### About Linaro gdb
Linaro gdb is a release of the GNU debugger with bug fixes and
enhancements for ARM platforms. gdb allows interactive debugging of
C and C++ programs natively and remotely.
### Linaro gdb 7.6.1 2013.09-1
The Linaro Toolchain Working Group is pleased to announce the 2013.09-1
release of Linaro gdb 7.6.1, the first release in the 7.6.1 series.
This release is based on the latest upstream gdb 7.6 stable branch,
but with additional features and bug fixes.
#### Additional Features
* None
#### Bug Fixes
* Fixes for debugging on AArch64 with hardware breakpoints.
### Source
#### Release Tarball
* https://releases.linaro.org/13.09/components/toolchain/gdb-linaro
#### Development Tree
* git://git.linaro.org/toolchain/gdb.git
This release was built from the `linaro_gdb-7_6_1-2013_09-1_release` tag.
### Feedback and Support
Subscribe to the important Linaro mailing lists and join our IRC channels to
stay on top of Linaro development.
* Linaro Toolchain Development [mailing
list](http://lists.linaro.org/mailman/listinfo/linaro-toolchain)
* Linaro Toolchain IRC channel on irc.freenode.net at `#linaro-tcwg`
* Questions? [ask Linaro](http://ask.linaro.org/).
* Interested in commercial support? inquire at [Linaro
support](mailto:support@linaro.org)
--
Will Newton
Toolchain Working Group, Linaro
== Progress ==
* Finally got GCC 4.7 automatic updates working from launchpad.
* Continuing with Jenkins/Cbuildv2/Git integration.
* Added support for using specific commit IDs with Git and
Cbuildv2. Also many improvements to how git branches and
revisions are handled.
* Worked on importing testing results from Jenkins builds, there
seems to be a problem finding the .sum files when the build is
complete.
* Started getting new Odroid boards online running Ubuntu.
== Plan ==
* Work on getting Canadian Cross builds working in Cbuildv2.
* Finish getting Odroid boards setup.
* Compare automated tarballs with the current release tarballs.
* Continuing with Jenkins/Cbuildv2/Git integration.
* Try to work around problem with importing test results.
== Issues ==
* Phone and network access has been randomly down for extended
periods. I assume it's flood repairs related.
== Progress ==
* GCC trunk cross-validation:
- stabilizing reporting (dealing with thread tests giving unstable
results when run under qemu, timeouts caused by overload of the
compute farm, ....)
- adding aarch64
* Backports:
- updated list (57 candidates for 4.8-2013.03), discussed
prioritization and collaboration with ARM.
- sent 1st branch-merge candidate for testing, as a preparation to
partially backport a bug fix from Richard.
* Aarch64 frame grows downward:
- modified test-case shows that code can be better with frame grows
downward than upward, depending on variables order and layout.
== Next ==
* Backports
- start backporting to prepare 2013.10 release
* AArch64 frame grows downward: continue
* Disable-peeling: resume work
== Progress ==
* Visit to Cambridge (Tue - Thu) and annual leave (Fri).
* Applied gas fix for neon vector load/store constraints.
* Applied glibc memcpy performance tweak.
* Applied gdbserver AArch64 fix to trunk and branch.
* Updated gdb release process and built a release candidate.
* Started glibc ARM pointer guard work
== Issues ==
* None
== Plan ==
* gdb 2013.09 release
* Various small items arising out of meetings last week
* Complete glibc ARM pointer guard
--
Will Newton
Toolchain Working Group, Linaro
== Issues ==
* None.
== Progress ==
* LRA on AArch64:
- Validate Vladimir's patch to support
HARD_REGNO_CALL_PART_CLOBBERED macro in LRA.
- Reduced and analysed libstdc++ failures : they were due to PCH
usage, but the issue was fixed with a rebase on trunk's head.
- Testsuite is now clean.
- Waiting for my rtl analyser patch to be accepted.
* LRA on AArch32:
- No more libstdc++ failures, they were PCH related too.
- One more issue in ARM mode testsuite, related bad REG_NOTES info
after LRA pass.
- Reduced failing Thumb testcase.
== Next ==
* Continue on LRA.
== Progress ==
* Spent week in Linaro's Cambridge office, had meetings with team mates.
* Visited ARM office in Cambridge and met toolchain team there.
* Submitted patch for GDB Record and Replay thumb32 support upstream.
* Reviewed and reproduced gdb bugs reported on launchpad and changed
their status according.
* Reviewed previously submitted gdb patches and replied to comments if required.
* Reviewed x86 record syscall code in GDB for adding support for
recording ARM syscall record.
* Updated JIRA cards or added new issues against bugs or features.
== Plan ==
* Progress on record and replay feature by testing instruction set support.
* Review all open JIRA cards for GDB
* Work on getting previous patches committed or resubmit new ones.
* Submit US visa application for LCU13.
== Issues ==
* None
== Progress ==
* 2 day off on Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival
* Update conditional compare (CCMP) patch according to community comments.
* Work out a patch to fix PR 58423.
* Prepare LCU'13 Visa and hotel.
== Plan ==
* Continue on CCMP.
== Panned leaves ==
* Sept. 24 AM: US Visa.
* Oct. 1-7: National Day of China holiday
== Progress ==
* Addressing patch review
- zero/sign extension preparation patch accepted.
- Christophe is helping to commit.
* spec2k comparison between ARM and x86
- Looked at conditional code generation related code in gcc
- looked at ifcvt and code in arm.md and arm.c to understand the
heuristics that dictate how much to conditionalize and what is causing
some of the problems I am seeing.
== Plan ==
* Continue with spec2k comparison between ARM and x86
* Start looking at 64bit division
== Progress ==
* gprof mcount support in glibc
Tested the patch and posted in libcports.
* Fix signal handler issue in glibc for profiling
Found issue with time profiling. Time profiling is obtained by setting up
SIG_PROF interrupt and kernal calls signal handler with interrupted pc
address. But in glibc, aarch64 port does not register the signal
handler properly.
Fixed and sent a patch to team for review. Tested the patch and
posted in libcports.
* Linaro connect - VISA application.
Applied VISA online and scheduled interview with US consulate.
* Libssp support for AArch64 TCWG 23:
Timeout issues disappears after increasing TIMEOUTFACTOR
Base glibc test results are captured in wiki
https://wiki.linaro.org/WorkingGroups/ToolChain/ReleaseAndInfrastructure/Cr…
* 1-1 meeting with Matt and Christophe.
== Plan ==
* Post RFC patch for Libssp support for AArch64 in GCC
* Continue testing the patch for Libssp support for AArch64 in GCC
and glibc TCWG-23.
== Issues ==
* LTO/PGO work stopped now since libssp support priority is more.
Misc
------
Tuesday and Wednesday in Chennai to attend US VISA interview.
== Progress ==
* Trying to profile ImageMagick on A9
- perf is broken on Exynos 4, used Panda
- Linaro image doesn't have all PPAs
- Clang code 10% worse than GCC on some operations
- Code doesn't look that bad, but Clang on x86 is faster
- Will look into that next week
Background
- Meetings at ARM, Linaro
- Omair in Cambridge
- Patch review, fixing bots, discussions, etc
- Moved from Ubuntu to Mint 15, using Gnome Shell
== Plan ==
* Finally look into the profiler output
* Increase the profiling to other image operations
* Profile Phoronix results?
