How do I use "ST-link GDB server"

Question

I installed the ST-Link GDB server from the ST webpage (link)

ST created "ST-Link Server" (link) which bridges the architecture gap and enables us to comfortably monitor and debug the "running binary" (arm architecture) on our workstation PC (x86 or x86_64 architercture) using the "GDB" debugger.

To install the "ST-Link Server" I first download it's .zip file that I can get on the bottom of the page that i linked in the previous paragraph:

Then I uncompress it and run the .msi file that can be found in the compressed file structure. Note that installation wizard will install a command line tool stlinkserver.exe inside the folder:

/mnt/c/Program\ Files\ \(x86\)/STMicroelectronics/stlink_server/

So I move inside and prompt for help:

ziga@EN3310278:~$ cd /mnt/c/Program\ Files\ \(x86\)/STMicroelectronics/stlink_server/
ziga@EN3310278:stlink_server$ ./stlinkserver.exe --help
stlink-server
--help       | -h       display this help
--version    | -v       display STLinkserver version
--port       | -p       set tcp listening port
--debug      | -d       set debug level <0-5> (incremental, 0: Error, 1:Info, 2:Warning, 3:STlink, 4:Debug, 5:Usb)
--auto-exit  | -a       exit() when there is no more client
--log_output | -l       redirect log output to file <name>

There are very little parameters listed! Weird... Also useless... This seemed weird to me so I investigated further.

"ST-Link Server" has a nice documentation "UM2576" (link). But in the documentation there are more parameters listed than stlinkserver.exe returns to us.

At this point I was so confused that I tried executing one parameter i.e. -g listed in the "UM2576" and application really failed to recognize the parameter:

ziga@EN3310278:stlink_server$ ./stlinkserver.exe -g
stlinkserver.exe: unknown option -- g
Info : default port : 7184
Info : 127.0.0.1:7184
Info : ctrl_handler 0
Ctrl-C event

What is going on with ST? Why doesn't the "ST-Link GDB server" work? How do you use it? I am really confused... And most importantly... I can not connect to my board?

Should I just throw in the towel and use J-Link or OpenOCD???

Answer 1

ST-link server and ST-link GDB server are two different pieces of software.

ST-link server is a tool for sharing a debug adaptor between multiple programs, for example an IDE debugger and command-line programmer. It owns the USB connection and other programs connect to it over sockets.

ST-link GDB server is the server portion of the GNU debugger, configured to use an ST-link adaptor.

If you read the documentation for one and install the other I would expect the arguments not to match up!