Why can't ST-LINK_gdbserver connect to my NUCLEO-H7S3L8?

[PhucXDoan]

All I'm looking for is to just somehow set up a GDB server for the NUCELO-H7S3L8 so I can do some debugging. My other board (NUCLEO-L476RG) worked fine using openocd, but my H7 has decided to siphon my precious humanity by being insanely difficult. I tried to use ST-LINK_gdbserver because I assume this is what CubeIDE uses under the hood. In fact, I can create a basic blinking program for the H7, compile it, upload it, and debug it all in CubeIDE just fine, but this is just not my preferred style of development. But CubeIDE apparently has some sort of magical incantation that my lowly existence doesn't know about in order to get ST-LINK_gdbserver to actually connect to the H7 target.

> C:\ST\STM32CubeIDE_1.16.1\STM32CubeIDE\plugins\com.st.stm32cube.ide.mcu.externaltools.stlink-gdb-server.win32_2.1.400.202404281720\tools\bin>ST-LINK_gdbserver.exe -cp C:\ST\STM32CubeIDE_1.15.1\STM32CubeIDE\plugins\com.st.stm32cube.ide.mcu.externaltools.cubeprogrammer.win32_2.1.201.202404072231\tools\bin -d

STMicroelectronics ST-LINK GDB server. Version 7.8.0
Copyright (c) 2024, STMicroelectronics. All rights reserved.

Starting server with the following options:
        Persistent Mode            : Disabled
        Logging Level              : 31
        Listen Port Number         : 61234
        Status Refresh Delay       : 15s
        Verbose Mode               : Disabled
        SWD Debug                  : Enabled

COM frequency = 24000 kHz
Target connection mode: Default
Target connection failed. Try connecting under reset
Target connection failed
COM frequency = 8000 kHz
Target connection mode: Default
Target connection failed. Try connecting under reset
Target connection failed
COM frequency = 3300 kHz
Target connection mode: Default
Target connection failed. Try connecting under reset
Target connection failed
COM frequency = 1000 kHz
Target connection mode: Default
Target connection failed. Try connecting under reset
Target connection failed
COM frequency = 200 kHz
Target connection mode: Default
Target connection failed. Try connecting under reset
Target connection failed
COM frequency = 50 kHz
Target connection mode: Default
Target connection failed. Try connecting under reset
Target connection failed
COM frequency = 5 kHz
Target connection mode: Default
Target connection failed. Try connecting under reset
Target connection failed
Target unknown error 32

Error in initializing ST-LINK device.
Reason: Unknown. Please check power and cabling to target.

 This is obviously not a connection issue, because once again: it works in CubeIDE.

Am I stuck in purgatory? What's going on? Again, all I want to do is just set up a debugging session; I frankly don't even care about ST-LINK_gdbserver...

[MM..1]

Try use config file and start over bat

@Echo off
cmd /K "ST-LINK_gdbserver.exe -c config.txt || echo GDB server exited"

too check if STLink isnt used by other...

[PhucXDoan]

I'm not sure how the config.txt helps, as all it does is pass the -e, -f, -p, -r, -d, flags. The -cp flag I had to modify, which suggests that the config.txt (the one I found in same folder as the batch file) is supposed to be something else? But I searched the C:\ST for other config.txts and found nothing else.

###############################################################
#### ST-LINK_gdbserver - Sample Configuration File
#### Each Line Contains one argument
#### Comment lines begin with #
####
#### Use option -c <config-file> to start with config file
####  ST-LINK_gdbserver -c config.txt
####
#### Options without SWV
####  ST-LINK_gdbserver.exe -e -d -cp C:/ST/STM32CubeIDE_1.3.0/STM32CubeIDE/plugins/com.st.stm32cube.ide.mcu.externaltools.cubeprogrammer.win32_1.3.0.202002181050/tools/bin
####
#### Options with SWV, Core clock 168MHz, SWO Clock 1 MHz
####  ST-LINK_gdbserver.exe -e -d -z 61235 -a 168000000 -b 168 -cp C:/ST/STM32CubeIDE_1.3.0/STM32CubeIDE/plugins/com.st.stm32cube.ide.mcu.externaltools.cubeprogrammer.win32_1.3.0.202002181050/tools/bin
####
#### Get option information
####  ST-LINK_gdbserver.exe -h
####
#### The ST-LINK_gdbserver manual contains detailed information
####  about options and program usage.
####
###############################################################

###############################################################
#  -e                 : Enables persistant mode
###############################################################
-e

###############################################################
#  -f <Log-File>      : Name of log file. Please make sure
#                       that directory not is write protected.
###############################################################
-f debug.log

###############################################################
#  -l <Log-Level>     : Logging level between 0 & 31
#          0            Disables logging
#          >=1          Enables logging of error messages
#          >=2          Adds warning messages
#          >=4          Adds communication specific messages
#          >=8          Adds all information messages
#          >=16         Adds all HW specific messages
###############################################################
#-l 31

###############################################################
#  -p <Port-Number>   : TCP-Listen Port-Number.
###############################################################
-p 61234

###############################################################
#  -v                 : Enables verbose mode
###############################################################
#-v

###############################################################
#  -r <delay-sec>     : Maximum Delay in status refresh
###############################################################
-r 15

###############################################################
#  -d                 : Enables SWD mode
###############################################################
-d

###############################################################
#  -t                 : Shared mode using ST-LINK server
###############################################################
#-t

###############################################################
#  -cp <path>         : Path to STM32CubeProgrammer
#                       Modify to correct path
#                       for STM32_Programmer_CLI executable
###############################################################
# Originally: -cp <path to directory containing STM32_Programmer_CLI executable>
-cp C:\ST\STM32CubeIDE_1.15.1\STM32CubeIDE\plugins\com.st.stm32cube.ide.mcu.externaltools.cubeprogrammer.win32_2.1.201.202404072231\tools\bin

The ST-LINK is definitely isn't being used by another process or anything, since a simple unplug and replug would've resolved that issue.