Debugger

GCubeSDK debugs through GDB. make gdb starts powerpc-eabi-gdb and attaches to the USB Gecko port. Dolphin is the suggested emulator for this method of debugging.

Dolphin

Open Dolphin Settings. Under GameCube Tab, Set Slot B to USB Gecko.

Add Breaks

Put _break(); where you want the game to stop.

Run

Build, then start the game. make, then make run or make rungui for CLI user. The gdb server should now run under the default port is 55020. See GDB_USB_PORT.

Attach

This is the attach step. When using the editor you can now click on the Debug Button. If you are using a terminal:

make gdb

This will load the main.elf and connects powerpc-eabi-gdb to the USB Gecko port.

Visual Studio Code

VS Code can also attach if the project has a .vscode/launch.json. New Project does not write that file. You add it yourself.

Use a cppdbg configuration that runs powerpc-eabi-gdb on main.elf and issues target remote to the machine that runs Dolphin, on GDB_USB_PORT (default 55020).

HOST is the computer that runs Dolphin. On WSL that is often the Windows host, not localhost.

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Debug GCubeSDK",
      "type": "cppdbg",
      "request": "launch",
      "program": "${workspaceFolder}/main.elf",
      "miDebuggerPath": "powerpc-eabi-gdb",
      "miDebuggerArgs": "--interpreter=mi",
      "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
      "externalConsole": false,
      "MIMode": "gdb",
      "setupCommands": [
        {
          "description": "Connect to Dolphin",
          "text": "target remote 172.18.48.1:55020",
          "ignoreFailures": false
        },
        {
          "description": "Enable pretty printing",
          "text": "-enable-pretty-printing",
          "ignoreFailures": true
        },
        {
          "description": "useful printing defaults",
          "text": "set print pretty on",
          "ignoreFailures": true
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Other editors

make gdb does not need VS Code. Other IDEs are untested here. They can work if they can run powerpc-eabi-gdb and connect with target remote on the USB Gecko port.