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 - <a name="Starting"></a>
 - <div class="header">
 - <p>
 - Next: <a href="Arguments.html#Arguments" accesskey="n" rel="next">Arguments</a>, Previous: <a href="Compilation.html#Compilation" accesskey="p" rel="prev">Compilation</a>, Up: <a href="Running.html#Running" accesskey="u" rel="up">Running</a>   [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="Concept-Index.html#Concept-Index" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
 - </div>
 - <hr>
 - <a name="Starting-your-Program"></a>
 - <h3 class="section">4.2 Starting your Program</h3>
 - <a name="index-starting"></a>
 - <a name="index-running"></a>
 - 
 - <dl compact="compact">
 - <dd><a name="index-run"></a>
 - <a name="index-r-_0028run_0029"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>run</code></dt>
 - <dt><code>r</code></dt>
 - <dd><p>Use the <code>run</code> command to start your program under <small>GDB</small>.
 - You must first specify the program name with an argument to
 - <small>GDB</small> (see <a href="Invocation.html#Invocation">Getting In and Out of
 - <small>GDB</small></a>), or by using the <code>file</code> or <code>exec-file</code>
 - command (see <a href="Files.html#Files">Commands to Specify Files</a>).
 - </p>
 - </dd>
 - </dl>
 - 
 - <p>If you are running your program in an execution environment that
 - supports processes, <code>run</code> creates an inferior process and makes
 - that process run your program.  In some environments without processes,
 - <code>run</code> jumps to the start of your program.  Other targets,
 - like ‘<samp>remote</samp>’, are always running.  If you get an error
 - message like this one:
 - </p>
 - <div class="smallexample">
 - <pre class="smallexample">The "remote" target does not support "run".
 - Try "help target" or "continue".
 - </pre></div>
 - 
 - <p>then use <code>continue</code> to run your program.  You may need <code>load</code>
 - first (see <a href="Target-Commands.html#load">load</a>).
 - </p>
 - <p>The execution of a program is affected by certain information it
 - receives from its superior.  <small>GDB</small> provides ways to specify this
 - information, which you must do <em>before</em> starting your program.  (You
 - can change it after starting your program, but such changes only affect
 - your program the next time you start it.)  This information may be
 - divided into four categories:
 - </p>
 - <dl compact="compact">
 - <dt>The <em>arguments.</em></dt>
 - <dd><p>Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the
 - <code>run</code> command.  If a shell is available on your target, the shell
 - is used to pass the arguments, so that you may use normal conventions
 - (such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution) in describing
 - the arguments.
 - In Unix systems, you can control which shell is used with the
 - <code>SHELL</code> environment variable.  If you do not define <code>SHELL</code>,
 - <small>GDB</small> uses the default shell (<samp>/bin/sh</samp>).  You can disable
 - use of any shell with the <code>set startup-with-shell</code> command (see
 - below for details).
 - </p>
 - </dd>
 - <dt>The <em>environment.</em></dt>
 - <dd><p>Your program normally inherits its environment from <small>GDB</small>, but you can
 - use the <small>GDB</small> commands <code>set environment</code> and <code>unset
 - environment</code> to change parts of the environment that affect
 - your program.  See <a href="Environment.html#Environment">Your Program’s Environment</a>.
 - </p>
 - </dd>
 - <dt>The <em>working directory.</em></dt>
 - <dd><p>You can set your program’s working directory with the command
 - <kbd>set cwd</kbd>.  If you do not set any working directory with this
 - command, your program will inherit <small>GDB</small>’s working directory if
 - native debugging, or the remote server’s working directory if remote
 - debugging.  See <a href="Working-Directory.html#Working-Directory">Your Program’s Working
 - Directory</a>.
 - </p>
 - </dd>
 - <dt>The <em>standard input and output.</em></dt>
 - <dd><p>Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and
 - standard output as <small>GDB</small> is using.  You can redirect input and output
 - in the <code>run</code> command line, or you can use the <code>tty</code> command to
 - set a different device for your program.
 - See <a href="Input_002fOutput.html#Input_002fOutput">Your Program’s Input and Output</a>.
 - </p>
 - <a name="index-pipes"></a>
 - <p><em>Warning:</em> While input and output redirection work, you cannot use
 - pipes to pass the output of the program you are debugging to another
 - program; if you attempt this, <small>GDB</small> is likely to wind up debugging the
 - wrong program.
 - </p></dd>
 - </dl>
 - 
 - <p>When you issue the <code>run</code> command, your program begins to execute
 - immediately.  See <a href="Stopping.html#Stopping">Stopping and Continuing</a>, for discussion
 - of how to arrange for your program to stop.  Once your program has
 - stopped, you may call functions in your program, using the <code>print</code>
 - or <code>call</code> commands.  See <a href="Data.html#Data">Examining Data</a>.
 - </p>
 - <p>If the modification time of your symbol file has changed since the last
 - time <small>GDB</small> read its symbols, <small>GDB</small> discards its symbol
 - table, and reads it again.  When it does this, <small>GDB</small> tries to retain
 - your current breakpoints.
 - </p>
 - <dl compact="compact">
 - <dd><a name="index-start"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>start</code></dt>
 - <dd><a name="index-run-to-main-procedure"></a>
 - <p>The name of the main procedure can vary from language to language.
 - With C or C<tt>++</tt>, the main procedure name is always <code>main</code>, but
 - other languages such as Ada do not require a specific name for their
 - main procedure.  The debugger provides a convenient way to start the
 - execution of the program and to stop at the beginning of the main
 - procedure, depending on the language used.
 - </p>
 - <p>The ‘<samp>start</samp>’ command does the equivalent of setting a temporary
 - breakpoint at the beginning of the main procedure and then invoking
 - the ‘<samp>run</samp>’ command.
 - </p>
 - <a name="index-elaboration-phase"></a>
 - <p>Some programs contain an <em>elaboration</em> phase where some startup code is
 - executed before the main procedure is called.  This depends on the
 - languages used to write your program.  In C<tt>++</tt>, for instance,
 - constructors for static and global objects are executed before
 - <code>main</code> is called.  It is therefore possible that the debugger stops
 - before reaching the main procedure.  However, the temporary breakpoint
 - will remain to halt execution.
 - </p>
 - <p>Specify the arguments to give to your program as arguments to the
 - ‘<samp>start</samp>’ command.  These arguments will be given verbatim to the
 - underlying ‘<samp>run</samp>’ command.  Note that the same arguments will be
 - reused if no argument is provided during subsequent calls to
 - ‘<samp>start</samp>’ or ‘<samp>run</samp>’.
 - </p>
 - <p>It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration.  In
 - these cases, using the <code>start</code> command would stop the execution
 - of your program too late, as the program would have already completed
 - the elaboration phase.  Under these circumstances, either insert
 - breakpoints in your elaboration code before running your program or
 - use the <code>starti</code> command.
 - </p>
 - <a name="index-starti"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>starti</code></dt>
 - <dd><a name="index-run-to-first-instruction"></a>
 - <p>The ‘<samp>starti</samp>’ command does the equivalent of setting a temporary
 - breakpoint at the first instruction of a program’s execution and then
 - invoking the ‘<samp>run</samp>’ command.  For programs containing an
 - elaboration phase, the <code>starti</code> command will stop execution at
 - the start of the elaboration phase.
 - </p>
 - <a name="set-exec_002dwrapper"></a><a name="index-set-exec_002dwrapper"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>set exec-wrapper <var>wrapper</var></code></dt>
 - <dt><code>show exec-wrapper</code></dt>
 - <dt><code>unset exec-wrapper</code></dt>
 - <dd><p>When ‘<samp>exec-wrapper</samp>’ is set, the specified wrapper is used to
 - launch programs for debugging.  <small>GDB</small> starts your program
 - with a shell command of the form <kbd>exec <var>wrapper</var>
 - <var>program</var></kbd>.  Quoting is added to <var>program</var> and its
 - arguments, but not to <var>wrapper</var>, so you should add quotes if
 - appropriate for your shell.  The wrapper runs until it executes
 - your program, and then <small>GDB</small> takes control.
 - </p>
 - <p>You can use any program that eventually calls <code>execve</code> with
 - its arguments as a wrapper.  Several standard Unix utilities do
 - this, e.g. <code>env</code> and <code>nohup</code>.  Any Unix shell script ending
 - with <code>exec "$@"</code> will also work.
 - </p>
 - <p>For example, you can use <code>env</code> to pass an environment variable to
 - the debugged program, without setting the variable in your shell’s
 - environment:
 - </p>
 - <div class="smallexample">
 - <pre class="smallexample">(gdb) set exec-wrapper env 'LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so'
 - (gdb) run
 - </pre></div>
 - 
 - <p>This command is available when debugging locally on most targets, excluding
 - <small>DJGPP</small>, Cygwin, MS Windows, and QNX Neutrino.
 - </p>
 - <a name="index-set-startup_002dwith_002dshell"></a>
 - <a name="set-startup_002dwith_002dshell"></a></dd>
 - <dt><code>set startup-with-shell</code></dt>
 - <dt><code>set startup-with-shell on</code></dt>
 - <dt><code>set startup-with-shell off</code></dt>
 - <dt><code>show startup-with-shell</code></dt>
 - <dd><p>On Unix systems, by default, if a shell is available on your target,
 - <small>GDB</small>) uses it to start your program.  Arguments of the
 - <code>run</code> command are passed to the shell, which does variable
 - substitution, expands wildcard characters and performs redirection of
 - I/O.  In some circumstances, it may be useful to disable such use of a
 - shell, for example, when debugging the shell itself or diagnosing
 - startup failures such as:
 - </p>
 - <div class="smallexample">
 - <pre class="smallexample">(gdb) run
 - Starting program: ./a.out
 - During startup program terminated with signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
 - </pre></div>
 - 
 - <p>which indicates the shell or the wrapper specified with
 - ‘<samp>exec-wrapper</samp>’ crashed, not your program.  Most often, this is
 - caused by something odd in your shell’s non-interactive mode
 - initialization file—such as <samp>.cshrc</samp> for C-shell,
 - $<samp>.zshenv</samp> for the Z shell, or the file specified in the
 - ‘<samp>BASH_ENV</samp>’ environment variable for BASH.
 - </p>
 - <a name="set-auto_002dconnect_002dnative_002dtarget"></a><a name="index-set-auto_002dconnect_002dnative_002dtarget"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>set auto-connect-native-target</code></dt>
 - <dt><code>set auto-connect-native-target on</code></dt>
 - <dt><code>set auto-connect-native-target off</code></dt>
 - <dt><code>show auto-connect-native-target</code></dt>
 - <dd>
 - <p>By default, if the current inferior is not connected to any target yet
 - (e.g., with <code>target remote</code>), the <code>run</code> command starts your
 - program as a native process under <small>GDB</small>, on your local machine.
 - If you’re sure you don’t want to debug programs on your local machine,
 - you can tell <small>GDB</small> to not connect to the native target
 - automatically with the <code>set auto-connect-native-target off</code>
 - command.
 - </p>
 - <p>If <code>on</code>, which is the default, and if the current inferior is not
 - connected to a target already, the <code>run</code> command automaticaly
 - connects to the native target, if one is available.
 - </p>
 - <p>If <code>off</code>, and if the current inferior is not connected to a
 - target already, the <code>run</code> command fails with an error:
 - </p>
 - <div class="smallexample">
 - <pre class="smallexample">(gdb) run
 - Don't know how to run.  Try "help target".
 - </pre></div>
 - 
 - <p>If the current inferior is already connected to a target, <small>GDB</small>
 - always uses it with the <code>run</code> command.
 - </p>
 - <p>In any case, you can explicitly connect to the native target with the
 - <code>target native</code> command.  For example,
 - </p>
 - <div class="smallexample">
 - <pre class="smallexample">(gdb) set auto-connect-native-target off
 - (gdb) run
 - Don't know how to run.  Try "help target".
 - (gdb) target native
 - (gdb) run
 - Starting program: ./a.out
 - [Inferior 1 (process 10421) exited normally]
 - </pre></div>
 - 
 - <p>In case you connected explicitly to the <code>native</code> target,
 - <small>GDB</small> remains connected even if all inferiors exit, ready for
 - the next <code>run</code> command.  Use the <code>disconnect</code> command to
 - disconnect.
 - </p>
 - <p>Examples of other commands that likewise respect the
 - <code>auto-connect-native-target</code> setting: <code>attach</code>, <code>info
 - proc</code>, <code>info os</code>.
 - </p>
 - <a name="index-set-disable_002drandomization"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>set disable-randomization</code></dt>
 - <dt><code>set disable-randomization on</code></dt>
 - <dd><p>This option (enabled by default in <small>GDB</small>) will turn off the native
 - randomization of the virtual address space of the started program.  This option
 - is useful for multiple debugging sessions to make the execution better
 - reproducible and memory addresses reusable across debugging sessions.
 - </p>
 - <p>This feature is implemented only on certain targets, including <small>GNU</small>/Linux.
 - On <small>GNU</small>/Linux you can get the same behavior using
 - </p>
 - <div class="smallexample">
 - <pre class="smallexample">(gdb) set exec-wrapper setarch `uname -m` -R
 - </pre></div>
 - 
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>set disable-randomization off</code></dt>
 - <dd><p>Leave the behavior of the started executable unchanged.  Some bugs rear their
 - ugly heads only when the program is loaded at certain addresses.  If your bug
 - disappears when you run the program under <small>GDB</small>, that might be because
 - <small>GDB</small> by default disables the address randomization on platforms, such
 - as <small>GNU</small>/Linux, which do that for stand-alone programs.  Use <kbd>set
 - disable-randomization off</kbd> to try to reproduce such elusive bugs.
 - </p>
 - <p>On targets where it is available, virtual address space randomization
 - protects the programs against certain kinds of security attacks.  In these
 - cases the attacker needs to know the exact location of a concrete executable
 - code.  Randomizing its location makes it impossible to inject jumps misusing
 - a code at its expected addresses.
 - </p>
 - <p>Prelinking shared libraries provides a startup performance advantage but it
 - makes addresses in these libraries predictable for privileged processes by
 - having just unprivileged access at the target system.  Reading the shared
 - library binary gives enough information for assembling the malicious code
 - misusing it.  Still even a prelinked shared library can get loaded at a new
 - random address just requiring the regular relocation process during the
 - startup.  Shared libraries not already prelinked are always loaded at
 - a randomly chosen address.
 - </p>
 - <p>Position independent executables (PIE) contain position independent code
 - similar to the shared libraries and therefore such executables get loaded at
 - a randomly chosen address upon startup.  PIE executables always load even
 - already prelinked shared libraries at a random address.  You can build such
 - executable using <code>gcc -fPIE -pie</code>.
 - </p>
 - <p>Heap (malloc storage), stack and custom mmap areas are always placed randomly
 - (as long as the randomization is enabled).
 - </p>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>show disable-randomization</code></dt>
 - <dd><p>Show the current setting of the explicit disable of the native randomization of
 - the virtual address space of the started program.
 - </p>
 - </dd>
 - </dl>
 - 
 - <hr>
 - <div class="header">
 - <p>
 - Next: <a href="Arguments.html#Arguments" accesskey="n" rel="next">Arguments</a>, Previous: <a href="Compilation.html#Compilation" accesskey="p" rel="prev">Compilation</a>, Up: <a href="Running.html#Running" accesskey="u" rel="up">Running</a>   [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="Concept-Index.html#Concept-Index" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
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