Debugging Programs with GDB

Debugging Programs with GDB

● This is a description of several of the gdb features that are useful for debugging your programs.
The gdb session shown below was generated while debugging the program gdbprog.cc

● Must compile and link with -g option

[honeydew]/vallino/csc173>g++ -g -o gdbprog gdbprog.cc

● Load executable into gdb

[honeydew]/vallino/csc173>gdb gdbprog
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 (sparc-sun-sunos4.1.3C),
Copyright 1994 Free Software Foundation, Inc...

● Use help to get information about available commands.

● Run program with run command

(gdb) run
Starting program: /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog

Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.

0x2350 in DoOperation (ptrs=0x18bc0) at gdbprog.cc:24
24 sum += *ptrs[i];

● Program will run until termination, a break point is reached, or an error occurs

● You can find out where the program is, i.e. where the segmentation fault occurred, using the
where command. This gives a function call trace of how you got to this point and shows line
numbers inside files.

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Debugging Programs with GDB

(gdb) where
#0 0x2350 in DoOperation (ptrs=0x18bc0) at gdbprog.cc:24
#1 0x24b0 in main () at gdbprog.cc:45

● list shows surrounding code

(gdb) list
19 {
20 int sum = 0;
21 int i;
22
23 for(i = 0;i < 10;i++)
24 sum += *ptrs[i];
25 }
26
27
28 void PrintArray()

● print allows you to display variables or any language expression. You may need a cast to display
value correctly.

(gdb) print i
$1 = 1
(gdb) print ptrs[i]
$2 = (int *) 0x0
(gdb) print (int* [10])*ptrs
$3 = {0x18be8, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0}

● break sets breakpoints at places where you want the debugger to stop.
break function-name will set a breakpoint at the start of the function. You can set multiple
breakpoints.

(gdb) break InitArrays

Breakpoint 1 at 0x2298: file gdbprog.cc, line 10.

● run will restart the program when stopped in mid-execution

(gdb) run
The program being debugged has been started already.

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Debugging Programs with GDB

Start it from the beginning? (y or n) y

Starting program: /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog

Breakpoint 1, InitArrays (array=0x18be8) at gdbprog.cc:10

10 for(i = 0;i < 1;i++)

● The program stops before executing the statement where the break is set.

● step executes one instruction. It will step into functions.

(gdb) step
12 ptrArray[i] = array + i;
(gdb) print i
$4 = 0
(gdb) step
13 iArray[i] = i;
(gdb) step
14 }
(gdb) step
15 }
(gdb) step
main () at gdbprog.cc:45
45 cout << "operation result is " <<
DoOperation(ptrArray) << '\n';

● After changing program, reload executable with file command

(gdb) file gdbprog

A program is being debugged already. Kill it? (y or n) y

Load new symbol table from "gdbprog"? (y or n) y

Reading symbols from gdbprog...
done.
Breakpoint 1 at 0x2298: file /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/
gdbprog.cc, line 10.

(gdb) run
Starting program: /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog

Breakpoint 1, InitArrays (array=0x18be8)

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Debugging Programs with GDB

at /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog.cc:10
10 for(i = 0;i < 10;i++)

● info break tells you where the current breakpoints are set. disable can turn them off.

(gdb) info break

Num Type Disp Enb Address What
1 breakpoint keep y 0x00002298 in InitArrays(int *)
at
/home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog.cc:10
(gdb) disable 1
(gdb) info break
Num Type Disp Enb Address What
1 breakpoint keep n 0x00002298 in InitArrays(int *)
at
/home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog.cc:10

● continue will continue execution from the current location.

(gdb) cont
Continuing.
operation result is 101312
0
1
2
3
4
5
This is an error
7
8
9

Program exited normally.

● break file-name:line-number will set a breakpoint when that line of code is reached by the
program.

(gdb) break gdbprog.cc:24

Breakpoint 2 at 0x2334: file /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/

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Debugging Programs with GDB

gdbprog.cc, line 24.

● For frequently used operations, especially prints, define your own commands with define. source
can read a file of gdb commands, defines or others, into gdb.

(gdb) define mydump

Type commands for definition of "mydump".
End with a line saying just "end".
print i
print ptrs[i]
print *ptrs[i]
end

● command breakpoint-number specifies commands to run whenever the breakpoint is reached.

display specifies a value to display whenever the program is stopped.

(gdb) command 2
Type commands for when breakpoint 2 is hit, one per line.
End with a line saying just "end".
silent
mydump
cont
end

(gdb) run
Starting program: /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog
$1 = 0
$2 = (int *) 0x18be8
$3 = 0
$4 = 1
$5 = (int *) 0x18bec
$6 = 1
$7 = 2
$8 = (int *) 0x18bf0
$9 = 2
...
$25 = 8
$26 = (int *) 0x18c08
$27 = 8
$28 = 9

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Debugging Programs with GDB

$29 = (int *) 0x18c0c

$30 = 9
operation result is 101312
0
1
2
3
4
5
This is an error
7
8
9

Program exited normally.

● delete breakpoint-number removes breakpoint.

(gdb) info break

Num Type Disp Enb Address What
1 breakpoint keep n 0x00002298 in InitArrays(int *)
at
/home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog.cc:10
2 breakpoint keep y 0x00002334 in DoOperation(int **)
at
/home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog.cc:24
silent
mydump
cont
(gdb) delete 2

(gdb) break gdbprog.cc:47

Breakpoint 3 at 0x2484: file /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/
gdbprog.cc, line
47.
(gdb) info break
Num Type Disp Enb Address What
1 breakpoint keep n 0x00002298 in InitArrays(int *)
at
/home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog.cc:10
3 breakpoint keep y 0x00002484 in main

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Debugging Programs with GDB

at
/home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog.cc:47
(gdb) run
Starting program: /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog

Breakpoint 3, main () at /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/

gdbprog.cc:47
47 arraySum = DoOperation(ptrArray);

● step will enter functions. finish will run to the end of the current function and display return value.

(gdb) step
DoOperation (ptrs=0x18bc0) at /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/
gdbprog.cc:20
20 int sum = 0;

(gdb) finish
Run till exit from #0 DoOperation (ptrs=0x18bc0)
at /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog.cc:20
0x2494 in main () at /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog.
cc:47
47 arraySum = DoOperation(ptrArray);
Value returned is $1 = 101312
(gdb) file gdbprog
A program is being debugged already. Kill it? (y or n) y

Load new symbol table from "gdbprog"? (y or n) y

Reading symbols from gdbprog...
done.

(gdb) run
Starting program: /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog

● After reloading modified program breakpoints may no longer be valid.

Breakpoint 3, main () at /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/

gdbprog.cc:48
48 InitArrays(iArray);

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Debugging Programs with GDB

● next will run until the next source line is reached. Use it to step to the next line without needing
to step through a function. Needed whenever a system function is called.

(gdb) next
49 arraySum = DoOperation(ptrArray);
(gdb) next
50 cout << "operation result is " << arraySum <<
'\n';
(gdb) print arraySum
$1 = 45
(gdb) cont
Continuing.
operation result is 45
0
1
2
3
4
5
This is an error
7
8
9

Program exited normally.

● delete can be used to remove all breakpoints.

(gdb) delete
Delete all breakpoints? (y or n) y

● cond break exp causes a program break at the break location only if exp evaluates true

(gdb) break gdbprog.cc:35

Breakpoint 4 at 0x23c0: file /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/
gdbprog.cc, line
35.
(gdb) cond 4 (i == 6)
(gdb) run
Starting program: /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/gdbprog

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Debugging Programs with GDB

operation result is 45
0
1
2
3
4
5

Breakpoint 4, PrintArray () at /home/emerald/u4/vallino/csc173/

gdbprog.cc:36
36 if (iArray[i] == 6)
(gdb) step
37 cout << "This is an error\n";
(gdb) next
This is an error
40 }

● Learn how to effectively use a debugger. It sure beats print statements!! Once you learn one,
moving to another is usually just new syntax. It is worth the learning curve!

If you have eight hours to cut down a tree, it is best to spend six hours sharpening
your axe and then two hours cutting down the tree.

● With a working knowledge of a debugger like gdb, finding bugs in your programs will go much
faster. You will be able to use quit to exit gdb with a working program before you know it.

(gdb) cont
Continuing.
7
8
9

Program exited normally.

(gdb) quit
[honeydew]/vallino/csc173>

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