C program debugging in gdb problem

Question

I'm trying to run my app on gdb. Therefore I compiled it with the 'g' option. But when I'm running gdb ./app I get:

DW_FORM_strp pointing outside of .debug_str section [in module /home/w/app]

And I cannot do any break:

(gdb) break main
No symbol table is loaded.  Use the "file" command. 
(gdb) .

What OS and CPU ? Have you tried running gdb with a simple "Hello World" test app to make sure your basic gcc/gdb tool chain is installed and working OK ? — Paul R
– Paul R, Commented May 4, 2010 at 12:14

Employed Russian · Accepted Answer · 2010-05-05 06:41:57Z

1

Most likely you've compiled your program with a newer version of GCC, but are debugging it with an old GDB.

Else, you have a buggy GCC version, which puts incorrect debug info into your executable.

answered May 5, 2010 at 6:41

Employed Russian

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Comments

Macmade · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-19 21:00:19Z

1

Use objdump -W to look at the Elf file's Dwarf debug information to see the .debug_str table.

Each DW_FORM_strp is an offset into this table.

Compiling with -g (or -g-dwarf2) puts the Dwarf information in each object file with its own portion of .debug_str section strings.

Linking those object files with -g tries to make unique strings and doesn't update all the DW_FORM_strp offsets properly. Seen with gcc 4.3.4's ld.

We were pasing CC_FLAGS to a makefile link step by accident.

Workaround : don't link with -g flag.

Macmade

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answered Jun 17, 2010 at 13:08

DavidExarm

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