gdb: Interpreters
24 Command Interpreters
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GDB supports multiple command interpreters, and some command
infrastructure to allow users or user interface writers to switch
between interpreters or run commands in other interpreters.
GDB currently supports two command interpreters, the console
interpreter (sometimes called the command-line interpreter or CLI) and
the machine interface interpreter (or GDB/MI). This manual describes
both of these interfaces in great detail.
By default, GDB will start with the console interpreter. However,
the user may choose to start GDB with another interpreter by specifying
the '-i' or '--interpreter' startup options. Defined interpreters
include:
'console'
The traditional console or command-line interpreter. This is the
most often used interpreter with GDB. With no interpreter
specified at runtime, GDB will use this interpreter.
'mi'
The newest GDB/MI interface (currently 'mi2'). Used primarily by
programs wishing to use GDB as a backend for a debugger GUI or an
IDE. For more information, see 
The GDB/MI Interface GDB/MI.
'mi2'
The current GDB/MI interface.
'mi1'
The GDB/MI interface included in GDB 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.
You may execute commands in any interpreter from the current
interpreter using the appropriate command. If you are running the
console interpreter, simply use the 'interpreter-exec' command:
interpreter-exec mi "-data-list-register-names"
GDB/MI has a similar command, although it is only available in
versions of GDB which support GDB/MI version 2 (or greater).
Note that 'interpreter-exec' only changes the interpreter for the
duration of the specified command. It does not change the interpreter
permanently.
Although you may only choose a single interpreter at startup, it is
possible to run an independent interpreter on a specified input/output
device (usually a tty).
For example, consider a debugger GUI or IDE that wants to provide a
GDB console view. It may do so by embedding a terminal emulator widget
in its GUI, starting GDB in the traditional command-line mode with
stdin/stdout/stderr redirected to that terminal, and then creating an MI
interpreter running on a specified input/output device. The console
interpreter created by GDB at startup handles commands the user types in
the terminal widget, while the GUI controls and synchronizes state with
GDB using the separate MI interpreter.
To start a new secondary "user interface" running MI, use the
'new-ui' command:
new-ui INTERPRETER TTY
The INTERPRETER parameter specifies the interpreter to run. This
accepts the same values as the 'interpreter-exec' command. For example,
'console', 'mi', 'mi2', etc. The TTY parameter specifies the name of
the bidirectional file the interpreter uses for input/output, usually
the name of a pseudoterminal slave on Unix systems. For example:
(gdb) new-ui mi /dev/pts/9
runs an MI interpreter on '/dev/pts/9'.
Info Catalog
gdb: Extending GDB
gdb: Top
gdb: TUI