"Unable to start debugging. Launch options string provided by the project system is invalid. The type initializer for 'System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializationReader' threw an exception" when debugging

[AlanRosenthal]

• VSCode Version: Code - Insiders 1.13.0-insider (64d532ccb681ddbef0039db1effa2949f1993214, 2017-06-01T05:39:58.303Z)
• OS Version: Linux x64 4.8.0-53-generic
• Extensions:

Extension	Author	Version
code-gnu-global	austin	0.2.2
gitlens	eamodio	3.5.1
cpptools	ms-vscode	0.11.3

---

messageService.ts:125 Unable to start debugging. Launch options string provided by the project system is invalid. The type initializer for 'System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializationReader' threw an exception. e.doShow @ messageService.ts:125 e.show @ messageService.ts:104 (anonymous) @ debugService.ts:843 v @ winjs.base.raw.js:1209 enter @ winjs.base.raw.js:901 _run @ winjs.base.raw.js:1068 _chainedError @ winjs.base.raw.js:1031 n @ winjs.base.raw.js:736 then @ winjs.base.raw.js:1436 enter @ winjs.base.raw.js:747 _run @ winjs.base.raw.js:1068 _setCompleteValue @ winjs.base.raw.js:1052 v @ winjs.base.raw.js:1209 enter @ winjs.base.raw.js:901 _run @ winjs.base.raw.js:1068 _error @ winjs.base.raw.js:1041 (anonymous) @ v8Protocol.ts:53 e.dispatch @ v8Protocol.ts:136 e.handleData @ v8Protocol.ts:104 (anonymous) @ v8Protocol.ts:41 emitOne @ events.js:96 emit @ events.js:188 readableAddChunk @ _stream_readable.js:176 Readable.push @ _stream_readable.js:134 onread @ net.js:551

[AlanRosenthal]

Confirmed this happens on 0.11.3 but not 0.11.2

[AlanRosenthal]

Clone: microsoft/vscode#27875

[pieandcakes]

@AlanRosenthal Is this with Launch or attach? If you try stable with your project does it happen? I tried the scenario with my hello world app on Ubuntu 16-04 with Insiders and 0.11.3 and debugging works fine.

[AlanRosenthal]

@pieandcakes: launch
vscode stable and insider both happen with cpptools v0.11.3.
Other people here (microsoft/vscode#27875) experiencing it as well.

FWIW I'm using arm-none-eabi-gdb-py not regular gdb

[pieandcakes]

@AlanRosenthal Probably going to need more repro steps. Can you enable "logging": { "trace": true, "traceResponse": true, "engineLogging": true } and see if you get some more information in the output window?

[pieandcakes]

Please also provide the version and type of gdb everyone is using. I am trying to reproduce this so I can find what the problem is. Also please provide a launch.json so I can try the same settings. Thanks

[mbbill]

gdb on ubuntu 7.11.1
even the default launch.json generated by vscode won't work.

[AlanRosenthal]

arm-none-eabi-gdb-py --version GNU gdb (GNU Tools for ARM Embedded Processors) 7.10.1.20151217-cvs Copyright (C) 2015 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html> This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. Type "show copying" and "show warranty" for details. This GDB was configured as "--host=i686-linux-gnu --target=arm-none-eabi". Type "show configuration" for configuration details. For bug reporting instructions, please see: <http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/>. Find the GDB manual and other documentation resources online at: <http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/documentation/>. For help, type "help". Type "apropos word" to search for commands related to "word".

I don't see any extra in the debug console:
Unable to start debugging. Launch options string provided by the project system is invalid. The type initializer for 'System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializationReader' threw an exception. e.doShow @ messageService.ts:125 e.show @ messageService.ts:104 (anonymous) @ debugService.ts:843 v @ winjs.base.raw.js:1209 enter @ winjs.base.raw.js:901 _run @ winjs.base.raw.js:1068 _chainedError @ winjs.base.raw.js:1031 n @ winjs.base.raw.js:736 then @ winjs.base.raw.js:1436 enter @ winjs.base.raw.js:747 _run @ winjs.base.raw.js:1068 _setCompleteValue @ winjs.base.raw.js:1052 v @ winjs.base.raw.js:1209 enter @ winjs.base.raw.js:901 _run @ winjs.base.raw.js:1068 _error @ winjs.base.raw.js:1041 (anonymous) @ v8Protocol.ts:53 e.dispatch @ v8Protocol.ts:136 e.handleData @ v8Protocol.ts:104 (anonymous) @ v8Protocol.ts:41 emitOne @ events.js:96 emit @ events.js:188 readableAddChunk @ _stream_readable.js:176 Readable.push @ _stream_readable.js:134 onread @ net.js:551

• VSCode Version: Code - Insiders 1.13.0-insider (64d532ccb681ddbef0039db1effa2949f1993214, 2017-06-01T05:39:58.303Z)
• OS Version: Linux x64 4.8.0-53-generic
• Extensions:

Extension	Author	Version
code-gnu-global	austin	0.2.2
gitlens	eamodio	3.5.1
cpptools	ms-vscode	0.11.3

---

[AlanRosenthal]

Sorry was looking at the developer console - not the debug console
1: (320) LaunchOptions<LocalLaunchOptions xmlns='http://schemas.microsoft.com/vstudio/MDDDebuggerOptions/2014' 1: (335) LaunchOptions ExePath='/home/arosenthal/path/to/elf/file.elf' 1: (335) LaunchOptions WorkingDirectory='/home/arosenthal/path/to/gdb/scripts' 1: (335) LaunchOptions TargetArchitecture='arm' 1: (335) LaunchOptions ExeArguments='' 1: (335) LaunchOptions MIMode='gdb' 1: (335) LaunchOptions MIDebuggerPath='arm-none-eabi-gdb-py' 1: (335) LaunchOptions WaitDynamicLibLoad='false' 1: (335) LaunchOptions ExternalConsole='true' 1: (336) LaunchOptions> 1: (336) LaunchOptions <CustomLaunchSetupCommands> 1: (336) LaunchOptions <Command IgnoreFailures='false' Description='set working directory'>cd /home/arosenthal/path/to/gdb/scripts</Command> 1: (336) LaunchOptions <Command IgnoreFailures='false' Description='load ELF'>file path/to/elf/file.elf</Command> 1: (336) LaunchOptions <Command IgnoreFailures='false' Description='setup target'>source gdbinit.jlink</Command> 1: (336) LaunchOptions <Command IgnoreFailures='false' Description='setup default breakpoint'>tb Reset_Handler</Command> 1: (336) LaunchOptions </CustomLaunchSetupCommands> 1: (336) LaunchOptions <LaunchCompleteCommand>exec-continue</LaunchCompleteCommand> 1: (336) LaunchOptions</LocalLaunchOptions> R: {"success":false,"message":"Unable to start debugging. Launch options string provided by the project system is invalid. The type initializer for 'System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializationReader' threw an exception.","request_seq":2,"command":"launch","body":{"error":{"id":1104,"format":"Unable to start debugging. Launch options string provided by the project system is invalid. The type initializer for 'System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializationReader' threw an exception.","variables":null}},"running":false,"refs":null,"seq":0,"type":"response"} C disconnect: {"restart":false}

[pieandcakes]

@AlanRosenthal thanks. That helps a lot.