Common debugging tools and techniques for Linux systems

In Linux systems, debugging is a crucial part of the program development and maintenance process. In order to assist developers in debugging more effectively, Linux provides a variety of powerful debugging tools and technologies. This article will briefly introduce some commonly used Linux debugging tools and techniques to help developers debug better.

1. Debugging Tools

1. gdb

In Linux systems, gdb is widely used as one of the debugging tools. It helps developers track the cause of program crashes and provides a series of commands to check program status, modify variables, and execute code. To start debugging, you can use the following command.

$ gdb ./program

Among them, `./program` represents the executable file to be debugged. Once gdb is started, you can enter the `run` command to run the program and start debugging.

2. strace

strace is a tool for tracing program system calls. It can help developers deeply understand the system functions called by the program during running, and view return values ​​and parameters. In Linux systems, strace can be used through simple commands to track and analyze the program execution process.

$ strace ./program

Among them, `./program` represents the program to be tracked. strace will output all system calls called during program execution to the terminal to facilitate developer debugging.

3. valgrind

valgrind is a powerful memory debugging tool that can help developers find memory errors and problems in programs. In Linux systems, developers can easily use valgrind to detect common problems such as memory leaks and out-of-bounds access.

$ valgrind ./program

Among them, `./program` represents the program to be detected. valgrind monitors memory usage during program execution and reports any errors or warnings.

4.ltrace

ltrace is a tool for tracing library functions called in a program. It can help developers gain insight into the execution process of the program and view the parameters and return values ​​of each library function. In Linux systems, ltrace can be used with a simple command, which makes it easier for developers to analyze the running status of the program.

$ ltrace ./program

Among them, `./program` represents the program to be tracked. ltrace will output all library functions called during program execution to the terminal to facilitate developer debugging.

2. Debugging skills

1. Print log

Inserting print statements into the program can help developers understand the status and variable values ​​during program execution. In C language, you can use the `printf` function to print logs; in Python, you can use the `print` function. By printing logs, developers can better understand the changes and status during program execution and help locate problems.

2. Use assertions

Assertion is a conditional statement in a program that is used to check whether a specific condition is met. If the condition is not met, the assertion fails and throws an exception. In C language, you can use the `assert` macro to implement assertions; in Python, you can use the `assert` statement. By using assertions, developers can promptly detect error conditions during program execution and terminate the program to avoid further problems.

3. Use debugging tools

There are many powerful debugging tools in the Linux system, such as gdb, strace, valgrind, etc., which can help developers conduct program debugging and performance analysis. By taking full advantage of these tools, developers can debug more efficiently and improve code quality and performance.

4. Narrow down the scope

When a problem occurs, developers can try to narrow the problem to the smallest code scope and eliminate the error step by step. By narrowing the scope, developers can quickly locate the problem and fix it.

In general, debugging in Linux systems requires full use of debugging tools and techniques. By printing logs, using assertions, using debugging tools, narrowing the scope, etc., it can help developers debug more efficiently and improve code quality and performance.

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