CLion Tutorial – Remote GDB Server Configuration

Local Operating System: macOS / Linux / Windows
Remote Operating System: Any system that supports gdbserver, SSH, and SFTP
Required Tools: gdbserver on the target machine
Binary File Synchronization: Automatic
Client Debugger: Bundled GDB / GDB from Toolchain / Custom GDB
Build Targets: CMake / Makefile / Custom Build Targets

Configuring the Remote GDB server will build your target locally, upload the binary file to the remote machine, start it under gdbserver, and connect to the CLion debugger.

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To create a remote GDB server configuration, go to Run | Edit Configurations in the main menu, click , and select Remote GDB Server from the template list. Specify the following settings:

• Target and Executable File

  Select the target to build (CMake, Makefile, or Custom Target) and the executable file to be uploaded remotely.

  Click button to configure custom targets in the Settings | Build, Execution, Deployment | Custom Build Targets dialog.

• GDB

  Select the client debugger: Bundled Multi-Architecture GDB (default), a debugger from the toolchain, or a custom GDB binary.

• Credentials

  Select an existing SSH configuration from the dropdown list, or click to create a new one. Provide credentials to access the remote machine:

  

  You can also manage SSH configurations in Settings | Tools | SSH Configurations.

• Upload Executable File

  You can choose to upload the executable file every time a debug session starts (always), or upload it only when the binary changes (only update). You can also choose to skip uploading (none).

• Upload Path

  Specify the folder on the remote machine where the executable file will be placed.

• ‘target remote’ Parameter

  Provide the medium for transferring the debug package (serial line or IP network using TCP or UDP).

• GDB Server

  Set the location of gdbserver on the remote machine. The default path will be filled automatically.

• GDB Server Parameters

  Specify the parameters to be passed to gdbserver: connection port, executable file path, and additional parameters if necessary.

  By default, this field contains the port you provided in the ‘target remote’ parameter and the path following the upload path along with the binary name.

For CMake projects, by default, this configuration uses the currently selected CMake configuration file to build the target and retrieves the binary file from the build directory folder.

If your setup requires a cross-compilation toolchain, ensure to create it, configure the appropriate debug configuration, and switch to this configuration before starting the session.

Start Remote Debugging Session

1. Ensure GDB is selected as your toolchain debugger.

   Ensure your system firewall allows connections to the remote GDB server.

• On macOS and Linux, go to Settings | Build, Execution, Deployment | Toolchains and select an available GDB option in the debugger field of the current toolchain.

• Note that on Windows, the Remote GDB Server configuration cannot be used with the Visual Studio toolchain as it uses a debugger based on LLDB.

• You can find the build log in the Messages tool window:

  

• To monitor the upload process, switch to the file transfer window:

  

• The console tab of the debugging tool window shows the status of the GDB/gdbserver connection:

  

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