RTEMS GNU Tools On-Line Library

Command Files

Debugging with GDB

16.3: Command files

A command file for GDB is a file of lines that are GDB commands. Comments (lines starting with #) may also be included. An empty line in a command file does nothing; it does not mean to repeat the last command, as it would from the terminal.

When you start GDB, it automatically executes commands from its init files. These are files named `.gdbinit' on Unix, or `gdb.ini' on DOS/Windows. GDB reads the init file (if any) in your home directory[1], then processes command line options and operands, and then reads the init file (if any) in the current working directory. This is so the init file in your home directory can set options (such as set complaints) which affect the processing of the command line options and operands. The init files are not executed if you use the `-nx' option; see Mode Options.

On some configurations of GDB, the init file is known by a different name (these are typically environments where a specialized form of GDB may need to coexist with other forms, hence a different name for the specialized version's init file). These are the environments with special init file names:

VxWorks (Wind River Systems real-time OS): `.vxgdbinit'
OS68K (Enea Data Systems real-time OS): `.os68gdbinit'
ES-1800 (Ericsson Telecom AB M68000 emulator): `.esgdbinit'

You can also request the execution of a command file with the source command:

source filename: Execute the command file filename.

The lines in a command file are executed sequentially. They are not printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates execution of the command file.

Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed without asking when used in a command file. Many GDB commands that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages when called from command files.

[1] On DOS/Windows systems, the home directory is the one pointed to by the HOME environment variable.

Debugging with GDB