
40032 @cindex current thread, remote request
40033 @cindex @samp{qC} packet
40034 Return the current thread ID.
40038 @item QC @var{thread-id}
40039 Where @var{thread-id} is a thread ID as documented in
40040 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
40041 @item @r{(anything else)}
40042 Any other reply implies the old thread ID.
40045 @item qCRC:@var{addr},@var{length}
40046 @cindex CRC of memory block, remote request
40047 @cindex @samp{qCRC} packet
40048 @anchor{qCRC packet}
40049 Compute the CRC checksum of a block of memory using CRC-32 defined in
40050 IEEE 802.3. The CRC is computed byte at a time, taking the most
40051 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern code
40052 @code{0xffffffff} is used to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC.
40054 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC used in validating separate debug
40055 files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files, , Debugging Information in Separate
40056 Files}). However the algorithm is slightly different. When validating
40057 separate debug files, the CRC is computed taking the @emph{least}
40058 significant bit of each byte first, and the final result is inverted to
40059 detect trailing zeros.
40064 An error (such as memory fault)
40065 @item C @var{crc32}
40066 The specified memory region's checksum is @var{crc32}.
40069 @item QDisableRandomization:@var{value}
40070 @cindex disable address space randomization, remote request
40071 @cindex @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet
40072 Some target operating systems will randomize the virtual address space
40073 of the inferior process as a security feature, but provide a feature
40074 to disable such randomization, e.g.@: to allow for a more deterministic
40075 debugging experience. On such systems, this packet with a @var{value}
40076 of 1 directs the target to disable address space randomization for
40077 processes subsequently started via @samp{vRun} packets, while a packet
40078 with a @var{value} of 0 tells the target to enable address space
40081 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
40086 The request succeeded.
40089 An error occurred. The error number @var{nn} is given as hex digits.
40092 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QDisableRandomization} is not supported
40096 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40097 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40098 This should only be done on targets that actually support disabling
40099 address space randomization.
40101 @item QStartupWithShell:@var{value}
40102 @cindex startup with shell, remote request
40103 @cindex @samp{QStartupWithShell} packet
40104 On UNIX-like targets, it is possible to start the inferior using a
40105 shell program. This is the default behavior on both @value{GDBN} and
40106 @command{gdbserver} (@pxref{set startup-with-shell}). This packet is
40107 used to inform @command{gdbserver} whether it should start the
40108 inferior using a shell or not.
40110 If @var{value} is @samp{0}, @command{gdbserver} will not use a shell
40111 to start the inferior. If @var{value} is @samp{1},
40112 @command{gdbserver} will use a shell to start the inferior. All other
40113 values are considered an error.
40115 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended
40121 The request succeeded.
40124 An error occurred. The error number @var{nn} is given as hex digits.
40127 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40128 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
40129 (@pxref{qSupported}). This should only be done on targets that
40130 actually support starting the inferior using a shell.
40132 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set startup-with-shell}
40133 command; @pxref{set startup-with-shell}.
40135 @item QEnvironmentHexEncoded:@var{hex-value}
40136 @anchor{QEnvironmentHexEncoded}
40137 @cindex set environment variable, remote request
40138 @cindex @samp{QEnvironmentHexEncoded} packet
40139 On UNIX-like targets, it is possible to set environment variables that
40140 will be passed to the inferior during the startup process. This
40141 packet is used to inform @command{gdbserver} of an environment
40142 variable that has been defined by the user on @value{GDBN} (@pxref{set
40145 The packet is composed by @var{hex-value}, an hex encoded
40146 representation of the @var{name=value} format representing an
40147 environment variable. The name of the environment variable is
40148 represented by @var{name}, and the value to be assigned to the
40149 environment variable is represented by @var{value}. If the variable
40150 has no value (i.e., the value is @code{null}), then @var{value} will
40153 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended
40159 The request succeeded.
40162 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40163 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
40164 (@pxref{qSupported}). This should only be done on targets that
40165 actually support passing environment variables to the starting
40168 This packet is related to the @code{set environment} command;
40169 @pxref{set environment}.
40171 @item QEnvironmentUnset:@var{hex-value}
40172 @anchor{QEnvironmentUnset}
40173 @cindex unset environment variable, remote request
40174 @cindex @samp{QEnvironmentUnset} packet
40175 On UNIX-like targets, it is possible to unset environment variables
40176 before starting the inferior in the remote target. This packet is
40177 used to inform @command{gdbserver} of an environment variable that has
40178 been unset by the user on @value{GDBN} (@pxref{unset environment}).
40180 The packet is composed by @var{hex-value}, an hex encoded
40181 representation of the name of the environment variable to be unset.
40183 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended
40189 The request succeeded.
40192 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40193 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
40194 (@pxref{qSupported}). This should only be done on targets that
40195 actually support passing environment variables to the starting
40198 This packet is related to the @code{unset environment} command;
40199 @pxref{unset environment}.
40201 @item QEnvironmentReset
40202 @anchor{QEnvironmentReset}
40203 @cindex reset environment, remote request
40204 @cindex @samp{QEnvironmentReset} packet
40205 On UNIX-like targets, this packet is used to reset the state of
40206 environment variables in the remote target before starting the
40207 inferior. In this context, reset means unsetting all environment
40208 variables that were previously set by the user (i.e., were not
40209 initially present in the environment). It is sent to
40210 @command{gdbserver} before the @samp{QEnvironmentHexEncoded}
40211 (@pxref{QEnvironmentHexEncoded}) and the @samp{QEnvironmentUnset}
40212 (@pxref{QEnvironmentUnset}) packets.
40214 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended
40220 The request succeeded.
40223 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40224 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
40225 (@pxref{qSupported}). This should only be done on targets that
40226 actually support passing environment variables to the starting
40229 @item QSetWorkingDir:@r{[}@var{directory}@r{]}
40230 @anchor{QSetWorkingDir packet}
40231 @cindex set working directory, remote request
40232 @cindex @samp{QSetWorkingDir} packet
40233 This packet is used to inform the remote server of the intended
40234 current working directory for programs that are going to be executed.
40236 The packet is composed by @var{directory}, an hex encoded
40237 representation of the directory that the remote inferior will use as
40238 its current working directory. If @var{directory} is an empty string,
40239 the remote server should reset the inferior's current working
40240 directory to its original, empty value.
40242 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended
40248 The request succeeded.
40252 @itemx qsThreadInfo
40253 @cindex list active threads, remote request
40254 @cindex @samp{qfThreadInfo} packet
40255 @cindex @samp{qsThreadInfo} packet
40256 Obtain a list of all active thread IDs from the target (OS). Since there
40257 may be too many active threads to fit into one reply packet, this query
40258 works iteratively: it may require more than one query/reply sequence to
40259 obtain the entire list of threads. The first query of the sequence will
40260 be the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query; subsequent queries in the
40261 sequence will be the @samp{qsThreadInfo} query.
40263 NOTE: This packet replaces the @samp{qL} query (see below).
40267 @item m @var{thread-id}
40269 @item m @var{thread-id},@var{thread-id}@dots{}
40270 a comma-separated list of thread IDs
40272 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
40275 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
40276 more thread IDs, separated by commas.
40277 @value{GDBN} will respond to each reply with a request for more thread
40278 ids (using the @samp{qs} form of the query), until the target responds
40279 with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for @dfn{last}).
40280 Refer to @ref{thread-id syntax}, for the format of the @var{thread-id}
40283 @emph{Note: @value{GDBN} will send the @code{qfThreadInfo} query during the
40284 initial connection with the remote target, and the very first thread ID
40285 mentioned in the reply will be stopped by @value{GDBN} in a subsequent
40286 message. Therefore, the stub should ensure that the first thread ID in
40287 the @code{qfThreadInfo} reply is suitable for being stopped by @value{GDBN}.}
40289 @item qGetTLSAddr:@var{thread-id},@var{offset},@var{lm}
40290 @cindex get thread-local storage address, remote request
40291 @cindex @samp{qGetTLSAddr} packet
40292 Fetch the address associated with thread local storage specified
40293 by @var{thread-id}, @var{offset}, and @var{lm}.
40295 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the
40296 thread for which to fetch the TLS address. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
40298 @var{offset} is the (big endian, hex encoded) offset associated with the
40299 thread local variable. (This offset is obtained from the debug
40300 information associated with the variable.)
40302 @var{lm} is the (big endian, hex encoded) OS/ABI-specific encoding of the
40303 load module associated with the thread local storage. For example,
40304 a @sc{gnu}/Linux system will pass the link map address of the shared
40305 object associated with the thread local storage under consideration.
40306 Other operating environments may choose to represent the load module
40307 differently, so the precise meaning of this parameter will vary.
40311 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
40312 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the address of the thread
40313 local storage requested.
40316 An error occurred. The error number @var{nn} is given as hex digits.
40319 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTLSAddr} is not supported by the stub.
40322 @item qGetTIBAddr:@var{thread-id}
40323 @cindex get thread information block address
40324 @cindex @samp{qGetTIBAddr} packet
40325 Fetch address of the Windows OS specific Thread Information Block.
40327 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the thread.
40331 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
40332 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the linear address of the
40333 thread information block.
40336 An error occured. This means that either the thread was not found, or the
40337 address could not be retrieved.
40340 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTIBAddr} is not supported by the stub.
40343 @item qL @var{startflag} @var{threadcount} @var{nextthread}
40344 Obtain thread information from RTOS. Where: @var{startflag} (one hex
40345 digit) is one to indicate the first query and zero to indicate a
40346 subsequent query; @var{threadcount} (two hex digits) is the maximum
40347 number of threads the response packet can contain; and @var{nextthread}
40348 (eight hex digits), for subsequent queries (@var{startflag} is zero), is
40349 returned in the response as @var{argthread}.
40351 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query instead (see above).
40355 @item qM @var{count} @var{done} @var{argthread} @var{thread}@dots{}
40356 Where: @var{count} (two hex digits) is the number of threads being
40357 returned; @var{done} (one hex digit) is zero to indicate more threads
40358 and one indicates no further threads; @var{argthreadid} (eight hex
40359 digits) is @var{nextthread} from the request packet; @var{thread}@dots{}
40360 is a sequence of thread IDs, @var{threadid} (eight hex
40361 digits), from the target. See @code{remote.c:parse_threadlist_response()}.
40365 @cindex section offsets, remote request
40366 @cindex @samp{qOffsets} packet
40367 Get section offsets that the target used when relocating the downloaded
40372 @item Text=@var{xxx};Data=@var{yyy}@r{[};Bss=@var{zzz}@r{]}
40373 Relocate the @code{Text} section by @var{xxx} from its original address.
40374 Relocate the @code{Data} section by @var{yyy} from its original address.
40375 If the object file format provides segment information (e.g.@: @sc{elf}
40376 @samp{PT_LOAD} program headers), @value{GDBN} will relocate entire
40377 segments by the supplied offsets.
40379 @emph{Note: while a @code{Bss} offset may be included in the response,
40380 @value{GDBN} ignores this and instead applies the @code{Data} offset
40381 to the @code{Bss} section.}
40383 @item TextSeg=@var{xxx}@r{[};DataSeg=@var{yyy}@r{]}
40384 Relocate the first segment of the object file, which conventionally
40385 contains program code, to a starting address of @var{xxx}. If
40386 @samp{DataSeg} is specified, relocate the second segment, which
40387 conventionally contains modifiable data, to a starting address of
40388 @var{yyy}. @value{GDBN} will report an error if the object file
40389 does not contain segment information, or does not contain at least
40390 as many segments as mentioned in the reply. Extra segments are
40391 kept at fixed offsets relative to the last relocated segment.
40394 @item qP @var{mode} @var{thread-id}
40395 @cindex thread information, remote request
40396 @cindex @samp{qP} packet
40397 Returns information on @var{thread-id}. Where: @var{mode} is a hex
40398 encoded 32 bit mode; @var{thread-id} is a thread ID
40399 (@pxref{thread-id syntax}).
40401 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} query instead
40404 Reply: see @code{remote.c:remote_unpack_thread_info_response()}.
40408 @cindex non-stop mode, remote request
40409 @cindex @samp{QNonStop} packet
40411 Enter non-stop (@samp{QNonStop:1}) or all-stop (@samp{QNonStop:0}) mode.
40412 @xref{Remote Non-Stop}, for more information.
40417 The request succeeded.
40420 An error occurred. The error number @var{nn} is given as hex digits.
40423 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QNonStop} is not supported by
40427 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40428 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40429 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set non-stop} command;
40430 @pxref{Non-Stop Mode}.
40432 @item QCatchSyscalls:1 @r{[};@var{sysno}@r{]}@dots{}
40433 @itemx QCatchSyscalls:0
40434 @cindex catch syscalls from inferior, remote request
40435 @cindex @samp{QCatchSyscalls} packet
40436 @anchor{QCatchSyscalls}
40437 Enable (@samp{QCatchSyscalls:1}) or disable (@samp{QCatchSyscalls:0})
40438 catching syscalls from the inferior process.
40440 For @samp{QCatchSyscalls:1}, each listed syscall @var{sysno} (encoded
40441 in hex) should be reported to @value{GDBN}. If no syscall @var{sysno}
40442 is listed, every system call should be reported.
40444 Note that if a syscall not in the list is reported, @value{GDBN} will
40445 still filter the event according to its own list from all corresponding
40446 @code{catch syscall} commands. However, it is more efficient to only
40447 report the requested syscalls.
40449 Multiple @samp{QCatchSyscalls:1} packets do not combine; any earlier
40450 @samp{QCatchSyscalls:1} list is completely replaced by the new list.
40452 If the inferior process execs, the state of @samp{QCatchSyscalls} is
40453 kept for the new process too. On targets where exec may affect syscall
40454 numbers, for example with exec between 32 and 64-bit processes, the
40455 client should send a new packet with the new syscall list.
40460 The request succeeded.
40463 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
40466 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QCatchSyscalls} is not supported by
40470 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote catch-syscalls}
40471 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote catch-syscalls}).
40472 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40473 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40475 @item QPassSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
40476 @cindex pass signals to inferior, remote request
40477 @cindex @samp{QPassSignals} packet
40478 @anchor{QPassSignals}
40479 Each listed @var{signal} should be passed directly to the inferior process.
40480 Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
40481 (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
40482 strictly greater than the previous item. These signals do not need to stop
40483 the inferior, or be reported to @value{GDBN}. All other signals should be
40484 reported to @value{GDBN}. Multiple @samp{QPassSignals} packets do not
40485 combine; any earlier @samp{QPassSignals} list is completely replaced by the
40486 new list. This packet improves performance when using @samp{handle
40487 @var{signal} nostop noprint pass}.
40492 The request succeeded.
40495 An error occurred. The error number @var{nn} is given as hex digits.
40498 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QPassSignals} is not supported by
40502 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote pass-signals}
40503 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote pass-signals}).
40504 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40505 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40507 @item QProgramSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
40508 @cindex signals the inferior may see, remote request
40509 @cindex @samp{QProgramSignals} packet
40510 @anchor{QProgramSignals}
40511 Each listed @var{signal} may be delivered to the inferior process.
40512 Others should be silently discarded.
40514 In some cases, the remote stub may need to decide whether to deliver a
40515 signal to the program or not without @value{GDBN} involvement. One
40516 example of that is while detaching --- the program's threads may have
40517 stopped for signals that haven't yet had a chance of being reported to
40518 @value{GDBN}, and so the remote stub can use the signal list specified
40519 by this packet to know whether to deliver or ignore those pending
40522 This does not influence whether to deliver a signal as requested by a
40523 resumption packet (@pxref{vCont packet}).
40525 Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
40526 (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
40527 strictly greater than the previous item. Multiple
40528 @samp{QProgramSignals} packets do not combine; any earlier
40529 @samp{QProgramSignals} list is completely replaced by the new list.
40534 The request succeeded.
40537 An error occurred. The error number @var{nn} is given as hex digits.
40540 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QProgramSignals} is not supported
40544 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote program-signals}
40545 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote program-signals}).
40546 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40547 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40549 @anchor{QThreadEvents}
40550 @item QThreadEvents:1
40551 @itemx QThreadEvents:0
40552 @cindex thread create/exit events, remote request
40553 @cindex @samp{QThreadEvents} packet
40555 Enable (@samp{QThreadEvents:1}) or disable (@samp{QThreadEvents:0})
40556 reporting of thread create and exit events. @xref{thread create
40557 event}, for the reply specifications. For example, this is used in
40558 non-stop mode when @value{GDBN} stops a set of threads and
40559 synchronously waits for the their corresponding stop replies. Without
40560 exit events, if one of the threads exits, @value{GDBN} would hang
40561 forever not knowing that it should no longer expect a stop for that
40562 same thread. @value{GDBN} does not enable this feature unless the
40563 stub reports that it supports it by including @samp{QThreadEvents+} in
40564 its @samp{qSupported} reply.
40569 The request succeeded.
40572 An error occurred. The error number @var{nn} is given as hex digits.
40575 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QThreadEvents} is not supported by
40579 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote thread-events}
40580 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote thread-events}).
40582 @item qRcmd,@var{command}
40583 @cindex execute remote command, remote request
40584 @cindex @samp{qRcmd} packet
40585 @var{command} (hex encoded) is passed to the local interpreter for
40586 execution. Invalid commands should be reported using the output
40587 string. Before the final result packet, the target may also respond
40588 with a number of intermediate @samp{O@var{output}} console output
40589 packets. @emph{Implementors should note that providing access to a
40590 stubs's interpreter may have security implications}.
40595 A command response with no output.
40597 A command response with the hex encoded output string @var{OUTPUT}.
40599 Indicate a badly formed request.
40601 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qRcmd} is not recognized.
40604 (Note that the @code{qRcmd} packet's name is separated from the
40605 command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
40606 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
40609 @item qSearch:memory:@var{address};@var{length};@var{search-pattern}
40610 @cindex searching memory, in remote debugging
40612 @cindex @samp{qSearch:memory} packet
40614 @cindex @samp{qSearch memory} packet
40615 @anchor{qSearch memory}
40616 Search @var{length} bytes at @var{address} for @var{search-pattern}.
40617 Both @var{address} and @var{length} are encoded in hex;
40618 @var{search-pattern} is a sequence of bytes, also hex encoded.
40623 The pattern was not found.
40625 The pattern was found at @var{address}.
40627 A badly formed request or an error was encountered while searching memory.
40629 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSearch:memory} is not recognized.
40632 @item QStartNoAckMode
40633 @cindex @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet
40634 @anchor{QStartNoAckMode}
40635 Request that the remote stub disable the normal @samp{+}/@samp{-}
40636 protocol acknowledgments (@pxref{Packet Acknowledgment}).
40641 The stub has switched to no-acknowledgment mode.
40642 @value{GDBN} acknowledges this response,
40643 but neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or expect further
40644 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments in the current connection.
40646 An empty reply indicates that the stub does not support no-acknowledgment mode.
40649 @item qSupported @r{[}:@var{gdbfeature} @r{[};@var{gdbfeature}@r{]}@dots{} @r{]}
40650 @cindex supported packets, remote query
40651 @cindex features of the remote protocol
40652 @cindex @samp{qSupported} packet
40653 @anchor{qSupported}
40654 Tell the remote stub about features supported by @value{GDBN}, and
40655 query the stub for features it supports. This packet allows
40656 @value{GDBN} and the remote stub to take advantage of each others'
40657 features. @samp{qSupported} also consolidates multiple feature probes
40658 at startup, to improve @value{GDBN} performance---a single larger
40659 packet performs better than multiple smaller probe packets on
40660 high-latency links. Some features may enable behavior which must not
40661 be on by default, e.g.@: because it would confuse older clients or
40662 stubs. Other features may describe packets which could be
40663 automatically probed for, but are not. These features must be
40664 reported before @value{GDBN} will use them. This ``default
40665 unsupported'' behavior is not appropriate for all packets, but it
40666 helps to keep the initial connection time under control with new
40667 versions of @value{GDBN} which support increasing numbers of packets.
40671 @item @var{stubfeature} @r{[};@var{stubfeature}@r{]}@dots{}
40672 The stub supports or does not support each returned @var{stubfeature},
40673 depending on the form of each @var{stubfeature} (see below for the
40676 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSupported} is not recognized,
40677 or that no features needed to be reported to @value{GDBN}.
40680 The allowed forms for each feature (either a @var{gdbfeature} in the
40681 @samp{qSupported} packet, or a @var{stubfeature} in the response)
40685 @item @var{name}=@var{value}
40686 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and associated
40687 with the specified @var{value}. The format of @var{value} depends
40688 on the feature, but it must not include a semicolon.
40690 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and does not
40691 need an associated value.
40693 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is not supported.
40695 The remote protocol feature @var{name} may be supported, and
40696 @value{GDBN} should auto-detect support in some other way when it is
40697 needed. This form will not be used for @var{gdbfeature} notifications,
40698 but may be used for @var{stubfeature} responses.
40701 Whenever the stub receives a @samp{qSupported} request, the
40702 supplied set of @value{GDBN} features should override any previous
40703 request. This allows @value{GDBN} to put the stub in a known
40704 state, even if the stub had previously been communicating with
40705 a different version of @value{GDBN}.
40707 The following values of @var{gdbfeature} (for the packet sent by @value{GDBN})
40712 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports multiprocess
40713 extensions to the remote protocol. @value{GDBN} does not use such
40714 extensions unless the stub also reports that it supports them by
40715 including @samp{multiprocess+} in its @samp{qSupported} reply.
40716 @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for details.
40719 This feature indicates that @value{GDBN} supports the XML target
40720 description. If the stub sees @samp{xmlRegisters=} with target
40721 specific strings separated by a comma, it will report register
40725 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports the
40726 @samp{qRelocInsn} packet (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
40727 instruction reply packet}).
40730 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports the swbreak stop
40731 reason in stop replies. @xref{swbreak stop reason}, for details.
40734 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports the hwbreak stop
40735 reason in stop replies. @xref{swbreak stop reason}, for details.
40738 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports fork event
40739 extensions to the remote protocol. @value{GDBN} does not use such
40740 extensions unless the stub also reports that it supports them by
40741 including @samp{fork-events+} in its @samp{qSupported} reply.
40744 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports vfork event
40745 extensions to the remote protocol. @value{GDBN} does not use such
40746 extensions unless the stub also reports that it supports them by
40747 including @samp{vfork-events+} in its @samp{qSupported} reply.
40750 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports exec event
40751 extensions to the remote protocol. @value{GDBN} does not use such
40752 extensions unless the stub also reports that it supports them by
40753 including @samp{exec-events+} in its @samp{qSupported} reply.
40755 @item vContSupported
40756 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} wants to know the
40757 supported actions in the reply to @samp{vCont?} packet.
40760 Stubs should ignore any unknown values for
40761 @var{gdbfeature}. Any @value{GDBN} which sends a @samp{qSupported}
40762 packet supports receiving packets of unlimited length (earlier
40763 versions of @value{GDBN} may reject overly long responses). Additional values
40764 for @var{gdbfeature} may be defined in the future to let the stub take
40765 advantage of new features in @value{GDBN}, e.g.@: incompatible
40766 improvements in the remote protocol---the @samp{multiprocess} feature is
40767 an example of such a feature. The stub's reply should be independent
40768 of the @var{gdbfeature} entries sent by @value{GDBN}; first @value{GDBN}
40769 describes all the features it supports, and then the stub replies with
40770 all the features it supports.
40772 Similarly, @value{GDBN} will silently ignore unrecognized stub feature
40773 responses, as long as each response uses one of the standard forms.
40775 Some features are flags. A stub which supports a flag feature
40776 should respond with a @samp{+} form response. Other features
40777 require values, and the stub should respond with an @samp{=}
40780 Each feature has a default value, which @value{GDBN} will use if
40781 @samp{qSupported} is not available or if the feature is not mentioned
40782 in the @samp{qSupported} response. The default values are fixed; a
40783 stub is free to omit any feature responses that match the defaults.
40785 Not all features can be probed, but for those which can, the probing
40786 mechanism is useful: in some cases, a stub's internal
40787 architecture may not allow the protocol layer to know some information
40788 about the underlying target in advance. This is especially common in
40789 stubs which may be configured for multiple targets.
40791 These are the currently defined stub features and their properties:
40793 @multitable @columnfractions 0.35 0.2 0.12 0.2
40794 @c NOTE: The first row should be @headitem, but we do not yet require
40795 @c a new enough version of Texinfo (4.7) to use @headitem.
40797 @tab Value Required
40801 @item @samp{PacketSize}
40806 @item @samp{qXfer:auxv:read}
40811 @item @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
40816 @item @samp{qXfer:btrace-conf:read}
40821 @item @samp{qXfer:exec-file:read}
40826 @item @samp{qXfer:features:read}
40831 @item @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
40836 @item @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read}
40841 @item @samp{augmented-libraries-svr4-read}
40846 @item @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
40851 @item @samp{qXfer:sdata:read}
40856 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read}
40861 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write}
40866 @item @samp{qXfer:threads:read}
40871 @item @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
40876 @item @samp{qXfer:uib:read}
40881 @item @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
40886 @item @samp{Qbtrace:off}
40891 @item @samp{Qbtrace:bts}
40896 @item @samp{Qbtrace:pt}
40901 @item @samp{Qbtrace-conf:bts:size}
40906 @item @samp{Qbtrace-conf:pt:size}
40911 @item @samp{QNonStop}
40916 @item @samp{QCatchSyscalls}
40921 @item @samp{QPassSignals}
40926 @item @samp{QStartNoAckMode}
40931 @item @samp{multiprocess}
40936 @item @samp{ConditionalBreakpoints}
40941 @item @samp{ConditionalTracepoints}
40946 @item @samp{ReverseContinue}
40951 @item @samp{ReverseStep}
40956 @item @samp{TracepointSource}
40961 @item @samp{QAgent}
40966 @item @samp{QAllow}
40971 @item @samp{QDisableRandomization}
40976 @item @samp{EnableDisableTracepoints}
40981 @item @samp{QTBuffer:size}
40986 @item @samp{tracenz}
40991 @item @samp{BreakpointCommands}
40996 @item @samp{swbreak}
41001 @item @samp{hwbreak}
41006 @item @samp{fork-events}
41011 @item @samp{vfork-events}
41016 @item @samp{exec-events}
41021 @item @samp{QThreadEvents}
41026 @item @samp{no-resumed}
41033 These are the currently defined stub features, in more detail:
41036 @cindex packet size, remote protocol
41037 @item PacketSize=@var{bytes}
41038 The remote stub can accept packets up to at least @var{bytes} in
41039 length. @value{GDBN} will send packets up to this size for bulk
41040 transfers, and will never send larger packets. This is a limit on the
41041 data characters in the packet, including the frame and checksum.
41042 There is no trailing NUL byte in a remote protocol packet; if the stub
41043 stores packets in a NUL-terminated format, it should allow an extra
41044 byte in its buffer for the NUL. If this stub feature is not supported,
41045 @value{GDBN} guesses based on the size of the @samp{g} packet response.
41047 @item qXfer:auxv:read
41048 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet
41049 (@pxref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}).
41051 @item qXfer:btrace:read
41052 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
41053 packet (@pxref{qXfer btrace read}).
41055 @item qXfer:btrace-conf:read
41056 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:btrace-conf:read}
41057 packet (@pxref{qXfer btrace-conf read}).
41059 @item qXfer:exec-file:read
41060 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:exec-file:read} packet
41061 (@pxref{qXfer executable filename read}).
41063 @item qXfer:features:read
41064 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:features:read} packet
41065 (@pxref{qXfer target description read}).
41067 @item qXfer:libraries:read
41068 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet
41069 (@pxref{qXfer library list read}).
41071 @item qXfer:libraries-svr4:read
41072 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet
41073 (@pxref{qXfer svr4 library list read}).
41075 @item augmented-libraries-svr4-read
41076 The remote stub understands the augmented form of the
41077 @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet
41078 (@pxref{qXfer svr4 library list read}).
41080 @item qXfer:memory-map:read
41081 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read} packet
41082 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}).
41084 @item qXfer:sdata:read
41085 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:sdata:read} packet
41086 (@pxref{qXfer sdata read}).
41088 @item qXfer:siginfo:read
41089 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read} packet
41090 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo read}).
41092 @item qXfer:siginfo:write
41093 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write} packet
41094 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo write}).
41096 @item qXfer:threads:read
41097 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
41098 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}).
41100 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read
41101 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
41102 packet (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}).
41104 @item qXfer:uib:read
41105 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:uib:read}
41106 packet (@pxref{qXfer unwind info block}).
41108 @item qXfer:fdpic:read
41109 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
41110 packet (@pxref{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}).
41113 The remote stub understands the @samp{QNonStop} packet
41114 (@pxref{QNonStop}).
41116 @item QCatchSyscalls
41117 The remote stub understands the @samp{QCatchSyscalls} packet
41118 (@pxref{QCatchSyscalls}).
41121 The remote stub understands the @samp{QPassSignals} packet
41122 (@pxref{QPassSignals}).
41124 @item QStartNoAckMode
41125 The remote stub understands the @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet and
41126 prefers to operate in no-acknowledgment mode. @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}.
41129 @anchor{multiprocess extensions}
41130 @cindex multiprocess extensions, in remote protocol
41131 The remote stub understands the multiprocess extensions to the remote
41132 protocol syntax. The multiprocess extensions affect the syntax of
41133 thread IDs in both packets and replies (@pxref{thread-id syntax}), and
41134 add process IDs to the @samp{D} packet and @samp{W} and @samp{X}
41135 replies. Note that reporting this feature indicates support for the
41136 syntactic extensions only, not that the stub necessarily supports
41137 debugging of more than one process at a time. The stub must not use
41138 multiprocess extensions in packet replies unless @value{GDBN} has also
41139 indicated it supports them in its @samp{qSupported} request.
41141 @item qXfer:osdata:read
41142 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet
41143 ((@pxref{qXfer osdata read}).
41145 @item ConditionalBreakpoints
41146 The target accepts and implements evaluation of conditional expressions
41147 defined for breakpoints. The target will only report breakpoint triggers
41148 when such conditions are true (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
41150 @item ConditionalTracepoints
41151 The remote stub accepts and implements conditional expressions defined
41152 for tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoint Conditions}).
41154 @item ReverseContinue
41155 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse continue packet
41159 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse step packet
41162 @item TracepointSource
41163 The remote stub understands the @samp{QTDPsrc} packet that supplies
41164 the source form of tracepoint definitions.
41167 The remote stub understands the @samp{QAgent} packet.
41170 The remote stub understands the @samp{QAllow} packet.
41172 @item QDisableRandomization
41173 The remote stub understands the @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet.
41175 @item StaticTracepoint
41176 @cindex static tracepoints, in remote protocol
41177 The remote stub supports static tracepoints.
41179 @item InstallInTrace
41180 @anchor{install tracepoint in tracing}
41181 The remote stub supports installing tracepoint in tracing.
41183 @item EnableDisableTracepoints
41184 The remote stub supports the @samp{QTEnable} (@pxref{QTEnable}) and
41185 @samp{QTDisable} (@pxref{QTDisable}) packets that allow tracepoints
41186 to be enabled and disabled while a trace experiment is running.
41188 @item QTBuffer:size
41189 The remote stub supports the @samp{QTBuffer:size} (@pxref{QTBuffer-size})
41190 packet that allows to change the size of the trace buffer.
41193 @cindex string tracing, in remote protocol
41194 The remote stub supports the @samp{tracenz} bytecode for collecting strings.
41195 See @ref{Bytecode Descriptions} for details about the bytecode.
41197 @item BreakpointCommands
41198 @cindex breakpoint commands, in remote protocol
41199 The remote stub supports running a breakpoint's command list itself,
41200 rather than reporting the hit to @value{GDBN}.
41203 The remote stub understands the @samp{Qbtrace:off} packet.
41206 The remote stub understands the @samp{Qbtrace:bts} packet.
41209 The remote stub understands the @samp{Qbtrace:pt} packet.
41211 @item Qbtrace-conf:bts:size
41212 The remote stub understands the @samp{Qbtrace-conf:bts:size} packet.
41214 @item Qbtrace-conf:pt:size
41215 The remote stub understands the @samp{Qbtrace-conf:pt:size} packet.
41218 The remote stub reports the @samp{swbreak} stop reason for memory
41222 The remote stub reports the @samp{hwbreak} stop reason for hardware
41226 The remote stub reports the @samp{fork} stop reason for fork events.
41229 The remote stub reports the @samp{vfork} stop reason for vfork events
41230 and vforkdone events.
41233 The remote stub reports the @samp{exec} stop reason for exec events.
41235 @item vContSupported
41236 The remote stub reports the supported actions in the reply to
41237 @samp{vCont?} packet.
41239 @item QThreadEvents
41240 The remote stub understands the @samp{QThreadEvents} packet.
41243 The remote stub reports the @samp{N} stop reply.
41248 @cindex symbol lookup, remote request
41249 @cindex @samp{qSymbol} packet
41250 Notify the target that @value{GDBN} is prepared to serve symbol lookup
41251 requests. Accept requests from the target for the values of symbols.
41256 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
41257 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
41258 The target requests the value of symbol @var{sym_name} (hex encoded).
41259 @value{GDBN} may provide the value by using the
41260 @samp{qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}} message, described
41264 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}
41265 Set the value of @var{sym_name} to @var{sym_value}.
41267 @var{sym_name} (hex encoded) is the name of a symbol whose value the
41268 target has previously requested.
41270 @var{sym_value} (hex) is the value for symbol @var{sym_name}. If
41271 @value{GDBN} cannot supply a value for @var{sym_name}, then this field
41277 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
41278 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
41279 The target requests the value of a new symbol @var{sym_name} (hex
41280 encoded). @value{GDBN} will continue to supply the values of symbols
41281 (if available), until the target ceases to request them.
41286 @itemx QTDisconnected
41293 @itemx qTMinFTPILen
41295 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
41297 @item qThreadExtraInfo,@var{thread-id}
41298 @cindex thread attributes info, remote request
41299 @cindex @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} packet
41300 Obtain from the target OS a printable string description of thread
41301 attributes for the thread @var{thread-id}; see @ref{thread-id syntax},
41302 for the forms of @var{thread-id}. This
41303 string may contain anything that the target OS thinks is interesting
41304 for @value{GDBN} to tell the user about the thread. The string is
41305 displayed in @value{GDBN}'s @code{info threads} display. Some
41306 examples of possible thread extra info strings are @samp{Runnable}, or
41307 @samp{Blocked on Mutex}.
41311 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
41312 Where @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is a hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data,
41313 comprising the printable string containing the extra information about
41314 the thread's attributes.
41317 (Note that the @code{qThreadExtraInfo} packet's name is separated from
41318 the command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
41319 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
41338 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
41340 @item qXfer:@var{object}:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
41341 @cindex read special object, remote request
41342 @cindex @samp{qXfer} packet
41343 @anchor{qXfer read}
41344 Read uninterpreted bytes from the target's special data area
41345 identified by the keyword @var{object}. Request @var{length} bytes
41346 starting at @var{offset} bytes into the data. The content and
41347 encoding of @var{annex} is specific to @var{object}; it can supply
41348 additional details about what data to access.
41353 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the
41354 target. There may be more data at a higher address (although
41355 it is permitted to return @samp{m} even for the last valid
41356 block of data, as long as at least one byte of data was read).
41357 It is possible for @var{data} to have fewer bytes than the @var{length} in the
41361 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the target.
41362 There is no more data to be read. It is possible for @var{data} to
41363 have fewer bytes than the @var{length} in the request.
41366 The @var{offset} in the request is at the end of the data.
41367 There is no more data to be read.
41370 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
41373 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered reading the data.
41374 The @var{nn} part is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
41377 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not recognized by
41378 the stub, or that the object does not support reading.
41381 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All the
41382 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:read:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
41383 formats, listed above.
41386 @item qXfer:auxv:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
41387 @anchor{qXfer auxiliary vector read}
41388 Access the target's @dfn{auxiliary vector}. @xref{OS Information,
41389 auxiliary vector}. Note @var{annex} must be empty.
41391 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
41392 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
41394 @item qXfer:btrace:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
41395 @anchor{qXfer btrace read}
41397 Return a description of the current branch trace.
41398 @xref{Branch Trace Format}. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer}
41399 packet may have one of the following values:
41403 Returns all available branch trace.
41406 Returns all available branch trace if the branch trace changed since
41407 the last read request.
41410 Returns the new branch trace since the last read request. Adds a new
41411 block to the end of the trace that begins at zero and ends at the source
41412 location of the first branch in the trace buffer. This extra block is
41413 used to stitch traces together.
41415 If the trace buffer overflowed, returns an error indicating the overflow.
41418 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it
41419 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
41421 @item qXfer:btrace-conf:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
41422 @anchor{qXfer btrace-conf read}
41424 Return a description of the current branch trace configuration.
41425 @xref{Branch Trace Configuration Format}.
41427 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it
41428 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
41430 @item qXfer:exec-file:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
41431 @anchor{qXfer executable filename read}
41432 Return the full absolute name of the file that was executed to create
41433 a process running on the remote system. The annex specifies the
41434 numeric process ID of the process to query, encoded as a hexadecimal
41435 number. If the annex part is empty the remote stub should return the
41436 filename corresponding to the currently executing process.
41438 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
41439 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
41441 @item qXfer:features:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
41442 @anchor{qXfer target description read}
41443 Access the @dfn{target description}. @xref{Target Descriptions}. The
41444 annex specifies which XML document to access. The main description is
41445 always loaded from the @samp{target.xml} annex.
41447 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
41448 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
41450 @item qXfer:libraries:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
41451 @anchor{qXfer library list read}
41452 Access the target's list of loaded libraries. @xref{Library List Format}.
41453 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
41454 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
41456 Targets which maintain a list of libraries in the program's memory do
41457 not need to implement this packet; it is designed for platforms where
41458 the operating system manages the list of loaded libraries.
41460 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
41461 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
41463 @item qXfer:libraries-svr4:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
41464 @anchor{qXfer svr4 library list read}
41465 Access the target's list of loaded libraries when the target is an SVR4
41466 platform. @xref{Library List Format for SVR4 Targets}. The annex part
41467 of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty unless the remote
41468 stub indicated it supports the augmented form of this packet
41469 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
41470 (@pxref{qXfer read}, @ref{qSupported}).
41472 This packet is optional for better performance on SVR4 targets.
41473 @value{GDBN} uses memory read packets to read the SVR4 library list otherwise.
41475 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
41476 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
41478 If the remote stub indicates it supports the augmented form of this
41479 packet then the annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet may
41480 contain a semicolon-separated list of @samp{@var{name}=@var{value}}
41481 arguments. The currently supported arguments are:
41484 @item start=@var{address}
41485 A hexadecimal number specifying the address of the @samp{struct
41486 link_map} to start reading the library list from. If unset or zero
41487 then the first @samp{struct link_map} in the library list will be
41488 chosen as the starting point.
41490 @item prev=@var{address}
41491 A hexadecimal number specifying the address of the @samp{struct
41492 link_map} immediately preceding the @samp{struct link_map}
41493 specified by the @samp{start} argument. If unset or zero then
41494 the remote stub will expect that no @samp{struct link_map}
41495 exists prior to the starting point.
41499 Arguments that are not understood by the remote stub will be silently
41502 @item qXfer:memory-map:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
41503 @anchor{qXfer memory map read}
41504 Access the target's @dfn{memory-map}. @xref{Memory Map Format}. The
41505 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
41506 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
41508 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
41509 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
41511 @item qXfer:sdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
41512 @anchor{qXfer sdata read}
41514 Read contents of the extra collected static tracepoint marker
41515 information. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must
41516 be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}). @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint
41519 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
41520 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
41521 (@pxref{qSupported}).
41523 @item qXfer:siginfo:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
41524 @anchor{qXfer siginfo read}
41525 Read contents of the extra signal information on the target
41526 system. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
41527 empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
41529 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
41530 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
41531 (@pxref{qSupported}).
41533 @item qXfer:threads:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
41534 @anchor{qXfer threads read}
41535 Access the list of threads on target. @xref{Thread List Format}. The
41536 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
41537 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
41539 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
41540 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
41542 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
41543 @anchor{qXfer traceframe info read}
41545 Return a description of the current traceframe's contents.
41546 @xref{Traceframe Info Format}. The annex part of the generic
41547 @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
41549 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
41550 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
41552 @item qXfer:uib:read:@var{pc}:@var{offset},@var{length}
41553 @anchor{qXfer unwind info block}
41555 Return the unwind information block for @var{pc}. This packet is used
41556 on OpenVMS/ia64 to ask the kernel unwind information.
41558 This packet is not probed by default.
41560 @item qXfer:fdpic:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
41561 @anchor{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}
41562 Read contents of @code{loadmap}s on the target system. The
41563 annex, either @samp{exec} or @samp{interp}, specifies which @code{loadmap},
41564 executable @code{loadmap} or interpreter @code{loadmap} to read.
41566 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
41567 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
41569 @item qXfer:osdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
41570 @anchor{qXfer osdata read}
41571 Access the target's @dfn{operating system information}.
41572 @xref{Operating System Information}.
41576 @item qXfer:@var{object}:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
41577 @cindex write data into object, remote request
41578 @anchor{qXfer write}
41579 Write uninterpreted bytes into the target's special data area
41580 identified by the keyword @var{object}, starting at @var{offset} bytes
41581 into the data. The binary-encoded data (@pxref{Binary Data}) to be
41582 written is given by @var{data}@dots{}. The content and encoding of @var{annex}
41583 is specific to @var{object}; it can supply additional details about what data
41589 @var{nn} (hex encoded) is the number of bytes written.
41590 This may be fewer bytes than supplied in the request.
41593 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
41596 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered writing the data.
41597 The @var{nn} part is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
41600 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not
41601 recognized by the stub, or that the object does not support writing.
41604 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All the
41605 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:write:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
41606 formats, listed above.
41609 @item qXfer:siginfo:write::@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
41610 @anchor{qXfer siginfo write}
41611 Write @var{data} to the extra signal information on the target system.
41612 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
41613 empty (@pxref{qXfer write}).
41615 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
41616 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
41617 (@pxref{qSupported}).
41620 @item qXfer:@var{object}:@var{operation}:@dots{}
41621 Requests of this form may be added in the future. When a stub does
41622 not recognize the @var{object} keyword, or its support for
41623 @var{object} does not recognize the @var{operation} keyword, the stub
41624 must respond with an empty packet.
41626 @item qAttached:@var{pid}
41627 @cindex query attached, remote request
41628 @cindex @samp{qAttached} packet
41629 Return an indication of whether the remote server attached to an
41630 existing process or created a new process. When the multiprocess
41631 protocol extensions are supported (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}),
41632 @var{pid} is an integer in hexadecimal format identifying the target
41633 process. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} will omit the @var{pid} field and
41634 the query packet will be simplified as @samp{qAttached}.
41636 This query is used, for example, to know whether the remote process
41637 should be detached or killed when a @value{GDBN} session is ended with
41638 the @code{quit} command.
41643 The remote server attached to an existing process.
41645 The remote server created a new process.
41647 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
41651 Enable branch tracing for the current thread using Branch Trace Store.
41656 Branch tracing has been enabled.
41658 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
41662 Enable branch tracing for the current thread using Intel Processor Trace.
41667 Branch tracing has been enabled.
41669 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
41673 Disable branch tracing for the current thread.
41678 Branch tracing has been disabled.
41680 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
41683 @item Qbtrace-conf:bts:size=@var{value}
41684 Set the requested ring buffer size for new threads that use the
41685 btrace recording method in bts format.
41690 The ring buffer size has been set.
41692 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
41695 @item Qbtrace-conf:pt:size=@var{value}
41696 Set the requested ring buffer size for new threads that use the
41697 btrace recording method in pt format.
41702 The ring buffer size has been set.
41704 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
41709 @node Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
41710 @section Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
41712 This section describes how the remote protocol is applied to specific
41713 target architectures. Also see @ref{Standard Target Features}, for
41714 details of XML target descriptions for each architecture.
41717 * ARM-Specific Protocol Details::
41718 * MIPS-Specific Protocol Details::
41721 @node ARM-Specific Protocol Details
41722 @subsection @acronym{ARM}-specific Protocol Details
41725 * ARM Breakpoint Kinds::
41728 @node ARM Breakpoint Kinds
41729 @subsubsection @acronym{ARM} Breakpoint Kinds
41730 @cindex breakpoint kinds, @acronym{ARM}
41732 These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
41737 16-bit Thumb mode breakpoint.
41740 32-bit Thumb mode (Thumb-2) breakpoint.
41743 32-bit @acronym{ARM} mode breakpoint.
41747 @node MIPS-Specific Protocol Details
41748 @subsection @acronym{MIPS}-specific Protocol Details
41751 * MIPS Register packet Format::
41752 * MIPS Breakpoint Kinds::
41755 @node MIPS Register packet Format
41756 @subsubsection @acronym{MIPS} Register Packet Format
41757 @cindex register packet format, @acronym{MIPS}
41759 The following @code{g}/@code{G} packets have previously been defined.
41760 In the below, some thirty-two bit registers are transferred as
41761 sixty-four bits. Those registers should be zero/sign extended (which?)
41762 to fill the space allocated. Register bytes are transferred in target
41763 byte order. The two nibbles within a register byte are transferred
41764 most-significant -- least-significant.
41769 All registers are transferred as thirty-two bit quantities in the order:
41770 32 general-purpose; sr; lo; hi; bad; cause; pc; 32 floating-point
41771 registers; fsr; fir; fp.
41774 All registers are transferred as sixty-four bit quantities (including
41775 thirty-two bit registers such as @code{sr}). The ordering is the same
41780 @node MIPS Breakpoint Kinds
41781 @subsubsection @acronym{MIPS} Breakpoint Kinds
41782 @cindex breakpoint kinds, @acronym{MIPS}
41784 These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
41789 16-bit @acronym{MIPS16} mode breakpoint.
41792 16-bit @acronym{microMIPS} mode breakpoint.
41795 32-bit standard @acronym{MIPS} mode breakpoint.
41798 32-bit @acronym{microMIPS} mode breakpoint.
41802 @node Tracepoint Packets
41803 @section Tracepoint Packets
41804 @cindex tracepoint packets
41805 @cindex packets, tracepoint
41807 Here we describe the packets @value{GDBN} uses to implement
41808 tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
41812 @item QTDP:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{ena}:@var{step}:@var{pass}[:F@var{flen}][:X@var{len},@var{bytes}]@r{[}-@r{]}
41813 @cindex @samp{QTDP} packet
41814 Create a new tracepoint, number @var{n}, at @var{addr}. If @var{ena}
41815 is @samp{E}, then the tracepoint is enabled; if it is @samp{D}, then
41816 the tracepoint is disabled. The @var{step} gives the tracepoint's step
41817 count, and @var{pass} gives its pass count. If an @samp{F} is present,
41818 then the tracepoint is to be a fast tracepoint, and the @var{flen} is
41819 the number of bytes that the target should copy elsewhere to make room
41820 for the tracepoint. If an @samp{X} is present, it introduces a
41821 tracepoint condition, which consists of a hexadecimal length, followed
41822 by a comma and hex-encoded bytes, in a manner similar to action
41823 encodings as described below. If the trailing @samp{-} is present,
41824 further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow to specify this tracepoint's
41830 The packet was understood and carried out.
41832 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
41834 The packet was not recognized.
41837 @item QTDP:-@var{n}:@var{addr}:@r{[}S@r{]}@var{action}@dots{}@r{[}-@r{]}
41838 Define actions to be taken when a tracepoint is hit. The @var{n} and
41839 @var{addr} must be the same as in the initial @samp{QTDP} packet for
41840 this tracepoint. This packet may only be sent immediately after
41841 another @samp{QTDP} packet that ended with a @samp{-}. If the
41842 trailing @samp{-} is present, further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow,
41843 specifying more actions for this tracepoint.
41845 In the series of action packets for a given tracepoint, at most one
41846 can have an @samp{S} before its first @var{action}. If such a packet
41847 is sent, it and the following packets define ``while-stepping''
41848 actions. Any prior packets define ordinary actions --- that is, those
41849 taken when the tracepoint is first hit. If no action packet has an
41850 @samp{S}, then all the packets in the series specify ordinary
41851 tracepoint actions.
41853 The @samp{@var{action}@dots{}} portion of the packet is a series of
41854 actions, concatenated without separators. Each action has one of the
41860 Collect the registers whose bits are set in @var{mask},
41861 a hexadecimal number whose @var{i}'th bit is set if register number
41862 @var{i} should be collected. (The least significant bit is numbered
41863 zero.) Note that @var{mask} may be any number of digits long; it may
41864 not fit in a 32-bit word.
41866 @item M @var{basereg},@var{offset},@var{len}
41867 Collect @var{len} bytes of memory starting at the address in register
41868 number @var{basereg}, plus @var{offset}. If @var{basereg} is
41869 @samp{-1}, then the range has a fixed address: @var{offset} is the
41870 address of the lowest byte to collect. The @var{basereg},
41871 @var{offset}, and @var{len} parameters are all unsigned hexadecimal
41872 values (the @samp{-1} value for @var{basereg} is a special case).
41874 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
41875 Evaluate @var{expr}, whose length is @var{len}, and collect memory as
41876 it directs. The agent expression @var{expr} is as described in
41877 @ref{Agent Expressions}. Each byte of the expression is encoded as a
41878 two-digit hex number in the packet; @var{len} is the number of bytes
41879 in the expression (and thus one-half the number of hex digits in the
41884 Any number of actions may be packed together in a single @samp{QTDP}
41885 packet, as long as the packet does not exceed the maximum packet
41886 length (400 bytes, for many stubs). There may be only one @samp{R}
41887 action per tracepoint, and it must precede any @samp{M} or @samp{X}
41888 actions. Any registers referred to by @samp{M} and @samp{X} actions
41889 must be collected by a preceding @samp{R} action. (The
41890 ``while-stepping'' actions are treated as if they were attached to a
41891 separate tracepoint, as far as these restrictions are concerned.)
41896 The packet was understood and carried out.
41898 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
41900 The packet was not recognized.
41903 @item QTDPsrc:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{type}:@var{start}:@var{slen}:@var{bytes}
41904 @cindex @samp{QTDPsrc} packet
41905 Specify a source string of tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr}.
41906 This is useful to get accurate reproduction of the tracepoints
41907 originally downloaded at the beginning of the trace run. The @var{type}
41908 is the name of the tracepoint part, such as @samp{cond} for the
41909 tracepoint's conditional expression (see below for a list of types), while
41910 @var{bytes} is the string, encoded in hexadecimal.
41912 @var{start} is the offset of the @var{bytes} within the overall source
41913 string, while @var{slen} is the total length of the source string.
41914 This is intended for handling source strings that are longer than will
41915 fit in a single packet.
41916 @c Add detailed example when this info is moved into a dedicated
41917 @c tracepoint descriptions section.
41919 The available string types are @samp{at} for the location,
41920 @samp{cond} for the conditional, and @samp{cmd} for an action command.
41921 @value{GDBN} sends a separate packet for each command in the action
41922 list, in the same order in which the commands are stored in the list.
41924 The target does not need to do anything with source strings except
41925 report them back as part of the replies to the @samp{qTfP}/@samp{qTsP}
41928 Although this packet is optional, and @value{GDBN} will only send it
41929 if the target replies with @samp{TracepointSource} @xref{General
41930 Query Packets}, it makes both disconnected tracing and trace files
41931 much easier to use. Otherwise the user must be careful that the
41932 tracepoints in effect while looking at trace frames are identical to
41933 the ones in effect during the trace run; even a small discrepancy
41934 could cause @samp{tdump} not to work, or a particular trace frame not
41937 @item QTDV:@var{n}:@var{value}:@var{builtin}:@var{name}
41938 @cindex define trace state variable, remote request
41939 @cindex @samp{QTDV} packet
41940 Create a new trace state variable, number @var{n}, with an initial
41941 value of @var{value}, which is a 64-bit signed integer. Both @var{n}
41942 and @var{value} are encoded as hexadecimal values. @value{GDBN} has
41943 the option of not using this packet for initial values of zero; the
41944 target should simply create the trace state variables as they are
41945 mentioned in expressions. The value @var{builtin} should be 1 (one)
41946 if the trace state variable is builtin and 0 (zero) if it is not builtin.
41947 @value{GDBN} only sets @var{builtin} to 1 if a previous @samp{qTfV} or
41948 @samp{qTsV} packet had it set. The contents of @var{name} is the
41949 hex-encoded name (without the leading @samp{$}) of the trace state
41952 @item QTFrame:@var{n}
41953 @cindex @samp{QTFrame} packet
41954 Select the @var{n}'th tracepoint frame from the buffer, and use the
41955 register and memory contents recorded there to answer subsequent
41956 request packets from @value{GDBN}.
41958 A successful reply from the stub indicates that the stub has found the
41959 requested frame. The response is a series of parts, concatenated
41960 without separators, describing the frame we selected. Each part has
41961 one of the following forms:
41965 The selected frame is number @var{n} in the trace frame buffer;
41966 @var{f} is a hexadecimal number. If @var{f} is @samp{-1}, then there
41967 was no frame matching the criteria in the request packet.
41970 The selected trace frame records a hit of tracepoint number @var{t};
41971 @var{t} is a hexadecimal number.
41975 @item QTFrame:pc:@var{addr}
41976 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
41977 currently selected frame whose PC is @var{addr};
41978 @var{addr} is a hexadecimal number.
41980 @item QTFrame:tdp:@var{t}
41981 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
41982 currently selected frame that is a hit of tracepoint @var{t}; @var{t}
41983 is a hexadecimal number.
41985 @item QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}
41986 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
41987 currently selected frame whose PC is between @var{start} (inclusive)
41988 and @var{end} (inclusive); @var{start} and @var{end} are hexadecimal
41991 @item QTFrame:outside:@var{start}:@var{end}
41992 Like @samp{QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}}, but select the first
41993 frame @emph{outside} the given range of addresses (exclusive).
41996 @cindex @samp{qTMinFTPILen} packet
41997 This packet requests the minimum length of instruction at which a fast
41998 tracepoint (@pxref{Set Tracepoints}) may be placed. For instance, on
41999 the 32-bit x86 architecture, it is possible to use a 4-byte jump, but
42000 it depends on the target system being able to create trampolines in
42001 the first 64K of memory, which might or might not be possible for that
42002 system. So the reply to this packet will be 4 if it is able to
42009 The minimum instruction length is currently unknown.
42011 The minimum instruction length is @var{length}, where @var{length}
42012 is a hexadecimal number greater or equal to 1. A reply
42013 of 1 means that a fast tracepoint may be placed on any instruction
42014 regardless of size.
42016 An error has occurred.
42018 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the stub.
42022 @cindex @samp{QTStart} packet
42023 Begin the tracepoint experiment. Begin collecting data from
42024 tracepoint hits in the trace frame buffer. This packet supports the
42025 @samp{qRelocInsn} reply (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
42026 instruction reply packet}).
42029 @cindex @samp{QTStop} packet
42030 End the tracepoint experiment. Stop collecting trace frames.
42032 @item QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
42034 @cindex @samp{QTEnable} packet
42035 Enable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
42036 experiment. If the tracepoint was previously disabled, then collection
42037 of data from it will resume.
42039 @item QTDisable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
42041 @cindex @samp{QTDisable} packet
42042 Disable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
42043 experiment. No more data will be collected from the tracepoint unless
42044 @samp{QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}} is subsequently issued.
42047 @cindex @samp{QTinit} packet
42048 Clear the table of tracepoints, and empty the trace frame buffer.
42050 @item QTro:@var{start1},@var{end1}:@var{start2},@var{end2}:@dots{}
42051 @cindex @samp{QTro} packet
42052 Establish the given ranges of memory as ``transparent''. The stub
42053 will answer requests for these ranges from memory's current contents,
42054 if they were not collected as part of the tracepoint hit.
42056 @value{GDBN} uses this to mark read-only regions of memory, like those
42057 containing program code. Since these areas never change, they should
42058 still have the same contents they did when the tracepoint was hit, so
42059 there's no reason for the stub to refuse to provide their contents.
42061 @item QTDisconnected:@var{value}
42062 @cindex @samp{QTDisconnected} packet
42063 Set the choice to what to do with the tracing run when @value{GDBN}
42064 disconnects from the target. A @var{value} of 1 directs the target to
42065 continue the tracing run, while 0 tells the target to stop tracing if
42066 @value{GDBN} is no longer in the picture.
42069 @cindex @samp{qTStatus} packet
42070 Ask the stub if there is a trace experiment running right now.
42072 The reply has the form:
42076 @item T@var{running}@r{[};@var{field}@r{]}@dots{}
42077 @var{running} is a single digit @code{1} if the trace is presently
42078 running, or @code{0} if not. It is followed by semicolon-separated
42079 optional fields that an agent may use to report additional status.
42083 If the trace is not running, the agent may report any of several
42084 explanations as one of the optional fields:
42089 No trace has been run yet.
42091 @item tstop[:@var{text}]:0
42092 The trace was stopped by a user-originated stop command. The optional
42093 @var{text} field is a user-supplied string supplied as part of the
42094 stop command (for instance, an explanation of why the trace was
42095 stopped manually). It is hex-encoded.
42098 The trace stopped because the trace buffer filled up.
42100 @item tdisconnected:0
42101 The trace stopped because @value{GDBN} disconnected from the target.
42103 @item tpasscount:@var{tpnum}
42104 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} exceeded its pass count.
42106 @item terror:@var{text}:@var{tpnum}
42107 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} had an error. The
42108 string @var{text} is available to describe the nature of the error
42109 (for instance, a divide by zero in the condition expression); it
42113 The trace stopped for some other reason.
42117 Additional optional fields supply statistical and other information.
42118 Although not required, they are extremely useful for users monitoring
42119 the progress of a trace run. If a trace has stopped, and these
42120 numbers are reported, they must reflect the state of the just-stopped
42125 @item tframes:@var{n}
42126 The number of trace frames in the buffer.
42128 @item tcreated:@var{n}
42129 The total number of trace frames created during the run. This may
42130 be larger than the trace frame count, if the buffer is circular.
42132 @item tsize:@var{n}
42133 The total size of the trace buffer, in bytes.
42135 @item tfree:@var{n}
42136 The number of bytes still unused in the buffer.
42138 @item circular:@var{n}
42139 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
42140 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
42141 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
42144 @item disconn:@var{n}
42145 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
42146 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
42147 that the trace run will stop.
42151 @item qTP:@var{tp}:@var{addr}
42152 @cindex tracepoint status, remote request
42153 @cindex @samp{qTP} packet
42154 Ask the stub for the current state of tracepoint number @var{tp} at
42155 address @var{addr}.
42159 @item V@var{hits}:@var{usage}
42160 The tracepoint has been hit @var{hits} times so far during the trace
42161 run, and accounts for @var{usage} in the trace buffer. Note that
42162 @code{while-stepping} steps are not counted as separate hits, but the
42163 steps' space consumption is added into the usage number.
42167 @item qTV:@var{var}
42168 @cindex trace state variable value, remote request
42169 @cindex @samp{qTV} packet
42170 Ask the stub for the value of the trace state variable number @var{var}.
42175 The value of the variable is @var{value}. This will be the current
42176 value of the variable if the user is examining a running target, or a
42177 saved value if the variable was collected in the trace frame that the
42178 user is looking at. Note that multiple requests may result in
42179 different reply values, such as when requesting values while the
42180 program is running.
42183 The value of the variable is unknown. This would occur, for example,
42184 if the user is examining a trace frame in which the requested variable
42189 @cindex @samp{qTfP} packet
42191 @cindex @samp{qTsP} packet
42192 These packets request data about tracepoints that are being used by
42193 the target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfP} to get the first piece
42194 of data, and multiple @code{qTsP} to get additional pieces. Replies
42195 to these packets generally take the form of the @code{QTDP} packets
42196 that define tracepoints. (FIXME add detailed syntax)
42199 @cindex @samp{qTfV} packet
42201 @cindex @samp{qTsV} packet
42202 These packets request data about trace state variables that are on the
42203 target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfV} to get the first vari of data,
42204 and multiple @code{qTsV} to get additional variables. Replies to
42205 these packets follow the syntax of the @code{QTDV} packets that define
42206 trace state variables.
42212 @cindex @samp{qTfSTM} packet
42213 @cindex @samp{qTsSTM} packet
42214 These packets request data about static tracepoint markers that exist
42215 in the target program. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfSTM} to get the
42216 first piece of data, and multiple @code{qTsSTM} to get additional
42217 pieces. Replies to these packets take the following form:
42221 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}
42223 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra},@var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}@dots{}
42224 a comma-separated list of markers
42226 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
42228 An error occurred. The error number @var{nn} is given as hex digits.
42230 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the
42234 The @var{address} is encoded in hex;
42235 @var{id} and @var{extra} are strings encoded in hex.
42237 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
42238 more markers, separated by commas. @value{GDBN} will respond to each
42239 reply with a request for more markers (using the @samp{qs} form of the
42240 query), until the target responds with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for
42243 @item qTSTMat:@var{address}
42245 @cindex @samp{qTSTMat} packet
42246 This packets requests data about static tracepoint markers in the
42247 target program at @var{address}. Replies to this packet follow the
42248 syntax of the @samp{qTfSTM} and @code{qTsSTM} packets that list static
42249 tracepoint markers.
42251 @item QTSave:@var{filename}
42252 @cindex @samp{QTSave} packet
42253 This packet directs the target to save trace data to the file name
42254 @var{filename} in the target's filesystem. The @var{filename} is encoded
42255 as a hex string; the interpretation of the file name (relative vs
42256 absolute, wild cards, etc) is up to the target.
42258 @item qTBuffer:@var{offset},@var{len}
42259 @cindex @samp{qTBuffer} packet
42260 Return up to @var{len} bytes of the current contents of trace buffer,
42261 starting at @var{offset}. The trace buffer is treated as if it were
42262 a contiguous collection of traceframes, as per the trace file format.
42263 The reply consists as many hex-encoded bytes as the target can deliver
42264 in a packet; it is not an error to return fewer than were asked for.
42265 A reply consisting of just @code{l} indicates that no bytes are
42268 @item QTBuffer:circular:@var{value}
42269 This packet directs the target to use a circular trace buffer if
42270 @var{value} is 1, or a linear buffer if the value is 0.
42272 @item QTBuffer:size:@var{size}
42273 @anchor{QTBuffer-size}
42274 @cindex @samp{QTBuffer size} packet
42275 This packet directs the target to make the trace buffer be of size
42276 @var{size} if possible. A value of @code{-1} tells the target to
42277 use whatever size it prefers.
42279 @item QTNotes:@r{[}@var{type}:@var{text}@r{]}@r{[};@var{type}:@var{text}@r{]}@dots{}
42280 @cindex @samp{QTNotes} packet
42281 This packet adds optional textual notes to the trace run. Allowable
42282 types include @code{user}, @code{notes}, and @code{tstop}, the
42283 @var{text} fields are arbitrary strings, hex-encoded.
42287 @subsection Relocate instruction reply packet
42288 When installing fast tracepoints in memory, the target may need to
42289 relocate the instruction currently at the tracepoint address to a
42290 different address in memory. For most instructions, a simple copy is
42291 enough, but, for example, call instructions that implicitly push the
42292 return address on the stack, and relative branches or other
42293 PC-relative instructions require offset adjustment, so that the effect
42294 of executing the instruction at a different address is the same as if
42295 it had executed in the original location.
42297 In response to several of the tracepoint packets, the target may also
42298 respond with a number of intermediate @samp{qRelocInsn} request
42299 packets before the final result packet, to have @value{GDBN} handle
42300 this relocation operation. If a packet supports this mechanism, its
42301 documentation will explicitly say so. See for example the above
42302 descriptions for the @samp{QTStart} and @samp{QTDP} packets. The
42303 format of the request is:
42306 @item qRelocInsn:@var{from};@var{to}
42308 This requests @value{GDBN} to copy instruction at address @var{from}
42309 to address @var{to}, possibly adjusted so that executing the
42310 instruction at @var{to} has the same effect as executing it at
42311 @var{from}. @value{GDBN} writes the adjusted instruction to target
42312 memory starting at @var{to}.
42317 @item qRelocInsn:@var{adjusted_size}
42318 Informs the stub the relocation is complete. The @var{adjusted_size} is
42319 the length in bytes of resulting relocated instruction sequence.
42321 A badly formed request was detected, or an error was encountered while
42322 relocating the instruction.
42325 @node Host I/O Packets
42326 @section Host I/O Packets
42327 @cindex Host I/O, remote protocol
42328 @cindex file transfer, remote protocol
42330 The @dfn{Host I/O} packets allow @value{GDBN} to perform I/O
42331 operations on the far side of a remote link. For example, Host I/O is
42332 used to upload and download files to a remote target with its own
42333 filesystem. Host I/O uses the same constant values and data structure
42334 layout as the target-initiated File-I/O protocol. However, the
42335 Host I/O packets are structured differently. The target-initiated
42336 protocol relies on target memory to store parameters and buffers.
42337 Host I/O requests are initiated by @value{GDBN}, and the
42338 target's memory is not involved. @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol
42339 Extension}, for more details on the target-initiated protocol.
42341 The Host I/O request packets all encode a single operation along with
42342 its arguments. They have this format:
42346 @item vFile:@var{operation}: @var{parameter}@dots{}
42347 @var{operation} is the name of the particular request; the target
42348 should compare the entire packet name up to the second colon when checking
42349 for a supported operation. The format of @var{parameter} depends on
42350 the operation. Numbers are always passed in hexadecimal. Negative
42351 numbers have an explicit minus sign (i.e.@: two's complement is not
42352 used). Strings (e.g.@: filenames) are encoded as a series of
42353 hexadecimal bytes. The last argument to a system call may be a
42354 buffer of escaped binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
42358 The valid responses to Host I/O packets are:
42362 @item F @var{result} [, @var{errno}] [; @var{attachment}]
42363 @var{result} is the integer value returned by this operation, usually
42364 non-negative for success and -1 for errors. If an error has occured,
42365 @var{errno} will be included in the result specifying a
42366 value defined by the File-I/O protocol (@pxref{Errno Values}). For
42367 operations which return data, @var{attachment} supplies the data as a
42368 binary buffer. Binary buffers in response packets are escaped in the
42369 normal way (@pxref{Binary Data}). See the individual packet
42370 documentation for the interpretation of @var{result} and
42374 An empty response indicates that this operation is not recognized.
42378 These are the supported Host I/O operations:
42381 @item vFile:open: @var{filename}, @var{flags}, @var{mode}
42382 Open a file at @var{filename} and return a file descriptor for it, or
42383 return -1 if an error occurs. The @var{filename} is a string,
42384 @var{flags} is an integer indicating a mask of open flags
42385 (@pxref{Open Flags}), and @var{mode} is an integer indicating a mask
42386 of mode bits to use if the file is created (@pxref{mode_t Values}).
42387 @xref{open}, for details of the open flags and mode values.
42389 @item vFile:close: @var{fd}
42390 Close the open file corresponding to @var{fd} and return 0, or
42391 -1 if an error occurs.
42393 @item vFile:pread: @var{fd}, @var{count}, @var{offset}
42394 Read data from the open file corresponding to @var{fd}. Up to
42395 @var{count} bytes will be read from the file, starting at @var{offset}
42396 relative to the start of the file. The target may read fewer bytes;
42397 common reasons include packet size limits and an end-of-file
42398 condition. The number of bytes read is returned. Zero should only be
42399 returned for a successful read at the end of the file, or if
42400 @var{count} was zero.
42402 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
42403 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
42404 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
42405 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
42406 some characters were escaped.
42408 @item vFile:pwrite: @var{fd}, @var{offset}, @var{data}
42409 Write @var{data} (a binary buffer) to the open file corresponding
42410 to @var{fd}. Start the write at @var{offset} from the start of the
42411 file. Unlike many @code{write} system calls, there is no
42412 separate @var{count} argument; the length of @var{data} in the
42413 packet is used. @samp{vFile:pwrite} returns the number of bytes written,
42414 which may be shorter than the length of @var{data}, or -1 if an
42417 @item vFile:fstat: @var{fd}
42418 Get information about the open file corresponding to @var{fd}.
42419 On success the information is returned as a binary attachment
42420 and the return value is the size of this attachment in bytes.
42421 If an error occurs the return value is -1. The format of the
42422 returned binary attachment is as described in @ref{struct stat}.
42424 @item vFile:unlink: @var{filename}
42425 Delete the file at @var{filename} on the target. Return 0,
42426 or -1 if an error occurs. The @var{filename} is a string.
42428 @item vFile:readlink: @var{filename}
42429 Read value of symbolic link @var{filename} on the target. Return
42430 the number of bytes read, or -1 if an error occurs.
42432 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
42433 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
42434 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
42435 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
42436 some characters were escaped.
42438 @item vFile:setfs: @var{pid}
42439 Select the filesystem on which @code{vFile} operations with
42440 @var{filename} arguments will operate. This is required for
42441 @value{GDBN} to be able to access files on remote targets where
42442 the remote stub does not share a common filesystem with the
42445 If @var{pid} is nonzero, select the filesystem as seen by process
42446 @var{pid}. If @var{pid} is zero, select the filesystem as seen by
42447 the remote stub. Return 0 on success, or -1 if an error occurs.
42448 If @code{vFile:setfs:} indicates success, the selected filesystem
42449 remains selected until the next successful @code{vFile:setfs:}
42455 @section Interrupts
42456 @cindex interrupts (remote protocol)
42457 @anchor{interrupting remote targets}
42459 In all-stop mode, when a program on the remote target is running,
42460 @value{GDBN} may attempt to interrupt it by sending a @samp{Ctrl-C},
42461 @code{BREAK} or a @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g}, control of which
42462 is specified via @value{GDBN}'s @samp{interrupt-sequence}.
42464 The precise meaning of @code{BREAK} is defined by the transport
42465 mechanism and may, in fact, be undefined. @value{GDBN} does not
42466 currently define a @code{BREAK} mechanism for any of the network
42467 interfaces except for TCP, in which case @value{GDBN} sends the
42468 @code{telnet} BREAK sequence.
42470 @samp{Ctrl-C}, on the other hand, is defined and implemented for all
42471 transport mechanisms. It is represented by sending the single byte
42472 @code{0x03} without any of the usual packet overhead described in
42473 the Overview section (@pxref{Overview}). When a @code{0x03} byte is
42474 transmitted as part of a packet, it is considered to be packet data
42475 and does @emph{not} represent an interrupt. E.g., an @samp{X} packet
42476 (@pxref{X packet}), used for binary downloads, may include an unescaped
42477 @code{0x03} as part of its packet.
42479 @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g} is also known as Magic SysRq g.
42480 When Linux kernel receives this sequence from serial port,
42481 it stops execution and connects to gdb.
42483 In non-stop mode, because packet resumptions are asynchronous
42484 (@pxref{vCont packet}), @value{GDBN} is always free to send a remote
42485 command to the remote stub, even when the target is running. For that
42486 reason, @value{GDBN} instead sends a regular packet (@pxref{vCtrlC
42487 packet}) with the usual packet framing instead of the single byte
42490 Stubs are not required to recognize these interrupt mechanisms and the
42491 precise meaning associated with receipt of the interrupt is
42492 implementation defined. If the target supports debugging of multiple
42493 threads and/or processes, it should attempt to interrupt all
42494 currently-executing threads and processes.
42495 If the stub is successful at interrupting the
42496 running program, it should send one of the stop
42497 reply packets (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}) to @value{GDBN} as a result
42498 of successfully stopping the program in all-stop mode, and a stop reply
42499 for each stopped thread in non-stop mode.
42500 Interrupts received while the
42501 program is stopped are queued and the program will be interrupted when
42502 it is resumed next time.
42504 @node Notification Packets
42505 @section Notification Packets
42506 @cindex notification packets
42507 @cindex packets, notification
42509 The @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol includes @dfn{notifications},
42510 packets that require no acknowledgment. Both the GDB and the stub
42511 may send notifications (although the only notifications defined at
42512 present are sent by the stub). Notifications carry information
42513 without incurring the round-trip latency of an acknowledgment, and so
42514 are useful for low-impact communications where occasional packet loss
42517 A notification packet has the form @samp{% @var{data} #
42518 @var{checksum}}, where @var{data} is the content of the notification,
42519 and @var{checksum} is a checksum of @var{data}, computed and formatted
42520 as for ordinary @value{GDBN} packets. A notification's @var{data}
42521 never contains @samp{$}, @samp{%} or @samp{#} characters. Upon
42522 receiving a notification, the recipient sends no @samp{+} or @samp{-}
42523 to acknowledge the notification's receipt or to report its corruption.
42525 Every notification's @var{data} begins with a name, which contains no
42526 colon characters, followed by a colon character.
42528 Recipients should silently ignore corrupted notifications and
42529 notifications they do not understand. Recipients should restart
42530 timeout periods on receipt of a well-formed notification, whether or
42531 not they understand it.
42533 Senders should only send the notifications described here when this
42534 protocol description specifies that they are permitted. In the
42535 future, we may extend the protocol to permit existing notifications in
42536 new contexts; this rule helps older senders avoid confusing newer
42539 (Older versions of @value{GDBN} ignore bytes received until they see
42540 the @samp{$} byte that begins an ordinary packet, so new stubs may
42541 transmit notifications without fear of confusing older clients. There
42542 are no notifications defined for @value{GDBN} to send at the moment, but we
42543 assume that most older stubs would ignore them, as well.)
42545 Each notification is comprised of three parts:
42547 @item @var{name}:@var{event}
42548 The notification packet is sent by the side that initiates the
42549 exchange (currently, only the stub does that), with @var{event}
42550 carrying the specific information about the notification, and
42551 @var{name} specifying the name of the notification.
42553 The acknowledge sent by the other side, usually @value{GDBN}, to
42554 acknowledge the exchange and request the event.
42557 The purpose of an asynchronous notification mechanism is to report to
42558 @value{GDBN} that something interesting happened in the remote stub.
42560 The remote stub may send notification @var{name}:@var{event}
42561 at any time, but @value{GDBN} acknowledges the notification when
42562 appropriate. The notification event is pending before @value{GDBN}
42563 acknowledges. Only one notification at a time may be pending; if
42564 additional events occur before @value{GDBN} has acknowledged the
42565 previous notification, they must be queued by the stub for later
42566 synchronous transmission in response to @var{ack} packets from
42567 @value{GDBN}. Because the notification mechanism is unreliable,
42568 the stub is permitted to resend a notification if it believes
42569 @value{GDBN} may not have received it.
42571 Specifically, notifications may appear when @value{GDBN} is not
42572 otherwise reading input from the stub, or when @value{GDBN} is
42573 expecting to read a normal synchronous response or a
42574 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgment to a packet it has sent.
42575 Notification packets are distinct from any other communication from
42576 the stub so there is no ambiguity.
42578 After receiving a notification, @value{GDBN} shall acknowledge it by
42579 sending a @var{ack} packet as a regular, synchronous request to the
42580 stub. Such acknowledgment is not required to happen immediately, as
42581 @value{GDBN} is permitted to send other, unrelated packets to the
42582 stub first, which the stub should process normally.
42584 Upon receiving a @var{ack} packet, if the stub has other queued
42585 events to report to @value{GDBN}, it shall respond by sending a
42586 normal @var{event}. @value{GDBN} shall then send another @var{ack}
42587 packet to solicit further responses; again, it is permitted to send
42588 other, unrelated packets as well which the stub should process
42591 If the stub receives a @var{ack} packet and there are no additional
42592 @var{event} to report, the stub shall return an @samp{OK} response.
42593 At this point, @value{GDBN} has finished processing a notification
42594 and the stub has completed sending any queued events. @value{GDBN}
42595 won't accept any new notifications until the final @samp{OK} is
42596 received . If further notification events occur, the stub shall send
42597 a new notification, @value{GDBN} shall accept the notification, and
42598 the process shall be repeated.
42600 The process of asynchronous notification can be illustrated by the
42603 <- @code{%Stop:T0505:98e7ffbf;04:4ce6ffbf;08:b1b6e54c;thread:p7526.7526;core:0;}
42606 <- @code{T0505:68f37db7;04:40f37db7;08:63850408;thread:p7526.7528;core:0;}
42608 <- @code{T0505:68e3fdb6;04:40e3fdb6;08:63850408;thread:p7526.7529;core:0;}
42613 The following notifications are defined:
42614 @multitable @columnfractions 0.12 0.12 0.38 0.38
42623 @tab @var{reply}. The @var{reply} has the form of a stop reply, as
42624 described in @ref{Stop Reply Packets}. Refer to @ref{Remote Non-Stop},
42625 for information on how these notifications are acknowledged by
42627 @tab Report an asynchronous stop event in non-stop mode.
42631 @node Remote Non-Stop
42632 @section Remote Protocol Support for Non-Stop Mode
42634 @value{GDBN}'s remote protocol supports non-stop debugging of
42635 multi-threaded programs, as described in @ref{Non-Stop Mode}. If the stub
42636 supports non-stop mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN} by including
42637 @samp{QNonStop+} in its @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
42639 @value{GDBN} typically sends a @samp{QNonStop} packet only when
42640 establishing a new connection with the stub. Entering non-stop mode
42641 does not alter the state of any currently-running threads, but targets
42642 must stop all threads in any already-attached processes when entering
42643 all-stop mode. @value{GDBN} uses the @samp{?} packet as necessary to
42644 probe the target state after a mode change.
42646 In non-stop mode, when an attached process encounters an event that
42647 would otherwise be reported with a stop reply, it uses the
42648 asynchronous notification mechanism (@pxref{Notification Packets}) to
42649 inform @value{GDBN}. In contrast to all-stop mode, where all threads
42650 in all processes are stopped when a stop reply is sent, in non-stop
42651 mode only the thread reporting the stop event is stopped. That is,
42652 when reporting a @samp{S} or @samp{T} response to indicate completion
42653 of a step operation, hitting a breakpoint, or a fault, only the
42654 affected thread is stopped; any other still-running threads continue
42655 to run. When reporting a @samp{W} or @samp{X} response, all running
42656 threads belonging to other attached processes continue to run.
42658 In non-stop mode, the target shall respond to the @samp{?} packet as
42659 follows. First, any incomplete stop reply notification/@samp{vStopped}
42660 sequence in progress is abandoned. The target must begin a new
42661 sequence reporting stop events for all stopped threads, whether or not
42662 it has previously reported those events to @value{GDBN}. The first
42663 stop reply is sent as a synchronous reply to the @samp{?} packet, and
42664 subsequent stop replies are sent as responses to @samp{vStopped} packets
42665 using the mechanism described above. The target must not send
42666 asynchronous stop reply notifications until the sequence is complete.
42667 If all threads are running when the target receives the @samp{?} packet,
42668 or if the target is not attached to any process, it shall respond
42671 If the stub supports non-stop mode, it should also support the
42672 @samp{swbreak} stop reason if software breakpoints are supported, and
42673 the @samp{hwbreak} stop reason if hardware breakpoints are supported
42674 (@pxref{swbreak stop reason}). This is because given the asynchronous
42675 nature of non-stop mode, between the time a thread hits a breakpoint
42676 and the time the event is finally processed by @value{GDBN}, the
42677 breakpoint may have already been removed from the target. Due to
42678 this, @value{GDBN} needs to be able to tell whether a trap stop was
42679 caused by a delayed breakpoint event, which should be ignored, as
42680 opposed to a random trap signal, which should be reported to the user.
42681 Note the @samp{swbreak} feature implies that the target is responsible
42682 for adjusting the PC when a software breakpoint triggers, if
42683 necessary, such as on the x86 architecture.
42685 @node Packet Acknowledgment
42686 @section Packet Acknowledgment
42688 @cindex acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
42689 @cindex packet acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
42690 By default, when either the host or the target machine receives a packet,
42691 the first response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
42692 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request retransmission).
42693 This mechanism allows the @value{GDBN} remote protocol to operate over
42694 unreliable transport mechanisms, such as a serial line.
42696 In cases where the transport mechanism is itself reliable (such as a pipe or
42697 TCP connection), the @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are redundant.
42698 It may be desirable to disable them in that case to reduce communication
42699 overhead, or for other reasons. This can be accomplished by means of the
42700 @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet; @pxref{QStartNoAckMode}.
42702 When in no-acknowledgment mode, neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or
42703 expect @samp{+}/@samp{-} protocol acknowledgments. The packet
42704 and response format still includes the normal checksum, as described in
42705 @ref{Overview}, but the checksum may be ignored by the receiver.
42707 If the stub supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and prefers to operate in
42708 no-acknowledgment mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN}
42709 by including @samp{QStartNoAckMode+} in its response to @samp{qSupported};
42710 @pxref{qSupported}.
42711 If @value{GDBN} also supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and it has not been
42712 disabled via the @code{set remote noack-packet off} command
42713 (@pxref{Remote Configuration}),
42714 @value{GDBN} may then send a @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet to the stub.
42715 Only then may the stub actually turn off packet acknowledgments.
42716 @value{GDBN} sends a final @samp{+} acknowledgment of the stub's @samp{OK}
42717 response, which can be safely ignored by the stub.
42719 Note that @code{set remote noack-packet} command only affects negotiation
42720 between @value{GDBN} and the stub when subsequent connections are made;
42721 it does not affect the protocol acknowledgment state for any current
42723 Since @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are enabled by default when a
42724 new connection is established,
42725 there is also no protocol request to re-enable the acknowledgments
42726 for the current connection, once disabled.
42731 Example sequence of a target being re-started. Notice how the restart
42732 does not get any direct output:
42737 @emph{target restarts}
42740 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
42744 Example sequence of a target being stepped by a single instruction:
42747 -> @code{G1445@dots{}}
42752 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
42756 <- @code{1455@dots{}}
42760 @node File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
42761 @section File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
42762 @cindex File-I/O remote protocol extension
42765 * File-I/O Overview::
42766 * Protocol Basics::
42767 * The F Request Packet::
42768 * The F Reply Packet::
42769 * The Ctrl-C Message::
42771 * List of Supported Calls::
42772 * Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes::
42774 * File-I/O Examples::
42777 @node File-I/O Overview
42778 @subsection File-I/O Overview
42779 @cindex file-i/o overview
42781 The @dfn{File I/O remote protocol extension} (short: File-I/O) allows the
42782 target to use the host's file system and console I/O to perform various
42783 system calls. System calls on the target system are translated into a
42784 remote protocol packet to the host system, which then performs the needed
42785 actions and returns a response packet to the target system.
42786 This simulates file system operations even on targets that lack file systems.
42788 The protocol is defined to be independent of both the host and target systems.
42789 It uses its own internal representation of datatypes and values. Both
42790 @value{GDBN} and the target's @value{GDBN} stub are responsible for
42791 translating the system-dependent value representations into the internal
42792 protocol representations when data is transmitted.
42794 The communication is synchronous. A system call is possible only when
42795 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
42796 or @samp{s} packets. While @value{GDBN} handles the request for a system call,
42797 the target is stopped to allow deterministic access to the target's
42798 memory. Therefore File-I/O is not interruptible by target signals. On
42799 the other hand, it is possible to interrupt File-I/O by a user interrupt
42800 (@samp{Ctrl-C}) within @value{GDBN}.
42802 The target's request to perform a host system call does not finish
42803 the latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} action. That means,
42804 after finishing the system call, the target returns to continuing the
42805 previous activity (continue, step). No additional continue or step
42806 request from @value{GDBN} is required.
42809 (@value{GDBP}) continue
42810 <- target requests 'system call X'
42811 target is stopped, @value{GDBN} executes system call
42812 -> @value{GDBN} returns result
42813 ... target continues, @value{GDBN} returns to wait for the target
42814 <- target hits breakpoint and sends a Txx packet
42817 The protocol only supports I/O on the console and to regular files on
42818 the host file system. Character or block special devices, pipes,
42819 named pipes, sockets or any other communication method on the host
42820 system are not supported by this protocol.
42822 File I/O is not supported in non-stop mode.
42824 @node Protocol Basics
42825 @subsection Protocol Basics
42826 @cindex protocol basics, file-i/o
42828 The File-I/O protocol uses the @code{F} packet as the request as well
42829 as reply packet. Since a File-I/O system call can only occur when
42830 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the continuing or stepping target,
42831 the File-I/O request is a reply that @value{GDBN} has to expect as a result
42832 of a previous @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} packet.
42833 This @code{F} packet contains all information needed to allow @value{GDBN}
42834 to call the appropriate host system call:
42838 A unique identifier for the requested system call.
42841 All parameters to the system call. Pointers are given as addresses
42842 in the target memory address space. Pointers to strings are given as
42843 pointer/length pair. Numerical values are given as they are.
42844 Numerical control flags are given in a protocol-specific representation.
42848 At this point, @value{GDBN} has to perform the following actions.
42852 If the parameters include pointer values to data needed as input to a
42853 system call, @value{GDBN} requests this data from the target with a
42854 standard @code{m} packet request. This additional communication has to be
42855 expected by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{m}
42859 @value{GDBN} translates all value from protocol representation to host
42860 representation as needed. Datatypes are coerced into the host types.
42863 @value{GDBN} calls the system call.
42866 It then coerces datatypes back to protocol representation.
42869 If the system call is expected to return data in buffer space specified
42870 by pointer parameters to the call, the data is transmitted to the
42871 target using a @code{M} or @code{X} packet. This packet has to be expected
42872 by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{M} or @code{X}
42877 Eventually @value{GDBN} replies with another @code{F} packet which contains all
42878 necessary information for the target to continue. This at least contains
42885 @code{errno}, if has been changed by the system call.
42892 After having done the needed type and value coercion, the target continues
42893 the latest continue or step action.
42895 @node The F Request Packet
42896 @subsection The @code{F} Request Packet
42897 @cindex file-i/o request packet
42898 @cindex @code{F} request packet
42900 The @code{F} request packet has the following format:
42903 @item F@var{call-id},@var{parameter@dots{}}
42905 @var{call-id} is the identifier to indicate the host system call to be called.
42906 This is just the name of the function.
42908 @var{parameter@dots{}} are the parameters to the system call.
42909 Parameters are hexadecimal integer values, either the actual values in case
42910 of scalar datatypes, pointers to target buffer space in case of compound
42911 datatypes and unspecified memory areas, or pointer/length pairs in case
42912 of string parameters. These are appended to the @var{call-id} as a
42913 comma-delimited list. All values are transmitted in ASCII
42914 string representation, pointer/length pairs separated by a slash.
42920 @node The F Reply Packet
42921 @subsection The @code{F} Reply Packet
42922 @cindex file-i/o reply packet
42923 @cindex @code{F} reply packet
42925 The @code{F} reply packet has the following format:
42929 @item F@var{retcode},@var{errno},@var{Ctrl-C flag};@var{call-specific attachment}
42931 @var{retcode} is the return code of the system call as hexadecimal value.
42933 @var{errno} is the @code{errno} set by the call, in protocol-specific
42935 This parameter can be omitted if the call was successful.
42937 @var{Ctrl-C flag} is only sent if the user requested a break. In this
42938 case, @var{errno} must be sent as well, even if the call was successful.
42939 The @var{Ctrl-C flag} itself consists of the character @samp{C}:
42946 or, if the call was interrupted before the host call has been performed:
42953 assuming 4 is the protocol-specific representation of @code{EINTR}.
42958 @node The Ctrl-C Message
42959 @subsection The @samp{Ctrl-C} Message
42960 @cindex ctrl-c message, in file-i/o protocol
42962 If the @samp{Ctrl-C} flag is set in the @value{GDBN}
42963 reply packet (@pxref{The F Reply Packet}),
42964 the target should behave as if it had
42965 gotten a break message. The meaning for the target is ``system call
42966 interrupted by @code{SIGINT}''. Consequentially, the target should actually stop
42967 (as with a break message) and return to @value{GDBN} with a @code{T02}
42970 It's important for the target to know in which
42971 state the system call was interrupted. There are two possible cases:
42975 The system call hasn't been performed on the host yet.
42978 The system call on the host has been finished.
42982 These two states can be distinguished by the target by the value of the
42983 returned @code{errno}. If it's the protocol representation of @code{EINTR}, the system
42984 call hasn't been performed. This is equivalent to the @code{EINTR} handling
42985 on POSIX systems. In any other case, the target may presume that the
42986 system call has been finished --- successfully or not --- and should behave
42987 as if the break message arrived right after the system call.
42989 @value{GDBN} must behave reliably. If the system call has not been called
42990 yet, @value{GDBN} may send the @code{F} reply immediately, setting @code{EINTR} as
42991 @code{errno} in the packet. If the system call on the host has been finished
42992 before the user requests a break, the full action must be finished by
42993 @value{GDBN}. This requires sending @code{M} or @code{X} packets as necessary.
42994 The @code{F} packet may only be sent when either nothing has happened
42995 or the full action has been completed.
42998 @subsection Console I/O
42999 @cindex console i/o as part of file-i/o
43001 By default and if not explicitly closed by the target system, the file
43002 descriptors 0, 1 and 2 are connected to the @value{GDBN} console. Output
43003 on the @value{GDBN} console is handled as any other file output operation
43004 (@code{write(1, @dots{})} or @code{write(2, @dots{})}). Console input is handled
43005 by @value{GDBN} so that after the target read request from file descriptor
43006 0 all following typing is buffered until either one of the following
43011 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The behaviour is as explained above, and the
43013 system call is treated as finished.
43016 The user presses @key{RET}. This is treated as end of input with a trailing
43020 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-d}. This is treated as end of input. No trailing
43021 character (neither newline nor @samp{Ctrl-D}) is appended to the input.
43025 If the user has typed more characters than fit in the buffer given to
43026 the @code{read} call, the trailing characters are buffered in @value{GDBN} until
43027 either another @code{read(0, @dots{})} is requested by the target, or debugging
43028 is stopped at the user's request.
43031 @node List of Supported Calls
43032 @subsection List of Supported Calls
43033 @cindex list of supported file-i/o calls
43050 @unnumberedsubsubsec open
43051 @cindex open, file-i/o system call
43056 int open(const char *pathname, int flags);
43057 int open(const char *pathname, int flags, mode_t mode);
43061 @samp{Fopen,@var{pathptr}/@var{len},@var{flags},@var{mode}}
43064 @var{flags} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
43068 If the file does not exist it will be created. The host
43069 rules apply as far as file ownership and time stamps
43073 When used with @code{O_CREAT}, if the file already exists it is
43074 an error and open() fails.
43077 If the file already exists and the open mode allows
43078 writing (@code{O_RDWR} or @code{O_WRONLY} is given) it will be
43079 truncated to zero length.
43082 The file is opened in append mode.
43085 The file is opened for reading only.
43088 The file is opened for writing only.
43091 The file is opened for reading and writing.
43095 Other bits are silently ignored.
43099 @var{mode} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
43103 User has read permission.
43106 User has write permission.
43109 Group has read permission.
43112 Group has write permission.
43115 Others have read permission.
43118 Others have write permission.
43122 Other bits are silently ignored.
43125 @item Return value:
43126 @code{open} returns the new file descriptor or -1 if an error
43133 @var{pathname} already exists and @code{O_CREAT} and @code{O_EXCL} were used.
43136 @var{pathname} refers to a directory.
43139 The requested access is not allowed.
43142 @var{pathname} was too long.
43145 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
43148 @var{pathname} refers to a device, pipe, named pipe or socket.
43151 @var{pathname} refers to a file on a read-only filesystem and
43152 write access was requested.
43155 @var{pathname} is an invalid pointer value.
43158 No space on device to create the file.
43161 The process already has the maximum number of files open.
43164 The limit on the total number of files open on the system
43168 The call was interrupted by the user.
43174 @unnumberedsubsubsec close
43175 @cindex close, file-i/o system call
43184 @samp{Fclose,@var{fd}}
43186 @item Return value:
43187 @code{close} returns zero on success, or -1 if an error occurred.
43193 @var{fd} isn't a valid open file descriptor.
43196 The call was interrupted by the user.
43202 @unnumberedsubsubsec read
43203 @cindex read, file-i/o system call
43208 int read(int fd, void *buf, unsigned int count);
43212 @samp{Fread,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
43214 @item Return value:
43215 On success, the number of bytes read is returned.
43216 Zero indicates end of file. If count is zero, read
43217 returns zero as well. On error, -1 is returned.
43223 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
43227 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
43230 The call was interrupted by the user.
43236 @unnumberedsubsubsec write
43237 @cindex write, file-i/o system call
43242 int write(int fd, const void *buf, unsigned int count);
43246 @samp{Fwrite,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
43248 @item Return value:
43249 On success, the number of bytes written are returned.
43250 Zero indicates nothing was written. On error, -1
43257 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
43261 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
43264 An attempt was made to write a file that exceeds the
43265 host-specific maximum file size allowed.
43268 No space on device to write the data.
43271 The call was interrupted by the user.
43277 @unnumberedsubsubsec lseek
43278 @cindex lseek, file-i/o system call
43283 long lseek (int fd, long offset, int flag);
43287 @samp{Flseek,@var{fd},@var{offset},@var{flag}}
43289 @var{flag} is one of:
43293 The offset is set to @var{offset} bytes.
43296 The offset is set to its current location plus @var{offset}
43300 The offset is set to the size of the file plus @var{offset}
43304 @item Return value:
43305 On success, the resulting unsigned offset in bytes from
43306 the beginning of the file is returned. Otherwise, a
43307 value of -1 is returned.
43313 @var{fd} is not a valid open file descriptor.
43316 @var{fd} is associated with the @value{GDBN} console.
43319 @var{flag} is not a proper value.
43322 The call was interrupted by the user.
43328 @unnumberedsubsubsec rename
43329 @cindex rename, file-i/o system call
43334 int rename(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);
43338 @samp{Frename,@var{oldpathptr}/@var{len},@var{newpathptr}/@var{len}}
43340 @item Return value:
43341 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
43347 @var{newpath} is an existing directory, but @var{oldpath} is not a
43351 @var{newpath} is a non-empty directory.
43354 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} is a directory that is in use by some
43358 An attempt was made to make a directory a subdirectory
43362 A component used as a directory in @var{oldpath} or new
43363 path is not a directory. Or @var{oldpath} is a directory
43364 and @var{newpath} exists but is not a directory.
43367 @var{oldpathptr} or @var{newpathptr} are invalid pointer values.
43370 No access to the file or the path of the file.
43374 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} was too long.
43377 A directory component in @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} does not exist.
43380 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
43383 The device containing the file has no room for the new
43387 The call was interrupted by the user.
43393 @unnumberedsubsubsec unlink
43394 @cindex unlink, file-i/o system call
43399 int unlink(const char *pathname);
43403 @samp{Funlink,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len}}
43405 @item Return value:
43406 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
43412 No access to the file or the path of the file.
43415 The system does not allow unlinking of directories.
43418 The file @var{pathname} cannot be unlinked because it's
43419 being used by another process.
43422 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
43425 @var{pathname} was too long.
43428 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
43431 A component of the path is not a directory.
43434 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
43437 The call was interrupted by the user.
43443 @unnumberedsubsubsec stat/fstat
43444 @cindex fstat, file-i/o system call
43445 @cindex stat, file-i/o system call
43450 int stat(const char *pathname, struct stat *buf);
43451 int fstat(int fd, struct stat *buf);
43455 @samp{Fstat,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len},@var{bufptr}}@*
43456 @samp{Ffstat,@var{fd},@var{bufptr}}
43458 @item Return value:
43459 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
43465 @var{fd} is not a valid open file.
43468 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist or the
43469 path is an empty string.
43472 A component of the path is not a directory.
43475 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
43478 No access to the file or the path of the file.
43481 @var{pathname} was too long.
43484 The call was interrupted by the user.
43490 @unnumberedsubsubsec gettimeofday
43491 @cindex gettimeofday, file-i/o system call
43496 int gettimeofday(struct timeval *tv, void *tz);
43500 @samp{Fgettimeofday,@var{tvptr},@var{tzptr}}
43502 @item Return value:
43503 On success, 0 is returned, -1 otherwise.
43509 @var{tz} is a non-NULL pointer.
43512 @var{tvptr} and/or @var{tzptr} is an invalid pointer value.
43518 @unnumberedsubsubsec isatty
43519 @cindex isatty, file-i/o system call
43524 int isatty(int fd);
43528 @samp{Fisatty,@var{fd}}
43530 @item Return value:
43531 Returns 1 if @var{fd} refers to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise.
43537 The call was interrupted by the user.
43542 Note that the @code{isatty} call is treated as a special case: it returns
43543 1 to the target if the file descriptor is attached
43544 to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise. Implementing through system calls
43545 would require implementing @code{ioctl} and would be more complex than
43550 @unnumberedsubsubsec system
43551 @cindex system, file-i/o system call
43556 int system(const char *command);
43560 @samp{Fsystem,@var{commandptr}/@var{len}}
43562 @item Return value:
43563 If @var{len} is zero, the return value indicates whether a shell is
43564 available. A zero return value indicates a shell is not available.
43565 For non-zero @var{len}, the value returned is -1 on error and the
43566 return status of the command otherwise. Only the exit status of the
43567 command is returned, which is extracted from the host's @code{system}
43568 return value by calling @code{WEXITSTATUS(retval)}. In case
43569 @file{/bin/sh} could not be executed, 127 is returned.
43575 The call was interrupted by the user.
43580 @value{GDBN} takes over the full task of calling the necessary host calls
43581 to perform the @code{system} call. The return value of @code{system} on
43582 the host is simplified before it's returned
43583 to the target. Any termination signal information from the child process
43584 is discarded, and the return value consists
43585 entirely of the exit status of the called command.
43587 Due to security concerns, the @code{system} call is by default refused
43588 by @value{GDBN}. The user has to allow this call explicitly with the
43589 @code{set remote system-call-allowed 1} command.
43592 @item set remote system-call-allowed
43593 @kindex set remote system-call-allowed
43594 Control whether to allow the @code{system} calls in the File I/O
43595 protocol for the remote target. The default is zero (disabled).
43597 @item show remote system-call-allowed
43598 @kindex show remote system-call-allowed
43599 Show whether the @code{system} calls are allowed in the File I/O
43603 @node Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
43604 @subsection Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
43605 @cindex protocol-specific representation of datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
43608 * Integral Datatypes::
43610 * Memory Transfer::
43615 @node Integral Datatypes
43616 @unnumberedsubsubsec Integral Datatypes
43617 @cindex integral datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
43619 The integral datatypes used in the system calls are @code{int},
43620 @code{unsigned int}, @code{long}, @code{unsigned long},
43621 @code{mode_t}, and @code{time_t}.
43623 @code{int}, @code{unsigned int}, @code{mode_t} and @code{time_t} are
43624 implemented as 32 bit values in this protocol.
43626 @code{long} and @code{unsigned long} are implemented as 64 bit types.
43628 @xref{Limits}, for corresponding MIN and MAX values (similar to those
43629 in @file{limits.h}) to allow range checking on host and target.
43631 @code{time_t} datatypes are defined as seconds since the Epoch.
43633 All integral datatypes transferred as part of a memory read or write of a
43634 structured datatype e.g.@: a @code{struct stat} have to be given in big endian
43637 @node Pointer Values
43638 @unnumberedsubsubsec Pointer Values
43639 @cindex pointer values, in file-i/o protocol
43641 Pointers to target data are transmitted as they are. An exception
43642 is made for pointers to buffers for which the length isn't
43643 transmitted as part of the function call, namely strings. Strings
43644 are transmitted as a pointer/length pair, both as hex values, e.g.@:
43651 which is a pointer to data of length 18 bytes at position 0x1aaf.
43652 The length is defined as the full string length in bytes, including
43653 the trailing null byte. For example, the string @code{"hello world"}
43654 at address 0x123456 is transmitted as
43660 @node Memory Transfer
43661 @unnumberedsubsubsec Memory Transfer
43662 @cindex memory transfer, in file-i/o protocol
43664 Structured data which is transferred using a memory read or write (for
43665 example, a @code{struct stat}) is expected to be in a protocol-specific format
43666 with all scalar multibyte datatypes being big endian. Translation to
43667 this representation needs to be done both by the target before the @code{F}
43668 packet is sent, and by @value{GDBN} before
43669 it transfers memory to the target. Transferred pointers to structured
43670 data should point to the already-coerced data at any time.
43674 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct stat
43675 @cindex struct stat, in file-i/o protocol
43677 The buffer of type @code{struct stat} used by the target and @value{GDBN}
43678 is defined as follows:
43682 unsigned int st_dev; /* device */
43683 unsigned int st_ino; /* inode */
43684 mode_t st_mode; /* protection */
43685 unsigned int st_nlink; /* number of hard links */
43686 unsigned int st_uid; /* user ID of owner */
43687 unsigned int st_gid; /* group ID of owner */
43688 unsigned int st_rdev; /* device type (if inode device) */
43689 unsigned long st_size; /* total size, in bytes */
43690 unsigned long st_blksize; /* blocksize for filesystem I/O */
43691 unsigned long st_blocks; /* number of blocks allocated */
43692 time_t st_atime; /* time of last access */
43693 time_t st_mtime; /* time of last modification */
43694 time_t st_ctime; /* time of last change */
43698 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
43699 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
43700 structure is of size 64 bytes.
43702 The values of several fields have a restricted meaning and/or
43708 A value of 0 represents a file, 1 the console.
43711 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
43714 Valid mode bits are described in @ref{Constants}. Any other
43715 bits have currently no meaning for the target.
43720 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
43725 These values have a host and file system dependent
43726 accuracy. Especially on Windows hosts, the file system may not
43727 support exact timing values.
43730 The target gets a @code{struct stat} of the above representation and is
43731 responsible for coercing it to the target representation before
43734 Note that due to size differences between the host, target, and protocol
43735 representations of @code{struct stat} members, these members could eventually
43736 get truncated on the target.
43738 @node struct timeval
43739 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct timeval
43740 @cindex struct timeval, in file-i/o protocol
43742 The buffer of type @code{struct timeval} used by the File-I/O protocol
43743 is defined as follows:
43747 time_t tv_sec; /* second */
43748 long tv_usec; /* microsecond */
43752 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
43753 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
43754 structure is of size 8 bytes.
43757 @subsection Constants
43758 @cindex constants, in file-i/o protocol
43760 The following values are used for the constants inside of the
43761 protocol. @value{GDBN} and target are responsible for translating these
43762 values before and after the call as needed.
43773 @unnumberedsubsubsec Open Flags
43774 @cindex open flags, in file-i/o protocol
43776 All values are given in hexadecimal representation.
43788 @node mode_t Values
43789 @unnumberedsubsubsec mode_t Values
43790 @cindex mode_t values, in file-i/o protocol
43792 All values are given in octal representation.
43809 @unnumberedsubsubsec Errno Values
43810 @cindex errno values, in file-i/o protocol
43812 All values are given in decimal representation.
43837 @code{EUNKNOWN} is used as a fallback error value if a host system returns
43838 any error value not in the list of supported error numbers.
43841 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lseek Flags
43842 @cindex lseek flags, in file-i/o protocol
43851 @unnumberedsubsubsec Limits
43852 @cindex limits, in file-i/o protocol
43854 All values are given in decimal representation.
43857 INT_MIN -2147483648
43859 UINT_MAX 4294967295
43860 LONG_MIN -9223372036854775808
43861 LONG_MAX 9223372036854775807
43862 ULONG_MAX 18446744073709551615
43865 @node File-I/O Examples
43866 @subsection File-I/O Examples
43867 @cindex file-i/o examples
43869 Example sequence of a write call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
43870 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be written:
43873 <- @code{Fwrite,3,1234,6}
43874 @emph{request memory read from target}
43877 @emph{return "6 bytes written"}
43881 Example sequence of a read call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
43882 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be read:
43885 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
43886 @emph{request memory write to target}
43887 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
43888 @emph{return "6 bytes read"}
43892 Example sequence of a read call, call fails on the host due to invalid
43893 file descriptor (@code{EBADF}):
43896 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
43900 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} before syscall on
43904 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
43909 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} after syscall on
43913 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
43914 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
43918 @node Library List Format
43919 @section Library List Format
43920 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
43922 On some platforms, a dynamic loader (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) runs in the
43923 same process as your application to manage libraries. In this case,
43924 @value{GDBN} can use the loader's symbol table and normal memory
43925 operations to maintain a list of shared libraries. On other
43926 platforms, the operating system manages loaded libraries.
43927 @value{GDBN} can not retrieve the list of currently loaded libraries
43928 through memory operations, so it uses the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
43929 packet (@pxref{qXfer library list read}) instead. The remote stub
43930 queries the target's operating system and reports which libraries
43933 The @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet returns an XML document which
43934 lists loaded libraries and their offsets. Each library has an
43935 associated name and one or more segment or section base addresses,
43936 which report where the library was loaded in memory.
43938 For the common case of libraries that are fully linked binaries, the
43939 library should have a list of segments. If the target supports
43940 dynamic linking of a relocatable object file, its library XML element
43941 should instead include a list of allocated sections. The segment or
43942 section bases are start addresses, not relocation offsets; they do not
43943 depend on the library's link-time base addresses.
43945 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
43946 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
43948 A simple memory map, with one loaded library relocated by a single
43949 offset, looks like this:
43953 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6">
43954 <segment address="0x10000000"/>
43959 Another simple memory map, with one loaded library with three
43960 allocated sections (.text, .data, .bss), looks like this:
43964 <library name="sharedlib.o">
43965 <section address="0x10000000"/>
43966 <section address="0x20000000"/>
43967 <section address="0x30000000"/>
43972 The format of a library list is described by this DTD:
43975 <!-- library-list: Root element with versioning -->
43976 <!ELEMENT library-list (library)*>
43977 <!ATTLIST library-list version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
43978 <!ELEMENT library (segment*, section*)>
43979 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
43980 <!ELEMENT segment EMPTY>
43981 <!ATTLIST segment address CDATA #REQUIRED>
43982 <!ELEMENT section EMPTY>
43983 <!ATTLIST section address CDATA #REQUIRED>
43986 In addition, segments and section descriptors cannot be mixed within a
43987 single library element, and you must supply at least one segment or
43988 section for each library.
43990 @node Library List Format for SVR4 Targets
43991 @section Library List Format for SVR4 Targets
43992 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
43994 On SVR4 platforms @value{GDBN} can use the symbol table of a dynamic loader
43995 (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) and normal memory operations to maintain a list of
43996 shared libraries. Still a special library list provided by this packet is
43997 more efficient for the @value{GDBN} remote protocol.
43999 The @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet returns an XML document which lists
44000 loaded libraries and their SVR4 linker parameters. For each library on SVR4
44001 target, the following parameters are reported:
44005 @code{name}, the absolute file name from the @code{l_name} field of
44006 @code{struct link_map}.
44008 @code{lm} with address of @code{struct link_map} used for TLS
44009 (Thread Local Storage) access.
44011 @code{l_addr}, the displacement as read from the field @code{l_addr} of
44012 @code{struct link_map}. For prelinked libraries this is not an absolute
44013 memory address. It is a displacement of absolute memory address against
44014 address the file was prelinked to during the library load.
44016 @code{l_ld}, which is memory address of the @code{PT_DYNAMIC} segment
44019 Additionally the single @code{main-lm} attribute specifies address of
44020 @code{struct link_map} used for the main executable. This parameter is used
44021 for TLS access and its presence is optional.
44023 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
44024 SVR4 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
44026 A simple memory map, with two loaded libraries (which do not use prelink),
44030 <library-list-svr4 version="1.0" main-lm="0xe4f8f8">
44031 <library name="/lib/ld-linux.so.2" lm="0xe4f51c" l_addr="0xe2d000"
44033 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6" lm="0xe4fbe8" l_addr="0x154000"
44035 </library-list-svr>
44038 The format of an SVR4 library list is described by this DTD:
44041 <!-- library-list-svr4: Root element with versioning -->
44042 <!ELEMENT library-list-svr4 (library)*>
44043 <!ATTLIST library-list-svr4 version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
44044 <!ATTLIST library-list-svr4 main-lm CDATA #IMPLIED>
44045 <!ELEMENT library EMPTY>
44046 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
44047 <!ATTLIST library lm CDATA #REQUIRED>
44048 <!ATTLIST library l_addr CDATA #REQUIRED>
44049 <!ATTLIST library l_ld CDATA #REQUIRED>
44052 @node Memory Map Format
44053 @section Memory Map Format
44054 @cindex memory map format
44056 To be able to write into flash memory, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain a
44057 memory map from the target. This section describes the format of the
44060 The memory map is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
44061 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}) packet and is an XML document that
44062 lists memory regions.
44064 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
44065 memory maps. @xref{Expat}.
44067 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
44070 <?xml version="1.0"?>
44071 <!DOCTYPE memory-map
44072 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
44073 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-memory-map.dtd">
44079 Each region can be either:
44084 A region of RAM starting at @var{addr} and extending for @var{length}
44088 <memory type="ram" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
44093 A region of read-only memory:
44096 <memory type="rom" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
44101 A region of flash memory, with erasure blocks @var{blocksize}
44105 <memory type="flash" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}">
44106 <property name="blocksize">@var{blocksize}</property>
44112 Regions must not overlap. @value{GDBN} assumes that areas of memory not covered
44113 by the memory map are RAM, and uses the ordinary @samp{M} and @samp{X}
44114 packets to write to addresses in such ranges.
44116 The formal DTD for memory map format is given below:
44119 <!-- ................................................... -->
44120 <!-- Memory Map XML DTD ................................ -->
44121 <!-- File: memory-map.dtd .............................. -->
44122 <!-- .................................... .............. -->
44123 <!-- memory-map.dtd -->
44124 <!-- memory-map: Root element with versioning -->
44125 <!ELEMENT memory-map (memory)*>
44126 <!ATTLIST memory-map version CDATA #FIXED "1.0.0">
44127 <!ELEMENT memory (property)*>
44128 <!-- memory: Specifies a memory region,
44129 and its type, or device. -->
44130 <!ATTLIST memory type (ram|rom|flash) #REQUIRED
44131 start CDATA #REQUIRED
44132 length CDATA #REQUIRED>
44133 <!-- property: Generic attribute tag -->
44134 <!ELEMENT property (#PCDATA | property)*>
44135 <!ATTLIST property name (blocksize) #REQUIRED>
44138 @node Thread List Format
44139 @section Thread List Format
44140 @cindex thread list format
44142 To efficiently update the list of threads and their attributes,
44143 @value{GDBN} issues the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
44144 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}) and obtains the XML document with
44145 the following structure:
44148 <?xml version="1.0"?>
44150 <thread id="id" core="0" name="name">
44151 ... description ...
44156 Each @samp{thread} element must have the @samp{id} attribute that
44157 identifies the thread (@pxref{thread-id syntax}). The
44158 @samp{core} attribute, if present, specifies which processor core
44159 the thread was last executing on. The @samp{name} attribute, if
44160 present, specifies the human-readable name of the thread. The content
44161 of the of @samp{thread} element is interpreted as human-readable
44162 auxiliary information. The @samp{handle} attribute, if present,
44163 is a hex encoded representation of the thread handle.
44166 @node Traceframe Info Format
44167 @section Traceframe Info Format
44168 @cindex traceframe info format
44170 To be able to know which objects in the inferior can be examined when
44171 inspecting a tracepoint hit, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain the list of
44172 memory ranges, registers and trace state variables that have been
44173 collected in a traceframe.
44175 This list is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
44176 (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}) packet and is an XML document.
44178 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
44179 traceframe info discovery. @xref{Expat}.
44181 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
44184 <?xml version="1.0"?>
44185 <!DOCTYPE traceframe-info
44186 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
44187 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-traceframe-info.dtd">
44193 Each traceframe block can be either:
44198 A region of collected memory starting at @var{addr} and extending for
44199 @var{length} bytes from there:
44202 <memory start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
44206 A block indicating trace state variable numbered @var{number} has been
44210 <tvar id="@var{number}"/>
44215 The formal DTD for the traceframe info format is given below:
44218 <!ELEMENT traceframe-info (memory | tvar)* >
44219 <!ATTLIST traceframe-info version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
44221 <!ELEMENT memory EMPTY>
44222 <!ATTLIST memory start CDATA #REQUIRED
44223 length CDATA #REQUIRED>
44225 <!ATTLIST tvar id CDATA #REQUIRED>
44228 @node Branch Trace Format
44229 @section Branch Trace Format
44230 @cindex branch trace format
44232 In order to display the branch trace of an inferior thread,
44233 @value{GDBN} needs to obtain the list of branches. This list is
44234 represented as list of sequential code blocks that are connected via
44235 branches. The code in each block has been executed sequentially.
44237 This list is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
44238 (@pxref{qXfer btrace read}) packet and is an XML document.
44240 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
44241 traceframe info discovery. @xref{Expat}.
44243 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
44246 <?xml version="1.0"?>
44248 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Branch Trace V1.0//EN"
44249 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-btrace.dtd">
44258 A block of sequentially executed instructions starting at @var{begin}
44259 and ending at @var{end}:
44262 <block begin="@var{begin}" end="@var{end}"/>
44267 The formal DTD for the branch trace format is given below:
44270 <!ELEMENT btrace (block* | pt) >
44271 <!ATTLIST btrace version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
44273 <!ELEMENT block EMPTY>
44274 <!ATTLIST block begin CDATA #REQUIRED
44275 end CDATA #REQUIRED>
44277 <!ELEMENT pt (pt-config?, raw?)>
44279 <!ELEMENT pt-config (cpu?)>
44281 <!ELEMENT cpu EMPTY>
44282 <!ATTLIST cpu vendor CDATA #REQUIRED
44283 family CDATA #REQUIRED
44284 model CDATA #REQUIRED
44285 stepping CDATA #REQUIRED>
44287 <!ELEMENT raw (#PCDATA)>
44290 @node Branch Trace Configuration Format
44291 @section Branch Trace Configuration Format
44292 @cindex branch trace configuration format
44294 For each inferior thread, @value{GDBN} can obtain the branch trace
44295 configuration using the @samp{qXfer:btrace-conf:read}
44296 (@pxref{qXfer btrace-conf read}) packet.
44298 The configuration describes the branch trace format and configuration
44299 settings for that format. The following information is described:
44303 This thread uses the @dfn{Branch Trace Store} (@acronym{BTS}) format.
44306 The size of the @acronym{BTS} ring buffer in bytes.
44309 This thread uses the @dfn{Intel Processor Trace} (@acronym{Intel
44313 The size of the @acronym{Intel PT} ring buffer in bytes.
44317 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
44318 branch trace configuration discovery. @xref{Expat}.
44320 The formal DTD for the branch trace configuration format is given below:
44323 <!ELEMENT btrace-conf (bts?, pt?)>
44324 <!ATTLIST btrace-conf version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
44326 <!ELEMENT bts EMPTY>
44327 <!ATTLIST bts size CDATA #IMPLIED>
44329 <!ELEMENT pt EMPTY>
44330 <!ATTLIST pt size CDATA #IMPLIED>
44333 @include agentexpr.texi
44335 @node Target Descriptions
44336 @appendix Target Descriptions
44337 @cindex target descriptions
44339 One of the challenges of using @value{GDBN} to debug embedded systems
44340 is that there are so many minor variants of each processor
44341 architecture in use. It is common practice for vendors to start with
44342 a standard processor core --- ARM, PowerPC, or @acronym{MIPS}, for example ---
44343 and then make changes to adapt it to a particular market niche. Some
44344 architectures have hundreds of variants, available from dozens of
44345 vendors. This leads to a number of problems:
44349 With so many different customized processors, it is difficult for
44350 the @value{GDBN} maintainers to keep up with the changes.
44352 Since individual variants may have short lifetimes or limited
44353 audiences, it may not be worthwhile to carry information about every
44354 variant in the @value{GDBN} source tree.
44356 When @value{GDBN} does support the architecture of the embedded system
44357 at hand, the task of finding the correct architecture name to give the
44358 @command{set architecture} command can be error-prone.
44361 To address these problems, the @value{GDBN} remote protocol allows a
44362 target system to not only identify itself to @value{GDBN}, but to
44363 actually describe its own features. This lets @value{GDBN} support
44364 processor variants it has never seen before --- to the extent that the
44365 descriptions are accurate, and that @value{GDBN} understands them.
44367 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
44368 target descriptions. @xref{Expat}.
44371 * Retrieving Descriptions:: How descriptions are fetched from a target.
44372 * Target Description Format:: The contents of a target description.
44373 * Predefined Target Types:: Standard types available for target
44375 * Enum Target Types:: How to define enum target types.
44376 * Standard Target Features:: Features @value{GDBN} knows about.
44379 @node Retrieving Descriptions
44380 @section Retrieving Descriptions
44382 Target descriptions can be read from the target automatically, or
44383 specified by the user manually. The default behavior is to read the
44384 description from the target. @value{GDBN} retrieves it via the remote
44385 protocol using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{General Query Packets,
44386 qXfer}). The @var{annex} in the @samp{qXfer} packet will be
44387 @samp{target.xml}. The contents of the @samp{target.xml} annex are an
44388 XML document, of the form described in @ref{Target Description
44391 Alternatively, you can specify a file to read for the target description.
44392 If a file is set, the target will not be queried. The commands to
44393 specify a file are:
44396 @cindex set tdesc filename
44397 @item set tdesc filename @var{path}
44398 Read the target description from @var{path}.
44400 @cindex unset tdesc filename
44401 @item unset tdesc filename
44402 Do not read the XML target description from a file. @value{GDBN}
44403 will use the description supplied by the current target.
44405 @cindex show tdesc filename
44406 @item show tdesc filename
44407 Show the filename to read for a target description, if any.
44411 @node Target Description Format
44412 @section Target Description Format
44413 @cindex target descriptions, XML format
44415 A target description annex is an @uref{http://www.w3.org/XML/, XML}
44416 document which complies with the Document Type Definition provided in
44417 the @value{GDBN} sources in @file{gdb/features/gdb-target.dtd}. This
44418 means you can use generally available tools like @command{xmllint} to
44419 check that your feature descriptions are well-formed and valid.
44420 However, to help people unfamiliar with XML write descriptions for
44421 their targets, we also describe the grammar here.
44423 Target descriptions can identify the architecture of the remote target
44424 and (for some architectures) provide information about custom register
44425 sets. They can also identify the OS ABI of the remote target.
44426 @value{GDBN} can use this information to autoconfigure for your
44427 target, or to warn you if you connect to an unsupported target.
44429 Here is a simple target description:
44432 <target version="1.0">
44433 <architecture>i386:x86-64</architecture>
44438 This minimal description only says that the target uses
44439 the x86-64 architecture.
44441 A target description has the following overall form, with [ ] marking
44442 optional elements and @dots{} marking repeatable elements. The elements
44443 are explained further below.
44446 <?xml version="1.0"?>
44447 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "gdb-target.dtd">
44448 <target version="1.0">
44449 @r{[}@var{architecture}@r{]}
44450 @r{[}@var{osabi}@r{]}
44451 @r{[}@var{compatible}@r{]}
44452 @r{[}@var{feature}@dots{}@r{]}
44457 The description is generally insensitive to whitespace and line
44458 breaks, under the usual common-sense rules. The XML version
44459 declaration and document type declaration can generally be omitted
44460 (@value{GDBN} does not require them), but specifying them may be
44461 useful for XML validation tools. The @samp{version} attribute for
44462 @samp{<target>} may also be omitted, but we recommend
44463 including it; if future versions of @value{GDBN} use an incompatible
44464 revision of @file{gdb-target.dtd}, they will detect and report
44465 the version mismatch.
44467 @subsection Inclusion
44468 @cindex target descriptions, inclusion
44471 @cindex <xi:include>
44474 It can sometimes be valuable to split a target description up into
44475 several different annexes, either for organizational purposes, or to
44476 share files between different possible target descriptions. You can
44477 divide a description into multiple files by replacing any element of
44478 the target description with an inclusion directive of the form:
44481 <xi:include href="@var{document}"/>
44485 When @value{GDBN} encounters an element of this form, it will retrieve
44486 the named XML @var{document}, and replace the inclusion directive with
44487 the contents of that document. If the current description was read
44488 using @samp{qXfer}, then so will be the included document;
44489 @var{document} will be interpreted as the name of an annex. If the
44490 current description was read from a file, @value{GDBN} will look for
44491 @var{document} as a file in the same directory where it found the
44492 original description.
44494 @subsection Architecture
44495 @cindex <architecture>
44497 An @samp{<architecture>} element has this form:
44500 <architecture>@var{arch}</architecture>
44503 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
44504 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
44507 @cindex @code{<osabi>}
44509 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
44510 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
44512 An @samp{<osabi>} element has this form:
44515 <osabi>@var{abi-name}</osabi>
44518 @var{abi-name} is an OS ABI name from the same selection accepted by
44519 @w{@code{set osabi}} (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
44521 @subsection Compatible Architecture
44522 @cindex @code{<compatible>}
44524 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
44525 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
44527 A @samp{<compatible>} element has this form:
44530 <compatible>@var{arch}</compatible>
44533 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
44534 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
44536 A @samp{<compatible>} element is used to specify that the target
44537 is able to run binaries in some other than the main target architecture
44538 given by the @samp{<architecture>} element. For example, on the
44539 Cell Broadband Engine, the main architecture is @code{powerpc:common}
44540 or @code{powerpc:common64}, but the system is able to run binaries
44541 in the @code{spu} architecture as well. The way to describe this
44542 capability with @samp{<compatible>} is as follows:
44545 <architecture>powerpc:common</architecture>
44546 <compatible>spu</compatible>
44549 @subsection Features
44552 Each @samp{<feature>} describes some logical portion of the target
44553 system. Features are currently used to describe available CPU
44554 registers and the types of their contents. A @samp{<feature>} element
44558 <feature name="@var{name}">
44559 @r{[}@var{type}@dots{}@r{]}
44565 Each feature's name should be unique within the description. The name
44566 of a feature does not matter unless @value{GDBN} has some special
44567 knowledge of the contents of that feature; if it does, the feature
44568 should have its standard name. @xref{Standard Target Features}.
44572 Any register's value is a collection of bits which @value{GDBN} must
44573 interpret. The default interpretation is a two's complement integer,
44574 but other types can be requested by name in the register description.
44575 Some predefined types are provided by @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Predefined
44576 Target Types}), and the description can define additional composite
44579 Each type element must have an @samp{id} attribute, which gives
44580 a unique (within the containing @samp{<feature>}) name to the type.
44581 Types must be defined before they are used.
44584 Some targets offer vector registers, which can be treated as arrays
44585 of scalar elements. These types are written as @samp{<vector>} elements,
44586 specifying the array element type, @var{type}, and the number of elements,
44590 <vector id="@var{id}" type="@var{type}" count="@var{count}"/>
44594 If a register's value is usefully viewed in multiple ways, define it
44595 with a union type containing the useful representations. The
44596 @samp{<union>} element contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements,
44597 each of which has a @var{name} and a @var{type}:
44600 <union id="@var{id}">
44601 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
44608 If a register's value is composed from several separate values, define
44609 it with either a structure type or a flags type.
44610 A flags type may only contain bitfields.
44611 A structure type may either contain only bitfields or contain no bitfields.
44612 If the value contains only bitfields, its total size in bytes must be
44615 Non-bitfield values have a @var{name} and @var{type}.
44618 <struct id="@var{id}">
44619 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
44624 Both @var{name} and @var{type} values are required.
44625 No implicit padding is added.
44627 Bitfield values have a @var{name}, @var{start}, @var{end} and @var{type}.
44630 <struct id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
44631 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}" type="@var{type}"/>
44637 <flags id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
44638 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}" type="@var{type}"/>
44643 The @var{name} value is required.
44644 Bitfield values may be named with the empty string, @samp{""},
44645 in which case the field is ``filler'' and its value is not printed.
44646 Not all bits need to be specified, so ``filler'' fields are optional.
44648 The @var{start} and @var{end} values are required, and @var{type}
44650 The field's @var{start} must be less than or equal to its @var{end},
44651 and zero represents the least significant bit.
44653 The default value of @var{type} is @code{bool} for single bit fields,
44654 and an unsigned integer otherwise.
44656 Which to choose? Structures or flags?
44658 Registers defined with @samp{flags} have these advantages over
44659 defining them with @samp{struct}:
44663 Arithmetic may be performed on them as if they were integers.
44665 They are printed in a more readable fashion.
44668 Registers defined with @samp{struct} have one advantage over
44669 defining them with @samp{flags}:
44673 One can fetch individual fields like in @samp{C}.
44676 (gdb) print $my_struct_reg.field3
44682 @subsection Registers
44685 Each register is represented as an element with this form:
44688 <reg name="@var{name}"
44689 bitsize="@var{size}"
44690 @r{[}regnum="@var{num}"@r{]}
44691 @r{[}save-restore="@var{save-restore}"@r{]}
44692 @r{[}type="@var{type}"@r{]}
44693 @r{[}group="@var{group}"@r{]}/>
44697 The components are as follows:
44702 The register's name; it must be unique within the target description.
44705 The register's size, in bits.
44708 The register's number. If omitted, a register's number is one greater
44709 than that of the previous register (either in the current feature or in
44710 a preceding feature); the first register in the target description
44711 defaults to zero. This register number is used to read or write
44712 the register; e.g.@: it is used in the remote @code{p} and @code{P}
44713 packets, and registers appear in the @code{g} and @code{G} packets
44714 in order of increasing register number.
44717 Whether the register should be preserved across inferior function
44718 calls; this must be either @code{yes} or @code{no}. The default is
44719 @code{yes}, which is appropriate for most registers except for
44720 some system control registers; this is not related to the target's
44724 The type of the register. It may be a predefined type, a type
44725 defined in the current feature, or one of the special types @code{int}
44726 and @code{float}. @code{int} is an integer type of the correct size
44727 for @var{bitsize}, and @code{float} is a floating point type (in the
44728 architecture's normal floating point format) of the correct size for
44729 @var{bitsize}. The default is @code{int}.
44732 The register group to which this register belongs. It can be one of the
44733 standard register groups @code{general}, @code{float}, @code{vector} or an
44734 arbitrary string. Group names should be limited to alphanumeric characters.
44735 If a group name is made up of multiple words the words may be separated by
44736 hyphens; e.g.@: @code{special-group} or @code{ultra-special-group}. If no
44737 @var{group} is specified, @value{GDBN} will not display the register in
44738 @code{info registers}.
44742 @node Predefined Target Types
44743 @section Predefined Target Types
44744 @cindex target descriptions, predefined types
44746 Type definitions in the self-description can build up composite types
44747 from basic building blocks, but can not define fundamental types. Instead,
44748 standard identifiers are provided by @value{GDBN} for the fundamental
44749 types. The currently supported types are:
44754 Boolean type, occupying a single bit.
44762 Signed integer types holding the specified number of bits.
44770 Unsigned integer types holding the specified number of bits.
44774 Pointers to unspecified code and data. The program counter and
44775 any dedicated return address register may be marked as code
44776 pointers; printing a code pointer converts it into a symbolic
44777 address. The stack pointer and any dedicated address registers
44778 may be marked as data pointers.
44781 Single precision IEEE floating point.
44784 Double precision IEEE floating point.
44787 The 12-byte extended precision format used by ARM FPA registers.
44790 The 10-byte extended precision format used by x87 registers.
44793 32bit @sc{eflags} register used by x86.
44796 32bit @sc{mxcsr} register used by x86.
44800 @node Enum Target Types
44801 @section Enum Target Types
44802 @cindex target descriptions, enum types
44804 Enum target types are useful in @samp{struct} and @samp{flags}
44805 register descriptions. @xref{Target Description Format}.
44807 Enum types have a name, size and a list of name/value pairs.
44810 <enum id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
44811 <evalue name="@var{name}" value="@var{value}"/>
44816 Enums must be defined before they are used.
44819 <enum id="levels_type" size="4">
44820 <evalue name="low" value="0"/>
44821 <evalue name="high" value="1"/>
44823 <flags id="flags_type" size="4">
44824 <field name="X" start="0"/>
44825 <field name="LEVEL" start="1" end="1" type="levels_type"/>
44827 <reg name="flags" bitsize="32" type="flags_type"/>
44830 Given that description, a value of 3 for the @samp{flags} register
44831 would be printed as:
44834 (gdb) info register flags
44835 flags 0x3 [ X LEVEL=high ]
44838 @node Standard Target Features
44839 @section Standard Target Features
44840 @cindex target descriptions, standard features
44842 A target description must contain either no registers or all the
44843 target's registers. If the description contains no registers, then
44844 @value{GDBN} will assume a default register layout, selected based on
44845 the architecture. If the description contains any registers, the
44846 default layout will not be used; the standard registers must be
44847 described in the target description, in such a way that @value{GDBN}
44848 can recognize them.
44850 This is accomplished by giving specific names to feature elements
44851 which contain standard registers. @value{GDBN} will look for features
44852 with those names and verify that they contain the expected registers;
44853 if any known feature is missing required registers, or if any required
44854 feature is missing, @value{GDBN} will reject the target
44855 description. You can add additional registers to any of the
44856 standard features --- @value{GDBN} will display them just as if
44857 they were added to an unrecognized feature.
44859 This section lists the known features and their expected contents.
44860 Sample XML documents for these features are included in the
44861 @value{GDBN} source tree, in the directory @file{gdb/features}.
44863 Names recognized by @value{GDBN} should include the name of the
44864 company or organization which selected the name, and the overall
44865 architecture to which the feature applies; so e.g.@: the feature
44866 containing ARM core registers is named @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}.
44868 The names of registers are not case sensitive for the purpose
44869 of recognizing standard features, but @value{GDBN} will only display
44870 registers using the capitalization used in the description.
44873 * AArch64 Features::
44877 * MicroBlaze Features::
44881 * Nios II Features::
44882 * OpenRISC 1000 Features::
44883 * PowerPC Features::
44884 * RISC-V Features::
44886 * S/390 and System z Features::
44892 @node AArch64 Features
44893 @subsection AArch64 Features
44894 @cindex target descriptions, AArch64 features
44896 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.aarch64.core} feature is required for AArch64
44897 targets. It should contain registers @samp{x0} through @samp{x30},
44898 @samp{sp}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
44900 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.aarch64.fpu} feature is optional. If present,
44901 it should contain registers @samp{v0} through @samp{v31}, @samp{fpsr},
44904 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.aarch64.sve} feature is optional. If present,
44905 it should contain registers @samp{z0} through @samp{z31}, @samp{p0}
44906 through @samp{p15}, @samp{ffr} and @samp{vg}.
44908 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.aarch64.pauth} feature is optional. If present,
44909 it should contain registers @samp{pauth_dmask} and @samp{pauth_cmask}.
44912 @subsection ARC Features
44913 @cindex target descriptions, ARC Features
44915 ARC processors are highly configurable, so even core registers and their number
44916 are not completely predetermined. In addition flags and PC registers which are
44917 important to @value{GDBN} are not ``core'' registers in ARC. It is required
44918 that one of the core registers features is present.
44919 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arc.aux-minimal} feature is mandatory.
44921 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arc.core.v2} feature is required for ARC EM and ARC HS
44922 targets with a normal register file. It should contain registers @samp{r0}
44923 through @samp{r25}, @samp{gp}, @samp{fp}, @samp{sp}, @samp{r30}, @samp{blink},
44924 @samp{lp_count} and @samp{pcl}. This feature may contain register @samp{ilink}
44925 and any of extension core registers @samp{r32} through @samp{r59/acch}.
44926 @samp{ilink} and extension core registers are not available to read/write, when
44927 debugging GNU/Linux applications, thus @samp{ilink} is made optional.
44929 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arc.core-reduced.v2} feature is required for ARC EM and
44930 ARC HS targets with a reduced register file. It should contain registers
44931 @samp{r0} through @samp{r3}, @samp{r10} through @samp{r15}, @samp{gp},
44932 @samp{fp}, @samp{sp}, @samp{r30}, @samp{blink}, @samp{lp_count} and @samp{pcl}.
44933 This feature may contain register @samp{ilink} and any of extension core
44934 registers @samp{r32} through @samp{r59/acch}.
44936 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arc.core.arcompact} feature is required for ARCompact
44937 targets with a normal register file. It should contain registers @samp{r0}
44938 through @samp{r25}, @samp{gp}, @samp{fp}, @samp{sp}, @samp{r30}, @samp{blink},
44939 @samp{lp_count} and @samp{pcl}. This feature may contain registers
44940 @samp{ilink1}, @samp{ilink2} and any of extension core registers @samp{r32}
44941 through @samp{r59/acch}. @samp{ilink1} and @samp{ilink2} and extension core
44942 registers are not available when debugging GNU/Linux applications. The only
44943 difference with @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arc.core.v2} feature is in the names of
44944 @samp{ilink1} and @samp{ilink2} registers and that @samp{r30} is mandatory in
44945 ARC v2, but @samp{ilink2} is optional on ARCompact.
44947 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arc.aux-minimal} feature is required for all ARC
44948 targets. It should contain registers @samp{pc} and @samp{status32}.
44951 @subsection ARM Features
44952 @cindex target descriptions, ARM features
44954 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core} feature is required for non-M-profile
44956 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp},
44957 @samp{lr}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
44959 For M-profile targets (e.g. Cortex-M3), the @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}
44960 feature is replaced by @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.m-profile}. It should contain
44961 registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp}, @samp{lr}, @samp{pc},
44964 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.fpa} feature is optional. If present, it
44965 should contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f7} and @samp{fps}.
44967 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.xscale.iwmmxt} feature is optional. If present,
44968 it should contain at least registers @samp{wR0} through @samp{wR15} and
44969 @samp{wCGR0} through @samp{wCGR3}. The @samp{wCID}, @samp{wCon},
44970 @samp{wCSSF}, and @samp{wCASF} registers are optional.
44972 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} feature is optional. If present, it
44973 should contain at least registers @samp{d0} through @samp{d15}. If
44974 they are present, @samp{d16} through @samp{d31} should also be included.
44975 @value{GDBN} will synthesize the single-precision registers from
44976 halves of the double-precision registers.
44978 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.neon} feature is optional. It does not
44979 need to contain registers; it instructs @value{GDBN} to display the
44980 VFP double-precision registers as vectors and to synthesize the
44981 quad-precision registers from pairs of double-precision registers.
44982 If this feature is present, @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} must also
44983 be present and include 32 double-precision registers.
44985 @node i386 Features
44986 @subsection i386 Features
44987 @cindex target descriptions, i386 features
44989 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.core} feature is required for i386/amd64
44990 targets. It should describe the following registers:
44994 @samp{eax} through @samp{edi} plus @samp{eip} for i386
44996 @samp{rax} through @samp{r15} plus @samp{rip} for amd64
44998 @samp{eflags}, @samp{cs}, @samp{ss}, @samp{ds}, @samp{es},
44999 @samp{fs}, @samp{gs}
45001 @samp{st0} through @samp{st7}
45003 @samp{fctrl}, @samp{fstat}, @samp{ftag}, @samp{fiseg}, @samp{fioff},
45004 @samp{foseg}, @samp{fooff} and @samp{fop}
45007 The register sets may be different, depending on the target.
45009 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature is optional. It should
45010 describe registers:
45014 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm7} for i386
45016 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm15} for amd64
45021 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.avx} feature is optional and requires the
45022 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature. It should
45023 describe the upper 128 bits of @sc{ymm} registers:
45027 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm7h} for i386
45029 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm15h} for amd64
45032 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.mpx} is an optional feature representing Intel
45033 Memory Protection Extension (MPX). It should describe the following registers:
45037 @samp{bnd0raw} through @samp{bnd3raw} for i386 and amd64.
45039 @samp{bndcfgu} and @samp{bndstatus} for i386 and amd64.
45042 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.linux} feature is optional. It should
45043 describe a single register, @samp{orig_eax}.
45045 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.segments} feature is optional. It should
45046 describe two system registers: @samp{fs_base} and @samp{gs_base}.
45048 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.avx512} feature is optional and requires the
45049 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.avx} feature. It should
45050 describe additional @sc{xmm} registers:
45054 @samp{xmm16h} through @samp{xmm31h}, only valid for amd64.
45057 It should describe the upper 128 bits of additional @sc{ymm} registers:
45061 @samp{ymm16h} through @samp{ymm31h}, only valid for amd64.
45065 describe the upper 256 bits of @sc{zmm} registers:
45069 @samp{zmm0h} through @samp{zmm7h} for i386.
45071 @samp{zmm0h} through @samp{zmm15h} for amd64.
45075 describe the additional @sc{zmm} registers:
45079 @samp{zmm16h} through @samp{zmm31h}, only valid for amd64.
45082 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.pkeys} feature is optional. It should
45083 describe a single register, @samp{pkru}. It is a 32-bit register
45084 valid for i386 and amd64.
45086 @node MicroBlaze Features
45087 @subsection MicroBlaze Features
45088 @cindex target descriptions, MicroBlaze features
45090 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.microblaze.core} feature is required for MicroBlaze
45091 targets. It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31},
45092 @samp{rpc}, @samp{rmsr}, @samp{rear}, @samp{resr}, @samp{rfsr}, @samp{rbtr},
45093 @samp{rpvr}, @samp{rpvr1} through @samp{rpvr11}, @samp{redr}, @samp{rpid},
45094 @samp{rzpr}, @samp{rtlbx}, @samp{rtlbsx}, @samp{rtlblo}, and @samp{rtlbhi}.
45096 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.microblaze.stack-protect} feature is optional.
45097 If present, it should contain registers @samp{rshr} and @samp{rslr}
45099 @node MIPS Features
45100 @subsection @acronym{MIPS} Features
45101 @cindex target descriptions, @acronym{MIPS} features
45103 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cpu} feature is required for @acronym{MIPS} targets.
45104 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31}, @samp{lo},
45105 @samp{hi}, and @samp{pc}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending
45108 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cp0} feature is also required. It should
45109 contain at least the @samp{status}, @samp{badvaddr}, and @samp{cause}
45110 registers. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
45112 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.fpu} feature is currently required, though
45113 it may be optional in a future version of @value{GDBN}. It should
45114 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31}, @samp{fcsr}, and
45115 @samp{fir}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
45117 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.dsp} feature is optional. It should
45118 contain registers @samp{hi1} through @samp{hi3}, @samp{lo1} through
45119 @samp{lo3}, and @samp{dspctl}. The @samp{dspctl} register should
45120 be 32-bit and the rest may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
45122 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.linux} feature is optional. It should
45123 contain a single register, @samp{restart}, which is used by the
45124 Linux kernel to control restartable syscalls.
45126 @node M68K Features
45127 @subsection M68K Features
45128 @cindex target descriptions, M68K features
45131 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.m68k.core}
45132 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.core}
45133 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.fido.core}
45134 One of those features must be always present.
45135 The feature that is present determines which flavor of m68k is
45136 used. The feature that is present should contain registers
45137 @samp{d0} through @samp{d7}, @samp{a0} through @samp{a5}, @samp{fp},
45138 @samp{sp}, @samp{ps} and @samp{pc}.
45140 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.fp}
45141 This feature is optional. If present, it should contain registers
45142 @samp{fp0} through @samp{fp7}, @samp{fpcontrol}, @samp{fpstatus} and
45146 @node NDS32 Features
45147 @subsection NDS32 Features
45148 @cindex target descriptions, NDS32 features
45150 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.nds32.core} feature is required for NDS32
45151 targets. It should contain at least registers @samp{r0} through
45152 @samp{r10}, @samp{r15}, @samp{fp}, @samp{gp}, @samp{lp}, @samp{sp},
45155 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.nds32.fpu} feature is optional. If present,
45156 it should contain 64-bit double-precision floating-point registers
45157 @samp{fd0} through @emph{fdN}, which should be @samp{fd3}, @samp{fd7},
45158 @samp{fd15}, or @samp{fd31} based on the FPU configuration implemented.
45160 @emph{Note:} The first sixteen 64-bit double-precision floating-point
45161 registers are overlapped with the thirty-two 32-bit single-precision
45162 floating-point registers. The 32-bit single-precision registers, if
45163 not being listed explicitly, will be synthesized from halves of the
45164 overlapping 64-bit double-precision registers. Listing 32-bit
45165 single-precision registers explicitly is deprecated, and the
45166 support to it could be totally removed some day.
45168 @node Nios II Features
45169 @subsection Nios II Features
45170 @cindex target descriptions, Nios II features
45172 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.nios2.cpu} feature is required for Nios II
45173 targets. It should contain the 32 core registers (@samp{zero},
45174 @samp{at}, @samp{r2} through @samp{r23}, @samp{et} through @samp{ra}),
45175 @samp{pc}, and the 16 control registers (@samp{status} through
45178 @node OpenRISC 1000 Features
45179 @subsection Openrisc 1000 Features
45180 @cindex target descriptions, OpenRISC 1000 features
45182 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.or1k.group0} feature is required for OpenRISC 1000
45183 targets. It should contain the 32 general purpose registers (@samp{r0}
45184 through @samp{r31}), @samp{ppc}, @samp{npc} and @samp{sr}.
45186 @node PowerPC Features
45187 @subsection PowerPC Features
45188 @cindex target descriptions, PowerPC features
45190 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} feature is required for PowerPC
45191 targets. It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31},
45192 @samp{pc}, @samp{msr}, @samp{cr}, @samp{lr}, @samp{ctr}, and
45193 @samp{xer}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
45195 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.fpu} feature is optional. It should
45196 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31} and @samp{fpscr}.
45198 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.altivec} feature is optional. It should
45199 contain registers @samp{vr0} through @samp{vr31}, @samp{vscr}, and
45200 @samp{vrsave}. @value{GDBN} will define pseudo-registers @samp{v0}
45201 through @samp{v31} as aliases for the corresponding @samp{vrX}
45204 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.vsx} feature is optional. It should
45205 contain registers @samp{vs0h} through @samp{vs31h}. @value{GDBN} will
45206 combine these registers with the floating point registers (@samp{f0}
45207 through @samp{f31}) and the altivec registers (@samp{vr0} through
45208 @samp{vr31}) to present the 128-bit wide registers @samp{vs0} through
45209 @samp{vs63}, the set of vector-scalar registers for POWER7.
45210 Therefore, this feature requires both @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.fpu} and
45211 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.altivec}.
45213 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.spe} feature is optional. It should
45214 contain registers @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}, @samp{acc}, and
45215 @samp{spefscr}. SPE targets should provide 32-bit registers in
45216 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} and provide the upper halves in
45217 @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}. @value{GDBN} will combine
45218 these to present registers @samp{ev0} through @samp{ev31} to the
45221 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.ppr} feature is optional. It should
45222 contain the 64-bit register @samp{ppr}.
45224 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.dscr} feature is optional. It should
45225 contain the 64-bit register @samp{dscr}.
45227 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.tar} feature is optional. It should
45228 contain the 64-bit register @samp{tar}.
45230 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.ebb} feature is optional. It should
45231 contain registers @samp{bescr}, @samp{ebbhr} and @samp{ebbrr}, all
45234 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.linux.pmu} feature is optional. It should
45235 contain registers @samp{mmcr0}, @samp{mmcr2}, @samp{siar}, @samp{sdar}
45236 and @samp{sier}, all 64-bit wide. This is the subset of the isa 2.07
45237 server PMU registers provided by @sc{gnu}/Linux.
45239 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.htm.spr} feature is optional. It should
45240 contain registers @samp{tfhar}, @samp{texasr} and @samp{tfiar}, all
45243 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.htm.core} feature is optional. It should
45244 contain the checkpointed general-purpose registers @samp{cr0} through
45245 @samp{cr31}, as well as the checkpointed registers @samp{clr} and
45246 @samp{cctr}. These registers may all be either 32-bit or 64-bit
45247 depending on the target. It should also contain the checkpointed
45248 registers @samp{ccr} and @samp{cxer}, which should both be 32-bit
45251 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.htm.fpu} feature is optional. It should
45252 contain the checkpointed 64-bit floating-point registers @samp{cf0}
45253 through @samp{cf31}, as well as the checkpointed 64-bit register
45256 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.htm.altivec} feature is optional. It
45257 should contain the checkpointed altivec registers @samp{cvr0} through
45258 @samp{cvr31}, all 128-bit wide. It should also contain the
45259 checkpointed registers @samp{cvscr} and @samp{cvrsave}, both 32-bit
45262 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.htm.vsx} feature is optional. It should
45263 contain registers @samp{cvs0h} through @samp{cvs31h}. @value{GDBN}
45264 will combine these registers with the checkpointed floating point
45265 registers (@samp{cf0} through @samp{cf31}) and the checkpointed
45266 altivec registers (@samp{cvr0} through @samp{cvr31}) to present the
45267 128-bit wide checkpointed vector-scalar registers @samp{cvs0} through
45268 @samp{cvs63}. Therefore, this feature requires both
45269 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.htm.altivec} and
45270 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.htm.fpu}.
45272 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.htm.ppr} feature is optional. It should
45273 contain the 64-bit checkpointed register @samp{cppr}.
45275 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.htm.dscr} feature is optional. It should
45276 contain the 64-bit checkpointed register @samp{cdscr}.
45278 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.htm.tar} feature is optional. It should
45279 contain the 64-bit checkpointed register @samp{ctar}.
45282 @node RISC-V Features
45283 @subsection RISC-V Features
45284 @cindex target descriptions, RISC-V Features
45286 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.riscv.cpu} feature is required for RISC-V
45287 targets. It should contain the registers @samp{x0} through
45288 @samp{x31}, and @samp{pc}. Either the architectural names (@samp{x0},
45289 @samp{x1}, etc) can be used, or the ABI names (@samp{zero}, @samp{ra},
45292 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.riscv.fpu} feature is optional. If present, it
45293 should contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31}, @samp{fflags},
45294 @samp{frm}, and @samp{fcsr}. As with the cpu feature, either the
45295 architectural register names, or the ABI names can be used.
45297 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.riscv.virtual} feature is optional. If present,
45298 it should contain registers that are not backed by real registers on
45299 the target, but are instead virtual, where the register value is
45300 derived from other target state. In many ways these are like
45301 @value{GDBN}s pseudo-registers, except implemented by the target.
45302 Currently the only register expected in this set is the one byte
45303 @samp{priv} register that contains the target's privilege level in the
45304 least significant two bits.
45306 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.riscv.csr} feature is optional. If present, it
45307 should contain all of the target's standard CSRs. Standard CSRs are
45308 those defined in the RISC-V specification documents. There is some
45309 overlap between this feature and the fpu feature; the @samp{fflags},
45310 @samp{frm}, and @samp{fcsr} registers could be in either feature. The
45311 expectation is that these registers will be in the fpu feature if the
45312 target has floating point hardware, but can be moved into the csr
45313 feature if the target has the floating point control registers, but no
45314 other floating point hardware.
45317 @subsection RX Features
45318 @cindex target descriptions, RX Features
45320 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.rx.core} feature is required for RX
45321 targets. It should contain the registers @samp{r0} through
45322 @samp{r15}, @samp{usp}, @samp{isp}, @samp{psw}, @samp{pc}, @samp{intb},
45323 @samp{bpsw}, @samp{bpc}, @samp{fintv}, @samp{fpsw}, and @samp{acc}.
45325 @node S/390 and System z Features
45326 @subsection S/390 and System z Features
45327 @cindex target descriptions, S/390 features
45328 @cindex target descriptions, System z features
45330 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.core} feature is required for S/390 and
45331 System z targets. It should contain the PSW and the 16 general
45332 registers. In particular, System z targets should provide the 64-bit
45333 registers @samp{pswm}, @samp{pswa}, and @samp{r0} through @samp{r15}.
45334 S/390 targets should provide the 32-bit versions of these registers.
45335 A System z target that runs in 31-bit addressing mode should provide
45336 32-bit versions of @samp{pswm} and @samp{pswa}, as well as the general
45337 register's upper halves @samp{r0h} through @samp{r15h}, and their
45338 lower halves @samp{r0l} through @samp{r15l}.
45340 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.fpr} feature is required. It should
45341 contain the 64-bit registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f15}, and
45344 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.acr} feature is required. It should
45345 contain the 32-bit registers @samp{acr0} through @samp{acr15}.
45347 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.linux} feature is optional. It should
45348 contain the register @samp{orig_r2}, which is 64-bit wide on System z
45349 targets and 32-bit otherwise. In addition, the feature may contain
45350 the @samp{last_break} register, whose width depends on the addressing
45351 mode, as well as the @samp{system_call} register, which is always
45354 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.tdb} feature is optional. It should
45355 contain the 64-bit registers @samp{tdb0}, @samp{tac}, @samp{tct},
45356 @samp{atia}, and @samp{tr0} through @samp{tr15}.
45358 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.vx} feature is optional. It should contain
45359 64-bit wide registers @samp{v0l} through @samp{v15l}, which will be
45360 combined by @value{GDBN} with the floating point registers @samp{f0}
45361 through @samp{f15} to present the 128-bit wide vector registers
45362 @samp{v0} through @samp{v15}. In addition, this feature should
45363 contain the 128-bit wide vector registers @samp{v16} through
45366 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.gs} feature is optional. It should contain
45367 the 64-bit wide guarded-storage-control registers @samp{gsd},
45368 @samp{gssm}, and @samp{gsepla}.
45370 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.gsbc} feature is optional. It should contain
45371 the 64-bit wide guarded-storage broadcast control registers
45372 @samp{bc_gsd}, @samp{bc_gssm}, and @samp{bc_gsepla}.
45374 @node Sparc Features
45375 @subsection Sparc Features
45376 @cindex target descriptions, sparc32 features
45377 @cindex target descriptions, sparc64 features
45378 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.sparc.cpu} feature is required for sparc32/sparc64
45379 targets. It should describe the following registers:
45383 @samp{g0} through @samp{g7}
45385 @samp{o0} through @samp{o7}
45387 @samp{l0} through @samp{l7}
45389 @samp{i0} through @samp{i7}
45392 They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
45394 Also the @samp{org.gnu.gdb.sparc.fpu} feature is required for sparc32/sparc64
45395 targets. It should describe the following registers:
45399 @samp{f0} through @samp{f31}
45401 @samp{f32} through @samp{f62} for sparc64
45404 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.sparc.cp0} feature is required for sparc32/sparc64
45405 targets. It should describe the following registers:
45409 @samp{y}, @samp{psr}, @samp{wim}, @samp{tbr}, @samp{pc}, @samp{npc},
45410 @samp{fsr}, and @samp{csr} for sparc32
45412 @samp{pc}, @samp{npc}, @samp{state}, @samp{fsr}, @samp{fprs}, and @samp{y}
45416 @node TIC6x Features
45417 @subsection TMS320C6x Features
45418 @cindex target descriptions, TIC6x features
45419 @cindex target descriptions, TMS320C6x features
45420 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.core} feature is required for TMS320C6x
45421 targets. It should contain registers @samp{A0} through @samp{A15},
45422 registers @samp{B0} through @samp{B15}, @samp{CSR} and @samp{PC}.
45424 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.gp} feature is optional. It should
45425 contain registers @samp{A16} through @samp{A31} and @samp{B16}
45426 through @samp{B31}.
45428 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.c6xp} feature is optional. It should
45429 contain registers @samp{TSR}, @samp{ILC} and @samp{RILC}.
45431 @node Operating System Information
45432 @appendix Operating System Information
45433 @cindex operating system information
45439 Users of @value{GDBN} often wish to obtain information about the state of
45440 the operating system running on the target---for example the list of
45441 processes, or the list of open files. This section describes the
45442 mechanism that makes it possible. This mechanism is similar to the
45443 target features mechanism (@pxref{Target Descriptions}), but focuses
45444 on a different aspect of target.
45446 Operating system information is retrieved from the target via the
45447 remote protocol, using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{qXfer osdata
45448 read}). The object name in the request should be @samp{osdata}, and
45449 the @var{annex} identifies the data to be fetched.
45452 @appendixsection Process list
45453 @cindex operating system information, process list
45455 When requesting the process list, the @var{annex} field in the
45456 @samp{qXfer} request should be @samp{processes}. The returned data is
45457 an XML document. The formal syntax of this document is defined in
45458 @file{gdb/features/osdata.dtd}.
45460 An example document is:
45463 <?xml version="1.0"?>
45464 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "osdata.dtd">
45465 <osdata type="processes">
45467 <column name="pid">1</column>
45468 <column name="user">root</column>
45469 <column name="command">/sbin/init</column>
45470 <column name="cores">1,2,3</column>
45475 Each item should include a column whose name is @samp{pid}. The value
45476 of that column should identify the process on the target. The
45477 @samp{user} and @samp{command} columns are optional, and will be
45478 displayed by @value{GDBN}. The @samp{cores} column, if present,
45479 should contain a comma-separated list of cores that this process
45480 is running on. Target may provide additional columns,
45481 which @value{GDBN} currently ignores.
45483 @node Trace File Format
45484 @appendix Trace File Format
45485 @cindex trace file format
45487 The trace file comes in three parts: a header, a textual description
45488 section, and a trace frame section with binary data.
45490 The header has the form @code{\x7fTRACE0\n}. The first byte is
45491 @code{0x7f} so as to indicate that the file contains binary data,
45492 while the @code{0} is a version number that may have different values
45495 The description section consists of multiple lines of @sc{ascii} text
45496 separated by newline characters (@code{0xa}). The lines may include a
45497 variety of optional descriptive or context-setting information, such
45498 as tracepoint definitions or register set size. @value{GDBN} will
45499 ignore any line that it does not recognize. An empty line marks the end
45504 Specifies the size of a register block in bytes. This is equal to the
45505 size of a @code{g} packet payload in the remote protocol. @var{size}
45506 is an ascii decimal number. There should be only one such line in
45507 a single trace file.
45509 @item status @var{status}
45510 Trace status. @var{status} has the same format as a @code{qTStatus}
45511 remote packet reply. There should be only one such line in a single trace
45514 @item tp @var{payload}
45515 Tracepoint definition. The @var{payload} has the same format as
45516 @code{qTfP}/@code{qTsP} remote packet reply payload. A single tracepoint
45517 may take multiple lines of definition, corresponding to the multiple
45520 @item tsv @var{payload}
45521 Trace state variable definition. The @var{payload} has the same format as
45522 @code{qTfV}/@code{qTsV} remote packet reply payload. A single variable
45523 may take multiple lines of definition, corresponding to the multiple
45526 @item tdesc @var{payload}
45527 Target description in XML format. The @var{payload} is a single line of
45528 the XML file. All such lines should be concatenated together to get
45529 the original XML file. This file is in the same format as @code{qXfer}
45530 @code{features} payload, and corresponds to the main @code{target.xml}
45531 file. Includes are not allowed.
45535 The trace frame section consists of a number of consecutive frames.
45536 Each frame begins with a two-byte tracepoint number, followed by a
45537 four-byte size giving the amount of data in the frame. The data in
45538 the frame consists of a number of blocks, each introduced by a
45539 character indicating its type (at least register, memory, and trace
45540 state variable). The data in this section is raw binary, not a
45541 hexadecimal or other encoding; its endianness matches the target's
45544 @c FIXME bi-arch may require endianness/arch info in description section
45547 @item R @var{bytes}
45548 Register block. The number and ordering of bytes matches that of a
45549 @code{g} packet in the remote protocol. Note that these are the
45550 actual bytes, in target order, not a hexadecimal encoding.
45552 @item M @var{address} @var{length} @var{bytes}...
45553 Memory block. This is a contiguous block of memory, at the 8-byte
45554 address @var{address}, with a 2-byte length @var{length}, followed by
45555 @var{length} bytes.
45557 @item V @var{number} @var{value}
45558 Trace state variable block. This records the 8-byte signed value
45559 @var{value} of trace state variable numbered @var{number}.
45563 Future enhancements of the trace file format may include additional types
45566 @node Index Section Format
45567 @appendix @code{.gdb_index} section format
45568 @cindex .gdb_index section format
45569 @cindex index section format
45571 This section documents the index section that is created by @code{save
45572 gdb-index} (@pxref{Index Files}). The index section is
45573 DWARF-specific; some knowledge of DWARF is assumed in this
45576 The mapped index file format is designed to be directly
45577 @code{mmap}able on any architecture. In most cases, a datum is
45578 represented using a little-endian 32-bit integer value, called an
45579 @code{offset_type}. Big endian machines must byte-swap the values
45580 before using them. Exceptions to this rule are noted. The data is
45581 laid out such that alignment is always respected.
45583 A mapped index consists of several areas, laid out in order.
45587 The file header. This is a sequence of values, of @code{offset_type}
45588 unless otherwise noted:
45592 The version number, currently 8. Versions 1, 2 and 3 are obsolete.
45593 Version 4 uses a different hashing function from versions 5 and 6.
45594 Version 6 includes symbols for inlined functions, whereas versions 4
45595 and 5 do not. Version 7 adds attributes to the CU indices in the
45596 symbol table. Version 8 specifies that symbols from DWARF type units
45597 (@samp{DW_TAG_type_unit}) refer to the type unit's symbol table and not the
45598 compilation unit (@samp{DW_TAG_comp_unit}) using the type.
45600 @value{GDBN} will only read version 4, 5, or 6 indices
45601 by specifying @code{set use-deprecated-index-sections on}.
45602 GDB has a workaround for potentially broken version 7 indices so it is
45603 currently not flagged as deprecated.
45606 The offset, from the start of the file, of the CU list.
45609 The offset, from the start of the file, of the types CU list. Note
45610 that this area can be empty, in which case this offset will be equal
45611 to the next offset.
45614 The offset, from the start of the file, of the address area.
45617 The offset, from the start of the file, of the symbol table.
45620 The offset, from the start of the file, of the constant pool.
45624 The CU list. This is a sequence of pairs of 64-bit little-endian
45625 values, sorted by the CU offset. The first element in each pair is
45626 the offset of a CU in the @code{.debug_info} section. The second
45627 element in each pair is the length of that CU. References to a CU
45628 elsewhere in the map are done using a CU index, which is just the
45629 0-based index into this table. Note that if there are type CUs, then
45630 conceptually CUs and type CUs form a single list for the purposes of
45634 The types CU list. This is a sequence of triplets of 64-bit
45635 little-endian values. In a triplet, the first value is the CU offset,
45636 the second value is the type offset in the CU, and the third value is
45637 the type signature. The types CU list is not sorted.
45640 The address area. The address area consists of a sequence of address
45641 entries. Each address entry has three elements:
45645 The low address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value.
45648 The high address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value. Like
45649 @code{DW_AT_high_pc}, the value is one byte beyond the end.
45652 The CU index. This is an @code{offset_type} value.
45656 The symbol table. This is an open-addressed hash table. The size of
45657 the hash table is always a power of 2.
45659 Each slot in the hash table consists of a pair of @code{offset_type}
45660 values. The first value is the offset of the symbol's name in the
45661 constant pool. The second value is the offset of the CU vector in the
45664 If both values are 0, then this slot in the hash table is empty. This
45665 is ok because while 0 is a valid constant pool index, it cannot be a
45666 valid index for both a string and a CU vector.
45668 The hash value for a table entry is computed by applying an
45669 iterative hash function to the symbol's name. Starting with an
45670 initial value of @code{r = 0}, each (unsigned) character @samp{c} in
45671 the string is incorporated into the hash using the formula depending on the
45676 The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + c - 113}.
45678 @item Versions 5 to 7
45679 The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + tolower (c) - 113}.
45682 The terminating @samp{\0} is not incorporated into the hash.
45684 The step size used in the hash table is computed via
45685 @code{((hash * 17) & (size - 1)) | 1}, where @samp{hash} is the hash
45686 value, and @samp{size} is the size of the hash table. The step size
45687 is used to find the next candidate slot when handling a hash
45690 The names of C@t{++} symbols in the hash table are canonicalized. We
45691 don't currently have a simple description of the canonicalization
45692 algorithm; if you intend to create new index sections, you must read
45696 The constant pool. This is simply a bunch of bytes. It is organized
45697 so that alignment is correct: CU vectors are stored first, followed by
45700 A CU vector in the constant pool is a sequence of @code{offset_type}
45701 values. The first value is the number of CU indices in the vector.
45702 Each subsequent value is the index and symbol attributes of a CU in
45703 the CU list. This element in the hash table is used to indicate which
45704 CUs define the symbol and how the symbol is used.
45705 See below for the format of each CU index+attributes entry.
45707 A string in the constant pool is zero-terminated.
45710 Attributes were added to CU index values in @code{.gdb_index} version 7.
45711 If a symbol has multiple uses within a CU then there is one
45712 CU index+attributes value for each use.
45714 The format of each CU index+attributes entry is as follows
45720 This is the index of the CU in the CU list.
45722 These bits are reserved for future purposes and must be zero.
45724 The kind of the symbol in the CU.
45728 This value is reserved and should not be used.
45729 By reserving zero the full @code{offset_type} value is backwards compatible
45730 with previous versions of the index.
45732 The symbol is a type.
45734 The symbol is a variable or an enum value.
45736 The symbol is a function.
45738 Any other kind of symbol.
45740 These values are reserved.
45744 This bit is zero if the value is global and one if it is static.
45746 The determination of whether a symbol is global or static is complicated.
45747 The authorative reference is the file @file{dwarf2read.c} in
45748 @value{GDBN} sources.
45752 This pseudo-code describes the computation of a symbol's kind and
45753 global/static attributes in the index.
45756 is_external = get_attribute (die, DW_AT_external);
45757 language = get_attribute (cu_die, DW_AT_language);
45760 case DW_TAG_typedef:
45761 case DW_TAG_base_type:
45762 case DW_TAG_subrange_type:
45766 case DW_TAG_enumerator:
45768 is_static = language != CPLUS;
45770 case DW_TAG_subprogram:
45772 is_static = ! (is_external || language == ADA);
45774 case DW_TAG_constant:
45776 is_static = ! is_external;
45778 case DW_TAG_variable:
45780 is_static = ! is_external;
45782 case DW_TAG_namespace:
45786 case DW_TAG_class_type:
45787 case DW_TAG_interface_type:
45788 case DW_TAG_structure_type:
45789 case DW_TAG_union_type:
45790 case DW_TAG_enumeration_type:
45792 is_static = language != CPLUS;
45800 @appendix Manual pages
45804 * gdb man:: The GNU Debugger man page
45805 * gdbserver man:: Remote Server for the GNU Debugger man page
45806 * gcore man:: Generate a core file of a running program
45807 * gdbinit man:: gdbinit scripts
45808 * gdb-add-index man:: Add index files to speed up GDB
45814 @c man title gdb The GNU Debugger
45816 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gdb
45817 gdb [@option{-help}] [@option{-nh}] [@option{-nx}] [@option{-q}]
45818 [@option{-batch}] [@option{-cd=}@var{dir}] [@option{-f}]
45819 [@option{-b}@w{ }@var{bps}]
45820 [@option{-tty=}@var{dev}] [@option{-s} @var{symfile}]
45821 [@option{-e}@w{ }@var{prog}] [@option{-se}@w{ }@var{prog}]
45822 [@option{-c}@w{ }@var{core}] [@option{-p}@w{ }@var{procID}]
45823 [@option{-x}@w{ }@var{cmds}] [@option{-d}@w{ }@var{dir}]
45824 [@var{prog}|@var{prog} @var{procID}|@var{prog} @var{core}]
45827 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gdb
45828 The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
45829 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes -- or what another
45830 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
45832 @value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
45833 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
45837 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
45840 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
45843 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
45846 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
45847 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
45850 You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C, C@t{++}, Fortran and
45853 @value{GDBN} is invoked with the shell command @code{gdb}. Once started, it reads
45854 commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit with the @value{GDBN}
45855 command @code{quit}. You can get online help from @value{GDBN} itself
45856 by using the command @code{help}.
45858 You can run @code{gdb} with no arguments or options; but the most
45859 usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument or two, specifying an
45860 executable program as the argument:
45866 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file specified:
45872 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument or use option
45873 @code{-p}, if you want to debug a running process:
45881 would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234}. With option @option{-p} you
45882 can omit the @var{program} filename.
45884 Here are some of the most frequently needed @value{GDBN} commands:
45886 @c pod2man highlights the right hand side of the @item lines.
45888 @item break [@var{file}:]@var{function}
45889 Set a breakpoint at @var{function} (in @var{file}).
45891 @item run [@var{arglist}]
45892 Start your program (with @var{arglist}, if specified).
45895 Backtrace: display the program stack.
45897 @item print @var{expr}
45898 Display the value of an expression.
45901 Continue running your program (after stopping, e.g. at a breakpoint).
45904 Execute next program line (after stopping); step @emph{over} any
45905 function calls in the line.
45907 @item edit [@var{file}:]@var{function}
45908 look at the program line where it is presently stopped.
45910 @item list [@var{file}:]@var{function}
45911 type the text of the program in the vicinity of where it is presently stopped.
45914 Execute next program line (after stopping); step @emph{into} any
45915 function calls in the line.
45917 @item help [@var{name}]
45918 Show information about @value{GDBN} command @var{name}, or general information
45919 about using @value{GDBN}.
45922 Exit from @value{GDBN}.
45926 For full details on @value{GDBN},
45927 see @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
45928 by Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch. The same text is available online
45929 as the @code{gdb} entry in the @code{info} program.
45933 @c man begin OPTIONS gdb
45934 Any arguments other than options specify an executable
45935 file and core file (or process ID); that is, the first argument
45936 encountered with no
45937 associated option flag is equivalent to a @option{-se} option, and the second,
45938 if any, is equivalent to a @option{-c} option if it's the name of a file.
45940 both long and short forms; both are shown here. The long forms are also
45941 recognized if you truncate them, so long as enough of the option is
45942 present to be unambiguous. (If you prefer, you can flag option
45943 arguments with @option{+} rather than @option{-}, though we illustrate the
45944 more usual convention.)
45946 All the options and command line arguments you give are processed
45947 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the @option{-x}
45953 List all options, with brief explanations.
45955 @item -symbols=@var{file}
45956 @itemx -s @var{file}
45957 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
45960 Enable writing into executable and core files.
45962 @item -exec=@var{file}
45963 @itemx -e @var{file}
45964 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when
45965 appropriate, and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core
45968 @item -se=@var{file}
45969 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
45972 @item -core=@var{file}
45973 @itemx -c @var{file}
45974 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
45976 @item -command=@var{file}
45977 @itemx -x @var{file}
45978 Execute @value{GDBN} commands from file @var{file}.
45980 @item -ex @var{command}
45981 Execute given @value{GDBN} @var{command}.
45983 @item -directory=@var{directory}
45984 @itemx -d @var{directory}
45985 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source files.
45988 Do not execute commands from @file{~/.gdbinit}.
45992 Do not execute commands from any @file{.gdbinit} initialization files.
45996 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
45997 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
46000 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the command
46001 files specified with @option{-x} (and @file{.gdbinit}, if not inhibited).
46002 Exit with nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN}
46003 commands in the command files.
46005 Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for example to
46006 download and run a program on another computer; in order to make this
46007 more useful, the message
46010 Program exited normally.
46014 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under @value{GDBN} control
46015 terminates) is not issued when running in batch mode.
46017 @item -cd=@var{directory}
46018 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
46019 instead of the current directory.
46023 Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a subprocess. It tells
46024 @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line number in a standard,
46025 recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is displayed (which
46026 includes each time the program stops). This recognizable format looks
46027 like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by the file name, line number
46028 and character position separated by colons, and a newline. The
46029 Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two @samp{\032}
46030 characters as a signal to display the source code for the frame.
46033 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
46034 interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
46036 @item -tty=@var{device}
46037 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
46041 @c man begin SEEALSO gdb
46043 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
46044 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
46045 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
46052 should give you access to the complete manual.
46054 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
46055 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
46059 @node gdbserver man
46060 @heading gdbserver man
46062 @c man title gdbserver Remote Server for the GNU Debugger
46064 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gdbserver
46065 gdbserver @var{comm} @var{prog} [@var{args}@dots{}]
46067 gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
46069 gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
46073 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gdbserver
46074 @command{gdbserver} is a program that allows you to run @value{GDBN} on a different machine
46075 than the one which is running the program being debugged.
46078 @subheading Usage (server (target) side)
46081 Usage (server (target) side):
46084 First, you need to have a copy of the program you want to debug put onto
46085 the target system. The program can be stripped to save space if needed, as
46086 @command{gdbserver} doesn't care about symbols. All symbol handling is taken care of by
46087 the @value{GDBN} running on the host system.
46089 To use the server, you log on to the target system, and run the @command{gdbserver}
46090 program. You must tell it (a) how to communicate with @value{GDBN}, (b) the name of
46091 your program, and (c) its arguments. The general syntax is:
46094 target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [@var{args} ...]
46097 For example, using a serial port, you might say:
46101 @c @file would wrap it as F</dev/com1>.
46102 target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
46105 target> gdbserver @file{/dev/com1} emacs foo.txt
46109 This tells @command{gdbserver} to debug emacs with an argument of foo.txt, and
46110 to communicate with @value{GDBN} via @file{/dev/com1}. @command{gdbserver} now
46111 waits patiently for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate with it.
46113 To use a TCP connection, you could say:
46116 target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
46119 This says pretty much the same thing as the last example, except that we are
46120 going to communicate with the @code{host} @value{GDBN} via TCP. The @code{host:2345} argument means
46121 that we are expecting to see a TCP connection from @code{host} to local TCP port
46122 2345. (Currently, the @code{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number you
46123 want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any existing TCP
46124 ports on the target system. This same port number must be used in the host
46125 @value{GDBN}s @code{target remote} command, which will be described shortly. Note that if
46126 you chose a port number that conflicts with another service, @command{gdbserver} will
46127 print an error message and exit.
46129 @command{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
46130 This is accomplished via the @option{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
46133 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
46136 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't
46137 necessary to point @command{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
46139 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
46140 or process ID to attach, use the @option{--multi} command line option.
46141 In such case you should connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} to start
46142 the program you want to debug.
46145 target> gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
46149 @subheading Usage (host side)
46155 You need an unstripped copy of the target program on your host system, since
46156 @value{GDBN} needs to examine its symbol tables and such. Start up @value{GDBN} as you normally
46157 would, with the target program as the first argument. (You may need to use the
46158 @option{--baud} option if the serial line is running at anything except 9600 baud.)
46159 That is @code{gdb TARGET-PROG}, or @code{gdb --baud BAUD TARGET-PROG}. After that, the only
46160 new command you need to know about is @code{target remote}
46161 (or @code{target extended-remote}). Its argument is either
46162 a device name (usually a serial device, like @file{/dev/ttyb}), or a @code{HOST:PORT}
46163 descriptor. For example:
46167 @c @file would wrap it as F</dev/ttyb>.
46168 (gdb) target remote /dev/ttyb
46171 (gdb) target remote @file{/dev/ttyb}
46176 communicates with the server via serial line @file{/dev/ttyb}, and:
46179 (gdb) target remote the-target:2345
46183 communicates via a TCP connection to port 2345 on host `the-target', where
46184 you previously started up @command{gdbserver} with the same port number. Note that for
46185 TCP connections, you must start up @command{gdbserver} prior to using the `target remote'
46186 command, otherwise you may get an error that looks something like
46187 `Connection refused'.
46189 @command{gdbserver} can also debug multiple inferiors at once,
46192 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Inferiors and Programs}
46193 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'Inferiors and Programs'}.
46196 @ref{Inferiors and Programs}.
46198 In such case use the @code{extended-remote} @value{GDBN} command variant:
46201 (gdb) target extended-remote the-target:2345
46204 The @command{gdbserver} option @option{--multi} may or may not be used in such
46208 @c man begin OPTIONS gdbserver
46209 There are three different modes for invoking @command{gdbserver}:
46214 Debug a specific program specified by its program name:
46217 gdbserver @var{comm} @var{prog} [@var{args}@dots{}]
46220 The @var{comm} parameter specifies how should the server communicate
46221 with @value{GDBN}; it is either a device name (to use a serial line),
46222 a TCP port number (@code{:1234}), or @code{-} or @code{stdio} to use
46223 stdin/stdout of @code{gdbserver}. Specify the name of the program to
46224 debug in @var{prog}. Any remaining arguments will be passed to the
46225 program verbatim. When the program exits, @value{GDBN} will close the
46226 connection, and @code{gdbserver} will exit.
46229 Debug a specific program by specifying the process ID of a running
46233 gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
46236 The @var{comm} parameter is as described above. Supply the process ID
46237 of a running program in @var{pid}; @value{GDBN} will do everything
46238 else. Like with the previous mode, when the process @var{pid} exits,
46239 @value{GDBN} will close the connection, and @code{gdbserver} will exit.
46242 Multi-process mode -- debug more than one program/process:
46245 gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
46248 In this mode, @value{GDBN} can instruct @command{gdbserver} which
46249 command(s) to run. Unlike the other 2 modes, @value{GDBN} will not
46250 close the connection when a process being debugged exits, so you can
46251 debug several processes in the same session.
46254 In each of the modes you may specify these options:
46259 List all options, with brief explanations.
46262 This option causes @command{gdbserver} to print its version number and exit.
46265 @command{gdbserver} will attach to a running program. The syntax is:
46268 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
46271 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't
46272 necessary to point @command{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
46275 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
46276 or process ID to attach, use this command line option.
46277 Then you can connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} and start
46278 the program you want to debug. The syntax is:
46281 target> gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
46285 Instruct @code{gdbserver} to display extra status information about the debugging
46287 This option is intended for @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to
46290 @item --remote-debug
46291 Instruct @code{gdbserver} to display remote protocol debug output.
46292 This option is intended for @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to
46295 @item --debug-file=@var{filename}
46296 Instruct @code{gdbserver} to send any debug output to the given @var{filename}.
46297 This option is intended for @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to
46300 @item --debug-format=option1@r{[},option2,...@r{]}
46301 Instruct @code{gdbserver} to include extra information in each line
46302 of debugging output.
46303 @xref{Other Command-Line Arguments for gdbserver}.
46306 Specify a wrapper to launch programs
46307 for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
46308 wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
46309 @kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
46312 By default, @command{gdbserver} keeps the listening TCP port open, so that
46313 additional connections are possible. However, if you start @code{gdbserver}
46314 with the @option{--once} option, it will stop listening for any further
46315 connection attempts after connecting to the first @value{GDBN} session.
46317 @c --disable-packet is not documented for users.
46319 @c --disable-randomization and --no-disable-randomization are superseded by
46320 @c QDisableRandomization.
46325 @c man begin SEEALSO gdbserver
46327 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
46328 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
46329 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
46335 should give you access to the complete manual.
46337 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
46338 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
46345 @c man title gcore Generate a core file of a running program
46348 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gcore
46349 gcore [-a] [-o @var{prefix}] @var{pid1} [@var{pid2}...@var{pidN}]
46353 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gcore
46354 Generate core dumps of one or more running programs with process IDs
46355 @var{pid1}, @var{pid2}, etc. A core file produced by @command{gcore}
46356 is equivalent to one produced by the kernel when the process crashes
46357 (and when @kbd{ulimit -c} was used to set up an appropriate core dump
46358 limit). However, unlike after a crash, after @command{gcore} finishes
46359 its job the program remains running without any change.
46362 @c man begin OPTIONS gcore
46365 Dump all memory mappings. The actual effect of this option depends on
46366 the Operating System. On @sc{gnu}/Linux, it will disable
46367 @code{use-coredump-filter} (@pxref{set use-coredump-filter}) and
46368 enable @code{dump-excluded-mappings} (@pxref{set
46369 dump-excluded-mappings}).
46371 @item -o @var{prefix}
46372 The optional argument @var{prefix} specifies the prefix to be used
46373 when composing the file names of the core dumps. The file name is
46374 composed as @file{@var{prefix}.@var{pid}}, where @var{pid} is the
46375 process ID of the running program being analyzed by @command{gcore}.
46376 If not specified, @var{prefix} defaults to @var{gcore}.
46380 @c man begin SEEALSO gcore
46382 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
46383 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
46384 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
46391 should give you access to the complete manual.
46393 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
46394 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
46401 @c man title gdbinit GDB initialization scripts
46404 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gdbinit
46405 @ifset SYSTEM_GDBINIT
46406 @value{SYSTEM_GDBINIT}
46409 @ifset SYSTEM_GDBINIT_DIR
46410 @value{SYSTEM_GDBINIT_DIR}/*
46419 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gdbinit
46420 These files contain @value{GDBN} commands to automatically execute during
46421 @value{GDBN} startup. The lines of contents are canned sequences of commands,
46424 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Sequences}
46425 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n Sequences}.
46431 Please read more in
46433 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Startup}
46434 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n Startup}.
46441 @ifset SYSTEM_GDBINIT
46442 @item @value{SYSTEM_GDBINIT}
46444 @ifclear SYSTEM_GDBINIT
46445 @item (not enabled with @code{--with-system-gdbinit} during compilation)
46447 System-wide initialization file. It is executed unless user specified
46448 @value{GDBN} option @code{-nx} or @code{-n}.
46451 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{System-wide configuration}
46452 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'System-wide configuration'}.
46454 @ifset SYSTEM_GDBINIT_DIR
46455 @item @value{SYSTEM_GDBINIT_DIR}
46457 @ifclear SYSTEM_GDBINIT_DIR
46458 @item (not enabled with @code{--with-system-gdbinit-dir} during compilation)
46460 System-wide initialization directory. All files in this directory are
46461 executed on startup unless user specified @value{GDBN} option @code{-nx} or
46462 @code{-n}, as long as they have a recognized file extension.
46465 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{System-wide configuration}
46466 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'System-wide configuration'}.
46469 @ref{System-wide configuration}.
46473 User initialization file. It is executed unless user specified
46474 @value{GDBN} options @code{-nx}, @code{-n} or @code{-nh}.
46477 Initialization file for current directory. It may need to be enabled with
46478 @value{GDBN} security command @code{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
46481 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Init File in the Current Directory}
46482 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'Init File in the Current Directory'}.
46485 @ref{Init File in the Current Directory}.
46490 @c man begin SEEALSO gdbinit
46492 gdb(1), @code{info -f gdb -n Startup}
46494 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
46495 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
46496 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
46502 should give you access to the complete manual.
46504 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
46505 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
46509 @node gdb-add-index man
46510 @heading gdb-add-index
46511 @pindex gdb-add-index
46512 @anchor{gdb-add-index}
46514 @c man title gdb-add-index Add index files to speed up GDB
46516 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gdb-add-index
46517 gdb-add-index @var{filename}
46520 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gdb-add-index
46521 When @value{GDBN} finds a symbol file, it scans the symbols in the
46522 file in order to construct an internal symbol table. This lets most
46523 @value{GDBN} operations work quickly--at the cost of a delay early on.
46524 For large programs, this delay can be quite lengthy, so @value{GDBN}
46525 provides a way to build an index, which speeds up startup.
46527 To determine whether a file contains such an index, use the command
46528 @kbd{readelf -S filename}: the index is stored in a section named
46529 @code{.gdb_index}. The index file can only be produced on systems
46530 which use ELF binaries and DWARF debug information (i.e., sections
46531 named @code{.debug_*}).
46533 @command{gdb-add-index} uses @value{GDBN} and @command{objdump} found
46534 in the @env{PATH} environment variable. If you want to use different
46535 versions of these programs, you can specify them through the
46536 @env{GDB} and @env{OBJDUMP} environment variables.
46540 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Index Files}
46541 -- shell command @kbd{info -f gdb -n "Index Files"}.
46548 @c man begin SEEALSO gdb-add-index
46550 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
46551 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
46552 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
46558 should give you access to the complete manual.
46560 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
46561 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
46567 @node GNU Free Documentation License
46568 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License
46571 @node Concept Index
46572 @unnumbered Concept Index
46576 @node Command and Variable Index
46577 @unnumbered Command, Variable, and Function Index
46582 % I think something like @@colophon should be in texinfo. In the
46584 \long\def\colophon{\hbox to0pt{}\vfill
46585 \centerline{The body of this manual is set in}
46586 \centerline{\fontname\tenrm,}
46587 \centerline{with headings in {\bf\fontname\tenbf}}
46588 \centerline{and examples in {\tt\fontname\tentt}.}
46589 \centerline{{\it\fontname\tenit\/},}
46590 \centerline{{\bf\fontname\tenbf}, and}
46591 \centerline{{\sl\fontname\tensl\/}}
46592 \centerline{are used for emphasis.}\vfill}
46594 % Blame: doc@@cygnus.com, 1991.