[PATCH] gdb/reverse: update error message for "reverse-" commands

[PATCH] gdb/reverse: update error message for "reverse-" commands

[Guinevere Larsen]

Before this change, when a user tried to use a command that executes the
inferior in reverse, they would get the following error message:
    Target multi-thread does not support this command.

As an end-user with no knowledge of the internals of GDB would have as a
best guess, that reverse execution as a whole would not be supported in
their system (verified by asking a couple new users).

This commit changes the message to avoid the internal terminology, and
to add a hint that the user may need to create a recording somehow to be
able to execute in reverse.
---
 gdb/reverse.c | 3 ++-
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/gdb/reverse.c b/gdb/reverse.c
index bda23ed2199..0d67afad45e 100644
--- a/gdb/reverse.c
+++ b/gdb/reverse.c
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ exec_reverse_once (const char *cmd, const char *args, int from_tty)
 	   cmd);
 
   if (!target_can_execute_reverse ())
-    error (_("Target %s does not support this command."), target_shortname ());
+    error (_("Reverse execution is not currently supported.\n"
+	     "You may need to record the execution first."));
 
   std::string reverse_command = string_printf ("%s %s", cmd, args ? args : "");
   scoped_restore restore_exec_dir

base-commit: 8eeb52e3c7701f03711d51a2209c39d85d109500
-- 
2.51.0

Re: [PATCH] gdb/reverse: update error message for "reverse-" commands

[Tom Tromey]

>>>>> "Guinevere" == Guinevere Larsen <guinevere@redhat.com> writes:

Guinevere> This commit changes the message to avoid the internal terminology, and
Guinevere> to add a hint that the user may need to create a recording somehow to be
Guinevere> able to execute in reverse.

FWIW it seems fine to me.

Approved-By: Tom Tromey <tom@tromey.com>

Tom

Re: [PATCH] gdb/reverse: update error message for "reverse-" commands

[Guinevere Larsen]

On 10/24/25 3:42 PM, Tom Tromey wrote:
>>>>>> "Guinevere" == Guinevere Larsen <guinevere@redhat.com> writes:
> Guinevere> This commit changes the message to avoid the internal terminology, and
> Guinevere> to add a hint that the user may need to create a recording somehow to be
> Guinevere> able to execute in reverse.
>
> FWIW it seems fine to me.
>
> Approved-By: Tom Tromey <tom@tromey.com>
>
> Tom
>
Thanks, pushed!

-- 
Cheers,
Guinevere Larsen
It/she