diff -r 47675259d88d -r 8b73819c8f1f src/sim/debug.hh
--- a/src/sim/debug.hh	Mon May 02 17:22:15 2011 -0500
+++ b/src/sim/debug.hh	Mon May 02 17:22:32 2011 -0500
@@ -33,8 +33,26 @@
 
 #include "base/types.hh"
 
+/** @file This file provides the definitions for some useful debugging
+ * functions. These are intended to be called from a debugger such as
+ * gdb.
+ */
+
+
+/** Cause the simulator to execute a breakpoint
+ * @param when the cycle to break
+ */
 void schedBreakCycle(Tick when);
 
+/** Cause the simulator to return to python to create a checkpoint
+ * @param when the cycle to break
+ */
+void takeCheckpoint(Tick when);
+
+/** Dump all the events currently on the event queue
+ */
+void eventqDump();
+
 int getRemoteGDBPort();
 // Remote gdb base port.  0 disables remote gdb.
 void setRemoteGDBPort(int port);
diff -r 47675259d88d -r 8b73819c8f1f src/sim/debug.cc
--- a/src/sim/debug.cc	Mon May 02 17:22:15 2011 -0500
+++ b/src/sim/debug.cc	Mon May 02 17:22:32 2011 -0500
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "sim/debug.hh"
 #include "sim/eventq.hh"
 #include "sim/sim_events.hh"
+#include "sim/sim_exit.hh"
 
 using namespace std;
 
@@ -88,6 +89,17 @@
     warn("need to stop all queues");
 }
 
+///
+/// Function to cause the simulator to take a checkpoint from the debugger
+///
+void
+takeCheckpoint(Tick when)
+{
+    if (!when)
+        when = curTick() + 1;
+    exitSimLoop("checkpoint", 0, when, 0);
+}
+
 void
 eventqDump()
 {