GDB QUICK REFERENCE

Essential Commands
b [le:]function run [arglist] bt p expr c n s

GDB Version 4

gdb program [core] debug program [using coredump core]

set breakpoint at function [in le] start your program [with arglist] backtrace: display program stack display the value of an expression continue running your program next line, stepping over function calls next line, stepping into function calls

break [le:]line b [le:]line break [le:]func break +oset break -oset break *addr break break : : : if expr cond n [expr] tbreak : : : rbreak regex watch expr catch x info break info watch clear clear [le:]fun clear [le:]line

Breakpoints and Watchpoints

set breakpoint at line number [in le] eg: break main.c:37 set breakpoint at func [in le] set break at oset lines from current stop

continue [count] c [count] step [count] s [count]

Execution Control

continue running; if count specied, ignore this breakpoint next count times execute until another line reached; repeat count times if specied step by machine instructions rather than source lines execute next line, including any function calls next machine instruction rather than source line run until next instruction (or location) run until selected stack frame returns pop selected stack frame without executing [setting return value] resume execution with signal s (none if 0) resume execution at specied line number or address evaluate expr without displaying it; use for altering program variables

gdb gdb program gdb program core gdb --help

Starting GDB

start GDB, with no debugging les begin debugging program debug coredump core produced by describe command line options exit GDB; also q or EOF (eg C-d) (eg C-c) terminate current command, or send to running process list classes of commands one-line descriptions for commands in describe command

set breakpoint at address addr set breakpoint at next instruction break conditionally on nonzero expr new conditional expression on breakpoint n; make unconditional if no expr temporary break; disable when reached break on all functions matching regex set a watchpoint for expression expr break at C++ handler for exception x show dened breakpoints show dened watchpoints delete delete delete delete breakpoints breakpoints breakpoints breakpoints at next instruction at entry to fun() on source line [or breakpoint n]

stepi [count] si [count] next [count] n [count]

nexti [count] ni [count] until [location] finish return [expr] signal num jump line jump *address set var=expr

program

Stopping GDB
quit INTERRUPT

delete [n] enable [n]

Getting Help
help help class help command run arglist run run
:::

disable [n] enable once [n] enable del [n] ignore n count commands n [silent] end backtrace [n] bt [n] frame [n] up n down info info info info info info

class

Executing your Program

disable breakpoints [or breakpoint n] enable breakpoints [or breakpoint n] enable breakpoints [or breakpoint n]; disable again when reached enable breakpoints [or breakpoint n]; delete when reached ignore breakpoint n, count times execute GDB command-list every time breakpoint n is reached. [silent suppresses default display] end of command-list print trace of all frames in stack; or of n frames|innermost if n>0, outermost if select frame number n or frame at address n; if no n, display current frame select frame n frames up select frame n frames down describe selected frame, or frame at addr arguments of selected frame local variables of selected frame register values [for regs rn ] in selected frame; all-reg includes oating point exception handlers active in selected frame

Display

kill

start your program with arglist start your program with current argument list <inf >outf start your program with input, output redirected kill running program use dev as stdin and stdout for next run specify arglist for next run specify empty argument list display argument list show all environment variables show value of environment variable var set environment variable var remove var from environment change working directory to dir Print working directory call \make" execute arbitrary shell command string
:::
show one or more arguments

command-list

print [/f ] [expr] p [/f ] [expr] x d u o t a c f call [/f ] expr x [/Nuf ] expr

tty dev set args arglist set args show args show env show env var set env var string unset env var cd dir pwd make : : : shell cmd
[ ]

Program Stack

N u

n<0

f
disassem [addr]

Shell Commands

frame [addr] args locals reg [rn]: : : all-reg [rn] catch

show value of expr [or last value $] according to format f: hexadecimal signed decimal unsigned decimal octal binary address, absolute and relative character oating point like print but does not display void examine memory at address expr; optional format spec follows slash count of how many units to display unit size; one of b individual bytes h halfwords (two bytes) w words (four bytes) g giant words (eight bytes) printing format. Any print format, or s null-terminated string i machine instructions display memory as machine instructions

Automatic Display
display undisplay n disable disp n enable disp n info display

display [/f ] expr show value of expr each time program

surround optional arguments

c 1991, 1992, 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

Permissions on back

stops [according to format f ] display all enabled expressions on list remove number(s) n from list of automatically displayed expressions disable display for expression(s) number n enable display for expression(s) number n numbered list of display expressions

Expressions
expr addr@len le::nm type addr

an expression in C, C++, or Modula-2 (including function calls), or: an array of len elements beginning at a variable or function nm dened in le read memory at addr as specied type most recent displayed value nth displayed value displayed value previous to $ nth displayed value back from $ last address examined with x value at address $ convenience variable; assign any value show last 10 values [or surrounding $n] display all convenience variables show where symbol s is stored show names, types of dened functions (all, or matching regex) show names, types of global variables (all, or matching regex) show data type of expr [or $] without evaluating; ptype gives more detail describe type, struct, union, or enum read, execute GDB commands from le

Controlling GDB
set param value show param

$ $n $$ $$n $ $ $var

f g

addr

show values [n] show conv

Symbol Table
info address s info func [regex] info var [regex] whatis [expr] ptype [expr] ptype type

set one of GDB's internal parameters display current setting of parameter Parameters understood by set and show: complaint limit number of messages on unusual symbols confirm on/o enable or disable cautionary queries editing on/o control readline command-line editing height lpp number of lines before pause in display language lang Language for GDB expressions (auto, c or modula-2) listsize n number of lines shown by list prompt str use str as GDB prompt radix base octal, decimal, or hex number representation verbose on/o control messages when loading symbols width cpl number of characters before line folded write on/o Allow or forbid patching binary, core les (when reopened with exec or core) history : : : groups with the following options:
h h h h h exp o/on file lename size size save o/on
:::

Source Files
dir names dir show dir list list list lines

add directory names to front of source path clear source path show current source path show next ten lines of source show previous ten lines display source surrounding lines, specied as: line number [in named le] beginning of function [in named le] o lines after last printed o lines previous to last printed line containing address from line f to line l show starting, ending addresses of compiled code for source line num show name of current source le list all source les in use search following source lines for regex search preceding source lines for regex run GDB under Emacs describe GDB mode step one line (step) next line (next) step one instruction (stepi) nish current stack frame (finish) continue (cont) up arg frames (up) down arg frames (down) copy number from point, insert at end (in source le) set break at point Display GNU General Public License There is NO WARRANTY for GDB. Display full no-warranty statement.

le:]num le:]function +o -o *address list f,l info line num

GDB Scripts
source script define cmd end document cmd end

print : : : p ::: p address on/o print memory addresses in stacks, values p array o/on compact or attractive format for arrays p demangl on/o source (demangled) or internal form for p asm-dem on/o p p p p p elements limit object on/o pretty o/on union on/o vtbl o/on

disable/enable readline history expansion le for recording GDB command history number of commands kept in history list control use of external le for command history groups with the following options:

info source info sources forw regex rev regex

script

command-list help-text

create new GDB command cmd; execute script dened by command-list end of command-list create online documentation for new GDB command cmd end of help-text specify GDB actions for signal: announce signal be silent for signal halt execution on signal do not halt execution allow your program to handle signal do not allow your program to see signal show table of signals, GDB action for each

C++ symbols demangle C++ symbols in machineinstruction output number of array elements to display print C++ derived types for objects struct display: compact or indented display of union members display of C++ virtual function tables show last 10 commands show 10 commands around number n show next 10 commands

M-x C-h M-s M-n M-i C-c M-c M-u M-d C-x C-x

GDB under GNU Emacs

C-f

& SPC

GDB License
show copying show warranty

Signals

handle signal act print noprint stop nostop pass nopass info signals

show commands show commands n show commands +

Working Files
file [le] exec [le] core [le]

Debugging Targets
target type param help target attach param detach

connect to target machine, process, or le display available targets connect to another process release target from GDB control

symbol [le] load le add-sym le addr info files path dirs show path info share

use le for both symbols and executable; with no arg, discard both read le as coredump; or discard use le as executable only; or discard use symbol table from le; or discard dynamically link le and add its symbols read additional symbols from le, dynamically loaded at addr display working les and targets in use add dirs to front of path searched for executable and symbol les display executable and symbol le path list names of shared libraries currently loaded

Copyright

c 1991, 1992, 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc. Roland Pesch ([email protected])

The author assumes no responsibility for any errors on this card. This card may be freely distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License. Please contribute to development of this card by annotating it. GDB itself is free software; you are welcome to distribute copies of it under the terms of the GNU General Public License. There is absolutely no warranty for GDB.