em:blocks won't start gdb debugger

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  • em:blocks won't start gdb debugger

    After reverted my windows with a clonezilla image I had to install em:block 2.30 and segger j-link sw version 4.96g. I also then got firmware of my jlonk edu upgraded. However, when I now tries to start my project for debug, which before i reinstalled the windows image worked perfectly every time, em:blocks recompiles as expected but the debugger gdb server is not started.

    I have tried to get some info on em:blocks forum but until now I have not got any replies.

    Thing is, I had em:blocks 1.45 installed in my old windows image and when debugger is started here the gdb server is launched aswell. But not when running from em:blocks 2.30.

    I just wondered if anyone have had any experience with this and found a solution.
    Yes I have followed the guide found under supported IDE's at segger.com but to no help.

    I may start the gdb server manually and it connects to my jlink debugger and waits for connection, but nothing happens when I try to start a debugg session form em:blocks.

    Thanks in advance

    You may find my post at em:blocks forum here:
    emblocks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=566


    Breg
    Vidar

  • Hi,

    We are not aware of any issues with EmBlocks and J-Link.
    As it does not work even if the J-Link GDB Server is started manually, it seems so that EmBlocks never tries to connect to the GDB Server. Is it possible that your project is somehow broken? Does you try to setup a new project? If EmBlocks does not try to connect to the J-Link GDB Server, there is not much we can do here as this call has to be performed by the IDE itself. As you told the J-Link GDB Server connects successfully to the J-Link and the target and is waiting for a connection.

    As the EmBlocks admin confirmed in the EmBlocks forum thread, there is no generic known issue so i am pretty sure that it is related to the configuration of the project or the configuration of EmBlocks. Could you please share your project? We would try to find some time to give it a quick try and check if we see same behavior here.


    Best regards
    Erik
    Please read the forum rules before posting.

    Keep in mind, this is *not* a support forum.
    Our engineers will try to answer your questions between their projects if possible but this can be delayed by longer periods of time.
    Should you be entitled to support you can contact us via our support system: segger.com/ticket/
    Or you can contact us via e-mail.

  • Hi Thanks for your answer.

    I have had some discussion with the em:blocks team but they know no issues which could explain the behavior, but my experience is that there are some issues with em:blocks regarding projects using custom makefiles as i do when it comes to where and how the debugger finds and handles the code. Never the less I added there an example project which I hope someone will either find some issues with which means I have done something wrong or they will find other issues with em:blocks that could cause troubles as mine.

    I no longer, and did not, expect to find any issues with the segger sw.

    Regarding your questions, the first thing I suspected to be wrong was off course my own setup. And I have had many tests and recreations of my project setup before I turned to the forums for help. Never the less, the project did not change between when it worked with my older windows environment and until I re-stored my windows and installed em:blocks 2.30. Have as few changing parameters as possible between checkpoints is a key to success.

    However, I have tried other sw like emIDE and I had no problem setting up my environment there, and as mentioned I had it somewhat working with emblocks 1.45 earlier, which I had a copy of after installing windows again, but where I run into other issues which of I know the solution for. It was when installing emblocks 2.30 I run into problems.

    I might switch to emIDE permanently if I find no solution but I have other projects setup for emblocks and you know, one is often reluctant to change environment to often.

    Never the less, I have uploaded a project where I have the issues as mentioned. Feel free to look into the issue but dont waste your time if you do not need to.

    Thanks in advance

    Vidar
    Files

    • sw_test.zip

      (825.08 kB, downloaded 887 times, last: )

  • Thanks for your detailed explanation.
    We are currently really busy due to the Embedded World next week and due to some other projects but we will try to find some time to give the project a quick try here.
    I might switch to emIDE permanently if I find no solution but I have other projects setup for emblocks and you know, one is often reluctant to change environment to often.
    I agree but if you are running into issues using emBlocks which "seem" to be "show-stopper" and which can not be determined / fixed, maybe you can use emIDE for the new project and if you happy with it you could change the other projects to emIDE, step by step?

    I will let you know, once we were able to give your project a try here.


    - Erik
    Please read the forum rules before posting.

    Keep in mind, this is *not* a support forum.
    Our engineers will try to answer your questions between their projects if possible but this can be delayed by longer periods of time.
    Should you be entitled to support you can contact us via our support system: segger.com/ticket/
    Or you can contact us via e-mail.

  • Just a final status update before I rest my case. At em::blocks forum others have now confirmed that they face the same issue with their own project. I have also filed a ticket at em::blocks which hopefully will trigg a patch soon. For me I simply use version 1.45 for now as it works as expected with this version.

    The previous mentioned problem with 1.45 and of which I knew a solution for was related to the debugger ignoring that custom makefiles might not put the elf file in the default obj folder. The solution for this can be found nested in my posts at em::blocks forum, if anyone is interested, but later versions of em::blocks has that spesific issue fixed permanently.

    Therefor, if you do not have any special interests in the topic dont waste time on it since you seem to be occupied anyway. Good luck with the Embedded World and thanks for your help so far.


    Vidar

  • Hi Vidar,

    Thanks for the update. So it seems to be a generic issue in em::Blocks.
    Anyhow, we have this on our list and one of my colleagues will give it a quick try in the next week(s).
    Good luck with the Embedded World and thanks for your help so far.
    Thank you!


    Best regards
    Erik
    Please read the forum rules before posting.

    Keep in mind, this is *not* a support forum.
    Our engineers will try to answer your questions between their projects if possible but this can be delayed by longer periods of time.
    Should you be entitled to support you can contact us via our support system: segger.com/ticket/
    Or you can contact us via e-mail.

  • Hi Vidar,

    i can confirm that it seems to be an issue in em::Blocks.
    I can debug your project (I used the 2nd one you posted on the em:Blocks forum, because the project you provided us was missing the project file) if i uncheck "This is a custom Makefile" in the project settings. This seems counterintuitive, because the makefile should have nothing to do with debugging, but it worked for us.


    Best regards,
    Niklas
    Please read the forum rules before posting.

    Keep in mind, this is *not* a support forum.
    Our engineers will try to answer your questions between their projects if possible but this can be delayed by longer periods of time.
    Should you be entitled to support you can contact us via our support system: segger.com/ticket/
    Or you can contact us via e-mail.

  • Hi Vidar,

    I have post a new compiler DLL in your post at the EB forum. This compiler DLL has a totally new building engine and is targeting the next upcoming release of EB (C++, LTO etc etc).
    I also build this new compiler DLL against the old EmBlocks 2.30 SDK so you could try this if it solves your problems.

    This compiler DLL is made for another user who had also some issues with custom makefiles and Jlink's.

    Cheers.