Debugging With GDB

Debugging with GDB
The GNU Source-Level Debugger

Edition 4.12, for GDB version 4.12
January 1994
Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch

(Send bugs and comments on GDB to [email protected].)
Debugging with GDB
TEXinfo 2.116
[email protected]
Copyright
c 1988, '89, '90, '91, '92, '93 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Published by the Free Software Foundation

675 Massachusetts Avenue,
Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
Printed copies are available for $20 each.
ISBN 1-882114-11-6
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this manual provided the copyright
notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute modied versions of this manual under the conditions
for verbatim copying, provided also that the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the
terms of a permission notice identical to this one.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual into another language,
under the above conditions for modied versions.
Summary of GDB 1
Summary of GDB
The purpose of a debugger such as GDB is to allow you to see what is going on \inside" another
program while it executes|or what another program was doing at the moment it crashed.
GDB can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of these) to help you catch
bugs in the act:
Start your program, specifying anything that might aect its behavior.
Make your program stop on specied conditions.
Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the eects of one bug
and go on to learn about another.
You can use GDB to debug programs written in C or C++. For more information, see Sec-
tion 9.4.1 [C and C++], page 90.
Support for Modula-2 and Chill is partial. For information on Modula-2, see Section 9.4.2
[Modula-2], page 95. There is no further documentation on Chill yet.
Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, le variables, or nested functions does
not currently work. GDB does not support entering expressions, printing values, or similar features
using Pascal syntax. GDB can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, although it does not
yet support entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Fortran syntax. It may
be necessary to refer to some variables with a trailing underscore.
Free software
GDB is free software, protected by the GNU General Public License (GPL). The GPL gives you
the freedom to copy or adapt a licensed program|but every person getting a copy also gets with
it the freedom to modify that copy (which means that they must get access to the source code),
and the freedom to distribute further copies. Typical software companies use copyrights to limit
your freedoms; the Free Software Foundation uses the GPL to preserve these freedoms.
Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which says that you have these freedoms
and that you cannot take these freedoms away from anyone else.
2 Debugging with GDB
Contributors to GDB
Richard Stallman was the original author of GDB, and of many other GNU programs. Many
others have contributed to its development. This section attempts to credit major contributors.
One of the virtues of free software is that everyone is free to contribute to it; with regret, we cannot
actually acknowledge everyone here. The le `ChangeLog' in the GDB distribution approximates a
blow-by-blow account.
Changes much prior to version 2.0 are lost in the mists of time.
Plea: Additions to this section are particularly welcome. If you or your friends (or
enemies, to be evenhanded) have been unfairly omitted from this list, we would like to
add your names!
So that they may not regard their long labor as thankless, we particularly thank those who
shepherded GDB through major releases: Fred Fish (releases 4.12, 4.11, 4.10, 4.9), Stu Grossman
and John Gilmore (releases 4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, 4.4), John Gilmore (releases 4.3, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, and 3.9);
Jim Kingdon (releases 3.5, 3.4, 3.3); and Randy Smith (releases 3.2, 3.1, 3.0). As major maintainer
of GDB for some period, each contributed signicantly to the structure, stability, and capabilities
of the entire debugger.
Richard Stallman, assisted at various times by Peter TerMaat, Chris Hanson, and Richard
Mlynarik, handled releases through 2.8.
Michael Tiemann is the author of most of the GNU C++ support in GDB, with signicant
additional contributions from Per Bothner. James Clark wrote the GNU C++ demangler. Early
work on C++ was by Peter TerMaat (who also did much general update work leading to release
3.0).
GDB 4 uses the BFD subroutine library to examine multiple object-le formats; BFD was a
joint project of David V. Henkel-Wallace, Rich Pixley, Steve Chamberlain, and John Gilmore.
David Johnson wrote the original COFF support; Pace Willison did the original support for
encapsulated COFF.
Adam de Boor and Bradley Davis contributed the ISI Optimum V support. Per Bothner,
Noboyuki Hikichi, and Alessandro Forin contributed MIPS support. Jean-Daniel Fekete contributed
Sun 386i support. Chris Hanson improved the HP9000 support. Noboyuki Hikichi and Tomoyuki
Summary of GDB 3
Hasei contributed Sony/News OS 3 support. David Johnson contributed Encore Umax support.
Jyrki Kuoppala contributed Altos 3068 support. Keith Packard contributed NS32K support. Doug
Rabson contributed Acorn Risc Machine support. Chris Smith contributed Convex support (and
Fortran debugging). Jonathan Stone contributed Pyramid support. Michael Tiemann contributed
SPARC support. Tim Tucker contributed support for the Gould NP1 and Gould Powernode. Pace
Willison contributed Intel 386 support. Jay Vosburgh contributed Symmetry support.
Rich Schaefer and Peter Schauer helped with support of SunOS shared libraries.
Jay Fenlason and Roland McGrath ensured that GDB and GAS agree about several machine
instruction sets.
Patrick Duval, Ted Goldstein, Vikram Koka and Glenn Engel helped develop remote debug-
ging. Intel Corporation and Wind River Systems contributed remote debugging modules for their
products.
Brian Fox is the author of the readline libraries providing command-line editing and command
history.
Andrew Beers of SUNY Bualo wrote the language-switching code, the Modula-2 support, and
contributed the Languages chapter of this manual.
Fred Fish wrote most of the support for Unix System Vr4. He also enhanced the command-
completion support to cover C++ overloaded symbols.
Hitachi America, Ltd. sponsored the support for Hitachi microprocessors.

New Features since GDB Version 3.5 5
New Features since GDB Version 3.5

Targets Using the new command target, you can select at runtime whether you are debugging
local les, local processes, standalone systems over a serial port, or realtime systems
over a TCP/IP connection. The command load can download programs into a remote
system. Serial stubs are available for Motorola 680x0, Intel 80386, and Sparc remote
systems; GDB also supports debugging realtime processes running under VxWorks,
using SunRPC Remote Procedure Calls over TCP/IP to talk to a debugger stub on
the target system. Internally, GDB now uses a function vector to mediate access to
dierent targets; if you need to add your own support for a remote protocol, this makes
it much easier.
Watchpoints
GDB now sports watchpoints as well as breakpoints. You can use a watchpoint to stop
execution whenever the value of an expression changes, without having to predict a
particular place in your program where this may happen.
Wide Output
Commands that issue wide output now insert newlines at places designed to make the
output more readable.
Object Code Formats
GDB uses a new library called the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) Library to permit
it to switch dynamically, without reconguration or recompilation, between dierent
object-le formats. Formats currently supported are COFF, ELF, a.out, Intel 960
b.out, MIPS ECOFF, HPPA SOM (with stabs debugging), and S-records; les may
be read as .o les, archive libraries, or core dumps. BFD is available as a subroutine
library so that other programs may take advantage of it, and the other GNU binary
utilities are being converted to use it.
Conguration and Ports
Compile-time conguration (to select a particular architecture and operating system)
is much easier. The script configure now allows you to congure GDB as either a
native debugger or a cross-debugger. See Appendix E [Installing GDB], page 175, for
details on how to congure.
Interaction
The user interface to the GDB control variables is simpler, and is consolidated in two
commands, set and show. Output lines are now broken at readable places, rather than
over owing onto the next line. You can suppress output of machine-level addresses,
displaying only source language information.
C++ GDB now supports C++ multiple inheritance (if used with a GCC version 2 compiler),
and also has limited support for C++ exception handling, with the commands catch
and info catch: GDB can break when an exception is raised, before the stack is peeled
back to the exception handler's context.
Modula-2 GDB now has preliminary support for the GNU Modula-2 compiler, currently under
development at the State University of New York at Bualo. Coordinated development
of both GDB and the GNU Modula-2 compiler will continue. Other Modula-2 compilers
are currently not supported, and attempting to debug programs compiled with them
will likely result in an error as the symbol table of the executable is read in.
Command Rationalization
Many GDB commands have been renamed to make them easier to remember and use.
In particular, the subcommands of info and show/set are grouped to make the former
refer to the state of your program, and the latter refer to the state of GDB itself.
See Appendix C [Renamed Commands], page 171, for details on what commands were
renamed.
Shared Libraries
GDB 4 can debug programs and core les that use SunOS, SVR4, or IBM RS/6000
shared libraries.
Threads On some systems, GDB 4 has facilities to debug multi-thread programs.
Reference Card
GDB 4 has a reference card. See Appendix D [Formatting the Documentation],
page 173, for instructions about how to print it.
Chapter 1: A Sample GDB Session 7
1 A Sample GDB Session
You can use this manual at your leisure to read all about GDB. However, a handful of commands
are enough to get started using the debugger. This chapter illustrates those commands.
In this sample session, we emphasize user input like this: input, to make it easier to pick out
from the surrounding output.
One of the preliminary versions of GNU m4 (a generic macro processor) exhibits the following
bug: sometimes, when we change its quote strings from the default, the commands used to capture
one macro denition within another stop working. In the following short m4 session, we dene a
macro foo which expands to 0000; we then use the m4 built-in defn to dene bar as the same
thing. However, when we change the open quote string to <QUOTE> and the close quote string to
<UNQUOTE>, the same procedure fails to dene a new synonym baz:
$ cd gnu/m4
$ ./m4
dene(foo,0000)
foo
0000
dene(bar,defn(`foo'))
bar
0000
changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)
dene(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))
baz
C-d
m4: End of input: 0: fatal error: EOF in string
Let us use GDB to try to see what is going on.
$ gdb m4
GDB is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
the conditions.
There is absolutely no warranty for GDB; type "show warranty"
for details.
GDB 4.12, Copyright 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
(gdb)
GDB reads only enough symbol data to know where to nd the rest when needed; as a result, the
rst prompt comes up very quickly. We now tell GDB to use a narrower display width than usual,
so that examples t in this manual.
(gdb) set width 70
We need to see how the m4 built-in changequote works. Having looked at the source, we know
the relevant subroutine is m4_changequote, so we set a breakpoint there with the GDB break
command.
(gdb) break m4 changequote

Breakpoint 1 at 0x62f4: file builtin.c, line 879.
Using the run command, we start m4 running under GDB control; as long as control does not reach
the m4_changequote subroutine, the program runs as usual:
(gdb) run
Starting program: /work/Editorial/gdb/gnu/m4/m4
dene(foo,0000)
foo
0000
To trigger the breakpoint, we call changequote. GDB suspends execution of m4, displaying infor-
mation about the context where it stops.
changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)
Breakpoint 1, m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
at builtin.c:879
879 if (bad_argc(TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[0]),argc,1,3))
Now we use the command n (next) to advance execution to the next line of the current function.
(gdb) n
882 set_quotes((argc >= 2) ? TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[1])\
: nil,
set_quotes looks like a promising subroutine. We can go into it by using the command s (step)
instead of next. step goes to the next line to be executed in any subroutine, so it steps into
set_quotes.
(gdb) s
set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
at input.c:530
530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
The display that shows the subroutine where m4 is now suspended (and its arguments) is called a
stack frame display. It shows a summary of the stack. We can use the backtrace command (which
can also be spelled bt), to see where we are in the stack as a whole: the backtrace command
displays a stack frame for each active subroutine.
(gdb) bt
#0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
at input.c:530
#1 0x6344 in m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
at builtin.c:882
#2 0x8174 in expand_macro (sym=0x33320) at macro.c:242
#3 0x7a88 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=209696, td=0xf7fffa30)
at macro.c:71
#4 0x79dc in expand_input () at macro.c:40
#5 0x2930 in main (argc=0, argv=0xf7fffb20) at m4.c:195
We step through a few more lines to see what happens. The rst two times, we can use `s'; the
next two times we use n to avoid falling into the xstrdup subroutine.
(gdb) s
0x3b5c 532 if (rquote != def_rquote)
(gdb) s
0x3b80 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? \
def_lquote : xstrdup(lq);
(gdb) n
536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
: xstrdup(rq);
(gdb) n
538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
The last line displayed looks a little odd; we can examine the variables lquote and rquote to see
if they are in fact the new left and right quotes we specied. We use the command p (print) to
see their values.
(gdb) p lquote
$1 = 0x35d40 "<QUOTE>"
(gdb) p rquote
$2 = 0x35d50 "<UNQUOTE>"
lquote and rquote are indeed the new left and right quotes. To look at some context, we can
display ten lines of source surrounding the current line with the l (list) command.
(gdb) l
533 xfree(rquote);
534
535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? def_lquote\
: xstrdup (lq);
536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
: xstrdup (rq);
537
538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
540 }
541
542 void
Let us step past the two lines that set len_lquote and len_rquote, and then examine the values
of those variables.
(gdb) n
539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
(gdb) n
540 }
(gdb) p len lquote
$3 = 9
(gdb) p len rquote
$4 = 7
That certainly looks wrong, assuming len_lquote and len_rquote are meant to be the lengths
of lquote and rquote respectively. We can set them to better values using the p command, since
it can print the value of any expression|and that expression can include subroutine calls and
assignments.
(gdb) p len lquote=strlen(lquote)

$5 = 7
(gdb) p len rquote=strlen(rquote)
$6 = 9
Is that enough to x the problem of using the new quotes with the m4 built-in defn? We can allow
m4 to continue executing with the c (continue) command, and then try the example that caused
trouble initially:
(gdb) c
Continuing.
dene(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))
baz
0000
Success! The new quotes now work just as well as the default ones. The problem seems to have
been just the two typos dening the wrong lengths. We allow m4 exit by giving it an EOF as input:
C-d
Program exited normally.
The message `Program exited normally.' is from GDB; it indicates m4 has nished executing. We
can end our GDB session with the GDB quit command.
(gdb) quit
Chapter 2: Getting In and Out of GDB 13
2 Getting In and Out of GDB

This chapter discusses how to start GDB, and how to get out of it. (The essentials: type `gdb'
to start GDB, and type quit or C-d to exit.)
2.1 Invoking GDB

Invoke GDB by running the program gdb. Once started, GDB reads commands from the
terminal until you tell it to exit.
You can also run gdb with a variety of arguments and options, to specify more of your debugging
environment at the outset.
The command-line options described here are designed to cover a variety of situations; in some
environments, some of these options may eectively be unavailable.
The most usual way to start GDB is with one argument, specifying an executable program:
gdb program
You can also start with both an executable program and a core le specied:
gdb program core
You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want to debug a running
process:
gdb program 1234
would attach GDB to process 1234 (unless you also have a le named `1234'; GDB does check for
a core le rst).
Taking advantage of the second command-line argument requires a fairly complete operating
system; when you use GDB as a remote debugger attached to a bare board, there may not be any
notion of \process", and there is often no way to get a core dump.
You can further control how GDB starts up by using command-line options. GDB itself can remind
you of the options available.
Type
gdb -help
to display all available options and brie y describe their use (`gdb -h' is a shorter equivalent).
All options and command line arguments you give are processed in sequential order. The order
makes a dierence when the `-x' option is used.
2.1.1 Choosing les

When GDB starts, it reads any arguments other than options as specifying an executable le
and core le (or process ID). This is the same as if the arguments were specied by the `-se' and
`-c' options respectively. (GDB reads the rst argument that does not have an associated option
ag as equivalent to the `-se' option followed by that argument; and the second argument that
does not have an associated option ag, if any, as equivalent to the `-c' option followed by that
argument.)
Many options have both long and short forms; both are shown in the following list. GDB also
recognizes the long forms if you truncate them, so long as enough of the option is present to be
unambiguous. (If you prefer, you can ag option arguments with `--' rather than `-', though we
illustrate the more usual convention.)
-symbols le
-s le Read symbol table from le le.
-exec le
-e le Use le le as the executable le to execute when appropriate, and for examining pure
data in conjunction with a core dump.
-se le Read symbol table from le le and use it as the executable le.
-core le
-c le Use le le as a core dump to examine.
-c number
Connect to process ID number, as with the attach command (unless there is a le in
core-dump format named number, in which case `-c' species that le as a core dump
to read).
-command le
-x le Execute GDB commands from le le. See Section 15.3 [Command les], page 149.
-directory directory
-d directory
Add directory to the path to search for source les.
-m
-mapped Warning: this option depends on operating system facilities that are not supported on
all systems.
If memory-mapped les are available on your system through the mmap system call, you
can use this option to have GDB write the symbols from your program into a reusable
le in the current directory. If the program you are debugging is called `/tmp/fred',
the mapped symbol le is `./fred.syms'. Future GDB debugging sessions notice the
presence of this le, and can quickly map in symbol information from it, rather than
reading the symbol table from the executable program.
The `.syms' le is specic to the host machine where GDB is run. It holds an exact
image of the internal GDB symbol table. It cannot be shared across multiple host
platforms.
-r
-readnow Read each symbol le's entire symbol table immediately, rather than the default, which
is to read it incrementally as it is needed. This makes startup slower, but makes future
operations faster.
The -mapped and -readnow options are typically combined in order to build a `.syms' le that
contains complete symbol information. (See Section 12.1 [Commands to specify les], page 113, for
information on `.syms' les.) A simple GDB invocation to do nothing but build a `.syms' le for
future use is:
gdb -batch -nx -mapped -readnow programname
2.1.2 Choosing modes

You can run GDB in various alternative modes|for example, in batch mode or quiet mode.
-nx
-n Do not execute commands from any initialization les (normally called `.gdbinit').
Normally, the commands in these les are executed after all the command options and
arguments have been processed. See Section 15.3 [Command les], page 149.
-quiet
-q \Quiet". Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These messages are
also suppressed in batch mode.
-batch Run in batch mode. Exit with status 0 after processing all the command les specied
with `-x' (and all commands from initialization les, if not inhibited with `-n'). Exit
with nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the GDB commands in the command
les.
Batch mode may be useful for running GDB as a lter, for example to download and
run a program on another computer; in order to make this more useful, the message
Program exited normally.
(which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under GDB control terminates)
is not issued when running in batch mode.
-cd directory
Run GDB using directory as its working directory, instead of the current directory.
-fullname
-f Emacs sets this option when it runs GDB as a subprocess. It tells GDB to output the
full le name and line number in a standard, recognizable fashion each time a stack
frame is displayed (which includes each time your program stops). This recognizable
format looks like two `\032' characters, followed by the le name, line number and
character position separated by colons, and a newline. The Emacs-to-GDB interface
program uses the two `\032' characters as a signal to display the source code for the
frame.
-b bps Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial interface used by GDB
for remote debugging.
-tty device
Run using device for your program's standard input and output.
2.2 Quitting GDB

quit To exit GDB, use the quit command (abbreviated q), or type an end-of-le character
(usually C-d).
An interrupt (often C-c) does not exit from GDB, but rather terminates the action of any GDB
command that is in progress and returns to GDB command level. It is safe to type the interrupt
character at any time because GDB does not allow it to take eect until a time when it is safe.
If you have been using GDB to control an attached process or device, you can release it with
the detach command (see Section 4.7 [Debugging an already-running process], page 30).
2.3 Shell commands

If you need to execute occasional shell commands during your debugging session, there is no
need to leave or suspend GDB; you can just use the shell command.
shell command string

Invoke a the standard shell to execute command string. If it exists, the environment
variable SHELL determines which shell to run. Otherwise GDB uses /bin/sh.
The utility make is often needed in development environments. You do not have to use the
shell command for this purpose in GDB:
make make-args
Execute the make program with the specied arguments. This is equivalent to `shell
make make-args'.
Chapter 3: GDB Commands 19
3 GDB Commands
You can abbreviate a GDB command to the rst few letters of the command name, if that
abbreviation is unambiguous; and you can repeat certain GDB commands by typing just RET. You
can also use the TAB key to get GDB to ll out the rest of a word in a command (or to show you
the alternatives available, if there is more than one possibility).
3.1 Command syntax

A GDB command is a single line of input. There is no limit on how long it can be. It starts
with a command name, which is followed by arguments whose meaning depends on the command
name. For example, the command step accepts an argument which is the number of times to step,
as in `step 5'. You can also use the step command with no arguments. Some command names do
not allow any arguments.
GDB command names may always be truncated if that abbreviation is unambiguous. Other
possible command abbreviations are listed in the documentation for individual commands. In some
cases, even ambiguous abbreviations are allowed; for example, s is specially dened as equivalent to
step even though there are other commands whose names start with s. You can test abbreviations
by using them as arguments to the help command.
A blank line as input to GDB (typing just RET) means to repeat the previous command. Certain
commands (for example, run) will not repeat this way; these are commands whose unintentional
repetition might cause trouble and which you are unlikely to want to repeat.
The list and x commands, when you repeat them with RET, construct new arguments rather
than repeating exactly as typed. This permits easy scanning of source or memory.
GDB can also use RET in another way: to partition lengthy output, in a way similar to the
common utility more (see Section 14.4 [Screen size], page 143). Since it is easy to press one RET
too many in this situation, GDB disables command repetition after any command that generates
this sort of display.
Any text from a # to the end of the line is a comment; it does nothing. This is useful mainly in
command les (see Section 15.3 [Command les], page 149).
3.2 Command completion

GDB can ll in the rest of a word in a command for you, if there is only one possibility; it can
also show you what the valid possibilities are for the next word in a command, at any time. This
works for GDB commands, GDB subcommands, and the names of symbols in your program.
Press the TAB key whenever you want GDB to ll out the rest of a word. If there is only one
possibility, GDB lls in the word, and waits for you to nish the command (or press RET to enter
it). For example, if you type
(gdb) info bre TAB
GDB lls in the rest of the word `breakpoints', since that is the only info subcommand beginning
with `bre':
(gdb) info breakpoints
You can either press RET at this point, to run the info breakpoints command, or backspace and
enter something else, if `breakpoints' does not look like the command you expected. (If you were
sure you wanted info breakpoints in the rst place, you might as well just type RET immediately
after ìnfo bre', to exploit command abbreviations rather than command completion).
If there is more than one possibility for the next word when you press TAB, GDB sounds a bell.
You can either supply more characters and try again, or just press TAB a second time; GDB displays
all the possible completions for that word. For example, you might want to set a breakpoint on
a subroutine whose name begins with `make_', but when you type b make_TAB GDB just sounds
the bell. Typing TAB again displays all the function names in your program that begin with those
characters, for example:
(gdb) b make_ TAB

GDB sounds bell; press TAB again, to see:
make_a_section_from_file make_environ
make_abs_section make_function_type
make_blockvector make_pointer_type
make_cleanup make_reference_type
make_command make_symbol_completion_list
(gdb) b make_
After displaying the available possibilities, GDB copies your partial input (`b make_' in the example)
so you can nish the command.
If you just want to see the list of alternatives in the rst place, you can press M-? rather than
pressing TAB twice. M-? means META ?. You can type this either by holding down a key designated
as the META shift on your keyboard (if there is one) while typing ?, or as ESC followed by ?.
Sometimes the string you need, while logically a \word", may contain parentheses or other
characters that GDB normally excludes from its notion of a word. To permit word completion to
work in this situation, you may enclose words in ' (single quote marks) in GDB commands.
The most likely situation where you might need this is in typing the name of a C++ function. This
is because C++ allows function overloading (multiple denitions of the same function, distinguished
by argument type). For example, when you want to set a breakpoint you may need to distinguish
whether you mean the version of name that takes an int parameter, name(int), or the version that
takes a float parameter, name(float). To use the word-completion facilities in this situation,
type a single quote ' at the beginning of the function name. This alerts GDB that it may need to
consider more information than usual when you press TAB or M-? to request word completion:
(gdb) b 'bubble( M-?

bubble(double,double) bubble(int,int)
(gdb) b 'bubble(
In some cases, GDB can tell that completing a name requires using quotes. When this happens,
GDB inserts the quote for you (while completing as much as it can) if you do not type the quote
in the rst place:
(gdb) b bub TAB

GDB alters your input line to the following, and rings a bell:
(gdb) b 'bubble(
In general, GDB can tell that a quote is needed (and inserts it) if you have not yet started typing
the argument list when you ask for completion on an overloaded symbol.
3.3 Getting help

You can always ask GDB itself for information on its commands, using the command help.
help
h You can use help (abbreviated h) with no arguments to display a short list of named
classes of commands:
(gdb) help
List of classes of commands:
running -- Running the program

stack -- Examining the stack
data -- Examining data
breakpoints -- Making program stop at certain points
files -- Specifying and examining files
status -- Status inquiries
support -- Support facilities
user-defined -- User-defined commands
aliases -- Aliases of other commands
obscure -- Obscure features
Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of

commands in that class.
Type "help" followed by command name for full
documentation.
Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
(gdb)
help class Using one of the general help classes as an argument, you can get a list of the individual
commands in that class. For example, here is the help display for the class status:
(gdb) help status
Status inquiries.
List of commands:
show -- Generic command for showing things set

with "set"
info -- Generic command for printing status
Type "help" followed by command name for full

documentation.
Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
(gdb)
help command
With a command name as help argument, GDB displays a short paragraph on how to
use that command.
In addition to help, you can use the GDB commands info and show to inquire about the state
of your program, or the state of GDB itself. Each command supports many topics of inquiry; this
manual introduces each of them in the appropriate context. The listings under info and under
show in the Index point to all the sub-commands. See [Index], page 181.
info This command (abbreviated i) is for describing the state of your program. For example,
you can list the arguments given to your program with info args, list the registers
currently in use with info registers, or list the breakpoints you have set with info
breakpoints. You can get a complete list of the info sub-commands with help info.
show In contrast, show is for describing the state of GDB itself. You can change most of the
things you can show, by using the related command set; for example, you can control
what number system is used for displays with set radix, or simply inquire which is
currently in use with show radix.
To display all the settable parameters and their current values, you can use show with
no arguments; you may also use info set. Both commands produce the same display.
Here are three miscellaneous show subcommands, all of which are exceptional in lacking corre-
sponding set commands:
show version
Show what version of GDB is running. You should include this information in GDB
bug-reports. If multiple versions of GDB are in use at your site, you may occasion-
ally want to determine which version of GDB you are running; as GDB evolves, new
commands are introduced, and old ones may wither away. The version number is also
announced when you start GDB.
show copying
Display information about permission for copying GDB.
show warranty
Display the GNU \NO WARRANTY" statement.
Chapter 4: Running Programs Under GDB 25
4 Running Programs Under GDB

When you run a program under GDB, you must rst generate debugging information when you
compile it. You may start it with its arguments, if any, in an environment of your choice. You
may redirect your program's input and output, debug an already running process, or kill a child
process.
4.1 Compiling for debugging

In order to debug a program eectively, you need to generate debugging information when you
compile it. This debugging information is stored in the object le; it 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 `-g' option when you run the compiler.
Many C compilers are unable to handle the `-g' and `-O' options together. Using those compilers,
you cannot generate optimized executables containing debugging information.
GCC, the GNU C compiler, supports `-g' with or without `-O', making it possible to debug
optimized code. We recommend that you always use `-g' whenever you compile a program. You
may think your program is correct, but there is no sense in pushing your luck.
When you debug a program compiled with `-g -O', remember that the optimizer is rearranging
your code; the debugger shows you what is really there. Do not be too surprised when the execution
path does not exactly match your source le! An extreme example: if you dene a variable, but
never use it, GDB never sees that variable|because the compiler optimizes it out of existence.
Some things do not work as well with `-g -O' as with just `-g', particularly on machines with
instruction scheduling. If in doubt, recompile with `-g' alone, and if this xes the problem, please
report it as a bug (including a test case!).
Older versions of the GNU C compiler permitted a variant option `-gg' for debugging informa-
tion. GDB no longer supports this format; if your GNU C compiler has this option, do not use
it.
4.2 Starting your program

run
r Use the run command to start your program under GDB. You must rst specify the
program name (except on VxWorks) with an argument to GDB (see Chapter 2 [Getting
In and Out of GDB], page 13), or by using the file or exec-file command (see
Section 12.1 [Commands to specify les], page 113).
If you are running your program in an execution environment that supports processes, run
creates an inferior process and makes that process run your program. (In environments without
processes, run jumps to the start of your program.)
The execution of a program is aected by certain information it receives from its superior. GDB
provides ways to specify this information, which you must do before starting your program. (You
can change it after starting your program, but such changes only aect your program the next time
you start it.) This information may be divided into four categories:
The arguments.
Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the run command. If
a shell is available on your target, the shell is used to pass the arguments, so that you
may use normal conventions (such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution) in
describing the arguments. In Unix systems, you can control which shell is used with
the SHELL environment variable. See Section 4.3 [Your program's arguments], page 27.
The environment.
Your program normally inherits its environment from GDB, but you can use the GDB
commands set environment and unset environment to change parts of the environ-
ment that aect your program. See Section 4.4 [Your program's environment], page 27.
The working directory.
Your program inherits its working directory from GDB. You can set the GDB working
directory with the cd command in GDB. See Section 4.5 [Your program's working
directory], page 29.
The standard input and output.
Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and standard output
as GDB is using. You can redirect input and output in the run command line, or you
can use the tty command to set a dierent device for your program. See Section 4.6
[Your program's input and output], page 29.
Warning: While input and output redirection work, you cannot use pipes to pass the
output of the program you are debugging to another program; if you attempt this,
GDB is likely to wind up debugging the wrong program.
When you issue the run command, your program begins to execute immediately. See Chapter 5
[Stopping and continuing], page 35, for discussion of how to arrange for your program to stop.
Once your program has stopped, you may call functions in your program, using the print or call
commands. See Chapter 8 [Examining Data], page 65.
If the modication time of your symbol le has changed since the last time GDB read its symbols,
GDB discards its symbol table, and reads it again. When it does this, GDB tries to retain your
current breakpoints.
4.3 Your program's arguments

The arguments to your program can be specied by the arguments of the run command. They
are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard characters and performs redirection of I/O, and
thence to your program. Your SHELL environment variable (if it exists) species what shell GDB if
you do not dene SHELL, GDB uses /bin/sh.
run with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous run, or those set by the
set args command.
set args Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is run. If set args has
no arguments, run executes your program with no arguments. Once you have run your
program with arguments, using set args before the next run is the only way to run it
again without arguments.
show args Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
4.4 Your program's environment

The environment consists of a set of 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 your program with a modied environment without having to start GDB over again.
path directory
Add directory to the front of the PATH environment variable (the search path for exe-
cutables), for both GDB and your program. You may specify several directory names,
separated by `:' or whitespace. If directory is already in the path, it is moved to the
front, so it is searched sooner.
You can use the string `$cwd' to refer to whatever is the current working directory at
the time GDB searches the path. If you use `.' instead, it refers to the directory where
you executed the path command. GDB replaces `.' in the directory argument (with
the current path) before adding directory to the search path.
show paths
Display the list of search paths for executables (the PATH environment variable).
show environment [varname]
Print the value of environment variable varname to be given to your program when it
starts. If you do not supply varname, print the names and values of all environment
variables to be given to your program. You can abbreviate environment as env.
set environment varname [=] value
Set environment variable varname to value. The value changes for your program only,
not for GDB itself. value may be any string; the values of environment variables are just
strings, and any interpretation is supplied by your program itself. The value parameter
is optional; if it is eliminated, the variable is set to a null value.
For example, this command:
set env USER = foo
tells a Unix program, when subsequently run, that its user is named `foo'. (The spaces
around `=' are used for clarity here; they are not actually required.)
unset environment varname
Remove variable varname from the environment to be passed to your program. This
is dierent from `set env varname ='; unset environment removes the variable from
the environment, rather than assigning it an empty value.
Warning: GDB runs your program using the shell indicated by your SHELL environment variable
if it exists (or /bin/sh if not). If your SHELL variable names a shell that runs an initialization le|
such as `.cshrc' for C-shell, or `.bashrc' for BASH|any variables you set in that le aect your
program. You may wish to move setting of environment variables to les that are only run when
you sign on, such as `.login' or `.profile'.
4.5 Your program's working directory

Each time you start your program with run, it inherits its working directory from the current
working directory of GDB. The GDB working directory is initially whatever it inherited from its
parent process (typically the shell), but you can specify a new working directory in GDB with the
cd command.
The GDB working directory also serves as a default for the commands that specify les for GDB
to operate on. See Section 12.1 [Commands to specify les], page 113.
cd directory
Set the GDB working directory to directory.
pwd Print the GDB working directory.
4.6 Your program's input and output

By default, the program you run under GDB does input and output to the same terminal that
GDB uses. GDB switches the terminal to its own terminal modes to interact with you, but it
records the terminal modes your program was using and switches back to them when you continue
running your program.
info terminal
Displays information recorded by GDB about the terminal modes your program is
using.
You can redirect your program's input and/or output using shell redirection with the run com-
mand. For example,
run > outfile
starts your program, diverting its output to the le òutfile'.
Another way to specify where your program should do input and output is with the tty com-
mand. This command accepts a le name as argument, and causes this le to be the default for
future run commands. It also resets the controlling terminal for the child process, for future run
commands. For example,
tty /dev/ttyb
directs that processes started with subsequent run commands default to do input and output on
the terminal `/dev/ttyb' and have that as their controlling terminal.
An explicit redirection in run overrides the tty command's eect on the input/output device,
but not its eect on the controlling terminal.
When you use the tty command or redirect input in the run command, only the input for your
program is aected. The input for GDB still comes from your terminal.
4.7 Debugging an already-running process

attach process-id
This command attaches to a running process|one that was started outside GDB.
(info files shows your active targets.) The command takes as argument a process
ID. The usual way to nd out the process-id of a Unix process is with the ps utility,
or with the `jobs -l' shell command.
attach does not repeat if you press RET a second time after executing the command.
To use attach, your program must be running in an environment which supports processes; for
example, attach does not work for programs on bare-board targets that lack an operating system.
You must also have permission to send the process a signal.
When using attach, you should rst use the file command to specify the program running in
the process and load its symbol table. See Section 12.1 [Commands to Specify Files], page 113.
The rst thing GDB does after arranging to debug the specied process is to stop it. You can
examine and modify an attached process with all the GDB commands that are ordinarily available
when you start processes with run. You can insert breakpoints; you can step and continue; you
can modify storage. If you would rather the process continue running, you may use the continue
command after attaching GDB to the process.
detach When you have nished debugging the attached process, you can use the detach com-
mand to release it from GDB control. Detaching the process continues its execution.
After the detach command, that process and GDB become completely independent
once more, and you are ready to attach another process or start one with run. detach
does not repeat if you press RET again after executing the command.
If you exit GDB or use the run command while you have an attached process, you kill that
process. By default, GDB asks for conrmation if you try to do either of these things; you can
control whether or not you need to conrm by using the set confirm command (see Section 14.6
[Optional warnings and messages], page 144).
4.8 Killing the child process

kill Kill the child process in which your program is running under GDB.
This command is useful if you wish to debug a core dump instead of a running process. GDB
ignores any core dump le while your program is running.
On some operating systems, a program cannot be executed outside GDB while you have break-
points set on it inside GDB. You can use the kill command in this situation to permit running
your program outside the debugger.
The kill command is also useful if you wish to recompile and relink your program, since on
many systems it is impossible to modify an executable le while it is running in a process. In this
case, when you next type run, GDB notices that the le has changed, and reads the symbol table
again (while trying to preserve your current breakpoint settings).
4.9 Additional process information

Some operating systems provide a facility called `/proc' that can be used to examine the image
of a running process using le-system subroutines. If GDB is congured for an operating system
with this facility, the command info proc is available to report on several kinds of information
about the process running your program.
info proc Summarize available information about the process.

info proc mappings
Report on the address ranges accessible in the program, with information on whether
your program may read, write, or execute each range.
info proc times

Starting time, user CPU time, and system CPU time for your program and its children.
info proc id
Report on the process IDs related to your program: its own process ID, the ID of its
parent, the process group ID, and the session ID.
info proc status
General information on the state of the process. If the process is stopped, this report
includes the reason for stopping, and any signal received.
info proc all
Show all the above information about the process.
4.10 Debugging programs with multiple threads

In some operating systems, a single program may have more than one thread of execution. The
precise semantics of threads dier from one operating system to another, but in general the threads
of a single program are akin to multiple processes|except that they share one address space (that
is, they can all examine and modify the same variables). On the other hand, each thread has its
own registers and execution stack, and perhaps private memory.
GDB provides these facilities for debugging multi-thread programs:
automatic notication of new threads

`thread threadno', a command to switch among threads
ìnfo threads', a command to inquire about existing threads
thread-specic breakpoints
Warning: These facilities are not yet available on every GDB conguration where
the operating system supports threads. If your GDB does not support threads, these
commands have no eect. For example, a system without thread support shows no
output from ìnfo threads', and always rejects the thread command, like this:
(gdb) info threads

(gdb) thread 1
Thread ID 1 not known. Use the "info threads" command to
see the IDs of currently known threads.
The GDB thread debugging facility allows you to observe all threads while your program runs|
but whenever GDB takes control, one thread in particular is always the focus of debugging. This
thread is called the current thread. Debugging commands show program information from the
perspective of the current thread.
Whenever GDB detects a new thread in your program, it displays the target system's identi-
cation for the thread with a message in the form `[New systag ]'. systag is a thread identier whose
form varies depending on the particular system. For example, on LynxOS, you might see
[New process 35 thread 27]
when GDB notices a new thread. In contrast, on an SGI system, the systag is simply something
like `process 368', with no further qualier.
For debugging purposes, GDB associates its own thread number|always a single integer|with
each thread in your program.
info threads
Display a summary of all threads currently in your program. GDB displays for each
thread (in this order):
1. the thread number assigned by GDB
2. the target system's thread identier (systag)
3. the current stack frame summary for that thread
An asterisk `*' to the left of the GDB thread number indicates the current thread.
For example,
(gdb) info threads
3 process 35 thread 27 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2 process 35 thread 23 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
* 1 process 35 thread 13 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
at threadtest.c:68
thread threadno
Make thread number threadno the current thread. The command argument threadno
is the internal GDB thread number, as shown in the rst eld of the ìnfo threads'
display. GDB responds by displaying the system identier of the thread you selected,
and its current stack frame summary:
(gdb) thread 2
[Switching to process 35 thread 23]
0x34e5 in sigpause ()
As with the `[New ]' message, the form of the text after `Switching to' depends on
:::
your system's conventions for identifying threads.
Whenever GDB stops your program, due to a breakpoint or a signal, it automatically selects
the thread where that breakpoint or signal happened. GDB alerts you to the context switch with
a message of the form `[Switching to systag ]' to identify the thread.
See Section 5.4 [Stopping and starting multi-thread programs], page 51, for more information
about how GDB behaves when you stop and start programs with multiple threads.
See Section 5.1.2 [Setting watchpoints], page 39, for information about watchpoints in programs
with multiple threads.
Chapter 5: Stopping and Continuing 35
5 Stopping and Continuing

The principal purposes of using a debugger are so that you can stop your program before it
terminates; or so that, if your program runs into trouble, you can investigate and nd out why.
Inside GDB, your program may stop for any of several reasons, such as a signal, a breakpoint,
or reaching a new line after a GDB command such as step. You may then examine and change
variables, set new breakpoints or remove old ones, and then continue execution. Usually, the
messages shown by GDB provide ample explanation of the status of your program|but you can
also explicitly request this information at any time.
info program
Display information about the status of your program: whether it is running or not,
what process it is, and why it stopped.
5.1 Breakpoints, watchpoints, and exceptions

A breakpoint makes your program stop whenever a certain point in the program is reached.
For each breakpoint, you can add conditions to control in ner detail whether your program stops.
You can set breakpoints with the break command and its variants (see Section 5.1.1 [Setting
breakpoints], page 36), to specify the place where your program should stop by line number,
function name or exact address in the program. In languages with exception handling (such as GNU
C++), you can also set breakpoints where an exception is raised (see Section 5.1.3 [Breakpoints and
exceptions], page 39).
A watchpoint is a special breakpoint that stops your program when the value of an expression
changes. You must use a dierent command to set watchpoints (see Section 5.1.2 [Setting watch-
points], page 39), but aside from that, you can manage a watchpoint like any other breakpoint:
you enable, disable, and delete both breakpoints and watchpoints using the same commands.
You can arrange to have values from your program displayed automatically whenever GDB stops
at a breakpoint. See Section 8.6 [Automatic display], page 71.
GDB assigns a number to each breakpoint or watchpoint when you create it; these numbers are
successive integers starting with one. 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 enabled or disabled; if disabled, it has no eect on your program until you
enable it again.
5.1.1 Setting breakpoints

Breakpoints are set with the break command (abbreviated b). The debugger convenience vari-
able `$bpnum' records the number of the beakpoint you've set most recently; see Section 8.9 [Con-
venience variables], page 80, for a discussion of what you can do with convenience variables.
You have several ways to say where the breakpoint should go.
break function
Set a breakpoint at entry to function function. When using source languages that
permit overloading of symbols, such as C++, function may refer to more than one
possible place to break. See Section 5.1.8 [Breakpoint menus], page 45, for a discussion
of that situation.
break +oset
break -oset
Set a breakpoint some number of lines forward or back from the position at which
execution stopped in the currently selected frame.
break linenum
Set a breakpoint at line linenum in the current source le. That le is the last le whose
source text was printed. This breakpoint stops your program just before it executes
any of the code on that line.
break lename :linenum
Set a breakpoint at line linenum in source le lename.
break lename :function
Set a breakpoint at entry to function function found in le lename. Specifying a
le name as well as a function name is super uous except when multiple les contain
similarly named functions.
break *address
Set a breakpoint at address address. You can use this to set breakpoints in parts of
your program which do not have debugging information or source les.
break When called without any arguments, break sets a breakpoint at the next instruction to
be executed in the selected stack frame (see Chapter 6 [Examining the Stack], page 53).
In any selected frame but the innermost, this makes your program stop as soon as
control returns to that frame. This is similar to the eect of a finish command
in the frame inside the selected frame|except that finish does not leave an active
breakpoint. If you use break without an argument in the innermost frame, GDB stops
the next time it reaches the current location; this may be useful inside loops.
GDB normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until at least one in-
struction has been executed. If it did not do this, you would be unable to proceed past
a breakpoint without rst disabling the breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not
the breakpoint already existed when your program stopped.
break ::: if cond
Set a breakpoint with condition cond; evaluate the expression cond each time the
breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the value is nonzero|that is, if cond evaluates
as true. ` ' stands for one of the possible arguments described above (or no argument)
:::
specifying where to break. See Section 5.1.6 [Break conditions], page 42, for more
information on breakpoint conditions.
tbreak args
Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. args are the same as for the break com-
mand, and the breakpoint is set in the same way, but the breakpoint is automatically
disabled after the rst time your program stops there. See Section 5.1.5 [Disabling
breakpoints], page 41.
rbreak regex
Set breakpoints on all functions matching the regular expression regex. This command
sets an unconditional breakpoint on all matches, printing a list of all breakpoints it set.
Once these breakpoints are set, they are treated just like the breakpoints set with the
break command. You can delete them, disable them, or make them conditional the
same way as any other breakpoint.
When debugging C++ programs, rbreak is useful for setting breakpoints on overloaded
functions that are not members of any special classes.
info breakpoints [n]
info break [n]
info watchpoints [n]
Print a table of all breakpoints and watchpoints set and not deleted, with the following
columns for each breakpoint:
Breakpoint Numbers
Type Breakpoint or watchpoint.
Disposition
Whether the breakpoint is marked to be disabled or deleted when hit.
Enabled or Disabled
Enabled breakpoints are marked with `y'. `n' marks breakpoints that are
not enabled.
Address Where the breakpoint is in your program, as a memory address
What Where the breakpoint is in the source for your program, as a le and line
number.
If a breakpoint is conditional, info break shows the condition on the line following the
aected breakpoint; breakpoint commands, if any, are listed after that.
info break with a breakpoint number n as argument lists only that breakpoint. The
convenience variable $_ and the default examining-address for the x command are set to
the address of the last breakpoint listed (see Section 8.5 [Examining memory], page 69).
GDB allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in your program. There is
nothing silly or meaningless about this. When the breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful
(see Section 5.1.6 [Break conditions], page 42).
GDB itself sometimes sets breakpoints in your program for special purposes, such as proper
handling of longjmp (in C programs). These internal breakpoints are assigned negative numbers,
starting with -1; ìnfo breakpoints' does not display them.
You can see these breakpoints with the GDB maintenance command `maint info breakpoints'.
maint info breakpoints

Using the same format as ìnfo breakpoints', display both the breakpoints you've
set explicitly, and those GDB is using for internal purposes. Internal breakpoints are
shown with negative breakpoint numbers. The type column identies what kind of
breakpoint is shown:
breakpoint
Normal, explicitly set breakpoint.
watchpoint
Normal, explicitly set watchpoint.
longjmp Internal breakpoint, used to handle correctly stepping through longjmp
calls.
longjmp resume
Internal breakpoint at the target of a longjmp.
until Temporary internal breakpoint used by the GDB until command.
finish Temporary internal breakpoint used by the GDB finish command.
5.1.2 Setting watchpoints

You can use a watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an expression changes, without
having to predict a particular place where this may happen.
Watchpoints currently execute two orders of magnitude more slowly than other breakpoints,
but this can be well worth it to catch errors where you have no clue what part of your program is
the culprit.
watch expr
Set a watchpoint for an expression.
info watchpoints
This command prints a list of watchpoints and breakpoints; it is the same as info
break.
Warning: in multi-thread programs, watchpoints have only limited usefulness. With

the current watchpoint implementation, GDB can only watch the value of an expression
in a single thread. If you are condent that the expression can only change due to the
current thread's activity (and if you are also condent that no other thread can become
current), then you can use watchpoints as usual. However, GDB may not notice when
a non-current thread's activity changes the expression.
5.1.3 Breakpoints and exceptions

Some languages, such as GNU C++, implement exception handling. You can use GDB to
examine what caused your program to raise an exception, and to list the exceptions your program
is prepared to handle at a given point in time.
catch exceptions
You can set breakpoints at active exception handlers by using the catch command.
exceptions is a list of names of exceptions to catch.
You can use info catch to list active exception handlers. See Section 6.4 [Information about a
frame], page 56.
There are currently some limitations to exception handling in GDB:

If you call a function interactively, GDB normally returns control to you when the function has
nished executing. If the call raises an exception, however, the call may bypass the mechanism
that returns control to you and cause your program to simply continue running until it hits a
breakpoint, catches a signal that GDB is listening for, or exits.
You cannot raise an exception interactively.
You cannot install an exception handler interactively.
Sometimes catch is not the best way to debug exception handling: if you need to know exactly
where an exception is raised, it is better to stop before the exception handler is called, since that
way you can see the stack before any unwinding takes place. If you set a breakpoint in an exception
handler instead, it may not be easy to nd out where the exception was raised.
To stop just before an exception handler is called, you need some knowledge of the imple-
mentation. In the case of GNU C++, exceptions are raised by calling a library function named
__raise_exception which has the following ANSI C interface:
/* addr
is where the exception identifier is stored.
ID is the exception identifier. */
void __raise_exception (void **addr, void *id );
To make the debugger catch all exceptions before any stack unwinding takes place, set a breakpoint
on __raise_exception (see Section 5.1 [Breakpoints; watchpoints; and exceptions], page 35).
With a conditional breakpoint (see Section 5.1.6 [Break conditions], page 42) that depends on
the value of id, you can stop your program when a specic exception is raised. You can use multiple
conditional breakpoints to stop your program when any of a number of exceptions are raised.
5.1.4 Deleting breakpoints

It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint or watchpoint once it has done its job and you
no longer want your program to stop there. This is called deleting the breakpoint. A breakpoint
that has been deleted no longer exists; it is forgotten.
With the clear command you can delete breakpoints according to where they are in your
program. With the delete command you can delete individual breakpoints or watchpoints by
specifying their breakpoint numbers.
It is not necessary to delete a breakpoint to proceed past it. GDB automatically ignores break-
points on the rst instruction to be executed when you continue execution without changing the
execution address.
clear Delete any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in the selected stack
frame (see Section 6.3 [Selecting a frame], page 55). When the innermost frame is
selected, this is a good way to delete a breakpoint where your program just stopped.
clear function
clear lename :function
Delete any breakpoints set at entry to the function function.
clear linenum
clear lename :linenum
Delete any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specied line.
delete [breakpoints] [bnums ] :::
Delete the breakpoints or watchpoints of the numbers specied as arguments. If no

argument is specied, delete all breakpoints (GDB asks conrmation, unless you have
set confirm off). You can abbreviate this command as d.
5.1.5 Disabling breakpoints

Rather than deleting a breakpoint or watchpoint, you might prefer to disable it. This makes the
breakpoint inoperative as if it had been deleted, but remembers the information on the breakpoint
so that you can enable it again later.
You disable and enable breakpoints and watchpoints with the enable and disable commands,
optionally specifying one or more breakpoint numbers as arguments. Use info break or info
watch to print a list of breakpoints or watchpoints if you do not know which numbers to use.
A breakpoint or watchpoint can have any of four dierent states of enablement:
Enabled. The breakpoint stops your program. A breakpoint set with the break command
starts out in this state.
Disabled. The breakpoint has no eect on your program.
Enabled once. The breakpoint stops your program, but then becomes disabled. A breakpoint
set with the tbreak command starts out in this state.
Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint stops your program, but immediately after it does so it
is deleted permanently.
You can use the following commands to enable or disable breakpoints and watchpoints:
disable [breakpoints] [bnums ]

:::
Disable the specied breakpoints|or all breakpoints, if none are listed. A disabled
breakpoint has no eect but is not forgotten. All options such as ignore-counts, con-
ditions and commands are remembered in case the breakpoint is enabled again later.
You may abbreviate disable as dis.
enable [breakpoints] [bnums ]
:::
Enable the specied breakpoints (or all dened breakpoints). They become eective
once again in stopping your program.
enable [breakpoints] once bnums :::
Enable the specied breakpoints temporarily. GDB disables any of these breakpoints
immediately after stopping your program.
enable [breakpoints] delete bnums :::
Enable the specied breakpoints to work once, then die. GDB deletes any of these
breakpoints as soon as your program stops there.
Save for a breakpoint set with tbreak (see Section 5.1.1 [Setting breakpoints], page 36), break-
points that you set are initially enabled; subsequently, they become disabled or enabled only when
you use one of the commands above. (The command until can set and delete a breakpoint of its
own, but it does not change the state of your other breakpoints; see Section 5.2 [Continuing and
stepping], page 47.)
5.1.6 Break conditions

The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time your program reaches a specied place. You
can also specify a condition for a breakpoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
programming language (see Section 8.1 [Expressions], page 65). A breakpoint with a condition
evaluates the expression each time your program reaches it, and your program stops only if the
condition is true.
This is the converse of using assertions for program validation; in that situation, you want to
stop when the assertion is violated|that is, when the condition is false. In C, if you want to
test an assertion expressed by the condition assert, you should set the condition `! assert' on the
appropriate breakpoint.
Conditions are also accepted for watchpoints; you may not need them, since a watchpoint is
inspecting the value of an expression anyhow|but it might be simpler, say, to just set a watchpoint
on a variable name, and specify a condition that tests whether the new value is an interesting one.
Break conditions can have side eects, and may even call functions in your program. This
can be useful, for example, to activate functions that log program progress, or to use your own
print functions to format special data structures. The eects are completely predictable unless
there is another enabled breakpoint at the same address. (In that case, GDB might see the other
breakpoint rst and stop your program without checking the condition of this one.) Note that
breakpoint commands are usually more convenient and exible for the purpose of performing side
eects when a breakpoint is reached (see Section 5.1.7 [Breakpoint command lists], page 44).
Break conditions can be specied when a breakpoint is set, by using ìf' in the arguments to
the break command. See Section 5.1.1 [Setting breakpoints], page 36. They can also be changed at
any time with the condition command. The watch command does not recognize the if keyword;
condition is the only way to impose a further condition on a watchpoint.
condition bnum expression

Specify expression as the break condition for breakpoint or watchpoint number bnum.
After you set a condition, breakpoint bnum stops your program only if the value of
expression is true (nonzero, in C). When you use condition, GDB checks expression
immediately for syntactic correctness, and to determine whether symbols in it have
referents in the context of your breakpoint. GDB does not actually evaluate expression
at the time the condition command is given, however. See Section 8.1 [Expressions],
page 65.
condition bnum
Remove the condition from breakpoint number bnum. It becomes an ordinary uncon-
ditional breakpoint.
A special case of a breakpoint condition is to stop only when the breakpoint has been reached a
certain number of times. This is so useful that there is a special way to do it, using the ignore count
of the breakpoint. Every breakpoint has an ignore count, which is an integer. Most of the time, the
ignore count is zero, and therefore has no eect. But if your program reaches a breakpoint whose
ignore count is positive, then instead of stopping, it just decrements the ignore count by one and
continues. As a result, if the ignore count value is n, the breakpoint does not stop the next n times
your program reaches it.
ignore bnum count

Set the ignore count of breakpoint number bnum to count. The next count times the
breakpoint is reached, your program's execution does not stop; other than to decrement
the ignore count, GDB takes no action.
To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify a count of zero.
When you use continue to resume execution of your program from a breakpoint, you
can specify an ignore count directly as an argument to continue, rather than using
ignore. See Section 5.2 [Continuing and stepping], page 47.
If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the condition is not checked.
Once the ignore count reaches zero, GDB resumes checking the condition.
You could achieve the eect of the ignore count with a condition such as `$foo-- <= 0'
using a debugger convenience variable that is decremented each time. See Section 8.9
[Convenience variables], page 80.
5.1.7 Breakpoint command lists

You can give any breakpoint (or watchpoint) a series of commands to execute when your program
stops due to that breakpoint. For example, you might want to print the values of certain expressions,
or enable other breakpoints.
commands[bnum]
:::command-list :::
end Specify a list of commands for breakpoint number bnum. The commands themselves
appear on the following lines. Type a line containing just end to terminate the com-
mands.
To remove all commands from a breakpoint, type commands and follow it immediately
with end; that is, give no commands.
With no bnum argument, commands refers to the last breakpoint or watchpoint set (not
to the breakpoint most recently encountered).
Pressing RET as a means of repeating the last GDB command is disabled within a command-list.
You can use breakpoint commands to start your program up again. Simply use the continue
command, or step, or any other command that resumes execution.
Any other commands in the command list, after a command that resumes execution, are ignored.
This is because any time you resume execution (even with a simple next or step), you may
encounter another breakpoint|which could have its own command list, leading to ambiguities
about which list to execute.
If the rst command you specify in a command list is silent, the usual message about stopping
at a breakpoint is not printed. This may be desirable for breakpoints that are to print a specic
message and then continue. If none of the remaining commands print anything, you see no sign that
the breakpoint was reached. silent is meaningful only at the beginning of a breakpoint command
list.
The commands echo, output, and printf allow you to print precisely controlled output, and
are often useful in silent breakpoints. See Section 15.4 [Commands for controlled output], page 150.
For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print the value of x at entry
to foo whenever x is positive.
break foo if x>0

commands
silent
printf "x is %d\n",x
cont
end
One application for breakpoint commands is to compensate for one bug so you can test for
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 continue command so that your program does not
stop, and start with the silent command so that no output is produced. Here is an example:
break 403
commands
silent
set x = y + 4
cont
end
5.1.8 Breakpoint menus

Some programming languages (notably C++) permit a single function name to be dened several
times, for application in dierent contexts. This is called overloading. When a function name is
overloaded, `break function' is not enough to tell GDB where you want a breakpoint. If you realize
this is a problem, you can use something like `break function(types )' to specify which particular
version of the function you want. Otherwise, GDB oers you a menu of numbered choices for
dierent possible breakpoints, and waits for your selection with the prompt `>'. The rst two
options are always `[0] cancel' and `[1] all'. Typing 1 sets a breakpoint at each denition of
function, and typing 0 aborts the break command without setting any new breakpoints.
For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a breakpoint at the overloaded
symbol String::after. We choose three particular denitions of that function name:
(gdb) b String::after
[0] cancel
[1] all
[2] file:String.cc; line number:867
> 2 4 6
Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
Multiple breakpoints were set.
Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted
breakpoints.
(gdb)
5.1.9 \Cannot insert breakpoints"

Under some operating systems, breakpoints cannot be used in a program if any other process is
running that program. In this situation, attempting to run or continue a program with a breakpoint
causes GDB to stop the other process.
When this happens, you have three ways to proceed:
1. Remove or disable the breakpoints, then continue.

2. Suspend GDB, and copy the le containing your program to a new name. Resume GDB and
use the exec-file command to specify that GDB should run your program under that name.
Then start your program again.
3. Relink your program so that the text segment is nonsharable, using the linker option `-N'. The
operating system limitation may not apply to nonsharable executables.
5.2 Continuing and stepping

Continuing means resuming program execution until your program completes normally. In
contrast, stepping means executing just one more \step" of your program, where \step" may mean
either one line of source code, or one machine instruction (depending on what particular command
you use). Either when continuing or when stepping, your program may stop even sooner, due to
a breakpoint or a signal. (If due to a signal, you may want to use handle, or use `signal 0' to
resume execution. See Section 5.3 [Signals], page 49.)
continue [ignore-count]
c [ignore-count]
fg [ignore-count]
Resume program execution, at the address where your program last stopped; any
breakpoints set at that address are bypassed. The optional argument ignore-count
allows you to specify a further number of times to ignore a breakpoint at this location;
its eect is like that of ignore (see Section 5.1.6 [Break conditions], page 42).
The argument ignore-count is meaningful only when your program stopped due to a
breakpoint. At other times, the argument to continue is ignored.
The synonyms c and fg are provided purely for convenience, and have exactly the same
behavior as continue.
To resume execution at a dierent place, you can use return (see Section 11.4 [Returning from
a function], page 109) to go back to the calling function; or jump (see Section 11.2 [Continuing at
a dierent address], page 108) to go to an arbitrary location in your program.
A typical technique for using stepping is to set a breakpoint (see Section 5.1 [Breakpoints;
watchpoints; and exceptions], page 35) at the beginning of the function or the section of your
program where a problem is believed to lie, run your program until it stops at that breakpoint, and
then step through the suspect area, examining the variables that are interesting, until you see the
problem happen.
step Continue running your program until control reaches a dierent source line, then stop
it and return control to GDB. This command is abbreviated s.
Warning: If you use the step command while control is within a function
that was compiled without debugging information, execution proceeds until
control reaches a function that does have debugging information.
step count
Continue running as in step, but do so count times. If a breakpoint is reached, or a
signal not related to stepping occurs before count steps, stepping stops right away.
next [count]
Continue to the next source line in the current (innermost) stack frame. Similar to
step, but any function calls appearing within the line of code are executed without
stopping. Execution stops when control reaches a dierent line of code at the stack level
which was executing when the next command was given. This command is abbreviated
n.
An argument count is a repeat count, as for step.
next within a function that lacks debugging information acts like step, but any function
calls appearing within the code of the function are executed without stopping.
finish Continue running until just after function in the selected stack frame returns. Print
the returned value (if any).
Contrast this with the return command (see Section 11.4 [Returning from a function],
page 109).
until
u Continue running until a source line past the current line, in the current stack frame,
is reached. This command is used to avoid single stepping through a loop more than
once. It is like the next command, except that when until encounters a jump, it
automatically continues execution until the program counter is greater than the address
of the jump.
This means that when you reach the end of a loop after single stepping though it,
until makes your program continue execution until it exits the loop. In contrast, a
next command at the end of a loop simply steps back to the beginning of the loop,
which forces you to step through the next iteration.
until always stops your program if it attempts to exit the current stack frame.
until may produce somewhat counterintuitive results if the order of machine code does
not match the order of the source lines. For example, in the following excerpt from
a debugging session, the f (frame) command shows that execution is stopped at line
206; yet when we use until, we get to line 195:
(gdb) f
#0 main (argc=4, argv=0xf7fffae8) at m4.c:206
206 expand_input();
(gdb) until
195 for ( ; argc > 0; NEXTARG) {
This happened because, for execution eciency, the compiler had generated code for
the loop closure test at the end, rather than the start, of the loop|even though the test
in a C for-loop is written before the body of the loop. The until command appeared
to step back to the beginning of the loop when it advanced to this expression; however,
it has not really gone to an earlier statement|not in terms of the actual machine code.
until with no argument works by means of single instruction stepping, and hence is
slower than until with an argument.
until location
u location Continue running your program until either the specied location is reached, or the
current stack frame returns. location is any of the forms of argument acceptable to
break (see Section 5.1.1 [Setting breakpoints], page 36). This form of the command
uses breakpoints, and hence is quicker than until without an argument.
stepi
si Execute one machine instruction, then stop and return to the debugger.
It is often useful to do `display/i $pc' when stepping by machine instructions. This
makes GDB automatically display the next instruction to be executed, each time your
program stops. See Section 8.6 [Automatic display], page 71.
An argument is a repeat count, as in step.
nexti
ni Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call, proceed until the function
returns.
An argument is a repeat count, as in next.
5.3 Signals
A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The operating system denes
the possible kinds of signals, and gives each kind a name and a number. For example, in Unix
SIGINT is the signal a program gets when you type an interrupt (often C-c); SIGSEGV is the signal
a program gets from referencing a place in memory far away from all the areas in use; SIGALRM
occurs when the alarm clock timer goes o (which happens only if your program has requested an
alarm).
Some signals, including SIGALRM, are a normal part of the functioning of your program. Others,
such as SIGSEGV, indicate errors; these signals are fatal (kill your program immediately) if the
program has not specied in advance some other way to handle the signal. SIGINT does not
indicate an error in your program, but it is normally fatal so it can carry out the purpose of the
interrupt: to kill the program.
GDB has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in your program. 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 SIGALRM (so as not to interfere
with their role in the functioning of your program) but to stop your program immediately whenever
an error signal happens. You can change these settings with the handle command.
info signals
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 dened types of signals.
handle signal keywords :::
Change the way GDB handles signal signal. signal can be the number of a signal or its
name (with or without the `SIG' at the beginning). The keywords say what change to
make.
The keywords allowed by the handle command can be abbreviated. Their full names are:
nostop GDB should not stop your program when this signal happens. It may still print a
message telling you that the signal has come in.
stop GDB should stop your program when this signal happens. This implies the print
keyword as well.
print GDB should print a message when this signal happens.
noprint GDB should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This implies the nostop
keyword as well.
pass GDB should allow your program to see this signal; your program can handle the signal,
or else it may terminate if the signal is fatal and not handled.
nopass GDB should not allow your program to see this signal.
When a signal stops your program, the signal is not visible until you continue. Your program
sees the signal then, if pass is in eect for the signal in question at that time. In other words, after
GDB reports a signal, you can use the handle command with pass or nopass to control whether
your program sees that signal when you continue.
You can also use the signal command to prevent your 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. For example, if
your 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 your program would
probably terminate immediately as a result of the fatal signal once it saw the signal. To prevent
this, you can continue with `signal 0'. See Section 11.3 [Giving your program a signal], page 109.
5.4 Stopping and starting multi-thread programs

When your program has multiple threads (see Section 4.10 [Debugging programs with multiple
threads], page 32), you can choose whether to set breakpoints on all threads, or on a particular
thread.
break linespec thread threadno

break linespec thread threadno if :::
Use the qualier `thread threadno' with a breakpoint command to specify that you
only want GDB to stop the program when a particular thread reaches this breakpoint.
threadno is one of the numeric thread identiers assigned by GDB, shown in the rst
column of the ìnfo threads' display.
If you do not specify `thread threadno' when you set a breakpoint, the breakpoint
applies to all threads of your program.
You can use the thread qualier on conditional breakpoints as well; in this case, place
`thread threadno' before the breakpoint condition, like this:
(gdb) break frik.c:13 thread 28 if bartab > lim
Whenever your program stops under GDB for any reason, all threads of execution stop, not
just the current thread. This allows you to examine the overall state of the program, including
switching between threads, without worrying that things may change underfoot.
Conversely, whenever you restart the program, all threads start executing. This is true even
when single-stepping with commands like step or next.
In particular, GDB cannot single-step all threads in lockstep. Since thread scheduling is up
to your debugging target's operating system (not controlled by GDB), other threads may execute
more than one statement while the current thread completes a single step. Moreover, in general
other threads stop in the middle of a statement, rather than at a clean statement boundary, when
the program stops.
You might even nd your program stopped in another thread after continuing or even single-
stepping. This happens whenever some other thread runs into a breakpoint, a signal, or an exception
before the rst thread completes whatever you requested.
Chapter 6: Examining the Stack 53
6 Examining the Stack

When your program has stopped, the rst thing you need to know is where it stopped and how
it got there.
Each time your program performs a function call, the information about where in your program
the call was made from is saved in a block of data called a 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 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 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 your program,
the value is found in the selected frame. There are special GDB commands to select whichever
frame you are interested in.
When your program stops, GDB automatically selects the currently executing frame and de-
scribes it brie y as the frame command does (see Section 6.4 [Information about a frame], page 56).
6.1 Stack frames

The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called stack frames, or frames for short; 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.
When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of the function main. This
is called the initial frame or the 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 innermost frame. This is the most recently
created of all the stack frames that still exist.
Inside your program, stack frames are identied 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 frame pointer register while execution is going on in that frame.
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 assigned by GDB to give you a way of designating stack frames in GDB commands.
Some compilers provide a way to compile functions so that they operate without stack frames.
(For example, the gcc option `-fomit-frame-pointer' generates functions without a frame.) This
is occasionally done with heavily used library functions to save the frame setup time. GDB has
limited facilities for dealing with these function invocations. If the innermost function invocation
has no stack frame, GDB nevertheless regards it as though it had a separate frame, which is
numbered zero as usual, allowing correct tracing of the function call chain. However, GDB has no
provision for frameless functions elsewhere in the stack.
6.2 Backtraces
A backtrace is a summary of how your 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.
backtrace
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 C-c.
backtrace n
bt n Similar, but print only the innermost n frames.
backtrace -n
bt -n Similar, but print only the outermost n frames.
The names where and info stack (abbreviated info s) are additional aliases for backtrace.
Each line in the backtrace shows the frame number and the function name. The program counter
value is also shown|unless you use set print address off. The backtrace also shows the source
le name and line number, as well as the arguments to the function. The program counter value is
omitted if it is at the beginning of the code for that line number.
Here is an example of a backtrace. It was made with the command `bt 3', so it shows the
innermost three frames.
#0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)

at builtin.c:993
#1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=0x2b600) at macro.c:242
#2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=177664, td=0xf7fffb08)
at macro.c:71
(More stack frames follow...)
The display for frame zero does not begin with a program counter value, indicating that your
program has stopped at the beginning of the code for line 993 of builtin.c.
6.3 Selecting a frame

Most commands for examining the stack and other data in your program work on whichever
stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the commands for selecting a stack frame; all of
them nish by printing a brief description of the stack frame just selected.
frame n
f n Select frame number 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 the one for main.
frame addr
f addr Select the frame at address 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 your program has multiple stacks
and switches between them.
On the SPARC architecture, frame needs two addresses to select an arbitrary frame:
a frame pointer and a stack pointer.
up n Move n frames up the stack. For positive numbers n, this advances toward the outer-
most frame, to higher frame numbers, to frames that have existed longer. n defaults
to one.
down n Move n frames down the stack. For positive numbers n, this advances toward the
innermost frame, to lower frame numbers, to frames that were created more recently.
n defaults to one. You may abbreviate down as do.
All of these commands end by printing two lines of output describing the frame. The rst line
shows the frame number, the function name, the arguments, and the source le and line number
of execution in that frame. The second line shows the text of that source line.
For example:
(gdb) up
#1 0x22f0 in main (argc=1, argv=0xf7fffbf4, env=0xf7fffbfc)
at env.c:10
10 read_input_file (argv[i]);
After such a printout, the list command with no arguments prints ten lines centered on the
point of execution in the frame. See Section 7.1 [Printing source lines], page 59.
up-silently n
down-silently n
These two commands are variants of up and down, respectively; they dier in that they
do their work silently, without causing display of the new frame. They are intended
primarily for use in GDB command scripts, where the output might be unnecessary
and distracting.
6.4 Information about a frame

There are several other commands to print information about the selected stack frame.
frame
f When used without any argument, this command does not change which frame is
selected, but prints a brief description of the currently selected stack frame. It can be
abbreviated f. With an argument, this command is used to select a stack frame. See
Section 6.3 [Selecting a frame], page 55.
info frame
info f This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack frame, including the
address of the frame, the addresses of the next frame down (called by this frame) and the
next frame up (caller of this frame), the language that the source code corresponding to
this frame was written in, 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 t the usual conventions.
info frame addr

info f addr
Print a verbose description of the frame at address addr, without selecting that frame.
The selected frame remains unchanged by this command.
info args Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
info locals
Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate line. These are all
variables (declared either static or automatic) accessible at the point of execution of
the selected frame.
info catch
Print a list of all the exception handlers that are active in the current stack frame at the
current point of execution. To see other exception handlers, visit the associated frame
(using the up, down, or frame commands); then type info catch. See Section 5.1.3
[Breakpoints and exceptions], page 39.
6.5 MIPS machines and the function stack

MIPS based computers use an unusual stack frame, which sometimes requires GDB to search
backward in the object code to nd the beginning of a function.
To improve response time (especially for embedded applications, where GDB may be restricted
to a slow serial line for this search) you may want to limit the size of this search, using one of these
commands:
set heuristic-fence-post limit

Restrict GDB to examining at most limit bytes in its search for the beginning of a
function. A value of 0 (the default) means there is no limit.
show heuristic-fence-post
Display the current limit.
These commands are available only when GDB is congured for debugging programs on MIPS
processors.
Chapter 7: Examining Source Files 59
7 Examining Source Files

GDB can print parts of your program's source, since the debugging information recorded in
the program tells GDB what source les were used to build it. When your program stops, GDB
spontaneously prints the line where it stopped. Likewise, when you select a stack frame (see
Section 6.3 [Selecting a frame], page 55), GDB prints the line where execution in that frame has
stopped. You can print other portions of source les by explicit command.
If you use GDB through its GNU Emacs interface, you may prefer to use Emacs facilities to
view source; see Chapter 16 [Using GDB under GNU Emacs], page 151.
7.1 Printing source lines

To print lines from a source le, use the list command (abbreviated l). There are several ways
to specify what part of the le you want to print.
Here are the forms of the list command most commonly used:
list linenum
Print lines centered around line number linenum in the current source le.
list function
Print lines centered around the beginning of function function.
list Print more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a list command, this
prints lines following the last lines printed; however, if the last line printed was a
solitary line printed as part of displaying a stack frame (see Chapter 6 [Examining the
Stack], page 53), this prints lines centered around that line.
list - Print lines just before the lines last printed.
By default, GDB prints ten source lines with any of these forms of the list command. You can
change this using set listsize:
set listsize count

Make the list command display count source lines (unless the list argument explicitly
species some other number).
show listsize
Display the number of lines that list prints.
Repeating a list command with RET discards the argument, so it is equivalent to typing just
list. This is more useful than listing the same lines again. An exception is made for an argument
of `-'; that argument is preserved in repetition so that each repetition moves up in the source le.
In general, the list command expects you to supply zero, one or two linespecs. Linespecs
specify source lines; there are several ways of writing them but the eect is always to specify some
source line. Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for list:
list linespec
Print lines centered around the line specied by linespec.
list rst,last
Print lines from rst to last. Both arguments are linespecs.
list ,last Print lines ending with last.
list rst,
Print lines starting with rst.
list + Print lines just after the lines last printed.
list - Print lines just before the lines last printed.
list As described in the preceding table.
Here are the ways of specifying a single source line|all the kinds of linespec.
number Species line number of the current source le. When a list command has two
linespecs, this refers to the same source le as the rst linespec.
+oset Species the line oset lines after the last line printed. When used as the second
linespec in a list command that has two, this species the line oset lines down from
the rst linespec.
-oset Species the line oset lines before the last line printed.
lename :number
Species line number in the source le lename.
function Species the line of the open-brace that begins the body of the function function.
lename :function
Species the line of the open-brace that begins the body of the function function in
the le lename. You only need the le name with a function name to avoid ambiguity
when there are identically named functions in dierent source les.
*address Species the line containing the program address address. address may be any expres-
sion.
7.2 Searching source les

There are two commands for searching through the current source le for a regular expression.
forward-search regexp
search regexp
The command `forward-search regexp' checks each line, starting with the one follow-
ing the last line listed, for a match for regexp. It lists the line that is found. You can
use synonym `search regexp' or abbreviate the command name as fo.
reverse-search regexp
The command `reverse-search regexp' checks each line, starting with the one before
the last line listed and going backward, for a match for regexp. It lists the line that is
found. You can abbreviate this command as rev.
7.3 Specifying source directories

Executable programs sometimes do not record the directories of the source les from which they
were compiled, just the names. Even when they do, the directories could be moved between the
compilation and your debugging session. GDB has a list of directories to search for source les;
this is called the source path. Each time GDB wants a source le, it tries all the directories in the
list, in the order they are present in the list, until it nds a le with the desired name. Note that
the executable search path is not used for this purpose. Neither is the current working directory,
unless it happens to be in the source path.
If GDB cannot nd a source le in the source path, and the object program records a directory,
GDB tries that directory too. If the source path is empty, and there is no record of the compilation
directory, GDB looks in the current directory as a last resort.
Whenever you reset or rearrange the source path, GDB clears out any information it has cached
about where source les are found and where each line is in the le.
When you start GDB, its source path is empty. To add other directories, use the directory
command.
directory dirname :::
Add directory dirname to the front of the source path. Several directory names may
be given to this command, separated by `:' or whitespace. You may specify a directory
that is already in the source path; this moves it forward, so GDB searches it sooner.
You can use the string `$cdir' to refer to the compilation directory (if one is recorded),
and `$cwd' to refer to the current working directory. `$cwd' is not the same as `.'|the
former tracks the current working directory as it changes during your GDB session,
while the latter is immediately expanded to the current directory at the time you add
an entry to the source path.
directory
Reset the source path to empty again. This requires conrmation.
show directories
Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
If your source path is cluttered with directories that are no longer of interest, GDB may some-
times cause confusion by nding the wrong versions of source. You can correct the situation as
follows:
1. Use directory with no argument to reset the source path to empty.

2. Use directory with suitable arguments to reinstall the directories you want in the source
path. You can add all the directories in one command.
7.4 Source and machine code

You can use the command info line to map source lines to program addresses (and vice versa),
and the command disassemble to display a range of addresses as machine instructions.
info line linespec

Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for source line linespec.
You can specify source lines in any of the ways understood by the list command (see
Section 7.1 [Printing source lines], page 59).
For example, we can use info line to discover the location of the object code for the rst line
of function m4_changequote:
(gdb) info line m4_changecom
Line 895 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x634c and ends at 0x6350.
We can also inquire (using *addr as the form for linespec) what source line covers a particular
address:
(gdb) info line *0x63ff
Line 926 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x63e4 and ends at 0x6404.
After info line, the default address for the x command is changed to the starting address of
the line, so that `x/i' is sucient to begin examining the machine code (see Section 8.5 [Examining
memory], page 69). Also, this address is saved as the value of the convenience variable $_ (see
Section 8.9 [Convenience variables], page 80).
disassemble
This specialized command dumps a range of memory as machine instructions. The
default memory range is the function surrounding the program counter of the selected
frame. A single argument to this command is a program counter value; GDB dumps
the function surrounding this value. Two arguments specify a range of addresses (rst
inclusive, second exclusive) to dump.
We can use disassemble to inspect the object code range shown in the last info line example
(the example shows SPARC machine instructions):
(gdb) disas 0x63e4 0x6404
Dump of assembler code from 0x63e4 to 0x6404:
0x63e4 <builtin_init+5340>: ble 0x63f8 <builtin_init+5360>
0x63e8 <builtin_init+5344>: sethi %hi(0x4c00), %o0
0x63ec <builtin_init+5348>: ld [%i1+4], %o0
0x63f0 <builtin_init+5352>: b 0x63fc <builtin_init+5364>
0x63f4 <builtin_init+5356>: ld [%o0+4], %o0
0x63f8 <builtin_init+5360>: or %o0, 0x1a4, %o0
0x63fc <builtin_init+5364>: call 0x9288 <path_search>
0x6400 <builtin_init+5368>: nop
End of assembler dump.
Chapter 8: Examining Data 65
8 Examining Data
The usual way to examine data in your program is with the print command (abbreviated p),
or its synonym inspect. It evaluates and prints the value of an expression of the language your
program is written in (see Chapter 9 [Using GDB with Dierent Languages], page 85).
print exp
print /f exp
exp is an expression (in the source language). By default the value of exp is printed in
a format appropriate to its data type; you can choose a dierent format by specifying
`/f ', where f is a letter specifying the format; see Section 8.4 [Output formats], page 68.
print
print /f If you omit exp, GDB displays the last value again (from the value history; see Sec-
tion 8.8 [Value history], page 78). This allows you to conveniently inspect the same
value in an alternative format.
A more low-level way of examining data is with the x command. It examines data in memory
at a specied address and prints it in a specied format. See Section 8.5 [Examining memory],
page 69.
If you are interested in information about types, or about how the elds of a struct or class are
declared, use the ptype exp command rather than print. See Chapter 10 [Examining the Symbol
Table], page 103.
8.1 Expressions
print and many other GDB commands accept an expression and compute its value. Any kind
of constant, variable or operator dened by the programming language you are using is valid in an
expression in GDB. This includes conditional expressions, function calls, casts and string constants.
It unfortunately does not include symbols dened by preprocessor #define commands.
Because C is so widespread, most of the expressions shown in examples in this manual are in
C. See Chapter 9 [Using GDB with Dierent Languages], page 85, for information on how to use
expressions in other languages.
In this section, we discuss operators that you can use in GDB expressions regardless of your
programming language.
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 supports these operators in addition to those of programming languages:
@ `@' is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays. See Section 8.3 [Articial
arrays], page 67, for more information.
:: `::' allows you to specify a variable in terms of the le or function where it is dened.
See Section 8.2 [Program variables], page 66.
{type } addr
Refers to an object of type type stored at address addr in memory. addr may be any
expression whose value is an integer or pointer (but parentheses are required around
binary operators, just as in a cast). This construct is allowed regardless of what kind
of data is normally supposed to reside at addr.
8.2 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 (see Section 6.3 [Selecting a
frame], page 55); 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
foo (a)
int a;
{
bar (a);
{
int b = test ();
bar (b);
}
}
you can examine and use the variable a whenever your program is executing within the function
foo, but you can only use or examine the variable b while your program is executing inside the
block where b is declared.
There is an exception: you can refer to a variable or function whose scope is a single source le
even if the current execution point is not in this le. But it is possible to have more than one such
variable or function with the same name (in dierent source les). If that happens, referring to
that name has unpredictable eects. If you wish, you can specify a static variable in a particular
function or le, using the colon-colon notation:
le ::variable
function::variable
Here le or function is the name of the context for the static variable. In the case of le names,
you can use quotes to make sure GDB parses the le name as a single word|for example, to print
a global value of x dened in `f2.c':
(gdb) p 'f2.c'::x
This use of `::' is very rarely in con ict with the very similar use of the same notation in C++.
GDB also supports use of the C++ scope resolution operator in GDB expressions.
Warning: Occasionally, a local variable may appear to have the wrong value at certain
points in a function|just after entry to a new scope, and just before exit.
You may see this problem when you are stepping by machine instructions. This is because
on most machines, it takes more than one instruction to set up a stack frame (including local
variable denitions); if you are stepping by machine instructions, variables may appear to have the
wrong values until the stack frame is completely built. On exit, it usually also takes more than
one machine instruction to destroy a stack frame; after you begin stepping through that group of
instructions, local variable denitions may be gone.
8.3 Articial arrays

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.
You can do this by referring to a contiguous span of memory as an articial array, using the
binary operator `@'. The left operand of `@' should be the rst element of the desired array, as an
individual object. The right operand should be the desired length of the array. The result is an
array value whose elements are all of the type of the left argument. The rst element is actually
the left argument; the second element comes from bytes of memory immediately following those
that hold the rst element, and so on. Here is an example. If a program says
int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
you can print the contents of array with
p *array@len
The left operand of `@' must reside in memory. Array values made with `@' in this way behave just
like other arrays in terms of subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
Articial arrays most often appear in expressions via the value history (see Section 8.8 [Value
history], page 78), after printing one out.
Sometimes the articial array mechanism is not quite enough; in moderately complex data
structures, the elements of interest may not actually be adjacent|for example, if you are interested
in the values of pointers in an array. One useful work-around in this situation is to use a convenience
variable (see Section 8.9 [Convenience variables], page 80) as a counter in an expression that prints
the rst interesting value, and then repeat that expression via RET. For instance, suppose you have
an array dtab of pointers to structures, and you are interested in the values of a eld fv in each
structure. Here is an example of what you might type:
set $i = 0
p dtab[$i++]->fv
RET
RET
:::
8.4 Output formats

By default, GDB prints a value according to its data type. 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 as an instruction.
To do these things, specify an output format when you print a value.
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 print command with a slash and a format letter. The format
letters supported are:
x Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer in hexadecimal.
d Print as integer in signed decimal.
u Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
o Print as integer in octal.
t Print as integer in binary. The letter `t' stands for \two".1
a Print as an address, both absolute in hexadecimal and as an oset from the nearest
preceding symbol. You can use this format used to discover where (in what function)
an unknown address is located:
(gdb) p/a 0x54320
$3 = 0x54320 <_initialize_vx+396>
c Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant.

f Regard the bits of the value as a oating point number and print using typical oating
point syntax.
For example, to print the program counter in hex (see Section 8.10 [Registers], page 81), type
p/x $pc
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 dierent format, you can use the print
command with just a format and no expression. For example, `p/x' reprints the last value in hex.
8.5 Examining memory

You can use the command x (for \examine") to examine memory in any of several formats,
independently of your program's data types.
x/nfu addr
x addr
x Use the x command to examine memory.
1
`b' cannot be used because these format letters are also used with the x command, where `b'
stands for \byte"; see Section 8.5 [Examining memory], page 69.
n, f, and u are all optional parameters that specify how much memory to display and how to
format it; addr is an expression giving the address where you want to start displaying memory. If
you use defaults for nfu, you need not type the slash `/'. Several commands set convenient defaults
for addr.
n, the repeat count

The repeat count is a decimal integer; the default is 1. It species how much memory
(counting by units u) to display.
f, the display format
The display format is one of the formats used by print, or `s' (null-terminated string)
or ì' (machine instruction). The default is `x' (hexadecimal) initially, or the format
from the last time you used either x or print.
u, the unit size
The unit size is any of
b Bytes.
h Halfwords (two bytes).
w Words (four bytes). This is the initial default.
g Giant words (eight bytes).
Each time you specify a unit size with x, that size becomes the default unit the next
time you use x. (For the `s' and ì' formats, the unit size is ignored and is normally
not written.)
addr, starting display address
addr is the address where you want GDB to begin displaying memory. The expression
need not have a pointer value (though it may); it is always interpreted as an integer ad-
dress of a byte of memory. See Section 8.1 [Expressions], page 65, for more information
on expressions. The default for addr is usually just after the last address examined|
but several other commands also set the default address: info breakpoints (to the
address of the last breakpoint listed), info line (to the starting address of a line), and
print (if you use it to display a value from memory).
For example, `x/3uh 0x54320' is a request to display three halfwords (h) of memory, formatted
as unsigned decimal integers (ù'), starting at address 0x54320. `x/4xw $sp' prints the four words
(`w') of memory above the stack pointer (here, `$sp'; see Section 8.10 [Registers], page 81) in
hexadecimal (`x').
Since the letters indicating unit sizes are all distinct from the letters specifying output formats,
you do not have to remember whether unit size or format comes rst; either order works. The
output specications `4xw' and `4wx' mean exactly the same thing. (However, the count n must
come rst; `wx4' does not work.)
Even though the unit size u is ignored for the formats `s' and ì', you might still want to use a
count n; for example, `3i' species that you want to see three machine instructions, including any
operands. The command disassemble gives an alternative way of inspecting machine instructions;
see Section 7.4 [Source and machine code], page 62.
All the defaults for the arguments to x are designed to make it easy to continue scanning
memory with minimal specications each time you use x. For example, after you have inspected
three machine instructions with `x/3i addr', you can inspect the next seven with just `x/7'. If you
use RET to repeat the x command, the repeat count n is used again; the other arguments default
as for successive uses of x.
The addresses and contents printed by the x command are not saved 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 $_ and $__. After
an x command, the last address examined is available for use in expressions in the convenience
variable $_. The contents of that address, as examined, are available in the convenience variable
$__.
If the 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.
8.6 Automatic display

If you nd that you want to print the value of an expression frequently (to see how it changes),
you might want to add it to the automatic display list so that GDB prints its value each time your
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:
2: foo = 38
3: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
This display shows item numbers, expressions and their current values. As with displays you request
manually using x or print, you can specify the output format you prefer; in fact, display decides
whether to use print or x depending on how elaborate your format specication is|it uses x if you
specify a unit size, or one of the two formats (ì' and `s') that are only supported by x; otherwise
it uses print.
display exp
Add the expression exp to the list of expressions to display each time your program
stops. See Section 8.1 [Expressions], page 65.
display does not repeat if you press RET again after using it.
display/fmt exp
For fmt specifying only a display format and not a size or count, add the expression
exp to the auto-display list but arrange to display it each time in the specied format
fmt. See Section 8.4 [Output formats], page 68.
display/fmt addr
For fmt ì' or `s', or including a unit-size or a number of units, add the expression addr
as a memory address to be examined each time your program stops. Examining means
in eect doing `x/fmt addr'. See Section 8.5 [Examining memory], page 69.
For example, `display/i $pc' can be helpful, to see the machine instruction about to be exe-
cuted each time execution stops (`$pc' is a common name for the program counter; see Section 8.10
[Registers], page 81).
undisplay dnums :::
delete display dnums :::
Remove item numbers dnums from the list of expressions to display.

undisplay does not repeat if you press RET after using it. (Otherwise you would just
get the error `No display number '.) :::
disable display dnums :::
Disable the display of item numbers dnums. A disabled display item is not printed
automatically, but is not forgotten. It may be enabled again later.
enable display dnums :::
Enable display of item numbers dnums. It becomes eective once again in auto display
of its expression, until you specify otherwise.
display Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as is done when your
program stops.
info display
Print the list of expressions previously set up to display automatically, each one with
its item number, but without showing the values. This includes disabled expressions,
which are marked as such. It also includes expressions which would not be displayed
right now because they refer to automatic variables not currently available.
If a display expression refers to local variables, then it does not make sense outside the lexical
context for which it was set up. Such an expression is disabled when execution enters a context
where one of its variables is not dened. For example, if you give the command display last_
char while inside a function with an argument last_char, GDB displays this argument while
your program continues to stop inside that function. When it stops elsewhere|where there is
no variable last_char|the display is disabled automatically. The next time your program stops
where last_char is meaningful, you can enable the display expression once again.
8.7 Print settings

GDB provides the following ways to control how arrays, structures, and symbols are printed.
These settings are useful for debugging programs in any language:
set print address

set print address on
GDB prints memory addresses showing the location of stack traces, structure values,
pointer values, breakpoints, and so forth, even when it also displays the contents of
those addresses. The default is on. For example, this is what a stack frame display
looks like, with set print address on:
(gdb) f
#0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<<", rq=0x34c88 ">>")
at input.c:530
set print address off

Do not print addresses when displaying their contents. For example, this is the same
stack frame displayed with set print address off:
(gdb) set print addr off
(gdb) f
#0 set_quotes (lq="<<", rq=">>") at input.c:530
You can use `set print address off' to eliminate all machine dependent displays from
the GDB interface. For example, with print address off, you should get the same
text for backtraces on all machines|whether or not they involve pointer arguments.
show print address
Show whether or not addresses are to be printed.
When GDB prints a symbolic address, it normally prints the closest earlier symbol plus an
oset. If that symbol does not uniquely identify the address (for example, it is a name whose scope
is a single source le), you may need to disambiguate. One way to do this is with info line,
for example ìnfo line *0x4537'. Alternately, you can set GDB to print the source le and line
number when it prints a symbolic address:
set print symbol-filename on

Tell GDB to print the source le name and line number of a symbol in the symbolic
form of an address.
set print symbol-filename off
Do not print source le name and line number of a symbol. This is the default.
show print symbol-filename
Show whether or not GDB will print the source le name and line number of a symbol
in the symbolic form of an address.
Another situation where it is helpful to show symbol lenames and line numbers is when disas-
sembling code; GDB shows you the line number and source le that corresponds to each instruction.
Also, you may wish to see the symbolic form only if the address being printed is reasonably
close to the closest earlier symbol:
set print max-symbolic-offset max-oset

Tell GDB to only display the symbolic form of an address if the oset between the
closest earlier symbol and the address is less than max-oset. The default is 0, which
means to always print the symbolic form of an address, if any symbol precedes it.
show print max-symbolic-offset
Ask how large the maximum oset is that GDB prints in a symbolic address.
Sometimes GDB can tell you more about an address if it does an extensive search of its symbol
information. The default is to provide a quick symbolic display that is usually correct, but which
may not give the most useful answer when working in some object le formats. If you are not
getting the information you need, try:
set print fast-symbolic-addr off

Search all symbol information when displaying an address symbolically. This setting
may display more information about static variables, for example, but also takes longer.
set print fast-symbolic-addr
set print fast-symbolic-addr on

Search only the \minimal symbol information" when displaying symbolic information
about an address. This is the default.
show print fast-symbolic-addr
Ask whether GDB is using a fast or slow method of printing symbolic address.
If you have a pointer and you are not sure where it points, try `set print symbol-filename
on' and `set print fast-symbolic-addr off'. Then you can determine the name and source le
location of the variable where it points, using `p/a pointer'. This interprets the address in symbolic
form. For example, here GDB shows that a variable ptt points at another variable t, dened in
`hi2.c':
(gdb) set print fast-symbolic-addr off
(gdb) set print symbol-filename on
(gdb) p/a ptt
$4 = 0xe008 <t in hi2.c>
Warning: For pointers that point to a local variable, `p/a' does not show the symbol
name and lename of the referent, even with the appropriate set print options turned
on.
Other settings control how dierent kinds of objects are printed:
set print array

set print array on
Pretty-print arrays. This format is more convenient to read, but uses more space. The
default is o.
set print array off
Return to compressed format for arrays.
show print array
Show whether compressed or pretty format is selected for displaying arrays.
set print elements number-of-elements
If GDB is printing a large array, it stops printing after it has printed the number
of elements set by the set print elements command. This limit also applies to the
display of strings. Setting the number of elements to zero means that the printing is
unlimited.
show print elements
Display the number of elements of a large array that GDB prints before losing patience.
set print pretty on

Cause GDB to print structures in an indented format with one member per line, like
this:
$1 = {
next = 0x0,
flags = {
sweet = 1,
sour = 1
},
meat = 0x54 "Pork"
}
set print pretty off
Cause GDB to print structures in a compact format, like this:
$1 = {next = 0x0, flags = {sweet = 1, sour = 1}, \
meat = 0x54 "Pork"}
This is the default format.
show print pretty
Show which format GDB is using to print structures.
set print sevenbit-strings on
Print using only seven-bit characters; if this option is set, GDB displays any eight-bit
characters (in strings or character values) using the notation \nnn. This setting is best
if you are working in English (ascii) and you use the high-order bit of characters as a
marker or \meta" bit.
set print sevenbit-strings off
Print full eight-bit characters. This allows the use of more international character sets,
and is the default.
show print sevenbit-strings
Show whether or not GDB is printing only seven-bit characters.
set print union on
Tell GDB to print unions which are contained in structures. This is the default setting.
set print union off
Tell GDB not to print unions which are contained in structures.
show print union
Ask GDB whether or not it will print unions which are contained in structures.
For example, given the declarations
typedef enum {Tree, Bug} Species;
typedef enum {Big_tree, Acorn, Seedling} Tree_forms;
typedef enum {Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly}

Bug_forms;
struct thing {
Species it;
union {
Tree_forms tree;
Bug_forms bug;
} form;
};
struct thing foo = {Tree, {Acorn}};

with set print union on in eect `p foo' would print
$1 = {it = Tree, form = {tree = Acorn, bug = Cocoon}}
and with set print union off in eect it would print
$1 = {it = Tree, form = {...}}
These settings are of interest when debugging C++ programs:
set print demangle

set print demangle on
Print C++ names in their source form rather than in the encoded (\mangled") form
passed to the assembler and linker for type-safe linkage. The default is òn'.
show print demangle
Show whether C++ names are printed in mangled or demangled form.
set print asm-demangle
set print asm-demangle on
Print C++ names in their source form rather than their mangled form, even in assembler
code printouts such as instruction disassemblies. The default is o.
show print asm-demangle
Show whether C++ names in assembly listings are printed in mangled or demangled
form.
set demangle-style style
Choose among several encoding schemes used by dierent compilers to represent C++
names. The choices for style are currently:
auto Allow GDB to choose a decoding style by inspecting your program.
gnu Decode based on the GNU C++ compiler (g++) encoding algorithm.
lucid Decode based on the Lucid C++ compiler (lcc) encoding algorithm.
arm Decode using the algorithm in the C++ Annotated Reference Manual.
Warning: this setting alone is not sucient to allow debugging cfront-
generated executables. GDB would require further enhancement to permit
that.
show demangle-style
Display the encoding style currently in use for decoding C++ symbols.
set print object
set print object on
When displaying a pointer to an object, identify the actual (derived) type of the object
rather than the declared type, using the virtual function table.
set print object off
Display only the declared type of objects, without reference to the virtual function
table. This is the default setting.
show print object
Show whether actual, or declared, object types are displayed.
set print vtbl
set print vtbl on
Pretty print C++ virtual function tables. The default is o.
set print vtbl off
Do not pretty print C++ virtual function tables.
show print vtbl
Show whether C++ virtual function tables are pretty printed, or not.
8.8 Value history

Values printed by the print command are saved in the GDB value history so that you can refer
to them in other expressions. Values are kept until the symbol table is re-read or discarded (for
example with the file or symbol-file commands). When the symbol table changes, the value
history is discarded, since the values may contain pointers back to the types dened in the symbol
table.
The values printed are given history numbers by which you can refer to them. These are
successive integers starting with one. print shows you the history number assigned to a value by
printing `$num = ' before the value; here num is the history number.
To refer to any previous value, use `$' followed by the value's history number. The way print
labels its output is designed to remind you of this. Just $ refers to the most recent value in the
history, and $$ refers to the value before that. $$n refers to the nth value from the end; $$2 is the
value just prior to $$, $$1 is equivalent to $$, and $$0 is equivalent to $.
For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure and want to see the contents
of the structure. It suces to type
p *$
If you have a chain of structures where the component next points to the next one, you can
print the contents of the next one with this:
p *$.next
You can print successive links in the chain by repeating this command|which you can do by just
typing RET.
Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value of x is 4 and you type these
commands:
print x
set x=5
then the value recorded in the value history by the print command remains 4 even though the
value of x has changed.
show values
Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item numbers. This is like `p
$$9' repeated ten times, except that show values does not change the history.
show values n
Print ten history values centered on history item number n.
show values +
Print ten history values just after the values last printed. If no more values are available,
produces no display.
Pressing RET to repeat show values n has exactly the same eect as `show values +'.
8.9 Convenience variables

GDB provides 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 direct eect on further execution of your program. That is
why you can use them freely.
Convenience variables are prexed with `$'. Any name preceded by `$' can be used for a conve-
nience variable, unless it is one of the predened machine-specic register names (see Section 8.10
[Registers], page 81). (Value history references, in contrast, are numbers preceded by `$'. See
Section 8.8 [Value history], page 78.)
You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment expression, just as you would
set a variable in your program. For example:
set $foo = *object_ptr
would save in $foo the value contained in the object pointed to by object_ptr.
Using a convenience variable for the rst time creates it, but its value is void until you assign
a new value. You can alter the value with another assignment at any time.
Convenience variables have no xed types. You can assign a convenience variable any type of
value, including structures and arrays, even if that variable already has a value of a dierent type.
The convenience variable, when used as an expression, has the type of its current value.
show convenience
Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their values. Abbreviated show
con.
One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be incremented or a pointer to

be advanced. For example, to print a eld from successive elements of an array of structures:
set $i = 0
print bar[$i++]->contents
::: repeat that command by typing RET.
Some convenience variables are created automatically by GDB and given values likely to be
useful.
$_ The variable $_ is automatically set by the x command to the last address examined
(see Section 8.5 [Examining memory], page 69). Other commands which provide a
default address for x to examine also set $_ to that address; these commands include
info line and info breakpoint. The type of $_ is void * except when set by the x
command, in which case it is a pointer to the type of $__.
$__ The variable $__ is automatically set by the x command to the value found in the
last address examined. Its type is chosen to match the format in which the data was
printed.
8.10 Registers
You can refer to machine register contents, in expressions, as variables with names starting with
`$'. The names of registers are dierent for each machine; use info registers to see the names
used on your machine.
info registers
Print the names and values of all registers except oating-point registers (in the selected
stack frame).
info all-registers
Print the names and values of all registers, including oating-point registers.
info registers regname :::
Print the relativized value of each specied register regname. regname may be any
register name valid on the machine you are using, with or without the initial `$'.
GDB has four \standard" register names that are available (in expressions) on most machines|
whenever they do not con ict with an architecture's canonical mnemonics for registers. The register
names $pc and $sp are used for the program counter register and the stack pointer. $fp is used
for a register that contains a pointer to the current stack frame, and $ps is used for a register that
contains the processor status. For example, you could print the program counter in hex with
p/x $pc
or print the instruction to be executed next with
x/i $pc
or add four to the stack pointer2 with

set $sp += 4
Whenever possible, these four standard register names are available on your machine even though
the machine has dierent canonical mnemonics, so long as there is no con ict. The info registers
command shows the canonical names. For example, on the SPARC, info registers displays the
processor status register as $psr but you can also refer to it as $ps.
GDB always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an integer when the register is
examined in this way. Some machines have special registers which can hold nothing but oating
point; these registers are considered to have oating point values. There is no way to refer to the
contents of an ordinary register as oating point value (although you can print it as a oating point
value with `print/f $regname').
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 oating point coprocessor
are always saved in \extended" (raw) format, but all C programs expect to work with \double"
(virtual) format. In such cases, GDB normally works with the virtual format only (the format that
makes sense for your program), but the info registers command prints the data in both formats.
Normally, register values are relative to the selected stack frame (see Section 6.3 [Selecting a
frame], page 55). 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 true contents
of hardware registers, you must select the innermost frame (with `frame 0').
However, GDB must deduce where registers are saved, from the machine code generated by your
compiler. If some registers are not saved, or if GDB is unable to locate the saved registers, the
selected stack frame makes no dierence.
set rstack_high_address address

On AMD 29000 family processors, registers are saved in a separate \register stack".
There is no way for GDB to determine the extent of this stack. Normally, GDB just
2
This 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 $sp is not allowed when other stack frames are selected. To pop entire frames o
the stack, regardless of machine architecture, use return; see Section 11.4 [Returning from a
function], page 109.
assumes that the stack is \large enough". This may result in GDB referencing memory
locations that do not exist. If necessary, you can get around this problem by specifying
the ending address of the register stack with the set rstack_high_address command.
The argument should be an address, which you probably want to precede with `0x' to
specify in hexadecimal.
show rstack_high_address
Display the current limit of the register stack, on AMD 29000 family processors.
8.11 Floating point hardware

Depending on the host machine architecture, GDB may be able to give you more information
about the status of the oating point hardware.
info float
Display hardware-dependent information about the oating point unit. The exact
contents and layout vary depending on the oating point chip; on some platforms,
ìnfo float' is not available at all.
Chapter 9: Using GDB with Dierent Languages 85
9 Using GDB with Dierent Languages

Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they are rarely expressed in
the same manner. For instance, in ANSI C, dereferencing a pointer p is accomplished by *p, but
in Modula-2, it is accomplished by p^. Values can also be represented (and displayed) dierently.
Hex numbers in C are written like `0x1ae', while in Modula-2 they appear as `1AEH'.
Language-specic information is built into GDB for some languages, allowing you to express
operations like the above in your program's native language, and allowing GDB to output values
in a manner consistent with the syntax of your program's native language. The language you use
to build expressions, called the working language, can be selected manually, or GDB can set it
automatically.
9.1 Switching between source languages

There are two ways to control the working language|either have GDB set it automatically,
or select it manually yourself. You can use the set language command for either purpose. On
startup, GDB defaults to setting the language automatically.
9.1.1 Setting the working language

If you allow GDB to set the language automatically, expressions are interpreted the same way
in your debugging session and your program.
If you wish, you may set the language manually. To do this, issue the command `set language
lang', where lang is the name of a language, such as c or modula-2. For a list of the supported
languages, type `set language'.
Setting the language manually prevents GDB from updating the working language automatically.
This can lead to confusion if you try to debug a program when the working language is not the same
as the source language, when an expression is acceptable to both languages|but means dierent
things. For instance, if the current source le were written in C, and GDB was parsing Modula-2,
a command such as:
print a = b + c
might not have the eect you intended. In C, this means to add b and c and place the result in a.
The result printed would be the value of a. In Modula-2, this means to compare a to the result of
b+c, yielding a BOOLEAN value.
9.1.2 Having GDB infer the source language

To have GDB set the working language automatically, use `set language local' or `set
language auto'. GDB then infers the language that a program was written in by looking at the
name of its source les, and examining their extensions:
`*.mod' Modula-2 source le

`*.c' C source le
`*.C'
`*.cc' C++ source le
This information is recorded for each function or procedure in a source le. When your program
stops in a frame (usually by encountering a breakpoint), GDB sets the working language to the
language recorded for the function in that frame. If the language for a frame is unknown (that is,
if the function or block corresponding to the frame was dened in a source le that does not have
a recognized extension), the current working language is not changed, and GDB issues a warning.
This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written entirely in one source lan-
guage. However, program modules and libraries written in one source language can be used by a
main program written in a dierent source language. Using `set language auto' in this case frees
you from having to set the working language manually.
9.2 Displaying the language

The following commands help you nd out which language is the working language, and also
what language source les were written in.
show language
Display the current working language. This is the language you can use with commands
such as print to build and compute expressions that may involve variables in your
program.
info frame
Among the other information listed here (see Section 6.4 [Information about a frame],
page 56) is the source language for this frame. This language becomes the working
language if you use an identier from this frame.
info source
Among the other information listed here (see Chapter 10 [Examining the Symbol Table],
page 103) is the source language of this source le.
9.3 Type and range checking

Warning: In this release, the GDB commands for type and range checking are included,
but they do not yet have any eect. This section documents the intended facilities.
Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly common errors through a
series of compile- and run-time checks. These include checking the type of arguments to functions
and operators, and making sure mathematical over ows are caught at run time. Checks such
as these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been compiled by eliminating type
mismatches, and providing active checks for range errors when your program is running.
GDB can check for conditions like the above if you wish. Although GDB does not check the
statements in your program, it can check expressions entered directly into GDB for evaluation via
the print command, for example. As with the working language, GDB can also decide whether or
not to check automatically based on your program's source language. See Section 9.4 [Supported
languages], page 90, for the default settings of supported languages.
9.3.1 An overview of type checking

Some languages, such as Modula-2, are strongly typed, meaning that the arguments to operators
and functions have to be of the correct type, otherwise an error occurs. These checks prevent type
mismatch errors from ever causing any run-time problems. For example,
1 + 2 )3
but
error 1 + 2.3
The second example fails because the CARDINAL 1 is not type-compatible with the REAL 2.3.
For expressions you use in GDB commands, you can tell the GDB type checker to skip checking;
to treat any mismatches as errors and abandon the expression; or only issue warnings when type
mismatches occur, but evaluate the expression anyway. When you choose the last of these, GDB
evaluates expressions like the second example above, but also issues a warning.
Even though you may turn type checking o, other type-based reasons may prevent GDB from
evaluating an expression. For instance, GDB does not know how to add an int and a struct foo.
These particular type errors have nothing to do with the language in use, and usually arise from
expressions, such as the one described above, which make little sense to evaluate anyway.
Each language denes to what degree it is strict about type. For instance, both Modula-2
and C require the arguments to arithmetical operators to be numbers. In C, enumerated types
and pointers can be represented as numbers, so that they are valid arguments to mathematical
operators. See Section 9.4 [Supported languages], page 90, for further details on specic languages.
GDB provides some additional commands for controlling the type checker:
set check type auto

Set type checking on or o based on the current working language. See Section 9.4
[Supported languages], page 90, for the default settings for each language.
set check type on
set check type off
Set type checking on or o, overriding the default setting for the current working
language. Issue a warning if the setting does not match the language default. If any
type mismatches occur in evaluating an expression while typechecking is on, GDB
prints a message and aborts evaluation of the expression.
set check type warn
Cause the type checker to issue warnings, but to always attempt to evaluate the expres-
sion. Evaluating the expression may still be impossible for other reasons. For example,
GDB cannot add numbers and structures.
show type Show the current setting of the type checker, and whether or not GDB is setting it
automatically.
9.3.2 An overview of range checking

In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the bounds of a type; this is
enforced with run-time checks. Such range checking is meant to ensure program correctness by
making sure computations do not over ow, or indices on an array element access do not exceed the
bounds of the array.
For expressions you use in GDB commands, you can tell GDB to treat range errors in one of
three ways: ignore them, always treat them as errors and abandon the expression, or issue warnings
but evaluate the expression anyway.
A range error can result from numerical over ow, from exceeding an array index bound, or
when you type a constant that is not a member of any type. Some languages, however, do not treat
over ows as an error. In many implementations of C, mathematical over ow causes the result to
\wrap around" to lower values|for example, if m is the largest integer value, and s is the smallest,
then
m + 1 )s
This, too, is specic to individual languages, and in some cases specic to individual compilers or
machines. See Section 9.4 [Supported languages], page 90, for further details on specic languages.
GDB provides some additional commands for controlling the range checker:
set check range auto

Set range checking on or o based on the current working language. See Section 9.4
[Supported languages], page 90, for the default settings for each language.
set check range on
set check range off
Set range checking on or o, overriding the default setting for the current working
language. A warning is issued if the setting does not match the language default. If
a range error occurs, then a message is printed and evaluation of the expression is
aborted.
set check range warn
Output messages when the GDB range checker detects a range error, but attempt
to evaluate the expression anyway. Evaluating the expression may still be impossible
for other reasons, such as accessing memory that the process does not own (a typical
example from many Unix systems).
show range
Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not it is being set
automatically by GDB.
9.4 Supported languages

GDB 4 supports C, C++, and Modula-2. Some GDB features may be used in expressions
regardless of the language you use: the GDB @ and :: operators, and the `{type}addr' construct
(see Section 8.1 [Expressions], page 65) can be used with the constructs of any supported language.
The following sections detail to what degree each source language is supported by GDB. These
sections are not meant to be language tutorials or references, but serve only as a reference guide to
what the GDB expression parser accepts, and what input and output formats should look like for
dierent languages. There are many good books written on each of these languages; please look to
these for a language reference or tutorial.
9.4.1 C and C++

Since C and C++ are so closely related, many features of GDB apply to both languages. When-
ever this is the case, we discuss both languages together.
The C++ debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the GNU C++ compiler and GDB.
Therefore, to debug your C++ code eectively, you must compile your C++ programs with the GNU
C++ compiler, g++.
For best results when debugging C++ programs, use the stabs debugging format. You can select
that format explicitly with the g++ command-line options `-gstabs' or `-gstabs+'. See section
\Options for Debugging Your Program or GNU CC" in Using GNU CC, for more information.
9.4.1.1 C and C++ operators

Operators must be dened on values of specic types. For instance, + is dened on numbers,
but not on structures. Operators are often dened on groups of types.
For the purposes of C and C++, the following denitions hold:
Integral types include int with any of its storage-class speciers; char; and enum.
Floating-point types include float and double.
Pointer types include all types dened as (type *).
Scalar types include all of the above.
The following operators are supported. They are listed here in order of increasing precedence:
, The comma or sequencing operator. Expressions in a comma-separated list are evalu-

ated from left to right, with the result of the entire expression being the last expression
evaluated.
= Assignment. The value of an assignment expression is the value assigned. Dened on
scalar types.
op= Used in an expression of the form a op= b, and translated to a = a op b. op= and =
have the same precendence. op is any one of the operators |, ^, &, <<, >>, +, -, *, /, %.
?: The ternary operator. a ? b : c can be thought of as: if a then b else c. a should be
of an integral type.
|| Logical or. Dened on integral types.
&& Logical and. Dened on integral types.
| Bitwise or. Dened on integral types.
^ Bitwise exclusive-or. Dened on integral types.
& Bitwise and. Dened on integral types.
==, != Equality and inequality. Dened on scalar types. The value of these expressions is 0
for false and non-zero for true.
<, >, <=, >=
Less than, greater than, less than or equal, greater than or equal. Dened on scalar
types. The value of these expressions is 0 for false and non-zero for true.
<<, >> left shift, and right shift. Dened on integral types.
@ The GDB \articial array" operator (see Section 8.1 [Expressions], page 65).
+, - Addition and subtraction. Dened on integral types, oating-point types and pointer
types.
*, /, % Multiplication, division, and modulus. Multiplication and division are dened on inte-
gral and oating-point types. Modulus is dened on integral types.
++, -- Increment and decrement. When appearing before a variable, the operation is per-
formed before the variable is used in an expression; when appearing after it, the vari-
able's value is used before the operation takes place.
* Pointer dereferencing. Dened on pointer types. Same precedence as ++.
& Address operator. Dened on variables. Same precedence as ++.
For debugging C++, GDB implements a use of `&' beyond what is allowed in the C++
language itself: you can use `&(&ref )' (or, if you prefer, simply `&&ref ') to examine the
address where a C++ reference variable (declared with `&ref ') is stored.
- Negative. Dened on integral and oating-point types. Same precedence as ++.

! Logical negation. Dened on integral types. Same precedence as ++.
~ Bitwise complement operator. Dened on integral types. Same precedence as ++.
., -> Structure member, and pointer-to-structure member. For convenience, GDB regards
the two as equivalent, choosing whether to dereference a pointer based on the stored
type information. Dened on struct and union data.
[] Array indexing. a[i ] is dened as *(a+i ). Same precedence as ->.
() Function parameter list. Same precedence as ->.
:: C++ scope resolution operator. Dened on struct, union, and class types.
:: Doubled colons also represent the GDB scope operator (see Section 8.1 [Expressions],
page 65). Same precedence as ::, above.
9.4.1.2 C and C++ constants

GDB allows you to express the constants of C and C++ in the following ways:
Integer constants are a sequence of digits. Octal constants are specied by a leading `0' (ie.
zero), and hexadecimal constants by a leading `0x' or `0X'. Constants may also end with a
letter `l', specifying that the constant should be treated as a long value.
Floating point constants are a sequence of digits, followed by a decimal point, followed by
a sequence of digits, and optionally followed by an exponent. An exponent is of the form:
è[[+]|-]nnn', where nnn is another sequence of digits. The `+' is optional for positive exponents.
Enumerated constants consist of enumerated identiers, or their integral equivalents.
Character constants are a single character surrounded by single quotes ('), or a number|the
ordinal value of the corresponding character (usually its ASCII value). Within quotes, the
single character may be represented by a letter or by escape sequences, which are of the form
`\nnn', where nnn is the octal representation of the character's ordinal value; or of the form
`\x', where `x' is a predened special character|for example, `\n' for newline.
String constants are a sequence of character constants surrounded by double quotes (").
Pointer constants are an integral value. You can also write pointers to constants using the C
operator `&'.
Array constants are comma-separated lists surrounded by braces `{' and `}'; for example,
`{1,2,3}' is a three-element array of integers, `{{1,2}, {3,4}, {5,6}}' is a three-by-two
array, and `{&"hi", &"there", &"fred"}' is a three-element array of pointers.
9.4.1.3 C++ expressions

GDB expression handling has a number of extensions to interpret a signicant subset of C++
expressions.
Warning: GDB can only debug C++ code if you compile with the GNU C++ compiler.
Moreover, C++ debugging depends on the use of additional debugging information in
the symbol table, and thus requires special support. GDB has this support only with
the stabs debug format. In particular, if your compiler generates a.out, MIPS ecoff,
RS/6000 xcoff, or elf with stabs extensions to the symbol table, these facilities
are all available. (With GNU CC, you can use the `-gstabs' option to request stabs
debugging extensions explicitly.) Where the object code format is standard coff or
dwarf in elf, on the other hand, most of the C++ support in GDB does not work.
1. Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
count = aml->GetOriginal(x, y)
2. While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame), your expressions have the
same namespace available as the member function; that is, GDB allows implicit references to
the class instance pointer this following the same rules as C++.
3. You can call overloaded functions; GDB resolves the function call to the right denition, with
one restriction|you must use arguments of the type required by the function that you want to
call. GDB does not perform conversions requiring constructors or user-dened type operators.
4. GDB understands variables declared as C++ references; you can use them in expressions just
as you do in C++ source|they are automatically dereferenced.
In the parameter list shown when GDB displays a frame, the values of reference variables are
not displayed (unlike other variables); this avoids clutter, since references are often used for
large structures. The address of a reference variable is always shown, unless you have specied
`set print address off'.
5. GDB supports the C++ name resolution operator ::|your expressions can use it just as
expressions in your program do. Since one scope may be dened in another, you can use ::
repeatedly if necessary, for example in an expression like `scope1 ::scope2 ::name'. GDB also
allows resolving name scope by reference to source les, in both C and C++ debugging (see
Section 8.2 [Program variables], page 66).
9.4.1.4 C and C++ defaults

If you allow GDB to set type and range checking automatically, they both default to off
whenever the working language changes to C or C++. This happens regardless of whether you, or
GDB, selected the working language.
If you allow GDB to set the language automatically, it sets the working language to C or C++ on
entering code compiled from a source le whose name ends with `.c', `.C', or `.cc'. See Section 9.1.2
[Having GDB infer the source language], page 86, for further details.
9.4.1.5 C and C++ type and range checks

By default, when GDB parses C or C++ expressions, type checking is not used. However, if you
turn type checking on, GDB considers two variables type equivalent if:
The two variables are structured and have the same structure, union, or enumerated tag.
Two two variables have the same type name, or types that have been declared equivalent
through typedef.
Range checking, if turned on, is done on mathematical operations. Array indices are not checked,
since they are often used to index a pointer that is not itself an array.
9.4.1.6 GDB and C

The set print union and show print union commands apply to the union type. When set to
òn', any union that is inside a struct or class is also printed. Otherwise, it appears as `{...}'.
The @ operator aids in the debugging of dynamic arrays, formed with pointers and a memory
allocation function. See Section 8.1 [Expressions], page 65.
9.4.1.7 GDB features for C++

Some GDB commands are particularly useful with C++, and some are designed specically for
use with C++. Here is a summary:
breakpoint menus
When you want a breakpoint in a function whose name is overloaded, GDB break-
point menus help you specify which function denition you want. See Section 5.1.8
[Breakpoint menus], page 45.
rbreak regex
Setting breakpoints using regular expressions is helpful for setting breakpoints on over-
loaded functions that are not members of any special classes. See Section 5.1.1 [Setting
breakpoints], page 36.
catch exceptions
info catch
Debug C++ exception handling using these commands. See Section 5.1.3 [Breakpoints
and exceptions], page 39.
ptype typename
Print inheritance relationships as well as other information for type typename. See
Chapter 10 [Examining the Symbol Table], page 103.
set print demangle
show print demangle
set print asm-demangle
show print asm-demangle
Control whether C++ symbols display in their source form, both when displaying code
as C++ source and when displaying disassemblies. See Section 8.7 [Print settings],
page 73.
set print object
show print object
Choose whether to print derived (actual) or declared types of objects. See Section 8.7
[Print settings], page 73.
set print vtbl
show print vtbl
Control the format for printing virtual function tables. See Section 8.7 [Print settings],
page 73.
Overloaded symbol names
You can specify a particular denition of an overloaded symbol, using the same notation
that is used to declare such symbols in C++: type symbol (types ) rather than just
symbol. You can also use the GDB command-line word completion facilities to list
the available choices, or to nish the type list for you. See Section 3.2 [Command
completion], page 20, for details on how to do this.
9.4.2 Modula-2
The extensions made to GDB to support Modula-2 only support output from the GNU Modula-
2 compiler (which is currently being developed). Other Modula-2 compilers are not currently
supported, and attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely to give an error
as GDB reads in the executable's symbol table.
9.4.2.1 Operators
Operators must be dened on values of specic types. For instance, + is dened on numbers, but
not on structures. Operators are often dened on groups of types. For the purposes of Modula-2,
the following denitions hold:
Integral types consist of INTEGER, CARDINAL, and their subranges.

Character types consist of CHAR and its subranges.
Floating-point types consist of REAL.
Pointer types consist of anything declared as POINTER TO type.
Scalar types consist of all of the above.
Set types consist of SET and BITSET types.
Boolean types consist of BOOLEAN.
The following operators are supported, and appear in order of increasing precedence:
, Function argument or array index separator.

:= Assignment. The value of var := value is value.
<, > Less than, greater than on integral, oating-point, or enumerated types.
<=, >= Less than, greater than, less than or equal to, greater than or equal to on integral,
oating-point and enumerated types, or set inclusion on set types. Same precedence
as <.
=, <>, # Equality and two ways of expressing inequality, valid on scalar types. Same precedence
as <. In GDB scripts, only <> is available for inequality, since # con icts with the script
comment character.
IN Set membership. Dened on set types and the types of their members. Same precedence
as <.
OR Boolean disjunction. Dened on boolean types.
AND, & Boolean conjuction. Dened on boolean types.
@ The GDB \articial array" operator (see Section 8.1 [Expressions], page 65).
+, - Addition and subtraction on integral and oating-point types, or union and dierence
on set types.
* Multiplication on integral and oating-point types, or set intersection on set types.
/ Division on oating-point types, or symmetric set dierence on set types. Same prece-
dence as *.
DIV, MOD Integer division and remainder. Dened on integral types. Same precedence as *.
- Negative. Dened on INTEGER and REAL data.
^ Pointer dereferencing. Dened on pointer types.
NOT Boolean negation. Dened on boolean types. Same precedence as ^.
. RECORD eld selector. Dened on RECORD data. Same precedence as ^.
[] Array indexing. Dened on ARRAY data. Same precedence as ^.

() Procedure argument list. Dened on PROCEDURE objects. Same precedence as ^.
::, . GDB and Modula-2 scope operators.
Warning: Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so GDB treats the use of
the operator IN, or the use of operators +, -, *, /, =, , <>, #, <=, and >= on sets as an
error.
9.4.2.2 Built-in functions and procedures

Modula-2 also makes available several built-in procedures and functions. In describing these,
the following metavariables are used:
a represents an ARRAY variable.

c represents a CHAR constant or variable.
i represents a variable or constant of integral type.
m represents an identier that belongs to a set. Generally used in the same function with
the metavariable s. The type of s should be SET OF mtype (where mtype is the type of
m).
n represents a variable or constant of integral or oating-point type.
r represents a variable or constant of oating-point type.
t represents a type.
v represents a variable.
x represents a variable or constant of one of many types. See the explanation of the
function for details.
All Modula-2 built-in procedures also return a result, described below.
ABS(n) Returns the absolute value of n.

CAP(c ) If c is a lower case letter, it returns its upper case equivalent, otherwise it returns its
argument
CHR(i ) Returns the character whose ordinal value is i.
DEC(v ) Decrements the value in the variable v. Returns the new value.
DEC(v,i ) Decrements the value in the variable v by i. Returns the new value.
EXCL(m,s )
Removes the element m from the set s. Returns the new set.
FLOAT(i ) Returns the oating point equivalent of the integer i.
HIGH(a) Returns the index of the last member of a.
INC(v ) Increments the value in the variable v. Returns the new value.
INC(v,i ) Increments the value in the variable v by i. Returns the new value.
INCL(m,s )
Adds the element m to the set s if it is not already there. Returns the new set.
MAX(t) Returns the maximum value of the type t.
MIN(t) Returns the minimum value of the type t.
ODD(i ) Returns boolean TRUE if i is an odd number.
ORD(x ) Returns the ordinal value of its argument. For example, the ordinal value of a character
is its ASCII value (on machines supporting the ASCII character set). x must be of an
ordered type, which include integral, character and enumerated types.
SIZE(x ) Returns the size of its argument. x can be a variable or a type.
TRUNC(r ) Returns the integral part of r.
VAL(t,i ) Returns the member of the type t whose ordinal value is i.
Warning: Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so GDB treats the use of
procedures INCL and EXCL as an error.
9.4.2.3 Constants
GDB allows you to express the constants of Modula-2 in the following ways:
Integer constants are simply a sequence of digits. When used in an expression, a constant is
interpreted to be type-compatible with the rest of the expression. Hexadecimal integers are
specied by a trailing `H', and octal integers by a trailing `B'.
Floating point constants appear as a sequence of digits, followed by a decimal point and another
sequence of digits. An optional exponent can then be specied, in the form È[+|-]nnn', where
`[+|-]nnn' is the desired exponent. All of the digits of the oating point constant must be valid
decimal (base 10) digits.
Character constants consist of a single character enclosed by a pair of like quotes, either single
(') or double ("). They may also be expressed by their ordinal value (their ASCII value,
usually) followed by a `C'.
String constants consist of a sequence of characters enclosed by a pair of like quotes, either
single (') or double ("). Escape sequences in the style of C are also allowed. See Section 9.4.1.2
[C and C++ constants], page 92, for a brief explanation of escape sequences.
Enumerated constants consist of an enumerated identier.
Boolean constants consist of the identiers TRUE and FALSE.
Pointer constants consist of integral values only.
Set constants are not yet supported.
9.4.2.4 Modula-2 defaults

If type and range checking are set automatically by GDB, they both default to on whenever the
working language changes to Modula-2. This happens regardless of whether you, or GDB, selected
the working language.
If you allow GDB to set the language automatically, then entering code compiled from a le
whose name ends with `.mod' sets the working language to Modula-2. See Section 9.1.2 [Having
GDB set the language automatically], page 86, for further details.
9.4.2.5 Deviations from standard Modula-2

A few changes have been made to make Modula-2 programs easier to debug. This is done
primarily via loosening its type strictness:
Unlike in standard Modula-2, pointer constants can be formed by integers. This allows you
to modify pointer variables during debugging. (In standard Modula-2, the actual address
contained in a pointer variable is hidden from you; it can only be modied through direct
assignment to another pointer variable or expression that returned a pointer.)
C escape sequences can be used in strings and characters to represent non-printable characters.
GDB prints out strings with these escape sequences embedded. Single non-printable characters
are printed using the `CHR(nnn)' format.
The assignment operator (:=) returns the value of its right-hand argument.
All built-in procedures both modify and return their argument.
9.4.2.6 Modula-2 type and range checks

Warning: in this release, GDB does not yet perform type or range checking.
GDB considers two Modula-2 variables type equivalent if:
They are of types that have been declared equivalent via a TYPE t1 = t2 statement
They have been declared on the same line. (Note: This is true of the GNU Modula-2 compiler,
but it may not be true of other compilers.)
As long as type checking is enabled, any attempt to combine variables whose types are not
equivalent is an error.
Range checking is done on all mathematical operations, assignment, array index bounds, and
all built-in functions and procedures.
9.4.2.7 The scope operators :: and .

There are a few subtle dierences between the Modula-2 scope operator (.) and the GDB scope
operator (::). The two have similar syntax:
module . id
scope :: id
where scope is the name of a module or a procedure, module the name of a module, and id is any
declared identier within your program, except another module.
Using the :: operator makes GDB search the scope specied by scope for the identier id. If
it is not found in the specied scope, then GDB searches all scopes enclosing the one specied by
scope.
Using the . operator makes GDB search the current scope for the identier specied by id that
was imported from the denition module specied by module. With this operator, it is an error
if the identier id was not imported from denition module module, or if id is not an identier in
module.
9.4.2.8 GDB and Modula-2

Some GDB commands have little use when debugging Modula-2 programs. Five subcommands
of set print and show print apply specically to C and C++: `vtbl', `demangle', àsm-demangle',
òbject', and ùnion'. The rst four apply to C++, and the last to the C union type, which has
no direct analogue in Modula-2.
The @ operator (see Section 8.1 [Expressions], page 65), while available while using any language,
is not useful with Modula-2. Its intent is to aid the debugging of dynamic arrays, which cannot
be created in Modula-2 as they can in C or C++. However, because an address can be specied
by an integral constant, the construct `{type }adrexp' is still useful. (see Section 8.1 [Expressions],
page 65)
In GDB scripts, the Modula-2 inequality operator # is interpreted as the beginning of a comment.
Use <> instead.
Chapter 10: Examining the Symbol Table 103
10 Examining the Symbol Table

The commands described in this section allow you to inquire about the symbols (names of
variables, functions and types) dened in your program. This information is inherent in the text
of your program and does not change as your program executes. GDB nds it in your program's
symbol table, in the le indicated when you started GDB (see Section 2.1.1 [Choosing les], page 14),
or by one of the le-management commands (see Section 12.1 [Commands to specify les], page 113).
Occasionally, you may need to refer to symbols that contain unusual characters, which GDB
ordinarily treats as word delimiters. The most frequent case is in referring to static variables in
other source les (see Section 8.2 [Program variables], page 66). File names are recorded in object
les as debugging symbols, but GDB would ordinarily parse a typical le name, like `foo.c', as
the three words `foo' `.' `c'. To allow GDB to recognize `foo.c' as a single symbol, enclose it in
single quotes; for example,
p 'foo.c'::x
looks up the value of x in the scope of the le `foo.c'.
info address symbol

Describe where the data for symbol is stored. For a register variable, this says which
register it is kept in. For a non-register local variable, this prints the stack-frame oset
at which the variable is always stored.
Note the contrast with `print &symbol', which does not work at all for a register vari-
able, and for a stack local variable prints the exact address of the current instantiation
of the variable.
whatis exp
Print the data type of expression exp. exp is not actually evaluated, and any side-
eecting operations (such as assignments or function calls) inside it do not take place.
See Section 8.1 [Expressions], page 65.
whatis Print the data type of $, the last value in the value history.
ptype typename
Print a description of data type typename. typename may be the name of a type,
or for C code it may have the form `class class-name', `struct struct-tag', ùnion
union-tag' or ènum enum-tag'.
ptype exp
ptype Print a description of the type of expression exp. ptype diers from whatis by printing
a detailed description, instead of just the name of the type.
For example, for this variable declaration:

struct complex {double real; double imag;} v;
the two commands give this output:
(gdb) whatis v
type = struct complex
(gdb) ptype v
type = struct complex {
double real;
double imag;
}
As with whatis, using ptype without an argument refers to the type of $, the last
value in the value history.
info types regexp
info types
Print a brief description of all types whose name matches regexp (or all types in your
program, if you supply no argument). Each complete typename is matched as though
it were a complete line; thus, ì type value' gives information on all types in your
program whose name includes the string value, but ì type ^value$' gives information
only on types whose complete name is value.
This command diers from ptype in two ways: rst, like whatis, it does not print a
detailed description; second, it lists all source les where a type is dened.
info source
Show the name of the current source le|that is, the source le for the function
containing the current point of execution|and the language it was written in.
info sources
Print the names of all source les in your program for which there is debugging infor-
mation, organized into two lists: les whose symbols have already been read, and les
whose symbols will be read when needed.
info functions
Print the names and data types of all dened functions.
info functions regexp
Print the names and data types of all dened functions whose names contain a match
for regular expression regexp. Thus, ìnfo fun step' nds all functions whose names
include step; ìnfo fun ^step' nds those whose names start with step.
info variables
Print the names and data types of all variables that are declared outside of functions
(i.e., excluding local variables).
Chapter 10: Examining the Symbol Table 105
info variables regexp

Print the names and data types of all variables (except for local variables) whose names
contain a match for regular expression regexp.
maint print symbols lename
maint print psymbols lename
maint print msymbols lename
Write a dump of debugging symbol data into the le lename. These commands are
used to debug the GDB symbol-reading code. Only symbols with debugging data are
included. If you use `maint print symbols', GDB includes all the symbols for which
it has already collected full details: that is, lename re ects symbols for only those
les whose symbols GDB has read. You can use the command info sources to nd
out which les these are. If you use `maint print psymbols' instead, the dump shows
information about symbols that GDB only knows partially|that is, symbols dened
in les that GDB has skimmed, but not yet read completely. Finally, `maint print
msymbols' dumps just the minimal symbol information required for each object le
from which GDB has read some symbols. See Section 12.1 [Commands to specify les],
page 113, for a discussion of how GDB reads symbols (in the description of symbol-
file).
Chapter 11: Altering Execution 107
11 Altering Execution
Once you think you have found an error in your program, you might want to nd out for certain
whether correcting the apparent error would lead to correct results in the rest of the run. You can
nd the answer by experiment, using the GDB features for altering execution of the program.
For example, you can store new values into variables or memory locations, give your program a
signal, restart it at a dierent address, or even return prematurely from a function to its caller.
11.1 Assignment to variables

To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression. See Section 8.1 [Expressions],
page 65. For example,
print x=4
stores the value 4 into the variable x, and then prints the value of the assignment expression (which
is 4). See Chapter 9 [Using GDB with Dierent Languages], page 85, for more information on
operators in supported languages.
If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use the set command instead
of the print command. set is really the same as print except that the expression's value is not
printed and is not put in the value history (see Section 8.8 [Value history], page 78). The expression
is evaluated only for its eects.
If the beginning of the argument string of the set command appears identical to a set sub-
command, use the set variable command instead of just set. This command is identical to set
except for its lack of subcommands. For example, if your program has a variable width, you get
an error if you try to set a new value with just `set width=13', because GDB has the command
set width:
(gdb) whatis width

type = double
(gdb) p width
$4 = 13
(gdb) set width=47
Invalid syntax in expression.
The invalid expression, of course, is `=47'. In order to actually set the program's variable width,
use
(gdb) set var width=47
GDB allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C; you can freely store an integer
value into a pointer variable or vice versa, and you can convert any structure to any other structure
that is the same length or shorter.
To store values into arbitrary places in memory, use the `{ }' construct to generate a value
:::
of specied type at a specied address (see Section 8.1 [Expressions], page 65). For example,
{int}0x83040 refers to memory location 0x83040 as an integer (which implies a certain size and
representation in memory), and
set {int}0x83040 = 4
stores the value 4 into that memory location.
11.2 Continuing at a dierent address

Ordinarily, when you continue your program, you do so at the place where it stopped, with
the continue command. You can instead continue at an address of your own choosing, with the
following commands:
jump linespec
Resume execution at line linespec. Execution stops again immediately if there is a
breakpoint there. See Section 7.1 [Printing source lines], page 59, for a description of
the dierent forms of linespec.
The 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 linespec is in a dierent function from the one currently executing, the results
may be bizarre if the two functions expect dierent patterns of arguments or of local
variables. For this reason, the jump command requests conrmation if the specied line
is not in the function currently executing. However, even bizarre results are predictable
if you are well acquainted with the machine-language code of your program.
jump *address
Resume execution at the instruction at address address.
You can get much the same eect as the jump command by storing a new value into the register
$pc. The dierence is that this does not start your program running; it only changes the address
where it will run when you continue. For example,
set $pc = 0x485
makes the next continue command or stepping command execute at address 0x485, rather than
at the address where your program stopped. See Section 5.2 [Continuing and stepping], page 47.
The most common occasion to use the jump command is to back up, perhaps with more break-
points set, over a portion of a program that has already executed, in order to examine its execution
in more detail.
11.3 Giving your program a signal

signal signal
Resume execution where your program stopped, but immediately give it the signal
signal. signal can be the name or the number of a signal. For example, on many
systems signal 2 and signal SIGINT are both ways of sending an interrupt signal.
Alternatively, if signal is zero, continue execution without giving a signal. This is useful
when your program stopped on account of a signal and would ordinary see the signal
when resumed with the continue command; `signal 0' causes it to resume without a
signal.
signal does not repeat when you press RET a second time after executing the command.
Invoking the signal command is not the same as invoking the kill utility from the shell.
Sending a signal with kill causes GDB to decide what to do with the signal depending on the
signal handling tables (see Section 5.3 [Signals], page 49). The signal command passes the signal
directly to your program.
11.4 Returning from a function

return
return expression
You can cancel execution of a function call with the return command. If you give an
expression argument, its value is used as the function's return value.
When you use return, GDB discards the selected stack frame (and all frames within it). You
can think of this as making the discarded frame return prematurely. If you wish to specify a value
to be returned, give that value as the argument to return.
This pops the selected stack frame (see Section 6.3 [Selecting a frame], page 55), and any other
frames inside of it, leaving its caller as the innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes selected.
The specied value is stored in the registers used for returning values of functions.
The return command does not resume execution; it leaves the program stopped in the state that
would exist if the function had just returned. In contrast, the finish command (see Section 5.2
[Continuing and stepping], page 47) resumes execution until the selected stack frame returns nat-
urally.
11.5 Calling program functions

call expr Evaluate the expression expr without displaying void returned values.
You can use this variant of the print command if you want to execute a function from your
program, but without cluttering the output with void returned values. The result is printed and
saved in the value history, if it is not void.
11.6 Patching programs

By default, GDB opens the le containing your program's executable code (or the corele)
read-only. This prevents accidental alterations to machine code; but it also prevents you from
intentionally patching your program's binary.
If you'd like to be able to patch the binary, you can specify that explicitly with the set write
command. For example, you might want to turn on internal debugging ags, or even to make
emergency repairs.
set write on
set write off
If you specify `set write on', GDB opens executable and core les for both reading
and writing; if you specify `set write off' (the default), GDB opens them read-only.
If you have already loaded a le, you must load it again (using the exec-file or
core-file command) after changing set write, for your new setting to take eect.
show write
Display whether executable les and core les are opened for writing as well as reading.
Chapter 12: GDB Files 113
12 GDB Files
GDB needs to know the le name of the program to be debugged, both in order to read its
symbol table and in order to start your program. To debug a core dump of a previous run, you
must also tell GDB the name of the core dump le.
12.1 Commands to specify les

The usual way to specify executable and core dump le names is with the command arguments
given when you start GDB (see Chapter 2 [Getting In and Out of GDB], page 13.
Occasionally it is necessary to change to a dierent le during a GDB session. Or you may run
GDB and forget to specify a le you want to use. In these situations the GDB commands to specify
new les are useful.
file lename
Use lename as the program to be debugged. It is read for its symbols and for the
contents of pure memory. It is also the program executed when you use the run
command. If you do not specify a directory and the le is not found in the GDB
working directory, GDB uses the environment variable PATH as a list of directories to
search, just as the shell does when looking for a program to run. You can change the
value of this variable, for both GDB and your program, using the path command.
On systems with memory-mapped les, an auxiliary le `lename.syms' may hold
symbol table information for lename. If so, GDB maps in the symbol table from
`lename.syms', starting up more quickly. See the descriptions of the options `-mapped'
and `-readnow' (available on the command line, and with the commands file, symbol-
file, or add-symbol-file), for more information.
file file with no argument makes GDB discard any information it has on both executable
le and the symbol table.
exec-file [ lename ]
Specify that the program to be run (but not the symbol table) is found in lename.
GDB searches the environment variable PATH if necessary to locate your program.
Omitting lename means to discard information on the executable le.
symbol-file [ lename ]
Read symbol table information from le lename. PATH is searched when necessary.
Use the file command to get both symbol table and program to run from the same
le.
symbol-file with no argument clears out GDB information on your program's symbol
table.
The symbol-file command causes GDB to forget the contents of its convenience
variables, the value history, and all breakpoints and auto-display expressions. This is
because they may contain pointers to the internal data recording symbols and data
types, which are part of the old symbol table data being discarded inside GDB.
symbol-file does not repeat if you press RET again after executing it once.
When GDB is congured for a particular environment, it understands debugging infor-
mation in whatever format is the standard generated for that environment; you may
use either a GNU compiler, or other compilers that adhere to the local conventions.
Best results are usually obtained from GNU compilers; for example, using gcc you can
generate debugging information for optimized code.
On some kinds of object les, the symbol-file command does not normally read the
symbol table in full right away. Instead, it scans the symbol table quickly to nd which
source les and which symbols are present. The details are read later, one source le
at a time, as they are needed.
The purpose of this two-stage reading strategy is to make GDB start up faster. For
the most part, it is invisible except for occasional pauses while the symbol table details
for a particular source le are being read. (The set verbose command can turn these
pauses into messages if desired. See Section 14.6 [Optional warnings and messages],
page 144.)
We have not implemented the two-stage strategy for COFF yet. When the symbol
table is stored in COFF format, symbol-file reads the symbol table data in full right
away.
symbol-file lename [ -readnow ] [ -mapped ]
file lename [ -readnow ] [ -mapped ]
You can override the GDB two-stage strategy for reading symbol tables by using the
`-readnow' option with any of the commands that load symbol table information, if
you want to be sure GDB has the entire symbol table available.
If memory-mapped les are available on your system through the mmap system call, you
can use another option, `-mapped', to cause GDB to write the symbols for your program
into a reusable le. Future GDB debugging sessions map in symbol information from
this auxiliary symbol le (if the program has not changed), rather than spending time
reading the symbol table from the executable program. Using the `-mapped' option has
the same eect as starting GDB with the `-mapped' command-line option.
You can use both options together, to make sure the auxiliary symbol le has all the
symbol information for your program.
The auxiliary symbol le for a program called myprog is called `myprog.syms'. Once
this le exists (so long as it is newer than the corresponding executable), GDB always
attempts to use it when you debug myprog; no special options or commands are needed.
The `.syms' le is specic to the host machine where you run GDB. It holds an exact
image of the internal GDB symbol table. It cannot be shared across multiple host
platforms.
core-file [ lename ]
Specify the whereabouts of a core dump le to be used as the \contents of memory".
Traditionally, core les contain only some parts of the address space of the process that
generated them; GDB can access the executable le itself for other parts.
core-file with no argument species that no core le is to be used.
Note that the core le is ignored when your program is actually running under GDB.
So, if you have been running your program and you wish to debug a core le instead,
you must kill the subprocess in which the program is running. To do this, use the kill
command (see Section 4.8 [Killing the child process], page 31).
load lename
Depending on what remote debugging facilities are congured into GDB, the load
command may be available. Where it exists, it is meant to make lename (an exe-
cutable) available for debugging on the remote system|by downloading, or dynamic
linking, for example. load also records the lename symbol table in GDB, like the
add-symbol-file command.
If your GDB does not have a load command, attempting to execute it gets the error
message \You can't do that when your target is " :::
The le is loaded at whatever address is specied in the executable. For some object
le formats, you can specify the load address when you link the program; for other
formats, like a.out, the object le format species a xed address.
On VxWorks, load links lename dynamically on the current target system as well as
adding its symbols in GDB.
With the Nindy interface to an Intel 960 board, load downloads lename to the 960
as well as adding its symbols in GDB.
When you select remote debugging to a Hitachi SH, H8/300, or H8/500 board (see Sec-
tion 13.3.7 [GDB and Hitachi Microprocessors], page 138), the load command down-
loads your program to the Hitachi board and also opens it as the current executable
target for GDB on your host (like the file command).
load does not repeat if you press RET again after using it.
add-symbol-file lename address

add-symbol-file lename address [ -readnow ] [ -mapped ]
The add-symbol-file command reads additional symbol table information from the
le lename. You would use this command when lename has been dynamically loaded
(by some other means) into the program that is running. address should be the memory
address at which the le has been loaded; GDB cannot gure this out for itself. You
can specify address as an expression.
The symbol table of the le lename is added to the symbol table originally read with
the symbol-file command. You can use the add-symbol-file command any number
of times; the new symbol data thus read keeps adding to the old. To discard all old
symbol data instead, use the symbol-file command.
add-symbol-file does not repeat if you press RET after using it.
You can use the `-mapped' and `-readnow' options just as with the symbol-file com-
mand, to change how GDB manages the symbol table information for lename.
info files
info target
info files and info target are synonymous; both print the current target (see Chap-
ter 13 [Specifying a Debugging Target], page 119), including the names of the executable
and core dump les currently in use by GDB, and the les from which symbols were
loaded. The command help targets lists all possible targets rather than current ones.
All le-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative le names as arguments. GDB
always converts the le name to an absolute path name and remembers it that way.
GDB supports SunOS, SVr4, Irix 5, and IBM RS/6000 shared libraries. GDB automatically
loads symbol denitions from shared libraries when you use the run command, or when you examine
a core le. (Before you issue the run command, GDB does not understand references to a function
in a shared library, however|unless you are debugging a core le).
info share
info sharedlibrary
Print the names of the shared libraries which are currently loaded.
sharedlibrary regex
share regex
This is an obsolescent command; you can use it to explicitly load shared object library
symbols for les matching a Unix regular expression, but as with les loaded automat-
ically, it only loads shared libraries required by your program for a core le or after
typing run. If regex is omitted all shared libraries required by your program are loaded.
12.2 Errors reading symbol les

While reading a symbol le, GDB occasionally encounters problems, such as symbol types it
does not recognize, or known bugs in compiler output. By default, GDB does not notify you of
such problems, since they are relatively common and primarily of interest to people debugging
compilers. If you are interested in seeing information about ill-constructed symbol tables, you can
either ask GDB to print only one message about each such type of problem, no matter how many
times the problem occurs; or you can ask GDB to print more messages, to see how many times
the problems occur, with the set complaints command (see Section 14.6 [Optional warnings and
messages], page 144).
The messages currently printed, and their meanings, include:
inner block not inside outer block in symbol

The symbol information shows where symbol scopes begin and end (such as at the start
of a function or a block of statements). This error indicates that an inner scope block
is not fully contained in its outer scope blocks.
GDB circumvents the problem by treating the inner block as if it had the same scope
as the outer block. In the error message, symbol may be shown as \(don't know)" if
the outer block is not a function.
block at address out of order
The symbol information for symbol scope blocks should occur in order of increasing
addresses. This error indicates that it does not do so.
GDB does not circumvent this problem, and has trouble locating symbols in the source
le whose symbols it is reading. (You can often determine what source le is aected
by specifying set verbose on. See Section 14.6 [Optional warnings and messages],
page 144.)
bad block start address patched
The symbol information for a symbol scope block has a start address smaller than the
address of the preceding source line. This is known to occur in the SunOS 4.1.1 (and
earlier) C compiler.
GDB circumvents the problem by treating the symbol scope block as starting on the
previous source line.
bad string table offset in symbol n
Symbol number n contains a pointer into the string table which is larger than the size
of the string table.
GDB circumvents the problem by considering the symbol to have the name foo, which
may cause other problems if many symbols end up with this name.
unknown symbol type 0xnn

The symbol information contains new data types that GDB does not yet know how to
read. 0xnn is the symbol type of the misunderstood information, in hexadecimal.
GDB circumvents the error by ignoring this symbol information. This usually allows
you to debug your program, though certain symbols are not accessible. If you encounter
such a problem and feel like debugging it, you can debug gdb with itself, breakpoint
on complain, then go up to the function read_dbx_symtab and examine *bufp to see
the symbol.
stub type has NULL name
GDB could not nd the full denition for a struct or class.
const/volatile indicator missing (ok if using g++ v1.x), got: : :
The symbol information for a C++ member function is missing some information that
recent versions of the compiler should have output for it.
info mismatch between compiler and debugger
GDB could not parse a type specication output by the compiler.
Chapter 13: Specifying a Debugging Target 119
13 Specifying a Debugging Target

A target is the execution environment occupied by your program. Often, GDB runs in the
same host environment as your program; in that case, the debugging target is specied as a side
eect when you use the file or core commands. When you need more exibility|for example,
running GDB on a physically separate host, or controlling a standalone system over a serial port or
a realtime system over a TCP/IP connection|you can use the target command to specify one of
the target types congured for GDB (see Section 13.2 [Commands for managing targets], page 119).
13.1 Active targets

There are three classes of targets: processes, core les, and executable les. GDB can work
concurrently on up to three active targets, one in each class. This allows you to (for example) start
a process and inspect its activity without abandoning your work on a core le.
For example, if you execute `gdb a.out', then the executable le a.out is the only active target.
If you designate a core le as well|presumably from a prior run that crashed and coredumped|
then GDB has two active targets and uses them in tandem, looking rst in the corele target, then
in the executable le, to satisfy requests for memory addresses. (Typically, these two classes of
target are complementary, since core les contain only a program's read-write memory|variables
and so on|plus machine status, while executable les contain only the program text and initialized
data.)
When you type run, your executable le becomes an active process target as well. When a
process target is active, all GDB commands requesting memory addresses refer to that target;
addresses in an active core le or executable le target are obscured while the process target is
active.
Use the core-file and exec-file commands to select a new core le or executable target
(see Section 12.1 [Commands to specify les], page 113). To specify as a target a process that is
already running, use the attach command (see Section 4.7 [Debugging an already-running process],
page 30).
13.2 Commands for managing targets

target type parameters

Connects the GDB host environment to a target machine or process. A target is
typically a protocol for talking to debugging facilities. You use the argument type to
specify the type or protocol of the target machine.
Further parameters are interpreted by the target protocol, but typically include things
like device names or host names to connect with, process numbers, and baud rates.
The target command does not repeat if you press RET again after executing the com-
mand.
help target
Displays the names of all targets available. To display targets currently selected,
use either info target or info files (see Section 12.1 [Commands to specify les],
page 113).
help target name
Describe a particular target, including any parameters necessary to select it.
Here are some common targets (available, or not, depending on the GDB conguration):
target exec program

An executable le. `target exec program' is the same as èxec-file program'.
target core lename
A core dump le. `target core lename' is the same as `core-file lename'.
target remote dev
Remote serial target in GDB-specic protocol. The argument dev species what se-
rial device to use for the connection (e.g. `/dev/ttya'). See Section 13.3 [Remote
debugging], page 121.
target sim
CPU simulator. See Section 13.3.9 [Simulated CPU Target], page 140.
target udi keyword
Remote AMD29K target, using the AMD UDI protocol. The keyword argument spec-
ies which 29K board or simulator to use. See Section 13.3.3 [The UDI protocol for
AMD29K], page 131.
target amd-eb dev speed PROG
Remote PC-resident AMD EB29K board, attached over serial lines. dev is the serial
device, as for target remote; speed allows you to specify the linespeed; and PROG
is the name of the program to be debugged, as it appears to DOS on the PC. See
Section 13.3.4 [The EBMON protocol for AMD29K], page 131.
target hms
A Hitachi SH, H8/300, or H8/500 board, attached via serial line to your host. Use
special commands device and speed to control the serial line and the communications
speed used. See Section 13.3.7 [GDB and Hitachi Microprocessors], page 138.
target nindy devicename
An Intel 960 board controlled by a Nindy Monitor. devicename is the name of the
serial device to use for the connection, e.g. `/dev/ttya'. See Section 13.3.2 [GDB with
a remote i960 (Nindy)], page 130.
target st2000 dev speed
A Tandem ST2000 phone switch, running Tandem's STDBUG protocol. dev is the
name of the device attached to the ST2000 serial line; speed is the communication line
speed. The arguments are not used if GDB is congured to connect to the ST2000
using TCP or Telnet. See Section 13.3.5 [GDB with a Tandem ST2000], page 135.
target vxworks machinename
A VxWorks system, attached via TCP/IP. The argument machinename is the tar-
get system's machine name or IP address. See Section 13.3.6 [GDB and VxWorks],
page 135.
Dierent targets are available on dierent congurations of GDB; your conguration may have
more or fewer targets.
13.3 Remote debugging

If you are trying to debug a program running on a machine that cannot run GDB in the usual
way, it is often useful to use remote debugging. For example, you might use remote debugging on
an operating system kernel, or on a small system which does not have a general purpose operating
system powerful enough to run a full-featured debugger.
Some congurations of GDB have special serial or TCP/IP interfaces to make this work with
particular debugging targets. In addition, GDB comes with a generic serial protocol (specic to
GDB, but not specic to any particular target system) which you can use if you write the remote
stubs|the code that runs on the remote system to communicate with GDB.
Other remote targets may be available in your conguration of GDB; use help targets to list
them.
13.3.1 The GDB remote serial protocol

To debug a program running on another machine (the debugging target machine), you must
rst arrange for all the usual prerequisites for the program to run by itself. For example, for a C
program, you need
1. A startup routine to set up the C runtime environment; these usually have a name like `crt0'.
The startup routine may be supplied by your hardware supplier, or you may have to write
your own.
2. You probably need a C subroutine library to support your program's subroutine calls, notably
managing input and output.
3. A way of getting your program to the other machine|for example, a download program. These
are often supplied by the hardware manufacturer, but you may have to write your own from
hardware documentation.
The next step is to arrange for your program to use a serial port to communicate with the
machine where GDB is running (the host machine). In general terms, the scheme looks like this:
On the host,
GDB already understands how to use this protocol; when everything else is set up, you
can simply use the `target remote' command (see Chapter 13 [Specifying a Debugging
Target], page 119).
On the target,
you must link with your program a few special-purpose subroutines that implement the
GDB remote serial protocol. The le containing these subroutines is called a debugging
stub.
On certain remote targets, you can use an auxiliary program gdbserver instead of
linking a stub into your program. See Section 13.3.1.5 [Using the gdbserver program],
page 128, for details.
The debugging stub is specic to the architecture of the remote machine; for example, use
`sparc-stub.c' to debug programs on sparc boards.
These working remote stubs are distributed with GDB:
sparc-stub.c
For sparc architectures.
m68k-stub.c
For Motorola 680x0 architectures.
i386-stub.c
For Intel 386 and compatible architectures.
The `README' le in the GDB distribution may list other recently added stubs.
13.3.1.1 What the stub can do for you

The debugging stub for your architecture supplies these three subroutines:
set_debug_traps
This routine arranges for handle_exception to run when your program stops. You
must call this subroutine explicitly near the beginning of your program.
handle_exception
This is the central workhorse, but your program never calls it explicitly|the setup
code arranges for handle_exception to run when a trap is triggered.
handle_exception takes control when your program stops during execution (for exam-
ple, on a breakpoint), and mediates communications with GDB on the host machine.
This is where the communications protocol is implemented; handle_exception acts
as the GDB representative on the target machine; it begins by sending summary in-
formation on the state of your program, then continues to execute, retrieving and
transmitting any information GDB needs, until you execute a GDB command that
makes your program resume; at that point, handle_exception returns control to your
own code on the target machine.
breakpoint
Use this auxiliary subroutine to make your program contain a breakpoint. Depending
on the particular situation, this may be the only way for GDB to get control. For
instance, if your target machine has some sort of interrupt button, you won't need
to call this; pressing the interrupt button transfers control to handle_exception|in
eect, to GDB. On some machines, simply receiving characters on the serial port may
also trigger a trap; again, in that situation, you don't need to call breakpoint from
your own program|simply running `target remote' from the host GDB session gets
control.
Call breakpoint if none of these is true, or if you simply want to make certain your
program stops at a predetermined point for the start of your debugging session.
13.3.1.2 What you must do for the stub

The debugging stubs that come with GDB are set up for a particular chip architecture, but they
have no information about the rest of your debugging target machine.
First of all you need to tell the stub how to communicate with the serial port.
int getDebugChar()
Write this subroutine to read a single character from the serial port. It may be identical
to getchar for your target system; a dierent name is used to allow you to distinguish
the two if you wish.
void putDebugChar(int)
Write this subroutine to write a single character to the serial port. It may be identical
to putchar for your target system; a dierent name is used to allow you to distinguish
the two if you wish.
If you want GDB to be able to stop your program while it is running, you need to use an
interrupt-driven serial driver, and arrange for it to stop when it receives a ^C (`\003', the control-C
character). That is the character which GDB uses to tell the remote system to stop.
Getting the debugging target to return the proper status to GDB probably requires changes to
the standard stub; one quick and dirty way is to just execute a breakpoint instruction (the \dirty"
part is that GDB reports a SIGTRAP instead of a SIGINT).
Other routines you need to supply are:
void exceptionHandler (int exception_number, void *exception_address )

Write this function to install exception address in the exception handling tables. You
need to do this because the stub does not have any way of knowing what the exception
handling tables on your target system are like (for example, the processor's table might
be in rom, containing entries which point to a table in ram). exception number is the
exception number which should be changed; its meaning is architecture-dependent
(for example, dierent numbers might represent divide by zero, misaligned access, etc).
When this exception occurs, control should be transferred directly to exception address,
and the processor state (stack, registers, and so on) should be just as it is when
a processor exception occurs. So if you want to use a jump instruction to reach
exception address, it should be a simple jump, not a jump to subroutine.
For the 386, exception address should be installed as an interrupt gate so that interrupts
are masked while the handler runs. The gate should be at privilege level 0 (the most
privileged level). The sparc and 68k stubs are able to mask interrupts themself without
help from exceptionHandler.
void flush_i_cache()
Write this subroutine to ush the instruction cache, if any, on your target machine. If
there is no instruction cache, this subroutine may be a no-op.
On target machines that have instruction caches, GDB requires this function to make
certain that the state of your program is stable.
You must also make sure this library routine is available:
void *memset(void *, int, int)

This is the standard library function memset that sets an area of memory to a known
value. If you have one of the free versions of libc.a, memset can be found there;
otherwise, you must either obtain it from your hardware manufacturer, or write your
own.
If you do not use the GNU C compiler, you may need other standard library subroutines as well;
this varies from one stub to another, but in general the stubs are likely to use any of the common
library subroutines which gcc generates as inline code.
13.3.1.3 Putting it all together

In summary, when your program is ready to debug, you must follow these steps.
1. Make sure you have the supporting low-level routines (see Section 13.3.1.2 [What you must do
for the stub], page 124):
getDebugChar, putDebugChar,
flush_i_cache, memset, exceptionHandler.
2. Insert these lines near the top of your program:
set_debug_traps();
breakpoint();
3. For the 680x0 stub only, you need to provide a variable called exceptionHook. Normally you
just use
void (*exceptionHook)() = 0;
but if before calling set_debug_traps, you set it to point to a function in your program,
that function is called when GDB continues after stopping on a trap (for example, bus error).
The function indicated by exceptionHook is called with one parameter: an int which is the
exception number.
4. Compile and link together: your program, the GDB debugging stub for your target architec-
ture, and the supporting subroutines.
5. Make sure you have a serial connection between your target machine and the GDB host, and
identify the serial port used for this on the host.
6. Download your program to your target machine (or get it there by whatever means the man-
ufacturer provides), and start it.
7. To start remote debugging, run GDB on the host machine, and specify as an executable le the
program that is running in the remote machine. This tells GDB how to nd your program's
symbols and the contents of its pure text.
Then establish communication using the target remote command. Its argument species how
to communicate with the target machine|either via a devicename attached to a direct serial
line, or a TCP port (usually to a terminal server which in turn has a serial line to the target).
For example, to use a serial line connected to the device named `/dev/ttyb':
target remote /dev/ttyb
To use a TCP connection, use an argument of the form host:port. For example, to connect
to port 2828 on a terminal server named manyfarms:
target remote manyfarms:2828
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 detach command.
Whenever GDB is waiting for the remote program, if you type the interrupt character (often
C-C), GDB attempts to stop the program. This may or may not succeed, depending in part on the
hardware and the serial drivers the remote system uses. If you type the interrupt character once
again, GDB displays this prompt:
Interrupted while waiting for the program.

Give up (and stop debugging it)? (y or n)
If you type y, GDB abandons the remote debugging session. (If you decide you want to try
again later, you can use `target remote' again to connect once more.) If you type n, GDB goes
back to waiting.
13.3.1.4 Communication protocol

The stub les provided with GDB implement the target side of the communication protocol,
and the GDB side is implemented in the GDB source le `remote.c'. Normally, you can simply
allow these subroutines to communicate, and ignore the details. (If you're implementing your own
stub le, you can still ignore the details: start with one of the existing stub les. `sparc-stub.c'
is the best organized, and therefore the easiest to read.)
However, there may be occasions when you need to know something about the protocol|for
example, if there is only one serial port to your target machine, you might want your program to
do something special if it recognizes a packet meant for GDB.
All GDB commands and responses (other than acknowledgements, which are single characters)
are sent as a packet which includes a checksum. A packet is introduced with the character `$', and
ends with the character `#' followed by a two-digit checksum:
$packet info #checksum
checksum is computed as the modulo 256 sum of the packet info characters.
When either the host or the target machine receives a packet, the rst response expected is an
acknowledgement: a single character, either `+' (to indicate the package was received correctly) or
`-' (to request retransmission).
The host (GDB) sends commands, and the target (the debugging stub incorporated in your
program) sends data in response. The target also sends data when your program stops.
Command packets are distinguished by their rst character, which identies the kind of com-
mand.
These are the commands currently supported:
g Requests the values of CPU registers.

G Sets the values of CPU registers.
maddr,count
Read count bytes at location addr.
Maddr,count: :::
Write count bytes at location addr.

c
caddr Resume execution at the current address (or at addr if supplied).
s
saddr Step the target program for one instruction, from either the current program counter
or from addr if supplied.
k Kill the target program.
? Report the most recent signal. To allow you to take advantage of the GDB signal
handling commands, one of the functions of the debugging stub is to report CPU traps
as the corresponding POSIX signal values.
If you have trouble with the serial connection, you can use the command set remotedebug.
This makes GDB report on all packets sent back and forth across the serial line to the remote
machine. The packet-debugging information is printed on the GDB standard output stream. set
remotedebug off turns it o, and show remotedebug shows you its current state.
13.3.1.5 Using the gdbserver program

gdbserver is a control program for Unix-like systems, which allows you to connect your program
with a remote GDB via target remote|but without linking in the usual debugging stub.
gdbserver is not a complete replacement for the debugging stubs, because it requires essentially
the same operating-system facilities that GDB itself does. In fact, a system that can run gdbserver
to connect to a remote GDB could also run GDB locally! gdbserver is sometimes useful neverthe-
less, because it is a much smaller program than GDB itself. It is also easier to port than all of GDB,
so you may be able to get started more quickly on a new system by using gdbserver. Finally, if
you develop code for real-time systems, you may nd that the tradeos involved in real-time oper-
ation make it more convenient to do as much development work as possible on another system, for
example by cross-compiling. You can use gdbserver to make a similar choice for debugging.
GDB and gdbserver communicate via either a serial line or a TCP connection, using the
standard GDB remote serial protocol.
On the target machine,

you need to have a copy of the program you want to debug. gdbserver does not need
your program's symbol table, so you can strip the program if necessary to save space.
GDB on the host system does all the symbol handling.
To use the server, you must tell it how to communicate with GDB; the name of your
program; and the arguments for your program. The syntax is:
target> gdbserver comm program [ args ::: ]
comm is either a device name (to use a serial line) or a TCP hostname and portnumber.
For example, to debug Emacs with the argument `foo.txt' and communicate with
GDB over the serial port `/dev/com1':
target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
gdbserver waits passively for the host GDB to communicate with it.
To use a TCP connection instead of a serial line:
target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
The only dierence from the previous example is the rst argument, specifying that
you are communicating with the host GDB via TCP. The `host:2345' argument means
that gdbserver is to expect a TCP connection from machine `host' to local TCP port
2345. (Currently, the `host' part is ignored.) You can choose any number you want
for the port number as long as it does not con ict with any TCP ports already in use
on the target system (for example, 23 is reserved for telnet).1 You must use the same
port number with the host GDB target remote command.
On the GDB host machine,
you need an unstripped copy of your program, since GDB needs symbols and debugging
information. Start up GDB as usual, using the name of the local copy of your program
as the rst argument. (You may also need the `--baud' option if the serial line is
running at anything other than 9600 bps.) After that, use target remote to establish
communications with gdbserver. Its argument is either a device name (usually a
serial device, like `/dev/ttyb'), or a TCP port descriptor in the form host:PORT. For
example:
(gdb) target remote /dev/ttyb
communicates with the server via serial line `/dev/ttyb', and

(gdb) target remote the-target:2345
communicates via a TCP connection to port 2345 on host `the-target'. For TCP
connections, you must start up gdbserver prior to using the target remote command.
Otherwise you may get an error whose text depends on the host system, but which
usually looks something like `Connection refused'.
1
If you choose a port number that con icts with another service, gdbserver prints an error
message and exits.
13.3.2 GDB with a remote i960 (Nindy)

Nindy is a ROM Monitor program for Intel 960 target systems. When GDB is congured to
control a remote Intel 960 using Nindy, you can tell GDB how to connect to the 960 in several
ways:
Through command line options specifying serial port, version of the Nindy protocol, and
communications speed;
By responding to a prompt on startup;
By using the target command at any point during your GDB session. See Section 13.2
[Commands for managing targets], page 119.
13.3.2.1 Startup with Nindy

If you simply start gdb without using any command-line options, you are prompted for what
serial port to use, before you reach the ordinary GDB prompt:
Attach /dev/ttyNN -- specify NN, or "quit" to quit:
Respond to the prompt with whatever sux (after `/dev/tty') identies the serial port you want
to use. You can, if you choose, simply start up with no Nindy connection by responding to the
prompt with an empty line. If you do this and later wish to attach to Nindy, use target (see
Section 13.2 [Commands for managing targets], page 119).
13.3.2.2 Options for Nindy

These are the startup options for beginning your GDB session with a Nindy-960 board attached:
-r port Specify the serial port name of a serial interface to be used to connect to the target
system. This option is only available when GDB is congured for the Intel 960 target
architecture. You may specify port as any of: a full pathname (e.g. `-r /dev/ttya'),
a device name in `/dev' (e.g. `-r ttya'), or simply the unique sux for a specic tty
(e.g. `-r a').
-O (An uppercase letter \O", not a zero.) Specify that GDB should use the \old" Nindy
monitor protocol to connect to the target system. This option is only available when
GDB is congured for the Intel 960 target architecture.
Warning: if you specify `-O', but are actually trying to connect to a target
system that expects the newer protocol, the connection fails, appearing to
be a speed mismatch. GDB repeatedly attempts to reconnect at several
dierent line speeds. You can abort this process with an interrupt.
-brk Specify that GDB should rst send a BREAK signal to the target system, in an attempt
to reset it, before connecting to a Nindy target.
Warning: Many target systems do not have the hardware that this requires;
it only works with a few boards.
The standard `-b' option controls the line speed used on the serial port.
13.3.2.3 Nindy reset command

reset For a Nindy target, this command sends a \break" to the remote target system; this is
only useful if the target has been equipped with a circuit to perform a hard reset (or
some other interesting action) when a break is detected.
13.3.3 The UDI protocol for AMD29K

GDB supports AMD's UDI (\Universal Debugger Interface") protocol for debugging the a29k
processor family. To use this conguration with AMD targets running the MiniMON monitor, you
need the program MONTIP, available from AMD at no charge. You can also use GDB with the UDI
conformant a29k simulator program ISSTIP, also available from AMD.
target udi keyword

Select the UDI interface to a remote a29k board or simulator, where keyword is an
entry in the AMD conguration le ùdi_soc'. This le contains keyword entries which
specify parameters used to connect to a29k targets. If the ùdi_soc' le is not in your
working directory, you must set the environment variable ÙDICONF' to its pathname.
13.3.4 The EBMON protocol for AMD29K

AMD distributes a 29K development board meant to t in a PC, together with a DOS-hosted
monitor program called EBMON. As a shorthand term, this development system is called the
\EB29K". To use GDB from a Unix system to run programs on the EB29K board, you must
rst connect a serial cable between the PC (which hosts the EB29K board) and a serial port on the
Unix system. In the following, we assume you've hooked the cable between the PC's `COM1' port
and `/dev/ttya' on the Unix system.
13.3.4.1 Communications setup

The next step is to set up the PC's port, by doing something like this in DOS on the PC:
C:\> MODE com1:9600,n,8,1,none
This example|run on an MS DOS 4.0 system|sets the PC port to 9600 bps, no parity, eight data
bits, one stop bit, and no \retry" action; you must match the communications parameters when
establishing the Unix end of the connection as well.
To give control of the PC to the Unix side of the serial line, type the following at the DOS
console:
C:\> CTTY com1
(Later, if you wish to return control to the DOS console, you can use the command CTTY con|but
you must send it over the device that had control, in our example over the `COM1' serial line).
From the Unix host, use a communications program such as tip or cu to communicate with the
PC; for example,
cu -s 9600 -l /dev/ttya
The cu options shown specify, respectively, the linespeed and the serial port to use. If you use tip
instead, your command line may look something like the following:
tip -9600 /dev/ttya
Your system may require a dierent name where we show `/dev/ttya' as the argument to tip. The
communications parameters, including which port to use, are associated with the tip argument in
the \remote" descriptions le|normally the system table `/etc/remote'.
Using the tip or cu connection, change the DOS working directory to the directory containing a
copy of your 29K program, then start the PC program EBMON (an EB29K control program supplied
with your board by AMD). You should see an initial display from EBMON similar to the one that
follows, ending with the EBMON prompt `#'|
C:\> G:
G:\> CD \usr\joe\work29k
G:\USR\JOE\WORK29K> EBMON
Am29000 PC Coprocessor Board Monitor, version 3.0-18
Copyright 1990 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Written by Gibbons and Associates, Inc.
Enter '?' or 'H' for help
PC Coprocessor Type = EB29K

I/O Base = 0x208
Memory Base = 0xd0000
Data Memory Size = 2048KB

Available I-RAM Range = 0x8000 to 0x1fffff
Available D-RAM Range = 0x80002000 to 0x801fffff
PageSize = 0x400
Register Stack Size = 0x800
Memory Stack Size = 0x1800
CPU PRL = 0x3

Am29027 Available = No
Byte Write Available = Yes
# ~.
Then exit the cu or tip program (done in the example by typing ~. at the EBMON prompt).
EBMON keeps running, ready for GDB to take over.
For this example, we've assumed what is probably the most convenient way to make sure the
same 29K program is on both the PC and the Unix system: a PC/NFS connection that establishes
\drive G:" on the PC as a le system on the Unix host. If you do not have PC/NFS or some-
thing similar connecting the two systems, you must arrange some other way|perhaps oppy-disk
transfer|of getting the 29K program from the Unix system to the PC; GDB does not download it
over the serial line.
13.3.4.2 EB29K cross-debugging

Finally, cd to the directory containing an image of your 29K program on the Unix system, and
start GDB|specifying as argument the name of your 29K program:
cd /usr/joe/work29k
gdb myfoo
Now you can use the target command:
target amd-eb /dev/ttya 9600 MYFOO
In this example, we've assumed your program is in a le called `myfoo'. Note that the lename
given as the last argument to target amd-eb should be the name of the program as it appears to
DOS. In our example this is simply MYFOO, but in general it can include a DOS path, and depending
on your transfer mechanism may not resemble the name on the Unix side.
At this point, you can set any breakpoints you wish; when you are ready to see your program
run on the 29K board, use the GDB command run.
To stop debugging the remote program, use the GDB detach command.
To return control of the PC to its console, use tip or cu once again, after your GDB session has
concluded, to attach to EBMON. You can then type the command q to shut down EBMON, returning
control to the DOS command-line interpreter. Type CTTY con to return command input to the
main DOS console, and type ~. to leave tip or cu.
13.3.4.3 Remote log

The target amd-eb command creates a le èb.log' in the current working directory, to help
debug problems with the connection. èb.log' records all the output from EBMON, including echoes
of the commands sent to it. Running `tail -f' on this le in another window often helps to
understand trouble with EBMON, or unexpected events on the PC side of the connection.
13.3.5 GDB with a Tandem ST2000

To connect your ST2000 to the host system, see the manufacturer's manual. Once the ST2000
is physically attached, you can run
target st2000 dev speed
to establish it as your debugging environment. dev is normally the name of a serial device, such
as `/dev/ttya', connected to the ST2000 via a serial line. You can instead specify dev as a TCP
connection (for example, to a serial line attached via a terminal concentrator) using the syntax
hostname :portnumber.
The load and attach commands are not dened for this target; you must load your program
into the ST2000 as you normally would for standalone operation. GDB reads debugging informa-
tion (such as symbols) from a separate, debugging version of the program available on your host
computer.
These auxiliary GDB commands are available to help you with the ST2000 environment:
st2000 command
Send a command to the STDBUG monitor. See the manufacturer's manual for available
commands.
connect Connect the controlling terminal to the STDBUG command monitor. When you are
done interacting with STDBUG, typing either of two character sequences gets you
back to the GDB command prompt: RET~. (Return, followed by tilde and period) or
RET~C-D (Return, followed by tilde and control-D).
13.3.6 GDB and VxWorks

GDB enables developers to spawn and debug tasks running on networked VxWorks targets from
a Unix host. Already-running tasks spawned from the VxWorks shell can also be debugged. GDB
uses code that runs on both the Unix host and on the VxWorks target. The program gdb is installed
and executed on the Unix host. (It may be installed with the name vxgdb, to distinguish it from
a GDB for debugging programs on the host itself.)
The following information on connecting to VxWorks was current when this manual was pro-
duced; newer releases of VxWorks may use revised procedures.
To use GDB with VxWorks, you must rebuild your VxWorks kernel to include the remote
debugging interface routines in the VxWorks library `rdb.a'. To do this, dene INCLUDE_RDB in
the VxWorks conguration le `configAll.h' and rebuild your VxWorks kernel. The resulting
kernel contains `rdb.a', and spawns the source debugging task tRdbTask when VxWorks is booted.
For more information on conguring and remaking VxWorks, see the manufacturer's manual.
Once you have included `rdb.a' in your VxWorks system image and set your Unix execution
search path to nd GDB, you are ready to run GDB. From your Unix host, run gdb (or vxgdb,
depending on your installation).
GDB comes up showing the prompt:
(vxgdb)
13.3.6.1 Connecting to VxWorks

The GDB command target lets you connect to a VxWorks target on the network. To connect
to a target whose host name is \tt", type:
(vxgdb) target vxworks tt
GDB displays messages like these:
Attaching remote machine across net...

Connected to tt.
GDB then attempts to read the symbol tables of any object modules loaded into the VxWorks
target since it was last booted. GDB locates these les by searching the directories listed in the
command search path (see Section 4.4 [Your program's environment], page 27); if it fails to nd an
object le, it displays a message such as:
prog.o: No such file or directory.
When this happens, add the appropriate directory to the search path with the GDB command
path,and execute the target command again.
13.3.6.2 VxWorks download

If you have connected to the VxWorks target and you want to debug an object that has not
yet been loaded, you can use the GDB load command to download a le from Unix to VxWorks
incrementally. The object le given as an argument to the load command is actually opened twice:
rst by the VxWorks target in order to download the code, then by GDB in order to read the
symbol table. This can lead to problems if the current working directories on the two systems
dier. If both systems have NFS mounted the same lesystems, you can avoid these problems by
using absolute paths. Otherwise, it is simplest to set the working directory on both systems to the
directory in which the object le resides, and then to reference the le by its name, without any
path. For instance, a program `prog.o' may reside in `vxpath/vw/demo/rdb' in VxWorks and in
`hostpath/vw/demo/rdb' on the host. To load this program, type this on VxWorks:
-> cd "vxpath/vw/demo/rdb"
Then, in GDB, type:

(vxgdb) cd hostpath/vw/demo/rdb
(vxgdb) load prog.o
GDB displays a response similar to this:

Reading symbol data from wherever/vw/demo/rdb/prog.o... done.
You can also use the load command to reload an object module after editing and recompiling
the corresponding source le. Note that this makes GDB delete all currently-dened breakpoints,
auto-displays, and convenience variables, and to clear the value history. (This is necessary in order
to preserve the integrity of debugger data structures that reference the target system's symbol
table.)
13.3.6.3 Running tasks

You can also attach to an existing task using the attach command as follows:
(vxgdb) attach task
where task is the VxWorks hexadecimal task ID. The task can be running or suspended when you
attach to it. Running tasks are suspended at the time of attachment.
13.3.7 GDB and Hitachi Microprocessors

GDB needs to know these things to talk to your Hitachi SH, H8/300, or H8/500:
1. that you want to use `target hms', the remote debugging interface for Hitachi microprocessors
(this is the default when GDB is congured specically for the Hitachi SH, H8/300, or H8/500);
2. what serial device connects your host to your Hitachi board (the rst serial device available
on your host is the default);
Use the special gdb command `device port' if you need to explicitly set the serial device. The
default port is the rst available port on your host. This is only necessary on Unix hosts, where it
is typically something like `/dev/ttya'.
gdb has another special command to set the communications speed: `speed bps'. This command
also is only used from Unix hosts; on DOS hosts, set the line speed as usual from outside GDB with
the DOS mode command (for instance, `mode com2:9600,n,8,1,p' for a 9600 bps connection).
The `device' and `speed' commands are available only when you use a Unix host to debug your
Hitachi microprocessor programs. If you use a DOS host, GDB depends on an auxiliary terminate-
and-stay-resident program called asynctsr to communicate with the development board through
a PC serial port. You must also use the DOS mode command to set up the serial port on the DOS
side.
13.3.8 GDB and remote MIPS boards

GDB can use the MIPS remote debugging protocol to talk to a MIPS board attached to a serial
line. This is available when you congure GDB with `--target=mips-idt-ecoff'.
Use these GDB commands to specify the connection to your target board:
target mips port

To run a program on the board, start up gdb with the name of your program as the
argument. To connect to the board, use the command `target mips port', where port
is the name of the serial port connected to the board. If the program has not already
been downloaded to the board, you may use the load command to download it. You
can then use all the usual GDB commands.
For example, this sequence connects to the target board through a serial port, and
loads and runs a program called prog through the debugger:
host$ gdb prog
GDB is free software and : : :
(gdb) target mips /dev/ttyb
(gdb) load prog
(gdb) run
target mips hostname :portnumber

On some GDB host congurations, you can specify a TCP connection (for instance,
to a serial line managed by a terminal concentrator) instead of a serial port, using the
syntax `hostname :portnumber'.
GDB also supports these special commands for MIPS targets:
set mipsfpu off

show mipsfpu
If your target board does not support the MIPS oating point coprocessor, you should
use the command `set mipsfpu off' (if you need this, you may wish to put the com-
mand in your .gdbinit le). This tells GDB how to nd the return value of functions
which return oating point values. It also allows GDB to avoid saving the oating
point registers when calling functions on the board. (As usual, you can inquire about
the mipsfpu variable with `show mipsfpu'.)
set remotedebug n
show remotedebug
You can see some debugging information about communications with the board by
setting the remotedebug variable. If you set it to 1 using `set remotedebug 1', every
packet is displayed. If you set it to 2, every character is displayed. You can check the
current value at any time with the command `show remotedebug'.
set timeout seconds
set retransmit-timeout seconds
show timeout
show retransmit-timeout
You can control the timeout used while waiting for a packet, in the MIPS remote proto-
col, with the set timeout seconds command. The default is 5 seconds. Similarly, you
can control the timeout used while waiting for an acknowledgement of a packet with
the set retransmit-timeout seconds command. The default is 3 seconds. You can
inspect both values with show timeout and show retransmit-timeout. (These com-
mands are only available when GDB is congured for `--target=mips-idt-ecoff'.)
13.3.9 Simulated CPU target

For some congurations, GDB includes a CPU simulator that you can use instead of a hardware
CPU to debug your programs. Currently, a simulator is available when GDB is congured to debug
Zilog Z8000 or Hitachi microprocessor targets.
For the Z8000 family, `target sim' simulates either the Z8002 (the unsegmented variant of
the Z8000 architecture) or the Z8001 (the segmented variant). The simulator recognizes which
architecture is appropriate by inspecting the object code.
target sim
Debug programs on a simulated CPU (which CPU depends on the GDB conguration)
After specifying this target, you can debug programs for the simulated CPU in the same style as
programs for your host computer; use the file command to load a new program image, the run
command to run your program, and so on.
As well as making available all the usual machine registers (see info reg), this debugging target
provides three additional items of information as specially named registers:
cycles Counts clock-ticks in the simulator.

insts Counts instructions run in the simulator.
time Execution time in 60ths of a second.
You can refer to these values in GDB expressions with the usual conventions; for example,
`b fputc if $cycles>5000' sets a conditional breakpoint that suspends only after at least 5000
simulated clock ticks.
Chapter 14: Controlling GDB 141
14 Controlling GDB
You can alter the way GDB interacts with you by using the set command. For commands
controlling how GDB displays data, see Section 8.7 [Print settings], page 73; other settings are
described here.
14.1 Prompt
GDB indicates its readiness to read a command by printing a string called the prompt. This
string is normally `(gdb)'. You can change the prompt string with the set prompt command. For
instance, when debugging GDB with GDB, it is useful to change the prompt in one of the GDB
sessions so that you can always tell which one you are talking to.
set prompt newprompt

Directs GDB to use newprompt as its prompt string henceforth.
show prompt
Prints a line of the form: `Gdb's prompt is: your-prompt'
14.2 Command editing

GDB reads its input commands via the readline interface. This GNU library provides consistent
behavior for programs which provide a command line interface to the user. Advantages are emacs-
style or vi-style inline editing of commands, csh-like history substitution, and a storage and recall
of command history across debugging sessions.
You may control the behavior of command line editing in GDB with the command set.
set editing
set editing on
Enable command line editing (enabled by default).
set editing off
Disable command line editing.
show editing
Show whether command line editing is enabled.
14.3 Command history

GDB can keep track of the commands you type during your debugging sessions, so that you
can be certain of precisely what happened. Use these commands to manage the GDB command
history facility.
set history filename fname

Set the name of the GDB command history le to fname. This is the le where GDB
reads an initial command history list, and where it writes the command history from
this session when it exits. You can access this list through history expansion or through
the history command editing characters listed below. This le defaults to the value of
the environment variable GDBHISTFILE, or to `./.gdb_history' if this variable is not
set.
set history save
set history save on
Record command history in a le, whose name may be specied with the set history
filename command. By default, this option is disabled.
set history save off
Stop recording command history in a le.
set history size size
Set the number of commands which GDB keeps in its history list. This defaults to the
value of the environment variable HISTSIZE, or to 256 if this variable is not set.
History expansion assigns special meaning to the character !.
Since ! is also the logical not operator in C, history expansion is o by default. If you decide to
enable history expansion with the set history expansion on command, you may sometimes need
to follow ! (when it is used as logical not, in an expression) with a space or a tab to prevent it from
being expanded. The readline history facilities do not attempt substitution on the strings != and
!(, even when history expansion is enabled.
The commands to control history expansion are:
set history expansion on

set history expansion
Enable history expansion. History expansion is o by default.
set history expansion off
Disable history expansion.
The readline code comes with more complete documentation of editing and history
expansion features. Users unfamiliar with emacs or vi may wish to read it.
show history
show history filename
show history save
show history size
show history expansion
These commands display the state of the GDB history parameters. show history by
itself displays all four states.
show commands
Display the last ten commands in the command history.
show commands n
Print ten commands centered on command number n.
show commands +
Print ten commands just after the commands last printed.
14.4 Screen size

Certain commands to GDB may produce large amounts of information output to the screen. To
help you read all of it, GDB pauses and asks you for input at the end of each page of output. Type
RET when you want to continue the output, or q to discard the remaining output. Also, the screen
width setting determines when to wrap lines of output. Depending on what is being printed, GDB
tries to break the line at a readable place, rather than simply letting it over ow onto the following
line.
Normally GDB knows the size of the screen from the termcap data base together with the value
of the TERM environment variable and the stty rows and stty cols settings. If this is not correct,
you can override it with the set height and set width commands:
set height lpp

show height
set width cpl
show width
These set commands specify a screen height of lpp lines and a screen width of cpl
characters. The associated show commands display the current settings.
If you specify a height of zero lines, GDB does not pause during output no matter how
long the output is. This is useful if output is to a le or to an editor buer.
Likewise, you can specify `set width 0' to prevent GDB from wrapping its output.
14.5 Numbers
You can always enter numbers in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal in GDB by the usual conven-
tions: octal numbers begin with `0', decimal numbers end with `.', and hexadecimal numbers begin
with `0x'. Numbers that begin with none of these are, by default, entered in base 10; likewise, the
default display for numbers|when no particular format is specied|is base 10. You can change
the default base for both input and output with the set radix command.
set radix base

Set the default base for numeric input and display. Supported choices for base are
decimal 8, 10, or 16. base must itself be specied either unambiguously or using the
current default radix; for example, any of
set radix 012
set radix 10.
set radix 0xa
sets the base to decimal. On the other hand, `set radix 10' leaves the radix unchanged
no matter what it was.
show radix
Display the current default base for numeric input and display.
14.6 Optional warnings and messages

By default, GDB is silent about its inner workings. If you are running on a slow machine, you
may want to use the set verbose command. It makes GDB tell you when it does a lengthy internal
operation, so you will not think it has crashed.
Currently, the messages controlled by set verbose are those which announce that the symbol
table for a source le is being read; see symbol-file in Section 12.1 [Commands to specify les],
page 113.
set verbose on
Enables GDB output of certain informational messages.
set verbose off

Disables GDB output of certain informational messages.
show verbose
Displays whether set verbose is on or o.
By default, if GDB encounters bugs in the symbol table of an object le, it is silent; but if you
are debugging a compiler, you may nd this information useful (see Section 12.2 [Errors reading
symbol les], page 117).
set complaints limit

Permits GDB to output limit complaints about each type of unusual symbols before
becoming silent about the problem. Set limit to zero to suppress all complaints; set it
to a large number to prevent complaints from being suppressed.
show complaints
Displays how many symbol complaints GDB is permitted to produce.
By default, GDB is cautious, and asks what sometimes seems to be a lot of stupid questions to
conrm certain commands. For example, if you try to run a program which is already running:
(gdb) run
The program being debugged has been started already.
Start it from the beginning? (y or n)
If you are willing to un inchingly face the consequences of your own commands, you can disable
this \feature":
set confirm off

Disables conrmation requests.
set confirm on
Enables conrmation requests (the default).
show confirm
Displays state of conrmation requests.
Some systems allow individual object les that make up your program to be replaced without
stopping and restarting your program. For example, in VxWorks you can simply recompile a
defective object le and keep on running. If you are running on one of these systems, you can allow
GDB to reload the symbols for automatically relinked modules:
set symbol-reloading on
Replace symbol denitions for the corresponding source le when an object le with a
particular name is seen again.
set symbol-reloading off
Do not replace symbol denitions when re-encountering object les of the same name.
This is the default state; if you are not running on a system that permits automatically
relinking modules, you should leave symbol-reloading o, since otherwise GDB may
discard symbols when linking large programs, that may contain several modules (from
dierent directories or libraries) with the same name.
show symbol-reloading
Show the current on or off setting.
Chapter 15: Canned Sequences of Commands 147
15 Canned Sequences of Commands

Aside from breakpoint commands (see Section 5.1.7 [Breakpoint command lists], page 44), GDB
provides two ways to store sequences of commands for execution as a unit: user-dened commands
and command les.
15.1 User-dened commands

A user-dened command is a sequence of GDB commands to which you assign a new name as
a command. This is done with the define command.
define commandname
Dene a command named commandname. If there is already a command by that name,
you are asked to conrm that you want to redene it.
The denition of the command is made up of other GDB command lines, which are
given following the define command. The end of these commands is marked by a line
containing end.
document commandname
Give documentation to the user-dened command commandname. The command com-
mandname must already be dened. This command reads lines of documentation just
as define reads the lines of the command denition, ending with end. After the
document command is nished, help on command commandname displays the docu-
mentation you have specied.
You may use the document command again to change the documentation of a command.
Redening the command with define does not change the documentation.
help user-defined
List all user-dened commands, with the rst line of the documentation (if any) for
each.
show user
show user commandname
Display the GDB commands used to dene commandname (but not its documentation).
If no commandname is given, display the denitions for all user-dened commands.
User-dened commands do not take arguments. When they are executed, the commands of the
denition are not printed. An error in any command stops execution of the user-dened command.
Commands that would ask for conrmation if used interactively proceed without asking when
used inside a user-dened command. Many GDB commands that normally print messages to say
what they are doing omit the messages when used in a user-dened command.
15.2 User-dened command hooks

You may dene hooks, which are a special kind of user-dened command. Whenever you run the
command `foo', if the user-dened command `hook-foo' exists, it is executed (with no arguments)
before that command.
In addition, a pseudo-command, `stop' exists. Dening (`hook-stop') makes the associated

commands execute every time execution stops in your program: before breakpoint commands are
run, displays are printed, or the stack frame is printed.
For example, to ignore SIGALRM signals while single-stepping, but treat them normally during
normal execution, you could dene:
define hook-stop
handle SIGALRM nopass
end
define hook-run
handle SIGALRM pass
end
define hook-continue
handle SIGLARM pass
end
You can dene a hook for any single-word command in GDB, but not for command aliases; you
should dene a hook for the basic command name, e.g. backtrace rather than bt. If an error
occurs during the execution of your hook, execution of GDB commands stops and GDB issues a
prompt (before the command that you actually typed had a chance to run).
If you try to dene a hook which does not match any known command, you get a warning from
the define command.
Chapter 15: Canned Sequences of Commands 149
15.3 Command les

A command le for GDB is a le of lines that are GDB commands. Comments (lines starting
with #) may also be included. An empty line in a command le does nothing; it does not mean to
repeat the last command, as it would from the terminal.
When you start GDB, it automatically executes commands from its init les. These are les
named `.gdbinit'. GDB reads the init le (if any) in your home directory, then processes command
line options and operands, and then reads the init le (if any) in the current working directory.
This is so the init le in your home directory can set options (such as set complaints) which aect
the processing of the command line options and operands. The init les are not executed if you
use the `-nx' option; see Section 2.1.2 [Choosing modes], page 15.
On some congurations of GDB, the init le is known by a dierent name (these are typically
environments where a specialized form of GDB may need to coexist with other forms, hence a
dierent name for the specialized version's init le). These are the environments with special init
le names:
VxWorks (Wind River Systems real-time OS): `.vxgdbinit'

OS68K (Enea Data Systems real-time OS): `.os68gdbinit'
ES-1800 (Ericsson Telecom AB M68000 emulator): `.esgdbinit'
You can also request the execution of a command le with the source command:
source lename
Execute the command le lename.
The lines in a command le are executed sequentially. They are not printed as they are executed.
An error in any command terminates execution of the command le.
Commands that would ask for conrmation if used interactively proceed without asking when
used in a command le. Many GDB commands that normally print messages to say what they are
doing omit the messages when called from command les.
15.4 Commands for controlled output

During the execution of a command le or a user-dened command, normal GDB output is
suppressed; the only output that appears is what is explicitly printed by the commands in the
denition. This section describes three commands useful for generating exactly the output you
want.
echo text Print text. Nonprinting characters can be included in text using C escape sequences,
such as `\n' to print a newline. No newline is printed unless you specify one. In
addition to the standard C escape sequences, a backslash followed by a space stands
for a space. This is useful for displaying a string with spaces at the beginning or the
end, since leading and trailing spaces are otherwise trimmed from all arguments. To
print ` and foo = ', use the command ècho \ and foo = \ '.
A backslash at the end of text can be used, as in C, to continue the command onto
subsequent lines. For example,
echo This is some text\n\
which is continued\n\
onto several lines.\n
produces the same output as
echo This is some text\n
echo which is continued\n
echo onto several lines.\n
output expression
Print the value of expression and nothing but that value: no newlines, no `$nn = '. The
value is not entered in the value history either. See Section 8.1 [Expressions], page 65,
for more information on expressions.
output/fmt expression
Print the value of expression in format fmt. You can use the same formats as for print.
See Section 8.4 [Output formats], page 68, for more information.
printf string, expressions :::
Print the values of the expressions under the control of string. The expressions are
separated by commas and may be either numbers or pointers. Their values are printed
as specied by string, exactly as if your program were to execute the C subroutine
printf (string, expressions );:::
For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
The only backslash-escape sequences that you can use in the format string are the
simple ones that consist of backslash followed by a letter.
Chapter 16: Using GDB under GNU Emacs 151
16 Using GDB under GNU Emacs

A special interface allows you to use GNU Emacs to view (and edit) the source les for the
program you are debugging with GDB.
To use this interface, use the command M-x gdb in Emacs. Give the executable le you want
to debug as an argument. This command starts GDB as a subprocess of Emacs, with input and
output through a newly created Emacs buer.
Using GDB under Emacs is just like using GDB normally except for two things:
All \terminal" input and output goes through the Emacs buer.
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' Shell mode are available for interacting with your program. In
particular, you can send signals the usual way|for example, C-c C-c for an interrupt, C-c C-z for
a stop.
GDB displays source code through Emacs.
Each time GDB displays a stack frame, Emacs automatically nds the source le for that frame
and puts an arrow (`=>') at the left margin of the current line. Emacs uses a separate buer for
source display, and splits the screen to show both your GDB session and the source.
Explicit GDB list or search commands still produce output as usual, but you probably have
no reason to use them from Emacs.
Warning: If the directory where your program resides is not your current directory, it
can be easy to confuse Emacs about the location of the source les, in which case the
auxiliary display buer does not appear to show your source. GDB can nd programs
by searching your environment's PATH variable, so the GDB input and output session
proceeds normally; but Emacs does not get enough information back from GDB to
locate the source les in this situation. To avoid this problem, either start GDB
mode from the directory where your program resides, or specify a full path name when
prompted for the M-x gdb argument.
A similar confusion can result if you use the GDB file command to switch to debugging
a program in some other location, from an existing GDB buer in Emacs.
By default, M-x gdb calls the program called `gdb'. If you need to call GDB by a dierent
name (for example, if you keep several congurations around, with dierent names) you can set
the Emacs variable gdb-command-name; for example,
(setq gdb-command-name "mygdb")
(preceded by ESC ESC, or typed in the *scratch* buer, or in your `.emacs' le) makes Emacs call
the program named \mygdb" instead.
In the GDB I/O buer, you can use these special Emacs commands in addition to the standard
Shell mode commands:
C-h m Describe the features of Emacs' GDB Mode.

M-s Execute to another source line, like the GDB step command; also update the display
window to show the current le and location.
M-n Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function calls, like the GDB
next command. Then update the display window to show the current le and location.
M-i Execute one instruction, like the GDB stepi command; update display window ac-
cordingly.
M-x gdb-nexti
Execute to next instruction, using the GDB nexti command; update display window
accordingly.
C-c C-f Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the GDB finish command.
M-c Continue execution of your program, like the GDB continue command.
Warning: In Emacs v19, this command is C-c C-p.
M-u Go up the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument (see section \Numeric
Arguments" in The GNU Emacs Manual), like the GDB up command.
Warning: In Emacs v19, this command is C-c C-u.
M-d Go down the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument, like the GDB down
command.
Chapter 16: Using GDB under GNU Emacs 153
Warning: In Emacs v19, this command is C-c C-d.

C-x & Read the number where the cursor is positioned, and insert it at the end of the GDB
I/O buer. For example, if you wish to disassemble code around an address that was
displayed earlier, type disassemble; then move the cursor to the address display, and
pick up the argument for disassemble by typing C-x &.
You can customize this further by dening elements of the list gdb-print-command;
once it is dened, you can format or otherwise process numbers picked up by C-x &
before they are inserted. A numeric argument to C-x & indicates that you wish special
formatting, and also acts as an index to pick an element of the list. If the list element
is a string, the number to be inserted is formatted using the Emacs function format;
otherwise the number is passed as an argument to the corresponding list element.
In any source le, the Emacs command C-x SPC (gdb-break) tells GDB to set a breakpoint on
the source line point is on.
If you accidentally delete the source-display buer, an easy way to get it back is to type the
command f in the GDB buer, to request a frame display; when you run under Emacs, this recreates
the source buer if necessary to show you the context of the current frame.
The source les displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buers which are visiting the source
les in the usual way. You can edit the les with these buers 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 cease to correspond properly with the code.
Chapter 17: Reporting Bugs in GDB 155
17 Reporting Bugs in GDB

Your bug reports play an essential role in making GDB reliable.
Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it may not. But in
any case the principal function of a bug report is to help the entire community by making the next
version of GDB work better. Bug reports are your contribution to the maintenance of GDB.
In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the information that enables us
to x the bug.
17.1 Have you found a bug?

If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
If the debugger gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a GDB bug. Reliable
debuggers never crash.
If GDB produces an error message for valid input, that is a bug.
If GDB does not produce an error message for invalid input, that is a bug. However, you
should note that your idea of \invalid input" might be our idea of \an extension" or \support
for traditional practice".
If you are an experienced user of debugging tools, your suggestions for improvement of GDB
are welcome in any case.
17.2 How to report bugs

A number of companies and individuals oer support for GNU products. If you obtained GDB
from a support organization, we recommend you contact that organization rst.
You can nd contact information for many support companies and individuals in the le
ètc/SERVICE' in the GNU Emacs distribution.
In any event, we also recommend that you send bug reports for GDB to one of these addresses:
[email protected]
{ucbvax|mit-eddie|uunet}!prep.ai.mit.edu!bug-gdb
Do not send bug reports to ìnfo-gdb', or to `help-gdb', or to any newsgroups. Most users of
GDB do not want to receive bug reports. Those that do, have arranged to receive `bug-gdb'.
The mailing list `bug-gdb' has a newsgroup `gnu.gdb.bug' which serves as a repeater. The
mailing list and the newsgroup carry exactly the same messages. Often people think of posting bug
reports to the newsgroup instead of mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one problem
which can be crucial: a newsgroup posting often lacks a mail path back to the sender. Thus, if we
need to ask for more information, we may be unable to reach you. For this reason, it is better to
send bug reports to the mailing list.
As a last resort, send bug reports on paper to:

GNU Debugger Bugs
Free Software Foundation
545 Tech Square
Cambridge, MA 02139
The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this: report all the facts. If you are not
sure whether to state a fact or leave it out, state it!
Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the problem and assume
that some details do not matter. Thus, you might assume that the name of the variable you use in
an example does not matter. Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug
is a stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where that name is stored in
memory; perhaps, if the name were dierent, the contents of that location would fool the debugger
into doing the right thing despite the bug. Play it safe and give a specic, complete example. That
is the easiest thing for you to do, and the most helpful.
Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to x the bug if it is new to us.
It is not as important as what happens if the bug is already known. Therefore, always write your
bug reports on the assumption that the bug has not been reported previously.
Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, \Does this ring a bell?" Those bug reports
are useless, and we urge everyone to refuse to respond to them except to chide the sender to report
bugs properly.
To enable us to x the bug, you should include all these things:

Chapter 17: Reporting Bugs in GDB 157
The version of GDB. GDB announces it if you start with no arguments; you can also print it
at any time using show version.
Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for the bug in the current
version of GDB.
The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and version number.
What compiler (and its version) was used to compile GDB|e.g. \gcc{2.0".
What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the program you are debugging|e.g.
\gcc{2.0".
The command arguments you gave the compiler to compile your example and observe the bug.
For example, did you use `-O'? To guarantee you will not omit something important, list them
all. A copy of the Makele (or the output from make) is sucient.
If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong and then we might
not encounter the bug.
A complete input script, and all necessary source les, that will reproduce the bug.
A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is incorrect. For example, \It gets
a fatal signal."
Of course, if the bug is that GDB gets a fatal signal, then we will certainly notice it. But if
the bug is incorrect output, we might not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. We are human,
after all. You might as well not give us a chance to make a mistake.
Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still say so explicitly. Sup-
pose something strange is going on, such as, your copy of GDB is out of synch, or you have
encountered a bug in the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when ours fails to crash, we
would know that the bug was not happening for us. If you had not told us to expect a crash,
then we would not be able to draw any conclusion from our observations.
If you wish to suggest changes to the GDB source, send us context dis. If you even discuss
something in the GDB source, refer to it by context, not by line number.
The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your sources. Your line
numbers would convey no useful information to us.
Here are some things that are not necessary:
A description of the envelope of the bug.

Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating which changes to the input
le will make the bug go away and which changes will not aect it.
This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we will nd the bug is by
running a single example under the debugger with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a
series of examples. We recommend that you save your time for something else.
Of course, if you can nd a simpler example to report instead of the original one, that is a
convenience for us. Errors in the output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger
will take less time, and so on.
However, simplication is not vital; if you do not want to do this, report the bug anyway and
send us the entire test case you used.
A patch for the bug.
A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit the necessary information,
such as the test case, on the assumption that a patch is all we need. We might see problems
with your patch and decide to x the problem another way, or we might not understand it at
all.
Sometimes with a program as complicated as GDB it is very hard to construct an example
that will make the program follow a certain path through the code. If you do not send us the
example, we will not be able to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is
xed.
And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to x, or why your patch should be an
improvement, we will not install it. A test case will help us to understand.
A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such things without rst
using the debugger to nd the facts.
Appendix A: Command Line Editing 159
Appendix A Command Line Editing

This text describes GNU's command line editing interface.
A.1 Introduction to Line Editing

The following paragraphs describe the notation we use to represent keystrokes.
The text C-K is read as `Control-K' and describes the character produced when the Control key
is depressed and the K key is struck.
The text M-K is read as `Meta-K' and describes the character produced when the meta key (if
you have one) is depressed, and the K key is struck. If you do not have a meta key, the identical
keystroke can be generated by typing ESC rst, and then typing K. Either process is known as
metafying the K key.
The text M-C-K is read as `Meta-Control-k' and describes the character produced by metafying
C-K.
In addition, several keys have their own names. Specically, DEL, ESC, LFD, SPC, RET, and TAB
all stand for themselves when seen in this text, or in an init le (see Section A.3 [Readline Init
File], page 162, for more info).
A.2 Readline Interaction

Often during an interactive session you type in a long line of text, only to notice that the rst
word on the line is misspelled. The Readline library gives you a set of commands for manipulating
the text as you type it in, allowing you to just x your typo, and not forcing you to retype the
majority of the line. Using these editing commands, you move the cursor to the place that needs
correction, and delete or insert the text of the corrections. Then, when you are satised with the
line, you simply press RETURN. You do not have to be at the end of the line to press RETURN; the
entire line is accepted regardless of the location of the cursor within the line.
A.2.1 Readline Bare Essentials

In order to enter characters into the line, simply type them. The typed character appears where
the cursor was, and then the cursor moves one space to the right. If you mistype a character, you
can use DEL to back up, and delete the mistyped character.
Sometimes you may miss typing a character that you wanted to type, and not notice your error
until you have typed several other characters. In that case, you can type C-B to move the cursor
to the left, and then correct your mistake. Aftwerwards, you can move the cursor to the right with
C-F.
When you add text in the middle of a line, you will notice that characters to the right of the
cursor get `pushed over' to make room for the text that you have inserted. Likewise, when you
delete text behind the cursor, characters to the right of the cursor get `pulled back' to ll in the
blank space created by the removal of the text. A list of the basic bare essentials for editing the
text of an input line follows.
C-B Move back one character.

C-F Move forward one character.
DEL Delete the character to the left of the cursor.
C-D Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Printing characters
Insert itself into the line at the cursor.
C-_ Undo the last thing that you did. You can undo all the way back to an empty line.
A.2.2 Readline Movement Commands

The above table describes the most basic possible keystrokes that you need in order to do editing
of the input line. For your convenience, many other commands have been added in addition to C-B,
C-F, C-D, and DEL. Here are some commands for moving more rapidly about the line.
C-A Move to the start of the line.

C-E Move to the end of the line.
M-F Move forward a word.
M-B Move backward a word.
C-L Clear the screen, reprinting the current line at the top.
Notice how C-F moves forward a character, while M-F moves forward a word. It is a loose
convention that control keystrokes operate on characters while meta keystrokes operate on words.
A.2.3 Readline Killing Commands

Killing text means to delete the text from the line, but to save it away for later use, usually by
yanking it back into the line. If the description for a command says that it `kills' text, then you
can be sure that you can get the text back in a dierent (or the same) place later.
Here is the list of commands for killing text.
C-K Kill the text from the current cursor position to the end of the line.
M-D Kill from the cursor to the end of the current word, or if between words, to the end of
the next word.
M-DEL Kill from the cursor to the start of the previous word, or if between words, to the start
of the previous word.
C-W Kill from the cursor to the previous whitespace. This is dierent than M-DEL because
the word boundaries dier.
And, here is how to yank the text back into the line. Yanking is
C-Y Yank the most recently killed text back into the buer at the cursor.
M-Y Rotate the kill-ring, and yank the new top. You can only do this if the prior command
is C-Y or M-Y.
When you use a kill command, the text is saved in a kill-ring. Any number of consecutive kills
save all of the killed text together, so that when you yank it back, you get it in one clean sweep.
The kill ring is not line specic; the text that you killed on a previously typed line is available to
be yanked back later, when you are typing another line.
A.2.4 Readline Arguments

You can pass numeric arguments to Readline commands. Sometimes the argument acts as a
repeat count, other times it is the sign of the argument that is signicant. If you pass a negative
argument to a command which normally acts in a forward direction, that command will act in a
backward direction. For example, to kill text back to the start of the line, you might type M-- C-K.
The general way to pass numeric arguments to a command is to type meta digits before the
command. If the rst `digit' you type is a minus sign (-), then the sign of the argument will
be negative. Once you have typed one meta digit to get the argument started, you can type
the remainder of the digits, and then the command. For example, to give the C-D command an
argument of 10, you could type M-1 0 C-D.
A.3 Readline Init File

Although the Readline library comes with a set of Emacs-like keybindings, it is possible that
you would like to use a dierent set of keybindings. You can customize programs that use Readline
by putting commands in an init le in your home directory. The name of this le is `~/.inputrc'.
When a program which uses the Readline library starts up, the `~/.inputrc' le is read, and
the keybindings are set.
In addition, the C-X C-R command re-reads this init le, thus incorporating any changes that
you might have made to it.
A.3.1 Readline Init Syntax

There are only four constructs allowed in the `~/.inputrc' le:
Variable Settings
You can change the state of a few variables in Readline. You do this by using the set
command within the init le. Here is how you would specify that you wish to use Vi
line editing commands:
set editing-mode vi
Right now, there are only a few variables which can be set; so few in fact, that we just
iterate them here:
editing-mode
The editing-mode variable controls which editing mode you are using.
By default, GNU Readline starts up in Emacs editing mode, where the
keystrokes are most similar to Emacs. This variable can either be set to
emacs or vi.
horizontal-scroll-mode
This variable can either be set to On or Off. Setting it to On means that
the text of the lines that you edit will scroll horizontally on a single screen
line when they are larger than the width of the screen, instead of wrapping
onto a new screen line. By default, this variable is set to Off.
mark-modified-lines
This variable when set to On, says to display an asterisk (`*') at the starts
of history lines which have been modied. This variable is o by default.
prefer-visible-bell
If this variable is set to On it means to use a visible bell if one is available,
rather than simply ringing the terminal bell. By default, the value is Off.
Key Bindings
The syntax for controlling keybindings in the `~/.inputrc' le is simple. First you
have to know the name of the command that you want to change. The following pages
contain tables of the command name, the default keybinding, and a short description
of what the command does.
Once you know the name of the command, simply place the name of the key you wish
to bind the command to, a colon, and then the name of the command on a line in the
`~/.inputrc' le. The name of the key can be expressed in dierent ways, depending
on which is most comfortable for you.
keyname: function-name or macro
keyname is the name of a key spelled out in English. For example:
Control-u: universal-argument
Meta-Rubout: backward-kill-word
Control-o: ">&output"
In the above example, C-U is bound to the function universal-argument,
and C-O is bound to run the macro expressed on the right hand side (that
is, to insert the text `>&output' into the line).
"keyseq": function-name or macro
keyseq diers from keyname above in that strings denoting an entire key
sequence can be specied. Simply place the key sequence in double quotes.
GNU Emacs style key escapes can be used, as in the following example:
"\C-u": universal-argument
"\C-x\C-r": re-read-init-file
"\e[11~": "Function Key 1"

In the above example, C-U is bound to the function universal-argument
(just as it was in the rst example), C-X C-R is bound to the function re-
read-init-file, and ESC [ 1 1 ~ is bound to insert the text `Function
Key 1'.
A.3.1.1 Commands For Moving

beginning-of-line (C-A)
Move to the start of the current line.
end-of-line (C-E)
Move to the end of the line.
forward-char (C-F)
Move forward a character.
backward-char (C-B)
Move back a character.
forward-word (M-F)
Move forward to the end of the next word.
backward-word (M-B)
Move back to the start of this, or the previous, word.
clear-screen (C-L)
Clear the screen leaving the current line at the top of the screen.
A.3.1.2 Commands For Manipulating The History

accept-line (Newline, Return)
Accept the line regardless of where the cursor is. If this line is non-empty, add it to the
history list. If this line was a history line, then restore the history line to its original
state.
previous-history (C-P)
Move ùp' through the history list.
next-history (C-N)
Move `down' through the history list.
beginning-of-history (M-<)
Move to the rst line in the history.
end-of-history (M->)
Move to the end of the input history, i.e., the line you are entering!
reverse-search-history (C-R)
Search backward starting at the current line and moving ùp' through the history as
necessary. This is an incremental search.
forward-search-history (C-S)
Search forward starting at the current line and moving `down' through the the history
as necessary.
A.3.1.3 Commands For Changing Text

delete-char (C-D)
Delete the character under the cursor. If the cursor is at the beginning of the line,
and there are no characters in the line, and the last character typed was not C-D, then
return EOF.
backward-delete-char (Rubout)
Delete the character behind the cursor. A numeric arg says to kill the characters instead
of deleting them.
quoted-insert (C-Q, C-V)
Add the next character that you type to the line verbatim. This is how to insert things
like C-Q for example.
tab-insert (M-TAB)
Insert a tab character.
self-insert (a, b, A, 1, !, ...)
Insert yourself.
transpose-chars (C-T)
Drag the character before point forward over the character at point. Point moves
forward as well. If point is at the end of the line, then transpose the two characters
before point. Negative args don't work.
transpose-words (M-T)
Drag the word behind the cursor past the word in front of the cursor moving the cursor
over that word as well.
upcase-word (M-U)
Uppercase all letters in the current (or following) word. With a negative argument, do
the previous word, but do not move point.
downcase-word (M-L)
Lowercase all letters in the current (or following) word. With a negative argument, do
the previous word, but do not move point.
capitalize-word (M-C)
Uppercase the rst letter in the current (or following) word. With a negative argument,
do the previous word, but do not move point.
A.3.1.4 Killing And Yanking

kill-line (C-K)
Kill the text from the current cursor position to the end of the line.
backward-kill-line ()
Kill backward to the beginning of the line. This is normally unbound.
kill-word (M-D)
Kill from the cursor to the end of the current word, or if between words, to the end of
the next word.
backward-kill-word (M-DEL)
Kill the word behind the cursor.
unix-line-discard (C-U)
Do what C-U used to do in Unix line input. We save the killed text on the kill-ring,
though.
unix-word-rubout (C-W)
Do what C-W used to do in Unix line input. The killed text is saved on the kill-ring.
This is dierent than backward-kill-word because the word boundaries dier.
yank (C-Y)
Yank the top of the kill ring into the buer at point.
yank-pop (M-Y)
Rotate the kill-ring, and yank the new top. You can only do this if the prior command
is yank or yank-pop.
A.3.1.5 Specifying Numeric Arguments

digit-argument (M-0, M-1, ... M--)
Add this digit to the argument already accumulating, or start a new argument. M--
starts a negative argument.
universal-argument ()
Do what C-U does in emacs. By default, this is not bound.
A.3.1.6 Letting Readline Type For You

complete (TAB)
Attempt to do completion on the text before point. This is implementation dened.
Generally, if you are typing a lename argument, you can do lename completion; if
you are typing a command, you can do command completion, if you are typing in a
symbol to GDB, you can do symbol name completion, if you are typing in a variable
to Bash, you can do variable name completion...
possible-completions (M-?)
List the possible completions of the text before point.
A.3.1.7 Some Miscellaneous Commands

re-read-init-file (C-X C-R)
Read in the contents of your `~/.inputrc' le, and incorporate any bindings found
there.
abort (C-G)
Stop running the current editing command.
prefix-meta (ESC)
Make the next character that you type be metaed. This is for people without a meta
key. Typing ESC F is equivalent to typing M-F.
undo (C-_)
Incremental undo, separately remembered for each line.
revert-line (M-R)
Undo all changes made to this line. This is like typing the ùndo' command enough
times to get back to the beginning.
A.3.2 Readline Vi Mode

While the Readline library does not have a full set of Vi editing functions, it does contain enough
to allow simple editing of the line.
In order to switch interactively between Emacs and Vi editing modes, use the command M-C-J
(toggle-editing-mode).
When you enter a line in Vi mode, you are already placed in ìnsertion' mode, as if you had
typed an ì'. Pressing ESC switches you into èdit' mode, where you can edit the text of the line
with the standard Vi movement keys, move to previous history lines with `k', and following lines
with `j', and so forth.
Appendix B: Using History Interactively 169
Appendix B Using History Interactively
This chapter describes how to use the GNU History Library interactively, from a user's stand-
point.
B.1 History Interaction

The History library provides a history expansion feature that is similar to the history expansion
in Csh. The following text describes the sytax that you use to manipulate the history information.
History expansion takes place in two parts. The rst is to determine which line from the
previous history should be used during substitution. The second is to select portions of that line
for inclusion into the current one. The line selected from the previous history is called the event,
and the portions of that line that are acted upon are called words. The line is broken into words
in the same fashion that the Bash shell does, so that several English (or Unix) words surrounded
by quotes are considered as one word.
B.1.1 Event Designators

An event designator is a reference to a command line entry in the history list.
! Start a history subsititution, except when followed by a space, tab, or the end of the
line... = or (.
!! Refer to the previous command. This is a synonym for !-1.
!n Refer to command line n.
!-n Refer to the command line n lines back.
!string Refer to the most recent command starting with string.
!?string[?]
Refer to the most recent command containing string.
B.1.2 Word Designators

A : separates the event specication from the word designator. It can be omitted if the word
designator begins with a ^, $, * or %. Words are numbered from the beginning of the line, with the
rst word being denoted by a 0 (zero).
0 (zero) The zero'th word. For many applications, this is the command word.
n The n'th word.
^ The rst argument. that is, word 1.
$ The last argument.
% The word matched by the most recent ?string? search.
x-y A range of words; -y Abbreviates 0-y.
* All of the words, excepting the zero'th. This is a synonym for 1-$. It is not an error to
use * if there is just one word in the event. The empty string is returned in that case.
B.1.3 Modiers

After the optional word designator, you can add a sequence of one or more of the following
modiers, each preceded by a :.
# The entire command line typed so far. This means the current command, not the
previous command, so it really isn't a word designator, and doesn't belong in this
section.
h Remove a trailing pathname component, leaving only the head.
r Remove a trailing sux of the form `.'sux, leaving the basename.
e Remove all but the sux.
t Remove all leading pathname components, leaving the tail.
p Print the new command but do not execute it.
Appendix C: Renamed Commands 171
Appendix C Renamed Commands

The following commands were renamed in GDB 4, in order to make the command set as a whole
more consistent and easier to use and remember:
Old Command New Command

add-syms add-symbol-file
delete environment unset environment
info convenience show convenience
info copying show copying
info directories show directories
info editing show commands
info history show values
info targets help target
info values show values
info version show version
info warranty show warranty
set/ show addressprint set/ show print address
set/ show array-max set/ show print elements
set/ show arrayprint set/ show print array
set/ show asm-demangle set/ show print asm-demangle
set/ show caution set/ show confirm
set/ show demangle set/ show print demangle
set/ show history write set/ show history save
set/ show prettyprint set/ show print pretty
set/ show screen-height set/ show height
set/ show screen-width set/ show width
set/ show sevenbit-strings set/ show print sevenbit-strings
set/ show unionprint set/ show print union
set/ show vtblprint set/ show print vtbl
unset (No longer an alias for delete)

Appendix D: Formatting Documentation 173
Appendix D Formatting Documentation

The GDB 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready for printing with
PostScript or GhostScript, in the `gdb' subdirectory of the main source directory1 . If you can use
PostScript or GhostScript with your printer, you can print the reference card immediately with
`refcard.ps'.
The release also includes the source for the reference card. You can format it, using TEX, by
typing:
make refcard.dvi
The GDB reference card is designed to print in landscape mode on US \letter" size paper; that
is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches high. You will need to specify this form of printing as
an option to your dvi output program.
All the documentation for GDB comes as part of the machine-readable distribution. The docu-
mentation is written in Texinfo format, which is a documentation system that uses a single source
le to produce both on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info for-
matting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation and TEX (or texi2roff) to
typeset the printed version.
GDB includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info version of this manual in the
`gdb' subdirectory. The main Info le is `gdb-version-number /gdb/gdb.info', and it refers to
subordinate les matching `gdb.info*' in the same directory. If necessary, you can print out these
les, or read them with any editor; but they are easier to read using the info subsystem in GNU
Emacs or the standalone info program, available as part of the GNU Texinfo distribution.
If you want to format these Info les yourself, you need one of the Info formatting programs,
such as texinfo-format-buffer or makeinfo.
If you have makeinfo installed, and are in the top level GDB source directory (`gdb-4.12', in
the case of version 4.12), you can make the Info le by typing:
cd gdb
make gdb.info
1
In `gdb-4.12/gdb/refcard.ps' of the version 4.12 release.
If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need TEX, a program to print its
dvi output les, and `texinfo.tex', the Texinfo denitions le.
TEX is a typesetting program; it does not print les directly, but produces output les called
dvi les. To print a typeset document, you need a program to print dvi les. If your system has
TEX installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise command to use depends on your
system; lpr -d is common; another (for PostScript devices) is dvips. The dvi print command may
require a le name without any extension or a `.dvi' extension.
TEX also requires a macro denitions le called `texinfo.tex'. This le tells TEX how to typeset
a document written in Texinfo format. On its own, TEX cannot read, much less typeset a Texinfo
le. `texinfo.tex' is distributed with GDB and is located in the `gdb-version-number /texinfo'
directory.
If you have TEX and a dvi printer program installed, you can typeset and print this manual. First
switch to the the `gdb' subdirectory of the main source directory (for example, to `gdb-4.12/gdb')
and then type:
make gdb.dvi
Appendix E: Installing GDB 175
Appendix E Installing GDB

GDB comes with a configure script that automates the process of preparing GDB for instal-
lation; you can then use make to build the gdb program.1
The GDB distribution includes all the source code you need for GDB in a single directory, whose
name is usually composed by appending the version number to `gdb'.
For example, the GDB version 4.12 distribution is in the `gdb-4.12' directory. That directory
contains:
gdb-4.12/configure (and supporting les)

script for conguring GDB and all its supporting libraries.
gdb-4.12/gdb
the source specic to GDB itself
gdb-4.12/bfd
source for the Binary File Descriptor library
gdb-4.12/include
GNU include les
gdb-4.12/libiberty
source for the `-liberty' free software library
gdb-4.12/opcodes
source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
gdb-4.12/readline
source for the GNU command-line interface
gdb-4.12/glob
source for the GNU lename pattern-matching subroutine
gdb-4.12/mmalloc
source for the GNU memory-mapped malloc package
The simplest way to congure and build GDB is to run configure from the `gdb-version-
number' source directory, which in this example is the `gdb-4.12' directory.
1
If you have a more recent version of GDB than 4.12, look at the `README' le in the sources; we
may have improved the installation procedures since publishing this manual.
First switch to the `gdb-version-number' source directory if you are not already in it; then run
configure. Pass the identier for the platform on which GDB will run as an argument.
For example:
cd gdb-4.12
./configure host
make
where host is an identier such as `sun4' or `decstation', that identies the platform where GDB
will run. (You can often leave o host; configure tries to guess the correct value by examining
your system.)
Running `configure host' and then running make builds the `bfd', `readline', `mmalloc', and
`libiberty' libraries, then gdb itself. The congured source les, and the binaries, are left in the
corresponding source directories.
configure is a Bourne-shell (/bin/sh) script; if your system does not recognize this automati-
cally when you run a dierent shell, you may need to run sh on it explicitly:
sh configure host
If you run configure from a directory that contains source directories for multiple libraries or
programs, such as the `gdb-4.12' source directory for version 4.12, configure creates conguration
les for every directory level underneath (unless you tell it not to, with the `--norecursion' option).
You can run the configure script from any of the subordinate directories in the GDB distribu-
tion if you only want to congure that subdirectory, but be sure to specify a path to it.
For example, with version 4.12, type the following to congure only the bfd subdirectory:
cd gdb-4.12/bfd
../configure host
You can install gdb anywhere; it has no hardwired paths. However, you should make sure
that the shell on your path (named by the `SHELL' environment variable) is publicly readable.
Remember that GDB uses the shell to start your program|some systems refuse to let GDB debug
child processes whose programs are not readable.
E.1 Compiling GDB in another directory

If you want to run GDB versions for several host or target machines, you need a dierent gdb
compiled for each combination of host and target. configure is designed to make this easy by
allowing you to generate each conguration in a separate subdirectory, rather than in the source
directory. If your make program handles the `VPATH' feature (GNU make does), running make in
each of these directories builds the gdb program specied there.
To build gdb in a separate directory, run configure with the `--srcdir' option to specify where
to nd the source. (You also need to specify a path to nd configure itself from your working
directory. If the path to configure would be the same as the argument to `--srcdir', you can
leave out the `--srcdir' option; it is assumed.)
For example, with version 4.12, you can build GDB in a separate directory for a Sun 4 like this:
cd gdb-4.12
mkdir ../gdb-sun4
cd ../gdb-sun4
../gdb-4.12/configure sun4
make
When configure builds a conguration using a remote source directory, it creates a tree for the
binaries with the same structure (and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory.
In the example, you'd nd the Sun 4 library `libiberty.a' in the directory `gdb-sun4/libiberty',
and GDB itself in `gdb-sun4/gdb'.
One popular reason to build several GDB congurations in separate directories is to congure
GDB for cross-compiling (where GDB runs on one machine|the host|while debugging programs
that run on another machine|the target). You specify a cross-debugging target by giving the
`--target=target' option to configure.
When you run make to build a program or library, you must run it in a congured directory|
whatever directory you were in when you called configure (or one of its subdirectories).
The Makefile that configure generates in each source directory also runs recursively. If you
type make in a source directory such as `gdb-4.12' (or in a separate congured directory congured
with `--srcdir=path/gdb-4.12'), you will build all the required libraries, and then build GDB.
When you have multiple hosts or targets congured in separate directories, you can run make
on them in parallel (for example, if they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not
interfere with each other.
E.2 Specifying names for hosts and targets

The specications used for hosts and targets in the configure script are based on a three-part
naming scheme, but some short predened aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme
encodes three pieces of information in the following pattern:
architecture-vendor-os
For example, you can use the alias sun4 as a host argument, or as the value for target in a
--target=target option. The equivalent full name is `sparc-sun-sunos4'.
The configure script accompanying GDB does not provide any query facility to list all sup-
ported host and target names or aliases. configure calls the Bourne shell script config.sub to
map abbreviations to full names; you can read the script, if you wish, or you can use it to test your
guesses on abbreviations|for example:
% sh config.sub sun4
sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
% sh config.sub sun3
m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
% sh config.sub decstation
mips-dec-ultrix4.2
% sh config.sub hp300bsd
m68k-hp-bsd
% sh config.sub i386v
i386-unknown-sysv
% sh config.sub i786v
Invalid configuration ì786v': machine ì786v' not recognized
config.sub is also distributed in the GDB source directory (`gdb-4.12', for version 4.12).
E.3 configure options
Here is a summary of the configure options and arguments that are most often useful for build-
ing GDB. configure also has several other options not listed here. See Info le `configure.info',
node `What Configure Does', for a full explanation of configure.
configure [--help]
[--prefix=dir]
[--srcdir=path]
[--norecursion] [--rm]
[--target=target] host
You may introduce options with a single `-' rather than `--' if you prefer; but you may abbreviate
option names if you use `--'.
--help Display a quick summary of how to invoke configure.

-prefix=dir
Congure the source to install programs and les under directory `dir'.
--srcdir=path
Warning: using this option requires GNU make, or another make that implements the
VPATH feature.
Use this option to make congurations in directories separate from the GDB source
directories. Among other things, you can use this to build (or maintain) several congu-
rations simultaneously, in separate directories. configure writes conguration specic
les in the current directory, but arranges for them to use the source in the directory
path. configure creates directories under the working directory in parallel to the
source directories below path.
--norecursion
Congure only the directory level where configure is executed; do not propagate
conguration to subdirectories.
--rm Remove les otherwise built during conguration.
--target=target
Congure GDB for cross-debugging programs running on the specied target. Without
this option, GDB is congured to debug programs that run on the same machine (host)
as GDB itself.
There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available targets.
host ::: Congure GDB to run on the specied host.
There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available hosts.
configure accepts other options, for compatibility with conguring other GNU tools recursively;
but these are the only options that aect GDB or its supporting libraries.
Index 181
Index
# add-symbol-file : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 116
#:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 19 add-syms : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
# in Modula-2 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 101 AMD 29K register stack ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 82
AMD EB29K 120
$
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
AMD29K via UDI :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 131

$:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 78 arguments (to your program) :::::::::::::::::::::: 27
$$ : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 78 articial array ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 67
$ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 81 assembly instructions :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 63
$ and info breakpoints :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 37 assignment ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 107
$ and info line :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 63 attach :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 30
$ , $ , and value history ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 71 automatic display :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 71
$ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 81 automatic thread selection ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 34
$bpnum 36
B
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
$cdir : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 62
$cwd : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 62 b:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 36
54
. backtrace : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
break : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 36
.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 100 break ::: threadno
thread ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 51
.esgdbinit : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 149 break in overloaded functions :::::::::::::::::::::: 94
`.gdbinit' :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 149 breakpoint commands :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 44
.os68gdbinit :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 149 breakpoint conditions :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 42
.vxgdbinit : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 149 breakpoint numbers :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 35
breakpoint on memory address 35
/
:::::::::::::::::::::
breakpoint on variable modication :::::::::::::::: 35

/proc : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 31 breakpoint subroutine, remote ::::::::::::::::::: 123
breakpoints 35
:
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
breakpoints and threads ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 51

:: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 67, 100 bt : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 54
bug criteria ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 155
@ bug reports ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 155
@:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 67 bugs in GDB ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 155
{ C
{ type } ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 66 c:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 47
C and C++ 90
A
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
C and C++ checks :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 94

a.out and C++ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93 C and C++ constants ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 92
abbreviation ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 19 C and C++ defaults :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93
active targets ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 119 C and C++ operators ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 90
C++ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 90 controlling terminal :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 29

C++ and object formats :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93 convenience variables :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 80
C++ exception handling :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 95 core : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 115
C++ scope resolution ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 67 core dump le :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 113
C++ support, not in co :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93 core-file : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 115
C++ symbol decoding style ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 77 CPU simulator ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 140
C++ symbol display :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 95 crash of debugger ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 155
110
call : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : current directory ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 62
call overloaded functions ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93 current thread ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 32
call stack :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 53 cwd : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 62
calling functions :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 110
calling make 17
casts, to view memory
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 66 D
39
catch : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : d:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 41
catch exceptions ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 57 debugger crash ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 155
29
cd : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : debugging optimized code :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 25
62
cdir : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : debugging stub, example :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 127
checks, range :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 88 debugging target :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 119
checks, type ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 87 define ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 147
checksum, for GDB remote ::::::::::::::::::::::: 127 delete :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 41
41
clear : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : delete breakpoints ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 41
clearing breakpoints, watchpoints :::::::::::::::::: 40 delete display : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 72
co versus C++ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93 delete environment : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
colon, doubled as scope operator :::::::::::::::::: 100 deleting breakpoints, watchpoints :::::::::::::::::: 40
colon-colon :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 67 detach :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 30
command les ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 148, 149 device ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 138
command line editing ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 141 directories for source les :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 61
commands : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 44 directory : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 62
commands for C++ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 94 directory, compilation :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 62
commands to STDBUG (ST2000) ::::::::::::::::: 135 directory, current :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 62
comment :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 19 dis : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 42
compilation directory :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 62 disable : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 42
completion ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 20 disable breakpoints : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 42
completion of quoted strings ::::::::::::::::::::::: 21 disable display :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 72
condition : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 43 disabled breakpoints ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 41
conditional breakpoints :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 42 disassemble : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 63
conguring GDB ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 175 display : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 72
conrmation :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 145 display of expressions :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 71
connect (to STDBUG) :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 135 do : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 55
continue : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 47 document : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 147
continuing ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 47 documentation :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 173
continuing threads ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 51 down : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 55
control C, and remote debugging :::::::::::::::::: 124 down-silently :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 56
download to H8/300 or H8/500 ::::::::::::::::::: 115
Index 183
download to Hitachi SH ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 115 file : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 113

download to Nindy-960 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 115 finish :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 48
download to VxWorks :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 137 inching :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 145
dynamic linking :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 116 oating point :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 83
oating point registers ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 81
E oating point, MIPS remote ::::::::::::::::::::::
flush i cache : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
139
125
eb.log ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 134
EB29K board ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 131 focus of debugging ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 32
EBMON :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 132 foo ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 117
echo : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 150 format options ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 73
eco and C++ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93 formatted output :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 68
editing ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 141 Fortran ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1
editing-mode :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 163 forward-search : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 61
elf/dwarf and C++ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93 frame :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 53
elf/stabs and C++ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93 frame : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 55
emacs :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 151 frame number ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 54
enable :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 42 frame pointer :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 53
enable breakpoints : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 42 frameless execution :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 54
72
G
enable display : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
enabled breakpoints :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 41
end : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :44 g++ : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 90
entering numbers ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 144 GDB bugs, reporting ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 155
environment (of your program) ::::::::::::::::::::: 27 GDB reference card ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 173
error on valid input ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 155 GDBHISTFILE ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 142
event designators ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 169 gdbserver : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 128
examining data :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 65 getDebugChar :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 124
examining memory ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 69 GNU C++ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 90
exception handlers ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 39, 57
exceptionHandler : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
exec-file : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
124
113
H
h:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 21
executable le :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 113 H8/300 or H8/500 download :::::::::::::::::::::: 115
exiting GDB ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 16 H8/300 or H8/500 simulator :::::::::::::::::::::: 140
expansion :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 169 handle :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 50
expressions :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 65 handle exception : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 123
expressions in C or C++ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 90 handling signals ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 49
expressions in C++ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93 help : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 21
expressions in Modula-2 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 96 help target : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 120
147
F
help user-defined : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
heuristic-fence-post (MIPS) :::::::::::::::::::: 57
f:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 55 history expansion ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 142
fatal signal ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 155 history le :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 142
fatal signals :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 49 history number :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 78
fg : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 47 history save :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 142
history size ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 142 info share : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 116

history substitution ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 142 info sharedlibrary : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 116
Hitachi SH download ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 115 info signals : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 50
Hitachi SH simulator ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 140 info source :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 86, 104
horizontal-scroll-mode : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 163 info sources : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 104
info stack : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 54
116
I info target : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
info targets : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
i:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 22 info terminal : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 29
i/o :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 29 info threads : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 33
i386 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 123 info types : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 104
i386-stub.c ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 123 info values : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
i960 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 130 info variables :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 104
ignore :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 44 info version : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
ignore count (of breakpoint) ::::::::::::::::::::::: 43 info warranty : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
INCLUDE RDB : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 135 info watchpoints ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 39
22
info : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : inheritance :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 95
info address : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 103 init le ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 149
info all-registers : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 81 init le name ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 149
info args ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 57 initial frame ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 53
info breakpoints ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 37 innermost frame ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 53
info catch : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 57 inspect : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 65
info convenience : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171 installation ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 175
info copying : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171 instructions, assembly :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 63
info directories : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171 Intel :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 123
info display : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 72 interaction, readline :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 159
info editing : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171 internal GDB breakpoints :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 38
info f : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 56 interrupt :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 17
info files : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 116 interrupting remote programs ::::::::::::::::::::: 126
info float : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 83 interrupting remote targets ::::::::::::::::::::::: 124
info frame : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 56, 86 invalid input :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 155
info functions :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 104
info history : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
info line
171
62
J
108
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
jump : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
info locals : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 57
info proc
info proc id
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
31
32 K
info proc mappings ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 31 kill : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 31
32
L
info proc status : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
info proc times : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 32
info program : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 35 l:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 59
info registers : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 81 languages :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 85
info s : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 54 latest breakpoint ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 36
info set :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 23 leaving GDB ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 16
Index 185
linespec :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 60 nexti : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 49

list : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 59 ni : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 49
listing machine instructions :::::::::::::::::::::::: 63 Nindy :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 130
load : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 115 number representation :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 144
log le for EB29K :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 134 numbers for breakpoints ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 35
M O
m680x0 123
object formats and C++ 93
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
m68k-stub.c 123 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
online documentation 21
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
machine instructions ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 63 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
maint info breakpoints : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 38 optimized code, debugging ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 25

maint print psymbols : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 105 outermost frame ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 53
maint print symbols : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 105 output ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 150
make : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 17 output formats :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 68
mapped 114 overloading :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 45
overloading in C++ 94
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
mark-modified-lines :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 163 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
member functions :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93

memory tracing ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
memory, viewing as typed object

35
66
P
:::::::::::::::::::
packets, reporting on stdout 128
memory-mapped symbol le 114
::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::
partial symbol dump 105
125
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
memset :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
patching binaries 110
MIPS boards 138
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
path : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 28
MIPS remote oating point 139
pauses in output 143
:::::::::::::::::::::::
MIPS remotedebug protocol 139

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::
pipes 27
MIPS stack 57
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
pointer, nding referent 75
Modula-2 95
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
prefer-visible-bell 163
Modula-2 built-ins 97
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
print : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 65
Modula-2 checks :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 100 print settings 73
Modula-2 constants 98
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
printf 150
Modula-2 defaults 99
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
printing data 65
Modula-2 operators 96
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
process image 31
Modula-2, deviations from 99
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
prompt 141
Motorola 680x0 123
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
protocol, GDB remote serial 127
multiple targets 119
::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ptype 103
multiple threads 32
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
putDebugChar :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 124
29
N pwd : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
48
Q
n::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
names of symbols ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 103
namespace in C++ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93 q:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 16
negative breakpoint numbers ::::::::::::::::::::::: 38 quit : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 16
New systag ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 33 quotes in commands ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 21
next : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 48 quoting names :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 103
R S
raise exceptions :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 40 s:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 47
range checking ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 88 saving symbol table ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 114
rbreak :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 37 scope ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 100
reading symbols immediately ::::::::::::::::::::: 114 search :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 61
readline :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 141 searching :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 61
readnow : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 114 selected frame ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 53
redirection ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 29 serial connections, debugging ::::::::::::::::::::: 128
reference card :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 173 serial device, Hitachi micros ::::::::::::::::::::::: 138
reference declarations :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93 serial line speed, Hitachi micros ::::::::::::::::::: 138
register stack, AMD29K ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 82 serial line, target remote ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 126
registers ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 81 serial protocol, GDB remote :::::::::::::::::::::: 127
regular expression :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 37 set addressprint : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
reloading symbols ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 145 set args :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 27
remote connection without stubs :::::::::::::::::: 128 set array-max : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
remote debugging ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 121 set arrayprint :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 171
remote programs, interrupting :::::::::::::::::::: 126 set asm-demangle : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
remote serial debugging summary ::::::::::::::::: 125 set caution : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
remote serial debugging, overview ::::::::::::::::: 122 set check : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 88, 89
remote serial protocol ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 127 set check range : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 89
remote serial stub :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 123 set check type : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 88
remote serial stub list ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 122 set complaints :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 145
remote serial stub, initialization ::::::::::::::::::: 123 set confirm : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 145
remote serial stub, main routine :::::::::::::::::: 123 set demangle : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
remote stub, example ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 127 set demangle-style : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 77
remote stub, support routines ::::::::::::::::::::: 124 set editing : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 141
remotedebug, MIPS protocol :::::::::::::::::::::: 139 set environment :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 28
repeating commands ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 19 set height : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 143
reporting bugs in GDB ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 155 set history expansion : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 142
reset :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 131 set history filename : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 142
response time, MIPS debugging :::::::::::::::::::: 57 set history save : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 142
resuming execution :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 47 set history size : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 142
RET : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :19 set history write ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 171
retransmit-timeout , MIPS protocol :::::::::::::: 139 set language : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 85
return ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 109 set listsize : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 59
returning from a function ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 109 set mipsfpu off : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 139
reverse-search : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 61 set prettyprint ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 171
run : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :26 set print address : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 73
running :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 26 set print array : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 75
running 29K programs :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 131 set print asm-demangle : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 77
running VxWorks tasks ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 137 set print demangle ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 77
set print elements ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 75
set print fast-symbolic-addr : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 74
Index 187
set print max-symbolic-offset : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 74 show convenience ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 80

set print object : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 78 show copying : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :23
set print pretty : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 76 show demangle : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
set print sevenbit-strings : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 76 show demangle-style : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 78
set print symbol-filename ::::::::::::::::::::::: 74 show directories ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 62
set print union : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 76 show editing : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 141
set print vtbl : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 78 show environment ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 28
set prompt : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 141 show height : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :143
set radix : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 144 show history : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 143
set remotedebug : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 128, 139 show history write :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 171
set retransmit-timeout ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 139 show language : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 86
set rstack high address : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 82 show listsize : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 60
set screen-height : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171 show mipsfpu : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 139
set screen-width : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171 28
show paths : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
set sevenbit-strings : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171 show prettyprint : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
set symbol-reloading : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 146 show print address ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 73
set timeout : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 139 show print array : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 75
set unionprint :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 171 show print asm-demangle : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 77
set variable : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 107 show print demangle : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 77
set verbose : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 144 show print elements : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 75
set vtblprint : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171 show print fast-symbolic-addr : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 75
set width : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 143 show print max-symbolic-offset : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 74
set write : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 110 show print object : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 78
set debug traps : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 123 show print pretty : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 76
setting variables :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 107 show print sevenbit-strings : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 76
setting watchpoints :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 39 show print symbol-filename : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 74
share :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 116 show print union : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 76
shared libraries ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 116 show print vtbl : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 78
sharedlibrary : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 116 show prompt : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :141
17
shell : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 144
show radix : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
shell escape :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 17 show remotedebug ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 128, 139
23
show : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : show retransmit-timeout : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 139
show addressprint : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171 show rstack high address : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 83
show args ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 27 show screen-height : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
show array-max :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 171 show screen-width : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171
show arrayprint ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 171 show sevenbit-strings :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 171
show asm-demangle : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171 show timeout : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 139
show caution : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 171 show unionprint ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 171
show check range : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 89 147
show user : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
show check type : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 88 79
show values : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
show commands : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 143 show verbose : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 145
show complaints ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 145 show version : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :23
show confirm : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 145 show vtblprint :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 171
show warranty : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 23 target core : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 120

show width : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 143 target exec : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 120
show write : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 111 target hms : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 121
si : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 49 target mips port ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 138
signal ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 109 target nindy : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 121
signals ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 49 target remote : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 120
silent :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 45 target sim :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 120, 140
sim : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 140 target st2000 : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 121
simulator ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 140 target udi : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 120
simulator, H8/300 or H8/500 ::::::::::::::::::::: 140 target vxworks :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 121
simulator, Hitachi SH ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 140 tbreak :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 37
simulator, Z8000 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 140 TCP port, target remote :::::::::::::::::::::::: 126
size of screen ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 143 terminal ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 29
source ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 149 93
this : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
source path :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 61 thread breakpoints ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 51
sparc-stub.c :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 122 thread identier (GDB) :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 33
speed :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 138 thread identier (system) :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 33
ST2000 auxiliary commands :::::::::::::::::::::: 135 thread number ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 33
st2000 cmd :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 135 thread threadno ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 33
stack frame :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 53 threads and watchpoints ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 39
stack on MIPS ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 57 threads of execution ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 32
stacking targets ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 119 threads, automatic switching ::::::::::::::::::::::: 34
starting :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 26 threads, continuing :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 51
STDBUG commands (ST2000) ::::::::::::::::::: 135 threads, stopped ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 51
step : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 47 timeout, MIPS protocol :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 139
stepi : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 49 toggle-editing-mode :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 168
stepping ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 47 29
tty : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
stopped threads :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 51 type casting memory ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 66
stub example, remote debugging :::::::::::::::::: 127 type checking :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 87
stupid questions :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 145 type conversions in C++ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93
switching threads :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 32
switching threads automatically 34
symbol decoding style, C++
::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::: 77 U
symbol dump ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 105 u:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 48
symbol names :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 103 udi : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 131
symbol overloading :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 45 UDI :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 131
symbol table :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 113 undisplay : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 72
symbol-file ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 113 unknown address, locating ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 69
symbols, reading immediately ::::::::::::::::::::: 114 unset :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 171
unset environment : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 28
48
T
until : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
up : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 55
target ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 119 up-silently : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 56
target amd-eb : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 120 user-dened command :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 147
Index 189
V wild pointer, interpreting :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 75

value history ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 78 word completion ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 20
variable name con ict :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 66 working directory :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 62
variable values, wrong ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 67 working directory (of your program) ::::::::::::::: 29
variables, setting :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 107 working language :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 85
version number :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 23 writing into coreles :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 110
vi style command editing ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 168 writing into executables ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 110
VxWorks ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 135 wrong values::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 67
W X
watch : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :39 x:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 69
watchpoints ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 35 xco and C++ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93
watchpoints and threads 39
Z
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
whatis ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 103

where : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :54 Z8000 simulator :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 140
The body of this manual is set in

cmr10 at 10.95pt,
with headings in cmb10 at 10.95pt
and examples in cmtt10 at 10.95pt.
cmti10 at 10.95pt ,
cmb10 at 10.95pt, and
cmsl10 at 10.95pt
are used for emphasis.
i
Table of Contents
Summary of GDB :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1
Free software ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1
Contributors to GDB ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 2
New Features since GDB Version 3.5 ::::::::::::::::::: 5
1 A Sample GDB Session :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 7
2 Getting In and Out of GDB :::::::::::::::::::::::: 13
2.1 Invoking GDB ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 13
2.1.1 Choosing les ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 14
2.1.2 Choosing modes :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 15
2.2 Quitting GDB ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 16
2.3 Shell commands :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 17
3 GDB Commands :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 19
3.1 Command syntax :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 19
3.2 Command completion :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 20
3.3 Getting help ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 21
4 Running Programs Under GDB ::::::::::::::::::: 25
4.1 Compiling for debugging ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 25
4.2 Starting your program:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 26
4.3 Your program's arguments ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 27
4.4 Your program's environment ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 27
4.5 Your program's working directory :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 29
4.6 Your program's input and output ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 29
4.7 Debugging an already-running process :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 30
4.8 Killing the child process
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 31
4.9 Additional process information::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 31
4.10 Debugging programs with multiple threads :::::::::::::::::::::: 32
5 Stopping and Continuing ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 35
5.1 Breakpoints, watchpoints, and exceptions ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 35
5.1.1 Setting breakpoints ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 36
5.1.2 Setting watchpoints ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 39
ii Debugging with GDB
5.1.3 Breakpoints and exceptions ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 39
5.1.4 Deleting breakpoints :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 40
5.1.5 Disabling breakpoints ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 41
5.1.6 Break conditions :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 42
5.1.7 Breakpoint command lists ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 44
5.1.8 Breakpoint menus ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 45
5.1.9 \Cannot insert breakpoints" ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 46
5.2 Continuing and stepping ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 47
5.3 Signals ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 49
5.4 Stopping and starting multi-thread programs ::::::::::::::::::::: 51
6 Examining the Stack :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 53
6.1 Stack frames ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 53
6.2 Backtraces ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 54
6.3 Selecting a frame::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 55
6.4 Information about a frame ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 56
6.5 MIPS machines and the function stack ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 57
7 Examining Source Files ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 59
7.1 Printing source lines:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 59
7.2 Searching source les ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 61
7.3 Specifying source directories :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 61
7.4 Source and machine code ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 62
8 Examining Data ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 65
8.1 Expressions :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 65
8.2 Program variables :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 66
8.3 Articial arrays:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 67
8.4 Output formats :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 68
8.5 Examining memory :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 69
8.6 Automatic display :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 71
8.7 Print settings:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 73
8.8 Value history::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 78
8.9 Convenience variables :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 80
8.10 Registers:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 81
8.11 Floating point hardware ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 83
9 Using GDB with Dierent Languages ::::::::::::: 85
9.1 Switching between source languages :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 85
9.1.1 Setting the working language :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 85
9.1.2 Having GDB infer the source language :::::::::::::::::: 86
9.2 Displaying the language :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 86
iii
9.3 Type and range checking ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 87
9.3.1 An overview of type checking :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 87
9.3.2 An overview of range checking ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 88
9.4 Supported languages ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 90
9.4.1 C and C++ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 90
9.4.1.1 C and C++ operators ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 90
9.4.1.2 C and C++ constants ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 92
9.4.1.3 C++ expressions :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93
9.4.1.4 C and C++ defaults :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 93
9.4.1.5 C and C++ type and range checks :::::::::::::: 94
9.4.1.6 GDB and C :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 94
9.4.1.7 GDB features for C++ :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 94
9.4.2 Modula-2 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 95
9.4.2.1 Operators :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 96
9.4.2.2 Built-in functions and procedures :::::::::::::: 97
9.4.2.3 Constants :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 99
9.4.2.4 Modula-2 defaults :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 99
9.4.2.5 Deviations from standard Modula-2 :::::::::::: 99
9.4.2.6 Modula-2 type and range checks :::::::::::::: 100
9.4.2.7 The scope operators :: and . ::::::::::::::::: 100
9.4.2.8 GDB and Modula-2 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 101
10 Examining the Symbol Table :::::::::::::::::::: 103
11 Altering Execution ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 107
11.1 Assignment to variables:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 107
11.2 Continuing at a dierent address ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 108
11.3 Giving your program a signal :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 109
11.4 Returning from a function ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 109
11.5 Calling program functions:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 110
11.6 Patching programs ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 110
12 GDB Files ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 113
12.1 Commands to specify les :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 113
12.2 Errors reading symbol les ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 117
13 Specifying a Debugging Target :::::::::::::::::: 119
13.1 Active targets :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 119
13.2 Commands for managing targets ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 119
13.3 Remote debugging ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 121
13.3.1 The GDB remote serial protocol :::::::::::::::::::::: 122
13.3.1.1 What the stub can do for you :::::::::::::::: 123
iv Debugging with GDB
13.3.1.2 What you must do for the stub :::::::::::::: 124
13.3.1.3 Putting it all together ::::::::::::::::::::::: 125
13.3.1.4 Communication protocol ::::::::::::::::::::: 127
13.3.1.5 Using the gdbserver program ::::::::::::::: 128
13.3.2 GDB with a remote i960 (Nindy) ::::::::::::::::::::: 130
13.3.2.1 Startup with Nindy :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 130
13.3.2.2 Options for Nindy ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 130
13.3.2.3 Nindy reset command ::::::::::::::::::::::: 131
13.3.3 The UDI protocol for AMD29K ::::::::::::::::::::::: 131
13.3.4 The EBMON protocol for AMD29K ::::::::::::::::::: 131
13.3.4.1 Communications setup ::::::::::::::::::::::: 132
13.3.4.2 EB29K cross-debugging :::::::::::::::::::::: 134
13.3.4.3 Remote log :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 134
13.3.5 GDB with a Tandem ST2000 ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 135
13.3.6 GDB and VxWorks ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 135
13.3.6.1 Connecting to VxWorks ::::::::::::::::::::: 136
13.3.6.2 VxWorks download :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 137
13.3.6.3 Running tasks ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 137
13.3.7 GDB and Hitachi Microprocessors :::::::::::::::::::: 138
13.3.8 GDB and remote MIPS boards :::::::::::::::::::::::: 138
13.3.9 Simulated CPU target :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 140
14 Controlling GDB ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 141
14.1 Prompt :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 141
14.2 Command editing :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 141
14.3 Command history :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 142
14.4 Screen size ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 143
14.5 Numbers ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 144
14.6 Optional warnings and messages ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 144
15 Canned Sequences of Commands :::::::::::::::: 147
15.1 User-dened commands :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 147
15.2 User-dened command hooks ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 148
15.3 Command les ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 149
15.4 Commands for controlled output ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 150
16 Using GDB under GNU Emacs ::::::::::::::::: 151
17 Reporting Bugs in GDB ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 155
17.1 Have you found a bug? ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 155
17.2 How to report bugs :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 155
v
Appendix A Command Line Editing ::::::::::::::: 159
A.1 Introduction to Line Editing :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 159
A.2 Readline Interaction :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 159
A.2.1 Readline Bare Essentials ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 160
A.2.2 Readline Movement Commands :::::::::::::::::::::::: 160
A.2.3 Readline Killing Commands ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 161
A.2.4 Readline Arguments ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 162
A.3 Readline Init File::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 162
A.3.1 Readline Init Syntax :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 162
A.3.1.1 Commands For Moving ::::::::::::::::::::::: 164
A.3.1.2 Commands For Manipulating The History :::: 164
A.3.1.3 Commands For Changing Text ::::::::::::::: 165
A.3.1.4 Killing And Yanking ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 166
A.3.1.5 Specifying Numeric Arguments ::::::::::::::: 167
A.3.1.6 Letting Readline Type For You ::::::::::::::: 167
A.3.1.7 Some Miscellaneous Commands :::::::::::::: 167
A.3.2 Readline Vi Mode ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 168
Appendix B Using History Interactively ::::::::::: 169
B.1 History Interaction ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 169
B.1.1 Event Designators ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 169
B.1.2 Word Designators ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 170
B.1.3 Modiers :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 170
Appendix C Renamed Commands :::::::::::::::::: 171
Appendix D Formatting Documentation ::::::::::: 173
Appendix E Installing GDB ::::::::::::::::::::::::: 175
E.1 Compiling GDB in another directory :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 177
E.2 Specifying names for hosts and targets :::::::::::::::::::::::::: 178
E.3 configure options :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 179
Index ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 181
vi Debugging with GDB

Debugging With GDB

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Debugging with GDB

The GNU Source-Level Debugger

Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch

Published by the Free Software Foundation

Hitachi America, Ltd. sponsored the support for Hitachi microprocessors.

New Features since GDB Version 3.5

1 A Sample GDB Session

Let us use GDB to try to see what is going on.

(gdb) set width 70

(gdb) break m4 changequote

(gdb) p len lquote=strlen(lquote)

2 Getting In and Out of GDB

2.1 Invoking GDB

gdb program core

gdb program 1234

2.1.1 Choosing les

gdb -batch -nx -mapped -readnow programname

2.1.2 Choosing modes

2.2 Quitting GDB

2.3 Shell commands

shell command string

3.1 Command syntax

3.2 Command completion

(gdb) info bre TAB

(gdb) info breakpoints

(gdb) b make_ TAB

(gdb) b 'bubble( M-?

(gdb) b bub TAB

3.3 Getting help

running -- Running the program

Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of

show -- Generic command for showing things set

Type "help" followed by command name for full

4 Running Programs Under GDB

4.1 Compiling for debugging

4.2 Starting your program

4.3 Your program's arguments

4.4 Your program's environment

4.5 Your program's working directory

4.6 Your program's input and output

starts your program, diverting its output to the le `outfile'.

4.7 Debugging an already-running process

4.8 Killing the child process

4.9 Additional process information

info proc Summarize available information about the process.

info proc times

4.10 Debugging programs with multiple threads

GDB provides these facilities for debugging multi-thread programs:

 automatic noti cation of new threads

(gdb) info threads

your system's conventions for identifying threads.

5 Stopping and Continuing

5.1 Breakpoints, watchpoints, and exceptions

5.1.1 Setting breakpoints

maint info breakpoints

5.1.2 Setting watchpoints

Warning: in multi-thread programs, watchpoints have only limited usefulness. With

5.1.3 Breakpoints and exceptions

There are currently some limitations to exception handling in GDB:

automatic notication of new threads

Delete the breakpoints or watchpoints of the numbers specied as arguments. If no

A breakpoint or watchpoint can have any of four dierent states of enablement:

8.3 Articial arrays

int array = (int ) malloc (len * sizeof (int));

set print max-symbolic-offset max-oset

Other settings control how dierent kinds of objects are printed: