6 ms·

GDB 10.1

155 points by lelf 6y ago

sroussey 6y ago
I saw Ada as the first language, and that brought back fond memories of optimizing compiler design I did for the language a long long time ago...
statquontrarian 6y ago
> * Support for debuginfod, an HTTP server for distributing ELF/DWARF debugging information as well as source code. This is huge! Microsoft's symbol servers have long made it easier to deal with PDBs. This will finally help with the annoyingness of -debuginfo and -debug Linux packages. Edit: Background on debuginfod: https://developers.redhat.com/blog/2019/10/14/introducing-debuginfod-the-elfutils-debuginfo-server/ https://developers.redhat.com/blog/2019/10/14/introducing-de...
- xxpor 6y ago
  Is there any other implementation of the same API, but not GPLv3? I'm thinking from LLVM or similar?
  - ComputerGuru 6y ago
    I’m a huge proponent of MIT/BSD but I wouldn’t blink twice at deploying this. The code running on your end doesn’t need to be GPL to communicate with a GPL’d server over the network.
    - xxpor 6y ago
      I agree. Explaining that to lawyers is a bit tougher.
      - fnord123 6y ago
        In the early 2000s many lawyers were conservative about these things. These days many lawyers working with technology licensing in businesses are very much up to date. Don't be afraid to keep open lines of communication.
      - pwdisswordfish0 6y ago
        If the lawyers need this to be explained to them, they're not very good at their job.
  - blendergeek 6y ago
    Are you hoping to modify it and refuse to contribute your changes back to the community? If not, the GPL will not affect you. If so, does that not feel like mooching off the community?
    - fredsanford 6y ago
      Aren't you assuming the worst here? Why so strident? Maybe his/her employer does not allow gpl software...
      - formerly_proven 6y ago
        > Maybe his/her employer does not allow gpl software... Then they aren't using GCC (or Linux) in the first place.
      - Nullabillity 6y ago
        Then replace "you" with "your employer". The point still applies.
    - xxpor 6y ago
      I don't personally care it's GPLv3. I know given the way I'd use it there's no actual risk, or if I did modify it there'd be no reason not to contribute back. I do care about getting fired for violating company policy. GPLv2 can be approved fairly easily. GPLv3 is a much tougher sell. For example, GCC is fine because there's really no alternative (or there wasn't before clang had full compatibility).
      - yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
        Why would GPL 2 vs 3 matter? Is the company doing hardware appliances or something?
        monocasa 6y ago
        Its probably the patent grant that has their lawyers squeamish.
  - CalChris 6y ago
    This is in the works for LLDB. https://reviews.llvm.org/D75750 https://reviews.llvm.org/D75750 The feature itself is multi-platform and is not original to GDB. https://sourceware.org/elfutils/Debuginfod.html https://sourceware.org/elfutils/Debuginfod.html
- necheffa 6y ago
  Those packages are separate so you don't have a bunch of debug info laying around that a very small percentage of the user base will use. Hosting this on the web is cute but not as convenient as just a package that can easily be distributed via sneakernet if need be.
  - ReactiveJelly 6y ago
    Debian and Ubuntu and them could still host the package in apt, but it's nice that I could download them last-second right when I'm in GDB without fussing with apt.
  - statquontrarian 6y ago
    The point is that you can get them on-demand and it doesn't require root privileges. As the Red Hat article notes: > For example, your distro might package debuginfo and source files separately from the executable you’re trying to debug and you may lack the permissions to install these packages. Or, perhaps you’re debugging within a container that was not built with these resources, or maybe you simply don’t want these files taking up space on your machine. Also, FYI, sneakernet is the wrong term for what you meant. Sneakernet is the transfer of files over something other than a computer network (i.e. walking a USB drive to a friend wearing sneakers).
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
r-r-r 6y ago
> Multi-target debugging support This is great! I really needed this multiple times over the years. Always wanted to compare some data between 2 executions of the same applications with 2 different inputs or 2 revisions of an application. This should really help with triangulation of regressions etc. automatically using a single script within gdb!
- ratmice 6y ago
  GDB has had that in the form of Multi-process debugging for a while. Multi-target I believe extends this different remote stubs and architectures, such as debugging both an x86 and x86-64 process. Besides that I agree it's really useful on the occasions that you need it to hunt down some non-determinism or what not.
chubot 6y ago
Just want to give a shout out to the people who have been improving GDB's Python API over the years (I think it first appeared about 10 years ago). It seems like a lot of it is due to Tom Tromey? [1] This is a super useful feature that I just used. I have a DSL for algebraic data types in C++ called ASDL [2], and I wrote a very small Python plugin that pretty prints the types. Basically it automates the process of looking at the runtime type tag, and downcasting to the right variant, so you can see all the fields in the debugger. (Variants are naturally modeled with inheritance, and you still have type safety) This makes debugging the code way easier. I basically enhanced C++'s type system and now the debugger also understands it! It works on the command line and the Eclipse GUI. Although I should get around to requesting an open source license for CLion, because I think it is significantly more polished. ----- GDB is very old, and has sort of a bad reputation for usability, but it's getting better after all these years! This scripting power can make up for the usability in some cases (and maybe CLion will give the best of both worlds) https://lobste.rs/s/h7f6qk/what_debugging_technique_did_it_take_you#c_pqoh28 https://lobste.rs/s/h7f6qk/what_debugging_technique_did_it_t... [1] https://tromey.com/blog/?m=201809 https://tromey.com/blog/?m=201809 https://tromey.com/blog/?p=927 https://tromey.com/blog/?p=927 [2] What is Zephyr ASDL? https://www.oilshell.org/blog/2016/12/11.html https://www.oilshell.org/blog/2016/12/11.html ASDL is mentioned in the post about Ungrammar, on the front page now: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24878098 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24878098
krytarowski 6y ago
It's not noted in the NEWS, but the NetBSD Project introduced almost 100 commits in the binutils-gdb repository this year, improving the hardware support, reaching feature parity with generic features, adding support for gdbserver (the first and so far the only one out of BSDs). There are reports of this work on blog.netbsd.org
- simark1 6y ago
  If you think something is NEWS-worthy, just propose a patch for it!

155 points by lelf 6y ago

I saw Ada as the first language, and that brought back fond memories of optimizing compiler design I did for the language a long long time ago...

statquontrarian 6y ago

> * Support for debuginfod, an HTTP server for distributing ELF/DWARF debugging information as well as source code. This is huge! Microsoft's symbol servers have long made it easier to deal with PDBs. This will finally help with the annoyingness of -debuginfo and -debug Linux packages. Edit: Background on debuginfod: https://developers.redhat.com/blog/2019/10/14/introducing-debuginfod-the-elfutils-debuginfo-server/ https://developers.redhat.com/blog/2019/10/14/introducing-de...

xxpor 6y ago
Is there any other implementation of the same API, but not GPLv3? I'm thinking from LLVM or similar?
- ComputerGuru 6y ago
  I’m a huge proponent of MIT/BSD but I wouldn’t blink twice at deploying this. The code running on your end doesn’t need to be GPL to communicate with a GPL’d server over the network.
  - xxpor 6y ago
    I agree. Explaining that to lawyers is a bit tougher.
    - fnord123 6y ago
      In the early 2000s many lawyers were conservative about these things. These days many lawyers working with technology licensing in businesses are very much up to date. Don't be afraid to keep open lines of communication.
    - pwdisswordfish0 6y ago
      If the lawyers need this to be explained to them, they're not very good at their job.
- blendergeek 6y ago
  Are you hoping to modify it and refuse to contribute your changes back to the community? If not, the GPL will not affect you. If so, does that not feel like mooching off the community?
  - fredsanford 6y ago
    Aren't you assuming the worst here? Why so strident? Maybe his/her employer does not allow gpl software...
    - formerly_proven 6y ago
      > Maybe his/her employer does not allow gpl software... Then they aren't using GCC (or Linux) in the first place.
    - Nullabillity 6y ago
      Then replace "you" with "your employer". The point still applies.
  - xxpor 6y ago
    I don't personally care it's GPLv3. I know given the way I'd use it there's no actual risk, or if I did modify it there'd be no reason not to contribute back. I do care about getting fired for violating company policy. GPLv2 can be approved fairly easily. GPLv3 is a much tougher sell. For example, GCC is fine because there's really no alternative (or there wasn't before clang had full compatibility).
    - yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
      Why would GPL 2 vs 3 matter? Is the company doing hardware appliances or something?
      - monocasa 6y ago
        Its probably the patent grant that has their lawyers squeamish.
- CalChris 6y ago
  This is in the works for LLDB. https://reviews.llvm.org/D75750 https://reviews.llvm.org/D75750 The feature itself is multi-platform and is not original to GDB. https://sourceware.org/elfutils/Debuginfod.html https://sourceware.org/elfutils/Debuginfod.html
necheffa 6y ago
Those packages are separate so you don't have a bunch of debug info laying around that a very small percentage of the user base will use. Hosting this on the web is cute but not as convenient as just a package that can easily be distributed via sneakernet if need be.
- ReactiveJelly 6y ago
  Debian and Ubuntu and them could still host the package in apt, but it's nice that I could download them last-second right when I'm in GDB without fussing with apt.
- statquontrarian 6y ago
  The point is that you can get them on-demand and it doesn't require root privileges. As the Red Hat article notes: > For example, your distro might package debuginfo and source files separately from the executable you’re trying to debug and you may lack the permissions to install these packages. Or, perhaps you’re debugging within a container that was not built with these resources, or maybe you simply don’t want these files taking up space on your machine. Also, FYI, sneakernet is the wrong term for what you meant. Sneakernet is the transfer of files over something other than a computer network (i.e. walking a USB drive to a friend wearing sneakers).
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

r-r-r 6y ago

> Multi-target debugging support This is great! I really needed this multiple times over the years. Always wanted to compare some data between 2 executions of the same applications with 2 different inputs or 2 revisions of an application. This should really help with triangulation of regressions etc. automatically using a single script within gdb!

ratmice 6y ago
GDB has had that in the form of Multi-process debugging for a while. Multi-target I believe extends this different remote stubs and architectures, such as debugging both an x86 and x86-64 process. Besides that I agree it's really useful on the occasions that you need it to hunt down some non-determinism or what not.

chubot 6y ago

Just want to give a shout out to the people who have been improving GDB's Python API over the years (I think it first appeared about 10 years ago). It seems like a lot of it is due to Tom Tromey? [1] This is a super useful feature that I just used. I have a DSL for algebraic data types in C++ called ASDL [2], and I wrote a very small Python plugin that pretty prints the types. Basically it automates the process of looking at the runtime type tag, and downcasting to the right variant, so you can see all the fields in the debugger. (Variants are naturally modeled with inheritance, and you still have type safety) This makes debugging the code way easier. I basically enhanced C++'s type system and now the debugger also understands it! It works on the command line and the Eclipse GUI. Although I should get around to requesting an open source license for CLion, because I think it is significantly more polished. ----- GDB is very old, and has sort of a bad reputation for usability, but it's getting better after all these years! This scripting power can make up for the usability in some cases (and maybe CLion will give the best of both worlds) https://lobste.rs/s/h7f6qk/what_debugging_technique_did_it_take_you#c_pqoh28 https://lobste.rs/s/h7f6qk/what_debugging_technique_did_it_t... [1] https://tromey.com/blog/?m=201809 https://tromey.com/blog/?m=201809 https://tromey.com/blog/?p=927 https://tromey.com/blog/?p=927 [2] What is Zephyr ASDL? https://www.oilshell.org/blog/2016/12/11.html https://www.oilshell.org/blog/2016/12/11.html ASDL is mentioned in the post about Ungrammar, on the front page now: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24878098 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24878098

krytarowski 6y ago

It's not noted in the NEWS, but the NetBSD Project introduced almost 100 commits in the binutils-gdb repository this year, improving the hardware support, reaching feature parity with generic features, adding support for gdbserver (the first and so far the only one out of BSDs). There are reports of this work on blog.netbsd.org

simark1 6y ago
If you think something is NEWS-worthy, just propose a patch for it!