/**************************************************************************** ** ** Copyright (c) 2013 Digia Plc and/or its subsidiary(-ies). ** Contact: http://www.qt-project.org/legal ** ** This file is part of Qt Creator ** ** ** GNU Free Documentation License ** ** Alternatively, this file may be used under the terms of the GNU Free ** Documentation License version 1.3 as published by the Free Software ** Foundation and appearing in the file included in the packaging of this ** file. ** ** ****************************************************************************/ // ********************************************************************** // NOTE: the sections are not ordered by their logical order to avoid // reshuffling the file each time the index order changes (i.e., often). // Run the fixnavi.pl script to adjust the links to the index order. // ********************************************************************** /*! \contentspage index.html \previouspage creator-debugging.html \page creator-debugger-engines.html \nextpage creator-debugger-operating-modes.html \title Setting Up Debugger The main debugger settings are associated with the \l{glossary-buildandrun-kit}{kit} you build and run your project with. To specify the debugger and compiler to use for each kit, select \gui Tools > \gui Options > \gui {Build and Run} > \gui Kits. You need to set up the debugger only if the automatic setup fails, because the native debugger is missing (as is usually the case for the CDB debugger on Windows, which you always must install yourself) or because the installed version is not supported (for example, when your system contains no, or an outdated version of GDB and you want to use a locally installed replacement instead). \note If you need to change the debugger to use for an automatically detected \l{glossary-buildandrun-kit}{kit}, you can \gui{Clone} the kit and change the parameters in the clone. Make sure to select the cloned kit for your project. \note To use the debugging tools for Windows, you must install them and add the Symbol Server provided by Microsoft to the symbol search path of the debugger. For more information, see \l{Setting the Symbol Server in Windows}. \note To use the Free Software Foundation (FSF) version of GDB on Mac OS, you must sign it and modify your \l{glossary-buildandrun-kit}{kit} settings. This section explains the options you have for debugging C++ code and provides installation notes for the supported native debuggers. It also applies for code in other compiled languages such as C, FORTRAN, Ada. \section1 Supported Native Debugger Versions Qt Creator supports essentially two native debuggers when working with compiled code. On most supported platforms, the GNU Symbolic Debugger GDB can be used. On Microsoft Windows, when using the Microsoft tool chain the Microsoft Console Debugger CDB, is needed. There is also an incomplete experimental interface to LLDB on Mac OS and Linux available when building \QC from source. \section2 Supported GDB Versions GDB comes in two varieties with common roots. One is used on Mac OS X and does not support Python as scripting language. The minimal supported versions in is GDB 6.3.50-20050815, build 1469. The second is maintained by the Free Software Foundation, and can use Python as scripting language. The minimal supported version in this case is FSF GDB 7.4.1, using Python version 2.6 or 2.7. Note that Python 3.x is not supported by GDB. The Python enabled versions are very convenient to interface, and much of \QC's advanced data display options depend on the availability of Python scripting. Since Python enabled versions of GDB are bundled with all recent Linux versions, active support for non-Python builds has been dropped for platforms other than Mac OS X. The non-Python versions use the compiled version of the debugging helpers, that you must enable separately. For more information, see \l{Debugging Helpers Based on C++}. The Python version uses a script version of the debugging helpers that does not need any special setup. FSF GDB can also be compiled for Mac OS, but the build is currently unstable, and thererefore, this is not recommended. \section2 Supported CDB Versions The CDB native debugger has similar functionality to the non-Python GDB debugger engine. Specifically, it also uses compiled C++ code for the debugging helper library. The following table summarizes the support for debugging C++ code: \table \header \o Platform \o Compiler \o Native Debugger \row \o Linux \o GCC, ICC \o GDB \row \o Unix \o GCC, ICC \o GDB \row \o Mac OS X \o GCC \o Apple GDB, FSF GDB (experimental) \row \o Windows/MinGW \o GCC \o GDB \row \o Windows/MSVC \o Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler \o Debugging Tools for Windows/CDB \row \o Maemo, MeeGo \o GCC \o GDB \endtable For more information on the debugger modes, see \l{Launching the Debugger in Different Modes}. \omit \section2 GDB Adapter Modes [Advanced Topic] The GDB native debugger used internally by the debugger plugin runs in different adapter modes to cope with the variety of supported platforms and environments. All GDB adapters inherit from AbstractGdbAdapter: \list \o PlainGdbAdapter debugs locally started GUI processes. It is physically split into parts that are relevant only when Python is available, parts relevant only when Python is not available, and mixed code. \o TermGdbAdapter debugs locally started processes that need a console. \o AttachGdbAdapter debugs local processes started outside \QC. \o CoreGdbAdapter debugs core files generated from crashes. \o RemoteGdbAdapter interacts with the GDB server running on Linux. \endlist \endomit \section1 Installing Native Debuggers Check the table below for the supported versions and other important information about installing native debuggers. \table \header \o Native Debugger \o Notes \row \o GDB \o On Linux and Windows, use the Python-enabled GDB versions that are installed when you install \QC and Qt SDK. On Mac OS X, use the GDB provided with Xcode. You can also build your own Python-enabled GDB. Follow the instructions in \l{http://qt-project.org/wiki/QtCreatorBuildGdb} {Building GDB}. \row \o Debugging tools for Windows \o To use this engine, you must install the \e{Debugging tools for Windows}. You can download them from \l{http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/gg463009/} {Download and Install Debugging Tools for Windows}. \note Visual Studio does not include the Debugging tools needed, and therefore, you must install them separately. The pre-built \QSDK for Windows makes use of the library if it is present on the system. When manually building \QC using the Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler, the build process checks for the required files in \c{"%ProgramFiles%\Debugging Tools for Windows"}. It is highly recommended that you add the Symbol Server provided by Microsoft to the symbol search path of the debugger. The Symbol Server provides you with debugging informaton for the operating system libraries for debugging Windows applications. For more information, see \l{Setting the Symbol Server in Windows}. \row \o Debugging tools for Mac OS X \o The Qt binary distribution contains both debug and release variants of the libraries. But you have to explicitly tell the runtime linker that you want to use the debug libraries even if your application is compiled as debug, as release is the default library. If you use a qmake based project in \QC, you can set a flag in your \l{glossary-run-config}{run configuration}, in \gui Projects mode. In the run configuration, select \gui{Use debug version of frameworks}. For more detailed information about debugging on the Mac OS X, see: \l{http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#technotes/tn2124/_index.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/DTS10003391} {Mac OS X Debugging Magic}. You can download an experimental version of FSF GDB that supports Python from \l{ftp://ftp.qt.nokia.com/misc/gdb/7.2/gdb72_mac_platform.tar.bz2}. To use FSF GDB on Mac OS, you must sign it and add it to the \QC \l{glossary-buildandrun-kit}{kits}. For more information, see \l{Setting up FSF GDB for Mac OS}. \note The Mac OS X Snow Leopard (10.6) has a bug that might cause the application to crash. For a workaround, see: \l{https://bugreports.qt-project.org/browse/QTBUG-4962}{QTBUG-4962}. \endtable \section1 Setting the Symbol Server in Windows To obtain debugging information for the operating system libraries for debugging Windows applications, add the Symbol Server provided by Microsoft to the symbol search path of the debugger: \list 1 \o Select \gui Tools > \gui Options > \gui Debugger > \gui CDB. \o In the \gui {Symbol paths} field, open the \gui Insert menu and select \gui{Symbol Server}. \o Select a directory where you want to store the cached information and click \gui OK. Use a subfolder in a temporary directory, such as \c {C:\temp\symbolcache}. \endlist \note Populating the cache might take a long time on a slow network connection. \note The first time you start debugging by using the Debugging tools for Windows, \QC prompts you to add the Symbol Server. \section1 Setting up FSF GDB for Mac OS To use FSF GDB on Mac OS, you must sign it and add it to the \QC \l{glossary-buildandrun-kit}{kits}. \list 1 \o To create a key for signing FSF GDB, select \gui {Keychain Access > Certificate Assistant > Create a Certificate}: \list 1 \o In the \gui {Name} field, input \gui {fsfgdb} to replace the existing content. \o In the \gui {Certificate Type} field, select \gui {Code Signing}. \o Select the \gui {Let me override defaults} check box. \o Select \gui Continue, and follow the instructions of the wizard (use the default settings), until the \gui {Specify a Location For The Certificate} dialog opens. \o In the \gui Keychain field, select \gui System. \o Select \gui {Keychain Access > System}, and locate the certificate. \o Double click the certificate to view certificate information. \o In the \gui Trust section, select \gui {Always Trust} in the \gui {When using this certificate} field, and then close the dialog. \endlist \o To sign the binary, enter the following command in the terminal: \code codesign -f -s "fsfgdb" $INSTALL_LOCATION/fsfgdb \endcode \o In \QC, select \gui {Qt Creator > Preferences > Build & Run > Kits} > \gui Add to create a kit that uses FSF GDB. \o In the \gui Debugger field, specify the path to FSF GDB (\c $HOME/gdb72/bin/fsfgdb, but with an explicit value for \c $HOME). \o To use the debugger, add the kit in the \gui {Build Settings} of the project. \endlist */