Hi,

the FAQ gives instructions for debugging FCL from within lazarus.

http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Lazarus_Faq#How_can_I_debug_FCL_components_from_packages_with_Lazarus

Does this work for RTL packages as well?

I need to set breakpoints inside serial.pp to see what data SerRead and SerWrite really get.

TIA,
Marc

I'm fairly sure that I used Lazarus to set breakpoints in that unit, but when I was working on it I'd have been using a copy in my project's working directory.

The patch at http://mantis.freepascal.org/view.php?id=18946 contains a test program that you might find useful, it's quirky but I used it heavily when testing the unit for Linux/Solaris/Windows.

The IDE doesn't rebuild RTL , or fpc packages. But if you have your own fpc build, you can always rebuild and install it with debug info.

Once the debug info is there it will work.

Many thanks, it will be useful. :)

But some questions popping up:
In the patch report you write SerFlush() is non-destructive and the new SerFlushInput/Output() are destructive.

What does this mean exactly?

From my memory using "flush" on a file descriptor is used to force

writing the pending contents through to the disk or file or whatever is connected.
Regarding serial ports there mostly is a hardware function for emptying the read oder write queue while throwing away anything in there. Is that the difference in the flushing you're talking about?

I have no own build but the sources. Reading the FAQ it should work to cd to .../rtl/unix, build with -gl, and afterwards install the new ppu to the same location as the compiler.

I'd like better if I could switch a standard version and a debugging version of the RTL. If it works in general this could be done by some conditionals in .fpc.cfg, I think.

Where I'm not sure is if the build RTL build and install works the same as for lazarus packages.

Once the debug info is there it will work.

I'll try.

You should merely go to $fpcsrc/rtl and do "make clean all OPT=-gl". Your source should be of the same compiler version as the compiler you build with. Also if you use a unit (or a package) that depends on any of the recompiled units that will need to be recompiled as well. So for RTL I would suggest you to only copy the Serial unit as dependencies on that should be rather low. Additionally you won't be annoyed by having the debugger step all helper routines used by the compiler.

Note: the location "same as compiler" would be wrong. You need to copy the unit to the location where the "normal" serial.ppu and serial.o are stored (and you should make a backup of course). Normally thus should he something like /usr/lib/fpc/2.6.4/units/i386-linux/rtl or so...

I'd like better if I could switch a standard version and a debugging version of the RTL. If it works in general this could be done by some conditionals in .fpc.cfg, I think.

In that case you should recompile the complete source (inside the $fpcsrc directory) with OPT=-gl and then you'll need to install the units to a different location (e.g. /usr/lib/2.6.4/units-dbg) and then adjust the fpc.cfg to use a different set of paths if you specify a special define on the command line (e.g. -dDEBUG_UNITS)

Regards,
Sven
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I'm working from memory here. SerFlush() tried to do a sync(), which was considered to be pointless so is now marked deprecated. If you really do want to do this, then use SerSync().

SerDrain() waits until pending output has been sent i.e. is non-destructive, SerFlushInput() and SerFlushOutput() both clear buffers so are destructive.

Please note that these are basically very thin wrappers around the unix (Linux/Solaris) API.

OK, that matches my memory.

Please note that these are basically very thin wrappers around the unix (Linux/Solaris) API.

Understood, so the system man pages and maybe Stevens are my friends.

Many thanks!

Makes lots of sense, I think I'll go the way of copying only serial.pp.

Note: the location "same as compiler" would be wrong. You need to copy the unit to the location where the "normal" serial.ppu and serial.o are stored (and you should make a backup of course). Normally thus should he something like /usr/lib/fpc/2.6.4/units/i386-linux/rtl or so...

OK, especially because the compiler installation(s) are in my home dir.

OK, at least this mail is getting archived for being at hand when needed. This serial port thingy is the first time ever I really need to twiddle the RTL.

Danke Sven!