Debugging with Microsoft Windows debug API (w indbg/dbghelp)?

Discussion:

Doug Schaefer

2007-12-05 15:57:31 UTC

I think at this stage of the game, the Windows debugger integration has
stalled again. Something else important always seems to come up and I
haven't had volunteers to help. That and I keep running into roadblocks as
I've been trying to use the dbgeng.dll APIs which are a bit confusing and
poorly documented and is a weird mixture of COM but not COM interfaces.

I have some ideas on how to restart it by using dbgeng's debug server and
then accessing it using the dbgeng APIs from native code running in Eclipse.
I'd like to use DSF to as another example of implementing this new debug API
for Eclipse.

If you're volunteering to help, then I accept. But it would be pretty much
starting from scratch.

Doug Schaefer, QNX Software Systems
Eclipse CDT Project Lead, http://cdtdoug.blogspot.com

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 9:58 AM
To: CDT Debug developers list
Subject: [cdt-debug-dev] Debugging with Microsoft Windows debug API
(windbg/dbghelp)?
I've been lurking on this list for some years, and every now and then
there are talk about integrating debugging MSVC-compiled executables
using Windows debugging API (windbg/dbghelp).
The last reference I could find now was Doug Schaefer's post from March
this year, when he announced that his work on the Windows SDK would be
delayed.
I would like to know what the current status are, and if there is any
code available somewhere that is at least barely usable. If there is, I
might be able to build on it and extend it. Currently I'm in a position
where I have to decide wether we should try to use the CDT as a common
debugging platfrom for both Linux/gdb and Windows/windbg. If the Windows
version of CDI is good enough, we would like to help working on it to
get it to a usable state.
All help would be appreciated!
/Magnus
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Doug Schaefer

2007-12-05 16:04:08 UTC

Permalink

BTW, the key stumbling block I keep running into is starting a second debug
session and keeping them independent, i.e. stopping one session shouldn't
stop them all. So far I've had trouble having more than one debug loop
(WaitForDebugEvent) call in a single Eclipse process. I get the feeling this
is because the dbgeng DLL is in a single threaded apartment. That's why I
hope using the debug server would help.

Doug Schaefer, QNX Software Systems
Eclipse CDT Project Lead, http://cdtdoug.blogspot.com

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 10:58 AM
To: CDT Debug developers list
Subject: RE: [cdt-debug-dev] Debugging with Microsoft Windows debug API (w
indbg/dbghelp)?
I think at this stage of the game, the Windows debugger integration has
stalled again. Something else important always seems to come up and I
haven't had volunteers to help. That and I keep running into roadblocks as
I've been trying to use the dbgeng.dll APIs which are a bit confusing and
poorly documented and is a weird mixture of COM but not COM interfaces.
I have some ideas on how to restart it by using dbgeng's debug server and
then accessing it using the dbgeng APIs from native code running in
Eclipse.
I'd like to use DSF to as another example of implementing this new debug
API
for Eclipse.
If you're volunteering to help, then I accept. But it would be pretty much
starting from scratch.
Doug Schaefer, QNX Software Systems
Eclipse CDT Project Lead, http://cdtdoug.blogspot.com

email and then delete it.
_______________________________________________
cdt-debug-dev mailing list
https://dev.eclipse.org/mailman/listinfo/cdt-debug-dev

_______________________________________________
cdt-debug-dev mailing list
https://dev.eclipse.org/mailman/listinfo/cdt-debug-dev

Doug Schaefer

2007-12-05 16:16:36 UTC

Permalink

Also, it would be nice if we could get rid of the dependency on dbgeng (not
redistributable) all together and use dbghelp (is redistributable) directly.
That means implementing our own breakpoints and stepping algorithms, though,
at least as far as I can tell. As things stand, users would need to download
the Debugging Tools for Windows for complete debug support. That, and from
what I can tell, newer versions of Visual Studio don't use dbgeng any more.

And I think that's it for the chronicles of Windows debugging support with
Eclipse...

Doug Schaefer, QNX Software Systems
Eclipse CDT Project Lead, http://cdtdoug.blogspot.com

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 11:04 AM
To: CDT Debug developers list
Subject: RE: [cdt-debug-dev] Debugging with Microsoft Windows debug API (w
indbg/dbghelp)?
BTW, the key stumbling block I keep running into is starting a second
debug
session and keeping them independent, i.e. stopping one session shouldn't
stop them all. So far I've had trouble having more than one debug loop
(WaitForDebugEvent) call in a single Eclipse process. I get the feeling
this
is because the dbgeng DLL is in a single threaded apartment. That's why I
hope using the debug server would help.
Doug Schaefer, QNX Software Systems
Eclipse CDT Project Lead, http://cdtdoug.blogspot.com

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 10:58 AM
To: CDT Debug developers list
Subject: RE: [cdt-debug-dev] Debugging with Microsoft Windows debug API

indbg/dbghelp)?
I think at this stage of the game, the Windows debugger integration has
stalled again. Something else important always seems to come up and I
haven't had volunteers to help. That and I keep running into roadblocks

I've been trying to use the dbgeng.dll APIs which are a bit confusing

and

poorly documented and is a weird mixture of COM but not COM interfaces.
I have some ideas on how to restart it by using dbgeng's debug server

and

then accessing it using the dbgeng APIs from native code running in
Eclipse.
I'd like to use DSF to as another example of implementing this new debug
API
for Eclipse.
If you're volunteering to help, then I accept. But it would be pretty

much

starting from scratch.
Doug Schaefer, QNX Software Systems
Eclipse CDT Project Lead, http://cdtdoug.blogspot.com

March

this year, when he announced that his work on the Windows SDK would be
delayed.
I would like to know what the current status are, and if there is any
code available somewhere that is at least barely usable. If there is,

might be able to build on it and extend it. Currently I'm in a

position

where I have to decide wether we should try to use the CDT as a common
debugging platfrom for both Linux/gdb and Windows/windbg. If the

Windows

version of CDI is good enough, we would like to help working on it to
get it to a usable state.
All help would be appreciated!
/Magnus
Notice: This email message, together with any attachments, may

contain

information of BEA Systems, Inc., its subsidiaries and

affiliated

entities, that may be confidential, proprietary, copyrighted

and/or

legally privileged, and is intended solely for the use of the

individual

or entity named in this message. If you are not the intended

recipient,

and have received this message in error, please immediately return

this

email and then delete it.
_______________________________________________
cdt-debug-dev mailing list
https://dev.eclipse.org/mailman/listinfo/cdt-debug-dev

_______________________________________________
cdt-debug-dev mailing list
https://dev.eclipse.org/mailman/listinfo/cdt-debug-dev