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Re: Debugger Recommendation

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Le 29/08/11 21:37, Waldek M. a écrit :
> On Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:19:39 +0200, jacob navia wrote:
>>> I have never used a debugger and would like to know which one(s) are the
>>> best. I prefer one with a graphic interface.
>>>
>> Buy TotalView, it is the best. It comes vith a good GUI
>> http://www.roguewave.com/products/totalview-family/totalview.aspx
>
> The "best" because...?
>
>> And avoid gdb... It is the worst
>
> The "worst", because...?
>
> I'm asking because I've been using gdb for years and I haven't seen
> anything better than this. It's also free, it's available
> everywhere on Linux and it just works.
> True, for GUI users, it may suck. But not because it's a bad
> debugger, only.. it has no GUI, and third party GUIs are not
> state-of-art.
> However to me, lack of GUI is actually an advantage.
>


Why I hate gdb?

Let me count the ways:

1) No user interface that is conceived to help the user
   debug its program. Obscure commands full of exceptions and
   gotchas, and cryptic commands. For instance to get the registers
   you write:

   info registers

   And then you discover that the floating point registers
   are missing. How do you print those?

   info float

   Why "float"? They are registers like any other! But
   remember: "Do NOT try to undertand gdb. It has to be
   learnt by heart"

   I have never figured out how do I print the MMX registers
   alone. Apparently is impossible.

   The original poster said: "I have never used a debugger".
   Gdb couldn't be a worst introduction to a debugger.

2) Commands are difficult to use. Example "disassemble".
    When entered, this command doesn't intermix C source code
    with the disassembly as almost all other debuggers do.
    It will print the whole current function scrolling away
    all your context. It will not (as Microsoft debugger does)
    give you the symbolic name of addresses, even if it does
    know that information since the program was compiled with
    debug info.

3) Commands use a special syntax with some commands having
    a special "mini language" that you have to know by heart.

    x/10i $pc

    Clear isn't it? And very easy to remember of course.

4) Not to speak about its completely outdated command line
    interface, that forces you to write "list" again and again
    to see where you are in the source code. If emacs (another
    gnu product) can use termcaps and have a text mode "full
    screen" console why gdb can't?

This debugger hasn't improved anything in its user interface
since 1980 more or less. But all people that love GNU love
gdb and I will get flamed endlessly by them for telling that
gdb has no clothes!

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Thread

Debugger Recommendation Joseph Hesse <joeh@gmail.com> - 2011-08-29 09:40 -0500
  Re: Debugger Recommendation Victor Bazarov <v.bazarov@comcast.invalid> - 2011-08-29 11:01 -0400
  Re: Debugger Recommendation jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-08-29 19:19 +0200
    Re: Debugger Recommendation "Waldek M." <wm@localhost.localdomain> - 2011-08-29 21:37 +0200
      Re: Debugger Recommendation Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-08-30 07:51 +1200
        Re: Debugger Recommendation jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-08-29 22:52 +0200
          Re: Debugger Recommendation Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-08-30 08:56 +1200
            Re: Debugger Recommendation jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-08-29 23:00 +0200
              Re: Debugger Recommendation Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-08-30 09:21 +1200
              Re: Debugger Recommendation Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-08-30 04:58 +0100
        Re: Debugger Recommendation "Waldek M." <wm@localhost.localdomain> - 2011-08-31 21:45 +0200
      Re: Debugger Recommendation jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-08-29 22:51 +0200
        Re: Debugger Recommendation "Waldek M." <wm@localhost.localdomain> - 2011-08-31 21:11 +0200
          Re: Debugger Recommendation jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-08-31 22:17 +0200
            Re: Debugger Recommendation "Waldek M." <wm@localhost.localdomain> - 2011-09-01 07:26 +0200
  Re: Debugger Recommendation Paul <pchristor@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-08-29 22:02 -0700
    Re: Debugger Recommendation jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-08-30 11:09 +0200
      Re: Debugger Recommendation Paul <pchristor@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-08-30 05:26 -0700
        Re: Debugger Recommendation Oliver Jackson <chexmofo@hotmail.com> - 2011-08-30 08:25 -0700
          Re: Debugger Recommendation Paul <pchristor@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-08-30 10:34 -0700

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