EQAOPTS commands

EQAOPTS commands are commands that alter some of the basic behavior of z/OS® Debugger. These commands must be processed before normal z/OS Debugger command processing is available. You can specify most EQAOPTS commands in the following ways:

  • Add dynamically at run time, as described in Providing EQAOPTS commands at run time, a text data set that contains the commands.
  • Add to the search sequence, before the copy of EQAOPTS distributed by z/OS Debugger, a customized version of the EQAOPTS load module.

If you want the commands to apply to only a few debugging sessions, it might be easier to supply the EQAOPTS command dynamically at run time. If you want the commands to apply to a group of debugging sessions, it might be better to supply the EQAOPTS commands through the EQAOPTS load module.

Except for commands that can be validly specified more than once (for example, the NAMES commands), if z/OS Debugger finds a command more than once, it uses the first specification of the command. z/OS Debugger processes EQAOPTS commands specified at run time before those specified through the EQAOPTS load module. This means that commands specified at run time override duplicate commands specified in the EQAOPTS load module.

Any or all of the following people can create EQAOPTS specifications:

  • The system programmer that installs z/OS Debugger.
  • Specific groups in the organization.
  • An individual user.

If you are the system programmer or you are creating EQAOPTS specifications for specific groups, you might change the EQAOPTS specifications less frequently, so specifying them by generating a new EQAOPTS load module might be more efficient. If you are an individual user, you might change the EQAOPTS specifications more frequently, so specifying them dynamically at run time might be more efficient.

Table 1 summarizes the available EQAOPTS commands and indicates whether a system programmer (S), a specific group (G), or an individual user (U) most commonly uses a command.

Table 1. A brief description of each EQAOPTS command and the type of user most likely to use that command
Command Description Commonly used by
ALTDISP Controls whether to add a character indicator to the MFI screen to indicate a breakpoint, the current line, or the line with found text. S, U
BROWSE Allows users with the authority to use z/OS Debugger in normal mode to restrict their access to Browse Mode. U
CACHENUM Controls the size of the z/OS Debugger cache to minimize rereading the debug information. U, G
CCOUTPUTDSN Specifies the default naming pattern that z/OS Debugger uses to name the Code Coverage Observation file. U, G, S
CCOUTPUTDSNALLOC Specifies the allocation parameters that z/OS Debugger uses when it creates the Code Coverage Observation file. U, G, S
CCPROGSELECTDSN Specifies the default naming pattern that z/OS Debugger uses to name the Code Coverage Options file. U, G, S
CEEREACTAFTERQDBG Restarts z/OS Debugger if a CEETEST call is encountered after you use QUIT DEBUG to end a debug session. S
CODEPAGE Controls the codepage used by z/OS Debugger. U, G, S
COMMANDSDSN Specifies the default naming pattern that z/OS Debugger uses to name the user's commands file. U, G, S
DEFAULTVIEW Controls the default view of assembler programs. U, G
DISABLERLIM Disables Omegamon resource limiting (RLIM) during debug sessions. S
DLAYDBG Allows users to use delay debug mode. U, G, S
DLAYDBGCND Specifies monitoring condition events in the delay debug mode. U, G, S
DLAYDBGDSN Specifies delay debug profile data set naming pattern. U, G, S
DLAYDBGTRC Specifies delay debug pattern match trace message level. U, G, S
DLAYDBGXRF Specifies that z/OS Debugger uses a cross reference to find the user ID when z/OS Debugger constructs the delay debug profile data set name.

This is used when an IMS transaction or DB/2 stored procedure is initiated from the web or MQ gateway, and thus the transaction is run with a generic ID.

z/OS Debugger uses either the cross reference file or the Terminal Interface Manager repository to find the ID of the user who wants to debug the transaction or stored procedure.

 U, G, S
DTCNDELETEDEADPROF Controls the deletion of dead DTCN profiles. S
DTCNFORCExxxx Controls whether to require certain fields in DTCN. S
DYNDEBUG Controls the initial (default) value of SET DYNDEBUG. U, G, S
EQAQPP Enables z/OS Debugger to debug MasterCraft Q++ programs. U, G, S
EXPLICITDEBUG Enables explicit debug mode. U
GPFDSN Specifies that z/OS Debugger process a global preferences file. U, G, S
HOSTPORTS Specifies a host port or range of ports to use for a TCP/IP connection to the workstation for the remote debugger. S
IGNOREODOLIMIT Specifies that z/OS Debugger can display COBOL table data items even when an ODO value is out of range. U, G, S
LOGDSN Specifies the default naming pattern that z/OS Debugger uses to name the user's log file. U, G, S
LOGDSNALLOC Specifies the allocation parameters that z/OS Debugger uses when it creates the log file. U, G, S
MAXTRANUSER Specifies the maximum number of IMS transactions that a single user may register to debug using the IMS Transaction Isolation Facility. S
MDBG Allows users of programs compiled with z/OS XL C/C++ Version 1.10, or later, to indicate whether z/OS Debugger searches for .mdbg files. U, G
MULTIPROCESS Controls the behavior of z/OS Debugger when a new POSIX process is created by fork() or exec(). U, G, S
NAMES Controls whether z/OS Debugger processes or ignores certain load module or compile unit names. U, G
NODISPLAY Controls the z/OS Debugger behavior when the display requested by the z/OS Debugger user is not available. U, G, S
PREFERENCESDSN Specifies the default naming pattern that z/OS Debugger uses to name the preferences file. U, G, S
SAVEBPDSN, SAVESETDSN Specifies the default naming pattern for the data sets used to save and restore the breakpoints and monitors (SAVEBPS) and the settings (SAVESETS). U, G, S
SAVEBPDSNALLOC, SAVESETDSNALLOC Specifies the allocation parameters that z/OS Debugger uses when it creates the SAVEBPS and SAVESETS data sets. U, G, S
SESSIONTIMEOUT Establishes a timeout for idle z/OS Debugger sessions that use the Terminal Interface Manager. Timed out sessions are canceled after a specified period of no user activity. S
STARTSTOPMSG Controls whether to issue a message when each debugging session is initiated or terminated. S
STARTSTOPMSGDSN Specifies a message file for start and stop debug session messages. S
SUBSYS Specifies a subsystem used by certain library systems. G, S
SVCSCREEN Controls whether and how z/OS Debugger uses SVC screening to intercept LOAD and LINK SVC’s. This is necessary for debugging non-Language Environment® assembler and LangX COBOL programs. S
TCPIPDATADSN Instructs z/OS Debugger to dynamically allocate the specified file-name to the DDNAME SYSTCPD for the TCP/IP connection to the workstation for the remote debugger. S
THREADTERMCOND Controls whether z/OS Debugger prompts the user when it encounters a FINISH, enclave termination, or thread termination condition. U, G
TIMACB Specifies that the z/OS Debugger Terminal Interface Manager (TIM) use a name other than EQASESSM. S
END Specifies the end of a list of EQAOPTS commands. You must specify END. U, G, S
Use the following list to help you record the commands and value you want to implement:
Table 2. Checklist you can print to record which EQAOPTS commands you selected and the values to use for each command.
  • EQAXOPT ALTDISP, then select one of the following options:
    • ON
    • OFF
  • EQAXOPT BROWSE, then select one of the following options:
    • RACF
    • ON
    • OFF
  • EQAXOPT CACHENUM,number:_____________________________________
  • EQAXOPT CCOUTPUTDSN,'file_name_pattern:_______________________'

    Append ,LOUD if you want z/OS Debugger to display WTO messages, which helps you debug processing done by this command.

  • EQAXOPT CCOUTPUTDSNALLOC,allocation_parameters:_______________________

    Append ,LOUD if you want z/OS Debugger to display WTO messages, which helps you debug processing done by this command.

  • EQAXOPT CCPROGSELECTDSN,'file_name_pattern:_______________________'

    Append ,LOUD if you want z/OS Debugger to display WTO messages, which helps you debug processing done by this command.
  • EQAOPTS CEEREACTAFTERQDBG, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
  • EQAXOPT CODEPAGE,code_page_number:___________________________
  • EQAXOPT COMMANDSDSN,'file_name_pattern:_______________________'

    Append ,LOUD if you want z/OS Debugger to display WTO messages, which helps you debug processing done by this command.
  • EQAXOPT DEFAULTVIEW, then select one of the following options:
    • STANDARD
    • NOMACGEN
  • EQAXOPT DISABLERLIM, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
  • EQAXOPT DLAYDBG, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
  • EQAXOPT DLAYDBGCND, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
  • EQAXOPT DLAYDBGDSN,'file_name_pattern:_____________________________'
  • EQAXOPT DLAYDBGTRC,pattern_match_trace_level:__________________
  • EQAXOPT DLAYDBGXRF, then select one of the following options:
    • DSN,'file_name:_____________'
    • REPOSITORY
  • EQAXOPT DTCNDELETEDEADPROF, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
  • EQAXOPT DTCNFORCECUID, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
    This option performs the same function as DTCNFORCEPROGID. If you select YES for DTCNFORCEPROGID, you do not need to specify this option.
  • EQAXOPT DTCNFORCEIP, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
  • EQAXOPT DTCNFORCELOADMODID, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
  • EQAXOPT DTCNFORCENETNAME, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
  • EQAXOPT DTCNFORCEPROGID, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
  • EQAXOPT DTCNFORCETERMID, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
  • EQAXOPT DTCNFORCETRANID, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
  • EQAXOPT DTCNFORCEUSERID, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
  • EQAXOPT DYNDEBUG, then select one of the following options:
    • ON
    • OFF
  • EQAXOPT EQAQPP, then select one of the following options:
    • ON
    • OFF
  • EQAXOPT EXPLICITDEBUG, then select one of the following options:
    • ON
    • OFF
  • EQAXOPT GPFDSN,'file_name:_______________________________________'
  • EQAXOPT HOSTPORTS,range_of_ports:_____
  • EQAXOPT IGNOREODOLIMIT, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
  • EQAXOPT LOGDSN,'file_name_pattern:_______________________'

    Append ,LOUD if you want z/OS Debugger to display WTO messages, which helps you debug processing done by this command.

  • EQAXOPT LOGDSNALLOC,allocation_parameters:_______________________

    Append ,LOUD if you want z/OS Debugger to display WTO messages, which helps you debug processing done by this command.
  • EQAXOPT MAXTRANUSER,number:_____________
  • EQAXOPT MDBG, then select one of the following options:
    • YES
    • NO
  • EQAXOPT MULTIPROCESS, then select one of the following options:
    • PARENT
    • CHILD
    • PROMPT
    Select one of the following options to indicate what you want z/OS Debugger to do with a process that executes itself:
    • EXEC=ANY
    • EXEC=NONE
  • EQAXOPT NAMES, then select one of the following options:
    • EXCLUDE,LOADMOD,pattern:____________________________________
    • EXCLUDE,CU,pattern:_________________________________________
    • INCLUDE,LOADMOD,name:_______________________________________
    • INCLUDE,CU,name:____________________________________________
  • EQAXOPT NODISPLAY, then select one of the following options:
    • DEFAULT
    • QUITDEBUG
  • EQAXOPT PREFERENCESDSN,'file_name_pattern:_______________________'

    Append ,LOUD if you want z/OS Debugger to display WTO messages, which helps you debug processing done by this command.

  • EQAXOPT SAVEBPDSN,'file_name_pattern:____________________________________'
  • EQAXOPT SAVESETDSN,'file_name_pattern:____________________________________'
  • EQAXOPT SAVEBPDSNALLOC,allocation_parameters:_______________________

    Append ,LOUD if you want z/OS Debugger to display WTO messages, which helps you debug processing done by this command.

  • EQAXOPT SAVESETDSNALLOC,allocation_parameters:_______________________

    Append ,LOUD if you want z/OS Debugger to display WTO messages, which helps you debug processing done by this command.
  • EQAXOPT SESSIONTIMEOUT, then select one of the following options:
    • NEVER
    • QUITDEBUG,hhmmssnn
    • QUIT,hhmmssnn
  • EQAXOPT STARTSTOPMSG, then select one of the following options:
    • NONE
    • ALL
    • CICS
    • TSO
    • BATCHTSO
    • IMS
    • OTHER
    • or any of CICS, TSO, BATCHTSO, IMS, and OTHER, or all of them enclosed in parenthesis and separated by commas.

    Append ,WTO if you want z/OS Debugger to display the messages via WTO.
  • EQAXOPT STARTSTOPMSGDSN,'file_name:_______________'

    Append ,LOUD if you want z/OS Debugger to display WTO messages, which helps you debug processing done by this command.
  • EQAXOPT SUBSYS,subsystem_name:____________________________
  • EQAXOPT SVCSCREEN, then select one of the following options:
    • ON
    • OFF
    • (OFF,QUIET)
    Select one of the following options to indicate what you want z/OS Debugger to do if there is an existing SVC screening environment:
    • CONFLICT=OVERRIDE
    • CONFLICT=NOOVERIDE
    Select one of the following options to indicate whether you want z/OS Debugger to temporarily replace the existing SVC screening environment:
    • NOMERGE
    • MERGE=(COPE)
  • TCPIPDATADSN,'file_name: _____'
  • EQAXOPT THREADTERMCOND, then select one of the following options:
    • PROMPT
    • NOPROMPT
  • EQAXOPT TIMACB,ACB_name:_________________________________________
  • EQAXOPT END Always specify this command.

After you have made all of you selections, define the options as described in Creating EQAOPTS load module.