Customizing z/OS Debugger: checklist

Note: You can also use IBM Host Configuration Assistant for Z Development to generate a customized checklist for z/OS® Debugger. Host Configuration Assistant for Z Development is an interactive wizard that is designed to simplify planning and configuring of Z development products. Besides z/OS Debugger, you can also find the configuration information for other host components like z/OS Explorer and z/OS Source Code Analysis. Only the latest product releases are supported.
This topic helps you identify which customization tasks you must do. Begin by reviewing the topic Planning your debug session in the IBM z/OS Debugger User's Guide with your application programmers and library system administrator. Reviewing that topic helps you gather the following information, which you need to identify which customization tasks you must do:
  • Which version of compilers you are using
  • Whether you are debugging Db2®, Db2 stored procedures, CICS®, and IMS programs
  • Whether you are using full-screen mode, full-screen mode using the Terminal Interface Manager, batch mode, or remote debug mode
  • How your programs will call z/OS Debugger
  • Whether you will be using IBM® z/OS Debugger Utilities, ADFz Common Components, or Application Delivery Foundation for z/OS tools
  • Whether you will need to modify some behaviors of the debugger

After you gather this information, review the following checklists. As you read each item on the checklist, you use the information you gathered to determine if you need to do that customization task. If the task is not applicable to your site, you can skip that task.

You must do all of the following compulsory customization tasks:
If you are using IBM z/OS Debugger Utilities, you must do the required customization tasks described in the following topics: If you are using any of the following utilities in IBM z/OS Debugger Utilities, you must do an additional customization task:
If you are debugging Db2 stored procedures, CICS program, or IMS programs, you must do the following required customization tasks:
In Debug Tool Version 13.1, the EQALANGP and EQALANGX modules were moved from Debug Tool's EQAW.SEQAMOD library to Common Component's IPV.SIPVMODA library, where they will be aliases of IPVLANGP and IPVLANGX respectively. This removes duplication between the two tools. If you have library build processes or other tools that reference either of these routines, and IPV.SIPVMODA is not in link list, then you will need to update your processes to point to the new location for these routines. See Preparing a LangX COBOL program and Preparing an assembler program in the IBM z/OS Debugger Customization Guide for more information about EQALANGX.
Note: Debug Tool for z/OS is now named as z/OS Debugger, and Problem Determination Tools for z/OS Common Component is now named IBM Application Delivery Foundation for z/OS Common Components.

As you review the rest of the checklist, if you need to do an item that requires that you specify an EQAOPTS command, you can print a copy of the checklist and use it to record the commands you need to specify and the values for any options. When you are done reviewing the checklist, you can specify all the EQAOPTS commands at one time as described in Creating EQAOPTS load module.

For any of the following situations, see CODEPAGE:
  • Application programmers are debugging in remote debug mode and the source or compiler use a code page other than 037. If your C/C++ source contains square brackets or other special characters, you might need to specify an EQAOPTS CODEPAGE command to override the z/OS Debugger default code page (037). Check the code page specified when you compiled your source. The C/C++ compiler uses a default code page of 1047 if you do not explicitly specify one. If the code page used is 1047 or a code page other than 037, you need to specify an EQAOPTS CODEPAGE command specifying that code page.
  • Application programmers are debugging in full screen mode and encounter one of the following situations:
    • They use the STORAGE command to update COBOL NATIONAL variables.
    • The source is coded in a code page other than 037.
  • Application programmers use the XML(CODEPAGE(ccsid)) parameter on a LIST CONTAINER or LIST STORAGE command to specify an alternate code page.
Do the customization tasks in the following list only if your site needs the features described:
  • These EQAOPTS commands enable certain z/OS Debugger functions:
    • ALTDISP
      You want z/OS Debugger to display the at sign (@) in the prefix area of a line to indicate that the line contains a breakpoint, instead of using a colored line.
    • BROWSE
      You want to restrict access to z/OS Debugger or control which users1 must debug in browse mode.
    • CCOUTPUTDSN
      You want to use Code Coverage and need to specify the name of the Observation data set.
    • CCOUTPUTDSNALLOC
      You want to use Code Coverage and need to specify the allocation parameters for the Observation data set.
    • CCPROGSELECTDSN
      You want to use Code Coverage and need to specify the name of the Options data set.
    • DLAYDBG
      You want to allow users to use the delay debug mode.
    • EQAQPP
      Your site needs to debug Q++ programs.
    • IGNOREODOLIMIT
      You want to tell z/OS Debugger to display COBOL table items even when an ODO value is out of range.
    • LOGDSNALLOC
      You want z/OS Debugger to automatically create a LOG data set for each user.
    • MDBG
      Your site uses z/OS XL C/C++, Version 1.10, or later, and you want z/OS Debugger to retrieve source and debug information from .mdbg files.
    • SAVESETDSNALLOC, SAVEBPDSNALLOC
      You want z/OS Debugger to automatically create either of the following data sets:
      • A data set to save and restore settings
      • A data set to save and restore breakpoints, monitor values and LOADDEBUGDATA (LDD) specifications
    • STARTSTOPMSG
      You want z/OS Debugger to issue a message when each debugging session is initiated or terminated.
    • SUBSYS
      If your site uses a library system that uses the SUBSYS allocation parameter and your application programmers debug C, C++, or Enterprise PL/I programs, review this command to determine if you need to change the SUBSYS parameter.
    • SVCSCREEN
      You need to debug non-Language Environment programs that start under Language Environment, Language Environment programs that use the MVS LINK, LOAD or DELETE services, LangX COBOL programs, or your site has any host products that might use SVC screening when z/OS Debugger is started.
  • If your site uses any of the following functions in a Japanese or Korean environment, see Enabling additional languages for some z/OS Debugger components through EQACUIDF:
    • IBM z/OS Debugger Utilities ISPF panels
    • z/OS Debugger Code Coverage
    • EQANMDBG (non-CICS non-Language Environment support)
Do the customization tasks in the following list only if you want to modify the behavior described:
  • These EQAOPTS commands modify the behavior of certain z/OS Debugger functions:
    • CACHENUM
      You want to reduce z/OS Debugger's CPU consumption in certain cases.
    • CEEREACTAFTERQDBG
      You want to restart z/OS Debugger with CEETEST after you use QUIT DEBUG.
    • COMMANDSDSN
      You want to change the default data set name for the user's commands file.
    • DEFAULTVIEW
      You want to change the default setting for SET DEFAULT VIEW so that assembler macro-generated statements are not displayed in the Source window.
    • DLAYDBGCND
      You want to change the default delay debug setting for monitoring condition events.
    • DLAYDBGDSN
      You want to change the default name of the delay debug profile data set.
    • DLAYDBGTRC
      You want to change the default delay debug pattern match trace message level.
    • DLAYDBGXRF
      You want to instruct delay debug to use the cross reference file to find the user ID when it constructs the delay debug profile data set name.
    • DTCNDELETEDEADPROF
      You want to change the default setting for controlling the deletion of dead DTCN profiles.
    • DTCNFORCExxxx
      You want to change the default DTCN behavior for certain resource types.
    • DYNDEBUG
      You want to change the initial or default value of SET DYNDEBUG.
    • GPFDSN
      Your site wants to control the appearance or settings, through z/OS Debugger commands, of all debugging sessions, create a global preferences file. The global preferences file is a file that is processed at the beginning of every debugging session and contains z/OS Debugger commands. See this command for instructions on how to create a global preferences file.
    • HOSTPORTS
      Your users are using the remote debugger and you need to specify a host port or range of ports for a TCP/IP connection from the host to the workstation.
    • LOGDSN
      You want to change the default data set name for the LOG data set.
    • MAXTRANUSER
      You want to use the IMS Transaction Isolation Facility described in Adding support for debugging under IMS, and you need to set the maximum number of transactions that a single user can debug to something less than 15.
    • MULTIPROCESS
      You want to change the default behavior of z/OS Debugger when a new POSIX process is created by a fork() or exec() function.
    • NAMES
      Your site needs to issue a NAMES command for the initial load module or any of its compile units.
    • NODISPLAY
      To modify the debugger's behavior when a full-screen mode using the Terminal Interface Manager or a remote debugger is not available.
    • PREFERENCESDSN
      You want to change the default data set name for the user's preferences file.
    • SAVEBPDSN, SAVESETDSN
      Your site wants to change the default names, which are userid.DBGTOOL.SAVESETS and userid.DBGTOOL.SAVEBPS, of the data sets that store settings, breakpoints, and monitor values.
    • SESSIONTIMEOUT
      You want to specify an idle session timeout for users who are using the Terminal Interface Manager.
    • STARTSTOPMSGDSN
      You want z/OS Debugger to write information to a log data set when each non-CICS debugging session is initiated or terminated.
    • TCPIPDATADSN
      Your users are using the remote debugger and your host TCP/IP does not have a specification for GLOBALTCPIPDATA.
    • THREADTERMCOND
      Your site wants z/OS Debugger to suppress the prompt that Language Environment displays every time when the statements like STOP RUN, GOBACK, or EXEC CICS RETURN are run. These statements can occur frequently in an application program, creating unnecessary interruptions for a user trying to debug the application program.
    • TIMACB
      You want to change the default ACB name for the Terminal Interface Monitor.
  • If your site is using the EQAUEDAT user exit to direct z/OS Debugger to the location of source, listing, or separate debug files, see Enabling the EQAUEDAT user exit.
  • If your site needs to change the defaults for NATLANG, LOCALE, or LINECOUNT, see Changing the default and allowable values in EQACUIDF.
1 If you want to enforce browse mode restrictions, you must use the RACF Facility Class Profile as described in Installing the browse mode RACF facility. You can learn how the EQAOPTS BROWSE command works with the RACF profiles by reviewing the table in the topic Controlling browse mode of the IBM z/OS Debugger User's Guide.