Re: Default debug format for AVR

[David Edelsohn <dje.gcc@gmail.com>]

On Thu, Apr 8, 2021 at 2:03 AM Richard Biener
<richard.guenther@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On April 8, 2021 1:17:53 AM GMT+02:00, David Edelsohn <dje.gcc@gmail.com> wrote:
> >On Tue, Apr 6, 2021 at 6:34 AM Richard Biener via Gcc <gcc@gcc.gnu.org>
> >wrote:
> >>
> >> On Mon, Apr 5, 2021 at 10:56 PM Simon Marchi via Gcc
> ><gcc@gcc.gnu.org> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > On 2021-04-05 3:36 p.m., Jim Wilson wrote:> On Sat, Apr 3, 2021 at
> >6:24 PM Simon Marchi via Gcc <gcc@gcc.gnu.org <mailto:gcc@gcc.gnu.org>>
> >wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > >     The default debug format (when using only -g) for the AVR
> >target is
> >> > >     stabs.  Is there a reason for it not being DWARF, and would
> >it be
> >> > >     possible to maybe consider possibly thinking about making it
> >default to
> >> > >     DWARF?  I am asking because the support for stabs in GDB is
> >pretty much
> >> > >     untested and bit-rotting, so I think it would be more useful
> >for
> >> > >     everyone to use DWARF.
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > I tried to deprecate the stabs support a little over 4 years ago.
> >> > >
> >https://gcc.gnu.org/pipermail/gcc-patches/2017-December/489296.html
> ><https://gcc.gnu.org/pipermail/gcc-patches/2017-December/489296.html>
> >> > > There was a suggestion to change the error to a warning, but my
> >startup company job kept me so busy I never had a chance to follow up
> >on this.
> >> > >
> >> > > I would like to see the stabs support deprecated and the later
> >removed from gcc.  No new features have been added in a long time, and
> >it is only being maintained in the sense that when it fails it is fixed
> >to ignore source code constructs that it doesn't support.  The longer
> >it survives in this state, the less useful it becomes.
> >> > >
> >> > > Jim
> >> >
> >> > You have 100% my suppose on this.  The longer stabs survives
> >(especially
> >> > as the default for an arch), the longer some people who don't know
> >the
> >> > intricacies of debug formats could use it without knowing, and that
> >> > does them a disservice.
> >>
> >> Patches to kill STABS (and related/derived formats) are pre-approved
> >for stage1.
> >
> >AIX continues to use and support STABS, although it is transitioning
> >to DWARF.  If this is intended as a general statement about removal of
> >STABS support in GCC,
>
> Yes, it is.
>
> Richard.

Richard,

It is inappropriate to unilaterally make this decision without
discussion with all affected ports and maintainers, without warning,
and without deprecation.  I request that you rescind this decision.

It is somewhat ironic to act as a dictator when we are having a
discussion about dictatorial behavior in GCC leadership.

Thanks, David