Debugging the Decompiler

One of the most useful features of the new GUI will be the ability to step through a decompilation and inspect the RTL at each step. To date I have implemented a Step button that allows the user to inspect a procedure before each major phase of the decompilation on that procedure. In the future, I intend to add more debugging points, perhaps even to the resolution of a single RTL change. I expect that some way for the user to specify the desired level of resolution will be required. Whether that is a bunch of menu options, or a spinner or even multiple Step buttons (step to next change, step to next analysis, step to next phase, step to next procedure, etc), I havn't decided.

The UI already has a course form of breakpoints. At the decoding phase you can specify which procedures you want to inspect, and the decompilation will run without stopping until it gets to one of those procedures. It would be sensible to allow the user to set a breakpoint on a particular line of the RTL and run the decompilation until that line is changed.

Mike has sent me a paper which defines the term "time travel debugging" where the user has not only the ability to step forward, but also the ability to step backwards. This is particularly useful in conjunction with breakpoints. If something has gone wrong you need only place a breakpoint on that something and then run backwards until the breakpoint fires, then you can see what broke. Implementing something similar in Boomerang is definitely possible, but it requires something like the current "memo" system to checkpoint the RTL at appropriate intervals.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Disabling OS-X Device Removal Warnings In Yosemite

Image
If you're anything like me you've probably seen the Disk Not Ejected Properly message so many times that you've forgotten how annoying it is.. despite the fact that you never even wrote anything to the usb drive that you're yanking out of your Mac the operating system insists that you remove it "correctly". You're supposed to click the eject button. Why? I dunno, Apple seems to think that if you can write to it then the operating system might have written to it - and being Apple, they probably have. Well ya know what? Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me. Note: this will not fix your external drive disconnecting when your Mac goes to sleep. For that problem try disabling "put hard drive to sleep when possible" in both the Battery and Power Adapter tabs of the OS energy saver settings. What appears below is a dirty hack for deliberately removing a warning that Apple insists on showing you every single time you yank out a usb stick.
Read more

Rebirth Of The Spaceship

Image
Over the last year the space advocate community has splintered into two major groups in answering the question "where should we go next?" Moon First or Mars First . This division was present in the Review of Human Spaceflight (aka Augustine) committee's final report in late 2009, with the surprising conclusion that there isn't the funds for either, suggesting a number of intermediate destinations first - including asteroids. However, as few people consider asteroids to be truly interesting destinations for the human utilization of space ( except me! ), the debate rages on. Many Moon First advocates are "Mars Next" advocates while most Mars First advocates are "Moon Again?" detractors. The former claim that Mars exploration will benefit from lunar exploration, particularly in experience and risk reduction, and perhaps the procurement of propellant. The latter claim that lunar exploration is just a distraction and want to avoid the risk of be
Read more

Mars Direct Without Super Heavy Lift

Image
For a decade or two now the proponents of Bob Zubrin's Mars Direct have been bemoaning the lack of super heavy lift (any vehicle that can lift more than 50 ton to LEO). While few advocates claim a heavy lift launch vehicle is the only component of the Mars Direct plan which is missing, most consider it a necessary prerequisite. Before I tell you why I think that's simply wrong, let's just make a quick list of all the other things we still need: decent life support, space suits for Mars, rovers that run on methane/LOX, the ISRU propellant production system, bigger entry/descent/landing systems than have ever been flown, portable field equipment for the science mission, artificial gravity generation, and the habitat itself. Oh yeah, and a space rated nuclear reactor. The beautiful innovation of the Mars Direct plan was the use of the Mars atmosphere to produce the return propellant so it doesn't need to be carried all the way from Earth. Without this simple idea t
Read more