How to fix ignored breakpoints when debugging C in VScode (gdb)? - debugging

Question

I am trying to debug my C in vscode using breakpoints, but the debugger seems to skip them everytime i run it (the break points change colours from red to grey). I looked at this question which is essentially the same question i have. I tried all the answers there and none worked (none were set as 'answers' by the person who asked, hence why i am asking this question again). So my question is, how to get vscode breakpoints working in C?
Vscode version: 1.73.1 on windows 10
gdb version: 12.1
launch.json
{
"configurations": [
{
"name": "(gdb) Launch",
"type": "cppdbg",
"request": "launch",
"program": "${workspaceFolder}/${fileBasenameNoExtension}.exe",
"args": [],
"stopAtEntry": false,
"cwd": "${fileDirname}",
"environment": [],
"externalConsole": false,
"MIMode": "gdb",
"miDebuggerPath": "C:\\msys64\\mingw64\\bin\\gdb.exe",
"setupCommands": [
{
"description": "Enable pretty-printing for gdb",
"text": "-enable-pretty-printing",
"ignoreFailures": true
},
{
"description": "Set Disassembly Flavor to Intel",
"text": "-gdb-set disassembly-flavor intel",
"ignoreFailures": true
}
],
"preLaunchTask": "C/C++: gcc.exe build active file",
}
]
tasks.json
{
"tasks": [
{
"type": "cppbuild",
"label": "C/C++: gcc.exe build active file",
"command": "make",
"args": [
"all"
],
"options": {
"cwd": "${fileDirname}"
},
"problemMatcher": [
"$gcc"
],
"group": {
"kind": "build",
"isDefault": true
},
"detail": "Task generated by Debugger."
}
],
"version": "2.0.0"
}
makefile
dynamic_array: dynamic_array.c dynamic_array.h
gcc -c dynamic_array.c
test: test.c dynamic_array.h
gcc -c test.c
all: dynamic_array.o test.o
gcc -o test.exe dynamic_array.o test.o
clean:
del -f *.o & del -f *.exe & del -f *.out

Answer 1

Your makefile has a number of problems. First, the target you build is all, which depends on dynamic_array.o and test.o, however, there is no rule for building these, only a rule for building dynamic_array and test.
As such, make will use its default rule for building a .o file, which is:
$(CC) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c
This leads to the next problem, which is probably the cause of the breakpoint problems you are seeing - neither the implicit rule, nor the rule you tried to write, include the -g flag for gcc. The -g flag turns on production of debug information.
I would at a minimum, rewrite the makefile as:
dynamic_array.o: dynamic_array.c dynamic_array.h
gcc -c -g3 dynamic_array.c
test.o: test.c dynamic_array.h
gcc -c -g3 test.c
all: dynamic_array.o test.o
gcc -g3 -o test.exe dynamic_array.o test.o
clean:
del -f *.o & del -f *.exe & del -f *.out