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Tutorial: Debugging with Intel® Distribution for GDB* on Linux* OS Host

This tutorial describes basic scenarios of debugging applications on a CPU, GPU, and an FPGA emulator using Intel® Distribution for GDB*.

Prerequisites

Check the Get Started Guide and complete all setup steps depending on whether you aim at debugging on a CPU or a GPU.

Debugging a Kernel on CPU and GPU: Major Differences

The behavior and commands of Intel® Distribution for GDB* are very close to the standard GDB*. CPU debugging experience is almost the same, however, there are differences in GPU debugging, coming from the architecture.

In comparison to debugging on a CPU, debugging a kernel on a GPU has a few differences:

Aspect

Description

CPU

GPU

Threads and single instruction, multiple data (SIMD) lanes

When the code is vectorized, threads process vectors of data elements in parallel. SIMD lane is a logical unit of execution for accessing data elements within an instruction.

The debugger does not support SIMD lanes. Even if your code is vectorized, you cannot switch context to a non-default SIMD lane.

The debugger supports threads and SIMD lanes. You can switch the context to a particular thread or SIMD lane during debugging. When kernels are compiled in debug mode, most SIMD instructions have 8 lanes (i.e. execution channels). To refer to a particular SIMD lane of a thread, use a SIMD lane identifier in the format thread ID:lane. To learn more about debugging programs with multiple threads, refer to Chapter 4.10 of Intel® Distribution for GDB* User Guide.

Inferior calls

Inferior calls are calls to kernel functions from inside the debugger as part of expression evaluation.

Inferior calls are supported.

Inferior calls are not supported.

The following commands behave differently during GPU debugging:

Command

Description

Modification

Example

disassemble

Disassemble the current function.

GEN instructions and registers are shown.

N/A

  • step

  • stepi

  • next

  • Single-step a source line, stepping into function calls.

  • Single-step a machine instruction.

  • Single-step a source line, stepping over function calls.

SIMD lanes are supported and SIMD lane switches can occur.

next [Switching to SIMD lane0]

thread

Switch context to the SIMD lane of the specified thread.

SIMD lanes are supported.

thread 2.5:1

thread apply

Apply a command to the specified SIMD lane of the thread.

SIMD lanes are supported.

thread apply 2.3:* print element prints the value of the element variable for each active lane of thread 2.3. Useful for inspecting vectorized values.

info threads

Display information about threads with ID, including their active SIMD lanes.

SIMD lanes are supported.

N/A

commands

Specify a list of commands to execute when your program stops due to a particular breakpoint.

SIMD lanes are supported. With the /a modifier, breakpoint actions apply to all SIMD lanes that match the condition of the specified breakpoint.

commands /a print element end prints the element value for all SIMD lanes that match the condition of the specified breakpoint.

break

Create a breakpoint at a specified line.

  • SIMD lanes are supported. You can create a breakpoint at a special lane.

  • You can specify a breakpoint for a particular inferior.

  • break 56 thread 2:3 triggers the break only for thread 2 if lane 3 is active.

  • break 56 inferior 2 triggers the break only for inferior 2.

To start debugging, refer to the following sections:

next

Debug a SYCL* Application on a CPU