gdb/1850: gdb writes over executable file on exit

[dkaplan1 at uiuc dot edu]

>Number:         1850
>Category:       gdb
>Synopsis:       gdb writes over executable file on exit
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       serious
>Priority:       high
>Responsible:    unassigned
>State:          open
>Class:          change-request
>Submitter-Id:   net
>Arrival-Date:   Mon Jan 24 01:58:01 UTC 2005
>Closed-Date:
>Last-Modified:
>Originator:     dkaplan1@uiuc.edu
>Release:        gdb-6.3
>Organization:
>Environment:
RedHat 7.3 on a 2.4.18-3custom running under Virtual PC on Windows XP.
>Description:
I downloaded and built from sources gdb-6.3.  After invoking gdb on an executable (vmlinux for example, but it doesn't matter) and then issuing a "quit" command gdb executes 5 write commands on the executable file which corrupts the data so further invocations of gdb are not possible.

Help on this would be greatly appreciated, we are trying to use gdb to remote debug a kernel for an OS class, but this bug prevents us from using this new version of gdb (the problem does not exist in 5.1.90CVS-5) which throws away possibilities of doing module debugging.
>How-To-Repeat:
Build an executable.
Run "strace -eopen,write gdb <filename>" (replace <filename> with name of executable)
Type "quit"
Notice the 5 write system calls.
>Fix:
I cannot track down where these calls come from.
>Release-Note:
>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted: