[cdt-debug-dev] Terminate debug session for embedded development

[Øyvind Harboe <oyvind.harboe@xxxxxxxxx>]

This is a writeup to check if there is a consensus amongst embedded
developers w.r.t. what is needed in terms of a terminate debug session.

I believe that CDT has a Terminate debug session concept that is much
more complex than is needed for the common case embedded development.
This problem is made worse by GDB frequently being unresponsive due to
either GDB or JTAG debugger issues.

The complexities are due to support for multiple debug targets/processes
in a single debug session. 

The problem is that concepts are introduced before the embedded
developer needs them to solve problems.

Basically what most embedded developers want is to either:

1. detach the debug session from the target and let the target
   continue execution
2. kill the GDB process immediately without caring what happens 
   to the debug target afterwards.

In the Debug view, it is possible to select various "Terminate" and
"Terminate and remove" actions depending on which object is selected.
They each mean different things. When GDB is stuck, I just try them
all :-)

What I would like to see is all the existing low-level terminate
concepts for single-target common case embedded development removed and
replaced with two actions:

- Detach debugger from target
- Terminate debug session. GDB is terminated by the
  a-kind-word-and-a-gun principle. It is told to quit nicely and given
  two seconds before it is terminated using all possible means provided 
  by nasty native OS code.




-- 
Øyvind Harboe
http://www.zylin.com