Starting z/OS Debugger for programs that start in Language Environment®

Choose one of the following options to start z/OS® Debugger under MVS in TSO:

  • You can follow the instructions outlined in this section. The instructions describe how to allocate all the files you need to start your debug session and how to start your program with the proper parameters.
  • Use the z/OS Debugger Setup Utility (DTSU). DTSU helps you allocate all the files you need to start your debug session, and can start your program or submit your batch job. For instructions on using DTSU, refer to Starting z/OS Debugger from the IBM z/OS Debugger Utilities.

To start z/OS Debugger under MVS in TSO without using DTSU, do the following steps:

  1. Ensure your program has been compiled with the TEST compiler option.
  2. Ensure that the z/OS Debugger SEQAMOD library is in the load module search path.SEQAMOD must be placed before any other library in the load module search path that contains CEEEVDBG for z/OS Debugger to get control of a debug session.
    Note: High-level qualifiers and load library names are specific to your installation. Ask the person who installed z/OS Debugger the name of the data set. By default, the name of the data set ends in SEQAMOD. This data set might already be in the linklist or included in your TSO logon procedure, in which case you don't need to do anything to access it.
  3. Allocate all other data sets containing files your program needs.
  4. Allocate any z/OS Debugger files that you want to use. For example, if you want a session log file, allocate a data set for the session log file. Do not allocate the session log file to a terminal. For example, do not use ALLOC FI(INSPLOG) DA(*).
  5. Start your program with the TEST run-time option, specifying the appropriate suboptions, or include a call to CEETEST, PLITEST, or __ctest() in the program's source.

Refer to the following topics for more information related to the material discussed in this topic.

  • Related references
  • IBM® z/OS Debugger Reference and Messages
  • z/OS Language Environment Programming Guide