gdbarch is NULL when it shouldn't be

[cooljeanius]

this gdb is unable to start due to this assertion failing:

    gdbarch.sh:1654: gdbarch_bfd_arch_info called
    gdbarch_dump: bfd_arch_info = i386
    gdbarch_dump: TARGET_BFD_VMA_BIT # (gdbarch_bfd_vma_bit (current_gdbarch))
    gdbarch_dump: bfd_vma_bit = 32
    gdbarch_dump: BREAKPOINT_FROM_PC(pcptr, lenptr) # (gdbarch_breakpoint_from_pc (current_gdbarch, pcptr, lenptr))
    gdbarch_dump: breakpoint_from_pc = <0x16f8a0>
    gdbarch_dump: TARGET_BYTE_ORDER # (gdbarch_byte_order (current_gdbarch))
    gdbarch_dump: byte_order = 1
    gdbarch_dump: CALL_DUMMY_LOCATION # (gdbarch_call_dummy_location (current_gdbarch))
    gdbarch_dump: call_dummy_location = 4
    gdbarch_dump: CANNOT_FETCH_REGISTER(regnum) # (gdbarch_cannot_fetch_register (current_gdbarch, regnum))
    gdbarch_dump: cannot_fetch_register = <0x934f0>
    gdbarch_dump: CANNOT_STEP_BREAKPOINT # (gdbarch_cannot_step_breakpoint (current_gdbarch))
    gdbarch_dump: cannot_step_breakpoint = 0
    gdbarch_dump: CANNOT_STORE_REGISTER(regnum) # (gdbarch_cannot_store_register (current_gdbarch, regnum))
    gdbarch_dump: cannot_store_register = <0x934f0>
    gdbarch_dump: TARGET_CHAR_SIGNED # (gdbarch_char_signed (current_gdbarch))
    gdbarch_dump: char_signed = 1
    gdbarch_dump: COFF_MAKE_MSYMBOL_SPECIAL(val, msym) # (gdbarch_coff_make_msymbol_special (current_gdbarch, val, msym))
    gdbarch_dump: coff_make_msymbol_special = <0x934d0>
    gdbarch_dump: construct_inferior_arguments = <0x668e0>
    gdbarch_dump: convert_from_func_ptr_addr = <0x93490>
    gdbarch_dump: CONVERT_REGISTER_P(regnum, type) # (gdbarch_convert_register_p (current_gdbarch, regnum, type))
    gdbarch_dump: convert_register_p = <0x16ef00>
    gdbarch_dump: DBX_MAKE_MSYMBOL_SPECIAL(desc, msym) # (gdbarch_dbx_make_msymbol_special (current_gdbarch, desc, msym))
    gdbarch_dump: dbx_make_msymbol_special = <0x934e0>
    gdbarch_dump: DECR_PC_AFTER_BREAK # (gdbarch_decr_pc_after_break (current_gdbarch))
    gdb stack crawl at point of internal error:
    0   gdb                                 0x001368b0 _ZL17internal_vproblemP16internal_problemPKciS2_Pc + 128
    1   gdb                                 0x00136816 _Z15internal_verrorPKciS0_Pc + 38
    2   gdb                                 0x00135d0d _Z14internal_errorPKciS0_z + 29
    3   gdb                                 0x0008d41c _Z16gdbarch_addr_bitP7gdbarch + 156
    4   gdb                                 0x00139c51 _Z8paddr_nzy + 33
    5   gdb                                 0x0008aaf3 _Z12gdbarch_dumpP7gdbarchP7ui_file + 1427
    6   gdb                                 0x00092c7b _Z20gdbarch_find_by_info12gdbarch_info + 1611
    7   gdb                                 0x00093963 _Z16gdbarch_update_p12gdbarch_info + 51
    8   gdb                                 0x00093bd9 _Z31initialize_current_architecturev + 185
    9   gdb                                 0x00134d71 _Z8gdb_initPc + 81
    10  gdb                                 0x000830b3 _ZL13captured_mainPv + 1795
    11  gdb                                 0x00081a3b _Z12catch_errorsPFiPvES_PKci + 187
    12  gdb                                 0x0008299f _Z8gdb_mainP18captured_main_args + 47
    13  gdb                                 0x000025d3 main + 51
    14  gdb                                 0x00002555 start + 53
    gdbarch.sh:1863: internal-error: int gdbarch_addr_bit(struct gdbarch *): Assertion `gdbarch != NULL' failed.
    A problem internal to GDB has been detected,
    further debugging may prove unreliable.
    Quit this debugging session? ([y] or n) 

(Note: I formerly had a bounty for this on BountySource, but then I deleted my BountySource account due to bad interactions with them on social media, so now if you are interested in a bounty, contact me separately to find a way to do it outside of their system)

[cooljeanius]

of course, I can't even get to this error anymore due to the build failing earlier on... (at different points depending on compiler; in gdbserver with clang, and with issue #8 with gcc)

[cooljeanius]