cdebuggingoperating-systemgdbgdb-python

Using gdb's Python to backtrace different OS threads, when gdb is not OS-aware

I am still learning about debugging C using python within gdb (arm-none-eabi-gdb, in my case). I am trying to use this facility to get thread information of a real-time OS running on ARM Cortex-M. Reading some OS structures, I can access the thread control blocks of the OS. I know the PC and the SP of each thread. How can I use gdb's Python to dump the threads' backtrace. Is there a generic API that can traverse the stack when given PC and SP?

I have read https://sourceware.org/gdb/current/onlinedocs/gdb/Unwinding-Frames-in-Python.html#Unwinding-Frames-in-Python and I feel there might be a way to achieve that but I need some help.

Also, if possible, can I make gdb aware of the different threads of the OS? This link: https://sourceware.org/gdb/current/onlinedocs/gdb/Threads-In-Python.html#Threads-In-Python touches on threads but relies on OS info. Can these be overload with what I know about the different OS threads from their respective control blocks?

Thanks!

Solution

  • After some more reading and trying to make use of old debugger knowledge that I have accumulated over the years, I managed to get this working. It lacks optimization but for now, I'm very please. This can be considered a poor-man's debugger making use of GDB's Python support to track the active threads in the system. It's generic, I assume, but the implementation targeted RTX (Keil's OS). It worked on Cortex-M0. It may need some tweaking to fit other operating systems or different cores.

    The main idea:

    1. Use OS structures, to identify where the thread control block reside.
    2. From the thread control block identify where is the different thread stacks are.
    3. Read from the stack all the vital registers; SP, LR, and PC
    4. Save the same registers for the current, running thread.
    5. Loop over the different thread, change the vital registers to the ones matching the thread, then print the backtrace.
    6. Enjoy a poor-man's OS-aware debugger.

    The script can be found here:

    https://gitlab.com/hesham/gdb-rtx-thread-backtrce/blob/master/rtx-threads-bt.py

    It was a very good exercise to explore the power of GDB's Python extension!