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i686-pc-mingw32 gdb: note executable format
- From: Greatwolf <gmane dot greatwolf at mamber dot net>
- To: gdb at sources dot redhat dot com
- Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2010 00:06:27 +0000 (UTC)
- Subject: i686-pc-mingw32 gdb: note executable format
Hi,
I'm having an issue using gdb and I'm trying to track down the root cause
of it. When debugging some executable files under this platform, gdb has
trouble debugging certain executable formats. For example, try loading
gdb notepad.exe under windows 7. gdb will give an error message:
not in executable format: File format not recognized
Similarly, executables compiled and linked with digital mars C++ tools
have the same problems as well as borland object files that are linked
with the unilinker.exe. The demo program from pelib also fails to load
under gdb. All in these cases gdb issues the same error message.
The error message of course doesn't make any sense, how could the binary
not be a valid executable format?? The windows loader certainly has no
issues loading and running it. Other debuggers and disassemblies have no
problems opening/attaching to it.
On a similar note, using objdump on those above cases gives a similar
error:
File format not recognized
Any ideas what the issue might be? Note that in all cases I've checked to
make sure I was't mixing 64-bit executes with 32-bit gdb and visa versa.
I have a feeling it's probably an issue with binutils bfd.
Thanks