Re: Towards multiprocess GDB

[Russell Shaw <rjshaw at netspace dot net dot au>]

Michael Snyder wrote:
> On Fri, 2008-07-18 at 23:41 +0200, Mark Kettenis wrote:
> > > Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:40:08 -0700
> > > From: Stan Shebs <stanshebs@earthlink.net>
> > >
> > > CodeSourcery has a project to add "multiprocess" capability to GDB,
> > > and with this message I'd like to kick off some discussion of what
> > > that means and how to make it happen.
> > Please remind me, why was this a desirable capability again?
>
> Not answering for Stan, but from my experience, because
> people are asking for it.  Parallel programs eventually 
> go beyond threads.
>
> For instance I've had inquiries from several router mfgrs, 
> who want to be able to debug their more advanced router systems
> that are running full-scale OS's (such as linux, bsd, and qnx)
> on the remote side.  Also from makers of set top boxes of one
> sort or another, and multi-core cpu mfgrs (though there we get
> into multiple cores as well as multiple processes).
>
> But yes, I'd be interested in hearing what kinds of use cases
> CodeSourcery's customers are asking about as well...

Trying to contain all the dynamics of multiple processes in one gdb
doesn't suit the user interface of gdb well. Things would get pokey
and cluttered for the user.

One way would be to make multiple instances of gdb coordinate
via an IPC protocol.