RE: [cdt-debug-dev] Remote Debugging

[Thomas Fletcher <ThomasF@xxxxxxx>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cdt-debug-dev-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx 
> [mailto:cdt-debug-dev-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Hugh O'Keeffe
> Sent: May 13, 2005 10:10 AM
> To: 'CDT Debug developers list'
> Subject: [cdt-debug-dev] Remote Debugging
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I work with Ashling in Ireland and we are evaluating Eclipse 
> as a platform for embedded development, hence, I'm interested 
> in CDT and the newly founded DSDP Eclipse projects.
> 
> I found CDT very easy to setup for host/host 
> development/debug (WinXP/x86), however, I could not get 
> host/target debug to work (WinXP/ARM). It appears that this 
> is a known issue and downloading the patch from 
> http://www.zylin.com/embeddedcdt.html got me up an running 
> quickly i.e. I was now able to debug my remote ARM target 
> using Eclipse/GDB Server.
> 
> My question to the CDT maintainers is:
> 
> 1. Is it currently accepted that Eclipse/CDT does not support 
> remote debugging (I was using Eclipse 3.1M6/CDT 3.0M6) ? 
> Maybe I'm doing something wrong/stupid.
> 
> 2. If it is accepted, then is there plan to add support ? I 
> checked the CDT plan but couldn't see a mention.

This is a difficult questions to answer in a straightforward manner so I'll
take a crack.

- The current Eclipse does support remote debugging.  There are lots of
commercial products from embedded OS/Silicon vendors that are shipping
with this today.  

... but ...

The support that is there is support by way of a framework.  The default
implementation of the debugger is targetted at the self-hosted scenario
using GDB.  It is provided as an example so that OEM's/VAR's can see how
to hook into a debugger, and since GDB is so widely used, the default
implementation can be used to backstop a lot of standard debugger
communication.

All you have to do is provide (as a debugger extender) the bit of glue logic

for things like transferring files, controlling the target, setting the
debug 
protocol etc.  

The embeddedcdt plugin is an attempt to expose the GDB specific aspects of
GDB through to the user rather than a tight binding that would normally be
done by an OEM.

Hope this helps clear things up somewhat.

Thomas