KDevelop debugger stops working

[jmoe]

Binary package hint: kdevelop

I am having a problem with the debugger in KDevelop 3.5.3 (KDE 3.5.10) and GDB (GNU gdb 6.8-debian) under Kubuntu 8.10. I have used Kuduntu (6.10) and Kdevelop in the past and never had this problem. I don't know if I am doing something wrong or if there is a bug somewhere.

I can create a simple C++ project and setup breaks points and the debugger works great. It stops at all my break points and I get output in the Application window.

 If I then open the “Project/Project Options/Debugger” dialog, change nothing and then close the dialog, the debugger stops. The debugger not longer stops at the break points and there is no output. All I get is “Process exited”.

 Try the following steps:

1.Create a new project called 'test1” from the main menu using “Project/New...” “C++/QMake/Simple Hello world” . You should get something like this:

 #include <iostream>
 #include <cstdlib>

 using namespace std;

 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
    cout << "Hello, world!" << endl;

   return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }

2.Build the application using “Build/Build Active Target”. This should run autoconfig/automake and then compile and create executable.

(You may get problem here with “libtool”. This is another bug. See LaunchPad bug #253286. Open debug/libtool and change “ECHO=echo” to “echo=echo” (near line 153). Save libtool and try “Build Active Target” again.)

3.Set a break point on the “return EXIT_SUCCESS” statement.

4.Run and debug the application using “Debug/Start”. The application should run and break on the return statement. Look in the “Application” window and you should see “Hello,world!”. Everything is just right.

5.Let the application finish and then close KDevelop.

6.Save the project file. From a command line cp test1.kdevelop to test1.kdevelop.org. We will need this later.

7.Reopen KDevelop and the test1 project should be re-opened. Using “Debug/Start again debug the application. Rebuild if asked to do so. Everything should be great just like in step 4 about. Let the application complete.

8.Open the “Project/Project Options/Debugger” dialog, don't change anything, just close it by clicking on “Ok”.

9.Now try to debug the application using “Debug/Start”. The program does not start (?). There is no output in the “Application” window. The Debugger does not break.

     All I get is “Process exited”.

10.Close KDevelop.

After several hours of looking around I found the biggest change was in the “.kdevelop” project file. If you diff or compare the current test1.kdevelop with old test1.kdevelop.org you will see the biggest change is near the bottom of the file. You should see this section:

    <kdevdebugger>
      <general>
         <gdbpath></gdbpath>
         <dbgshell>libtool</dbgshell>
         <configGdbScript></configGdbScript>
         <runShellScript></runShellScript>
         <runGdbScript></runGdbScript>
      <breakonloadinglibs>true</breakonloadinglibs>
         <separatetty>false</separatetty>
         <floatingtoolbar>false</floatingtoolbar>
         <raiseGDBOnStart>false</raiseGDBOnStart>
      </general>
      <display>
         <staticmembers>false</staticmembers>
         <demanglenames>true</demanglenames>
         <outputradix>10</outputradix>
      </display>
   </kdevdebugger>

11.Open test1.kdevelop in a text editor (don't use Kdevelop for this) and delete the above section. Save test1.kdevelop.

12.Reopen KDevelop and repeat step 7 and everything should be fine again.

 Why this is happening I am not sure. This means I can not use the “Project/Project Options” menu item. I think any changes made to the “.kdevelop” project file and the debugger is broken.

 Any ideas or comments?

 JMoe
 April 2009

[Timothy Pearson (kb9vqf)]

This was caused by the debugger widget incorrectly setting dbgshell to "libtool" instead of leaving it blank. It has been fixed in the KDE3.5 repositories for Karmic (Ubuntu 9.10) at http://apt.pearsoncomputing.net

[Lieven Tytgat (tytgatlieven)]

Bug for kdevelop 3.5 (ancient)