Detect more Segger J-Link GDB Server variants and README updates (#41)

* detect all sensible J-Link GDB Server names
* readme updates
* reviewed J-Link defaults
* refactor subproviders + resolve port for J-Link

---------

Signed-off-by: Jens Reinecke <[email protected]>
Co-authored-by: Jonatan Antoni <[email protected]>

Author: jreineckearm

README.md

@@ -23,18 +23,21 @@ The following extensions are included in this extension pack:
 ## pyOCD Debug Setup
 
 - Install `GCC compiler for ARM CPUs` with the `Arm Tools Environment Manager` to get access to a GDB (`arm-none-eabi-gdb`).
-
-- (Temporary, should become obsolete with full `*.cbuild-run.yml` support in pyOCD)<br> 
+- **Temporary** - should become obsolete with full `*.cbuild-run.yml` support in pyOCD:<br> 
   Make sure to set up your CMSIS Pack installation root folder by one of the following methods:
   - Set your system environment variable `CMSIS_PACK_ROOT`.
   - Add the following to your debug launch configuration
     ```
     "environment": {
       "CMSIS_PACK_ROOT": "</path/to/your/pack/cache>"
     }
-
     ```
 
+## Segger J-Link Debug Setup
+
+- Install the latest [J-Link Software and Documentation Pack](https://www.segger.com/downloads/jlink/#J-LinkSoftwareAndDocumentationPack) from [Segger](https://www.segger.com/). Ensure all required drivers and host platform specific settings are done.
+- Ensure the installation folder is added to your system's `PATH` environment variable. Alternatively, you can add an absolute path to your installation in the debug launch configuration.
+
 ## Additional Extension Functionality
 
 This extension contributes additional functionality to more seamlessly integrate the included extensions:
@@ -48,15 +51,26 @@ This section describes the contributed pseudo debugger types and their support t
 
 #### CMSIS Debugger (pyOCD) - `cmsis-debug-pyocd`
 
-TODO:
-- Assumed setup and where to find things.
-- Automatically filled in values on debug start.
+The `cmsis-debug-pyocd` debugger type allows to add default debug configurations to the workspace's `launch.json` file to debug via GDB and pyOCD. The actually used debugger type is `gdbtarget`.
+
+In addition this extension contributes a debug configuration resolver which automatically fills the following gaps during debug launch:
+- If option `target`.`server` is set to `pyocd`, then it expands this option to the absolute path of the built-in pyOCD distribution.
+- Adds/extends the `target`.`serverParameters` list of `pyocd` command line arguments:
+  - Prepends `gdbserver` if not present.
+  - Appends `--port` and the corresponding `port` value if `target`.`port` is set.
+  - Appends `--cbuild-run` and the corresponding `cbuildRunFile` path if `cmsis`.`cbuildRunFile` is set.
+
+**Note**: The built-in version of pyOCD supports the command line option `--cbuild-run`. However, this is a new option which isn't contained yet in releases outside this extension.
 
 #### CMSIS Debugger (J-Link) - `cmsis-debug-jlink`
 
-TODO:
-- Assumed setup and where to find things.
-- Automatically filled in values on debug start.
+The `cmsis-debug-jlink` debugger type allows to add default debug configurations to the workspace's `launch.json` file to debug via GDB and the Segger J-Link GDB server. The actually used debugger type is `gdbtarget`.
+
+**Note**: The generated default debug configuration uses `JLinkGDBServer` as `target`.`server` setting. The executable with this name has slightly differing behavior depending on your host platform. It launches a GUI-less server on Linux and MacOS. Whereas a GDB server with GUI is launched on Windows. Please change the value to `JLinkGDBServerCL` to suppress the GUI on Windows.
+
+In addition this extension contributes a debug configuration resolver which automatically fills the following gaps during debug launch:
+- Adds/extends the `target`.`serverParameters` list of `JLinkGDBServer`/`JLinkGDBServerCL` command line arguments:
+  - Appends `--port` and the corresponding `port` value if `target`.`port` is set.
 
 ## Trademarks
 Visual Studio is a trademark of the Microsoft group of companies.

package.json

@@ -119,8 +119,6 @@
             "target": {
               "server": "JLinkGDBServer",
               "serverParameters": [
-                "-select",
-                "USB",
                 "-device",
                 "${command:cmsis-csolution.getDeviceName}",
                 "-endian",
@@ -130,11 +128,9 @@
                 "-speed",
                 "auto",
                 "-noir",
-                "-LocalhostOnly",
                 "-vd",
                 "-nogui",
-                "-port",
-                "3333"
+                "-localhostonly"
               ],
               "port": "3333"
             }
@@ -160,8 +156,6 @@
               "target": {
                 "server": "JLinkGDBServer",
                 "serverParameters": [
-                  "-select",
-                  "USB",
                   "-device",
                   "^\"\\${command:cmsis-csolution.getDeviceName}\"",
                   "-endian",
@@ -171,11 +165,9 @@
                   "-speed",
                   "auto",
                   "-noir",
-                  "-LocalhostOnly",
                   "-vd",
                   "-nogui",
-                  "-port",
-                  "3333"
+                  "-localhostonly"
                 ],
                 "port": "3333"
               }

src/debug-configuration/subproviders/base-configuration-provider.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright 2025 Arm Limited
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+import { GDBTargetConfiguration } from '../gdbtarget-configuration';
+
+export abstract class BaseConfigurationProvider implements vscode.DebugConfigurationProvider {
+
+    protected async commandExists(commandName: string): Promise<boolean> {
+        const commands = await vscode.commands.getCommands();
+        return !!commands.find(command => command === commandName);
+    };
+
+    protected parameterExists(name: string, params: string[]): boolean {
+        return !!params.find(param => param.trim() === name);
+    }
+
+    protected async shouldAppendParameter(params: string[], paramName: string, commandName?: string): Promise<boolean> {
+        return !this.parameterExists(paramName, params) && (!commandName || await this.commandExists(commandName));
+    }
+
+    protected abstract resolveServerParameters(debugConfiguration: GDBTargetConfiguration): Promise<GDBTargetConfiguration>;
+
+    public resolveDebugConfigurationWithSubstitutedVariables(
+        _folder: vscode.WorkspaceFolder | undefined,
+        debugConfiguration: vscode.DebugConfiguration,
+        _token?: vscode.CancellationToken
+    ): Promise<vscode.DebugConfiguration | null | undefined> {
+        return this.resolveServerParameters(debugConfiguration);
+    }
+
+}

src/debug-configuration/subproviders/jlink-configuration-provider.ts

@@ -14,19 +14,29 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import * as vscode from 'vscode';
 import { logger } from '../../logger';
+import { BaseConfigurationProvider } from './base-configuration-provider';
+import { GDBTargetConfiguration } from '../gdbtarget-configuration';
 
-export const JLINK_SERVER_TYPE_REGEXP = /.*JLinkGDBServer(|.exe)\s*$/i;
+export const JLINK_SERVER_TYPE_REGEXP = /.*JLinkGDBServer(|CL)(|.exe|Exe)\s*$/i;
 
-export class JlinkConfigurationProvider implements vscode.DebugConfigurationProvider {
+const JLINK_CLI_ARG_PORT = '-port';
 
-    public async resolveDebugConfigurationWithSubstitutedVariables(
-        _folder: vscode.WorkspaceFolder | undefined,
-        debugConfiguration: vscode.DebugConfiguration,
-        _token?: vscode.CancellationToken
-    ): Promise<vscode.DebugConfiguration | null | undefined> {
-        logger.debug('Resolving J-Link configuration');
+export class JlinkConfigurationProvider extends BaseConfigurationProvider {
+
+    protected async resolveServerParameters(debugConfiguration: GDBTargetConfiguration): Promise<GDBTargetConfiguration> {
+        logger.debug('Resolving J-Link GDB server parameters');
+        if (!debugConfiguration.target) {
+            return debugConfiguration;
+        }
+        // serverParameters
+        debugConfiguration.target.serverParameters ??= [];
+        const parameters = debugConfiguration.target.serverParameters;
+        // port (use value defined in 'port' outside 'serverParamters')
+        const port = debugConfiguration.target?.port;
+        if (port && await this.shouldAppendParameter(parameters, JLINK_CLI_ARG_PORT)) {
+            parameters.push(JLINK_CLI_ARG_PORT, `${port}`);
+        }
         return debugConfiguration;
     }
 

src/debug-configuration/subproviders/pyocd-configuration-provider.ts

@@ -14,76 +14,57 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import * as vscode from 'vscode';
 import { logger } from '../../logger';
 import { GDBTargetConfiguration, TargetConfiguration } from '../gdbtarget-configuration';
 import { BuiltinToolPath } from '../../desktop/builtin-tool-path';
+import { BaseConfigurationProvider } from './base-configuration-provider';
 
 const PYOCD_BUILTIN_PATH = 'tools/pyocd/pyocd';
-export const PYOCD_EXECUTABLE_ONLY_REGEXP = /^\s*pyocd(|.exe)\s*$/i;
+const PYOCD_EXECUTABLE_ONLY_REGEXP = /^\s*pyocd(|.exe)\s*$/i;
 export const PYOCD_SERVER_TYPE_REGEXP = /.*pyocd(|.exe)\s*$/i;
 
-export class PyocdConfigurationProvider implements vscode.DebugConfigurationProvider {
-    protected builtinPyocd = new BuiltinToolPath(PYOCD_BUILTIN_PATH);
-
-    protected async hasCommand(commandName: string): Promise<boolean> {
-        const commands = await vscode.commands.getCommands();
-        return !!commands.find(command => command === commandName);
-    };
-
-    protected hasParam(name: string, params: string[]): boolean {
-        return !!params.find(param => param.trim() === name);
-    }
+const PYOCD_CLI_ARG_GDBSERVER = 'gdbserver';
+const PYOCD_CLI_ARG_PORT = '--port';
+const PYOCD_CLI_ARG_CBUILDRUN = '--cbuild-run';
 
-    protected async shouldAppendParam(params: string[], paramName: string, commandName?: string): Promise<boolean> {
-        return !this.hasParam(paramName, params) && (!commandName || await this.hasCommand(commandName));
-    }
+export class PyocdConfigurationProvider extends BaseConfigurationProvider {
+    protected builtinPyocd = new BuiltinToolPath(PYOCD_BUILTIN_PATH);
 
     protected resolveServerPath(target: TargetConfiguration): void {
         const targetServer = target.server;
         const useBuiltin = !targetServer || PYOCD_EXECUTABLE_ONLY_REGEXP.test(targetServer);
-        const builtinUri = useBuiltin ? this.builtinPyocd.getAbsolutePath() : undefined;
-        if (builtinUri) {
-            target.server = builtinUri.fsPath;
+        const updateUri = useBuiltin ? this.builtinPyocd.getAbsolutePath() : undefined;
+        if (updateUri) {
+            target.server = updateUri.fsPath;
         }
     }
 
     protected async resolveServerParameters(debugConfiguration: GDBTargetConfiguration): Promise<GDBTargetConfiguration> {
+        logger.debug('Resolving pyOCD server parameters');
         if (!debugConfiguration.target) {
             return debugConfiguration;
         }
         // server
         this.resolveServerPath(debugConfiguration.target);
         // serverParameters
-        const parameters = debugConfiguration.target.serverParameters ??= [];
+        debugConfiguration.target.serverParameters ??= [];
+        const parameters = debugConfiguration.target.serverParameters;
         // gdbserver
-        if (await this.shouldAppendParam(parameters, 'gdbserver')) {
+        if (await this.shouldAppendParameter(parameters, PYOCD_CLI_ARG_GDBSERVER)) {
             // Prepend, it must be the first argument
-            parameters.unshift('gdbserver');
+            parameters.unshift(PYOCD_CLI_ARG_GDBSERVER);
         }
         // port (use value defined in 'port' outside 'serverParamters')
         const port = debugConfiguration.target?.port;
-        if (port && await this.shouldAppendParam(parameters, '--port')) {
-            parameters.push('--port');
-            parameters.push(`${port}`);
+        if (port && await this.shouldAppendParameter(parameters, PYOCD_CLI_ARG_PORT)) {
+            parameters.push(PYOCD_CLI_ARG_PORT, `${port}`);
         }
         // cbuild-run
         const cbuildRunFile = debugConfiguration.cmsis?.cbuildRunFile;
-        if (cbuildRunFile && await this.shouldAppendParam(parameters, '--cbuild-run')) {
-            parameters.push('--cbuild-run');
-            parameters.push(`${cbuildRunFile}`);
+        if (cbuildRunFile && await this.shouldAppendParameter(parameters, PYOCD_CLI_ARG_CBUILDRUN)) {
+            parameters.push(PYOCD_CLI_ARG_CBUILDRUN, `${cbuildRunFile}`);
         }
         return debugConfiguration;
     }
 
-    public async resolveDebugConfigurationWithSubstitutedVariables(
-        _folder: vscode.WorkspaceFolder | undefined,
-        debugConfiguration: vscode.DebugConfiguration,
-        _token?: vscode.CancellationToken
-    ): Promise<vscode.DebugConfiguration | null | undefined> {
-        logger.debug('Resolving pyOCD configuration');
-        const resolvedConfig = await this.resolveServerParameters(debugConfiguration);
-        return resolvedConfig;
-    }
-
 }