Edit

Debug your first AGL application

Debug is based on gdb and you need to use xds-gdb as a wrapper on gdb to cross-debug your application. This tool allows you to debug an application built with an xds-server without the need to install gdb or any cross tool. Two debugging models are supported:

  1. native debugging

  2. XDS remote debugging requiring an XDS server and allowing cross debug your application.

By default XDS remote debug is used and you need to define XDS_NATIVE_GDB variable to use native gdb debug mode instead.

SEE ALSO: xds-server, a web server used to remotely cross build applications. SEE ALSO: xds-exec, wrappers on exec command that allows to cross build your application through xds-server.

Configuration

xds-gdb configuration is defined by variables (see listed below). These variables may be set using :

  • environment variables (inherited),
  • or a config file set with XDS_CONFIG environment variable, for example: XDS_CONFIG=/tmp/my_xds_gdb_config.env xds-gdb
  • or by setting variables within a gdb ini file (see details below),
  • or a “user” config file located in following directory (first found is taken):
    1. $(CURRENT_DIRECTORY)/.xds-gdb.env
    2. $(CURRENT_DIRECTORY)/../xds-gdb.env
    3. $(CURRENT_DIRECTORY)/target/xds-gdb.env
    4. $(HOME)/.config/xds/xds-gdb.env

Configuration Variables

XDS_CONFIG Config file defining XDS_xxx configuration variables. Variables of this file will overwrite inherited environment variables. Variables definition may be prefixed or not by “export” keyword. Here is an example of configuration file

# for example:
# MY_PROJECT_DIR=/home/seb/xds-workspace/helloworld-native-application
cat > $MY_PROJECT_DIR/xds-gen3.conf << EOF
export XDS_SERVER_URL=http://docker:8000
export XDS_PROJECT_ID=IW7B4EE-DBY4Z74_myProject
export XDS_SDK_ID=poky-agl_aarch64_4.0.1
EOF

XDS_LOGLEVEL

Set logging level (supported levels: panic, fatal, error, warn, info, debug)

XDS_LOGFILE

Set logging file, default /tmp/xds-gdb.log.

XDS_NATIVE_GDB

Use native gdb mode instead of remote XDS server mode.

XDS_PROJECT_ID (mandatory with XDS server mode)

Project ID you want to build

XDS_RPATH

Relative path into project

XDS_SDK_ID (mandatory with XDS server mode)

Cross Sdk ID to use to build project

XDS_SERVER_URL (mandatory with XDS server mode)

Remote XDS server url

Configuration variables set within gdb init command file

Above XDS_xxx variables may also be defined within gdb init command file (see –command or -x option of genuine Gdb). You must respect the following syntax: commented line including :XDS-ENV: tag

Example of gdb init file where we define project and sdk ID:

     # :XDS-ENV: XDS_PROJECT_ID=IW7B4EE-DBY4Z74_myProject
     # :XDS-ENV: XDS_SDK_ID=poky-agl_aarch64_4.0.1

Using xds-gdb from command line

XDS remote debugging mode

First the project you want to debug must be declared on an xds-server and this project may also has been built using this xds-server (see xds-server for more details).

So to debug it you need to know the xds-server url (eg. http://docker:8000), you also need the project and sdk unique id. You can find these IDs in project page of XDS dashboard or you can get them from command line using the --list option. This option lists all existing projects ID:

XDS_SERVER_URL=http://docker:8000 xds-gdb --list

Now to refer your project, just set XDS_PROJECT_ID and XDS_SDK_ID variables.

You are now ready to use xds-gdb to for example cross debug your project. Here is an example to build and debug a project based on CMakefile and AGL app-templates:

# Go into your project directory (for example helloworld-native-application)
cd ~/xds-workspace
git clone https://github.com/iotbzh/helloworld-native-application.git
cd helloworld-service

# Declare your project on xds-server
# <for now, you can only do this step using xds HTML dashboard (see xds-server doc)>

# Define XDS config
cat <<EOF >./xds-config.env
XDS_SERVER_URL=http://docker:8000
XDS_PROJECT_ID=IW7B4EE-DBY4Z74_myProject
XDS_SDK_ID=poky-agl_aarch64_4.0.1
EOF

# Tell to xds-exec and xds-gdb which is your config file
export XDS_CONFIG=../xds-gen3.conf

# Create a new build directory
mkdir build && cd build

# Start remote cross build
xds-exec -- cmake -DRSYNC_TARGET=root@myTarget ..
xds-exec -- make
xds-exec -- make remote-target-populate

# Start debugging
xds-gdb -x target/[email protected]

Note: : helloworld-native-application project is an AGL project based on app-templates (included as a git submodule). This CMake templating, used to develop application with the AGL Application Framework, will automatically generate makefile rules (eg. remote-target-populate) or scripts (eg. build/target/xxx scripts).

For more info about app-template, please refer to this documentation.

Native debugging

To enable native debugging mode, you need to define XDS_NATIVE_GDB variable.

Using xds-gdb within an IDE

Netbeans

Netbeans 8.x :

  • Open menu Tools -> Options

    • Open C/C++ tab, in Build Tools sub-tab, click on Add button:

      Add new tool panel

    • Then, you should set Make Command and Debugger Command to point to xds tools:

      Add new tool panel

    • Finally click on OK button.

  • Edit project properties (using menu File -> Project Properties) to update Debug settings:

    • Be sure that “Gen3 board” configuration is selected

    • Select Run category, and set:
      • Run Command: target/[email protected] (script name may depend of RSYNC_TARGET variable you set in pre-build command)
      • Run Directory: build_gen3
    • Select Debug category, and set:
      • Debug command: /bin/true
      • Working Directory: empty field
      • Gdb Init File: target/[email protected] (script name may depend of RSYNC_TARGET variable you set in pre-build command)

      Select Model panel

    • Click on Apply and then OK button to save settings

You can now start debugging your application with menu Debug -> Debug Project (or CTRL+F5 shortcut)

Others IDE

Coming soon…