Re: [RFA] set/show enable-software-singlestep

[Michael Snyder <msnyder@specifix.com>]

On Tue, 2008-06-24 at 16:29 -0300, Luis Machado wrote:
> On Tue, 2008-06-24 at 11:18 -0700, Michael Snyder wrote:
> > There may be cases where gdb would be inclined to use
> > software singlestep, but you might not want it to.  Examples:
> > 
> >  * "target remote" to a target such as a simulator that
> >    would be able to support normal singlestep.
> > 
> >  * reverse debugging, where you can't predict the 
> >    "come-from" address of a jump instruction.
> > 
> > What do you guys think?  Useful?
> 
> It's a useful feature and looks OK. I'm just wondering how dangerous it
> would be to turn software single stepping off on PPC64 and stumble upon
> an atomic sequence and end up locked there (we use software single
> stepping explicitly to jump those sequences).

Well, it would be dangerous (ie. fatal) any time when software
singlestep is actually required.  It's only meant for when you
know it isn't required, even though normally it would be.

In my revised patch, I've made it a "maintainer" command.
Later if we decide that users can be trusted with it, we
can promote it.   ;-)