The fact that GDB defaults to assuming that functions return int, when
it has no debug info for the function has been a recurring source of
user confusion. Recently this came up on the errno pretty printer
discussions. Shortly after, it came up again on IRC, with someone
wondering why does getenv() in GDB return a negative int:
(gdb) p getenv("PATH")
$1 = -6185
This question (with s/getenv/random-other-C-runtime-function) is a FAQ
on IRC.
The reason for the above is:
(gdb) p getenv
$2 = {<text variable, no debug info>} 0x7ffff7751d80 <getenv>
(gdb) ptype getenv
type = int ()
... which means that GDB truncated the 64-bit pointer that is actually
returned from getent to 32-bit, and then sign-extended it:
(gdb) p /x -6185
$6 = 0xffffe7d7
The workaround is to cast the function to the right type, like:
(gdb) p ((char *(*) (const char *)) getenv) ("PATH")
$3 = 0x7fffffffe7d7 "/usr/local/bin:/"...
IMO, we should do better than this.
I see the "assume-int" issue the same way I see printing bogus values
for optimized-out variables instead of "<optimized out>" -- I'd much
rather that the debugger tells me "I don't know" and tells me how to
fix it than showing me bogus misleading results, making me go around
tilting at windmills.
If GDB prints a signed integer when you're expecting a pointer or
aggregate, you at least have some sense that something is off, but
consider the case of the function actually returning a 64-bit integer.
For example, compile this without debug info:
unsigned long long
function ()
{
return 0x7fffffffffffffff;
}
Currently, with pristine GDB, you get:
(gdb) p function ()
$1 = -1 # incorrect
(gdb) p /x function ()
$2 = 0xffffffff # incorrect
maybe after spending a few hours debugging you suspect something is
wrong with that -1, and do:
(gdb) ptype function
type = int ()
and maybe, just maybe, you realize that the function actually returns
unsigned long long. And you try to fix it with:
(gdb) p /x (unsigned long long) function ()
$3 = 0xffffffffffffffff # incorrect
... which still produces the wrong result, because GDB simply applied
int to unsigned long long conversion. Meaning, it sign-extended the
integer that it extracted from the return of the function, to 64-bits.
and then maybe, after asking around on IRC, you realize you have to
cast the function to a pointer of the right type, and call that. It
won't be easy, but after a few missteps, you'll get to it:
..... (gdb) p /x ((unsigned long long(*) ()) function) ()
$666 = 0x7fffffffffffffff # finally! :-)
So to improve on the user experience, this patch does the following
(interrelated) things:
- makes no-debug-info functions no longer default to "int" as return
type. Instead, they're left with NULL/"<unknown return type>"
return type.
(gdb) ptype getenv
type = <unknown return type> ()
- makes calling a function with unknown return type an error.
(gdb) p getenv ("PATH")
'getenv' has unknown return type; cast the call to its declared return type
- and then to make it easier to call the function, makes it possible
to _only_ cast the return of the function to the right type,
instead of having to cast the function to a function pointer:
(gdb) p (char *) getenv ("PATH") # now Just Works
$3 = 0x7fffffffe7d7 "/usr/local/bin:/"...
(gdb) p ((char *(*) (const char *)) getenv) ("PATH") # continues working
$4 = 0x7fffffffe7d7 "/usr/local/bin:/"...
I.e., it makes GDB default the function's return type to the type
of the cast, and the function's parameters to the type of the
arguments passed down.
After this patch, here's what you'll get for the "unsigned long long"
example above:
(gdb) p function ()
'function' has unknown return type; cast the call to its declared return type
(gdb) p /x (unsigned long long) function ()
$4 = 0x7fffffffffffffff # correct!
Note that while with "print" GDB shows the name of the function that
has the problem:
(gdb) p getenv ("PATH")
'getenv' has unknown return type; cast the call to its declared return type
which can by handy in more complicated expressions, "ptype" does not:
(gdb) ptype getenv ("PATH")
function has unknown return type; cast the call to its declared return type
This will be fixed in the next patch.
gdb/ChangeLog:
2017-09-04 Pedro Alves <palves@redhat.com>
* ada-lang.c (ada_evaluate_subexp) <TYPE_CODE_FUNC>: Don't handle
TYPE_GNU_IFUNC specially here. Throw error if return type is
unknown.
* ada-typeprint.c (print_func_type): Handle functions with unknown
return type.
* c-typeprint.c (c_type_print_base): Handle functions and methods
with unknown return type.
* compile/compile-c-symbols.c (convert_symbol_bmsym)
<mst_text_gnu_ifunc>: Use nodebug_text_gnu_ifunc_symbol.
* compile/compile-c-types.c: Include "objfiles.h".
(convert_func): For functions with unknown return type, warn and
default to int.
* compile/compile-object-run.c (compile_object_run): Adjust call
to call_function_by_hand_dummy.
* elfread.c (elf_gnu_ifunc_resolve_addr): Adjust call to
call_function_by_hand.
* eval.c (evaluate_subexp_standard): Adjust calls to
call_function_by_hand. Handle functions and methods with unknown
return type. Pass expect_type to call_function_by_hand.
* f-typeprint.c (f_type_print_base): Handle functions with unknown
return type.
* gcore.c (call_target_sbrk): Adjust call to
call_function_by_hand.
* gdbtypes.c (objfile_type): Leave nodebug text symbol with NULL
return type instead of int. Make nodebug_text_gnu_ifunc_symbol be
an integer address type instead of nodebug.
* guile/scm-value.c (gdbscm_value_call): Adjust call to
call_function_by_hand.
* infcall.c (error_call_unknown_return_type): New function.
(call_function_by_hand): New "default_return_type" parameter.
Pass it down.
(call_function_by_hand_dummy): New "default_return_type"
parameter. Use it instead of defaulting to int. If there's no
default and the return type is unknown, throw an error. If
there's a default return type, and the called function has no
debug info, then assume the function is prototyped.
* infcall.h (call_function_by_hand, call_function_by_hand_dummy):
New "default_return_type" parameter.
(error_call_unknown_return_type): New declaration.
* linux-fork.c (call_lseek): Cast return type of lseek.
(inferior_call_waitpid, checkpoint_command): Adjust calls to
call_function_by_hand.
* linux-tdep.c (linux_infcall_mmap, linux_infcall_munmap): Adjust
calls to call_function_by_hand.
* m2-typeprint.c (m2_procedure): Handle functions with unknown
return type.
* objc-lang.c (lookup_objc_class, lookup_child_selector)
(value_nsstring, print_object_command): Adjust calls to
call_function_by_hand.
* p-typeprint.c (pascal_type_print_varspec_prefix): Handle
functions with unknown return type.
(pascal_type_print_func_varspec_suffix): New function.
(pascal_type_print_varspec_suffix) <TYPE_CODE_FUNC,
TYPE_CODE_METHOD>: Use it.
* python/py-value.c (valpy_call): Adjust call to
call_function_by_hand.
* rust-lang.c (rust_evaluate_funcall): Adjust call to
call_function_by_hand.
* valarith.c (value_x_binop, value_x_unop): Adjust calls to
call_function_by_hand.
* valops.c (value_allocate_space_in_inferior): Adjust call to
call_function_by_hand.
* typeprint.c (type_print_unknown_return_type): New function.
* typeprint.h (type_print_unknown_return_type): New declaration.
gdb/testsuite/ChangeLog:
2017-09-04 Pedro Alves <palves@redhat.com>
* gdb.base/break-main-file-remove-fail.exp (test_remove_bp): Cast
return type of munmap in infcall.
* gdb.base/break-probes.exp: Cast return type of foo in infcall.
* gdb.base/checkpoint.exp: Simplify using for loop. Cast return
type of ftell in infcall.
* gdb.base/dprintf-detach.exp (dprintf_detach_test): Cast return
type of getpid in infcall.
* gdb.base/infcall-exec.exp: Cast return type of execlp in
infcall.
* gdb.base/info-os.exp: Cast return type of getpid in infcall.
Bail on failure to extract the pid.
* gdb.base/nodebug.c: #include <stdint.h>.
(multf, multf_noproto, mult, mult_noproto, add8, add8_noproto):
New functions.
* gdb.base/nodebug.exp (test_call_promotion): New procedure.
Change expected output of print/whatis/ptype with functions with
no debug info. Test all supported languages. Call
test_call_promotion.
* gdb.compile/compile.exp: Adjust expected output to expect
warning.
* gdb.threads/siginfo-threads.exp: Likewise.
This applies the second part of GDB's End of Year Procedure, which
updates the copyright year range in all of GDB's files.
gdb/ChangeLog:
Update copyright year range in all GDB files.
With dummy_frame destructors GDB no longer has to use global stop_registers.
dummy_frame's registers can be now stored associated with their specific
dummy_frame.
gdb/ChangeLog
2015-05-13 Jan Kratochvil <jan.kratochvil@redhat.com>
* infcall.c (struct dummy_frame_context_saver)
(dummy_frame_context_saver_data_free, dummy_frame_context_saver_dtor)
(dummy_frame_context_saver_drop, dummy_frame_context_saver_cleanup)
(dummy_frame_context_saver_get_regs, dummy_frame_context_saver_setup):
New.
(call_function_by_hand_dummy): Move discard_cleanups of
inf_status_cleanup before dummy_frame_push. Call
dummy_frame_context_saver_setup and prepare context_saver_cleanup.
Use dummy_frame_context_saver_get_regs instead of stop_registers.
* infcall.h (struct dummy_frame_context_saver)
(dummy_frame_context_saver_drop, dummy_frame_context_saver_cleanup)
(dummy_frame_context_saver_get_regs, dummy_frame_context_saver_setup):
New declarations.
* infcmd.c: Include infcall.h.
(get_return_value): Add parameter ctx_saver, use it instead of
stop_registers.
(print_return_value): Add parameter ctx_saver, pass it.
(struct finish_command_continuation_args): Add field ctx_saver.
(finish_command_continuation): Update print_return_value caller.
(finish_command_continuation_free_arg): Free also ctx_saver.
(finish_forward): Call dummy_frame_context_saver_setup.
* inferior.h (struct dummy_frame_context_saver): New declaration.
(get_return_value): Add parameter ctx_saver.
* python/py-finishbreakpoint.c (bpfinishpy_pre_stop_hook): Update
get_return_value caller.
Both dummy_frame_dtor_ftype and call_function_by_hand_dummy_dtor_ftype
represent the same type, there was some mistake/duplication during check-in.
gdb/ChangeLog
2015-05-08 Jan Kratochvil <jan.kratochvil@redhat.com>
* dummy-frame.c (struct dummy_frame): Use proper typedef for dtor.
* dummy-frame.h (dummy_frame_dtor_ftype): Add its comment.
* infcall.c (call_function_by_hand_dummy): Use proper typedef for
dummy_dtor parameter.
* infcall.h: Include dummy-frame.h.
(call_function_by_hand_dummy_dtor_ftype): Remove.
(call_function_by_hand_dummy): Use proper typedef for dummy_dtor
parameter.
This provides a variant of call_function_by_hand that allows the dummy
frame destructor to be set. This is used by the compiler code to
manage some resources when calling the gdb-generated inferior
function.
gdb/ChangeLog
2014-12-12 Jan Kratochvil <jan.kratochvil@redhat.com>
* infcall.h (call_function_by_hand_dummy): Declare.
* infcall.c (call_function_by_hand): Use
call_function_by_hand_dummy.
(call_function_by_hand_dummy): Rename from call_function_by_hand.
Add arguments. Register a destructor.
Two modifications:
1. The addition of 2013 to the copyright year range for every file;
2. The use of a single year range, instead of potentially multiple
year ranges, as approved by the FSF.
