GDBFrontend README

GDBFrontend is an easy, flexible and extensionable gui debugger.

gdb-frontend

Installing

Requirements

GDB => 8.2 (with python3)
python3 => 3.2
tmux

PIP Package (Python Wheel) [Recommended]

You can install GDBFrontend with pip.

sudo python3 -m pip install gdbfrontend

if it is already installed and you are upgrading

sudo python3 -m pip install --upgrade gdbfrontend

or if you want to install specific GIT snapshot:

sudo python3 setup.py install

and you can run

gdbfrontend

Running From GIT

You can download latest source and run it.

You can run gdb-frontend with following commands:

git clone https://github.com/rohanrhu/gdb-frontend.git gdb-frontend
cd gdb-frontend
./gdbfrontend

and you can open it with:

http://127.0.0.1:5550/terminal/

or without terminal:

http://127.0.0.1:5550/

You can open GDB shell with the command:

tmux a -t gdb-frontend

Arch Linux (AUR)

You can install Arch Linux package for Arch-based distributions. (AUR Package)

yay -S gdb-frontend-bin

and you can run it:

gdbfrontend

Flatpak

Flatpak package is a TODO.

Embedded Debugging with GDBFrontend

Follow this quick tutorial for debugging embedded devices with GDBFrontend.

Python C Extension Debugging with GDBFrontend

Follow this quick tutorial for debugging native C Python extensions with GDBFrontend.

How to develop GDBFrontend plugins?

GDBFrontend has powerful and extensible APIs. Follow this quick tutorial to learn developing GDBFrontend plugins.

Features

Expression Evaluter

GDBFrontend has an expression evaluater that you can use multiple in sametime.

Pointer Visualisation

Linked-List Visualization

Conditional Breakpoints

Right click to a breakpoint for setting its condition.

Connected Expressions

Expressions of all variables, members and items are connected in GDBFrontend's VariablesExplorer.

Process Manager

You can watch, filter or manage processes with Process Manager.

Enhanced Collabration

GDBFrontend has a set of some features for collabration named as "Enhanced Collabration".

Collabration Draw

Collabration draw is available when you enable Enhanced Collabration. Click to Draw or use Ctrl + Shift + X shortcut to draw and Ctrl + Shift + C to clear all drawings.

Synced Source Viewing

With Enhanced Collabration all debugger clients are synchronized on source viewing.

Extensibility

GDBFrontend is very extensible and has powerful APIs. Some examples of GDBFrontend's extensibility.

`./gdbfrontend`

$ gdbfrontend --help
GDBFrontend is a easy, flexible and extensionable gui debugger.

Options:
  --help, -h:                                   Shows this help message.
  --version, -v:                                Shows version.
  --gdb-args="ARGS", -G "ARGS":                 Specifies GDB command line arguments. (Optional)
  --gdb-executable=PATH, -g PATH:               Specifies GDB executable path (Default is "gdb" command on PATH environment variable.)
  --tmux-executable=PATH, -tmux PATH:           Specifies Tmux executable path (Default is "tmux" command on PATH environment variable.)
  --terminal-id=NAME, -t NAME:                  Specifies tmux terminal identifier name (Default is "gdb-frontend".)
  --credentials=USER:PASS, -c USER:PASS:        Specifies username and password for accessing to debugger.
  --host=IP, -H IP:                             Specifies current host address that you can access via for HTTP and WS servers.
  --listen=IP, -l IP:                           Specifies listen address for HTTP and WS servers.
  --port=PORT, -p PORT:                         Specifies HTTP port. (0 for random port.)
  --readonly, -r:                               Makes code editor readonly. (Notice: This option is not related to security.)
  --workdir, -w:                                Specifies working directory.
  --plugin-dir, -P:                             Specifies plugins directory.
  --dontopenuionstartup, -D:                    Avoids opening UI just after startup.
  --verbose, -V:                                Enables verbose output.

Options

`--help`, `-h`

Shows help text.

`--version`, `-v`

Shows version.

`--gdb-args="ARGS", -G "ARGS"`

Specifies GDB command line arguments. (Optional)

`--gdb-executable=PATH`, `-g PATH`

You can specify GDB executable path like gdbfrontend --gdb-executable=/path/to/gdb. (Optional)

`--tmux-executable=PATH`, `-tmux PATH`

You can specify Tmux executable path like gdbfrontend --tmux-executable=/path/to/tmux. (Optional)

`--terminal-id=PATH`, `-t PATH`

You can specify Tmux terminal id like gdbfrontend --terminal-id=terminal-name. (Default: gdb-frontend)

`--credentials=USER:PASS`, `-c USER:PASS`

Specifies username and password for accessing to debugger.

`--host=IP`, `-H IP`

Specifies current host address that you can access via for HTTP and WS servers.

`--listen=IP`, `-l IP`

Specifies listen address for HTTP and WS servers.

`--port=PORT`, `-p PORT`

Specifies HTTP port. (0 for random port.)

`--readonly, -r`

Makes code editor readonly. (Notice: This option is not related to security.)

`--workdir, -w`

Specifies working directory.

`--plugin-dir, -P`

Specifies plugins directory.

`--dontopenuionstartup`, `-D`

Avoids opening UI just after startup.

`--verbose`, `-V`

Enables verbose output.

GDB Commands

GDBFrontend's GDB commands starts with gf-.

`gf-refresh`

Refreshes all browser clients.

`gf-theme [theme-name]`

Switch to desired theme. For example: gf-theme light, gf-theme red or gf-theme default for default theme.

`gf-list-plugins`

Lists all GDBFrontend plugins in the plugin directory.

`gf-load-plugin [plugin-name]`

Loads GDBFrontend plugin.

`gf-unload-plugin [plugin-name]`

Unloads GDBFrontend plugin.

Shortcuts / Hotkeys

Current hotkeys are listed below.

Action	Hotkey	Context
General: Open a source file	Ctrl + O	GDBFrontend
General: New ExpressionEvaluater	Ctrl + R	GDBFrontend
General: New ExpressionEvaluter on native window	Ctrl + Shift + R	GDBFrontend
General: Fuzzy source finder	Ctrl + P	GDBFrontend
Runtime: Run	F5	GDBFrontend
Runtime: Continue	F6	GDBFrontend
Runtime: Pause/Interrupt	F7	GDBFrontend
Runtime: Step Over	F8	GDBFrontend
Runtime: Step Into	F9	GDBFrontend
Runtime: Step Instruction	F10	GDBFrontend
Runtime: Stop	F11	GDBFrontend
Enhanced Collabration: Toggle drawing mode	Ctrl + Shift + X	GDBFrontend / Enhanced Collabration: Enabled
Enhanced Collabration: Clear all drawings	Ctrl + Shift + C	GDBFrontend / Enhanced Collabration: Enabled

Themes

GDBFrontend has built-in themes.

For switching between themes use gf-theme [THEME] command on GDB shell.

(gdb) gf-theme doki
(gdb) gf-theme sky
(gdb) gf-theme cyberpunk
(gdb) gf-theme dark
(gdb) gf-theme green
(gdb) gf-theme light
(gdb) gf-theme red

For switching back to the default theme.

(gdb) gf-theme

Also you may want to look to Plugin Development Tutorial.

GDBFrontend Python API

You can access GDBFrontend's Python API via gdbfrontend module.

(gdb) python-interactive

>>> dir(gdbfrontend)

For example, you can get all client sockets like this:

>>> gdbfrontend.api.globalvars.httpServer.ws_clients
{1: <server.GDBFrontendSocket object at 0x...>}

or you can get all plugins:

>>> gdbfrontend.plugin.getAll()
['hello', 'theme_light', 'theme_red']

You can use --credentials=USER:PASS option for adding HTTP authentication to your debugger session.

Browser Compatibility

GDBFrontend is mainly developing with testing on Chromium-based browsers. It will work properly with other browsers especially with Firefox but if you face some problems on other browsers, you can send a bug-report.

Troubleshooting

Blocking GDB shell/main-thread

Most of GDBFrontend functions are thread-safe and work on GDB's main-thread. So, if you run something that is blocking on the GDB shell, GDBFrontend functions have to wait it until finish.

You will get this warning when a thread-safe GDBFrontend function needs to work and you are blocking GDB's main thread.

(gdb) shell
$ ...

When you exit shell, blocking GDBFrontend functions will continue working.

Note: Sometimes you may get this warning without running anything in GDB shell, it means something (in GDB's event-loop) is taking a long time; in this case just ignore this warning.

Zombie Processes

GDBFrontend sends SIGTERM to its sub-processes, your application and its sub-processes. If your application is forking new processes and setting their PGIDs, GDBFrontend may not close them. In this case you should send SIGKILL to your processes.

pkill -f gdb

Expression Evaluater Performance Tips

If you are using ExpressionEvaluater with very long depth expanded variables/members, your scroll and evaluater window move performance may be affected bad for pointer visualization. In this situation, you can turn off signal and slot pointings for that evaluater window.

Evaluater Pointer Visualization Buttons

GDB may not give sources of dynamic linked object until stepping a line that calls a function from the dynamic linked object once. You can add break point a line and step it once, then you will see sources from dynamic linked object hereafter during the session.

Windows

In fact, gdb-frontend is able to run on Windows but there are some serious issues in the GDB's Windows version those avoid using gdb-frontend on Windows. Of course you can use gdb-frontend on WSL if you are using Windows 10.

Issues about Windows-GDB

GDB's main-thread is being blocked during running process. (gdb-frontend has an interrupting mechanism to fixing this but it is not enough yet.)
Windows-GDB's prompt is being blocked during running process and there are some issues about interrupting the application.

WSL

You can use gdb-frontend on WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).

Issues about WSL

On WSL 1, Random port option is not usable on WSL becasue/proc/net/tcp interface is not working on WSL. (WSL 2 does not has this problem.)

Versioning

Since v0.2.0-beta, GDBFrontend switched to a new versioning strategy.

Reading Versions

In vX.Y.Z-STABILITY:

X ismajor versions, changes long term with major features and enhancements.
Y ismain versions that include new features and enhancements.
Z isbugfix releases of main versions.
STABILITY is stability level of the release. (alpha,beta,rcN,stable)

Documentation

Documentation is TODO yet.

API Documentation

API Documentation is TODO yet.

Plugin Development

You can read the Plugin Development Tutorial.

Theme Development

Themes are developed as plugins.

Discord

Join to Discord community.

🎊 Contributing

You can contribute with commiting to project or developing a plugin. All commits are welcome.

❤️ Donate

Patreon

Bitcoin

You can donate to support the project.

QR Code	Bitcoin address for donations
	3KBtYfaAT42uVFd6D2XFRDTAoErLz73vpL

License

GNU General Public License v3 (GPL-3)

You may copy, distribute and modify the software as long as you track changes/dates in source files. Any modifications to or software including (via compiler) GPL-licensed code must also be made available under the GPL along with build & install instructions.