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Document privileged debugging #1271

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25 changes: 25 additions & 0 deletions MANUAL.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
- [Debugging Externally Launched Code](#debugging-externally-launched-code)
- [RPC Server](#rpc-server)
- [Remote Debugging](#remote-debugging)
- [Root Debugging](#root-debugging)
- [Reverse Debugging](#reverse-debugging) (experimental)
- [Inspecting a Core Dump](#inspecting-a-core-dump)
- [Source Path Remapping](#source-path-remapping)
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -358,6 +359,30 @@ of the debuggee modules; you may need to specify this manually:
target modules load --file ${workspaceFolder}/build/debuggee -s <base load address>`
```

### Root Debugging

Debugging as root on a local machine is possible only with a remote platform. On MacOS/Linux you should be able to prepend the standard platform command with `sudo`/`doas`/`rootdo`. The builtin terminal will prompt you for the credentials.
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@louwers louwers May 25, 2025

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Debugging as root on a local machine is possible only with a remote platform. On MacOS/Linux you should be able to prepend the standard platform command with `sudo`/`doas`/`rootdo`. The builtin terminal will prompt you for the credentials.
Debugging as root on a local machine is possible only with a remote platform. On macOS/Linux you should be able to prepend the standard platform command with `sudo`/`doas`/`rootdo`. The builtin terminal will prompt you for the credentials.

What is the 'standard platform command'?


On Windows it is not possible to run an application as the administrator from a non-administrator environment, so the platform has to be launched in a privileged terminal outside of VSCode.

In `.vscode/tasks.json` add the following task:
```json
{
"version": "2.0.0",
"tasks": [
{
"label": "Run LLDB Platform",
"type": "shell",
"command": "sudo lldb-server platform --server --listen '*:<port>'"
}
]
}
```

From there proceed normally, as described above in the [Remote Debugging](#remote-debugging) section.

Note: the platform may not be started as a preLaunchTask, since it will block the execution awaiting for a connection that is only initiated when the preLaunchTasks finish.

## Reverse Debugging

Also known as [Time travel debugging](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_travel_debugging). Provided you use a debugging backend that supports
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