Mastering Embedded Debugging (Part 1)

"Works on my machine" is a luxury you rarely have in embedded development. To fix bugs effectively on your target hardware, you first need the right infrastructure. In this video, Christoph Sterz explains the essential setup required for professional-grade embedded debugging.

We start by demystifying debug symbols: where they are hidden in your SDK, how to manage "split debug" files in Yocto, and how to use elfutils to handle your binaries. Finally, we walk through the setup for remote debugging using gdbserver, allowing you to keep your heavy symbol files on your laptop while controlling the application running on your device.

In this video, we cover:

- Why debug symbols are non-negotiable and how to find them in your SDK.

- Managing "stripped" vs. "unstripped" binaries using file, eu-strip, and eu-unstrip.

- Strategies for limited storage: Partial debugging vs. remote debugging.

- Configuring gdbserver and gdb for a seamless remote connection.

Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction

0:20 - Debug Symbols Explained

0:50 - Yocto Symbol Stripping

1:15 - SDK Hidden Folders

2:04 - Useful CLI Tools

3:05 - Storage Limitations & Workarounds

4:32 - GDBserver Remote Setup

5:18 - Host GDB Configuration

6:34 - Verifying the Backtrace

7:12 - Conclusion

Links:

• Mastering Embedded Debugging (Part 2)
• All "Embedded with Qt" videos

About the host:

Christoph has been developing with C++ for over 15 years, and Qt for the last 10. A contributor to Gammaray, KDAB’s in-depth Qt-Analysis-Tool, Christoph specializes in performance optimization for embedded systems.