Re: [patch 3/8] Command `set agent on|off'

Yao Qi
2012-01-23T23:47:05Z

On 01/24/2012 01:13 AM, Eli Zaretskii wrote:
>> > + add_setshow_enum_cmd ("agent", class_run,
>> > + can_use_agent_enum,
>> > + &can_use_agent, _("\
>> > +Set debugger's willingness to use agent as a helper."), _("\
>> > +Show debugger's willingness to use agent as a helper."), _("\
>> > +If on, gdb will use agent as a helper if it is supported by the target.\n\
>> > +If off, gdb will not use agent, even if such is supported by the target\n"),
> This doc string should say a little more. In particular, what is the
> purpose of using "agent as a helper"? helper to do what?

This question made some troubles when I was writing document. The idea
of agent work is to delegate some debugging works from gdb/gdbserver to
agent, to improve the performance of debugging, because we think some
debugging operations are faster executed in agent than in gdb/gdbserver.

What sort of debugging works agent can do "as a helper" depends on the
agent's capability, so agents can do various things. Current agent
libinproctrace.so is a helper for static tracepoint operations. The new
agent library we are writing is a helper for 1) operating static
tracepoint, 2) installing fast tracepoint, and 3) evaluating breakpoint
conditions.

How about this,

Set debugger's willingness to use agent as a helper."), _("\
Show debugger's willingness to use agent as a helper."), _("\
Agent, a shared library running in the same process of inferior, takes
some delegated debugging works from GDB/GDBserver. Since it is faster
to execute some debugging operations in agent than in GDB/GDBserver, the
performance of debugging can be improved. The delegated debugging works
vary on agents, depend on the actual capability of agents.
If on, gdb will use agent as a helper if it is supported by the target.\n\
If off, gdb will not use agent, even if such is supported by the target\n"),

--
Yao (é½å°§)