Re: [PATCH] Make gdb.arch/i386-biarch-core.exp more robust

[Pedro Alves <palves@redhat.com>]

On 01/31/2017 01:55 PM, Luis Machado wrote:
> This test attempts to load a x86 core file no matter what the target
> architecture is. If the architecture is not x86, GDB will not recognize
> the core file and therefore won't have any memory to inspect. All we will
> have is a memory read error, resulting in a FAIL.
> 
> The following patch addresses this by checking if we successfully loaded
> the core file. If not, just return. Otherwise it keeps testing.
> 
> gdb/testsuite/ChangeLog:
> 
> 2017-01-31  Luis Machado  <lgustavo@codesourcery.com>
> 
> 	* gdb.arch/i386-biarch-core.exp: Return if core file was not
> 	recognized.

This seems to contradict a bit the point of the test, which says:

> # Test if at least the core file segments memory has been loaded.

when:

> # Wrongly built GDB complains by:
> # "..." is not a core dump: File format not recognized

I.e., would we be potentially losing coverage?  Assurance
that we're not I think should be part of the rationale for
this change.

Does the test pass for you if your non --target=x86 build
ends up including x86 support, with e.g., --enable-targets=all?

If it does, then maybe we should check whether the GDB
build supports x86, by e.g., doing:

  gdb_test_multiple "complete set architecture i386" ...

and seeing if something comes out.

then only do "unsupported" if x86 is not supported, otherwise,
the memory read failure is really a fail.

Thanks,
Pedro Alves