Week 7 lab topics:

1. bomb lab help
2. tools for examining binary files

A reminder of some of the tools for examining binary files:

1. strings: dumps all the strings in a binary file

     strings a.out
   

2. nm (or objdump -t) to list symbol table contents

     nm --format sysv a.out          # dump the symbol table in the a.out file
     objdump -t  a.out               # dump the symbol table in the a.out file
   

3. ddd and gdb: examine runtime state, registers, individual instructions, memory contents

   See the week 4 lab page for more information and examples. Here are a summary of some of the most useful commands:

     ddd a.out
     (gdb) break main
     (gdb) run  6                # run with the command line argument 6
     (gdb) disass main
     (gdb) break theSwitchWay2   # set a break point at the begining of a function
     (gdb) cont
     (gdb) break *0x0804851a     # set a break point and memory address 0x0804851a
     (gdb) ni                    # execute the next instruction
     (gdb) si                    # step into a function call (step instruction)
     (gdb) info registers
     (gdb) p  *(int *)($ebp + 8)   # print out the value of an int at addr 0x88760
     (gdb) x/d $ebp + 8            # examine the contents of memory at the given address 
                                   # (interpret it as an int)
     (gdb) p %eax
   

Some more information on Tools for examining .o, .so, and a.out files
Some more information on gdb and ddd: gdb Guide

Figure 3.30 on p.255 of the textbook lists gdb commands.