using gdb to do embedded unit/regression testing

["EBo" <ebo at sandien dot com>]

Hello,

I have a simple proof of concept which does simple live inplace
unit/regression testing on embedded hardware via a JTAG interface.  To really
make gdb work for this context I will either have to use "More complex GDB
scripting" and/or modify gdb's command line interface and print command.

The current issue at hand is that `print "STRING"` only works if the program
is running AND gdb can interface with malloc.  On the embedded project which I
am currently testing this idea out, malloc is not available and the print
command returns an error.  What I was trying to do is simply write some
diagnostic comments to help orient myself when reading the output from gdb
which was piped to a file.  If there is some other way to write diagnostic
strings to stdout other than `print "STRING"` which does not require some call
to malloc?  If so please let me know.  I have not seen anything like this in
the documentation yet.

The second issue will be cleaning up and formatting the output from the
automated unit/regression test suites.  For this I will want/need to suppress
almost all output from gdb, and use the print command above to deal with the
formatting.  If I end up using gdb to help do this type of eXtreme/Agile
program testing I would like to work with the gdb maintainers to have it
integrated upstream...

Is this the best venue to open discussion for such modifications?

Best regards, 


  EBo --