GDB: The GNU Project Debugger

The latest version of GDB, version 6.6, is available for download.

Changes in this release include:

• New targets (xtensa-elf, spu-elf)
• New remote stub ports (windows and cygwin)
• GNU/Linux Thread Local Storage (TLS) enhancements
• New remote protocol packets
• Various new commands

The GDB maintainers are looking for contributors interested in reversible debugging.

The GDB 6.6 branch (gdb_6_6-branch) has been created. To check out a copy of the branch use:

cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@sourceware.org:/cvs/src co -r gdb_6_6-branch gdb

The latest version of GDB, version 6.5, is available for download.

Changes in this release include:

• New targets (m32c-elf, ms1-elf)
• Improved Modula-2 support
• Improved Windows host support (i686-mingw32)
• Various new commands (see gdb/NEWS)
• Checkpoint support (currently only supported on GNU/Linux)
  GDB is now able to save a snapshot of a program's state, called a checkpoint, and come back to it later. By effectively undoing everything that has happened since a checkpoint was saved, this feature is like going back in time since the checkpoint was saved.

The GDB 6.5 branch (gdb_6_5-branch) has been created. To check out a copy of the branch use:

cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@sourceware.org:/cvs/src co -r gdb_6_5-branch gdb

The latest version of GDB, version 6.4, is available for download.

Changes in this release include:

• New native configurations (OpenBSD/arm, OpenBSD/mips64)
• New targets (ms1-elf, mn10300-elf)
• User-level thread support in BSD
  It is now possible to debug programs using the user-level threads library on selected targets running OpenBSD and FreeBSD.

The GDB 6.4 branch (gdb_6_4-branch) has been created. To check out a copy of the branch use:

cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@sourceware.org:/cvs/src co -r gdb_6_4-branch gdb

The latest version of GDB, version 6.3, is available for download.

Changes in this release include:

• GDB works with GCC -feliminate-dwarf2-dups
  GDB now supports a more compact representation of DWARF-2 debug information using DW_FORM_ref_addr references. These are produced by GCC with the option -feliminate-dwarf2-dups and also by some proprietary compilers. With GCC, you must use GCC 3.3.4 or later to use -feliminate-dwarf2-dups.
• Internationalization
  When supported by the host system, GDB will be built with internationalization (libintl). The task of marking up the sources is continued, we're looking forward to our first translation.
• Ada
  Initial support for debugging programs compiled with the GNAT implementation of the Ada programming language has been integrated into GDB. In this release, support is limited to expression evaluation.

The GDB 6.3 branch (gdb_6_3-branch) has been created. To check out a copy of the branch use:

cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@sourceware.org:/cvs/src co -r gdb_6_3-branch gdb

The latest version of GDB, version 6.2.1, is available for download.

Changes in this update include:

• Improved i386 prologue analyzer
  The i386 prologue analyzer was improved to deal better with the prologues generated by GCC 3.3 and later. As a result GDB should produce better backtraces for code without DWARF Call Frame Info.
• MIPS `break main; run' gave an heuristic-fence-post warning
  When attempting to run even a simple program, a warning about heuristic-fence-post being hit would be reported. This problem has been fixed.
• MIPS IRIX 'long double' crashed GDB
  When examining a long double variable, GDB would get a segmentation fault. The crash has been fixed (but GDB 6.2 cannot correctly examine IRIX long double values).
• VAX and "next"
  A bug in the VAX stack code was causing problems with the "next" command. This problem has been fixed.

The latest version of GDB, version 6.2, is available for download.

Please note that GDB 6.2 has serious problems on MIPS native. It will be addressed in the next update.

The GDB 6.2 branch (gdb_6_2-branch) has been created. To check out a copy of the branch use:

cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@sourceware.org:/cvs/src co -r gdb_6_2-branch gdb

GDB version 6.1.1 has been released.
Much thanks to all the contributors.

GDB version 6.1 has been released.
Much thanks to all the contributors.

The GDB 6.1 branch (gdb_6_1-branch) has been created. To check out a copy of the branch use:

cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@sourceware.org:/cvs/src co -r gdb_6_1-branch gdb+dejagnu

GDB version 6.0 has been released.
Much thanks to all the contributors.

Mark Kettenis has create a new SPARC branch (kettenis_sparc-20030918-branch) and is using it to reimplement the SPARC architecture so that it works with the latest frame and related changes.

People encountering problems with SPARC GDB should check out this branch.

The GDB 6.0 branch (gdb_6_0-branch) has been created. To check out a copy of the branch use:

cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@sourceware.org:/cvs/src co -r gdb_6_0-branch gdb+dejagnu

Act have updated their contrib directory with a version of GDB 5.3 that includes Ada support.

GDB version 5.3 has been released.
Much thanks to all the contributors.

The GDB 5.3 branch (gdb_5_3-branch)has been created. To check out a copy of the branch use:

cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@sourceware.org:/cvs/src co -r gdb_5_3-branch gdb+dejagnu

The following GDB functionality has been made obsolete.

• Mitsubishi D30V
• OS/9000
• Fujitsu FR30
• Motorola Delta 88000 running Sys V
• CHILL, a Pascal like language used by telecommunications companies.

GDB version 5.2.1 has been released.
Much thanks to all the contributors.

Petr Sorfa (Caldera) has contributed patches against GDB 5.1.1 that add support for FORTRAN 95. It even includes support for a location expression parser and support for many other DWARF[23] extensions.

Jim Blandy (Red Hat) has added support for C/C++ preprocessor macros to GDB.

GDB can expand preprocessor macro invocations in C/C++ expressions, and provides various commands for showing macro definitions and how they expand.

Most compilers don't include information about macros in the debugging information by default. In GCC 3.1, for example, you need to compile your program with the options -gdwarf-2 -g3. If the macro information is present in the executable, GDB will read it.

GDB version 5.2 has been released.
Much thanks to all the contributors.

The GDB 5.2 branch can be checked out using:

cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@anoncvs.cygnus.com:/cvs/src co -r gdb_5_2-branch gdb+dejagnu

The branch tag is gdb_5_2-branch and the branch can be checked out using:

cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@anoncvs.cygnus.com:/cvs/src co -r gdb_5_2-branch gdb+dejagnu

ftp://sourceware.org/pub/gdb/snapshots/branch

GDB version 5.1.1 has been released.
Much thanks to all the contributors.

The GDB 5.1 branch can be checked out using:

cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@anoncvs.cygnus.com:/cvs/src co -r gdb_5_1-2001-07-29-branch gdb+dejagnu

Jason Molenda (Apple) and Paul Hilfinger A.C.T. have contributed major changes, in the form of snapshots, to GDB.

Apple's snapshot includes support for MacOS X and Objective C++.

Act's snapshot contains support for GNU Ada.

While much much work is still needed before these changes can be integrated into GDB this does mean that the changes are available.

Tom Tromey has committed patches that add support for a --args option. It is now possible to enter sequences like:

$  ./my broken program
segmentation fault.
$  gdb --args ./my broken program

GDB version 5.1 has been released.
Much thanks to all the contributors.

GDB 5.0.93, taken from the GDB 5.1 branch, is available.

All i386 targets have been partially multi-arched. While their conversion to full multi-arch is on going, this does mean that the i386 target has access to features (such as multi-isa support) only available in a multi-arch GDB

Elena Zannoni has committed changes that slay the partial-stab.h dragon. This dragon blocked the door of the non-dwarf symtab readers and would kill anyone that attempted to submit changes.

GDB 5.0.92, taken from the GDB 5.1 branch, has been made available.

DJ Barrow, of IBM, has contributed a port of GDB to the s390 GNU/Linux platform. It has been committed to both the trunk and the 5.1 branch.

The machine sourceware.org, which hosts the GDB CVS repository, mailing lists and these web pages, will be unavailable for roughly an hour from 2001-08-19 0700 UCT. During this time the machine will be physically moved to a co-location. This, among the many other advantages, will significantly improve the machines available bandwidth.

The branch tag is gdb_5_1-2001-07-29-branch.
Snapshots of the branch are available for download from the snapshots directory.
Alternativly, the branch can be checked out using the CVS command:

cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@anoncvs.cygnus.com:/cvs/src co -r gdb_5_1-2001-07-29-branch gdb dejagnu

A Tentative Relese Schedule for GDB 5.1 has been posted. At this stage, it is hoped that the 5.1 branch will be cut on or around 2001-07-22.

A paper discussing the full set of changes necessary to complete the multi-arch work (so that targets with different architectures are supported) has been posted.

As part of the 5.1 release cycle the following targets have been marked as obsolete:

x86 FreeBSD before 2.2                i[3456]86*-freebsd{1,2.[01]}*, 
Harris/CXUX m88k                      m88*-harris-cxux*
Most ns32k hosts and targets          ns32k-*-mach3* ns32k-umax-*
                                      ns32k-utek-sysv* ns32k-utek-*
TI TMS320C80                          tic80-*-*
WDC 65816                             w65-*-*
Ultracomputer (29K) running Sym1      a29k-nyu-sym1 a29k-*-kern*
PowerPC Solaris                       powerpcle-*-solaris*
PowerPC Windows NT                    powerpcle-*-cygwin32
PowerPC Netware                       powerpc-*-netware*
SunOS 4.0.Xi on i386                  i[3456]86-*-sunos*
Sony NEWS (68K) running NEWSOS 3.x    m68*-sony-sysv news
ISI Optimum V (3.05) under 4.3bsd.    m68*-isi-*
Apple Macintosh (MPW) host            N/A
stuff.c (Program to stuff files into a specially prepared space in kdb)
kdb-start.c (Main loop for the standalone kernel debugger)

Chris Faylor and Tom Tromey have set up the Terf system as a way of publishing GDB testresults. See http://sourceware.org/cgi-bin/gdb.cgi

In an effort to stop bugs slipping through the cracks, a bug tracking database has been established.

The K&R compatible PARAMS macro has gone
Kevin Buettner as completed his elimination of the PARAMS macro from the GDB sources. Developers no longer need to worry about old style declarations.

Elena Zannoni has completed the import of Readline 4.1
The updating of GDB's version of readline to 4.1 was one of the key objectives of GDB 5.1

All the MIPS targets (native or cross) have been swiched to the mult-arch framework. That framework facilitates previous impossible functionality such as support for differing ISAs (Instruction Set Architectures) and ABIs (Application Binary Interfaces).

The branch gdb-premipsmulti-2000-06-06-branch has been created and was taken just before the switch was made. If problems with your MIPS target are found please compare results with those from that branch.

netwinder.org have added a GDB build farm. Check http://www.netwinder.org/build/gdb.html. Both armv3l-unknown-linux-gnu and armv4l-unknown-linux-gnu are being build.

GDB version Five has been released.
Much thanks to all the contributors.
Late breaking bugs and fixes are being added to the Errata page

The branch tag is gdb_5_0-2000-04-10-branch.
Snapshots of the branch are available for download from the snapshots directory.
Alternativly, the branch can be checked out using the CVS command:

cvs -z9 -d :pserver:anoncvs@anoncvs.cygnus.com:/cvs/src co -r gdb_5_0-2000-04-10-branch gdb dejagnu

See the TODO file for an up-to-date status report.

See the GDB 4.18 announcement for details about 4.18.

The first release of the Insight GUI for GDB has been made. Insight is a tcl/tk based GUI for GDB which has been in development for about five years. Check it out.