Oracle Solaris Studio 12.3: Debugging a Program With dbx

December 2011

Oracle Solaris Studio 12.3 Debugging a Program With dbx is intended for programmers who want to debug an application using the dbx command-line debugging tool. A working knowledge of Fortran, C, C++, or Java and some understanding of the Oracle Solaris operating system, or the Linux operating system, and UNIX commands is required.

Document Information
Preface
1. Getting Started With dbx
- Compiling Your Code for Debugging
- Starting dbx or dbxtool and Loading Your Program
- Running Your Program in dbx
- Debugging Your Program With dbx
- Quitting dbx
- Accessing dbx Online Help
2. Starting dbx
- Starting a Debugging Session
- Debugging a Core File
- Using the Process ID
- The dbx Startup Sequence
- Setting Startup Properties
- Compiling a Program for Debugging
  - Compiling with the -g Option
  - Using a Separate Debug File
    - Creating a Separate Debug File
- Debugging Optimized Code
- Quitting Debugging
- Saving and Restoring a Debugging Run
3. Customizing dbx
- Using the dbx Initialization File
  - Creating a .dbxrc File
  - Initialization File Sample
- Setting dbx Environment Variables
- The dbx Environment Variables and the Korn Shell
4. Viewing and Navigating To Code
- Navigating To Code
- Types of Program Locations
- Program Scope
  - Variables That Reflect the Current Scope
  - Visiting Scope
    - Components of the Visiting Scope
    - Changing the Visiting Scope
- Qualifying Symbols With Scope Resolution Operators
- Locating Symbols
- Viewing Variables, Members, Types, and Classes
  - Looking Up Definitions of Variables, Members, and Functions
  - Looking Up Definitions of Types and Classes
- Debugging Information in Object Files and Executables
- Finding Source and Object Files
5. Controlling Program Execution
- Running a Program
- Attaching dbx to a Running Process
- Detaching dbx From a Process
- Stepping Through a Program
- Using Ctrl+C to Stop a Process
6. Setting Breakpoints and Traces
- Setting Breakpoints
- Setting Filters on Breakpoints
- Tracing Execution
- Setting a when Breakpoint at a Line
- Setting Breakpoints in Dynamically Loaded Libraries
- Listing and Clearing Breakpoints
  - Listing Breakpoints and Traces
  - Deleting Specific Breakpoints Using Handler ID Numbers
- Enabling and Disabling Breakpoints
- Efficiency Considerations
7. Using the Call Stack
- Finding Your Place on the Stack
- Walking the Stack and Returning Home
- Moving Up and Down the Stack
- Popping the Call Stack
- Hiding Stack Frames
- Displaying and Reading a Stack Trace
8. Evaluating and Displaying Data
- Evaluating Variables and Expressions
- Assigning a Value to a Variable
- Evaluating Arrays
- Using Pretty-Printing
9. Using Runtime Checking
- Capabilities of Runtime Checking
  - When to Use Runtime Checking
  - Runtime Checking Requirements
- Using Runtime Checking
- Using Access Checking
  - Understanding the Memory Access Error Report
  - Memory Access Errors
- Using Memory Leak Checking
- Using Memory Use Checking
- Suppressing Errors
- Using Runtime Checking on a Child Process
- Using Runtime Checking on an Attached Process
  - On a System Running Solaris
  - On a System Running Linux
- Using Fix and Continue With Runtime Checking
- Runtime Checking Application Programming Interface
- Using Runtime Checking in Batch Mode
- Troubleshooting Tips
- Runtime Checking Limitations
- Runtime Checking Errors
  - Access Errors
  - Memory Leak Errors
10. Fixing and Continuing
- Using Fix and Continue
  - How Fix and Continue Operates
  - Modifying Source Using Fix and Continue
- Fixing Your Program
  - To Fix Your File
  - Continuing After Fixing
- Changing Variables After Fixing
- Modifying a Header File
- Fixing C++ Template Definitions
11. Debugging Multithreaded Applications
- Understanding Multithreaded Debugging
- Understanding Thread Creation Activity
- Understanding LWP Information
12. Debugging Child Processes
- Attaching to Child Processes
- Following the exec Function
- Following the fork Function
- Interacting With Events
13. Debugging OpenMP Programs
- How Compilers Transform OpenMP Code
- dbx Functionality Available for OpenMP Code
- Execution Sequence of OpenMP Code
14. Working With Signals
- Understanding Signal Events
- Catching Signals
  - Changing the Default Signal Lists
  - Trapping the FPE Signal (Solaris Platforms Only)
    - Determining Where the Exception Occurred
    - Determining the Cause of the Exception
- Sending a Signal to a Program
- Automatically Handling Signals
15. Debugging C++ With dbx
- Using dbx With C++
- Exception Handling in dbx
  - Commands for Handling Exceptions
  - Examples of Exception Handling
- Debugging With C++ Templates
  - Template Example
  - Commands for C++ Templates
16. Debugging Fortran Using dbx
- Debugging Fortran
- Debugging Segmentation Faults
  - Using dbx to Locate Problems
- Locating Exceptions
- Tracing Calls
- Working With Arrays
  - Fortran 95 Allocatable Arrays
- Showing Intrinsic Functions
- Showing Complex Expressions
- Showing Interval Expressions
- Showing Logical Operators
- Viewing Fortran 95 Derived Types
- Pointer to Fortran 95 Derived Type
- Object Oriented Fortran
- Allocatable Scalar Type
17. Debugging a Java Application With dbx
- Using dbx With Java Code
  - Capabilities of dbx With Java Code
  - Limitations of dbx With Java Code
- Environment Variables for Java Debugging
- Starting to Debug a Java Application
- Customizing Startup of the JVM Software
- dbx Modes for Debugging Java Code
  - Switching from Java or JNI Mode to Native Mode
  - Switching Modes When You Interrupt Execution
- Using dbx Commands in Java Mode
18. Debugging at the Machine-Instruction Level
- Examining the Contents of Memory
- Stepping and Tracing at Machine-Instruction Level
  - Single Stepping at the Machine-Instruction Level
  - Tracing at the Machine-Instruction Level
- Setting Breakpoints at the Machine-Instruction Level
  - Setting a Breakpoint at an Address
- Using the regs Command
  - Platform-Specific Registers
19. Using dbx With the Korn Shell
- ksh-88 Features Not Implemented
- Extensions to ksh-88
- Renamed Commands
- Rebinding of Editing Functions
20. Debugging Shared Libraries
- Dynamic Linker
- Fix and Continue
- Setting Breakpoints in Shared Libraries
- Setting a Breakpoint in an Explicitly Loaded Library
A. Modifying a Program State
- Impacts of Running a Program Under dbx
- Commands That Alter the State of the Program
B. Event Management
- Event Handlers
- Event Safety
- Creating Event Handlers
- Manipulating Event Handlers
- Using Event Counters
- Setting Event Specifications
- Event Specification Modifiers
- Parsing and Ambiguity
- Using Predefined Variables
  - Variables Valid for when Command
    - $handlerid
  - Variables Valid for when Command and Specific Events
- Event Handler Examples
C. Macros
- Macro Expansion
- Macro Definitions
- Skimming Errors
- Using the pathmap Command To Improve Skimming
D. Command Reference
- assign Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- attach Command
  - Syntax
    - To Attach to a Running Java Process
- bsearch Command
  - Syntax
- call Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- cancel Command
  - Syntax
- catch Command
  - Syntax
- check Command
  - Syntax
- clear Command
  - Syntax
- collector Command
  - Syntax
  - collector archive Command
    - Syntax
  - collector dbxsample Command
    - Syntax
  - collector disable Command
    - Syntax
  - collector enable Command
    - Syntax
  - collector heaptrace Command
    - Syntax
  - collector hw_profile Command
    - Syntax
  - collector limit Command
    - Syntax
  - collector mpitrace Command
    - Syntax
  - collector pause Command
    - Syntax
  - collector profile Command
    - Syntax
  - collector resume Command
    - Syntax
  - collector sample Command
    - Syntax
  - collector show Command
    - Syntax
  - collector status Command
    - Syntax
  - collector store Command
    - Syntax
  - collector synctrace Command
    - Syntax
  - collector tha Command
    - Syntax
  - collector version Command
    - Syntax
- cont Command
  - Syntax
- dalias Command
  - Syntax
- dbx Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
  - Options
- dbxenv Command
  - Syntax
- debug Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
  - Options
- delete Command
  - Syntax
- detach Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- dis Command
  - Syntax
  - Options
- display Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- down Command
  - Syntax
- dump Command
  - Syntax
- edit Command
  - Syntax
- examine Command
  - Syntax
- exception Command
  - Syntax
- exists Command
  - Syntax
- file Command
  - Syntax
- files Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- fix Command
  - Syntax
- fixed Command
  - Syntax
- fortran_modules Command
  - Syntax
- frame Command
  - Syntax
- func Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- funcs Command
  - Syntax
- gdb Command
  - Syntax
- handler Command
  - Syntax
- hide Command
  - Syntax
- ignore Command
  - Syntax
- import Command
  - Syntax
- intercept Command
  - Syntax
- java Command
  - Syntax
- jclasses Command
  - Syntax
- joff Command
  - Syntax
- jon Command
  - Syntax
- jpkgs Command
  - Syntax
- kill Command
  - Syntax
- language Command
  - Syntax
- line Command
  - Syntax
  - Examples
- list Command
  - Syntax
    - Options
    - Examples
- listi Command
- loadobject Command
  - Syntax
  - loadobject -dumpelf Command
    - Syntax
  - loadobject -exclude Command
    - Syntax
  - loadobject -hide Command
    - Syntax
  - loadobject -list Command
    - Syntax
  - loadobject -load Command
    - Syntax
  - loadobject -unload Command
    - Syntax
  - loadobject -use Command
    - Syntax
- lwp Command
  - Syntax
- lwps Command
  - Syntax
- macro Command
  - Syntax
- mmapfile Command
  - Syntax
  - Example
- module Command
  - Syntax
- modules Command
  - Syntax
- native Command
  - Syntax
- next Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- nexti Command
  - Syntax
- omp_loop Command
  - Syntax
- omp_pr Command
  - Syntax
- omp_serialize Command
  - Syntax
- omp_team Command
  - Syntax
- omp_tr Command
  - Syntax
- pathmap Command
  - Syntax
  - Examples
- pop Command
  - Syntax
- print Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- proc Command
  - Syntax
- prog Command
  - Syntax
- quit Command
  - Syntax
- regs Command
  - Syntax
  - Example (SPARC platform)
- replay Command
  - Syntax
- rerun Command
  - Syntax
- restore Command
  - Syntax
- rprint Command
  - Syntax
- rtc showmap Command
  - Syntax
- rtc skippatch Command
  - Syntax
- run Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- runargs Command
  - Syntax
- save Command
  - Syntax
- scopes Command
  - Syntax
- search Command
  - Syntax
- showblock Command
  - Syntax
- showleaks Command
  - Syntax
- showmemuse Command
  - Syntax
- source Command
  - Syntax
- status Command
  - Syntax
  - Example
- step Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- stepi Command
  - Syntax
- stop Command
  - Syntax
    - Native Mode Syntax
    - Java Mode Syntax
- stopi Command
  - Syntax
- suppress Command
  - Syntax
- sync Command
  - Syntax
- syncs Command
  - Syntax
- thread Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- threads Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- trace Command
  - Syntax
    - Native Mode Syntax
    - Java Mode Syntax
- tracei Command
  - Syntax
- uncheck Command
  - Syntax
- undisplay Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- unhide Command
  - Syntax
- unintercept Command
  - Syntax
- unsuppress Command
  - Syntax
- unwatch Command
  - Syntax
- up Command
  - Syntax
- use Command
- watch Command
  - Syntax
- whatis Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- when Command
  - Syntax
    - Native Mode Syntax
    - Java Mode Syntax
- wheni Command
  - Syntax
- where Command
  - Native Mode Syntax
  - Java Mode Syntax
- whereami Command
  - Syntax
- whereis Command
  - Syntax
- which Command
  - Syntax
- whocatches Command
  - Syntax
Index
- Numbers and Symbols
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
- R
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X

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