Break at local label using GDB for NASM assembly

Question

I want to break at a local label in NASM assembly code using GDB.

Issuing the following command yields the output:

   (gdb) break *start.label1 + 217
    Attempt to extract a component of a value that is not a structure.

Here my code goes something like this:

global _start
_start:
...
.label1:
...

How can I break at local .label1 ?

Answer 1

Disassemble the function where your local label is called, select the address and add a break as you normally would with the address, not the label name. You can also disassemble by the address for local labels.