Gdb basics

Customization: File .gdbinit contains instructions that gdb will execute at startup. Helpful for adding commonly used commands. Gdb first reads .gdbinit in $HOME directory, then in current directory (if different than $HOME).

Gdb looks for source files in $cdir (directory embedded in executable recorded during compilation) and $cwd (current working directory). You can add to this list via dir e.g. dir ..\..\WebCore\platform. See current list via show dir. If you need this, it's a perfect candidate for putting inside .gdbinit file.

Basics:

• run [<args>] - run the program with (optional) arguments
• c (continue) - continue execution
• bt - print a stack trace
• frame <n> - switch to frame
• info locals - show local variables
• p <foo> - print the value of a variable
• x /fmt addr - show data under a given addr using a given format
• info breaks - display current breakpoints
• break <line-no> - set breakpoint at a line number in current file e.g. break 24
• break *<addr> - set a breakpoint at a given addr e.g. break *foo + 24 (set a breakpoint 24 bytes after the beginning of function foo
• delete <n>, disable <n>, enable <n> - delete/disable/enable breakpoint

Debugging at assembly level:

• display /i $eip so that gdb prints the next assembly instruction
• nexti and stepi for stepping by one instruction
• set disassembly-flavor intel changes assembly syntax from awful AT&T to less awful intel
• info regs - show content of registers

Useful macros to define in .gdbinit:

dpc [<count>] disassembles next (or 24 if not given) bytes starting from current location.

define dpc
  if $argc ==1
    disass $pc $pc + $arg0
  end
  if $argc == 0
    disass $pc $pc+24
  end
end

pu <addr> print Unicode string under address

def pu
  set $uni = $arg0 
  set $i = 0
  while (*$uni && $i++<100)
    if (*$uni < 0x80) 
      print *(char*)$uni++
    else
      print /x *(short*)$uni++
    end
  end
end