range stepping: gdb

This patch teaches GDB to take advantage of target-assisted range
stepping.  It adds a new 'r ADDR1,ADDR2' action to vCont (vCont;r),
meaning, "step once, and keep stepping as long as the thread is in the
[ADDR1,ADDR2) range".

Rationale:

When user issues the "step" command on the following line of source,

   a = b + c + d * e - a;

GDB single-steps every single instruction until the program reaches a
new different line.  E.g., on x86_64, that line compiles to:

   0x08048434 <+65>:    mov    0x1c(%esp),%eax
   0x08048438 <+69>:    mov    0x30(%esp),%edx
   0x0804843c <+73>:    add    %eax,%edx
   0x0804843e <+75>:    mov    0x18(%esp),%eax
   0x08048442 <+79>:    imul   0x2c(%esp),%eax
   0x08048447 <+84>:    add    %edx,%eax
   0x08048449 <+86>:    sub    0x34(%esp),%eax
   0x0804844d <+90>:    mov    %eax,0x34(%esp)
   0x08048451 <+94>:    mov    0x1c(%esp),%eax

and the following is the RSP traffic between GDB and GDBserver:

 --> vCont;s:p2e13.2e13;c
 <-- T0505:68efffbf;04:30efffbf;08:3c840408;thread:p2e13.2e13;core:1;
 --> vCont;s:p2e13.2e13;c
 <-- T0505:68efffbf;04:30efffbf;08:3e840408;thread:p2e13.2e13;core:2;
 --> vCont;s:p2e13.2e13;c
 <-- T0505:68efffbf;04:30efffbf;08:42840408;thread:p2e13.2e13;core:2;
 --> vCont;s:p2e13.2e13;c
 <-- T0505:68efffbf;04:30efffbf;08:47840408;thread:p2e13.2e13;core:0;
 --> vCont;s:p2e13.2e13;c
 <-- T0505:68efffbf;04:30efffbf;08:49840408;thread:p2e13.2e13;core:0;
 --> vCont;s:p2e13.2e13;c
 <-- T0505:68efffbf;04:30efffbf;08:4d840408;thread:p2e13.2e13;core:0;
 --> vCont;s:p2e13.2e13;c
 <-- T0505:68efffbf;04:30efffbf;08:51840408;thread:p2e13.2e13;core:0;

IOW, a lot of roundtrips between GDB and GDBserver.

If we add a new command to the RSP, meaning "keep stepping and don't
report a stop until the program goes out of the [0x08048434,
0x08048451) address range", then the RSP traffic can be reduced down
to:

 --> vCont;r8048434,8048451:p2db0.2db0;c
 <-- T0505:68efffbf;04:30efffbf;08:51840408;thread:p2db0.2db0;core:1;

As number of packets is reduced dramatically, the performance of
stepping source lines is much improved.

In case something is wrong with range stepping on the stub side, the
debug info or even gdb, this adds a "set/show range-stepping" command
to be able to turn range stepping off.

gdb/
2013-05-23  Yao Qi  <yao@codesourcery.com>
	    Pedro Alves  <palves@redhat.com>

	* gdbthread.h (struct thread_control_state) <may_range_step>: New
	field.
	* infcmd.c (step_once, until_next_command): Enable range stepping.
	* infrun.c (displaced_step_prepare): Disable range stepping.
	(resume): Disable range stepping if stepping over a breakpoint or
	we have software watchpoints.  If range stepping is enabled,
	assert the thread is in the stepping range.
	(clear_proceed_status_thread): Clear may_range_step.
	(handle_inferior_event): Disable range stepping as soon as we know
	the thread that hit the event.  Re-enable it whenever we're going
	to step with a step range.
	* remote.c (struct vCont_action_support) <r>: New field.
	(use_range_stepping): New global.
	(remote_vcont_probe): Handle 'r' action.
	(append_resumption): Append an 'r' action if the thread may range
	step.
	(show_range_stepping): New function.
	(set_range_stepping): New function.
	(_initialize_remote): Call add_setshow_boolean_cmd to register the
	'set range-stepping' and 'show range-stepping' commands.
	* NEWS: Mention range stepping, the new vCont;r action, and the
	new "set/show range-stepping" commands.

gdb/doc/
2013-05-23  Yao Qi  <yao@codesourcery.com>
	    Pedro Alves  <palves@redhat.com>

	* gdb.texinfo (Packets): Document 'vCont;r'.
	(Continuing and Stepping): Document target-assisted range
	stepping, and the 'set range-stepping' and 'show range-stepping'
	commands.

2 files changed, 56 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/gdb/doc/ChangeLog b/gdb/doc/ChangeLog
index ddc766a..7330f29 100644
--- a/gdb/doc/ChangeLog
+++ b/gdb/doc/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2013-05-23  Yao Qi  <yao@codesourcery.com>
+	    Pedro Alves  <palves@redhat.com>
+
+	* gdb.texinfo (Packets): Document 'vCont;r'.
+	(Continuing and Stepping): Document target-assisted range
+	stepping, and the 'set range-stepping' and 'show range-stepping'
+	commands.
+
 2013-05-23  Joel Brobecker  <brobecker@adacore.com>
 
 	* gdb.texinfo (Installed System-wide Configuration Scripts):
diff --git a/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo b/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
index b68d2f8..721e96a 100644
--- a/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
+++ b/gdb/doc/gdb.texinfo
@@ -5219,6 +5219,38 @@ Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call,
 proceed until the function returns.
 
 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{next}.
+
+@end table
+
+@anchor{range stepping}
+@cindex range stepping
+@cindex target-assisted range stepping
+By default, and if available, @value{GDBN} makes use of
+target-assisted @dfn{range stepping}.  In other words, whenever you
+use a stepping command (e.g., @code{step}, @code{next}), @value{GDBN}
+tells the target to step the corresponding range of instruction
+addresses instead of issuing multiple single-steps.  This speeds up
+line stepping, particularly for remote targets.  Ideally, there should
+be no reason you would want to turn range stepping off.  However, it's
+possible that a bug in the debug info, a bug in the remote stub (for
+remote targets), or even a bug in @value{GDBN} could make line
+stepping behave incorrectly when target-assisted range stepping is
+enabled.  You can use the following command to turn off range stepping
+if necessary:
+
+@table @code
+@kindex set range-stepping
+@kindex show range-stepping
+@item set range-stepping
+@itemx show range-stepping
+Control whether range stepping is enabled.
+
+If @code{on}, and the target supports it, @value{GDBN} tells the
+target to step a range of addresses itself, instead of issuing
+multiple single-steps.  If @code{off}, @value{GDBN} always issues
+single-steps, even if range stepping is supported by the target.  The
+default is @code{on}.
+
 @end table
 
 @node Skipping Over Functions and Files
@@ -37511,6 +37543,22 @@ Step.
 Step with signal @var{sig}.  The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
 @item t
 Stop.
+@item r @var{start},@var{end}
+Step once, and then keep stepping as long as the thread stops at
+addresses between @var{start} (inclusive) and @var{end} (exclusive).
+The remote stub reports a stop reply when either the thread goes out
+of the range or is stopped due to an unrelated reason, such as hitting
+a breakpoint.  @xref{range stepping}.
+
+If the range is empty (@var{start} == @var{end}), then the action
+becomes equivalent to the @samp{s} action.  In other words,
+single-step once, and report the stop (even if the stepped instruction
+jumps to @var{start}).
+
+(A stop reply may be sent at any point even if the PC is still within
+the stepping range; for example, it is valid to implement this packet
+in a degenerate way as a single instruction step operation.)
+
 @end table
 
 The optional argument @var{addr} normally associated with the