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This step is optional, so it can be skipped.

You only need to build Cross-GDB if you would like to debug remotely by running a gdb server on the Raspberry Pi hardware and controlling debug session using Eclipse on Windows.

1. Download GDB source files

Download GDB source files from ftp.gnu.org. We will use gdb-7.4.1 in this tutorial.

2. Compile and install libexpat

• Download source code of libexpat from the official website: https://expat.sourceforge.net/
• Boot MinGW virtual machine.
• Import expat-2.1.0.tar.gz into the virtual machine and copy it to C:\MinGW\msys\1.0\opt folder
• Run MinGW shell and run the following commands:

  cd /opt
  tar zxf expat-2.1.0.tar.gz
  cd expat-2.1.0
  ./configure
  make
  make install
  cd ..
  rm -rf expat-2.1.0
  rm expat-2.1.0.tar.gz
  exit

3. Prepare to build GDB

• Import gdb-7.4.1.tar.bz2 file into the MinGW virtual machine and copy it to the C:\MinGW\msys\1.0\opt\crosstool\src folder.
• Run MinGW shell and run the following commands:

  $ cd /opt/crosstool/src
  tar jxf gdb-7.4.1.tar.bz2

• Create C:\MinGW\msys\1.0\opt\crosstool\src\build-gdb folder.
• Assign the following contents to the C:\MinGW\msys\1.0\opt\crosstool\src\build_gcc_cross.sh:

  #!/bin/bash
  export TARGET=arm-linux-gnueabihf
  export PREFIX=/opt/crosstool/gcc-4.6.3-eglibc-2.13/$TARGET
  
  cd /opt/crosstool/src/build-gdb
  find . -delete
  cp -R ../gdb-7.4.1/. .
  ./configure --prefix=$PREFIX --target=$TARGET --with-expat --with-libexpat-prefix=/usr/local
  if [ "$?" -ne "0" ]; then
      echo "=== build script: failed to configure cross-gdb-client ==="
      exit 1
  fi
  make
  if [ "$?" -ne "0" ]; then
      echo "=== build script: failed to make cross-gdb-client ==="
      exit 1
  fi
  make install
  if [ "$?" -ne "0" ]; then
      echo "=== build script: failed to install cross-gdb-client ==="
      exit 1
  fi
  
  cd /opt/crosstool/src/build-gdb/gdb/gdbserver
  export CC=$PREFIX/bin/$TARGET-gcc
  export LDFLAGS=-static
  ./configure --host=$TARGET
  if [ "$?" -ne "0" ]; then
      echo "=== build script: failed to configure cross-gdb-server ==="
      exit 1
  fi
  make
  if [ "$?" -ne "0" ]; then
      echo "=== build script: failed to make cross-gdb-server ==="
      exit 1
  fi
  cp ./gdbserver $PREFIX/usr/bin
  cp ./gdbreplay $PREFIX/usr/bin
  cp ./gdbserver.1 $PREFIX/share/man/man1/$TARGET-gdbserver.1
  
  echo "=== build script: OK ==="
  
  

• Reapply dos2unix to C:\MinGW\msys\1.0\opt\crosstool\src\build_gcc_cross.sh if your text editor does not preserve line endings.

4. Build GDB

• Run C:\MinGW\msys\1.0\opt\crosstool\src\build_gcc_cross.cmd and wait until it completes.
• Replace TARGET=arm-linux-gnueabihf with TARGET=arm-linux-gnueabi in build_gcc_cross.sh, reapply dos2unix if you have to, then run & wait for build_gcc_cross.cmd again.
• If there are no errors, shutdown the MinGW VM and make snapshot "SNAP-F".

>> Read next section or buy already prepared cross-compiler (€10) to save your time.