Re: [patch] print a more useful error message for "gdb core"

[Doug Evans <dje@google.com>]

On Wed, Jan 20, 2010 at 3:56 PM, Doug Evans <dje@google.com> wrote:
> Hi.
>
> If the user accidentally does "gdb core" gdb currently prints:
>
> "/foo/bar": not in executable format: File format not recognized
>
> This patch prints a more useful error message for this particular case:
>
> "/foo/bar" is a core file.
> Please specify an executable to debug.
>
> I will check this in in a few days if there are no objections.

As noted in irc, the joys of working between multiple trees.
The previous patch didn't call exec_close.

Here's an updated patch.

2010-01-20  Doug Evans  <dje@google.com>

        * exec.c (exec_file_attach): Print a more useful error message if the
        user did "gdb core".

Index: exec.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/src/gdb/exec.c,v
retrieving revision 1.95
diff -u -p -r1.95 exec.c
--- exec.c      19 Jan 2010 09:47:47 -0000      1.95
+++ exec.c      21 Jan 2010 00:10:17 -0000
@@ -253,6 +253,18 @@ exec_file_attach (char *filename, int fr
       scratch_pathname = xstrdup (scratch_pathname);
       cleanups = make_cleanup (xfree, scratch_pathname);

+      /* If the user accidentally did "gdb core", print a useful
+        error message.  */
+      if (bfd_check_format (exec_bfd, bfd_core))
+       {
+         /* Make sure to close exec_bfd, or else "run" might try to use
+            it.  */
+         exec_close ();
+         error (_("\"%s\" is a core file.\n"
+                  "Please specify an executable to debug."),
+                scratch_pathname);
+       }
+
       if (!bfd_check_format (exec_bfd, bfd_object))
        {
          /* Make sure to close exec_bfd, or else "run" might try to use