Failed to launch GDB: Load failed (from target-download) (ST-Link, openOCD 11, STM32H757)

[PetePriority]

My debug configuration that used to work (I haven't touched that project in a couple of months) fails with "Failed to launch GDB: Load failed (from target-download)".

From what I could gather from the logs, it seems the problem seems to be the target-download command which now fails on my board. I suspect it has something to do with the external flash where we store parts of the executable's sections.

I'm using the ST-Link debugger (v3?), openocd 11 on a STM32H757 target running Arch Linux.

➜  ~ uname -a 
Linux work-arch 5.14.9-arch2-1 #1 SMP PREEMPT Fri, 01 Oct 2021 19:03:20 +0000 x86_64 GNU/Linux

launch.json

        {
            "cwd": "${workspaceRoot}",
            "executable": "${workspaceRoot}/build/CM7/QMP.elf",
            "name": "Debug Microcontroller",
            "request": "launch",
            "type": "cortex-debug",
            "servertype": "openocd",
            "interface": "swd",
            "device": "STM32H757XI",
            "runToMain": true,
            "svdFile": "STM32H7x7_CM7.svd",
            "configFiles": [
                "interface/stlink.cfg",
                "target/stm32h7x.cfg"
            ],
            "showDevDebugOutput": true
        },

Debug console output

Reading symbols from './build/CM7/QMP.elf'
Finished reading symbols
Please check TERMINAL tab (gdb-server) for output from openocd
Launching server: "openocd" "-c" "gdb_port 50000" "-c" "tcl_port 50001" "-c" "telnet_port 50002" "-s" "/home/sonic/devel/TouchGFX/QMP" "-f" "interface/stlink.cfg" "-f" "target/stm32h7x.cfg"
Launching GDB: "arm-none-eabi-gdb" "-q" "--interpreter=mi2"
1-gdb-set target-async on
2-interpreter-exec console "source /home/sonic/.vscode/extensions/marus25.cortex-debug-0.4.7/support/gdbsupport.init"
3-interpreter-exec console "set print demangle on"
4-interpreter-exec console "set print asm-demangle on"
5-target-select extended-remote localhost:50000
6-interpreter-exec console "monitor reset halt"
7-target-download
8-interpreter-exec console "monitor reset halt"
9-enable-pretty-printing
10-interpreter-exec console "monitor foreach t [target names] { $t configure -event gdb-detach { shutdown } }"
GDB -> App: {"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":false,"type":"notify","asyncClass":"thread-group-added","output":[["id","i1"]]}]}
GDB -> App: {"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":true,"type":"console","content":"Reading symbols from /home/sonic/devel/TouchGFX/QMP/build/CM7/QMP.elf...\n"}]}
Reading symbols from /home/sonic/devel/TouchGFX/QMP/build/CM7/QMP.elf...
GDB -> App: {"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":true,"type":"console","content":"Warning: 'set target-async', an alias for the command 'set mi-async', is deprecated.\n"}]}
Warning: 'set target-async', an alias for the command 'set mi-async', is deprecated.
GDB -> App: {"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":true,"type":"console","content":"Use 'set mi-async'.\n\n"}]}
Use 'set mi-async'.
GDB -> App: {"token":1,"outOfBandRecord":[],"resultRecords":{"resultClass":"done","results":[]}}
GDB -> App: {"token":2,"outOfBandRecord":[],"resultRecords":{"resultClass":"done","results":[]}}
GDB -> App: {"token":3,"outOfBandRecord":[],"resultRecords":{"resultClass":"done","results":[]}}
GDB -> App: {"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":false,"type":"notify","asyncClass":"cmd-param-changed","output":[["param","print asm-demangle"],["value","on"]]}]}
GDB -> App: {"token":4,"outOfBandRecord":[],"resultRecords":{"resultClass":"done","results":[]}}
GDB -> App: {"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":false,"type":"notify","asyncClass":"thread-group-started","output":[["id","i1"],["pid","42000"]]}]}
GDB -> App: {"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":false,"type":"notify","asyncClass":"thread-created","output":[["id","1"],["group-id","i1"]]}]}
GDB -> App: {"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":true,"type":"console","content":"vApplicationIdleHook () at /home/sonic/devel/TouchGFX/QMP/Middlewares/Third_Party/FreeRTOS/Source/CMSIS_RTOS_V2/cmsis_os2.c:2414\n"}]}
vApplicationIdleHook () at /home/sonic/devel/TouchGFX/QMP/Middlewares/Third_Party/FreeRTOS/Source/CMSIS_RTOS_V2/cmsis_os2.c:2414
GDB -> App: {"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":true,"type":"console","content":"2414\t__WEAK void vApplicationIdleHook (void){}\n"}]}
2414	__WEAK void vApplicationIdleHook (void){}
GDB -> App: {"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":false,"type":"exec","asyncClass":"stopped","output":[["frame",[["addr","0x0803123c"],["func","vApplicationIdleHook"],["args",[]],["file","/home/sonic/devel/TouchGFX/QMP/Middlewares/Third_Party/FreeRTOS/Source/CMSIS_RTOS_V2/cmsis_os2.c"],["fullname","/home/sonic/devel/TouchGFX/QMP/Middlewares/Third_Party/FreeRTOS/Source/CMSIS_RTOS_V2/cmsis_os2.c"],["line","2414"],["arch","armv7e-m"]]],["thread-id","1"],["stopped-threads","all"]]}]}
Program stopped, probably due to a reset and/or halt issued by debugger
GDB -> App: {"token":5,"outOfBandRecord":[],"resultRecords":{"resultClass":"connected","results":[]}}
11-thread-list-ids
12-thread-list-ids
GDB -> App: {"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":true,"type":"target","content":"target halted due to debug-request, current mode: Thread \n"}]}
target halted due to debug-request, current mode: Thread
GDB -> App: {"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":true,"type":"target","content":"xPSR: 0x01000000 pc: 0x08036740 msp: 0x24040000\n"}]}
xPSR: 0x01000000 pc: 0x08036740 msp: 0x24040000
GDB -> App: {"token":6,"outOfBandRecord":[],"resultRecords":{"resultClass":"done","results":[]}}
GDB -> App: {"token":7,"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":false,"type":"status","asyncClass":"download","output":[]}]}
GDB -> App: {"token":7,"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":false,"type":"status","asyncClass":"download","output":[]}]}
GDB -> App: {"token":7,"outOfBandRecord":[{"isStream":false,"type":"status","asyncClass":"download","output":[]}]}
GDB -> App: {"token":7,"outOfBandRecord":[],"resultRecords":{"resultClass":"error","results":[["msg","Load failed"]]}}

gdb-server output

SERVER CONSOLE DEBUG: onBackendConnect: gdb-server session connected
Open On-Chip Debugger 0.11.0
Licensed under GNU GPL v2
For bug reports, read
        http://openocd.org/doc/doxygen/bugs.html
Info : auto-selecting first available session transport "hla_swd". To override use 'transport select <transport>'.
Info : The selected transport took over low-level target control. The results might differ compared to plain JTAG/SWD
Info : Listening on port 50001 for tcl connections
Info : Listening on port 50002 for telnet connections
Info : clock speed 1800 kHz
Info : STLINK V3J7M2B4S1 (API v3) VID:PID 0483:374F
Info : Target voltage: 3.285562
Info : stm32h7x.cpu0: hardware has 8 breakpoints, 4 watchpoints
Info : starting gdb server for stm32h7x.cpu0 on 50000
Info : Listening on port 50000 for gdb connections
Info : accepting 'gdb' connection on tcp/50000
Info : Device: STM32H74x/75x
Info : flash size probed value 2048
Info : STM32H7 flash has dual banks
Info : Bank (0) size is 1024 kb, base address is 0x08000000
target halted due to debug-request, current mode: Thread 
xPSR: 0x01000000 pc: 0x08036740 msp: 0x24040000
target halted due to debug-request, current mode: Thread 
xPSR: 0x01000000 pc: 0x08036740 msp: 0x24040000
shutdown command invoked
Info : dropped 'gdb' connection
SERVER CONSOLE DEBUG: onBackendConnect: gdb-server session closed
GDB server session ended. This terminal will be reused, waiting for next session to start...

[PetePriority]

Adding this to my launch.json

            "overrideLaunchCommands": [
                "interpreter-exec console \"monitor reset halt\"",
                //'target-download',
                //'interpreter-exec console \"monitor reset halt\"',
                "-enable-pretty-printing"
            ],

seems to fix the issue.

[haneefdm]

Hmmm, we did not change our configuration for that in months or years either, It may be that you have a newer version of OpenOCD or the configuration files. Too many variables.

I am curious though. If you disable loading of the executable completely, then you must be programming the device some other way. The target-download is supposed to load the FW into the device before beginning the debug session.

[PetePriority]

I am curious though. If you disable loading of the executable completely, then you must be programming the device some other way. The target-download is supposed to load the FW into the device before beginning the debug session.

Yes, I'm loading the FW on the device in a separate task using the STM32Programmer with an external loader for the MT25TL01G QSPI flash memory. I also don't know what changed, but I'm happy it works now :)

[muchajan]

I had the same issue, reinstalling the STM32CubeProgrammer resolved it.