Re: GDB-Protocol: Version/Protocol packet

[Andrew Cagney <ac131313@cygnus.com>]

Stan Shebs wrote:
> 
>    From: Andrew Cagney <ac131313@cygnus.com>
>    Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1999 10:29:41 +1000
> 
>    As a starting point, I'd like to put forward:
> 
>            <- qVersion
>            -> { <prefix><version> }
> 
> Hmmm.  The details seem overly complicated, which is bad for a
> target-side agent that ought to be smaller than it is now.  The
> protocol already has a provision for unrecognized packets, namely that
> the stub should return an empty response.  And what would GDB do with
> a version number?  If it does nothing, then why bother, and if it does
> something, then it's not optional, every target stub has to do the
> right thing.

While the current non-response schema works well for the case of an
unsupported packet it isn't so good at identifying a target that has
support for non-aproved packets.  In addition it doesn't address the
looming problem of actually running out of packet prefixes.

With respect to the version number/response GDB could do a lot with it.
During the initial connection it would be able to configure its self
cleanly to handle all specified packets.

BTW, another possability for the packet would be:

	<- !
	-> B2...

ie the ``extended-remote'' packet returned additional information.  That
would make the implementation very easy:

	case '!':
		extended = 1;
		putpkg ("....");

Hmm this raises a second issue...

	Andrew