gdb vs. dbx: commands mapping and feature comparison

GDB and DBX usage reference. very useful when debug program on Linux and AIX

Gdb vs. dbx feature comparison

gdb	dbx
Invocation
gdb program gdb program core gdb program pid	dbx progam dbx program core dbx program pid
gdb -c core gdb -p pid Note: need to specify program explicitly	dbx - core dbx - pid (program is foundautomatically) Note: dbx cannot debugcore files and live processes without access to program file,i.e. a.out
gdb -s file (read symbols from file)	-
gdb -x file	dbx ... < file dbx -s file ...
-tty device (Runusing device for your program’s standard input and output)	dbxenvrun_io pty dbxenv run_pty device
-write (open executable and core file for writing)	-
Exiting
quit Ctrl-d	exit
Executing shell commands
shell command	ksh command /bin/sh command Note: you can use any ksh command,including function definition. See “help ksh differences”for limitations.
Logging
set logging show logging	dbxenv session_log_file_name file dbxenv session_log_file_name
-	dbxenv output_log_file_name file dbxenv output_log_file_name (logs only commands, not theiroutput)
set logging redirect [on|off]	- Note: equivalent to off
set logging overwrite [on|off]	- Note: equivalent to on
Commands (general)
Abbreviation - automatic (can use 's' instead of 'step')	Need to use ksh 'alias' command to define aliases
Auto-completion with Tab	No auto-completion
Command repeat with Ret	Command repeat with '!' and UpArrow Ret
Built-in help
help [command]	help [command]
apropos keyword	help -k keyword
Debugging information support
stabs (GNU), dwarf2, -g -O	stabs (SUN), dwarf2, -g -O
Macro support (-g3)	Macro support (-g3); Sun Studio compilers don't generate debuginfo for macros, though.
(status unknown)	.ldynsym support (symbols in stripped loadobject)
Starting a program
run [arguments][ < input_file] [ >output_file	run [arguments][ < input_file] [ >output_file]
start (run and stop in “main”)	- Note: only available in GUI mode when used from Sun Studio IDE
Program environment
set args args	runargs args
show args	debug
path dir	PATH=dir:$PATH
show paths	echo $PATH
set environment varname [=value ]	varname=value
unset environment varname	unset varname
cd directory	cd directory
pwd	pwd
-	any other ksh command (with certainlimitations; see “help ksh differences”)
Attaching
attach pid	attach pid debug program pid debug - pid
detach	detach
-	detach -stop
Killing the child process
kill	kill (builtin) /usr/bin/kill
Debugging Multithreaded Applications
info threads	threads
thread threadno	thread threadid
-	thread -info [threadid]
-	thread -blocks [threadid]thread -blockedby [threadid]
-	syncs (list all synchronization objects). Note: available on Solaris only.
-	sync -info addr (show information about the synchronization object). Note: available on Solaris only.
thread apply [threadno] [all] command	-
-	lwps
-	lwp lwpid
-	lwp [lwpid] -info (displays the name, home, and masked signals)
-	lwp [lwpid] -setfp addr lwp [lwpid] -resetfp (temporarily set frame pointer tospecified value)
-	OpenMP support.
Debugging Programs with Multiple Processes
set follow-fork-mode parent	dbxenv follow_fork_mode parent
set follow-fork-mode child	dbxenv follow_fork_mode child
-	dbxenv follow_fork_mode ask
set detach-on-fork on/off	- Note: always detaches; it is possible to debug both processes,but only using Sun Studio IDE
info forks fork fork-id detach fork fork-id delete fork fork-id	-
Process snapshots
checkpoint info checkpoints restart checkpoint-id delete checkpoint checkpoint-id	- Note: dbx has different mechanism for that; see “helpsave/restore/replace” commands for more information.
Breakpoints
break function	stop in function
break +offset break -offset	stop at $[$lineno+offset] stop at $[$lineno – offset] Note: you can define helper function in .dbxrc thatwill save you from typing all that stuff.
break [filename:]linenum	stop at [filename:]linenum
break filename:function	-
break \*address	stopi at address stop at address -instr
break (stop on next instruction in current stack frame)	- Note: Can use “stopi at $npc”, but on sparc only
break ... if cond condition bnum expression	stop ... -if cond
condition bnum (removes condition)	-
tbreak args	stop ... -temp
-	stop inmethod func stop inmember func stop infunction func stop inclass classname [ -recurse | -norecurse ] inobject object_address [ -recurse | -norecurse ]
step; cont next; cont	stop step stop next
catch signal [signame ]	stop sig signal [code]
-	stop fault <fault>
catch throw [ exceptname] Note: not very useful since stop after exception is thrown;doesn't work in code called from gdb	intercept [-all] [-x] [-set] [typename] stop throw [-unhandled] [-unexpected] [typename]
catch catch [exceptname]	- Note: use “whocatches” command
catch stop	stop stop
-	stop attachstop detach
-	stop sync
-	stop syncrtld
-	stop lastrites (Solaris only)
catch load [ lib-path ] catch unload [ lib-path ] Note: unavailable on Linux and Solaris	stop dlopen [ lib-path ] stop dlclose [ lib-path ]
-	stop exit [ exitcode ]
catch fork catch vfork catch exec Note: no other system calls are supported	stop sysin [sysin code|name] stop sysout [sysin code|name]
finish Note: can't specify function to catch return from	stop returns [func] Note: has bug(s), still unresolved.
-	stop lwp_exit (Solaris only)
catch exit catch start Note: not implemented on Linux and Solaris	stop proc_gone stop prog_new
tcatch ...	stop ... -temp
-	stop timer seconds
watch variable Note: need to re-enable manually	stop change variable
watch expr Note: need to re-enable manually	stop if expr stop cond expr
mem addr-expr addr-expr mode	stop access mode addr-expr [ , byte-size-expr
rwatch <expr> awatch <expr> Note: need to re-enable manually, doen't work on Solaris andLinux.	-
catch thread_start catch thread_exit	stop thr_exit [-thread tid] stop thr_create [ tid ]
catch thread_join	-
-	stop ... -resumeone (when evaluating stop condition, resume only one thread).
-	stop ... -in func
ignore bnum count	stop ... -count count handler -count count bnum
break linespec thread threadno	stop ... -thread tid
-	stop ... -lwp lwpid
hbreak args thbreak args	-
rbreak regex	- Note: need to use funcs command and manually set breakpointswith “stop in”
info breakpoints [n] info watchpoints [n]	status [n]
clear clear linenum clear filename:linenum	clear clear linenum clear filename:linenum
clear function clear filename:function	-
delete [breakpoints] [range ...]	delete [breakpoints] delete all
Pending breakpoints	- Note: you can load shared library with “loadobject -loadlib” and set breakpoints after that or run yourprogram once without any breakpoints so that dbx become aware ofall libraries.
set breakpoint auto-hw on/off	-
disable [breakpoints] [range ...]	handler -disable [breakpoints]
enable [breakpoints] [range ...]	handler -enable [breakpoints]
enable [breakpoints] once range ... enable [breakpoints] delete range ...	-
commands [bnum ] ... command-list ... end	when ... { cmd; } wheni ... { cmd; }
-	trace next trace at lineno trace in func trace modify addr-expr [ ,byte-size-expr ] trace ...
Continuing and Stepping
continue [ignore-count ] fg [ignore-count ]	cont
step [count]	step [count] [tid | lwpid]
next [count]	next [count] [tid | lwpid]
set step-mode on stepi [count]	stepi [count] [tid | lwpid]
nexti [count]	nexti [count] [tid | lwpid]
-	step to [func]
-	step ... -sig signal
until [location] (Execute until the program reaches a source line greater than the currentor specified location).	-
advance location	cont at line
Signals
info signalsinfo handle	catch, ignore
handle signal stop	catch signal
handle signal nostop	ignore signal
handle signal print	when sig signal { print $signal; print $sigstr; } trace sig signal
handle signal noprint	- Note: no information is printed about ignored signals
handle signal pass handle signal noignore	ignore signal
handle signal nopass handle signal ignore	- Note: use cont with no -sig to cancel current signal afterstopping because of it
Examining the Stack
backtrace [n] bt [n]	where [n]
backtrace [-n] bt [-n]	-
backtrace full [n]	-
set backtrace past-main on/off	-
set backtrace past-entry on/off	-
-	hide [ regular_expression ] unhide [ number | regular_expression ] unhide (hide stack frames in “where” command output)
set backtrace limit n set backtrace limit 0 (default is unlimited)	dbxenv stack_max_size n Note: default is 100; no “unlimited” option
show backtrace limit	dbxenv stack_max_size echo $DBX_stack_max_size
frame [args]	frame [n] Note: can't use address to identify stack frame
select-frame [args]	> /dev/null frame [n]
up [n] down [n]	up [n] down [n]
up-silently [n] down-silently [n]	> /dev/null up [n] > /dev/null down [n]
frame	where 1
info frame	-
info locals	dump
info catch	whocatches type
Examining Source Files
list linenum	list -w linenum
list function	list function
-	list -a function (lists entire function)
list	list
list -	list -10
set listsize count show listsize	dbxenv output_list_size count dbxenv output_list_size
list first,last	list first,last
list ,last	list last, - [n]
list first,	list first,+[n]
list +	list [+N]
list -	list - [N]
list \*address	-
-	file [filename] (view or set current file)
edit edit number edit function edit filename:number edit filename:function edit \*address	$EDITOR filename Note: need to find source file manually with 'whereis [-a]'command.
forward-search regexp search regexp	search [string]
reverse-search regexp	bsearch [string]
Specifying Source Directories
directory dirname ... dir dirname ... directory	use [dirname] Note: “use” is deprecated and replaced withpathmap.
set substitute-path from to	pathmap from to
unset substitute-path [path]	pathmap -d [path]
show substitute-path [path]	pathmap
Source and Machine Code
info line linespec	- Note: need to look at “list -i linespec”output
disassemble [addr]	dis [addr]
-	dis -a [addr] (disassemble entire function)
-	list -i [linespec] (intermix source lines and assembly code)
Examining Data
print /f expr	print -f expr
print /f	-
-	> FILE print ... (print to a file)
Artifcial arrays (p \*array@len)	-
-	Array slicing (p array[2..5])
-	Pretty-printing (allows an application to provide it's ownrendition of anexpressions value through a function call, see “helpprettyprint”).
x/nfu addr	x addr [/nf] examine addr [/nf] Note: unit size is governed by format, 'f'
display[/fmt] expr	display [-f fmt] expr
undisplay dnums ... delete display dnums ...	undisplay dnums ...
disable display dnums ... enable display dnums ...	-
display	display
-	watch (same as display, but expression is re-parsed at each stoppingpoint)
set print address on/off	-
set print symbol-filename on/off	-
set print max-symbolic-offset max-offset	-
set print array on/off	- (equivalent to off)
set print array-indexes on/off	- (equivalent to off)
set print elements number-of-elements	-
set print repeats	-
set print null-stop	-
set print pretty on/off	- Note: equivalent to “on”
set print sevenbit-strings on/off	-
set print union on/off	-
set print demangle on/off set print asm-demangle on/off	- Note: usually both forms are displayed
set print object on/off	print -d ... Note: equivalent to “on”
set print static-members on/off	-
set print vtbl on/off	-
$ (previously printed expression)	-
show values (values history)	-
Convenience variables Example: set $foo = \*object_ptr Note: these variables are typed.	Environment variables Example: foo=$[\*object_ptr] Note: type of expression is not recorded in the variable.
show convenience	set
init-if-undefined $variable = expression	-
info registers	regs
info all-registers	regs -f | -F
info registers regname ...	print $regname
info float (floating point registers only)	-
info vector	-
info udot	-
info auxv	-
cache nocache (cache target memory)	-
Memory access checking
set mem inaccessible-by-default [on|off]	-
-	check -access
-	check -memuse
-	check -leaks
C Preprocessor Macros
macro expand expression macro exp expression	-
macro expand-once expression	-
info macro macro	-
macro define macro [(arglist)] replacement-list macro undef macro	-
macro list	-
Examining the Symbol Table
info address symbol	- Note: “print &symbol” should suffice.
info symbol addr	whereis -a addr Note: with 'check -memuse', showsallocation stack for heap-allocated memory region.
whatis arg	whatis [-e] arg
ptype arg	whatis [-e] arg
info types [regexp]	whatis -t [typename]
info scope location	-
info source	module -v file Note: dwarf info is not displayed correctly for object files.
info sources	modules -v files
info functions regexp	funcs regexp
info variables (All global and static variable names, or those matching REGEXP)	-
Altering execution
set var=value	assign var=value
assign $reg=value	assign $reg=value
jump linespec	cont at linespec
jump \*address	assign $pc=address; cont
signal signal	cont -sig signal
return	pop
return expression	-
print expr call expr Note: abnormal termination affects debuggee	print expr call expr Note: abnormal termination doesn't affect debuggee; use “pop-c” to “cancel” call.
set unwindonsignal	- Note: equivalent to off
set write on/off (open executable or core for writing)	- Note: equivalent to off
-	fix
Debugging Information in Separate Files
set debug-file-directory directory	dbxenv debug_file_directory directory
show debug-file-directory	dbxenv debug_file_directory
Miscellaneous
set prompt newprompt	PS1=newprompt PS2=secondprompt

There's similar table in built-in dbxhelp. Use “help FAQ” and navigate to seciton A.1.