[maemo-developers] Hibernation of applications during ptrace

[From: Philip Van Hoof]

Hi there hackers!

While I'm debugging my application using gdb, I noticed that in both
Scratchbox for intel, Scratchbox for ARM and on the device certain
things in the Maemo platform decide that the application is hibernating,
or ... something.

It seems to be the reason why while I'm debugging my application, I very
often get an error from ptrace telling me that the process no longer
exists.

Usually I guess this hibernation support for applications is most likely
absolutely awesome and totally cool. However, while I'm developing and
especially during a gdb session, I'd prefer that nothing touches my
processes and threads.

As debugging info I usually get something like this:

...
hildon-desktop[25510]: GLIB DEBUG default - #### computing hibernation key ####
hildon-desktop[25510]: GLIB DEBUG default - #### hibernation key: appname ####
...
hildon-desktop[25510]: GLIB DEBUG default - removing child from AS ...
hildon-desktop[25510]: GLIB DEBUG default - ... no more children, removing app.
...

Is there a way to completely disable all this stuff? I know about
"run-standalone.sh": Even with this tool I am seeing various problems.

Especially when I run my application in gdb. I'd like to disable it
"totally". For example: not starting it, patching it out and overwriting
the library on my device and scratchbox environment, shooting it in the
head before I start my debugging sessions, ... molesting it? Really
hurting it? Anything!

I also know about the alias for gdb, that makes gdb start with
run-standalone.sh. Even that seems to be insufficient as I'm still
seeing threads (usually it's threads) being killed by something. Usually
while I'm debugging (while I'm focusing on finding a bug or race cond,
it's usually really not the moment to kill _my_ thread).

Even after using every possible imaginable runstandalonable run-
standalone.sh script, I'm still seeing threads getting killed.

I have also recompiled GDB from CVS (yesterday's version) and with this
version all problems related to GDB specifically seem vanished, the only
remaining problem appears to be hildon-desktop killing things behind my
back and gdb's ptrace really not enjoying that.


-- 
Philip Van Hoof, software developer
home: me at pvanhoof dot be 
gnome: pvanhoof at gnome dot org 
http://www.pvanhoof.be/blog