Question: How to use libipt in GDB on Windows? about libipt

[markus-metzger]

I did the Linux part. If you can point me to the Windows Intel PT user-space API, I can probably add that, too. Or help review it.

[markus-metzger]

Hmmm, the error message is not very helpful, I agree.

GDB only supports Intel PT with the Linux target. There, it should work for any recent (many years, meanwhile) IA processor and Linux kernel. For the Windows target, one would need to add support based on Windows' Intel PT user-space API.

Libipt is an Intel PT decoder, not a recorder. It takes the trace that was recorded plus the binaries that were traced (or a live memory access callback) and re-constructs the control-flow. On Linux, the perf event sub-system is the recorder.

Adding the Windows target recording layer to GDB should be straight-forward. All the decoding, CLI, remote support, and lots of tests are already there. What's missing, to my knowledge, is the Windows Intel PT user-space API.

[GitMensch]

Thank you for that useful answer. Do you have contact to a gdb hacker that may add the missing piece?

[GitMensch]

Was there an actual change in GDB for that? Otherwise - I agree that the question issue is solved, should we create a new issue about the GDB integration? Otherwise the GDB patches mailing list is likely the right place to discuss that.

[markus-metzger]

The libipt question is solved IMHO. To enable GDB, we first need a Windows Intel PT user-space API. Once that is available, the GDB mailing list would be the right place to discuss GDB enabling.

[GitMensch]

To enable GDB, we first need a Windows Intel PT user-space API.

How to get to that?

[markus-metzger]

To enable GDB, we first need a Windows Intel PT user-space API.

How to get to that?

Windows needs to provide that.