Switched Make-based project to MsBuild, and now breakpoints / symbols no work

[CurtisHx]

I spent this afternoon moving all of our Make-based nRF52 projects over to use the new MsBuild process in VisualGDB 5.2.  First off, the faster build times is awesome and the project configuration is a lot simpler.  Good job on that.

HOWEVER, I seem to have lost the ability to load symbols while debugging.  I can set breakpoints in my code all day long, but they never get hit.  The breakpoints are showing up as enabled (solid red circle).  Also, if I pause the target, I get the “Frame not in module / Source Not Available” window.

The code is definitely running on the target.  Changes I make to the code show up as changed behavior in the target (as expected), and pausing debugging in Visual Studio definitely pauses the target.

I’m not quite sure where to go start poking to get symbols to load when debugging.

[CurtisHx]

When I made the transition, I didn’t put the linker script back in place.  The Make-based projects all used linker scripts.  When I added the same linker script to the MsBuild – based projects, my symbols started working again.  Interesting.

[support]

Hi,

Strange, the linker script setting should have been converted automatically. Are you using a custom linker script or the default one provided by VisualGDB? Is your project using mbed or the regular nRF5x SDK?

[CurtisHx]

Our projects are using just the register definition files and the startup code for the nRF5x.  We’re not using the full SDK.

I did the conversion manually.  I deleted all of the old Make project files and created a new MsBuild project, and re-added all the files to the new project.  That went fairly smooth.  I didn’t know there was an automatic way to convert projects.  Anyways, when I did the conversion, I forgot to add the linker scripts.  There weren’t any changes make to the linker script from the nRF5 DSK.

[support]

Hi,

Thanks for explaining this. Most likely you used a wrong linker script with the converted project. The LinkerScripts\nRFxxxx_s130.lds references the softdevice so that it is included in your project.

[CurtisHx]

I forgot to add the linker scripts back in after converting the projects.  I converted them by deleting the old project files (makefiles and .vcxproj), and then created new projects with the MSBuild configuration.  Added the header and source files, setup the options and include directories, and I was back up and going (well, after I figured out the linker script issue).  I was unaware that there was an automatic conversion added to VisualGDB.  I remember asking about it when the MSBuild feature came out.  Anyways, everything’s good at this point.

[Author]

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