gdbserver - Linux

Overview

gdbserver is a command-line tool that allows remote debugging of programs using the GNU Debugger (GDB). It enables developers to connect to a running program and control its execution, inspect memory, and modify variables remotely from a GDB client.

Syntax

gdbserver [options] port [prog [arguments ...]]

Options/Flags

• -a address: Specify the address to listen on. Default: localhost
• -c cmdfile: Specify a file containing GDB commands to execute at connect time.
• -d: Run in debug mode, printing debug messages.
• -F: Run the program in full mode (set a full breakpoint on the entry function).
• -g: Enable core file generation.
• -h: Print usage information.
• -i pid: Attach to a running process with the specified PID.
• -p: Print output in a format compatible with ps.
• -q: Quiet mode, suppress informational messages.
• -u: Allow untrusted clients to connect.

Examples

Simple usage:

gdbserver :12345 program

Remote debugging via SSH:

ssh user@remotehost -L 12345:localhost:12345
gdbserver :12345 program

Attach to a running process:

gdbserver -i 12345

Capture a core file:

gdbserver -g :12345 program

Common Issues

• Ensure that port forwarding is set up correctly if debugging remotely.
• Check that the program is compiled with debugging symbols for remote debugging.
• Address mismatched endianness between the client and server machines.

Integration

• Use gdbserver in conjunction with gdb for remote debugging.
• Combine with tools like valgrind for memory profiling and debugging.
• Integrate into automated testing frameworks for debugging failures.

Related Commands

• gdb: GNU Debugger
• lldb: LLVM Debugger
• dtrace: System tracing and debugging tool
• strace: Trace system calls
• memcheck: Valgrind memory leak detector and profiler