# Debug using GNU debugger

By default, the build doesn't enable the GNU debugger (GDB). To enable GDB, do the following on the Linux host:

1. Go to the `layers/meta-qcom-hwe/recipes-devtools/packagegroups/` directory and open the `packagegroup-core-tools-debug.bbappend` file.
2. Change the `packagegroup-core-tools-debug.bbappend` file to add `gdb` in the package list. Skip this step if the package name is already in the package list.
3. Ensure that the build incorporates the debug symbols.

readelf --debug-dump=decodedline <BIN_FILE>
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    Or

objdump --syms <BIN_NAME> | grep -i 'debug'
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    If the debug symbols aren't enabled, compile all required executables or shared libraries with the `-g` compiler flag. To push debug symbols to the device, see [Configure debug symbols](https://docs.qualcomm.com/doc/80-70023-12/topic/debug_symbols.html#debug-symbols).
4. Recompile and flash the build on the device.

    To debug using GDB, run the following command on the device:

gdb --pid 502
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Sample output:

> 
> 
> gdb: warning: Couldn't determine a path for the index cache directory.
>     GNU gdb (GDB) 11.2
>     Copyright (C) 2022 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
>     License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
>     This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
>     There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
>     Type "show copying" and "show warranty" for details.
>     This GDB was configured as "aarch64-qcom-linux".
>     Type "show configuration" for configuration details.
>     For bug reporting instructions, please see:
>     <https://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/>.
>     Find the GDB manual and other documentation resources online at:
>        <http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/documentation/>.
>     For help, type "help".
>     Type "apropos word" to search for commands related to "word".
>     Attaching to process 502
>     Reading symbols from /usr/bin/tqftpserv...
>     (No debugging symbols found in /usr/bin/tqftpserv)
>     Reading symbols from /usr/lib/libqrtr.so.1...
>     (No debugging symbols found in /usr/lib/libqrtr.so.1)
>     Reading symbols from /lib/libc.so.6...
>     Reading symbols from /lib/.debug/libc.so.6...
>     Reading symbols from /lib/ld-linux-aarch64.so.1...
>     Reading symbols from /lib/.debug/ld-linux-aarch64.so.1...
>     [Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]
>     Using host libthread_db library "/lib/libthread_db.so.1".
>     0x0000ffffab00ef34 in __GI___select (nfds=4, readfds=0xffffc2ec14f8, writefds=0x0, exceptfds=0x0, timeout=0x0) at ../sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/select.c:69
>     69      ../sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/select.c: No such file or directory.
>     (gdb)
>     (gdb)
>     (gdb)
>     (gdb)
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The following table lists the commonly used GDB commands.

Table: Common GDB commands

| Command | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `(gdb) bt` | Provides a backtrace of the current thread. |
| `(gdb) info threads` | Lists the IDs of currently known threads. |
| `(gdb) thread 2` | Switches to thread 2. |
| `(gdb) where` | Shows the current line number and the function you are in. |
| `(gdb) thread apply all bt full` | Provides a backtrace of all threads. |
| `(gdb) info sharedlibrary` | Lists the names of shared libraries used. |
| `(gdb) info reg` | Lists the CPU registers. |

For more information, see [Linux manual page](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/gdb.1.html).

Last Published: Feb 12, 2026

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