GDBFrontend is an easy, flexible and extensionable gui debugger.

Installing

Requirements

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

PIP Package (Python Wheel) [Recommended]

You can install GDBFrontend with pip.

python3 -m pip install gdbfrontend

or if you want to install specific GIT snapshot:

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://127.0.0.1:5551/terminal/

or without terminal:

http://127.0.0.1:5551/

You can open GDB shell with the command:

tmux a -t gdb-frontend

Deb Package (Debian / Ubuntu / KDE Neon)

You can install GDBFrontend via deb package for Debian-based distributions.

You can install it from following commands:

echo "deb [trusted=yes] https://oguzhaneroglu.com/deb/ ./" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list > /dev/null
sudo apt update
sudo apt install gdbfrontend

After installing with APT, you will get updates for new releases on APT upgrade.

You can get upgrades with following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade gdbfrontend

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.

./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 (Browser asks it for two times).)
  --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 port range for three ports to (Gotty: PORT, HTTP: PORT+1 or 0 for random ports).
  --http-port=PORT:                             Specifies HTTP server port.
  --gotty-port=PORT:                            Specifies Gotty server 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.
  --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 (Browser asks it for two times).)

--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 port range for three ports to (Gotty: PORT, HTTP: PORT+1 or 0 for random ports).

--http-port=PORT

Specifies HTTP server port.

--gotty-port=PORT

Specifies Gotty server 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.

--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.

Themes

GDBFrontend has built-in themes.

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

(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']

Security with Sharing Sessions

You can use --credentials=USER:PASS option for adding HTTP authentication to your debugger session. Note: Your browser will ask same credentials for two times.

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
$ ...
[GDBFrontend] GDB main thread is bloocking. (If you are running something (like shell) in GDB shell, you must terminate it for GDBFrontend to continue work properly.)

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

Zombie Processes

Sometimes GDB and gdb-frontend may not be closed correctly. In this case, you can terminate gdb-frontend shell.

tmux kill-session -t gdb-frontend

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.

GDB-Related Issues and Tips

• GDB does not give sources of linked object until stepping a line that calls a function from the linked object once. You can add break point a line and step it once, then you will see sources from 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 is major versions, changes long term with major features and enhancements.
• Y is main versions that include new features and enhancements.
• Z is bugfix 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.

Contributing

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

Donate

You can donate to support the project.

QR Code	Bitcoin address for donations
	3KBtYfaAT42uVFd6D2XFRDTAoErLz73vpL

License

Copyright (C) 2019, Oğuzhan Eroğlu rohanrhu2@gmail.com> (https://oguzhaneroglu.com/)

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.