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RTEMS 4.6.2 On-Line Library


Interfacing GDB with RTEMS as a Target

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Chapter 5: Interfacing GDB with RTEMS as a Target

So, basically, porting GDB to RTEMS environment requires implementing the functions contained in the target_ops structure. The native debugger implementation (where the host machine is also the target one) uses direct function calls. For our needs (remote debugging), these functions must be implemented to support the encapsulation in UDP/IP layers and communications between different types of host machines : the best solution is use the SUN Remote Procedure Calls API (SUN RPC). This SUN RPC module will be explained below (see paragraph Communication with GDB).

We can note that the functions described in the target_ops structure are high-level functions. The main reason is that GDB was designed in order to be able to use monitor firmware as a debug server. In the case of a Unix OS target, these high-level functions are implemented themselves using a lower level POSIX API. Because we want to simplify the code running on the target and decrease its size of this code, we propose to use the POSIX layer API used for the debug like waitpid, ptrace, ... Due to the GDB working mode and due to our requirements, we can establish here a non-exhaustive list of some commands required to implement the previously described functions :

Control means that, with this function, we can read, write the memory of the debuggee, insert breakpoint to stop the process and resume the process execution. This command can be implemented by emulating in the RTEMS environment a Unix function called ``ptrace''. This function allows the control of a child process. The ``ptrace'' function has some sub-functions which are described below (some of these actions and standardized, the others are added due to our needs) : This list only contains the command that are described in the ptrace Unix manpage. For some specific needs (debug of one task among several ones, register read/write,...), it is possible to create some special ptrace commands as described after : This list is not exhaustive and can be increased due to the needs. All the described functions will not be implemented in a first version, only the strictly needed. If some commands are added, the modifications must be implemented both in RTEMS and in GDB.


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