EBC Exercise 28 Remote gdb and more

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thumb‎ Embedded Linux Class by Mark A. Yoder


This is a continuation of the earlier gdb lab. In the past lab we did local execution on the BeagleBoard. Here we'll do remote execution with gdb running on your host and debugging code on your Beagle.

Installing gdb

You should already have this, but if not. On your host computer run:

host$ apt-get install gdb

On your Beagle run:

beagle$ opkg install gdb gdbserver

The Sample Program

You can get the sample program via git on both your host and Beagle.

host$ git clone git@github.com:MarkAYoder/BeagleBoard-exercises.git exercises
beagle$ git clone git@github.com:MarkAYoder/BeagleBoard-exercises.git exercises

host$ cd exerciese/gdbExample
host$ gedit Makefile

Edit the Makefile and correct ARM_TOOLCHAIN_PATH for your machine. Also search for install: and fix it for your beagle.

host$ make all install

This will compile the code and scp it to your Beagle. You've just compiled a program that performs a complex fft on random data. It's main purpose is to see how fast it runs on the Beagle. (In case you are interested, I added to rule so you can compile it for your host computer. Try make x86 and compare the times on your host to those on the Beagle.)

The program takes several seconds to run on the Beagle, so you may want to edit the code so it doesn't run so many iterations.

Running gdb on the Beagle

On your Beagle try:

beagle$ gdb cfft_arm
GNU gdb (GDB) 7.2
Copyright (C) 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.  Type "show copying"
and "show warranty" for details.
This GDB was configured as "arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi".
For bug reporting instructions, please see:
<http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/>...
Reading symbols from /home/root/exercises/gdbExample/cfft_arm...done.

(gdb) b main
Breakpoint 1 at 0x8554
(gdb) r
Starting program: /home/root/gdbExample/cfft_arm  

Breakpoint 1, 0x00008554 in main ()

When first starting gdb notice the line This GDB was configured as "arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi. This is a good sign. The first command b main sets a breakpoint at main. The next command runs to that break point. Now lets look at our code a this point. Try the list command.

(gdb) l
42	}
43	
44	static complex *new_complex_vector(int size);
45	
46	int main ()
47	{
48	  int i;
49	  int N, n;
50	  int nTimes;
51	  float secs;
(gdb) n
56	    complex *in = new_complex_vector(N);
(gdb) n
57	    complex *out = new_complex_vector(N);
(gdb) n
59	    fft_init (N);
(gdb) p N
$1 = 16

Now l shows the code around the breakpoint. If you aren't seeing code, be sure to scp your .c and .h files to the Beagle.

The n steps to the next line in the program, the p command prints the variable that is listed. Use the s command to step into a function.

(gdb) s
fft_init (N=16) at cfft.c:33

33 tableW = malloc ((N / 2) * sizeof (complex));

(gdb) l
28	
29	void fft_init (int N)
30	{
31	  int i, j;
32	
33	  tableW = malloc ((N / 2) * sizeof (complex));
34	  bndx = malloc (N * sizeof (int));
35	  ndx = malloc ((N / 2) * sizeof (int));
36	
37	  ndx[0] = 0;

That's enough to get you around a bit. help will get you information about more commands. c will continue from where you stopped.

gdb and core files

Sometimes you have a program that stops running expectedly. gdb can help find where it quit and why. Let's find the bug in the cfft program. On the Beagle:

beagle $ ./cfft_arm 
Floating point exception

Let the Beagle write a core file and see how gdb can use it

beagle$ ulimit -c unlimited
beagle$ ./cfft_arm 

Floating point exception (core dumped)

beagle$ gdb ./cfft_arm core
GNU gdb (GDB) 7.2
Copyright (C) 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.  Type "show copying"
and "show warranty" for details.
This GDB was configured as "arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi".
For bug reporting instructions, please see:
<http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/>...
Reading symbols from /home/root/exercises/gdbExample/cfft_arm...done.
[New Thread 30777]
Reading symbols from /lib/libm.so.6...Reading symbols from /lib/.debug/libm-2.9.so...done.
done.
Loaded symbols for /lib/libm.so.6
Reading symbols from /lib/libc.so.6...Reading symbols from /lib/.debug/libc-2.9.so...done.
done.
Loaded symbols for /lib/libc.so.6
Reading symbols from /lib/ld-linux.so.3...Reading symbols from /lib/.debug/ld-2.9.so...done.
done.
Loaded symbols for /lib/ld-linux.so.3
Core was generated by `./cfft_arm'.
Program terminated with signal 8, Arithmetic exception.
#0  0x400c35fc in raise () from /lib/libc.so.6

(gdb) bt

#0  0x400c35fc in raise () from /lib/libc.so.6
#1  0x00009abc in __div0 ()
    at /home/yoder/BeagleBoard/oe/build/tmp-angstrom_2008_1/work/armv7a-angstrom-linux-gnueabi/gcc-cross-4.3.3-r16.1/gcc-4.3.3/libgcc/../gcc/config/arm/lib1funcs.asm:1079
#2  0x00008c80 in __udivsi3 ()
    at /home/yoder/BeagleBoard/oe/build/tmp-angstrom_2008_1/work/armv7a-angstrom-linux-gnueabi/gcc-cross-4.3.3-r16.1/gcc-4.3.3/libgcc/../gcc/config/arm/lib1funcs.asm:834
#3  0x00008888 in fft_exec (N=16, in=0x12090) at cfft.c:87
#4  0x0000868c in main () at main_cfft.c:62

gdb tells you right where the error occurred. You can even ask it to list the file.

(gdb) list fft_exec
67	  free (bndx);
68	  free (tableW);
69	}
70	
71	void fft_exec (int N, complex * in)
72	{
73	  unsigned int n = N;
74	  unsigned int a, b, i, j, k, r, s;
75	  complex w, p;
76	
(gdb) l 87 
82	      w = tableW[k];
83	
84	      r = 2 * n * k;
85	      s = n * (1 + 2 * k);
86	
87	      for (j = 0; j < n; j++)
88	      {
89	        a = j + r/0;		// An error
90	        b = j + s;
91	        cmult (p, w, in[b]);      //6 flop

Remote gdb

Sometimes you can't run gdb on an embedded target since it doesn't have enough resources for all of gdb. You can run gdb on your host and debug on the Beagle. You must install a version of gdb on your host that is compiled for the target.

host$ source ~/.oe/environment-oecore
host$ bitbake gdb-cross

The bitbake took about 2.5 minutes.

On your Beagle run:

beagle$ gdbserver localhost:2001 ./cfft_arm

On your host run:

host$ source ~/.oe/crossCompileEnv.sh 
host$ ${CROSS_COMPILE}gdb ./cfft_arm 
GNU gdb (GDB) 7.1
Copyright (C) 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.  Type "show copying"
and "show warranty" for details.
This GDB was configured as "--host=i686-linux --target=arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi".
For bug reporting instructions, please see:
<http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/>...
Reading symbols from /home/yoder/BeagleBoard/gdbExample/cfft_arm...done.

Notice the line that says This GDB was configured as "--host=i686-linux --target=arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi", this tells us we have the right version of gdb.

Now remotely connect to your Beagle:

(gdb) target remote beagle:2001
Remote debugging using beagle:2001
warning: Unable to find dynamic linker breakpoint function.
GDB will be unable to debug shared library initializers
and track explicitly loaded dynamic code.
0x400007f0 in ?? ()
(gdb) b main
Cannot access memory at address 0x0
Breakpoint 1 at 0x8590: file main_cfft.c, line 47.
(gdb) c
Continuing.
warning: `/lib/libm.so.6': Shared library architecture unknown is not compatible with target architecture arm.
warning: .dynamic section for "/lib/libm.so.6" is not at the expected address (wrong library or version mismatch?)
warning: `/lib/libc.so.6': Shared library architecture unknown is not compatible with target architecture arm.
warning: .dynamic section for "/lib/libc.so.6" is not at the expected address (wrong library or version mismatch?)
Error while mapping shared library sections:
/lib/ld-linux.so.3: No such file or directory.

Breakpoint 1, main () at main_cfft.c:47
47	{
(gdb) l
42	}
43	
44	static complex *new_complex_vector(int size);
45	
46	int main ()
47	{
48	  int i;
49	  int N, n;
50	  int nTimes;
51	  float secs;
(gdb) n
56	    complex *in = new_complex_vector(N);
(gdb) b fft_exec
Breakpoint 2 at 0x87d4: file cfft.c, line 77.
(gdb) c
Continuing. 

Breakpoint 2, fft_exec (N=16, in=0x12090) at cfft.c:77
77	  for (i = 1; i < N; i = i * 2)
(gdb) p n
$1 = 1
(gdb) n
72	{
(gdb) n 3
80	    for (k = 0; k < i; k++)
(gdb) p n
$2 = 16

And so on. The nice thing is the remote binary, cfft_arm, doesn't have to have the debugging information in it. On your Beagle try:

beagle$ ls -l cfft_arm
beagle$ file cfft_arm
beagle$ strip cfft_arm
beagle$ ls -l cfft_arm
beagle$ file cfft_arm
beagle$ gdbserver locatl:2001 ./cfft_arm 

Mine went from about 26k to 8k when the symbols are removed, but it debugs just like before.

Eclipse, gdb and remote debugging

Eclipse is an integrated development environment (IDE) that runs on many platforms, OSes, and supports many languages. You can run Eclipse on your host computer and do debugging on your Beagle (bone or xM). Beaglebone: C/C++ Programming Introduction for ARM Embedded Linux is a video that shows how to use Eclipse for remote debugging.

Have the following loaded on your host and beagle before watching the video.

TM Release Build: 3.4 is where you get the RSE-runtime.

host$ sudo apt-get update
host$ sudo apt-get install eclipse
host$ sudo apt-get install gcc-arm-linux-gnueabi
host$ sudo apt-get install g++-arm-linux-gnueabi
host$ sudo apt-get install gdb
host$ sudo apt-get install gdb-multiarch
beagle$ opkg update
beagle$ opkg install gdbserver

cbrowser/cscope

When you changed the value of MAXPOW2 how did you find where it was defined?

host$ grep MAXPOW *.c *.h

works, but what if your files are spread over several directories? (Like the kernel). cbrowser and cscope can help. On the host computer try:

host$ sudo apt-get install cbrowser
host$ sudo apt-get install cscope
host$ cscope -b
host$ cbrowser

You should see something like:

200px‎

Try searching for other symbols.

strace

strace is a nice debugging tool that shows all the system calls a program is making. The book gives some nice examples of using strace. One place I used it was to learn where httpd looked for configuration files.

beagle$ strace httpd
...
open("/etc/httpd.conf", O_RDONLY|O_LARGEFILE) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
open("httpd.conf", O_RDONLY|O_LARGEFILE) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
rt_sigaction(SIGHUP, {0x1a39c, [], SA_RESTART|0x4000000}, NULL, 8) = 0
open("/dev/null", O_RDWR|O_LARGEFILE)   = 4
clone(child_stack=0, flags=CLONE_CHILD_CLEARTID|CLONE_CHILD_SETTID|SIGCHLD, child_tidptr=0x4001df98) = 3595
io_submit(0, 0, 0xfbad2088 <unfinished ... exit status 0>
Process 3594 detached




thumb‎ Embedded Linux Class by Mark A. Yoder