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From: rfg@ics.uci.edu (Ronald Guilmette)
Newsgroups: gnu.gdb.bug
Subject: Re: gdb 'bugs'  (enhancement requests?) and a patch...
Message-ID: <25EC4D06.20765@paris.ics.uci.edu>
Date: 28 Feb 90 22:13:26 GMT
References: <1990Feb28.134503.17713@Jhereg.Minnetech.MN.ORG> <9002281958.AA07987@sugar-bombs.ai.mit.edu>
Reply-To: rfg@ics.uci.edu (Ronald Guilmette)
Distribution: gnu
Organization: UC Irvine Department of ICS
Lines: 31

In article <9002281958.AA07987@sugar-bombs.ai.mit.edu> rms@AI.MIT.EDU writes:
>The BSD object file format has some deficiencies, so we're considering
>switching to another format for the GNU system.  However, one aspect that
>we are not considering changing is the debugger information.  That is not
>where the problems are, and leaving it alone would save lots of work.
>So ELF won't be a good candidate.
>
>This being so, the question is whether we care enough about the
>systems that do use ELF to spend any time on them.  Support for UNIX
>systems is a secondary matter for us when it involves things that will
>not be useful in the GNU system.  It really doesn't interest us much
>what commercial companies are going to do.

Mike Meissner has stated a couple of times that ELF does *not* include any
specification about debugging information.  He says that part is left up
to individual implementors.

So it would seem to be theoretically possible to use ELF *with* the GNU-style
debugging information.

Of course, if ELF has other problems which a GNU format could solve, then
using ELF at all may be more trouble that it is worth.

Then again, there is *some* advantage in *sharing* standards (rather than
trying to create your own).  It is obviously not an advantage that should
override all other factors, but it should be weighed in the balance along
with other important critera.

// Ron Guilmette (rfg@ics.uci.edu)
// C++ Entomologist
// Motto:  If it sticks, force it.  If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway.