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GDB Training Course

Welcome to an intermediate level GDB course! For learners who have used GDB previously and want to uncover more capabilities of GDB, this is the course for you.

  • Course Number

    UUGDB01
  • Self-Paced

About This Course

Welcome to an intermediate level GDB course! For learners who have used GDB previously and want to uncover more capabilities of GDB, this is the course for you.

Many folks who have learned GDB know the basics (breakpoints, stepping, backtraces) which is wonderful -- but in this course we want to help you uncover some of the more intermediate level features of GDB! This will include using regular expressions to set breakpoints, writing scripts to automate debugging tasks, tapping into the GDB Python API, debugging multiprocess programs, and time travel debugging! Throughout the lessons, we'll also review materials that are previously introduced, so you can continue to practice improving your GDB as you progress.

In this compact course, a few hours learning some new skills can help you save time out in the real world catching those pesky bugs! So what are you waiting for? Give it a try -- you can even complete the course in your browser with your virtual environment.

Course Staff

Course Staff Image #1

Mike Shah

Mike Shah is currently an Associate Teaching Professor at Northeastern University in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences (Boston, MA, USA). Mike teaches C++, computer systems and computer graphics -- and always shows his students how to debug. Mike's research interests are related to performance engineering (dynamic analysis) and software visualization. Along with teaching and research work, Mike juggles occasional consulting work as a 3D Senior Graphics Engineer and teaches on YouTube (@MikeShah on Youtube).

Frequently Asked Questions

What web browser should I use?

The Open edX platform works best with current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari.

See our list of supported browsers for the most up-to-date information.

Do I need a linux machine for this course?

A linux machine or a machine that you can ssh into remotely is preferable. GDB can also work on Mac or on Windows - preferably Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) in order to follow along in this course. In addtion, we have available a virtual environment setup with GDB that you can follow along in your browser.

Do I need to know GDB?

There will be a referesher at the start of this course in order to help you get started. Alternatively, check out Greg Law's GDB tutorials on his free resource portal called WatchPoint.

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