gdb dbx

Invocation

gdb program dbx progam

gdb program core dbx program core
gdb program pid dbx program pid

gdb -c core dbx - core

gdb -p pid dbx - pid
Note: need to specify program explicitly (program is found automatically)
Note: dbx cannot debug core files and live process
es without access to program file, i.e. a.out

gdb -s file -
(read symbols from file)

gdb -x file dbx ... < file

dbx -s file ...

-tty device dbxenv run_io pty

(Run using device for your program’s standard inp dbxenv run_pty device
ut and output)

-write (open executable and core file for writing) -

Exiting

quit exit
Ctrl-d

Executing shell commands

shell command ksh/sh command

Note: you can use any ksh command, including
function definition. See “help ksh differences” for
limitations.

Logging

set logging dbxenv session_log_file_name file

show logging dbxenv session_log_file_name

- dbxenv output_log_file_name file

dbxenv output_log_file_name
(logs only commands, not their output)

set logging redirect [on|off] -

Note: equivalent to off
 gdb dbx

set logging overwrite [on|off] -

Note: equivalent to on

Commands (general)

Abbreviation - automatic (can use 's' instead of Need to use ksh 'alias' command to define aliases
'step')

Auto-completion with Tab No auto-completion

Command repeat with Ret Command repeat with '!' and UpArrow Ret

Built-in help

help [command] help [command]

apropos keyword help -k keyword

Debugging information support

stabs (GNU), dwarf2, -g -O stabs (SUN), dwarf2, -g -O

Macro support (-g3) Macro support (-g3); Sun Studio compilers don't
generate debug info for macros, though.

(status unknown) .ldynsym support (symbols in stripped loadobject)

Starting a program

run [arguments][ < input_file] [ > output_file run [arguments][ < input_file] [ > output_file]

start -
(run and stop in “main”) Note: only available in GUI mode when used from
Sun Studio IDE

Program environment

set args args runargs args

show args debug

path dir PATH=dir:$PATH

show paths echo $PATH

set environment varname [=value ] varname=value

unset environment varname unset varname

cd directory cd directory
 gdb dbx

pwd pwd

- any other ksh command (with certain limitations;

see “help ksh differences”)

Attaching

attach pid attach pid

debug program pid
debug - pid

detach detach

- detach -stop

Killing the child process

kill kill (builtin)

/usr/bin/kill

Debugging Multithreaded Applications

info threads threads

thread threadno thread threadid

- thread -info [threadid]

- thread -blocks [threadid] thread -blockedby [threa

did]

- syncs
(list all synchronization objects).
Note: available on Solaris only.

- sync -info addr

(show information about synchronization object).
Note: available on Solaris only.

thread apply [threadno] [all] command -

- lwps

- lwp lwpid

- lwp [lwpid] -info

(displays the name, home, and masked signals)

- lwp [lwpid] -setfp addr

 gdb dbx

lwp [lwpid] -resetfp

(temporarily set frame pointer to specified value)

- OpenMP support.

Debugging Programs with Multiple Processes

set follow-fork-mode parent dbxenv follow_fork_mode parent

set follow-fork-mode child dbxenv follow_fork_mode child

- dbxenv follow_fork_mode ask

set detach-on-fork on/off -

Note: always detaches; it is possible to debug both
processes, but only using Sun Studio IDE

info forks -
fork fork-id
detach fork fork-id
delete fork fork-id

Process snapshots

checkpoint -
info checkpoints Note: dbx has different mechanism for that; see
restart checkpoint-id “help save/restore/replace” commands for more
delete checkpoint checkpoint-id information.

Breakpoints

break function stop in function

break +offset stop at $[$lineno+offset]

break -offset stop at $[$lineno – offset]
Note: you can define helper function in .dbxrc that
will save you from typing all that stuff.

break [filename:]linenum stop at [filename:]linenum

break filename:function -

break \*address stopi at address

stop at address -instr

break -
(stop on next instruction in current stack frame) Note: Can use “stopi at $npc”, but on sparc only
 gdb dbx

break ... if cond stop ... -if cond

condition bnum expression

condition bnum -
(removes condition)

tbreak args stop ... -temp

- stop inmethod func

stop inmember func
stop infunction func
stop inclass classname [ -recurse | -norecurse ]
inobject object_address [ -recurse | -norecurse ]

step; cont stop step

next; cont stop next

catch signal [signame ] stop sig signal [code]

- stop fault <fault>

catch throw [ exceptname] intercept [-all] [-x] [-set] [typename]

Note: not very useful since stop after exception is stop throw [-unhandled] [-unexpected] [typename]
thrown; doesn't work in code called from gdb

catch catch [exceptname] -

Note: use “whocatches” command

catch stop stop stop

- stop attach stop detach

- stop sync

- stop syncrtld

- stop lastrites (Solaris only)

catch load [ lib-path ] stop dlopen [ lib-path ]

catch unload [ lib-path ] stop dlclose [ lib-path ]
Note: unavailable on Linux and Solaris

- stop exit [ exitcode ]

catch fork stop sysin [sysin code|name]

catch vfork stop sysout [sysin code|name]
catch exec
Note: no other system calls are supported
 gdb dbx

finish stop returns [func]

Note: can't specify function to catch return from Note: has bug(s), still unresolved.

- stop lwp_exit (Solaris only)

catch exit stop proc_gone

catch start stop prog_new
Note: not implemented on Linux and Solaris

tcatch ... stop ... -temp

- stop timer seconds

watch variable stop change variable

Note: need to re-enable manually

watch expr stop if expr

Note: need to re-enable manually stop cond expr

mem addr-expr addr-expr mode stop access mode addr-expr [ , byte-size-expr

rwatch <expr> -
awatch <expr>
Note: need to re-enable manually, doen't work on
Solaris and Linux.

catch thread_start stop thr_exit [-thread tid]

catch thread_exit stop thr_create [ tid ]

catch thread_join -

- stop ... -resumeone

(when evaluating stop condition, resume only one
thread).

- stop ... -in func

ignore bnum count stop ... -count count

handler -count count bnum

break linespec thread threadno stop ... -thread tid

- stop ... -lwp lwpid

hbreak args -
thbreak args

rbreak regex -
 gdb dbx

Note: need to use funcs command and manually set

breakpoints with “stop in”

info breakpoints [n] status [n]

info watchpoints [n]

clear clear
clear linenum clear linenum
clear filename:linenum clear filename:linenum

clear function -
clear filename:function

delete [breakpoints] [range ...] delete [breakpoints]

delete all

Pending breakpoints -
Note: you can load shared library with “loadobject
-load lib” and set breakpoints after that or run your
program once without any breakpoints so that dbx
become aware of all libraries.

set breakpoint auto-hw on/off -

disable [breakpoints] [range ...] handler -disable [breakpoints]

enable [breakpoints] [range ...] handler -enable [breakpoints]

enable [breakpoints] once range ... -

enable [breakpoints] delete range ...

commands [bnum ] when ... { cmd; }

... command-list ... wheni ... { cmd; }
end

- trace next
trace at lineno
trace in func
trace modify addr-expr [ , byte-size-expr ]
trace ...

Continuing and Stepping

continue [ignore-count ] cont

fg [ignore-count ]

step [count] step [count] [tid | lwpid]

 gdb dbx

next [count] next [count] [tid | lwpid]

set step-mode on stepi [count] [tid | lwpid]

stepi [count]

nexti [count] nexti [count] [tid | lwpid]

- step to [func]

- step ... -sig signal

until [location] -
(Execute until the program reaches a source line
greater than the current or specified location).

advance location cont at line

Signals

info signals info handle catch, ignore

handle signal stop catch signal

handle signal nostop ignore signal

handle signal print when sig signal { print $signal; print $sigstr; }
trace sig signal

handle signal noprint -

Note: no information is printed about ignored signa
ls

handle signal pass ignore signal

handle signal noignore

handle signal nopass -

handle signal ignore Note: use cont with no -sig to cancel current signal
after stopping because of it

Examining the Stack

backtrace [n] where [n]

bt [n]

backtrace [-n] -
bt [-n]

backtrace full [n] -

 gdb dbx

set backtrace past-main on/off -

set backtrace past-entry on/off -

- hide [ regular_expression ]
unhide [ number | regular_expression ]
unhide
(hide stack frames in “where” command output)

set backtrace limit n dbxenv stack_max_size n

set backtrace limit 0
(default is unlimited) Note: default is 100; no “unlimited” option

show backtrace limit dbxenv stack_max_size

echo $DBX_stack_max_size

frame [args] frame [n]

Note: can't use address to identify stack frame

select-frame [args] > /dev/null frame [n]

up [n] up [n]
down [n] down [n]

up-silently [n] > /dev/null up [n]

down-silently [n] > /dev/null down [n]

frame where 1

info frame -

info locals dump

info catch whocatches type

Examining Source Files

list linenum list -w linenum

list function list function

- list -a function (lists entire function)

list list

list - list -10

set listsize count dbxenv output_list_size count

show listsize dbxenv output_list_size
 gdb dbx

list first,last list first,last

list ,last list last, - [n]

list first, list first,+[n]

list + list [+N]

list - list - [N]

list \*address -

- file [filename] (view or set current file)

edit $EDITOR filename

edit number
edit function
edit filename:number Note: need to find source file manually with 'where
edit filename:function is [-a]' command.
edit \*address

forward-search regexp search [string]

search regexp

reverse-search regexp bsearch [string]

Specifying Source Directories

directory dirname ... use [dirname]

dir dirname ... Note: “use” is deprecated and replaced with pathm
directory ap.

set substitute-path from to pathmap from to

unset substitute-path [path] pathmap -d [path]

show substitute-path [path] pathmap

Source and Machine Code

info line linespec -

Note: need to look at “list -i linespec” output

disassemble [addr] dis [addr]

- dis -a [addr]
(disassemble entire function)

- list -i [linespec]
 gdb dbx

(intermix source lines and assembly code)

Examining Data

print /f expr print -f expr

print /f -

- > FILE print ...

(print to a file)

Artifcial arrays (p \*array@len) -

- Array slicing (p array[2..5])

- Pretty-printing (allows an application to provide it's

own rendition of an expressions value through a
function call, see “help prettyprint”).

x/nfu addr x addr [/nf]

examine addr [/nf]
Note: unit size is governed by format, 'f'

display[/fmt] expr display [-f fmt] expr

undisplay dnums ... undisplay dnums ...

delete display dnums ...

disable display dnums ... -

enable display dnums ...

display display

- watch
(same as display, but expression is re-parsed at eac
h stopping point)

set print address on/off -

set print symbol-filename on/off -

set print max-symbolic-offset max-offset -

set print array on/off -

(equivalent to off)

set print array-indexes on/off -

(equivalent to off)
 gdb dbx

set print elements number-of-elements -

set print repeats -

set print null-stop -

set print pretty on/off -

Note: equivalent to “on”

set print sevenbit-strings on/off -

set print union on/off -

set print demangle on/off -

set print asm-demangle on/off Note: usually both forms are displayed

set print object on/off print -d ...

Note: equivalent to “on”

set print static-members on/off -

set print vtbl on/off -

$ (previously printed expression) -

show values (values history) -

Convenience variables Environment variables

Example: set $foo = \*object_ptr Example: foo=$[\*object_ptr]
Note: these variables are typed. Note: type of expression is not recorded in the vari
able.

show convenience set

init-if-undefined $variable = expression -

info registers regs

info all-registers regs -f | -F

info registers regname ... print $regname

info float (floating point registers only) -

info vector -

info udot -

info auxv -
 gdb dbx

cache/nocache (cache target memory) -

Memory access checking

set mem inaccessible-by-default [on|off] -

- check -access

- check -memuse

- check -leaks

C Preprocessor Macros

macro expand expression -

macro exp expression

macro expand-once expression -

info macro macro -

macro define macro [(arglist)] replacement-list -

macro undef macro

macro list -

Examining the Symbol Table

info address symbol -

Note: “print &symbol” should suffice.

info symbol addr whereis -a addr

Note: with 'check -memuse', shows allocation stack
for heap-allocated memory region.

whatis arg whatis [-e] arg

ptype arg whatis [-e] arg

info types [regexp] whatis -t [typename]

info scope location -

info source module -v

file
Note: dwarf info is not displayed correctly for
object files.

info sources modules -v

files
 gdb dbx

info functions regexp funcs regexp

info variables -
(All global and static variable names, or those mat
ching REGEXP)

Altering execution

set var=value assign var=value

assign $reg=value assign $reg=value

jump linespec cont at linespec

jump \*address assign $pc=address; cont

signal signal cont -sig signal

return pop

return expression -

print expr print expr

call expr call expr
Note: abnormal termination affects debuggee Note: abnormal termination doesn't affect debugge
e; use “pop -c” to “cancel” call.

set unwindonsignal -
Note: equivalent to off

set write on/off -

(open executable or core for writing) Note: equivalent to off

- fix

Debugging Information in Separate Files

set debug-file-directory directory dbxenv debug_file_directory directory

show debug-file-directory dbxenv debug_file_directory

Miscellaneous

set prompt newprompt PS1=newprompt

PS2=secondprompt

There's similar table in built-in dbx help. Use “help FAQ” and navigate to seciton A.1.