Maybe you can help...

Maybe you can help...

[Laura Spoldi]

I realize that this problem is outside the realm
of EGCS, but since you are working on updating the
GNU tools with the idea of shared resources, I
thought that you might be able to provide some
advice or point me to an area where I might obtain
further information.

We are working on modifying the GNU toolset,
including GAS (possibly GCC) and GDB, to use for
development work on a PC running Linux and
targeted for a MIPS-like processor.   This
processor is based on the MIPS architecture with a
few added instructions, a few expanded
instructions, and a few removed instructions.  We
have already made the initial changes to GAS with
a good deal of success.  

However, when moving on to GDB we have hit a
stumbling block in that the current release of GDB
(4.16) does not support the MIPS target.  When
trying to build GDB for this target, I get an
error indicating: "*** BFD does not support target
mips-mips-none".  This is the target type which I
specified in build GAS without problems.  Upon
further inspection I found that the current
release of GDB is significantly older than the
current release of GAS (2.8.1) ... and many of the
shared files between GDB and GAS have been updated
in the GAS version which we have.  In particular
the version of BFD which we got with GAS will
handle the mips target.  I am considering trying
to take the newer "GAS" versions of these shared
files and build them with the GDB code from the
last GDB release.  Can you give me any indication
if I have any chance of this working?   Or am I in
for a large amount of changes to the GDB code to
get a "baseline" version of the code before I even
start making my modifications to the code.  

The original idea to use the GNU toolset was to
save time in developing some internal tools for
our own use.  However, if extensive modifications
must be made to the original code to make it work
for a MIPS before we customize it for our use,
then it may not be a timely solution to our
problem.  

As I stated at the beginning of this message I
understand that this is not really what you are
doing, but if you can provide me with any
information or point me in an appropriate
direction to get the information elsewhere I would
really appreciate it.

Thank you for your attention,

Laura Spoldi

Re: Maybe you can help...

[Philippe De Muyter]

> the current release of GDB is significantly older than the
> current release of GAS (2.8.1)

gdb-4.17 will be out in a few days, and you can find the last snapshot
at ftp://ftp.cygnus.com/private/gdb/gdb-4.16.98.tar.gz
or ftp://ftp.cygnus.com/private/gdb/gdb-4.16.98.tar.bz2

Re: Maybe you can help...

[Jeffrey A Law]

  In message < 353D02A6.406C1928@txc.com >you write:
  > However, when moving on to GDB we have hit a
  > stumbling block in that the current release of GDB
  > (4.16) does not support the MIPS target.  When
  > trying to build GDB for this target, I get an
  > error indicating: "*** BFD does not support target
  > mips-mips-none".  This is the target type which I
  > specified in build GAS without problems.  Upon
  > further inspection I found that the current
  > release of GDB is significantly older than the
  > current release of GAS (2.8.1) ... and many of the
  > shared files between GDB and GAS have been updated
  > in the GAS version which we have. 
This is normal version skew.

Your best bet might be to wait a little while.

The latest binutils release is 2.9.  gdb-4.17 is in beta test
right now.  They ought to be pretty close in terms of shared
code.

Note that you still need to be careful -- bfd interfaces change
rapidly, often without warning/documentation.

jeff

Re: Maybe you can help...

[Per Bothner]

1) Gdb has supported the Mips processor for many years.
You are likely just suffering from a configuration problem,
and a different configuration triple may work.

2) Do not replace an old bfd in an old gdb release with a new bfd.
They are likely to be incompatible.

3) Jason Molenda <jsm@cygnus.com> is in the process of putting together
a new Gdb release.

4) If you can't wait, gdb snapshots are and have been public available.
I don't know what the general setup, but you can ask Jason, or just
take what you find in ftp://ftp.cygnus.com/pub/ftp/ .

	--Per Bothner
Cygnus Solutions     bothner@cygnus.com     http://www.cygnus.com/~bothner