gdb - TarisMajor/5143-OpSystems GitHub Wiki

GDB (GNU Debugger)

Definition: gdb (GNU Debugger) is a powerful debugging tool used to analyze and control the execution of a program written in languages such as C, C++, and other compiled languages. It provides developers with the ability to inspect program behavior, step through code, examine variables, modify memory, and trace function calls during runtime. gdb enables developers to perform detailed analysis of their program’s execution, helping to identify and fix bugs, especially logic errors, memory issues, and crashes.

Functionality: gdb works by attaching to a running process or launching a program from within the debugger. It provides a command-line interface to inspect and manipulate the program’s state. Some of its main functions include:

Breakpoints: You can set breakpoints at specific lines of code or functions, causing the program to halt when that point is reached. Stepping Through Code: gdb allows you to execute the program one instruction or line at a time, inspecting the state of variables and memory as you go. Variable Inspection: It allows for viewing and changing the values of program variables during execution. Call Stack Navigation: gdb lets you examine the call stack, showing which functions were called to reach the current point. Memory Manipulation: You can inspect and modify memory locations, which is particularly useful for diagnosing issues like segmentation faults or memory leaks.

Key Features: Interactive Debugging: Offers an interactive environment to control the execution of a program, allowing the developer to pause, step, or continue execution. Source-Level Debugging: Provides detailed source code context if the program is compiled with debugging symbols, making it easier to debug logic issues in the code. Stack Tracing: Helps navigate through the call stack, making it easier to trace how the program reached a particular point. Memory and Variable Inspection: Allows for detailed inspection of variables, arrays, and memory addresses during execution. Remote Debugging: Can debug programs running on remote systems, enabling the inspection of processes on another machine.

Usage: gdb is typically invoked in a terminal to attach to a process or launch a program for debugging.