Why I prefer debugging in a terminal server session

re: Why I prefer debugging in a terminal server session

AT — Fri, 16 Jul 2004 13:06:00 GMT

FYI.
Even Microsoft Windows 2000 Terminal Server used the same trick with files.
Clipboard was shared with Terminal Server and client PC.
But if you copy file to clipboard on client PC you will be unable to paste it on server.
Clipboard simply copied file location, not a file.

Thanks God, Microsoft fixed this in Server 2003 and added \\tsclient client disk sharing. My bug report was possibly one of bug reports that make this happen.

Are single mashine debugging common in Microsoft ?

re: Why I prefer debugging in a terminal server session

AT — Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:50:00 GMT

RS232/Firewire/Network debugging using two PC is the only correct debugging.
TS debugging has a lot of side effects. Even more - not all programs currently available on market works well in TS. For example Office 2000 require special installation transform patch to work with Windows 2000 Terminal services correctly. Why?
http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/2000/two/30t3.htm

TS are cool. But it does not solve all problems. I've regularly used two PC for debugging (and sometimes additional servers as work-load generators).
Even for Java n-tier application!! Sounds like a non-sense, but it was really cool to find somebody store file in client PC temporary folder, transmit filename over network connection (EJB) and try to read file from same location on server. All of this is because of single-machine debugging ;-)

Do not rely on software too much if you can easily buy additional hardware.

re: Why I prefer debugging in a terminal server session

Dr Pizza — Fri, 16 Jul 2004 10:03:00 GMT

"I don't debug in C# or OCaml."
Maybe this is why you have problems with the idea of bug-free code.

"using a debugger" is a subset of "debugging".

re: Why I prefer debugging in a terminal server session

Cyrus Najmabadi — Fri, 16 Jul 2004 00:12:00 GMT

I don't debug in C# or OCaml. But I do in C++. More related to the lack of test infrastructure with the current code base unfortunately :(

re: Why I prefer debugging in a terminal server session

neo — Fri, 16 Jul 2004 00:03:00 GMT

you do debugging? I thought you use TDD and don't need debugger. :p

re: Why I prefer debugging in a terminal server session

Eric Newton — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 19:12:00 GMT

I assume you're talking about debugging UI issues with Windows Forms apps?

I cant see any reason to do this for asp and normal issues with Forms apps...

re: Why I prefer debugging in a terminal server session

Cyrus Najmabadi — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 17:07:00 GMT

Dr.Pizza: Gotcha. Edited main post.

re: Why I prefer debugging in a terminal server session

Dr Pizza — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 16:47:00 GMT

"I use it for 100% of the debugging I do because it has these advantages with no drawbacks that I've ever seen."
It's a bit slower and is not much cop for D3D or OGL debugging.