diff --git a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/launching/LaunchUtils.java b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/launching/LaunchUtils.java
index 52ade05b7c6..87e8101017e 100644
--- a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/launching/LaunchUtils.java
+++ b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/launching/LaunchUtils.java
@@ -363,6 +363,70 @@ public class LaunchUtils {
         }
 	}
 	
+	/**
+	 * Compares two version numbers.
+	 * Returns -1, 0, or 1 if v1 is less than, equal to, or greater than v2 respectively
+	 * @param v1 The first version
+	 * @param v2 The second version
+	 * @return -1, 0, or 1 if v1 is less than, equal to, or greater than v2 respectively
+	 * @since 4.8
+	 */
+	public static int compareVersions(String v1, String v2) {
+		if (v1 == null || v2 == null) throw new NullPointerException();
+		
+		String[] v1Parts = v1.split("\\."); //$NON-NLS-1$
+		String[] v2Parts = v2.split("\\."); //$NON-NLS-1$
+		for (int i = 0; i < v1Parts.length && i < v2Parts.length; i++) {			
+			try {
+				int v1PartValue = Integer.parseInt(v1Parts[i]);
+				int v2PartValue = Integer.parseInt(v2Parts[i]);
+
+				if (v1PartValue > v2PartValue) {
+					return 1;
+				} else if (v1PartValue < v2PartValue) {
+					return -1;
+				}
+			} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
+				// Non-integer part, ignore it
+				continue;
+			}
+		}
+		
+		// If we get here is means the versions are still equal
+		// but there could be extra parts to examine
+		
+		if (v1Parts.length < v2Parts.length) {
+			// v2 has extra parts, which implies v1 is a lower version (e.g., v1 = 7.9 v2 = 7.9.1)
+			// unless each extra part is 0, in which case the two versions are equal (e.g., v1 = 7.9 v2 = 7.9.0)
+			for (int i = v1Parts.length; i < v2Parts.length; i++) {
+				try {
+					if (Integer.parseInt(v2Parts[i]) != 0) {
+						return -1;
+					}
+				} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
+					// Non-integer part, ignore it
+					continue;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		if (v1Parts.length > v2Parts.length) {
+			// v1 has extra parts, which implies v1 is a higher version (e.g., v1 = 7.9.1 v2 = 7.9)
+			// unless each extra part is 0, in which case the two versions are equal (e.g., v1 = 7.9.0 v2 = 7.9)
+			for (int i = v2Parts.length; i < v1Parts.length; i++) {
+				try {
+					if (Integer.parseInt(v1Parts[i]) != 0) {
+						return 1;
+					}
+				} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
+					// Non-integer part, ignore it
+					continue;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		return 0;
+	}
+	
 	/**
 	 * Read from the specified stream and return what was read.
 	 * 
diff --git a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/service/GdbDebugServicesFactory.java b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/service/GdbDebugServicesFactory.java
index 67083aab438..871bd9aace9 100644
--- a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/service/GdbDebugServicesFactory.java
+++ b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/service/GdbDebugServicesFactory.java
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.debug.service.IStack;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.debug.service.command.ICommandControl;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb.internal.GdbPlugin;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb.launching.GdbLaunch;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb.launching.LaunchUtils;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb.service.command.CommandFactory_6_8;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb.service.command.GDBControl;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb.service.command.GDBControl_7_0;
@@ -319,71 +320,9 @@ public class GdbDebugServicesFactory extends AbstractDsfDebugServicesFactory {
 	 * @since 4.8
 	 */
 	protected int compareVersionWith(String version) {
-		return compareVersions(getVersion(), version);
+		return LaunchUtils.compareVersions(getVersion(), version);
 	}
 	
-	/**
-	 * Compares two version numbers.
-	 * Returns -1, 0, or 1 if v1 is less than, equal to, or greater than v2 respectively
-	 * @param v1 The first version
-	 * @param v2 The second version
-	 * @return -1, 0, or 1 if v1 is less than, equal to, or greater than v2 respectively
-	 */
-	private static int compareVersions(String v1, String v2) {
-		if (v1 == null || v2 == null) throw new NullPointerException();
-		
-		String[] v1Parts = v1.split("\\."); //$NON-NLS-1$
-		String[] v2Parts = v2.split("\\."); //$NON-NLS-1$
-		for (int i = 0; i < v1Parts.length && i < v2Parts.length; i++) {			
-			try {
-				int v1PartValue = Integer.parseInt(v1Parts[i]);
-				int v2PartValue = Integer.parseInt(v2Parts[i]);
-
-				if (v1PartValue > v2PartValue) {
-					return 1;
-				} else if (v1PartValue < v2PartValue) {
-					return -1;
-				}
-			} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
-				// Non-integer part, ignore it
-				continue;
-			}
-		}
-		
-		// If we get here is means the versions are still equal
-		// but there could be extra parts to examine
-		
-		if (v1Parts.length < v2Parts.length) {
-			// v2 has extra parts, which implies v1 is a lower version (e.g., v1 = 7.9 v2 = 7.9.1)
-			// unless each extra part is 0, in which case the two versions are equal (e.g., v1 = 7.9 v2 = 7.9.0)
-			for (int i = v1Parts.length; i < v2Parts.length; i++) {
-				try {
-					if (Integer.parseInt(v2Parts[i]) != 0) {
-						return -1;
-					}
-				} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
-					// Non-integer part, ignore it
-					continue;
-				}
-			}
-		}
-		if (v1Parts.length > v2Parts.length) {
-			// v1 has extra parts, which implies v1 is a higher version (e.g., v1 = 7.9.1 v2 = 7.9)
-			// unless each extra part is 0, in which case the two versions are equal (e.g., v1 = 7.9.0 v2 = 7.9)
-			for (int i = v2Parts.length; i < v1Parts.length; i++) {
-				try {
-					if (Integer.parseInt(v1Parts[i]) != 0) {
-						return 1;
-					}
-				} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
-					// Non-integer part, ignore it
-					continue;
-				}
-			}
-		}
-
-		return 0;
-	}
 
 	/**
 	 * A static method that will compare the version of GDB for the specified session and
@@ -402,7 +341,7 @@ public class GdbDebugServicesFactory extends AbstractDsfDebugServicesFactory {
 			IDsfDebugServicesFactory servicesFactory = ((GdbLaunch)launch).getServiceFactory();
 			if (servicesFactory instanceof GdbDebugServicesFactory) {
 				String version = ((GdbDebugServicesFactory)servicesFactory).getVersion();
-				if (compareVersions(minVersion, version) > 0) {
+				if (LaunchUtils.compareVersions(minVersion, version) > 0) {
 					assert false;
 					
 					GdbPlugin.log(