How does remote debugging work on image with symbol stripped?

How does remote debugging work on image with symbol stripped?

[kkcheng]

I understand that with GDB, one can remote debug a program with symbol
stripped, as long as the host machine has an unstripped image.  My question
is how does it work and if it can be duplicate (easily) on other debugging
system as well.  I assume somehow stripping the debugging info does not
impact the code and data section, and wonder if images generated from
multiple elf files can go thru the same process.

Thanks,

KK
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Re: How does remote debugging work on image with symbol stripped?

[Paul Pluzhnikov]

On Sat, May 2, 2009 at 8:29 AM, kkcheng <kkhcheng@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> I understand that with GDB, one can remote debug a program with symbol
> stripped, as long as the host machine has an unstripped image.

Correct.

> My question is how does it work

GDB (on host) has access to all the debugging symbols, and communicates
with gdbserver (on target) to read/write memory/registers and to control
the inferior process.

> and if it can be duplicate (easily) on other debugging
> system as well.

Many other debuggers (e.g. TotalView and Microsoft Visual Studio)
implement a similar approach.

> I assume somehow stripping the debugging info does not
> impact the code and data section,

Correct: most object file formats keep debug info separate, precisely
so it can be stripped.

> and wonder if images generated from
> multiple elf files can go thru the same process.

Yes, ELF images linked from multiple ELF object files can be stripped.

Cheers,
-- 
Paul Pluzhnikov