PlatformIO failes to start debugger on ARM

dlschmidt · January 4, 2023, 3:59pm

Configuration

Operating system: Linux ubuntu-arm 5.15.0-56-generic #62-Ubuntu SMP Tue Nov 22 19:56:13 UTC 2022 aarch64 aarch64 aarch64 GNU/Linux

PlatformIO Version: latest

Description of problem

I am currently running a ubuntu virtual machine on my M1 because debugging also fails under MacOS. (Missing python 2.7 installation on MacOS Monterey 12.6 when trying to start debug session · Issue #292 · platformio/platform-atmelavr · GitHub)

Steps to Reproduce

Create an ubuntu-server ARM virtual machine
Install build-essential and gdb
Start debugging (in my case an Attiny with usbASP)

Actual Results

VSCode prompts the following error under debug console:

undefinedPython Exception <type 'exceptions.ImportError'> No module named gdb: 

warning: 
Could not load the Python gdb module from '/home/nvidia/jenkins/workspace/avr-gcc-staging/label/nvidia-jetson-aarch64/objdir/share/gdb/python'.
Limited Python support is available from the _gdb module.
Suggest passing --data-directory=/path/to/gdb/data-directory.

Expected Results

I can start debugging.

maxgerhardt · January 4, 2023, 4:00pm

Can you append this info in the open bug report here please

github.com/platformio/platform-atmelavr

Platformio Arduino debug in CLion with simavr error "No module named gdb"

opened 01:43PM - 22 May 22 UTC

rubencart

When I try to debug the following main.cpp in CLion with the platformio.ini list…ed below, I get the error below, and the debugger stops. main.cpp: ``` #include <Arduino.h> static int solenoidPin = 9; void setup() { // write your initialization code here Serial.begin(115200); Serial.print("Setup"); pinMode(solenoidPin, OUTPUT); //Sets that pin as an output } void loop() { // write your code here Serial.print("Loop"); digitalWrite(solenoidPin, HIGH); //Switch Solenoid ON delay(1000); //Wait 1 Second digitalWrite(solenoidPin, LOW); //Switch Solenoid OFF delay(1000); //Wait 1 Second } ``` platformio.ini: ``` ; PlatformIO Project Configuration File ; ; Build options: build flags, source filter ; Upload options: custom upload port, speed and extra flags ; Library options: dependencies, extra library storages ; Advanced options: extra scripting ; ; Please visit documentation for the other options and examples ; https://docs.platformio.org/page/projectconf.html [env:uno] platform = atmelavr board = uno framework = arduino debug_tool = simavr ``` Error: ``` Failed to process MI record: > No module named gdb: Reading symbols from /Users/rubencartuyvels/Documents/audiokunst/arduino/arduino-pianist/piano-fsm/.pio/build/uno/firmware.elf...done. PlatformIO Unified Debugger -> https://bit.ly/pio-debug PlatformIO: debug_tool = simavr PlatformIO: Initializing remote target... 0x00000000 in __vectors () PlatformIO: Initialization completed ``` Any ideas on how to solve this? I am on macOS 10.15. As suggested [here](https://community.platformio.org/t/error-no-module-named-gdb-debug-start-problem/25763), I tried running `brew install avr-gdb` after having installed platformio and simavr, but this does not change anything.

dlschmidt · January 4, 2023, 11:38pm

I was able to start the debugger with self built gcc, gdb and binutils under my ARM VM in UTM.

Only to find out that the attiny is unsupported to be debugged with usbasp.

By accident I have started simavr, but which will also not work, because of a missing flash erasure function.

maxgerhardt · January 4, 2023, 11:53pm

AVR debug probes and open-source GDB servers are poorly supported in my opinion. Microchip’s Atmel Studio is the only stable proprietary solution, see Custom AVR XMEGA board - #11 by maxgerhardt.

Is it a ATTiny x5? Maybe PR Enable self-programming for attinyx5 by orukusaki · Pull Request #513 · buserror/simavr · GitHub would help. If not, please open an issue at simavr to get that program improved.

dlschmidt · January 5, 2023, 12:12am

Unfortunately it is an attiny2313. I thought I can just use the MOSI, MISO, SCK pins because the PIO documentation said that JTAG is enabled on this chip and no external debugger needed.

The only options now I have are simavr and custom, where simavr is definitely not what I want. (and yes, I can document the bug and create a ticket when I have time the next days)

Do you know any serial debugger / stub debugger which would fit into the 2K flash of the Attiny?
Even then I would not be able to debug my own UART because the single hardware UART would then be taken by the serial debugger.

When the documentation had been more clearly, I would not have wasted money into hardware which is currently very unsupported.