Is there a C++ gdb GUI for Linux?

c++ linux gdb debugging
HappyDude picture HappyDude · Sep 17, 2008 · Viewed 109k times · Source

Briefly: Does anyone know of a GUI for gdb that brings it on par or close to the feature set you get in the more recent version of Visual C++?

In detail: As someone who has spent a lot of time programming in Windows, one of the larger stumbling blocks I've found whenever I have to code C++ in Linux is that debugging anything using commandline gdb takes me several times longer than it does in Visual Studio, and it does not seem to be getting better with practice. Some things are just easier or faster to express graphically.

Specifically, I'm looking for a GUI that:

  • Handles all the basics like stepping over & into code, watch variables and breakpoints
  • Understands and can display the contents of complex & nested C++ data types
  • Doesn't get confused by and preferably can intelligently step through templated code and data structures while displaying relevant information such as the parameter types
  • Can handle threaded applications and switch between different threads to step through or view the state of
  • Can handle attaching to an already-started process or reading a core dump, in addition to starting the program up in gdb

If such a program does not exist, then I'd like to hear about experiences people have had with programs that meet at least some of the bullet points. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Edit:
Listing out the possibilities is great, and I'll take what I can get, but it would be even more helpful if you could include in your responses:
(a) Whether or not you've actually used this GUI and if so, what positive/negative feedback you have about it.
(b) If you know, which of the above-mentioned features are/aren't supported

Lists are easy to come by, sites like this are great because you can get an idea of people's personal experiences with applications.

Answer

Jon Ball picture Jon Ball · Sep 17, 2008

Eclipse CDT will provide an experience comparable to using Visual Studio. I use Eclipse CDT on a daily basis for writing code and debugging local and remote processes.

If your not familiar with using an Eclipse based IDE, the GUI will take a little getting used to. However, once you get to understand the GUI ideas that are unique to Eclipse (e.g. a perspective), using the tool becomes a nice experience.

The CDT tooling provides a decent C/C++ indexer that allows you to quickly find references to methods in your code base. It also provides a nice macro expansion tool and limited refactoring support.

With regards to support for debugging, CDT is able to do everything in your list with the exception of reading a core dump (it may support this, but I have never tried to use this feature). Also, my experience with debugging code using templates is limited, so I'm not sure what kind of experience CDT will provide in this regard.

For more information about debugging using Eclipse CDT, you may want to check out these guides:

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