I'm using Python 2.4.2 under Debian Woody; uname -a:
Linux bruno 2.4.23 i686 GNU/Linux

The documentation for pdb says that commands in .pdbrc
will be executed just as if they were typed in at the
pdb prompt.  However, "c", "cont", and "continue" have
no effect.  It would be nice if this would work.

I discovered this problem because I need to be able to
call Python scripts from within a Makefile, and it is
convenient, when one of them goes awry (say, because of
a key error exception), to already be in the debugger
when such exceptions are raised.  However, I can't call
a Python script with the debugger from a makefile because
execution always stops at the beginning of the script,
waiting for a "continue" to be typed in at the prompt.
 I thought I could solve the problem with a "continue"
in the .pdbrc in the local directory.  However, every way I
can think of to say "continue", including aliasing it,
has no effect in the .pdbrc.  Is there another way to
accomplish what I'm trying to do?

Steve Newcomb
srn@coolheads.com

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I wonder whether the .pdbrc is being read and executed 
when you think it is.  Is the problem actually specific 
to 'continue'?  If you put 'list' in the file, do you get 
a listing?

It might help if you gave the exact command line you use 
to start the Python script.

I don't know if this is really a bug.  You might get 
answers about 'another way' on python-
list/comp.lang.python.  (I don't know ;-)

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The problem is limited to step/next/continue...

"l", "break", etc do work.

As far as I can tell the following is happening

1. .pdbrc is read (but not executed!) on pdb startup

2. it's executed when pdb first time enters the interaction()

3. if rc file contains, "continue", then do_continue() IS
executed but it has no effect, because pdb's interaction()
does not return and simply proceeds with user's input..

(do_continue()/do_next()/do_step() work by setting up a
stopping condition and returning to interpreter)


The problem can be fixed by having execRcLines check every
command's return status and returning as soon as any command
returns 1.. Of course, the rest of rclines would need to be
executed later...

For the record, gdb's .gdbinit files do allow commands like
"run"/"continue"/etc

If there is any interest in this fix, I can submit a patch

I encountered this as well.

At the very least, the documentation needs to describe that 'continue' is the only command which has no effect in .pdbrc.

I'd prefer a patch that enables continue in pdbrc.

This problem also exists in Python 3.1.1. Because I have no reason to believe it has been fixed, I'm also tagging this in Python 3.2 and 2.7.

Thanks for the patience, this is now fixed in r83262.

I also added a -c option so that you can give the "continue" on the command line, not put it in the .pdbrc file.