Android ndk (http://developer.android.com/sdk/ndk/index.html) comes with ndk-gdb command that starts gdb debugger and connects it to Android application.
cgdb (http://cgdb.sourceforge.net/) is superior console front-end to gdb so it seems logical to use it for debugging of Android applications. Following modification of ndk-gdb script will cause that cgdb will be invoked instead of gdb.
Original ndk-gdb (Android NDK, r5):
# Now launch the appropriate gdb client with the right init commands
#
GDBCLIENT=${TOOLCHAIN_PREFIX}gdb
GDBSETUP=$APP_OUT/gdb.setup
Modified ndk-gdb (originally from Android NDK, r5) which uses cgdb instead of gdb:
# Now launch the appropriate gdb client with the right init commands
#
GDBCLIENT="cgdb -d ${TOOLCHAIN_PREFIX}gdb --"
GDBSETUP=$APP_OUT/gdb.setup
Now if you run ndk-gdb you will get cgdb front-end.
Small cgdb tutorial
In cgdb you can have focus either on source window (part with the source text) or gdb window.
To switch from source window to gdb press i.
To switch from gdb window to source press esc.
Commands you can use in source window:
arrows — scroll the text
space — set or delete breakpoint
o — open source file
i — switch focus to gdb window
- — make source window 1 line smaller
= — make source window 1 line bigger
Commands you can use in gdb window:
n — next instruction. Will not dive into subfunctions
s — step. Will dive into subfunctions
c — continue
b — set breakpoint
bt — show call stack (backtrace)
info threads — show information about running threads
info breakpoints — show information about breakpoints
pgup, pgdown — scroll the content of gdb window
esc — switch focus to source windows
Full cgdb documentation is at http://cgdb.sourceforge.net/docs/cgdb-no-split.html
Full gdb documentation is at http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/documentation/
Have fun!
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Using DDD instead of cgdb.
Hi
Thanks Marting for your articles. They where very helpful.
I prefer using ddd which is full graphic interface for gdb.
in order to work with ddd, when modifying the ndk-gdb file
replace #GDBCLIENT=${TOOLCHAIN_PREFIX}gdb
with GDBCLIENT=”ddd –debugger ${TOOLCHAIN_PREFIX}gdb”
instead of #GDBCLIENT=”cgdb -d ${TOOLCHAIN_PREFIX}gdb –” as in Martin example.
The debug procedure is: (I think it is also needed for cgdb)
Insert a breakpoint after calling loadLibrary in java.
Run the application in eclipse.
Activate the ndk-dbg
Mark a breakpoint (double click with the mouse);
Press continue in the ddd.
Press go in the eclipse.
I checked it only on a real device not on emulator.
Giora
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