2796 lines
104 KiB
Plaintext
2796 lines
104 KiB
Plaintext
\input texinfo
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@setfilename ../info/gdb
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@settitle GDB+, The GNU Debugger for GNU C++
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@ifinfo
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This file documents the GNU debugger GDB+.
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Copyright (C) 1988 Richard M. Stallman.
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Modified by Michael Tiemann
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Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
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this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
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are preserved on all copies.
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@ignore
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Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
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results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
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notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
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(this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
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@end ignore
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Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
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manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
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sections entitled ``Distribution'' and ``GDB General Public License'' are
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included exactly as in the original, and provided that the entire resulting
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derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice
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identical to this one.
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Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
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into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions,
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except that the sections entitled ``Distribution'' and ``GDB General Public
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License'' may be included in a translation approved by the author instead
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of in the original English.
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@end ifinfo
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@setchapternewpage odd
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@settitle GDB+ Manual
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@titlepage
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@sp 6
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@center @titlefont{GDB+ Manual}
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@sp 1
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@center The GNU Source-Level Debugger for GNU C++
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@sp 4
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@center Second Edition, GDB+ version 2.5.0
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@sp 1
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@center February 1988
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@sp 5
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@center Richard M. Stallman
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@page
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@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
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Copyright @copyright{} 1988 Richard M. Stallman.
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Modified by Michael Tiemann
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Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
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this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
|
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are preserved on all copies.
|
|
|
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Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
|
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manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
|
|
sections entitled ``Distribution'' and ``GDB General Public License'' are
|
|
included exactly as in the original, and provided that the entire resulting
|
|
derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice
|
|
identical to this one.
|
|
|
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Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
|
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into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions,
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except that the sections entitled ``Distribution'' and ``GDB General Public
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License'' may be included in a translation approved by the author instead
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of in the original English.
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@end titlepage
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@page
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@node Top, Commands,, (DIR)
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@unnumbered Summary of GDB+
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The purpose of a debugger such as GDB+ is to allow you to execute another
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program while examining what is going on inside it. We call the other
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program ``your program'' or ``the program being debugged''.
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GDB+ can do four kinds of things (plus other things in support of these):
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@enumerate
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@item
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Start the program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
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@item
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Make the program stop on specified conditions.
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@item
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Examine what has happened, when the program has stopped, so that you
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can see bugs happen.
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@item
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Change things in the program, so you can correct the effects of one bug
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and go on to learn about another without having to recompile first.
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@end enumerate
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@menu
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* License:: The GDB General Public License gives you permission
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to redistribute GDB+ on certain terms; and also
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explains that there is no warranty.
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* Input:: GDB+ command syntax and input conventions.
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* Files:: Specifying files for GDB+ to operate on.
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* Options:: GDB+ arguments and options.
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* Compilation::Compiling your program so you can debug it.
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* Running:: Running your program under GDB+.
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* Stopping:: Making your program stop. Why it may stop. What to do then.
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* Stack:: Examining your program's stack.
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* Source:: Examining your program's source files.
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* Data:: Examining data in your program.
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* Symbols:: Examining the debugger's symbol table.
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* Altering:: Altering things in your program.
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* Sequences:: Canned command sequences for repeated use.
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* Emacs:: Using GDB through GNU Emacs.
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* Remote:: Remote kernel debugging across a serial line.
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* Commands:: Index of GDB+ commands.
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* Concepts:: Index of GDB+ concepts.
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@end menu
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@node License, Input, Top, Top
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@unnumbered GDB General Public License
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@center (Clarified 11 Feb 1988)
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The license agreements of most software companies keep you at the mercy
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of those companies. By contrast, our general public license is intended to
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give everyone the right to share GDB. To make sure that you get the rights
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we want you to have, we need to make restrictions that forbid anyone to
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deny you these rights or to ask you to surrender the rights. Hence this
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license agreement.
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Specifically, we want to make sure that you have the right to give away
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copies of GDB, that you receive source code or else can get it if you want
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it, that you can change GDB or use pieces of it in new free programs, and
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that you know you can do these things.
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To make sure that everyone has such rights, we have to forbid you to
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deprive anyone else of these rights. For example, if you distribute copies
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of GDB, you must give the recipients all the rights that you have. You
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must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the source code. And you
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must tell them their rights.
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Also, for our own protection, we must make certain that everyone finds
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out that there is no warranty for GDB. If GDB is modified by someone else
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and passed on, we want its recipients to know that what they have is not
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what we distributed, so that any problems introduced by others will not
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reflect on our reputation.
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Therefore we (Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation,
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Inc.) make the following terms which say what you must do to be
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allowed to distribute or change GDB.
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@unnumberedsec Copying Policies
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@enumerate
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@item
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You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of GDB source code as you
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receive it, in any medium, provided that you conspicuously and
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appropriately publish on each file a valid copyright notice ``Copyright
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@copyright{} 1988 Free Software Foundation, Inc.'' (or with whatever year
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is appropriate); keep intact the notices on all files that
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refer to this License Agreement and to the absence of any warranty; and
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give any other recipients of the GDB program a copy of this License
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Agreement along with the program. You may charge a distribution fee
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for the physical act of transferring a copy.
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@item
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You may modify your copy or copies of GDB source code or any portion
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of it, and copy and distribute such modifications under the terms of
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Paragraph 1 above, provided that you also do the following:
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@itemize @bullet
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@item
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cause the modified files to carry prominent notices stating
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that you changed the files and the date of any change; and
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@item
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cause the whole of any work that you distribute or publish, that
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in whole or in part contains or is a derivative of GDB or any
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part thereof, to be licensed at no charge to all third parties on
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terms identical to those contained in this License Agreement
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(except that you may choose to grant more extensive warranty
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protection to some or all third parties, at your option).
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@item
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if the modified program serves as a debugger, cause it, when
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started running in the simplest and usual way, to print an
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announcement including a valid copyright notice ``Copyright
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@copyright{} 1988 Free Software Foundation, Inc.'' (or with the
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year that is appropriate), saying that there is no warranty (or
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else, saying that you provide a warranty) and that users may
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redistribute the program under these conditions, and telling the
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user how to view a copy of this License Agreement.
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@item
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You may charge a distribution fee for the physical act of
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transferring a copy, and you may at your option offer warranty
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protection in exchange for a fee.
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@end itemize
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Mere aggregation of another unrelated program with this program (or its
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derivative) on a volume of a storage or distribution medium does not bring
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the other program under the scope of these terms.
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@item
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You may copy and distribute GDB (or a portion or derivative of it,
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under Paragraph 2) in object code or executable form under the terms
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of Paragraphs 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the
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following:
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@itemize @bullet
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@item
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accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable
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source code, which must be distributed under the terms of
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Paragraphs 1 and 2 above; or,
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@item
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accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three
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years, to give any third party free (except for a nominal
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shipping charge) a complete machine-readable copy of the
|
|
corresponding source code, to be distributed under the terms of
|
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Paragraphs 1 and 2 above; or,
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@item
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accompany it with the information you received as to where the
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corresponding source code may be obtained. (This alternative is
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allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you
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received the program in object code or executable form alone.)
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@end itemize
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For an executable file, complete source code means all the source code
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for all modules it contains; but, as a special exception, it need not
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include source code for modules which are standard libraries that
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accompany the operating system on which the executable file runs.
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@item
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You may not copy, sublicense, distribute or transfer GDB except as
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expressly provided under this License Agreement. Any attempt
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otherwise to copy, sublicense, distribute or transfer GDB is void and
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your rights to use GDB under this License agreement shall be
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automatically terminated. However, parties who have received computer
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software programs from you with this License Agreement will not have
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their licenses terminated so long as such parties remain in full
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compliance.
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@item
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If you wish to incorporate parts of GDB into other free programs whose
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distribution conditions are different, write to the Free Software
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Foundation. We have not yet worked out a simple rule that can be
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stated here, but we will often permit this. We will be guided by the
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two goals of preserving the free status of all derivatives our free
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software and of promoting the sharing and reuse of software.
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@end enumerate
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@iftex
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@vfil
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@eject
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@end iftex
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@unnumberedsec NO WARRANTY
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BECAUSE GDB IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, WE PROVIDE ABSOLUTELY
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NO WARRANTY, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE STATE LAW. EXCEPT
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WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING, THE FREE SOFTWARE FOUNDATION, INC,
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RICHARD M. STALLMAN AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE GDB ``AS IS''
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WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING,
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BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND
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FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY
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AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE GDB
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PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY
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SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.
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IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW WILL FREE SOFTWARE
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FOUNDATION, INC., RICHARD M. STALLMAN, AND/OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY
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MODIFY AND REDISTRIBUTE GDB AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU
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FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST MONIES, OR OTHER
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SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR
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|
INABILITY TO USE (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA
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BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY THIRD PARTIES OR A
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FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH PROGRAMS NOT DISTRIBUTED BY
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FREE SOFTWARE FOUNDATION, INC.) THE PROGRAM, EVEN IF YOU HAVE BEEN
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ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY
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OTHER PARTY.
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@node Input, Files, License, Top
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@chapter GDB+ Input Conventions
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GDB+ is invoked with the shell command @samp{gdb+}. Once started, it reads
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commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit.
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A GDB+ command is a single line of input. There is no limit on how long
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it can be. It starts with a command name, which is followed by arguments
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whose meaning depends on the command name. Some command names do not
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allow arguments.
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GDB+ command names may always be abbreviated if the abbreviation is
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unambiguous. Sometimes even ambiguous abbreviations are allowed; for
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example, @samp{s} is specially defined as equivalent to @samp{step}
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even though there are other commands whose names start with @samp{s}.
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Possible command abbreviations are often stated in the documentation
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of the individual commands.
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A blank line as input to GDB+ means to repeat the previous command verbatim.
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Certain commands do not allow themselves to be repeated this way; these are
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commands for which unintentional repetition might cause trouble and which
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you are unlikely to want to repeat. Certain others (@samp{list} and
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@samp{x}) act differently when repeated because that is more useful.
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A line of input starting with @samp{#} is a comment; it does nothing.
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This is useful mainly in command files (@xref{Command Files}).
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GDB+ @dfn{prompts} for commands with a string that is normally @samp{(gdb+)}.
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When debugging GDB+ with GDB+, it is useful to change the prompt in one of
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the GDB+s so that you can distinguish them. This can be done with the
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@samp{set-prompt} command.
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@table @code
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@item set-prompt @var{newprompt}
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@kindex set-prompt
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Directs GDB+ to use @var{newprompt} as its prompt string henceforth.
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@end table
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@cindex exiting GDB+
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@kindex quit
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To exit GDB+, use the @samp{quit} command (abbreviated @samp{q}).
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@kbd{Ctrl-c} will not exit from GDB+, but rather will terminate the action
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of any GDB+ command that is in progress and return to GDB+ command level.
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It is safe to type @kbd{Ctrl-c} at any time because GDB+ does not allow
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it to take effect until a time when it is safe.
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@node Files, Options, Input, Top
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@chapter Specifying GDB+'s Files
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@cindex core dump file
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@cindex executable file
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@cindex symbol table
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GDB+ needs to know the filename of the program to be debugged. To debug a
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core dump of a previous run, GDB+ must be told the filename of the core
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dump.
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@menu
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* Arguments: File Arguments. Specifying files with arguments
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(when you start GDB+).
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* Commands: File Commands. Specifying files with GDB+ commands.
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@end menu
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@node File Arguments, File Commands, Files, Files
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@section Specifying Files with Arguments
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The usual way to specify the executable and core dump file names is with
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two command arguments given when you start GDB+. The first argument is used
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as the file for execution and symbols, and the second argument (if any) is
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used as the core dump file name. Thus,
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@example
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GDB+ progm core
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@end example
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@noindent
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specifies @file{progm} as the executable program and @file{core} as a core
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dump file to examine. (You do not need to have a core dump file if what
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you plan to do is debug the program interactively.)
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@xref{Options}, for full information on command options and arguments for
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GDB+.
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@node File Commands,, File Arguments, Files
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@section Specifying Files with Commands
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Usually you specify the files for GDB+ to work with by giving arguments when
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you invoke GDB+. But occasionally it is necessary to change to a different
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file during a GDB+ session. Or you may run GDB+ and forget to specify the
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files you want to use. In these situations the GDB+ commands to specify new
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files are useful.
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@table @code
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@item exec-file @var{filename}
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@kindex exec-file
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Specify that the program to be run is found in @var{filename}. If you
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do not specify a directory and the file is not found in GDB+'s working
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directory, GDB+ will use the environment variable @samp{PATH} as a list
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of directories to search, just as the shell does when looking for a
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program to run.
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@item symbol-file @var{filename}
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@kindex symbol-file
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Read symbol table information from file @var{filename}. @samp{PATH}
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is searched when necessary. Most of the time you will use both the
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@samp{exec-file} and @samp{symbol-file} commands on the same file.
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@samp{symbol-file} with no argument clears out GDB+'s symbol table.
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@item core-file @var{filename}
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@kindex core-file
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Specify the whereabouts of a core dump file to be used as the
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``contents of memory''. Note that the core dump contains only the
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writable parts of memory; the read-only parts must come from the
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executable file.
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@samp{core-file} with no argument specifies that no core file is
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to be used.
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@item add-file @var{filename} @var{address}
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|
When performing incremental linking, the symbol table of an incrementally
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linked file may be included in the link step, but GDB+ needs to be told
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where that symbol table is in the address space. By issuing this command,
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it is possible to symbolically debug programs which make use of incremental
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loading in a completely natural fashion.
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|
@item kill
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@kindex kill
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Cancel running the program under GDB+. This could be used if you wish
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to debug a core dump instead. GDB+ ignores any core dump file if it is
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actually running the program, so the @samp{kill} command is the only
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sure way to go back to using the core dump file.
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@item info files
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@kindex info files
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Print the names of the executable and core dump files currently in
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use by GDB+, and the file from which symbols were loaded.
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@end table
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While all three file-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative
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file names as arguments, GDB+ always converts the file name to an absolute
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one and remembers it that way.
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The @samp{symbol-file} command causes GDB+ to forget the contents of its
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convenience variables, the value history, and all breakpoints and
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|
auto-display expressions. This is because they may contain pointers to the
|
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internal data recording symbols and data types, which are part of the old
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symbol table data being discarded inside GDB+.
|
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|
@node Options, Compilation, Files, Top
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|
@chapter Options and Arguments for GDB+
|
|
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|
When you invoke GDB+, you can pass commands telling it what files to
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operate on and what other things to do.
|
|
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|
@menu
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|
* Mode Options:: Options controlling modes of operation.
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|
* File Options:: Options to specify files (executable, coredump, commands)
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* Other Arguments:: Any other arguments without options
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also specify files.
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|
@end menu
|
|
|
|
@node Mode Options, File Options, Options, Options
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|
@section Mode Options
|
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|
@table @samp
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@item -nx
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Do not execute commands from the init files @file{.gdbinit}.
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|
Normally, the commands in these files are executed after all the
|
|
command options and arguments have been processed. @xref{Command
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Files}.
|
|
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|
@item -q
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``Quiet''. Do not print the usual introductory messages.
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|
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|
@item -batch
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|
Run in batch mode. Exit with code 1 after processing all the command
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files specified with @samp{-x} (and @file{./.gdbinit}, if not inhibited).
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Exit also if, due to an error, GDB+ would otherwise attempt to read a
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command from the terminal.
|
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|
|
@item -fullname
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|
This option is used when Emacs runs GDB as a subprocess. It tells GDB
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|
to output the full file name and line number in a standard,
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|
recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is displayed (which
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|
includes each time the program stops). This recognizable format looks
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|
like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by the filename, line number
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|
and character position separated by colons, and a newline. The
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|
Emacs-to-GDB interface program uses the two @samp{\032} characters as
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|
a signal to display the source code for the frame.
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@end table
|
|
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|
@node File Options, Other Arguments, Mode Options, Options
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|
@section File-specifying Options
|
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|
|
All the options and command line arguments given are processed
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|
in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the
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|
@samp{-x} command is used.
|
|
|
|
@table @samp
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|
@item -s @var{file}
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|
Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
|
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|
@item -e @var{file}
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|
Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when
|
|
appropriate, and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core
|
|
dump.
|
|
|
|
@item -se @var{file}
|
|
Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
|
|
file.
|
|
|
|
@item -c @var{file}
|
|
Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
|
|
|
|
@item -x @var{file}
|
|
Execute GDB+ commands from file @var{file}.
|
|
|
|
@item -d @var{directory}
|
|
Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source files.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@node Other Arguments,, File Options, Options
|
|
@section Other Arguments
|
|
|
|
If there are arguments to GDB+ that are not options or associated with
|
|
options, the first one specifies the symbol table and executable file name
|
|
(as if it were preceded by @samp{-se}) and the second one specifies a core
|
|
dump file name (as if it were preceded by @samp{-c}).
|
|
|
|
@node Compilation, Running, Options, Top
|
|
@chapter Compiling Your Program for Debugging
|
|
|
|
In order to debug a program effectively, you need to ask for debugging
|
|
information when you compile it. This information in the object file
|
|
describes the data type of each variable or function and the correspondence
|
|
between source line numbers and addresses in the executable code.
|
|
|
|
To request debugging information, specify the @samp{-g} option when you run
|
|
the compiler.
|
|
|
|
The Unix C compiler is unable to handle the @samp{-g} and @samp{-O} options
|
|
together. This means that you cannot ask for optimization if you ask for
|
|
debugger information.
|
|
|
|
The GNU C compiler supports @samp{-g} with or without @samp{-O}, making it
|
|
possible to debug optimized code. We recommend that you @emph{always} use
|
|
@samp{-g} whenever you compile a program. You may think the program is
|
|
correct, but there's no sense in pushing your luck.
|
|
|
|
If you are using the GNU C compiler, the GNU assembler and the GNU linker,
|
|
you can choose between two formats of debugging information: the standard
|
|
Unix format, which is what you get with @samp{-g}, and GDB's own format,
|
|
which you request by using @samp{-gg} instead of @samp{-g}. This stores
|
|
debugging information in the executable file in a format much like that
|
|
which is used inside GDB. This has these advantages and disadvantages:
|
|
|
|
@itemize @bullet
|
|
@item
|
|
GDB can read @samp{-gg} format more than twice as fast as Unix
|
|
@samp{-g} format.
|
|
|
|
@item
|
|
The @samp{-gg} format uses much more disk space than Unix format.
|
|
|
|
@item
|
|
The Unix debuggers can understand only Unix format, so you cannot use
|
|
Unix source-level debuggers if you compile with @samp{-gg}. (The
|
|
@code{adb} debugger works with either format; it does not use this
|
|
information in any case.)
|
|
@end itemize
|
|
|
|
@node Running, Stopping, Compilation, Top
|
|
@chapter Running Your Program Under GDB+
|
|
|
|
@cindex running
|
|
@kindex run
|
|
To start your program under GDB+, use the @samp{run} command. The program
|
|
must already have been specified using the @samp{exec-file} command or with
|
|
an argument to GDB+ (@pxref{Files}); what @samp{run} does is create an
|
|
inferior process, load the program into it, and set it in motion.
|
|
|
|
The execution of a program is affected by certain information it receives
|
|
from its superior. GDB+ provides ways to specify them, which you must do
|
|
@i{before} starting the program. (You can change them after starting the
|
|
program, but such changes do not affect the program unless you start it
|
|
over again.)
|
|
|
|
@table @asis
|
|
@item The @i{arguments.}
|
|
You specify the arguments to give the program as the arguments of the
|
|
@samp{run} command.
|
|
|
|
@item The @i{environment.}
|
|
The program normally inherits its environment from GDB+, but you can
|
|
use the GDB+ commands @samp{set-environment} and
|
|
@samp{unset-environment} to change parts of the environment that will
|
|
be given to the program.@refill
|
|
|
|
@item The @i{working directory.}
|
|
The program inherits its working directory from GDB+. You can set GDB+'s
|
|
working directory with the @samp{cd} command in GDB+.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
After the @samp{run} command, the debugger does nothing but wait for your
|
|
program to stop. @xref{Stopping}.
|
|
|
|
@menu
|
|
* Arguments:: Specifying the arguments for your program.
|
|
* Environment:: Specifying the environment for your program.
|
|
* Working Directory:: Specifying the working directory for giving
|
|
to your program when it is run.
|
|
* Input/Output:: Specifying the program's standard input and output.
|
|
* Attach:: Debugging a process started outside GDB.
|
|
@end menu
|
|
|
|
@node Arguments, Environment, Running, Running
|
|
@section Your Program's Arguments
|
|
|
|
@cindex arguments (to your program)
|
|
You specify the arguments to give the program as the arguments of the
|
|
@samp{run} command. They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard
|
|
characters and performs redirection of I/O, and thence to the program.
|
|
|
|
@samp{run} with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
|
|
@samp{run}.
|
|
|
|
@kindex set-args
|
|
The command @samp{set-args} can be used to specify the arguments to be used
|
|
the next time the program is run. If @samp{set-args} has no arguments, it
|
|
means to use no arguments the next time the program is run. If you have
|
|
run your program with arguments and want to run it again with no arguments,
|
|
this is the only way to do so.
|
|
|
|
@node Environment, Working Directory, Arguments, Running
|
|
@section Your Program's Environment
|
|
|
|
@cindex environment (of your program)
|
|
The @dfn{environment} consists of a set of @dfn{environment variables} and
|
|
their values. Environment variables conventionally record such things as
|
|
your user name, your home directory, your terminal type, and your search
|
|
path for programs to run. Usually you set up environment variables with
|
|
the shell and they are inherited by all the other programs you run. When
|
|
debugging, it can be useful to try running the program with different
|
|
environments without having to start the debugger over again.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item info environment @var{varname}
|
|
@kindex info environment
|
|
Print the value of environment variable @var{varname} to be given to
|
|
your program when it is started. This command can be abbreviated
|
|
@samp{i env @var{varname}}.
|
|
|
|
@item info environment
|
|
Print the names and values of all environment variables to be given to
|
|
your program when it is started. This command can be abbreviated
|
|
@samp{i env}.
|
|
|
|
@item set-environment @var{varname} @var{value}
|
|
@kindex set-environment
|
|
Sets environment variable @var{varname} to @var{value}, for your
|
|
program only, not for GDB+ itself. @var{value} may be any string; the
|
|
values of environment variables are just strings, and any
|
|
interpretation is supplied by your program itself. This command
|
|
can be abbreviated as short as @samp{set-e}.
|
|
|
|
@item unset-environment @var{varname}
|
|
@kindex unset-environment
|
|
Remove variable @var{varname} from the environment to be passed to
|
|
your program. This is different from @samp{set-env @var{varname} =}
|
|
because @samp{unset-environment} makes a variable not be defined at
|
|
all, which is distinguishable from an empty value. This command can
|
|
be abbreviated @samp{unset}.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@node Working Directory, Input/Output, Environment, Running
|
|
@section Your Program's Working Directory
|
|
|
|
@cindex working directory (of your program)
|
|
Each time you start your program with @samp{run}, it inherits its working
|
|
directory from the current working directory of GDB+. GDB+'s working
|
|
directory is initially whatever it inherited from its superior, but you can
|
|
specify the working directory for GDB+ with the @samp{cd} command.
|
|
|
|
The GDB+ working directory also serves as a default for the commands
|
|
that specify files for GDB+ to operate on. @xref{Files}.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item cd @var{directory}
|
|
@kindex cd
|
|
Set GDB+'s working directory to @var{directory}.
|
|
|
|
@item pwd
|
|
@kindex pwd
|
|
Print GDB+'s working directory.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@node Input/Output, Attach, Working Directory, Running
|
|
@section Your Program's Input and Output
|
|
|
|
@cindex redirection
|
|
By default, the program you run under GDB does input and output to the same
|
|
terminal that GDB uses.
|
|
|
|
You can redirect the program's input and/or output using @samp{sh}-style
|
|
redirection commands in the @samp{run} command. For example,
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
run > outfile
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
starts the program, diverting its output to the file @file{outfile}.
|
|
|
|
@kindex tty
|
|
Another way to specify where the program should do input and output is with
|
|
the @samp{tty} command. This command accepts a file name as argument, and
|
|
causes this file to be the default for future @samp{run} commands. For
|
|
example,
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
tty /dev/ttyb
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
directs that processes started with subsequent @samp{run} commands default
|
|
to do input and output on the terminal @file{/dev/ttyb}. An explicit
|
|
redirection in @samp{run} overrides the @samp{tty} command.
|
|
|
|
When you use the @samp{tty} command or redirect input in the @samp{run}
|
|
command, the @emph{input for your program} comes from the specified file,
|
|
but the input for GDB still comes from your terminal. The program's
|
|
controlling terminal is your (GDB's) terminal, not the terminal that the
|
|
program is reading from; so if you want to type @kbd{C-c} to stop the
|
|
program, you must type it on your (GDB's) terminal. A @kbd{C-c} typed on
|
|
the program's terminal is available to the program as ordinary input.
|
|
|
|
@node Attach,, Input/Output, Running
|
|
@section Debugging an Already-Running Process
|
|
@kindex detach
|
|
@kindex attach
|
|
@cindex attach
|
|
|
|
Some operating systems (in particular, Sun) allow GDB to begin debugging an
|
|
already-running process that was started outside of GDB. To do this you
|
|
must use the @samp{attach} command instead of the @samp{run} command.
|
|
|
|
The @samp{attach} command requires one argument, which is the process-id of
|
|
the process you want to debug. (The usual way to find out the process-id
|
|
of the process is with the @samp{ps} utility.)
|
|
|
|
The first thing GDB after arranging to debug the process is to stop it.
|
|
You can examine and modify an attached process with all the GDB commands
|
|
that ordinarily available when you start processes with @samp{run}. You
|
|
can insert breakpoints; you can step and continue; you can modify storage.
|
|
If you would rather the process continue running, use the @samp{continue}
|
|
command after attaching.
|
|
|
|
When you are finished debugging the attached process, you can use the
|
|
@samp{detach} command to release it from GDB's control. Detaching
|
|
the process continues its execution. After the @samp{detach} command,
|
|
that process and GDB become completely independent once more, and you
|
|
are ready to @samp{attach} another process or start one with @samp{run}.
|
|
|
|
If you exit GDB or use the @samp{run} command while you have an attached
|
|
process, you kill that process. You will be asked for confirmation if you
|
|
try to do either of these things.
|
|
|
|
@node Stopping, Stack, Running, Top
|
|
@chapter Stopping and Continuing
|
|
|
|
When you run a program normally, it runs until exiting. The purpose
|
|
of using a debugger is so that you can stop it before that point;
|
|
or so that if the program runs into trouble you can find out why.
|
|
|
|
@menu
|
|
* Signals:: Fatal signals in your program just stop it;
|
|
then you can use GDB+ to see what is going on.
|
|
* Breakpoints:: Breakpoints let you stop your program when it
|
|
reaches a specified point in the code.
|
|
* Continuing:: Resuming execution until the next signal or breakpoint.
|
|
* Stepping:: Stepping runs the program a short distance and
|
|
then stops it wherever it has come to.
|
|
@end menu
|
|
|
|
@node Signals, Breakpoints, Stopping, Stopping
|
|
@section Signals
|
|
|
|
A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The
|
|
operating system defines the possible kinds of signals, and gives each kind
|
|
a name and a number. For example, @code{SIGINT} is the signal a program
|
|
gets when you type @kbd{Ctrl-c}; @code{SIGSEGV} is the signal a program
|
|
gets from referencing a place in memory far away from all the areas in use;
|
|
@code{SIGALRM} occurs when the alarm clock timer goes off (which happens
|
|
only if the program has requested an alarm).
|
|
|
|
Some signals, including @code{SIGALRM}, are a normal part of the
|
|
functioning of the program. Others, such as @code{SIGSEGV}, indicate
|
|
errors; these signals are @dfn{fatal} (kill the program immediately) if the
|
|
program has not specified in advance some other way to handle the signal.
|
|
@code{SIGINT} does not indicate an error in the program, but it is normally
|
|
fatal so it can carry out the purpose of @kbd{Ctrl-c}: to kill the program.
|
|
|
|
GDB+ has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in the program
|
|
running under GDB+'s control. You can tell GDB+ in advance what to do for
|
|
each kind of signal.
|
|
|
|
Normally, GDB+ is set up to ignore non-erroneous signals like @code{SIGALRM}
|
|
(so as not to interfere with their role in the functioning of the program)
|
|
but to stop the program immediately whenever an error signal happens.
|
|
You can change these settings with the @samp{handle} command. You must
|
|
specify which signal you are talking about with its number.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item info signal
|
|
@kindex info signal
|
|
Print a table of all the kinds of signals and how GDB+ has been told to
|
|
handle each one. You can use this to see the signal numbers of all
|
|
the defined types of signals.
|
|
|
|
@item handle @var{signalnum} @var{keywords}@dots{}
|
|
@kindex handle
|
|
Change the way GDB+ handles signal @var{signalnum}. The @var{keywords}
|
|
say what change to make.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
To use the @samp{handle} command you must know the code number of the
|
|
signal you are concerned with. To find the code number, type @samp{info
|
|
signal} which prints a table of signal names and numbers.
|
|
|
|
The keywords allowed by the handle command can be abbreviated. Their full
|
|
names are
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item stop
|
|
GDB+ should stop the program when this signal happens. This implies
|
|
the @samp{print} keyword as well.
|
|
|
|
@item print
|
|
GDB+ should print a message when this signal happens.
|
|
|
|
@item nostop
|
|
GDB+ should not stop the program when this signal happens. It may
|
|
still print a message telling you that the signal has come in.
|
|
|
|
@item noprint
|
|
GDB+ should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This
|
|
implies the @samp{nostop} keyword as well.
|
|
|
|
@item pass
|
|
GDB+ should allow the program to see this signal; the program will be
|
|
able to handle the signal, or may be terminated if the signal is fatal
|
|
and not handled.
|
|
|
|
@item nopass
|
|
GDB+ should not allow the program to see this signal.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
When a signal has been set to stop the program, the program cannot see the
|
|
signal until you continue. It will see the signal then, if @samp{pass} is
|
|
in effect for the signal in question @i{at that time}. In other words,
|
|
after GDB+ reports a signal, you can use the @samp{handle} command with
|
|
@samp{pass} or @samp{nopass} to control whether that signal will be seen by
|
|
the program when you later continue it.
|
|
|
|
You can also use the @samp{signal} command to prevent the program from
|
|
seeing a signal, or cause it to see a signal it normally would not see,
|
|
or to give it any signal at any time. @xref{Signaling}.
|
|
|
|
@node Breakpoints, Continuing, Signals, Stopping
|
|
@section Breakpoints
|
|
|
|
@cindex breakpoints
|
|
A @dfn{breakpoint} makes your program stop whenever a certain point in the
|
|
program is reached. You set breakpoints explicitly with GDB+ commands,
|
|
specifying the place where the program should stop by line number, function
|
|
name or exact address in the program. You can add various other conditions
|
|
to control whether the program will stop.
|
|
|
|
Each breakpoint is assigned a number when it is created; these numbers are
|
|
successive integers starting with 1. In many of the commands for controlling
|
|
various features of breakpoints you use the breakpoint number to say which
|
|
breakpoint you want to change. Each breakpoint may be @dfn{enabled} or
|
|
@dfn{disabled}; if disabled, it has no effect on the program until you
|
|
enable it again.
|
|
|
|
@kindex info break
|
|
@kindex $_
|
|
The command @samp{info break} prints a list of all breakpoints set and not
|
|
cleared, showing their numbers, where in the program they are, and any
|
|
special features in use for them. Disabled breakpoints are included in the
|
|
list, but marked as disabled. @samp{info break} with a breakpoint number
|
|
as argument lists only that breakpoint. The convenience variable @samp{$_}
|
|
and the default examining-address for the @samp{x} command are set to the
|
|
address of the last breakpoint listed (@pxref{Memory}).
|
|
|
|
@menu
|
|
* Set Breaks:: How to establish breakpoints.
|
|
* Clear Breaks:: How to remove breakpoints no longer needed.
|
|
* Disabling:: How to disable breakpoints (turn them off temporarily).
|
|
* Conditions:: Making extra conditions on whether to stop.
|
|
* Break Commands:: Commands to be executed at a breakpoint.
|
|
* Error in Breakpoints:: "Cannot insert breakpoints" error--why, what to do.
|
|
@end menu
|
|
|
|
@node Set Breaks, Clear Breaks, Breakpoints, Breakpoints
|
|
@subsection Setting Breakpoints
|
|
|
|
@kindex break
|
|
Breakpoints are set with the @samp{break} command (abbreviated @samp{b}).
|
|
You have several ways to say where the breakpoint should go.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item break @var{function}
|
|
Set a breakpoint at entry to function @var{function}.
|
|
|
|
@item break @var{linenum}
|
|
Set a breakpoint at line @var{linenum} in the current source file.
|
|
That file is the last file whose source text was printed. This
|
|
breakpoint will stop the program just before it executes any of the
|
|
code on that line.
|
|
|
|
@item break @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
|
|
Set a breakpoint at line @var{linenum} in source file @var{filename}.
|
|
|
|
@item break @var{filename}:@var{function}
|
|
Set a breakpoint at entry to function @var{function} found in file
|
|
@var{filename}. Specifying a filename as well as a function name is
|
|
superfluous except when multiple files contain similarly named
|
|
functions.
|
|
|
|
@item break *@var{address}
|
|
Set a breakpoint at address @var{address}. You can use this to set
|
|
breakpoints in parts of the program which do not have debugging
|
|
information or source files.
|
|
|
|
@item break
|
|
Set a breakpoint at the next instruction to be executed in the
|
|
selected stack frame (@pxref{Stack}). This is a silly thing to do in
|
|
the innermost stack frame because the program would stop immediately
|
|
after being started, but it is very useful with another stack frame,
|
|
because it will cause the program to stop as soon as control returns
|
|
to that frame.
|
|
|
|
@item break @dots{} if @var{cond}
|
|
Set a breakpoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
|
|
@var{cond} each time the breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the
|
|
value is nonzero. @samp{@dots{}} stands for one of the possible
|
|
arguments described above (or no argument) specifying where to break.
|
|
@xref{Conditions}, for more information on breakpoint conditions.
|
|
|
|
@item tbreak @var{args}
|
|
@kindex tbreak
|
|
Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args} are the
|
|
same as in the @samp{break} command, and the breakpoint is set in the same
|
|
way, but the breakpoint is automatically @dfn{disabled} the first time it
|
|
is hit.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
GDB allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in the
|
|
program. There is nothing silly or meaningless about this. When the
|
|
breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful (@pxref{Conditions}).
|
|
|
|
@node Clear Breaks, Disabling, Set Breaks, Breakpoints
|
|
@subsection Clearing Breakpoints
|
|
|
|
@cindex clear breakpoint
|
|
@cindex delete breakpoints
|
|
It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint once it has done its job
|
|
and you no longer want the program to stop there. This is called
|
|
@dfn{clearing} or @samp{deleting} the breakpoint. A breakpoint that
|
|
has been cleared no longer exists in any sense.
|
|
|
|
With the @samp{clear} command you can clear breakpoints according to where
|
|
they are in the program. With the @samp{delete} command you can clear
|
|
individual breakpoints by specifying their breakpoint numbers.
|
|
|
|
@b{It is not necessary to clear a breakpoint to proceed past it.} GDB+
|
|
automatically ignores breakpoints in the first instruction to be executed
|
|
when you continue execution at the same address where the program stopped.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item clear
|
|
@kindex clear
|
|
Clear any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in the
|
|
selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection}). When the innermost frame
|
|
is selected, this is a good way to clear a breakpoint that the program
|
|
just stopped at.
|
|
|
|
@item clear @var{function}
|
|
@itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{function}
|
|
Clear any breakpoints set at entry to the function @var{function}.
|
|
|
|
@item clear @var{linenum}
|
|
@item clear @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
|
|
Clear any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specified line.
|
|
|
|
@item delete @var{bnums}@dots{}
|
|
@kindex delete
|
|
Delete the breakpoints of the numbers specified as arguments.
|
|
A breakpoint deleted is forgotten completely.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@node Disabling, Conditions, Clear Breaks, Breakpoints
|
|
@subsection Disabling Breakpoints
|
|
|
|
@cindex disabled breakpoints
|
|
@cindex enabled breakpoints
|
|
Rather than clearing a breakpoint, you might prefer to @dfn{disable} it.
|
|
This makes the breakpoint inoperative as if it had been cleared, but
|
|
remembers the information on the breakpoint so that you can @dfn{enable}
|
|
it again later.
|
|
|
|
You disable and enable breakpoints with the @samp{enable} and
|
|
@samp{disable} commands, specifying one or more breakpoint numbers as
|
|
arguments. Use @samp{info break} to print a list of breakpoints if you
|
|
don't know which breakpoint numbers to use.
|
|
|
|
A breakpoint can have any of four different states of enablement:
|
|
|
|
@itemize @bullet
|
|
@item
|
|
Enabled. The breakpoint will stop the program. A breakpoint made
|
|
with the @samp{break} command starts out in this state.
|
|
@item
|
|
Disabled. The breakpoint has no effect on the program.
|
|
@item
|
|
Enabled once. The breakpoint will stop the program, but
|
|
when it does so it will become disabled. A breakpoint made
|
|
with the @samp{tbreak} command starts out in this state.
|
|
@item
|
|
Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint will stop the program, but
|
|
immediately after it does so it will be deleted permanently.
|
|
@end itemize
|
|
|
|
You change the state of enablement of a breakpoint with the following
|
|
commands:
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item disable @var{bnums}@dots{}
|
|
@kindex disable
|
|
Disable the specified breakpoints. A disabled breakpoint has no
|
|
effect but is not forgotten. All options such as ignore-counts,
|
|
conditions and commands are remembered in case the breakpoint is
|
|
enabled again later.
|
|
|
|
@item enable @var{bnums}@dots{}
|
|
@kindex enable
|
|
Enable the specified breakpoints. They become effective once again in
|
|
stopping the program, until you specify otherwise.
|
|
|
|
@item enable once @var{bnums}@dots{}
|
|
Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. Each will be disabled
|
|
again the next time it stops the program (unless you have used one of
|
|
these commands to specify a different state before that time comes).
|
|
|
|
@item enable delete @var{bnums}@dots{}
|
|
Enable the specified breakpoints to work once and then die. Each of
|
|
the breakpoints will be deleted the next time it stops the program
|
|
(unless you have used one of these commands to specify a different
|
|
state before that time comes).
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
Aside from the automatic disablement or deletion of a breakpoint when it
|
|
stops the program, which happens only in certain states, the state of
|
|
enablement of a breakpoint changes only when one of the commands above
|
|
is used.
|
|
|
|
@node Conditions, Break Commands, Disabling, Breakpoints
|
|
@subsection Break Conditions
|
|
|
|
@cindex conditions
|
|
The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time the program reaches a
|
|
specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for a breakpoint.
|
|
A condition is just a boolean expression in your programming language.
|
|
A breakpoint with a condition evaluates the expression each time the
|
|
program reaches it, and the program stops only if the condition is true.
|
|
|
|
Break conditions may have side effects, and may even call functions in your
|
|
program. These may sound like strange things to do, but their effects are
|
|
completely predictable unless there is another enabled breakpoint at the
|
|
same address. (In that case, GDB+ might see the other breakpoint first and
|
|
stop the program without checking the condition of this one.) Note that
|
|
breakpoint commands are usually more convenient and flexible for the
|
|
purpose of performing side effects when a breakpoint is reached
|
|
(@pxref{Break Commands}).
|
|
|
|
Break conditions can be specified when a breakpoint is set, by using
|
|
@samp{if} in the arguments to the @samp{break} command. @xref{Set Breaks}.
|
|
They can also be changed at any time with the @samp{condition} command:
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item condition @var{bnum} @var{expression}
|
|
@kindex condition
|
|
Specify @var{expression} as the break condition for breakpoint number
|
|
@var{bnum}. From now on, this breakpoint will stop the program only if
|
|
the value of @var{expression} is true (nonzero, in C). @var{expression}
|
|
is not evaluated at the time the @samp{condition} command is given.
|
|
|
|
@item condition @var{bnum}
|
|
Remove the condition from breakpoint number @var{bnum}. It becomes
|
|
an ordinary unconditional breakpoint.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@cindex ignore count (of breakpoint)
|
|
A special feature is provided for one kind of condition: to prevent the
|
|
breakpoint from doing anything until it has been reached a certain number
|
|
of times. This is done with the @dfn{ignore count} of the breakpoint.
|
|
When the program reaches a breakpoint whose ignore count is positive, then
|
|
instead of stopping, it just decrements the ignore count by one and
|
|
continues.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item ignore @var{bnum} @var{count}
|
|
@kindex ignore
|
|
Set the ignore count of breakpoint number @var{bnum} to @var{count}.
|
|
The next @var{count} times the breakpoint is reached, it will not stop.
|
|
|
|
To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify
|
|
a count of zero.
|
|
|
|
@item cont @var{count}
|
|
Continue execution of the program, setting the ignore count of the
|
|
breakpoint that the program stopped at to @var{count} minus one.
|
|
Continuing through the breakpoint does not itself count as one of
|
|
@var{count}. Thus, the program will not stop at this breakpoint until the
|
|
@var{count}'th time it is hit.
|
|
|
|
This command is allowed only when the program stopped due to a
|
|
breakpoint. At other times, the argument to @samp{cont} is ignored.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the condition
|
|
is not checked. Once the ignore count reaches zero, the condition will
|
|
start to be checked.
|
|
|
|
Note that you could achieve the effect of the ignore count with a condition
|
|
such as @samp{$foo-- <= 0} using a debugger convenience variable that is
|
|
decremented each time. That is why the ignore count is considered a
|
|
special case of a condition. @xref{Convenience Vars}.
|
|
|
|
@node Break Commands, Error in Breakpoints, Conditions, Breakpoints
|
|
@subsection Commands Executed on Breaking
|
|
|
|
@cindex breakpoint commands
|
|
You can give any breakpoint a series of commands to execute when the
|
|
program stops due to that breakpoint. For example, you might want to
|
|
print the values of certain expressions, or enable other breakpoints.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item commands @var{bnum}
|
|
Specify commands for breakpoint number @var{bnum}. The commands
|
|
themselves appear on the following lines. Type a line containing just
|
|
@samp{end} to terminate the commands.
|
|
|
|
To remove all commands from a breakpoint, use the command
|
|
@samp{commands} and follow it immediately by @samp{end}; that is, give
|
|
no commands.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
It is possible for breakpoint commands to start the program up again.
|
|
Simply use the @samp{cont} command, or @samp{step}, or any other command
|
|
to resume execution. However, any remaining breakpoint commands are
|
|
ignored. When the program stops again, GDB+ will act according to why
|
|
that stop took place.
|
|
|
|
@kindex silent
|
|
If the first command specified is @samp{silent}, the usual message about
|
|
stopping at a breakpoint is not printed. This may be desirable for
|
|
breakpoints that are to print a specific message and then continue.
|
|
If the remaining commands too print nothing, you will see no sign that
|
|
the breakpoint was reached at all. @samp{silent} is not really a command;
|
|
it is meaningful only at the beginning of the commands for a breakpoint.
|
|
|
|
The commands @samp{echo} and @samp{output} that allow you to print precisely
|
|
controlled output are often useful in silent breakpoints. @xref{Output}.
|
|
|
|
For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print the
|
|
value of @code{x} at entry to @code{foo} whenever it is positive. We
|
|
assume that the newly created breakpoint is number 4; @samp{break} will
|
|
print the number that is assigned.
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
break foo if x>0
|
|
commands 4
|
|
silent
|
|
echo x is\040
|
|
output x
|
|
echo \n
|
|
cont
|
|
end
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
One application for breakpoint commands is to correct one bug so you can
|
|
test another. Put a breakpoint just after the erroneous line of code, give
|
|
it a condition to detect the case in which something erroneous has been
|
|
done, and give it commands to assign correct values to any variables that
|
|
need them. End with the @samp{cont} command so that the program does not
|
|
stop, and start with the @samp{silent} command so that no output is
|
|
produced. Here is an example:
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
break 403
|
|
commands 5
|
|
silent
|
|
set x = y + 4
|
|
cont
|
|
end
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
One deficiency in the operation of automatically continuing breakpoints
|
|
under Unix appears when your program uses raw mode for the terminal.
|
|
GDB+ options back to its own terminal modes (not raw) before executing
|
|
commands, and then must switch back to raw mode when your program is
|
|
continued. This causes any pending terminal input to be lost.
|
|
|
|
In the GNU system, this will be fixed by changing the behavior of
|
|
terminal modes.
|
|
|
|
Under Unix, when you have this problem, you might be able to get around
|
|
it by putting your actions into the breakpoint condition instead of
|
|
commands. For example
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
condition 5 (x = y + 4), 0
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
is a condition expression that will change @code{x} as needed, then always
|
|
have the value 0 so the program will not stop. Loss of input is avoided
|
|
here because break conditions are evaluated without changing the terminal
|
|
modes. When you want to have nontrivial conditions for performing the side
|
|
effects, the operators @samp{&&}, @samp{||} and @samp{?@: @dots{} :@:} may be useful.
|
|
|
|
@node Error in Breakpoints,, Break Commands, Breakpoints
|
|
@subsection ``Cannot Insert Breakpoints'' Error
|
|
|
|
Under Unix, breakpoints cannot be used in a program if any other process
|
|
is running that program. Attempting to run or continue the program with
|
|
a breakpoint in this case will cause GDB+ to stop it.
|
|
|
|
When this happens, you have two ways to proceed:
|
|
|
|
@enumerate
|
|
@item
|
|
Remove or disable the breakpoints, then continue.
|
|
|
|
@item
|
|
Suspend GDB+, and copy the file containing the program to a new name.
|
|
Resume GDB+ and use the @samp{exec-file} command to specify that GDB+
|
|
should run the program under that name. Then start the program again.
|
|
@end enumerate
|
|
|
|
@node Continuing, Stepping, Breakpoints, Stopping
|
|
@section Continuing
|
|
|
|
After your program stops, most likely you will want it to run some more if
|
|
the bug you are looking for has not happened yet.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item cont
|
|
Continue running the program at the place where it stopped.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
If the program stopped at a breakpoint, the place to continue running
|
|
is the address of the breakpoint. You might expect that continuing would
|
|
just stop at the same breakpoint immediately. In fact, @samp{cont}
|
|
takes special care to prevent that from happening. You do not need
|
|
to clear the breakpoint to proceed through it after stopping at it.
|
|
|
|
You can, however, specify an ignore-count for the breakpoint that the
|
|
program stopped at, by means of an argument to the @samp{cont} command.
|
|
@xref{Conditions}.
|
|
|
|
If the program stopped because of a signal other than @code{SIGINT} or
|
|
@code{SIGTRAP}, continuing will cause the program to see that signal.
|
|
You may not want this to happen. For example, if the program stopped
|
|
due to some sort of memory reference error, you might store correct
|
|
values into the erroneous variables and continue, hoping to see more
|
|
execution; but the program would probably terminate immediately as
|
|
a result of the fatal signal once it sees the signal. To prevent this,
|
|
you can continue with @samp{signal 0}. @xref{Signaling}. You can
|
|
also act in advance to prevent the program from seeing certain kinds
|
|
of signals, using the @samp{handle} command (@pxref{Signals}).
|
|
|
|
@node Stepping,, Continuing, Stopping
|
|
@section Stepping
|
|
|
|
@cindex stepping
|
|
@dfn{Stepping} means setting your program in motion for a limited time, so
|
|
that control will return automatically to the debugger after one line of
|
|
code or one machine instruction. Breakpoints are active during stepping
|
|
and the program will stop for them even if it has not gone as far as the
|
|
stepping command specifies.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item step
|
|
@kindex step
|
|
Proceed the program until control reaches a different line, then stop
|
|
it and return to the debugger. This command is abbreviated @samp{s}.
|
|
|
|
@item step @var{count}
|
|
Proceed as in @samp{step}, but do so @var{count} times. If a breakpoint
|
|
or a signal not related to stepping is reached before @var{count} steps,
|
|
stepping stops right away.
|
|
|
|
@item next
|
|
@kindex next
|
|
Similar to @samp{step}, but any function calls appearing within the line of
|
|
code are executed without stopping. Execution stops when control reaches a
|
|
different line of code at the stack level which was executing when the
|
|
@samp{next} command was given. This command is abbreviated @samp{n}.
|
|
|
|
An argument is a repeat count, as in @samp{step}.
|
|
|
|
@item finish
|
|
@kindex finish
|
|
Continue running until just after the selected stack frame returns
|
|
(or until there is some other reason to stop, such as a fatal signal
|
|
or a breakpoint).
|
|
|
|
Contrast this with the @samp{return} command (@pxref{Returning}).
|
|
|
|
@item stepi
|
|
@itemx si
|
|
@kindex stepi
|
|
@kindex si
|
|
Proceed one machine instruction, then stop and return to the debugger.
|
|
|
|
It is often useful to do @samp{display/i $pc} when stepping by machine
|
|
instructions. This will cause the next instruction to be executed to
|
|
be displayed automatically at each stop. @xref{Auto Display}.
|
|
|
|
An argument is a repeat count, as in @samp{step}.
|
|
|
|
@item nexti
|
|
@itemx ni
|
|
@kindex nexti
|
|
@kindex ni
|
|
Proceed one machine instruction, but if it is a subroutine call,
|
|
proceed until the subroutine returns.
|
|
|
|
An argument is a repeat count, as in @samp{next}.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
A typical technique for using stepping is to put a breakpoint
|
|
(@pxref{Breakpoints}) at the beginning of the function or the section of
|
|
the program in which a problem is believed to lie, and then step through
|
|
the suspect area, examining the variables that are interesting, until the
|
|
problem happens.
|
|
|
|
The @samp{cont} command can be used after stepping to resume execution
|
|
until the next breakpoint or signal.
|
|
|
|
@node Stack, Source, Stopping, Top
|
|
@chapter Examining the Stack
|
|
|
|
When your program has stopped, the first thing you need to know is where it
|
|
stopped and how it got there.
|
|
|
|
@cindex call stack
|
|
Each time your program performs a function call, the information about
|
|
where in the program the call was made from is saved in a block of data
|
|
called a @dfn{stack frame}. The frame also contains the arguments of the
|
|
call and the local variables of the function that was called. All the
|
|
stack frames are allocated in a region of memory called the @dfn{call
|
|
stack}.
|
|
|
|
When your program stops, the GDB+ commands for examining the stack allow you
|
|
to see all of this information.
|
|
|
|
One of the stack frames is @dfn{selected} by GDB+ and many GDB+ commands
|
|
refer implicitly to the selected frame. In particular, whenever you ask
|
|
GDB+ for the value of a variable in the program, the value is found in the
|
|
selected frame. There are special GDB+ commands to select whichever frame
|
|
you are interested in.
|
|
|
|
When the program stops, GDB+ automatically selects the currently executing
|
|
frame and describes it briefly as the @samp{frame} command does
|
|
(@pxref{Frame Info, Info}).
|
|
|
|
@menu
|
|
* Frames:: Explanation of stack frames and terminology.
|
|
* Backtrace:: Summarizing many frames at once.
|
|
* Selection:: How to select a stack frame.
|
|
* Info: Frame Info, Commands to print information on stack frames.
|
|
@end menu
|
|
|
|
@node Frames, Backtrace, Stack, Stack
|
|
@section Stack Frames
|
|
|
|
@cindex frame
|
|
The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called @dfn{frames};
|
|
each frame is the data associated with one call to one function. The frame
|
|
contains the arguments given to the function, the function's local
|
|
variables, and the address at which the function is executing.
|
|
|
|
@cindex initial frame
|
|
@cindex outermost frame
|
|
@cindex innermost frame
|
|
When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of the
|
|
function @code{main}. This is called the @dfn{initial} frame or the
|
|
@dfn{outermost} frame. Each time a function is called, a new frame is
|
|
made. Each time a function returns, the frame for that function invocation
|
|
is eliminated. If a function is recursive, there can be many frames for
|
|
the same function. The frame for the function in which execution is
|
|
actually occurring is called the @dfn{innermost} frame. This is the most
|
|
recently created of all the stack frames that still exist.
|
|
|
|
@cindex frame pointer
|
|
Inside your program, stack frames are identified by their addresses. A
|
|
stack frame consists of many bytes, each of which has its own address; each
|
|
kind of computer has a convention for choosing one of those bytes whose
|
|
address serves as the address of the frame. Usually this address is kept
|
|
in a register called the @dfn{frame pointer register} while execution is
|
|
going on in that frame.
|
|
|
|
@cindex frame number
|
|
GDB+ assigns numbers to all existing stack frames, starting with zero for
|
|
the innermost frame, one for the frame that called it, and so on upward.
|
|
These numbers do not really exist in your program; they are to give you a
|
|
way of talking about stack frames in GDB+ commands.
|
|
|
|
@cindex selected frame
|
|
Many GDB+ commands refer implicitly to one stack frame. GDB+ records a stack
|
|
frame that is called the @dfn{selected} stack frame; you can select any
|
|
frame using one set of GDB+ commands, and then other commands will operate
|
|
on that frame. When your program stops, GDB+ automatically selects the
|
|
innermost frame.
|
|
|
|
@node Backtrace, Selection, Frames, Stack
|
|
@section Backtraces
|
|
|
|
A backtrace is a summary of how the program got where it is. It shows one
|
|
line per frame, for many frames, starting with the currently executing
|
|
frame (frame zero), followed by its caller (frame one), and on up the
|
|
stack.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item backtrace
|
|
@itemx bt
|
|
Print a backtrace of the entire stack: one line per frame for all
|
|
frames in the stack.
|
|
|
|
You can stop the backtrace at any time by typing the system interrupt
|
|
character, normally @kbd{Control-C}.
|
|
|
|
@item backtrace @var{n}
|
|
@itemx bt @var{n}
|
|
Similar, but stop after @var{n} frames.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
Each line in a backtrace shows the frame number, the program counter, the
|
|
function and its arguments, and the source file name and line number (if
|
|
known). The program counter is is omitted if is the beginning of the code for
|
|
the source line. This is the same as the first of the two lines printed
|
|
when you select a frame.
|
|
|
|
@node Selection, Frame Info, Backtrace, Stack
|
|
@section Selecting a Frame
|
|
|
|
Most commands for examining the stack and other data in the program work on
|
|
whichever stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the commands for
|
|
selecting a stack frame; all of them finish by printing a brief description
|
|
of the stack frame just selected.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item frame @var{n}
|
|
@kindex frame
|
|
Select frame number @var{n}. Recall that frame zero is the innermost
|
|
(currently executing) frame, frame one is the frame that called the
|
|
innermost one, and so on. The highest-numbered frame is @code{main}'s
|
|
frame.
|
|
|
|
@item frame @var{addr}
|
|
Select the frame at address @var{addr}. This is useful mainly if the
|
|
chaining of stack frames has been damaged by a bug, making it
|
|
impossible for GDB+ to assign numbers properly to all frames. In
|
|
addition, this can be useful when the program has multiple stacks and
|
|
options between them.
|
|
|
|
@item up @var{n}
|
|
@kindex up
|
|
Select the frame @var{n} frames up from the frame previously selected.
|
|
For positive numbers @var{n}, this advances toward the outermost
|
|
frame, to higher frame numbers, to frames that have existed longer.
|
|
@var{n} defaults to one.
|
|
|
|
@item down @var{n}
|
|
@kindex down
|
|
Select the frame @var{n} frames down from the frame previously
|
|
selected. For positive numbers @var{n}, this advances toward the
|
|
innermost frame, to lower frame numbers, to frames that were created
|
|
more recently. @var{n} defaults to one.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
All of these commands end by printing some information on the frame that
|
|
has been selected: the frame number, the function name, the arguments, the
|
|
source file and line number of execution in that frame, and the text of
|
|
that source line. For example:
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
#3 main (argc=3, argv=??, env=??) at main.c, line 67
|
|
67 read_input_file (argv[i]);
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
After such a printout, the @samp{list} command with no arguments will print
|
|
ten lines centered on the point of execution in the frame. @xref{List}.
|
|
|
|
@node Frame Info,, Selection, Stack
|
|
@section Information on a Frame
|
|
|
|
There are several other commands to print information about the selected
|
|
stack frame.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item frame
|
|
This command prints a brief description of the selected stack frame.
|
|
It can be abbreviated @samp{f}. With an argument, this command is
|
|
used to select a stack frame; with no argument, it does not change
|
|
which frame is selected, but still prints the same information.
|
|
|
|
@item info frame
|
|
@kindex info frame
|
|
This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack frame,
|
|
including the address of the frame, the addresses of the next frame in
|
|
(called by this frame) and the next frame out (caller of this frame),
|
|
the address of the frame's arguments, the program counter saved in it
|
|
(the address of execution in the caller frame), and which registers
|
|
were saved in the frame. The verbose description is useful when
|
|
something has gone wrong that has made the stack format fail to fit
|
|
the usual conventions.
|
|
|
|
@item info frame @var{addr}
|
|
Print a verbose description of the frame at address @var{addr},
|
|
without selecting that frame. The selected frame remains unchanged by
|
|
this command.
|
|
|
|
@item info args
|
|
@kindex info args
|
|
Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
|
|
|
|
@item info locals
|
|
@kindex info locals
|
|
Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate
|
|
line. These are all variables declared static or automatic within all
|
|
program blocks that execution in this frame is currently inside of.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@node Source, Data, Stack, Top
|
|
@chapter Examining Source Files
|
|
|
|
GDB+ knows which source files your program was compiled from, and
|
|
can print parts of their text. When your program stops, GDB+
|
|
spontaneously prints the line it stopped in. Likewise, when you
|
|
select a stack frame (@pxref{Selection}), GDB+ prints the line
|
|
which execution in that frame has stopped in. You can also
|
|
print parts of source files by explicit command.
|
|
|
|
@menu
|
|
* List:: Using the @samp{list} command to print source files.
|
|
* Search:: Commands for searching source files.
|
|
* Source Path:: Specifying the directories to search for source files.
|
|
@end menu
|
|
|
|
@node List, Search, Source, Source
|
|
@section Printing Source Lines
|
|
|
|
@kindex list
|
|
To print lines from a source file, use the @samp{list} command
|
|
(abbreviated @samp{l}). There are several ways to specify what part
|
|
of the file you want to print.
|
|
|
|
Here are the forms of @samp{list} command most commonly used:
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item list @var{linenum}
|
|
Print ten lines centered around line number @var{linenum} in the
|
|
current source file.
|
|
|
|
@item list @var{function}
|
|
Print ten lines centered around the beginning of function
|
|
@var{function}.
|
|
|
|
@item list
|
|
Print ten more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a
|
|
@samp{list} command, this prints ten lines following the last lines
|
|
printed; however, if the last line printed was a solitary line printed
|
|
as part of displaying a stack frame (@pxref{Stack}), this prints ten
|
|
lines centered around that line.
|
|
|
|
@item list @minus{}
|
|
Print ten lines just before the lines last printed.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
Repeating a @samp{list} command with @key{RET} discards the argument,
|
|
so it is equivalent to typing just @samp{list}. This is more useful
|
|
than listing the same lines again. An exception is made for an
|
|
argument of @samp{-}; that argument is preserved in repetition so that
|
|
each repetition moves up in the file.
|
|
|
|
In general, the @samp{list} command expects you to supply zero, one or two
|
|
@dfn{linespecs}. Linespecs specify source lines; there are several ways
|
|
of writing them but the effect is always to specify some source line.
|
|
Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for @samp{list}:
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item list @var{linespec}
|
|
Print ten lines centered around the line specified by @var{linespec}.
|
|
|
|
@item list @var{first},@var{last}
|
|
Print lines from @var{first} to @var{last}. Both arguments are
|
|
linespecs.
|
|
|
|
@item list ,@var{last}
|
|
Print ten lines ending with @var{last}.
|
|
|
|
@item list @var{first},
|
|
Print ten lines starting with @var{first}.
|
|
|
|
@item list +
|
|
Print ten lines just after the lines last printed.
|
|
|
|
@item list @minus{}
|
|
Print ten lines just before the lines last printed.
|
|
|
|
@item list
|
|
As described in the preceding table.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
Here are the ways of specifying a single source line---all the
|
|
kinds of linespec.
|
|
|
|
@table @asis
|
|
@item @var{linenum}
|
|
Specifies line @var{linenum} of the current source file.
|
|
When a @samp{list} command has two linespecs, this refers to
|
|
the same source file as the first linespec.
|
|
|
|
@item +@var{offset}
|
|
Specifies the line @var{offset} lines after the last line printed.
|
|
When used as the second linespec in a @samp{list} command that has
|
|
two, this specifies the line @var{offset} lines down from the
|
|
first linespec.
|
|
|
|
@item @minus{}@var{offset}
|
|
Specifies the line @var{offset} lines before the last line printed.
|
|
|
|
@item @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
|
|
Specifies line @var{linenum} in the source file @var{filename}.
|
|
|
|
@item @var{function}
|
|
Specifies the line of the open-brace that begins the body of the
|
|
function @var{function}.
|
|
|
|
@item @var{filename}:@var{function}
|
|
Specifies the line of the open-brace that begins the body of the
|
|
function @var{function} in the file @var{filename}. The file name is
|
|
needed with a function name only for disambiguation of identically
|
|
named functions in different source files.
|
|
|
|
@item *@var{address}
|
|
Specifies the line containing the program address @var{address}.
|
|
@var{address} may be any expression.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
One other command is used to map source lines to program addresses.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item info line @var{linenum}
|
|
@kindex info line
|
|
Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for
|
|
source line @var{linenum}.
|
|
|
|
@kindex $_
|
|
The default examine address for the @samp{x} command is changed to the
|
|
starting address of the line, so that @samp{x/i} is sufficient to
|
|
begin examining the machine code (@pxref{Memory}). Also, this address
|
|
is saved as the value of the convenience variable @samp{$_}
|
|
(@pxref{Convenience Vars}).
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@node Search, Source Path, List, Source
|
|
@section Searching Source Files
|
|
@cindex searching
|
|
@kindex forward-search
|
|
@kindex reverse-search
|
|
|
|
There are two commands for searching through the current source file for a
|
|
regular expression.
|
|
|
|
The command @samp{forward-search @var{regexp}} checks each line, starting
|
|
with the one following the last line listed, for a match for @var{regexp}.
|
|
It lists the line that is found. You can abbreviate the command name
|
|
as @samp{fo}.
|
|
|
|
The command @samp{reverse-search @var{regexp}} checks each line, starting
|
|
with the one before the last line listed and going backward, for a match
|
|
for @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can abbreviate
|
|
this command with as little as @samp{rev}.
|
|
|
|
@node Source Path,, Search, Source
|
|
@section Specifying Source Directories
|
|
|
|
@cindex source path
|
|
@cindex directories for source files
|
|
Executable programs do not record the directories of the source files they
|
|
were compiled from, just the names. GDB+ remembers a list of directories to
|
|
search for source files; this is called the @dfn{source path}. Each time
|
|
GDB+ wants a source file, it tries all the directories in the list, in the
|
|
order they are present in the list, until it finds a file with the desired
|
|
name.
|
|
|
|
@kindex directory
|
|
When you start GDB+, its source path contains just the current working
|
|
directory. To add other directories, use the @samp{directory} command.
|
|
@b{Note that the search path for executable files and the working directory
|
|
are @i{not} used for finding source files.}
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item directory @var{dirname}
|
|
Add directory @var{dirname} to the end of the source path.
|
|
|
|
@item directory
|
|
Reset the source path to just the current working directory of GDB+.
|
|
This requires confirmation.
|
|
|
|
@samp{directory} with no argument can cause source files previously
|
|
found by GDB+ to be found in a different directory. To make this work
|
|
correctly, this command also clears out the tables GDB+ maintains
|
|
about the source files it has already found.
|
|
|
|
@item info directories
|
|
@kindex info directories
|
|
Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
Because the @samp{directory} command adds to the end of the source path,
|
|
it does not affect any file that GDB+ has already found. If the source
|
|
path contains directories that you do not want, and these directories
|
|
contain misleading files with names matching your source files, the
|
|
way to correct the situation is as follows:
|
|
|
|
@enumerate
|
|
@item
|
|
Choose the directory you want at the beginning of the source path.
|
|
Use the @samp{cd} command to make that the current working directory.
|
|
|
|
@item
|
|
Use @samp{directory} with no argument to reset the source path to just
|
|
that directory.
|
|
|
|
@item
|
|
Use @samp{directory} with suitable arguments to add any other
|
|
directories you want in the source path.
|
|
@end enumerate
|
|
|
|
@node Data, Symbols, Source, Top
|
|
@chapter Examining Data
|
|
|
|
@cindex printing data
|
|
@cindex examining data
|
|
@kindex print
|
|
The usual way of examining data in your program is with the @samp{print}
|
|
command (abbreviated @samp{p}). It evaluates and prints the value of any
|
|
valid expression of the language the program is written in (for now, C).
|
|
You type
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
print @var{exp}
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
where @var{exp} is any valid expression, and the value of @var{exp}
|
|
is printed in a format appropriate to its data type.
|
|
|
|
A more low-level way of examining data is with the @samp{x} command.
|
|
It examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
|
|
specified format.
|
|
|
|
@menu
|
|
* Expressions:: Expressions that can be computed and printed.
|
|
* Variables:: Using your program's variables in expressions.
|
|
* Assignment:: Setting your program's variables.
|
|
* Arrays:: Examining part of memory as an array.
|
|
* Formats:: Specifying formats for printing values.
|
|
* Memory:: Examining memory explicitly.
|
|
* Auto Display:: Printing certain expressions whenever program stops.
|
|
* Value History:: Referring to values previously printed.
|
|
* Convenience Vars:: Giving names to values for future reference.
|
|
* Registers:: Referring to and storing in machine registers.
|
|
@end menu
|
|
|
|
@node Expressions, Variables, Data, Data
|
|
@section Expressions
|
|
|
|
@cindex expressions
|
|
Many different GDB+ commands accept an expression and compute its value.
|
|
Any kind of constant, variable or operator defined by the programming
|
|
language you are using is legal in an expression in GDB+. This includes
|
|
conditional expressions, function calls, casts and string constants.
|
|
|
|
In addition to supporting operators normally found in the C programming
|
|
language, GDB+ also supports some C++ constructs. For example, one can
|
|
call member functions (GDB+ automatically uses @code{this} when necessary),
|
|
and examine and manipulate pointers to members, pointers to member
|
|
functions (virtual or otherwise).
|
|
|
|
Casts are supported in all languages, not just in C, because it is so
|
|
useful to cast a number into a pointer so as to examine a structure
|
|
at that address in memory. GDB+ allows pointers to members and pointer to
|
|
member functions to be cast to any type and vice-versa.
|
|
|
|
GDB+ supports three kinds of operator in addition to those of programming
|
|
languages:
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item @@
|
|
@samp{@@} is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays.
|
|
@xref{Arrays}, for more information.
|
|
|
|
@item ::
|
|
@samp{::} allows you to specify a variable in terms of the file or
|
|
function it is defined in. @xref{Variables}. It also supports the C++
|
|
convention of qualifying a variable reference according to a type name (or
|
|
the global scope). This makes it easy to examing static class variables,
|
|
for example.
|
|
|
|
@item @{@var{type}@} @var{addr}
|
|
Refers to an object of type @var{type} stored at address @var{addr} in
|
|
memory. @var{addr} may be any expression whose value is an integer or
|
|
pointer (but parentheses are required around nonunary operators, just as in
|
|
a cast). This construct is allowed regardless of what kind of data is
|
|
officially supposed to reside at @var{addr}.@refill
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@node Variables, Arrays, Expressions, Data
|
|
@section Program Variables
|
|
|
|
The most common kind of expression to use is the name of a variable
|
|
in your program.
|
|
|
|
Variables in expressions are understood in the selected stack frame
|
|
(@pxref{Selection}); they must either be global (or static) or be visible
|
|
according to the scope rules of the programming language from the point of
|
|
execution in that frame. This means that in the function
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
foo (a)
|
|
int a;
|
|
@{
|
|
bar (a);
|
|
@{
|
|
int b = test ();
|
|
bar (b);
|
|
@}
|
|
@}
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
the variable @code{a} is usable whenever the program is executing
|
|
within the function @code{foo}, but the variable @code{b} is visible
|
|
only while the program is executing inside the block in which @code{b}
|
|
is declared.
|
|
|
|
@node Arrays, Formats, Variables, Data
|
|
@section Artificial Arrays
|
|
|
|
@cindex artificial array
|
|
It is often useful to print out several successive objects of the
|
|
same type in memory; a section of an array, or an array of
|
|
dynamically determined size for which only a pointer exists in the
|
|
program.
|
|
|
|
This can be done by constructing an @dfn{artificial array} with the
|
|
binary operator @samp{@@}. The left operand of @samp{@@} should be
|
|
the first element of the desired array, as an individual object.
|
|
The right operand should be the length of the array. The result is
|
|
an array value whose elements are all of the type of the left argument.
|
|
The first element is actually the left argument; the second element
|
|
comes from bytes of memory immediately following those that hold the
|
|
first element, and so on. Here is an example. If a program says
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
you can print the contents of @code{array} with
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
p *array@@len
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
The left operand of @samp{@@} must reside in memory. Array values made
|
|
with @samp{@@} in this way behave just like other arrays in terms of
|
|
subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
|
|
(It would probably appear in an expression via the value history,
|
|
after you had printed it out.)
|
|
|
|
@node Formats, Memory, Arrays, Data
|
|
@section Formats
|
|
|
|
@cindex formatted output
|
|
@cindex output formats
|
|
GDB+ normally prints all values according to their data types. Sometimes
|
|
this is not what you want. For example, you might want to print a number
|
|
in hex, or a pointer in decimal. Or you might want to view data in memory
|
|
at a certain address as a character string or an instruction. These things
|
|
can be done with @dfn{output formats}.
|
|
|
|
The simplest use of output formats is to say how to print a value
|
|
already computed. This is done by starting the arguments of the
|
|
@samp{print} command with a slash and a format letter. The format
|
|
letters supported are:
|
|
|
|
@table @samp
|
|
@item x
|
|
Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer in
|
|
hexadecimal.
|
|
|
|
@item d
|
|
Print as integer in signed decimal.
|
|
|
|
@item u
|
|
Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
|
|
|
|
@item o
|
|
Print as integer in octal.
|
|
|
|
@item a
|
|
Print as an address, both absolute in hex and then relative
|
|
to a symbol defined as an address below it.
|
|
|
|
@item c
|
|
Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant.
|
|
|
|
@item f
|
|
Regard the bits of the value as a floating point number and print
|
|
using typical floating point syntax.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
For example, to print the program counter in hex (@pxref{Registers}), type
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
p/x $pc
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
Note that no space is required before the slash; this is because command
|
|
names in GDB+ cannot contain a slash.
|
|
|
|
To reprint the last value in the value history with a different format,
|
|
you can use the @samp{print} command with just a format and no
|
|
expression. For example, @samp{p/x} reprints the last value in hex.
|
|
|
|
@node Memory, Auto Display, Formats, Data
|
|
@subsection Examining Memory
|
|
|
|
@cindex examining memory
|
|
@kindex x
|
|
The command @samp{x} (for `examine') can be used to examine memory under
|
|
explicit control of formats, without reference to the program's data types.
|
|
|
|
@samp{x} is followed by a slash and an output format specification,
|
|
followed by an expression for an address. The expression need not have
|
|
a pointer value (though it may); it is used as an integer, as the
|
|
address of a byte of memory.
|
|
|
|
The output format in this case specifies both how big a unit of memory
|
|
to examine and how to print the contents of that unit. It is done
|
|
with one or two of the following letters:
|
|
|
|
These letters specify just the size of unit to examine:
|
|
|
|
@table @samp
|
|
@item b
|
|
Examine individual bytes.
|
|
|
|
@item h
|
|
Examine halfwords (two bytes each).
|
|
|
|
@item w
|
|
Examine words (four bytes each).
|
|
|
|
@cindex word
|
|
Many assemblers and cpu designers still use `word' for a 16-bit quantity,
|
|
as a holdover from specific predecessor machines of the 1970's that really
|
|
did use two-byte words. But more generally the term `word' has always
|
|
referred to the size of quantity that a machine normally operates on and
|
|
stores in its registers. This is 32 bits for all the machines that GNU
|
|
runs on.
|
|
|
|
@item g
|
|
Examine giant words (8 bytes).
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
These letters specify just the way to print the contents:
|
|
|
|
@table @samp
|
|
@item x
|
|
Print as integers in unsigned hexadecimal.
|
|
|
|
@item d
|
|
Print as integers in signed decimal.
|
|
|
|
@item u
|
|
Print as integers in unsigned decimal.
|
|
|
|
@item o
|
|
Print as integers in unsigned octal.
|
|
|
|
@item a
|
|
Print as an address, both absolute in hex and then relative
|
|
to a symbol defined as an address below it.
|
|
|
|
@item c
|
|
Print as character constants.
|
|
|
|
@item f
|
|
Print as floating point. This works only with sizes @samp{w} and
|
|
@samp{g}.
|
|
|
|
@item s
|
|
Print a null-terminated string of characters. The specified unit size
|
|
is ignored; instead, the unit is however many bytes it takes to reach
|
|
a null character (including the null character).
|
|
|
|
@item i
|
|
Print a machine instruction in assembler syntax (or nearly). The
|
|
specified unit size is ignored; the number of bytes in an instruction
|
|
varies depending on the type of machine, the opcode and the addressing
|
|
modes used.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
If either the manner of printing or the size of unit fails to be specified,
|
|
the default is to use the same one that was used last. If you don't want
|
|
to use any letters after the slash, you can omit the slash as well.
|
|
|
|
You can also omit the address to examine. Then the address used is
|
|
just after the last unit examined. This is why string and instruction
|
|
formats actually compute a unit-size based on the data: so that the
|
|
next string or instruction examined will start in the right place.
|
|
The @samp{print} command sometimes sets the default address for
|
|
the @samp{x} command; when the value printed resides in memory, the
|
|
default is set to examine the same location. @samp{info line} also
|
|
sets the default for @samp{x}, to the address of the start of the
|
|
machine code for the specified line and @samp{info breakpoints} sets
|
|
it to the address of the last breakpoint listed.
|
|
|
|
When you use @key{RET} to repeat an @samp{x} command, it does not repeat
|
|
exactly the same: the address specified previously (if any) is ignored, so
|
|
that the repeated command examines the successive locations in memory
|
|
rather than the same ones.
|
|
|
|
You can examine several consecutive units of memory with one command by
|
|
writing a repeat-count after the slash (before the format letters, if any).
|
|
The repeat count must be a decimal integer. It has the same effect as
|
|
repeating the @samp{x} command that many times except that the output may
|
|
be more compact with several units per line.
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
x/10i $pc
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
Prints ten instructions starting with the one to be executed next in the
|
|
selected frame. After doing this, you could print another ten following
|
|
instructions with
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
x/10
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
in which the format and address are allowed to default.
|
|
|
|
@kindex $_
|
|
@kindex $__
|
|
The addresses and contents printed by the @samp{x} command are not put in
|
|
the value history because there is often too much of them and they would
|
|
get in the way. Instead, GDB+ makes these values available for subsequent
|
|
use in expressions as values of the convenience variables @samp{$_} and
|
|
@samp{$__}.
|
|
|
|
After an @samp{x} command, the last address examined is available for use
|
|
in expressions in the convenience variable @samp{$_}. The contents of that
|
|
address, as examined, are available in the convenience variable @samp{$__}.
|
|
|
|
If the @samp{x} command has a repeat count, the address and contents saved
|
|
are from the last memory unit printed; this is not the same as the last
|
|
address printed if several units were printed on the last line of output.
|
|
|
|
@node Auto Display, Value History, Memory, Data
|
|
@section Automatic Display
|
|
|
|
If you find that you want to print the value of an expression frequently
|
|
(to see how it changes), you might want to add it to the @dfn{automatic
|
|
display list} so that GDB+ will print its value each time the program stops.
|
|
Each expression added to the list is given a number to identify it;
|
|
to remove an expression from the list, you specify that number.
|
|
The automatic display looks like this:
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
2: foo = 38
|
|
3: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
showing item numbers, expressions and their current values.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item display @var{exp}
|
|
@kindex display
|
|
Add the expression @var{exp} to the list of expressions to display
|
|
each time the program stops.
|
|
|
|
@item display/@var{fmt} @var{exp}
|
|
For @var{fmt} specifying only a display format and not a size or
|
|
count, add the expression @var{exp} to the auto-display list but
|
|
arranges to display it each time in the specified format @var{fmt}.
|
|
|
|
@item display/@var{fmt} @var{addr}
|
|
For @var{fmt} @samp{i} or @samp{s}, or including a unit-size or a
|
|
number of units, add the expression @var{addr} as a memory address to
|
|
be examined each time the program stops. Examining means in effect
|
|
doing @samp{x/@var{fmt} @var{addr}}. @xref{Memory}.
|
|
|
|
@item undisplay @var{n}
|
|
@kindex undisplay
|
|
Remove item number @var{n} from the list of expressions to display.
|
|
|
|
@item display
|
|
Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as is
|
|
done when the program stops.
|
|
|
|
@item info display
|
|
@kindex info display
|
|
Print the list of expressions to display automatically, each one
|
|
with its item number, but without showing the values.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@node Value History, Convenience Vars, Auto Display, Data
|
|
@section Value History
|
|
|
|
@cindex value history
|
|
Every value printed by the @samp{print} command is saved for the entire
|
|
session in GDB+'s @dfn{value history} so that you can refer to it in
|
|
other expressions.
|
|
|
|
@cindex $
|
|
@cindex $$
|
|
The values printed are given @dfn{history numbers} for you to refer to them
|
|
by. These are successive integers starting with 1. @samp{print} shows you
|
|
the history number assigned to a value by printing @samp{$@var{n} = }
|
|
before the value; here @var{n} is the history number.
|
|
|
|
To refer to any previous value, use @samp{$} followed by the value's
|
|
history number. The output printed by @samp{print} is designed to remind
|
|
you of this. Just @samp{$} refers to the most recent value in the history,
|
|
and @samp{$$} refers to the value before that.
|
|
|
|
For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure and
|
|
want to see the contents of the structure. It suffices to type
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
p *$
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
If you have a chain of structures where the component @samp{next} points
|
|
to the next one, you can print the contents of the next one with
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
p *$.next
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
It might be useful to repeat this command many times by typing @key{RET}.
|
|
|
|
Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value of
|
|
@code{x} is 4 and you type
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
print x
|
|
set x=5
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
then the value recorded in the value history by the @samp{print} command
|
|
remains 4 even though @code{x}'s value has changed.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item info history
|
|
@kindex info history
|
|
Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item
|
|
numbers. This is like @samp{p $$9} repeated ten times, except that
|
|
@samp{info history} does not change the history.
|
|
|
|
@item info history @var{n}
|
|
Print ten history values centered on history item number @var{n}.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@node Convenience Vars, Registers, Value History, Data
|
|
@section Convenience Variables
|
|
|
|
@cindex convenience variables
|
|
GDB+ provides @dfn{convenience variables} that you can use within GDB+ to
|
|
hold on to a value and refer to it later. These variables exist entirely
|
|
within GDB+; they are not part of your program, and setting a convenience
|
|
variable has no effect on further execution of your program. That's why
|
|
you can use them freely.
|
|
|
|
Convenience variables have names starting with @samp{$}. Any name starting
|
|
with @samp{$} can be used for a convenience variable, unless it is one of
|
|
the predefined set of register names (@pxref{Registers}).
|
|
|
|
You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment
|
|
expression, just as you would set a variable in your program. Example:
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
set $foo = *object_ptr
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
would save in @samp{$foo} the value contained in the object pointed to by
|
|
@code{object_ptr}.
|
|
|
|
Using a convenience variable for the first time creates it; but its value
|
|
is @code{void} until you assign a new value. You can alter the value with
|
|
another assignment at any time.
|
|
|
|
Convenience variables have no fixed types. You can assign a convenience
|
|
variable any type of value, even if it already has a value of a different
|
|
type. The convenience variable as an expression has whatever type its
|
|
current value has.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item info convenience
|
|
@kindex info convenience
|
|
Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their values.
|
|
Abbreviated @samp{i con}.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be
|
|
incremented or a pointer to be advanced. For example:
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
set $i = 0
|
|
print bar[$i++]->contents
|
|
@i{@dots{}repeat that command by typing @key{RET}.}
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
Some convenience variables are created automatically by GDB+ and given
|
|
values likely to be useful.
|
|
|
|
@table @samp
|
|
@item $_
|
|
The variable @samp{$_} is automatically set by the @samp{x} command to
|
|
the last address examined (@pxref{Memory}). Other commands which
|
|
provide a default address for @samp{x} to examine also set @samp{$_}
|
|
to that address; these commands include @samp{info line} and @samp{info
|
|
breakpoint}.
|
|
|
|
@item $__
|
|
The variable @samp{$__} is automatically set by the @samp{x} command
|
|
to the value found in the last address examined.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@node Registers,, Convenience Vars, Data
|
|
@section Registers
|
|
|
|
@cindex registers
|
|
Machine register contents can be referred to in expressions as variables
|
|
with names starting with @samp{$}. The names of registers are different
|
|
for each machine; use @samp{info registers} to see the names used on your
|
|
machine. The names @samp{$pc} and @samp{$sp} are used on all machines for
|
|
the program counter register and the stack pointer. Often @samp{$fp} is
|
|
used for a register that contains a pointer to the current stack frame.
|
|
|
|
GDB+ always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an integer
|
|
when the register is examined in this way. Programs can store floating
|
|
point values in registers also, but there is currently no GDB+ command
|
|
to examine a specified register in floating point. (However, if the
|
|
variable in your program which is stored in the register is a floating
|
|
point variable, you can see the floating point value by examining
|
|
the variable.)
|
|
|
|
Some machines have special floating point registers. GDB+ considers these
|
|
registers' values as floating point when you examine them explicitly.
|
|
|
|
Some registers have distinct ``raw'' and ``virtual'' data formats. This
|
|
means that the data format in which the register contents are saved by the
|
|
operating system is not the same one that your program normally sees. For
|
|
example, the registers of the 68881 floating point coprocessor are always
|
|
saved in ``extended'' format, but all C programs expect to work with
|
|
``double'' format. In such cases, GDB+ normally works with the virtual
|
|
format only (the format that makes sense for your program), but the
|
|
@samp{info registers} command prints the data in both formats.
|
|
|
|
Register values are relative to the selected stack frame
|
|
(@pxref{Selection}). This means that you get the value that the register
|
|
would contain if all stack frames farther in were exited and their saved
|
|
registers restored. In order to see the real contents of all registers,
|
|
you must select the innermost frame (with @samp{frame 0}).
|
|
|
|
Some registers are never saved (typically those numbered zero or one)
|
|
because they are used for returning function values; for these registers,
|
|
relativization makes no difference.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item info registers
|
|
@kindex info registers
|
|
Print the names and relativized values of all registers.
|
|
|
|
@item info registers @var{regname}
|
|
Print the relativized value of register @var{regname}. @var{regname}
|
|
may be any register name valid on the machine you are using, with
|
|
or without the initial @samp{$}.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@subsection Examples
|
|
|
|
You could print the program counter in hex with
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
p/x $pc
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
or print the instruction to be executed next with
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
x/i $pc
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
or add four to the stack pointer with
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
set $sp += 4
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
The last is a way of removing one word from the stack, on machines where
|
|
stacks grow downward in memory (most machines, nowadays). This assumes
|
|
that the innermost stack frame is selected. Setting @samp{$sp} is
|
|
not allowed when other stack frames are selected.
|
|
|
|
@node Symbols, Altering, Data, Top
|
|
@chapter Examining the Symbol Table
|
|
|
|
The commands described in this section allow you to make inquiries for
|
|
information about the symbols (names of variables, functions and types)
|
|
defined in your program. This information is found by GDB+ in the symbol
|
|
table loaded by the @samp{symbol-file} command; it is inherent in the text
|
|
of your program and does not change as the program executes.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item whatis @var{exp}
|
|
@kindex whatis
|
|
Print the data type of expression @var{exp}. @var{exp} is not
|
|
actually evaluated, and any side-effecting operations (such as
|
|
assignments or function calls) inside it do not take place.
|
|
|
|
@item whatis
|
|
Print the data type of @samp{$}, the last value in the value history.
|
|
|
|
@item info address @var{symbol}
|
|
@kindex info address
|
|
Describe where the data for @var{symbol} is stored. For register
|
|
variables, this says which register. For other automatic variables,
|
|
this prints the stack-frame offset at which the variable is always
|
|
stored. Note the contrast with @samp{print &@var{symbol}}, which does
|
|
not work at all for register variables and for automatic variables
|
|
prints the exact address of the current instantiation of the variable.
|
|
|
|
@item ptype @var{typename}
|
|
@kindex ptype
|
|
Print a description of data type @var{typename}. @var{typename} may be
|
|
the name of a type, or for C code it may have the form
|
|
@samp{struct @var{struct-tag}}, @samp{union @var{union-tag}} or
|
|
@samp{enum @var{enum-tag}}.@refill
|
|
|
|
@item info sources
|
|
@kindex info sources
|
|
Print the names of all source files in the program for which there
|
|
is debugging information.
|
|
|
|
@item info functions
|
|
@kindex info functions
|
|
Print the names and data types of all defined functions.
|
|
|
|
@item info functions @var{regexp}
|
|
Print the names and data types of all defined functions
|
|
whose names contain a match for regular expression @var{regexp}.
|
|
Thus, @samp{info fun step} finds all functions whose names
|
|
include @samp{step}; @samp{info fun ^step} finds those whose names
|
|
start with @samp{step}.
|
|
|
|
@item info variables
|
|
@kindex info variables
|
|
Print the names and data types of all variables that are declared
|
|
outside of functions.
|
|
|
|
@item info variables @var{regexp}
|
|
Print the names and data types of all variables, declared outside of
|
|
functions, whose names contain a match for regular expression
|
|
@var{regexp}.
|
|
|
|
@item info types
|
|
@kindex info types
|
|
Print all data types that are defined in the program.
|
|
|
|
@item info types @var{regexp}
|
|
Print all data types that are defined in the program whose names
|
|
contain a match for regular expression @var{regexp}.
|
|
|
|
@item printsyms @var{filename}
|
|
@kindex printsyms
|
|
Write a complete dump of the debugger's symbol data into the
|
|
file @var{filename}.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@node Altering, Sequences, Symbols, Top
|
|
@chapter Altering Execution
|
|
|
|
There are several ways to alter the execution of your program with GDB+
|
|
commands.
|
|
|
|
@menu
|
|
* Assignment:: Altering variable values or memory contents.
|
|
* Jumping:: Altering control flow.
|
|
* Signaling:: Making signals happen in the program.
|
|
* Returning:: Making a function return prematurely.
|
|
@end menu
|
|
|
|
@node Assignment, Jumping, Altering, Altering
|
|
@section Assignment to Variables
|
|
|
|
@cindex assignment
|
|
@cindex setting variables
|
|
To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression.
|
|
For example,
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
print x=4
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
would store the value 4 into the variable @code{x}, and then print
|
|
the value of the assignment expression (which is 4).
|
|
|
|
@kindex set
|
|
If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use the
|
|
@samp{set} command instead of the @samp{print} command. @samp{set} is
|
|
really the same as @samp{print} except that the expression's value is not
|
|
printed and is not put in the value history (@pxref{Value History}). The
|
|
expression is evaluated only for side effects.
|
|
|
|
GDB+ allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C does; you can
|
|
freely store an integer value into a pointer variable or vice versa, and
|
|
any structure can be converted to any other structure that is the same
|
|
length or shorter.
|
|
|
|
In C, all the other assignment operators such as @samp{+=} and @samp{++}
|
|
are supported as well.
|
|
|
|
To store into arbitrary places in memory, use the @samp{@{@dots{}@}}
|
|
construct to generate a value of specified type at a specified address
|
|
(@pxref{Expressions}). For example,
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
set @{int@}0x83040 = 4
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@node Jumping, Signaling, Assignment, Altering
|
|
@section Continuing at a Different Address
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item jump @var{linenum}
|
|
@kindex jump
|
|
Resume execution at line number @var{linenum}. Execution may stop
|
|
immediately if there is a breakpoint there.
|
|
|
|
The @samp{jump} command does not change the current stack frame, or
|
|
the stack pointer, or the contents of any memory location or any
|
|
register other than the program counter. If line @var{linenum} is in
|
|
a different function from the one currently executing, the results may
|
|
be wild if the two functions expect different patterns of arguments or
|
|
of local variables. For his reason, the @samp{jump} command requests
|
|
confirmation if the specified line is not in the function currently
|
|
executing. However, even wild results are predictable based on
|
|
changing the program counter.
|
|
|
|
@item jump *@var{address}
|
|
Resume execution at the instruction at address @var{address}.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
A similar effect can be obtained by storing a new value into the register
|
|
@samp{$pc}, but not exactly the same.
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
set $pc = 0x485
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
specifies the address at which execution will resume, but does not resume
|
|
execution. That does not happen until you use the @samp{cont} command or a
|
|
stepping command (@pxref{Stepping}).
|
|
|
|
@node Signaling, Returning, Jumping, Altering
|
|
@section Giving the Program a Signal
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item signal @var{signalnum}
|
|
@kindex signal
|
|
Resume execution where the program stopped, but give it immediately
|
|
the signal number @var{signalnum}.
|
|
|
|
Alternatively, if @var{signalnum} is zero, continue execution and give
|
|
no signal. This may be useful when the program has received a signal
|
|
and the @samp{cont} command would allow the program to see that
|
|
signal.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@node Returning,, Signaling, Altering
|
|
@section Returning from a Function
|
|
|
|
@cindex returning from a function
|
|
@kindex return
|
|
You can make any function call return immediately, using the @samp{return}
|
|
command.
|
|
|
|
First select the stack frame that you wish to return from
|
|
(@pxref{Selection}). Then type the @samp{return} command. If you wish to
|
|
specify the value to be returned, give that as an argument.
|
|
|
|
This pops the selected stack frame (and any other frames inside of it),
|
|
leaving its caller as the innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes
|
|
selected. The specified value is stored in the registers used for
|
|
returning values of functions.
|
|
|
|
The @samp{return} command does not resume execution; it leaves the program
|
|
stopped in the state that would exist if the function had just returned.
|
|
Contrast this with the @samp{finish} command (@pxref{Stepping}), which
|
|
resumes execution @i{until} the selected stack frame returns naturally.
|
|
|
|
@node Sequences, Emacs, Altering, Top
|
|
@chapter Canned Sequences of Commands
|
|
|
|
GDB+ provides two ways to store sequences of commands for execution as a
|
|
unit: user-defined commands and command files.
|
|
|
|
@menu
|
|
* Define:: User-defined commands.
|
|
* Command Files:: Command files.
|
|
* Output:: Controlled output commands useful in
|
|
user-defined commands and command files.
|
|
@end menu
|
|
|
|
@node Define, Command Files, Sequences, Sequences
|
|
@section User-Defined Commands
|
|
|
|
@cindex user-defined commands
|
|
A @dfn{user-defined command} is a sequence of GDB+ commands to which you
|
|
assign a new name as a command. This is done with the @samp{define}
|
|
command.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item define @var{commandname}
|
|
@kindex define
|
|
Define a command named @var{commandname}. If there is already a command
|
|
by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine it.
|
|
|
|
The definition of the command is made up of other GDB+ command lines,
|
|
which are given following the @samp{define} command. The end of these
|
|
commands is marked by a line containing @samp{end}.
|
|
|
|
@item document @var{commandname}
|
|
@kindex document
|
|
Give documentation to the user-defined command @var{commandname}. The
|
|
command @var{commandname} must already be defined. This command reads
|
|
lines of documentation just as @samp{define} reads the lines of the
|
|
command definition. After the @samp{document} command is finished,
|
|
@samp{help} on command @var{commandname} will print the documentation
|
|
you have specified.
|
|
|
|
You may use the @samp{document} command again to change the
|
|
documentation of a command. Redefining the command with @samp{define}
|
|
does not change the documentation.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
User-defined commands do not take arguments. When they are executed, the
|
|
commands of the definition are not printed. An error in any command
|
|
stops execution of the user-defined command.
|
|
|
|
Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
|
|
without asking when used inside a user-defined command. Many GDB+ commands
|
|
that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
|
|
when used in user-defined command.
|
|
|
|
@node Command Files, Output, Define, Sequences
|
|
@section Command Files
|
|
|
|
@cindex command files
|
|
A command file for GDB+ is a file of lines that are GDB+ commands. Comments
|
|
(lines starting with @samp{#}) may also be included. An empty line in a
|
|
command file does nothing; it does not mean to repeat the last command, as
|
|
it would from the terminal.
|
|
|
|
@cindex init file
|
|
@cindex .gdbinit
|
|
When GDB+ starts, it automatically executes its @dfn{init files}, command
|
|
files named @file{.gdbinit}. GDB+ reads the init file (if any) in your home
|
|
directory and then the init file (if any) in the current working
|
|
directory. (The init files are not executed if the @samp{-nx} option
|
|
is given.) You can also request the execution of a command file with the
|
|
@samp{source} command:
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item source @var{filename}
|
|
@kindex source
|
|
Execute the command file @var{filename}.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
The lines in a command file are executed sequentially. They are not
|
|
printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates execution
|
|
of the command file.
|
|
|
|
Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
|
|
without asking when used in a command file. Many GDB+ commands that
|
|
normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
|
|
when used in a command file.
|
|
|
|
@node Output,, Command Files, Sequences
|
|
@section Commands for Controlled Output
|
|
|
|
During the execution of a command file or a user-defined command, the only
|
|
output that appears is what is explicitly printed by the commands of the
|
|
definition. This section describes three commands useful for generating
|
|
exactly the output you want.
|
|
|
|
@table @code
|
|
@item echo @var{text}
|
|
@kindex echo
|
|
Print @var{text}. Nonprinting characters can be included in
|
|
@var{text} using C escape sequences, such as @samp{\n} to print a
|
|
newline. @b{No newline will be printed unless you specify one.}
|
|
|
|
A backslash at the end of @var{text} is ignored. It is useful for
|
|
outputting a string ending in spaces, since trailing spaces are
|
|
trimmed from all arguments. A backslash at the beginning preserves
|
|
leading spaces in the same way, because @samp{\ } as an escape
|
|
sequence stands for a space. Thus, to print @samp{ and foo = }, do
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
echo \ and foo = \
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@item output @var{expression}
|
|
@kindex output
|
|
Print the value of @var{expression} and nothing but that value: no
|
|
newlines, no @samp{$@var{nn} = }. The value is not entered in the
|
|
value history either.
|
|
|
|
@item output/@var{fmt} @var{expression}
|
|
Print the value of @var{expression} in format @var{fmt}.
|
|
@xref{Formats}, for more information.
|
|
|
|
@item printf @var{string}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
|
|
@kindex printf
|
|
Print the values of the @var{expressions} under the control of
|
|
@var{string}. The @var{expressions} are separated by commas and may
|
|
be either numbers or pointers. Their values are printed as specified
|
|
by @var{string}, exactly as if the program were to execute
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
printf (@var{string}, @var{expressions}@dots{});
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
The only backslash-escape sequences that you can use in the string are
|
|
the simple ones that consist of backslash followed by a letter.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
@node Emacs, Remote, Sequences, Top
|
|
@chapter Using GDB under GNU Emacs
|
|
|
|
A special interface allows you to use GNU Emacs to view (and
|
|
edit) the source files for the program you are debugging with
|
|
GDB.
|
|
|
|
To use this interface, use the command @kbd{M-x gdb} in Emacs.
|
|
Give the executable file you want to debug as an argument. This
|
|
command starts a GDB process as a subprocess of Emacs, with input
|
|
and output through a newly created Emacs buffer.
|
|
|
|
Using this GDB process is just like using GDB normally except for two things:
|
|
|
|
@itemize @bullet
|
|
@item
|
|
All ``terminal'' input and output goes through the Emacs buffer. This
|
|
applies both to GDB commands and their output, and to the input and
|
|
output done by the program you are debugging.
|
|
|
|
This is useful because it means that you can copy the text of previous
|
|
commands and input them again; you can even use parts of the output
|
|
in this way.
|
|
|
|
All the facilities of Emacs's Shell mode are available for this purpose.
|
|
|
|
@item
|
|
GDB displays source code through Emacs. Each time GDB displays a
|
|
stack frame, Emacs automatically finds the source file for that frame
|
|
and puts an arrow (@samp{=>}) at the left margin of the current line.
|
|
|
|
Explicit GDB @samp{list} or search commands still produce output as
|
|
usual, but you probably will have no reason to use them.
|
|
@end itemize
|
|
|
|
In the GDB I/O buffer, you can use these special Emacs commands:
|
|
|
|
@table @kbd
|
|
@item M-s
|
|
Execute to another source line, like the GDB @samp{step} command.
|
|
|
|
@item M-n
|
|
Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function
|
|
calls, like the GDB @samp{next} command.
|
|
|
|
@item M-i
|
|
Execute one instruction, like the GDB @samp{stepi} command.
|
|
|
|
@item M-u
|
|
Move up one stack frame (and display that frame's source file in
|
|
Emacs), like the GDB @samp{up} command.
|
|
|
|
@item M-d
|
|
Move down one stack frame (and display that frame's source file in
|
|
Emacs), like the GDB @samp{down} command. (This means that you cannot
|
|
delete words in the usual fashion in the GDB buffer; I am guessing you
|
|
won't often want to do that.)
|
|
|
|
@item C-c C-f
|
|
Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the GDB
|
|
@samp{finish} command.
|
|
@end table
|
|
|
|
In any source file, the Emacs command @kbd{C-x SPC} (@code{gdb-break})
|
|
tells GDB to set a breakpoint on the source line point is on.
|
|
|
|
The source files displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buffers
|
|
which are visiting the source files in the usual way. You can edit
|
|
the files with these buffers if you wish; but keep in mind that GDB
|
|
communicates with Emacs in terms of line numbers. If you add or
|
|
delete lines from the text, the line numbers that GDB knows will cease
|
|
to correspond properly to the code.
|
|
|
|
@node Remote, Commands, Emacs, Top
|
|
@chapter Remote Kernel Debugging
|
|
|
|
GDB has a special facility for debugging a remote machine via a serial
|
|
connection. This can be used for kernel debugging.
|
|
|
|
The program to be debugged on the remote machine needs to contain a
|
|
debugging device driver which talks to GDB over the serial line using the
|
|
protocol described below. The same version of GDB that is used ordinarily
|
|
can be used for this.
|
|
|
|
@menu
|
|
* Remote Commands:: Commands used to start and finish remote debugging.
|
|
@end menu
|
|
|
|
For details of the communication protocol, see the comments in the GDB
|
|
source file @file{remote.c}.
|
|
|
|
@node Remote Commands,, Remote, Remote
|
|
@section Commands for Remote Debugging
|
|
|
|
To start remote debugging, first run GDB and specify as an executable file
|
|
the program that is running in the remote machine. This tells GDB how
|
|
to find the program's symbols and the contents of its pure text. Then
|
|
establish communication using the @samp{attach} command with a device
|
|
name rather than a pid as an argument. For example:
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
attach /dev/ttyd
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
if the serial line is connected to the device named @file{/dev/ttyd}. This
|
|
will stop the remote machine if it is not already stopped.
|
|
|
|
Now you can use all the usual commands to examine and change data and to
|
|
step and continue the remote program.
|
|
|
|
To resume the remote program and stop debugging it, use the @samp{detach}
|
|
command.
|
|
|
|
@node Commands, Concepts, Remote, Top
|
|
@unnumbered Command Index
|
|
|
|
@printindex ky
|
|
|
|
@node Concepts,, Commands, Top
|
|
@unnumbered Concept Index
|
|
|
|
@printindex cp
|
|
|
|
@contents
|
|
@bye
|