offline core file analysis from a PPC 440GX target on my Solaris hostsystem

offline core file analysis from a PPC 440GX target on my Solaris hostsystem

[Marc Paloma]

Greetings,

Is it possible to configure a version of GDB for
"--host=sparc-solaris2.8 and
--target=powerpc-ibm-vxworks5.5" that can analyze a
core file from an IBM PPC 440GX embedded system
offline?   Currently, I'm getting the following error
from GDB 5.3:

 (gdb) core-file 440gxdump
 GDB can't read core files on this machine.

(1) Is there any version of GDB which is aware of the
IBM PPC 440GX processor architecture?  I am aware of
WindRiver having a version of GDB however,
their version of GDB does not support the gdb corefile
functionality.  I'm not interested in remote online
debugging of the 440GX.  However, I would like a way
to build a version of GDB which can analyze a core
file from a 440GX memory dump and be able to do a
backtrace, info registers, frame into the stack, and
look at local/global variables.

(2) If I create a separate ELF formatted file of my
embedded application (to read in the symbols) and a
separate corefile of when the application halted
(corefile), could I analyze the dump file offline
using GDB on my Solaris workstation (i.e. not
connected to the 440GX processor). If so, how would I
configure the --target settings (i.e.
--target=powerpc-???-???) and what other code
modifications must I endure in order to get this to
work.

I'm new to GDB debugging and corefile analysis so I
apoligize if more clarification on my part is
necessary.  Andrew Cagney recommended I send my
inquires here so any help or insight would be very
much appreciated.

-Marc Paloma



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Re: offline core file analysis from a PPC 440GX target on my Solaris hostsystem

[Daniel Jacobowitz]

On Wed, Dec 03, 2003 at 04:03:22PM -0800, Marc Paloma wrote:
> Greetings,
> 
> Is it possible to configure a version of GDB for
> "--host=sparc-solaris2.8 and
> --target=powerpc-ibm-vxworks5.5" that can analyze a
> core file from an IBM PPC 440GX embedded system
> offline?   Currently, I'm getting the following error
> from GDB 5.3:
> 
>  (gdb) core-file 440gxdump
>  GDB can't read core files on this machine.
> 
> (1) Is there any version of GDB which is aware of the
> IBM PPC 440GX processor architecture?  I am aware of
> WindRiver having a version of GDB however,
> their version of GDB does not support the gdb corefile
> functionality.  I'm not interested in remote online
> debugging of the 440GX.  However, I would like a way
> to build a version of GDB which can analyze a core
> file from a 440GX memory dump and be able to do a
> backtrace, info registers, frame into the stack, and
> look at local/global variables.

I do not believe that any PPC VxWorks target supports core files.  You
could try a powerpc-linux debugger but (A) I believe you'll need 6.0
and (B) it is unlikely that it will understand the VxWorks dump notes.

-- 
Daniel Jacobowitz
MontaVista Software                         Debian GNU/Linux Developer

Re: offline core file analysis from a PPC 440GX target on my Solaris hostsystem

[Marc Paloma]

Daniel,

If I compile a version of GDB 6.0 with
--host=sparc-solaris2.8 and --target=powerpc-sun-elf,
what kind of PowerPC processor support will I get?  Is
440GX included among the PowerPC processors that is
supported by GDB 6.0?

In terms of the core file, is it possible to create an
ELF core image to represent the memory regions
belonging to the 440GX process image?  This core image
will be writing to a filesystem which then can be
ftp'ed to a UNIX environment where I can use GDB to
analyze the dump.  I'm hoping that I can reconstruct
the executable from the core dump using the actual ELF
binary application and the ELF core dump.  Once the
core is loaded into GDB, I'm hoping that GDB will be
able to figure out the stack and disassemble the
opcodes.  How does GDB figure out stack information of
a a.out core dump?  Are the dump notes that you were
refering to correlate to the text and data sections?


-Marc

--- Daniel Jacobowitz <drow@mvista.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 03, 2003 at 04:03:22PM -0800, Marc
> Paloma wrote:
> > Greetings,
> > 
> > Is it possible to configure a version of GDB for
> > "--host=sparc-solaris2.8 and
> > --target=powerpc-ibm-vxworks5.5" that can analyze
> a
> > core file from an IBM PPC 440GX embedded system
> > offline?   Currently, I'm getting the following
> error
> > from GDB 5.3:
> > 
> >  (gdb) core-file 440gxdump
> >  GDB can't read core files on this machine.
> > 
> > (1) Is there any version of GDB which is aware of
> the
> > IBM PPC 440GX processor architecture?  I am aware
> of
> > WindRiver having a version of GDB however,
> > their version of GDB does not support the gdb
> corefile
> > functionality.  I'm not interested in remote
> online
> > debugging of the 440GX.  However, I would like a
> way
> > to build a version of GDB which can analyze a core
> > file from a 440GX memory dump and be able to do a
> > backtrace, info registers, frame into the stack,
> and
> > look at local/global variables.
> 
> I do not believe that any PPC VxWorks target
> supports core files.  You
> could try a powerpc-linux debugger but (A) I believe
> you'll need 6.0
> and (B) it is unlikely that it will understand the
> VxWorks dump notes.
> 
> -- 
> Daniel Jacobowitz
> MontaVista Software                         Debian
> GNU/Linux Developer



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Re: offline core file analysis from a PPC 440GX target on my Solaris hostsystem

[Daniel Jacobowitz]

On Thu, Dec 04, 2003 at 03:56:58AM -0800, Marc Paloma wrote:
> Daniel,
> 
> If I compile a version of GDB 6.0 with
> --host=sparc-solaris2.8 and --target=powerpc-sun-elf,
> what kind of PowerPC processor support will I get?  Is
> 440GX included among the PowerPC processors that is
> supported by GDB 6.0?

GDB does not usually care at all what specific processor is targeted.

I believe all of the 440GX's instructions will be disassembled
more-or-less correctly.

> In terms of the core file, is it possible to create an
> ELF core image to represent the memory regions
> belonging to the 440GX process image?  This core image
> will be writing to a filesystem which then can be
> ftp'ed to a UNIX environment where I can use GDB to
> analyze the dump.  I'm hoping that I can reconstruct
> the executable from the core dump using the actual ELF
> binary application and the ELF core dump.  Once the
> core is loaded into GDB, I'm hoping that GDB will be
> able to figure out the stack and disassemble the
> opcodes.  How does GDB figure out stack information of
> a a.out core dump?  Are the dump notes that you were
> refering to correlate to the text and data sections?

I can only suggest you investigate the format of ELF core files, in bfd
and GDB, and compare it to what VxWorks gives you.

-- 
Daniel Jacobowitz
MontaVista Software                         Debian GNU/Linux Developer