---
name: gdb-cli-ae34586c2b3e
description: "GDB debugging assistant for AI agents - analyze core dumps, debug live processes, investigate crashes and deadlocks with source code correlation"
category: development
risk: critical
source: community
date_added: "2026-03-22"
author: Cerdore
tags:
- debugging
- gdb
- core-dump
- crash-analysis
- c++
- c
tools:
- claude-code
- cursor
- gemini-cli
- codex-cli
- antigravity
---

# GDB Debugging Assistant

## Overview

A GDB debugging skill designed for AI agents. Combines **source code analysis** with **runtime state inspection** using gdb-cli to provide intelligent debugging assistance for C/C++ programs.

## When to Use This Skill

- Analyze core dumps or crash dumps
- Debug running processes with GDB attach
- Investigate crashes, deadlocks, or memory issues
- Get intelligent debugging assistance with source code context
- Debug multi-threaded applications

## Do Not Use This Skill When

- The task is unrelated to C/C++ debugging
- The user needs general-purpose assistance without debugging
- No GDB is available (GDB 9.0+ with Python support required)

## Prerequisites

```bash
# Install gdb-cli
pip install gdb-cli

# Or from GitHub
pip install git+https://github.com/Cerdore/gdb-cli.git

# Verify GDB has Python support
gdb -nx -q -batch -ex "python print('OK')"
```

**Requirements:**
- Python 3.6.8+
- GDB 9.0+ with Python support enabled
- Linux OS

## How It Works

### Step 1: Initialize Debug Session

**For core dump analysis:**
```bash
gdb-cli load --binary <binary_path> --core <core_path> [--gdb-path <gdb_path>]
```

**For live process debugging:**
```bash
gdb-cli attach --pid <pid> [--binary <binary_path>]
```

**Output:** A session_id like `"session_id": "a1b2c3"`. Store this for subsequent commands.

### Step 2: Gather Initial Information

```bash
SESSION="<session_id>"

# List all threads
gdb-cli threads -s $SESSION

# Get backtrace (with local variables)
gdb-cli bt -s $SESSION --full

# Get registers
gdb-cli registers -s $SESSION
```

### Step 3: Correlate Source Code (CRITICAL)

For each frame in the backtrace:
1. **Extract frame info**: `{file}:{line} in {function}`
2. **Read source context**: Get ±20 lines around the crash point
3. **Get local variables**: `gdb-cli locals-cmd -s $SESSION --frame <N>`
4. **Analyze**: Correlate code logic with variable values

**Example correlation:**
```
Frame #0: process_data() at src/worker.c:87
Source code shows:
  85: Node* node = get_node(id);
  86: if (node == NULL) return;
  87: node->data = value;  <- Crash here

Variables show:
  node = 0x0 (NULL)

Analysis: The NULL check on line 86 didn't catch the issue.
```

### Step 4: Deep Investigation

```bash
# Examine variables
gdb-cli eval-cmd -s $SESSION "variable_name"
gdb-cli eval-cmd -s $SESSION "ptr->field"
gdb-cli ptype -s $SESSION "struct_name"

# Memory inspection
gdb-cli memory -s $SESSION "0x7fffffffe000" --size 64

# Disassembly
gdb-cli disasm -s $SESSION --count 20

# Check all threads (for deadlock analysis)
gdb-cli thread-apply -s $SESSION bt --all

# View shared libraries
gdb-cli sharedlibs -s $SESSION
```

### Step 5: Session Management

```bash
# List active sessions
gdb-cli sessions

# Check session status
gdb-cli status -s $SESSION

# Stop session (cleanup)
gdb-cli stop -s $SESSION
```

## Common Debugging Patterns

### Pattern: Null Pointer Dereference

**Indicators:**
- Crash on memory access instruction
- Pointer variable is 0x0

**Investigation:**
```bash
gdb-cli registers -s $SESSION  # Check RIP
gdb-cli eval-cmd -s $SESSION "ptr"  # Check pointer value
```

### Pattern: Deadlock

**Indicators:**
- Multiple threads stuck in lock functions
- `pthread_mutex_lock` in backtrace

**Investigation:**
```bash
gdb-cli thread-apply -s $SESSION bt --all
# Look for circular wait patterns
```

### Pattern: Memory Corruption

**Indicators:**
- Crash in malloc/free
- Garbage values in variables

**Investigation:**
```bash
gdb-cli memory -s $SESSION "&variable" --size 128
gdb-cli registers -s $SESSION
```

## Examples

### Example 1: Core Dump Analysis

```bash
# Load core dump
gdb-cli load --binary ./myapp --core /tmp/core.1234

# Get crash location
gdb-cli bt -s a1b2c3 --full

# Examine crash frame
gdb-cli locals-cmd -s a1b2c3 --frame 0
```

### Example 2: Live Process Debugging

```bash
# Attach to stuck server
gdb-cli attach --pid 12345

# Check all threads
gdb-cli threads -s b2c3d4

# Get all backtraces
gdb-cli thread-apply -s b2c3d4 bt --all
```

## Best Practices

- Always read source code before drawing conclusions from variable values
- Use `--range` for pagination on large thread counts or deep backtraces
- Use `ptype` to understand complex data structures before examining values
- Check all threads for multi-threaded issues
- Cross-reference types with source code definitions

## Security & Safety Notes

- This skill requires GDB access to processes and core dumps
- Attaching to processes may require appropriate permissions (sudo, ptrace_scope)
- Core dumps may contain sensitive data - handle with care
- Only debug processes you have authorization to analyze

## Related Skills

- `@systematic-debugging` - General debugging methodology
- `@test-driven-development` - Write tests before implementation

## Links

- **Repository**: https://github.com/Cerdore/gdb-cli
- **PyPI**: https://pypi.org/project/gdb-cli/
- **Documentation**: https://github.com/Cerdore/gdb-cli#readme

## Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.


---
Source attribution: Cerdore
Original project: https://github.com/TJSNDHU/Aurem/blob/b58fa793bd971fa2139306d18e8b9e5e91854626/.agent/skills/plugins/antigravity-awesome-skills-claude/skills/gdb-cli/SKILL.md
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2026 Antigravity User

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.



# Mega AI Hub resource metadata

Creator / publisher: Cerdore
Original project: https://github.com/TJSNDHU/Aurem/blob/b58fa793bd971fa2139306d18e8b9e5e91854626/.agent/skills/plugins/antigravity-awesome-skills-claude/skills/gdb-cli/SKILL.md
Attribution basis: Source repository record

Fields of work: Development & Engineering
Roles: Backend Developer, ML / AI Engineer, QA / Test Engineer
Specialties: Backend, Testing
Tools: Gdb
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source category, role and specialization labels
Instruction SHA-256: d94dc2e52badd33b791d208084f976dabd61a21c547129971e4ee39d5cada9f3