GDB vs Ruby debug

GDB is a free debugger for inspecting a program as it runs or after it crashes. It can launch programs, stop execution under specified conditions, examine the stopped state, and change program state for experimentation. A target can run on the same machine, remotely, or in a simulator. GDB runs on popular UNIX variants, Microsoft Windows, and macOS, and supports languages including C, C++, Rust, Go, Ada, Fortran, Assembly, and others. Debugging options include conditional and exception breakpoints, core dump debugging, and record-and-replay with forward and reverse execution on supported platforms. For remote debugging, gdbserver connects a program to GDB. The console interpreter and GDB/MI are available, while Python extensions and the Debugger Adapter Protocol require Python support at build time. GDB is part of the GNU Project and is free software under the GNU General Public License, which allows copying, adaptation, and redistribution with source access. Official releases are available from GNU and Sourceware, with signature verification through the GNU keyring. Version 18.1 was released on September 25, 2026.

Ruby debug is a free, BSD-2-Clause open-source debugger for Ruby MRI 2.7 and later, delivered for Linux and self-hosted use. Its console evaluates Ruby expressions, inspects program state, controls execution, sets conditional and exception breakpoints, and enables tracing. The debugger can record execution and replay it by stepping backward through the log. Remote sessions work over UNIX domain sockets or TCP/IP, allowing a console to attach to a running program. An IRB console adds autocompletion, multiline input, and commands including `show_source` and `show_doc`. The `rdbg` command launches Ruby scripts and commands such as Rails, Rake, and RSpec under debugging. Frontends are described for VS Code and Chrome DevTools; VS Code requires the vscode-rdbg extension. Installation uses `gem install debug` or a Gemfile entry. The project reports no performance penalty when not stepping and with no breakpoints set. It warns that remote messages are unencrypted and that `debug/open_nonstop` can expose access without stopping the program.