macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install gdblocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install gdbMacPorts ports tree · devel/gdb/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install gdb with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, zypper
GNU debugger. Version 17.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-10.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add gdbAlpine Linux edge package indexes · gdb · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install gdbDebian stable package indexes · gdb · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install gdbFedora Rawhide package metadata · gdb · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#gdbnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/gd/gdb/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S gdbArch Linux sync databases · gdb · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install gdbopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · gdb · source: download.opensuse.org
Windows
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/gdbScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/gdb.json · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
GNU debugger
Project links
Commands and aliases
- gcore
- gdb
- gdb-add-index
- gdbserver
- gstack
history
Project history and usage
GDB is the GNU Project's source-level debugger, used from the command line to run programs under observation, stop them at controlled points, inspect state, and experiment with program execution.
Project history
The current GDB manual credits Richard Stallman as the original author and describes many later contributors. Its copyright history begins in 1988, placing GDB among the early core GNU development tools.
The manual's contributor history records early releases through 2.8 under Richard Stallman and assistants, later 3.x and 4.x release stewards, and major commercial and community contributions for CPU targets, object formats, remote debugging, gdbserver, the machine interface, and language support.
GDB is maintained in Sourceware's binutils-gdb repository, reflecting its close development relationship with GNU Binutils and the broader GNU toolchain.
Adoption history
GDB became the default debugger in many Unix-like development environments because it paired a scriptable CLI with broad compiler, architecture, object-file, and language support.
The manual records Cygnus Solutions sponsoring GDB maintenance and much development since 1991, an important phase in professionalizing GNU toolchain support for commercial cross-development and embedded targets.
How it is used
The manual describes GDB as useful for starting a program, stopping it on specified conditions, examining what happened after it stopped, and changing program state to continue debugging.
GDB supports many languages, including C, C++, D, Go, Objective-C, Fortran, OpenCL C, Pascal, Rust, assembly, Modula-2, and Ada. It also includes remote debugging, gdbserver, TUI, GDB/MI, Python and Guile extension APIs, and Debugger Adapter Protocol support.
Why package nerds care
GDB is a canonical package-manager debugging tool: small at the command line, but deeply tied to compiler output, debug symbols, libc behavior, architecture support, Python scripting, and remote target workflows.
Its initialization-file search path is platform-sensitive, with XDG-style paths on non-macOS Unix systems and Library/Preferences paths on macOS, which makes packaging and documentation details visible to users.
Timeline
- 1988: The GDB manual copyright history begins.
- 1991: Cygnus Solutions begins sponsoring GDB maintenance and much of its development.
- 2025: GDB 17.1 is released according to the official news page.
- 2026: GDB 17.2 is released according to the official news page.
Related projects
- GDB is developed with GNU Binutils in the binutils-gdb repository and relies on BFD for multiple object-file formats.
- Related tools and interfaces include gdbserver, Readline, GDB/MI, the Debugger Adapter Protocol, and frontends such as gdbgui.
Sources
- https://sourceware.org/gdb/current/onlinedocs/gdb.html
- https://sourceware.org/gdb/current/onlinedocs/gdb.html/Contributors.html
- https://sourceware.org/gdb/current/onlinedocs/gdb.html/Initialization-Files.html
- https://sourceware.org/gdb/current/onlinedocs/gdb.html/Summary.html
- https://sourceware.org/gdb/current/onlinedocs/gdb.html/Supported-Languages.html
- https://sourceware.org/gdb/news/
- https://sourceware.org/git/?p=binutils-gdb.git
security posture
Risk level: red
doc example: debugger and process inspection tool.
Risk classifier
red risk · high confidence · escape-surveillance-offensive
Why
- doc example: debugger and process inspection tool
Signals
- override:gdb
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 7 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 2 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- macOS
~/Library/Preferences/gdb/gdbearlyinit~/.gdbearlyinit~/Library/Preferences/gdb/gdbinit~/.gdbinit./.gdbinit- Unix
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gdb/gdbearlyinit~/.config/gdb/gdbearlyinit~/.gdbearlyinit$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gdb/gdbinit~/.config/gdb/gdbinit~/.gdbinit./.gdbinit
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
gcore | cli | global executable | |
gdb | cli | global executable | |
gdb-add-index | cli | global executable | |
gdbserver | cli | global executable | |
gstack | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version17.2
manager updated2026-05-10
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:gdb |
|---|---|
| Version | 17.2 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/gdb |
| Homepage | https://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/ |
| Repository | https://sourceware.org/git?p=binutils-gdb.git |
| Upstream docs | https://sourceware.org/gdb/current/onlinedocs/gdb |
| License | GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://ftpmirror.gnu.org/gnu/gdb/gdb-17.2.tar.xz |
| Last updated | 2026-05-10T20:39:26Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | gmp, mpfr, ncurses, python@3.14, readline, xz, zstd |
| Build dependencies | pkgconf, texinfo |
| Uses from macOS | expat |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
| Caveats | gdb requires special privileges to access Mach ports. You will need to codesign the binary. For instructions, see: https://sourceware.org/gdb/wiki/PermissionsDarwin |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | gdb |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
gdb 16.3-1
GNU Debugger
sudo apt install gdb- Section: devel
- Architecture: amd64
- 18 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 3 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
Debian apt95%
gdb-minimal 16.3-1
GNU Debugger (minimal version - dummy transitional package)
sudo apt install gdb-minimal- Section: devel
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: gdb
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
Debian apt95%
gdb-multiarch 16.3-1
GNU Debugger (with support for multiple architectures)
sudo apt install gdb-multiarch- Section: devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gdb
- 19 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
Debian apt95%
gdb-source 16.3-1
GNU Debugger (source)
sudo apt install gdb-source- Section: devel
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: gdb
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
Debian apt95%
gdbserver 16.3-1
GNU Debugger (remote server)
sudo apt install gdbserver- Section: devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gdb
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
Nix95%
gdb
nix profile install nixpkgs#gdb- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
Ubuntu apt95%
gdb 15.0.50.20240403-0ubuntu1
GNU Debugger
sudo apt install gdb- Section: devel
- Architecture: amd64
- 18 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 3 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
Ubuntu apt95%
gdb-doc 15.0.50.20240403-0ubuntu1
The GNU Debugger Documentation
sudo apt install gdb-doc- Section: devel
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: gdb
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
Ubuntu apt95%
gdb-multiarch 15.0.50.20240403-0ubuntu1
GNU Debugger (with support for multiple architectures)
sudo apt install gdb-multiarch- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gdb
- 19 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
Ubuntu apt95%
gdb-source 15.0.50.20240403-0ubuntu1
GNU Debugger (source)
sudo apt install gdb-source- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: gdb
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
Ubuntu apt95%
gdbserver 15.0.50.20240403-0ubuntu1
GNU Debugger (remote server)
sudo apt install gdbserver- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: gdb
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
apk95%
gdb 16.3-r4
The GNU Debugger
https://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/
sudo apk add gdb- License: GPL-3.0-or-later AND LGPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gdb
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
apk95%
gdb-dbg 16.3-r4
The GNU Debugger (debug symbols)
https://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/
sudo apk add gdb-dbg- License: GPL-3.0-or-later AND LGPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gdb
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
apk95%
gdb-doc 16.3-r4
The GNU Debugger (documentation)
https://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/
sudo apk add gdb-doc- License: GPL-3.0-or-later AND LGPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gdb
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
apk95%
gdb-multiarch 16.3-r4
The GNU Debugger for all supported architectures
https://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/
sudo apk add gdb-multiarch- License: GPL-3.0-or-later AND LGPL-3.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gdb
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
dnf95%
gdb 17.1-10.fc45
A GNU source-level debugger for C, C++, Fortran, Go and other languages
sudo dnf install gdb- License: GPL-3.0-or-later AND BSD-3-Clause AND FSFAP AND LGPL-2.1-or-later AND GPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.0-or-later AND LicenseRef-Fedora-Public-Domain AND
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: gdb
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Gdb
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment