Re: [PATCH 3/6] Facilitate debugging Git executables in tests with gdb

[Jeff King <peff@peff.net>]

On Fri, Oct 30, 2015 at 12:02:56PM -0700, Jonathan Nieder wrote:

> > I'd just be happy as long as the feature becomes available, and I'd
> > leave the choice of consistent and convenient naming to others who
> > have stronger opinions ;-)
> 
> Here's a suggested patch.
> 
> -- >8 --
> From: Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>
> Subject: Facilitate debugging Git executables in tests with gdb
> 
> When prefixing a Git call in the test suite with 'debug ', it will now
> be run with GDB, allowing the developer to debug test failures more
> conveniently.

At the risk of repeating what I just said elsewhere in the thread, I
think this patch is the best of the proposed solutions.

> --- a/wrap-for-bin.sh
> +++ b/wrap-for-bin.sh
> @@ -19,4 +19,10 @@ GIT_TEXTDOMAINDIR='@@BUILD_DIR@@/po/build/locale'
>  PATH='@@BUILD_DIR@@/bin-wrappers:'"$PATH"
>  export GIT_EXEC_PATH GITPERLLIB PATH GIT_TEXTDOMAINDIR
>  
> -exec "${GIT_EXEC_PATH}/@@PROG@@" "$@"
> +if test -n "$GIT_TEST_GDB"
> +then
> +	unset GIT_TEST_GDB
> +	exec gdb --args "${GIT_EXEC_PATH}/@@PROG@@" "$@"
> +else
> +	exec "${GIT_EXEC_PATH}/@@PROG@@" "$@"
> +fi

Somebody suggested elsewhere that the name "gdb" be configurable. We
could stick that in the same variable, like:

  test "$GIT_TEST_GDB" = 1 && GIT_TEST_GDB=gdb
  exec ${GIT_TEST_GDB} --args ...

but that does not play well with the "debug" function, which does not
know which value to set it to. I guess we would need GIT_TEST_GDB_PATH
or something.

I am happy to let that get added later by interested parties (I am happy
with "gdb" myself). I just wanted to mention it to make sure we are not
painting ourselves into any corners.

-Peff