Re: Debugging of embedded target applications

[Geoffrey Espin <espin@idiom.com>]

On Tue, May 07, 2002 at 05:05:36PM -0500, Siders, Keith wrote:
> I am using x86 Linux for host development to a MIPS Linux embedded target. I
> finally have a hardware debugger for my target board that works, but I have
> to get large application files downloaded in a timely fashion. The debugger
> must download to the target via JTAG, therefore downloads have lots of bits
> of overhead, i.e. downloads are slow. Is there anything like a gdb server
> that can I run on the target to connect to a remote client via ethernet? I

If you have a Linux Ethernet driver working, then most people
boot and mount with an NFS root disk.  Then you just cross-compile
additional apps and tools and adding to your NFS disk.  Presumably
including gdb (not tried it).  Then just debug "normally" -- with
the CLI.  The JTAG hardware debugger is not used (or maybe just
to initially bootstrap the kernel and trap certain exceptions).

RH7.1 fs at: ftp://ftp.linux.sgi.com/pub/linux/mips/mipsel-linux/root/
And see: http://www.linux.sgi.com/downloads.html

Once your basic apps are complete, then you can think about
creating a JFFS2 partition (after the MTD flash driver's debuggged)
and using that for standalone bootup.

Actually, my first approach was to flash the linux kernel with
just a cramfs'd busybox and then NFS mount my home directory from
a startup script.

To save (a lot of) space in applications checkout uclibc.org.
Shared libs support with uclibc is real close for MIPS, but for
now use static linking.

Geoff
-- 
Geoffrey Espin
espin@idiom.com
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