The gdb-mcp server exposes GDB and rr debugging capabilities as structured tools, enabling an AI assistant to fully control and inspect program execution.

Session Management

• start_session — launch a new GDB process, optionally loading a binary, arguments, and working directory

• stop_session — kill a session and free its resources

• list_sessions — view all running sessions, their kind (gdb or rr-replay), and status

Time-Travel Debugging (rr)

• rr_record — capture a full deterministic execution trace, returning a trace_dir

• start_replay_session — replay a recorded trace to enable reverse execution

• reverse-continue — run backwards to the previous breakpoint or watchpoint

• reverse-step — step backwards one line/instruction, entering calls

• reverse-next — step backwards one line/instruction, skipping calls

• reverse-finish — run backwards to where the current function was called

Execution Control

• run — start or restart the inferior program

• continue_exec — resume execution from a stop

• step / next — step forward into or over the next source line/instruction

• finish — run until the current function returns

• until — run forward to a specific location

• interrupt — send SIGINT to unblock a running session

Breakpoints & Watchpoints

• breakpoint — break at a function, file:line, or address, with optional conditions and temporary flag

• delete_breakpoints — remove one or all breakpoints

• watch — stop on write, read, or any access to an expression/memory location

Thread Management

• list_threads — show all threads and their current location

• select_thread — switch to a specific thread

Stack Frame Navigation

• backtrace — show the full call stack

• select_frame — jump to a specific frame by number

• up / down — move toward the caller or innermost frame

Inspection & Introspection

• context — full snapshot of current frame, arguments, locals, and source after any stop

• list_variables — show local variables and/or function arguments

• print — evaluate and print any GDB expression with optional formatting

• examine — dump memory at an address with configurable format and unit size

• info_registers — display CPU register values (all or specific)

• list_source — show source code around the current position or a given location

• disassemble — disassemble a function or address range, optionally interleaved with source

Generic Commands

• exec_command — execute any arbitrary GDB command and return its output

• batch_commands — run a sequence of GDB commands in one round-trip to reduce latency