Debug output (system message log) from the emulator

Symbian OS outputs a system message log that can be useful when debugging. It includes:

Panics

A message is placed in the log whenever a thread panics: simply search for the word 'Panic'. Each message is written in the following format:

Thread <program>::<thread> <a thread identifier> Panic <panic type> <panic number>

For example:

Thread MyProg.exe::Worker135463368 393670456 Panic KERN-EXEC 0

In this example, a program called MyProg.exe panicked. Look for the panic type in About panics. In the example, the panic type is KERN-EXEC. Click on the panic type to get a list of panic numbers. For instance, once you have a list of KERN-EXEC panics, read the description of panic number zero.

Threads

The debug output tells you when threads are created and destroyed.

Platform security

The beginning of the log contains information about the platform's security settings.

The log also contains any platform security errors. They are produced when an application attempts to call a function or perform an action for which it does not have the required capabilities. The error message will tell you which capabilities are needed. Search the debug output for 'PlatSec'.

Enforcement of platform security checks and logging of errors can be controlled through the configuration settings in epoc.ini: see Platform security.

The emulator writes debug output to a file called EPOCWIND.OUT to the temporary directory on your PC. This is typically:

> C:\Documents and Settings\<your username>\Local Settings\Temp

The exact location may vary from PC to PC.

You can also see the debug output when debugging from an IDE. For Metrowerks CodeWarrior, you must enable debug output when debugging, as it is not enabled by default:

1. Select the target that you wish to debug from the drop-down box at the top of your project window. For instance, choose WINSCW UREL or WINSCW UDEB.

2. Open the Edit menu then select the settings for your chosen target.

3. In the Debugger->Debugger Settings panel, check the box by Log System Messages.

4. Click OK.

5. Open the file \epoc32\data\epoc.ini in your Symbian OS installation and add the following line:

   LogToDebugger=1

Now debug output (the system message log) will be sent to a window in Metrowerks CodeWarrior.