Re: [cdt-dev] Re: [cdt-debug-dev] enabling CDT to use multiple debuggers

[Tom Tromey <tromey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

>>>>> "Samantha" == chanskw  <chanskw@xxxxxxxxxx> writes:

Samantha> Putting this option in launch configurations gives user an
Samantha> idea that they can switch debugger for the project on the
Samantha> fly.  It's too easy for the user to switch the choice of
Samantha> debugger.

I'm not too familiar with the Eclipse GUI.  So I can't really
comment on the precise placement of the option.

However, it is useful to let the user choose which particular gdb is
launched.  I'm familiar with at least two cases:

* Sometimes the system gdb is too old and you want to use a newer
  one.  In this case it is nice to be able to specify a path to the
  gdb you actually want to use.
  This doesn't just happen for gdb developers.  For instance someone
  who gets tools from a company like Red Hat might want to use the
  newer gdb shipped in their tool chain.
  In some situations this is really necessary to get any useful work
  done; for instance when the older gdb crashes on your particular
  program.  (This happens rather more often than anybody wants to admit.)

* If you're doing cross-builds you need to use the cross-gdb, which
  has a name like "xscale-elf-gdb".
  Presumably this will be handled automatically by whatever
  target-choosing machinery is eventually implemented.

At least the first case above is a fairly lightweight scenario.  When
I run gdb under Emacs I choose the particular gdb to run on a
case-by-case basis.  Occasionally I'll reinvoke the debugger using a
different gdb just to work around some gdb bug I've discovered.  (In
Emacs this is extremely easy, since it prompts for the debugger choice
each time you enter the debugger mode.)

HTH,
Tom