Using the GNU Debugger
6.828 Fall 2018
September 12, 2018
6.828 Fall 2018 Using the GNU Debugger September 12, 2018 1 / 16
Homework solution
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Homework solution
From bootasm.S:
# Set up the stack pointer and call into C.
movl $start, %esp
call bootmain
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Homework solution
From bootasm.S:
# Set up the stack pointer and call into C.
movl $start, %esp
call bootmain
Later, in bootmain():
// Call the entry point from the ELF header.
// Does not return!
entry = (void(*)(void))(elf->entry);
entry();
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What’s on the stack?
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What’s on the stack?
call bootmain pushes a return address
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What’s on the stack?
call bootmain pushes a return address
The prologue in bootmain() makes a stack frame
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What’s on the stack?
call bootmain pushes a return address
The prologue in bootmain() makes a stack frame
push %ebp
mov %esp,%ebp
push %edi
push %esi
push %ebx
sub $0x1c,%esp
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What’s on the stack?
call bootmain pushes a return address
The prologue in bootmain() makes a stack frame
push %ebp
mov %esp,%ebp
push %edi
push %esi
push %ebx
sub $0x1c,%esp
The call to entry() pushes a return address
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The stack when we get to 0x0010000c
0x7c00: 0x8ec031fa not the stack!
0x7bfc: 0x00007c4d bootmain() return address
0x7bf8: 0x00000000 old ebp
0x7bf4: 0x00000000 old edi
0x7bf0: 0x00000000 old esi
0x7bec: 0x00000000 old ebx
0x7be8: 0x00000000
0x7be4: 0x00000000
0x7be0: 0x00000000
0x7bdc: 0x00000000 local vars (sub $0x1c,%esp)
0x7bd8: 0x00000000
0x7bd4: 0x00000000
0x7bd0: 0x00000000
0x7bcc: 0x00007db7 entry() return address
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GDB in 6.828
We provide a file called .gdbinit which automatically
sets up GDB for use with QEMU.
Must run GDB from the lab or xv6 directory
Edit ~/.gdbinit to allow other gdbinits
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GDB in 6.828
We provide a file called .gdbinit which automatically
sets up GDB for use with QEMU.
Must run GDB from the lab or xv6 directory
Edit ~/.gdbinit to allow other gdbinits
Use make to start QEMU with or without GDB.
With GDB: run make qemu[-nox]-gdb, then start
GDB in a second shell
Use make qemu[-nox] when you don’t need GDB
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GDB commands
Run help <command-name> if you’re not sure how to
use a command.
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GDB commands
Run help <command-name> if you’re not sure how to
use a command.
All commands may be abbreviated if unambiguous:
c = co = cont = continue
Some additional abbreviations are defined, e.g.
s = step and si = stepi
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Stepping
step runs one line of code at a time. When there is a
function call, it steps into the called function.
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Stepping
step runs one line of code at a time. When there is a
function call, it steps into the called function.
next does the same thing, except that it steps over
function calls.
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Stepping
step runs one line of code at a time. When there is a
function call, it steps into the called function.
next does the same thing, except that it steps over
function calls.
stepi and nexti do the same thing for assembly
instructions rather than lines of code.
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Stepping
step runs one line of code at a time. When there is a
function call, it steps into the called function.
next does the same thing, except that it steps over
function calls.
stepi and nexti do the same thing for assembly
instructions rather than lines of code.
All take a numerical argument to specify repetition.
Pressing the enter key repeats the previous command.
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Running
continue runs code until a breakpoint is encountered or
you interrupt it with Control-C.
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Running
continue runs code until a breakpoint is encountered or
you interrupt it with Control-C.
finish runs code until the current function returns.
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Running
continue runs code until a breakpoint is encountered or
you interrupt it with Control-C.
finish runs code until the current function returns.
advance <location> runs code until the instruction
pointer gets to the specified location.
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Breakpoints
break <location> sets a breakpoint at the specified
location.
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Breakpoints
break <location> sets a breakpoint at the specified
location.
Locations can be memory addresses (“*0x7c00”) or
names (“mon backtrace”, “monitor.c:71”).
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Breakpoints
break <location> sets a breakpoint at the specified
location.
Locations can be memory addresses (“*0x7c00”) or
names (“mon backtrace”, “monitor.c:71”).
Modify breakpoints using delete, disable, enable.
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Conditional breakpoints
break <location> if <condition> sets a breakpoint
at the specified location, but only breaks if the condition
is satisfied.
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Conditional breakpoints
break <location> if <condition> sets a breakpoint
at the specified location, but only breaks if the condition
is satisfied.
cond <number> <condition> adds a condition on an
existing breakpoint.
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Watchpoints
Like breakpoints, but with more complicated conditions.
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Watchpoints
Like breakpoints, but with more complicated conditions.
watch <expression> will stop execution whenever the
expression’s value changes.
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Watchpoints
Like breakpoints, but with more complicated conditions.
watch <expression> will stop execution whenever the
expression’s value changes.
watch -l <address> will stop execution whenever the
contents of the specified memory address change.
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Watchpoints
Like breakpoints, but with more complicated conditions.
watch <expression> will stop execution whenever the
expression’s value changes.
watch -l <address> will stop execution whenever the
contents of the specified memory address change.
What’s the difference between wa var and wa -l &var?
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Watchpoints
Like breakpoints, but with more complicated conditions.
watch <expression> will stop execution whenever the
expression’s value changes.
watch -l <address> will stop execution whenever the
contents of the specified memory address change.
What’s the difference between wa var and wa -l &var?
rwatch [-l] <expression> will stop execution
whenever the value of the expression is read.
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Examining
x prints the raw contents of memory in whatever format
you specify (x/x for hexadecimal, x/i for assembly, etc).
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Examining
x prints the raw contents of memory in whatever format
you specify (x/x for hexadecimal, x/i for assembly, etc).
print evaluates a C expression and prints the result as
its proper type. It is often more useful than x.
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Examining
x prints the raw contents of memory in whatever format
you specify (x/x for hexadecimal, x/i for assembly, etc).
print evaluates a C expression and prints the result as
its proper type. It is often more useful than x.
The output from p *((struct elfhdr *) 0x10000)
is much nicer than the output from x/13x 0x10000.
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More examining
info registers prints the value of every register.
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More examining
info registers prints the value of every register.
info frame prints the current stack frame.
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More examining
info registers prints the value of every register.
info frame prints the current stack frame.
list <location> prints the source code of the function
at the specified location.
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More examining
info registers prints the value of every register.
info frame prints the current stack frame.
list <location> prints the source code of the function
at the specified location.
backtrace might be useful as you work on lab 1!
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Layouts
GDB has a text user interface that shows useful
information like code listing, disassembly, and register
contents in a curses UI.
layout <name> switches to the given layout.
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Other tricks
You can use the set command to change the value of a
variable during execution.
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Other tricks
You can use the set command to change the value of a
variable during execution.
You have to switch symbol files to get function and
variable names for environments other than the kernel.
For example, when debugging JOS:
symbol-file obj/user/<name>
symbol-file obj/kern/kernel
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Summary
Read the fine manual! Use the help command.
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Summary
Read the fine manual! Use the help command.
GDB is tremendously powerful and we’ve only scratched
the surface today.
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Summary
Read the fine manual! Use the help command.
GDB is tremendously powerful and we’ve only scratched
the surface today.
It is well worth your time to spend an hour learning more
about how to use it.
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