How to debug OPCN plugins ? (RPI 4)

[pmx]

Hi,

I would like to work on the dashboard_tactics plugin.

As it is curenly not in the main OpenCPN source tree, how can I run/debug it locally (from within an IDE ) ?

I already have an OpenCPN source tree working (launchs in the "portable" mode).

Am I supposed to install it into the OPCN source tree and alter the CMake source list ?

Thanks in advance !

pmx

[stevead]

Welcome to the world of plugin development.

Start with the OpenCPN Developer manual on opencpn.org

All of the external plugins (those that are not included in OpenCPN) are developed and built outside of the OpenCPN source tree.

For working on existing plugins, the process can essentially be broken down into these steps.
1. Create your own github.com account if you haven't already done so.
2. Fork the original dashboard_tactics repository to your own github.com repository.
3. Clone your github.com fork to your local pc.
4. Develop & test your changes.
5. Push your local changes to your github.com repository
6. Create a Pull Request (PR) so that the original developer can incorporate your changes.

Good luck.

[bdbcat]

pmx...
What OS/IDE are you using?


Dave

[pmx]

Thanks for the reply.

My question was rather : how to run a debugger on a running plugin ?
Obviously, the plugin has to be hosted by a running OpenCPN instance.
Also, I want to test it without installation.

@Dave :
I used Codeblocks on the RPI 4, as it is small and a 32 bits version is available.
Setup was super easy, as cmake can produce a perfectly working Codeblocks project file.
Codeblocks has some nice features, but other are really missing, and it is (currently) quite buggy... especially the communication with gdb.
But workable.
(HINT : always pause the debugger before any modification of the breakpoints : add, remove, enable, disable breakpoints. Otherwise, codeblocks freezes.)

I'm used to Eclipse (professionally, as it is a kind of standard for embedded systems development). But it is is huge and resources hungry.

I may try VSCode (have previously installed it successfully on another RPI 4, can't remember if it was 32 or 64 bits ).

I just made a 64 bits Raspbian SD card, in order to try to install Eclipse and the Oracle JDK.
Wonder what performances I may get.

What IDE do you suggest on the RPI ? (dont tell me Vi or Emacs ).
BTW, during the Covid-19 lockdown, I tried (again...) very hard to use Emacs with all its great extension / distributions available now.
Even used it as a X11 desktop manager on a very old laptop (This was Covid-19 lockdown, right ?)
After much fingers gymnastics, specially using a french keyboard, I gave up (again...).
My pinky still hurts !

Pierre

[bdbcat]

pierre...
I use kdevelop on x86 linux for code development for linux targets. Have not tried it on rPI, though. I read that it works OK.
https://forums.raspberrypi.com/viewtopic.php?t=275793


With kdevelop, I do this:


0. Create a project for the plugin in kdevelop by "importing" from the plugin source directory.

1. Build the plugin in kdevelop.

2. copy the resulting .so file to ~/.local/lib/opencpn
3. Open OCPN in kdevelop.
4. Set breakpoints wherever you want, in OCPN, or in the plugin source files.
5. Start OCPN in ("Debug"). The IDE will break and stop on any breakpoints you have set, either in OCPN, or in the plugin.


Very efficient workflow, for me. Everything except (2) happens in the IDE.


Good Luck
Dave

[pmx]

Hi Dave,

OK, this requires the opencpn source tree (which I already have), as expected.
The ~/.local/lib/opencpn means that OpenCPN is installed locally, and the plugin's data/resources are also installed locally (via an initial "make install" ?

I used a slightly different method, using the -p (portable) flag.
It was very easy to work on the dashboard plugin", which belongs to the opencpn source tree.
I fear that the cmake generated "make install" target strips the executable from all debug symbols, have to check this.

Anyways, thanks for the info .

Pierre.