Re: [RFA]: Initialize solib search psth from environ variable

[Andrew Cagney <ac131313 at cygnus dot com>]

Michael Snyder wrote:
> 
> This patch would check the environment variables SOLIB_SEARCH_PATH
> and SOLIB_ABSOLUTE_PREFIX once, at start-up, and use them to set the
> corresponding gdb state variables.
> 
> 2000-10-31  Michael Snyder  <msnyder@cleaver.cygnus.com>
> 
>         * solib.c (initialize_solib): Initialize solib_absolute_prefix
>         and solib_search_path from the environment variables
>         SOLIB_ABSOLUTE_PREFIX and SOLIB_SEARCH_PATH, if they're defined.

As it currently stands, I don't like this patch.  It introduces (more)
obscure undocumented behavour into GDB and its CLI.

I think there first needs to be a clear policy on the question of should
a GDB (native or cross) take information from the host environment (1). 
Then, if the decision is yes, a clearly documented convention on how to
implement this behavour (nameing convention, semantics, ...).

My personal preference is to not add this feature.  I think that
.gdbinit files and explicit command line options/commands would be more
useful.  Having GDB silently pick things up from a host environment
(especially in a test situtation) will just make things more confusing.

	enjoy,
		Andrew

(1) I should note that a native GDB does take environment-variables from
the ``target'' environment.  It is just that, in a native situtation,
the distinction between host and target gets pretty blured.

> Index: solib.c
> ===================================================================
> RCS file: /cvs/cvsfiles/devo/gdb/solib.c,v
> retrieving revision 1.155
> diff -c -3 -p -r1.155 solib.c
> *** solib.c     2000/10/31 22:04:12     1.155
> --- solib.c     2000/10/31 22:08:17
> *************** This takes precedence over the environme
> *** 810,813 ****
> --- 810,819 ----
>                   &setlist),
>        &showlist);
> 
> +   /* check for solib path environment variables */
> +   if ((tmp = getenv ("SOLIB_ABSOLUTE_PREFIX")) != NULL)
> +     solib_absolute_prefix = strsave (tmp);
> +
> +   if ((tmp = getenv ("SOLIB_SEARCH_PATH")) != NULL)
> +     solib_search_path = strsave (tmp);
>   }