RFC: change needs_frame_tls_address

Tom Tromey
2010-07-23T22:33:02Z

I am curious to get reactions on this patch.

This fixes PR 11803, a gdb assertion resulting from trying to print the
TLS variable in this program:

class A { public: static __thread int num; };
__thread int A::num = 1;
int main() { return 0; }

For this we get a warning from value_static_field, then things go
downhill and we hit an internal_error. From the PR:

(gdb) print A::num
warning: static field's value depends on the current frame - bad debug info?
findvar.c:427: internal-error: read_var_value: Assertion `frame' failed.
A problem internal to GDB has been detected,
further debugging may prove unreliable.
Quit this debugging session? (y or n)

After tracing through the TLS code for a bit, I have concluded that TLS
does not really need a frame, at least not in the gdb sense. Instead, I
think it only needs registers -- a funny sort of distinction to make,
but nevertheless...

With this patch the behavior seems ok:

(gdb) p A::num
$1 = 1
(gdb) kill
Kill the program being debugged? (y or n) y
(gdb) p A::num
Cannot access memory at address 0xb7fdb6d8

If this seems acceptable I will write up a real test case.
If it is not acceptable, I would appreciate some enlightenment as to
what other approach I should take.

This built & regtested ok on x86-64 (compile farm).

Tom

2010-07-23 Tom Tromey <tromey@redhat.com>

PR exp/11803:
* dwarf2loc.c (needs_frame_tls_address): Don't require a frame.

Index: dwarf2loc.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/src/gdb/dwarf2loc.c,v
retrieving revision 1.95
diff -u -r1.95 dwarf2loc.c
--- dwarf2loc.c 13 Jul 2010 15:09:03 -0000 1.95
+++ dwarf2loc.c 23 Jul 2010 22:25:56 -0000
@@ -1053,13 +1053,15 @@
return 1;
}

-/* Thread-local accesses do require a frame. */
static CORE_ADDR
needs_frame_tls_address (void *baton, CORE_ADDR offset)
{
struct needs_frame_baton *nf_baton = baton;

- nf_baton->needs_frame = 1;
+ /* Thread-local accesses require registers, but not an actual
+ frame. This is a funny sort of distinction to make, but it lets
+ us avoid assertions elsewhere in gdb. */
+ nf_baton->needs_frame = 0;
return 1;
}