Chromium Code Reviews
chromiumcodereview-hr@appspot.gserviceaccount.com (chromiumcodereview-hr) | Please choose your nickname with Settings | Help | Chromium Project | Gerrit Changes | Sign out
(25)

Side by Side Diff: docs/linux_debugging.md

Issue 1309473002: WIP: Migrate Wiki content over to src/docs (Closed) Base URL: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src.git@master
Patch Set: Created 5 years, 4 months ago
Use n/p to move between diff chunks; N/P to move between comments. Draft comments are only viewable by you.
Jump to:
View unified diff | Download patch
« no previous file with comments | « docs/linux_crash_dumping.md ('k') | docs/linux_debugging_gtk.md » ('j') | no next file with comments »
Toggle Intra-line Diffs ('i') | Expand Comments ('e') | Collapse Comments ('c') | Show Comments Hide Comments ('s')
OLDNEW
(Empty)
1 #summary tips for debugging on Linux
2 #labels Linux
3
4 This page is for Chromium-specific debugging tips; learning how to run gdb is ou t of scope.
5
6
7
8 ## Symbolized stack trace
9
10 The sandbox can interfere with the internal symbolizer. Use --no-sandbox (but ke ep this temporary) or an external symbolizer (see tools/valgrind/asan/asan\_symb olize.py).
11
12 Generally, do not use --no-sandbox on waterfall bots, sandbox testing is needed. Talk to security@chromium.org.
13
14 ## GDB
15 **GDB-7.7 is required in order to debug Chrome on Linux.**
16
17 Any prior version will fail to resolve symbols or segfault.
18
19 ### Basic browser process debugging
20
21 ```
22 gdb -tui -ex=r --args out/Debug/chrome --disable-seccomp-sandbox http://google.c om
23 ```
24
25 ### Allowing attaching to foreign processes
26 On distributions that use the [Yama LSM](https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentatio n/security/Yama.txt) (that includes Ubuntu and Chrome OS), process A can attach to process B only if A is an ancestor of B.
27
28 You will probably want to disable this feature by using
29 ```
30 echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/kernel/yama/ptrace_scope
31 ```
32
33 If you don't you'll get an error message such as "Could not attach to process".
34
35 Note that you'll also probably want to use --no-sandbox, as explained below.
36
37 ### Multiprocess Tricks
38 #### Getting renderer subprocesses into gdb
39 Since Chromium itself spawns the renderers, it can be tricky to grab a particula r with gdb. This command does the trick:
40 ```
41 chrome --no-sandbox --renderer-cmd-prefix='xterm -title renderer -e gdb --args'
42 ```
43 The "--no-sandbox" flag is needed because otherwise the seccomp sandbox will kil l the renderer process on startup, or the setuid sandbox will prevent xterm's ex ecution. The "xterm" is necessary or gdb will run in the current terminal, whic h can get particularly confusing since it's running in the background, and if yo u're also running the main process in gdb, won't work at all (the two instances will fight over the terminal). To auto-start the renderers in the debugger, send the "run" command to the debugger:
44 ```
45 chrome --no-sandbox --renderer-cmd-prefix='xterm -title renderer -e gdb -ex run --args'
46 ```
47 If you're using Emacs and `M-x gdb`, you can do
48 ```
49 chrome "--renderer-cmd-prefix=gdb --args"
50 ```
51
52 Note: using the `--renderer-cmd-prefix` option bypasses the zygote launcher, so the renderers won't be sandboxed. It is generally not an issue, except when you are trying to debug interactions with the sandbox. If that's what you are doing, you will need to attach your debugger to a running renderer process (see below) .
53
54 You may also want to pass `--disable-hang-monitor` to suppress the hang monitor, which is rather annoying.
55
56 You can also use "--renderer-startup-dialog" and attach to the process in order to debug the renderer code. Go to http://www.chromium.org/blink/getting-started- with-blink-debugging for more information on how this can be done.
57
58 #### Choosing which renderers to debug
59 If you are starting multiple renderers then the above means that multiple gdb's start and fight over the console. Instead, you can set the prefix to point to th is shell script:
60
61 ```
62 #!/bin/sh
63
64 echo "**** Child $$ starting: y to debug"
65 read input
66 if [ "$input" = "y" ] ; then
67 gdb --args $*
68 else
69 $*
70 fi
71 ```
72
73 #### Selective breakpoints
74 When debugging both the browser and renderer process, you might want to have sep arate set of breakpoints to hit. You can use gdb's command files to accomplish t his by putting breakpoints in separate files and instructing gdb to load them.
75
76 ```
77 gdb -x ~/debug/browser --args chrome --no-sandbox --disable-hang-monitor --rende rer-cmd-prefix='xterm -title renderer -e gdb -x ~/debug/renderer --args '
78 ```
79
80 Also, instead of running gdb, you can use the script above, which let's you sele ct which renderer process to debug. Note: you might need to use the full path to the script and avoid $HOME or ~/.
81
82 #### Connecting to a running renderer
83
84 Usually `ps aux | grep chrome` will not give very helpful output. Try `pstree -p | grep chrome` to get something like
85
86 ```
87 | |-bash(21969)---chrome(672)-+-chrome(694)
88 | | |-chrome(695)---chrom e(696)-+-{chrome}(697)
89 | | | \-{chrome}(709)
90 | | |-{chrome}(675)
91 | | |-{chrome}(678)
92 | | |-{chrome}(679)
93 | | |-{chrome}(680)
94 | | |-{chrome}(681)
95 | | |-{chrome}(682)
96 | | |-{chrome}(684)
97 | | |-{chrome}(685)
98 | | |-{chrome}(705)
99 | | \-{chrome}(717)
100 ```
101
102 Most of those are threads. In this case the browser process would be 672 and the (sole) renderer process is 696. You can use `gdb -p 696` to attach. Alternativ ely, you might find out the process ID from Chrome's built-in Task Manager (unde r the Tools menu). Right-click on the Task Manager, and enable "Process ID" in the list of columns.
103
104 Note: by default, sandboxed processes can't be attached by a debugger. To be abl e to do so, you will need to pass the `--allow-sandbox-debugging` option.
105
106 If the problem only occurs with the seccomp sandbox enabled (and the previous tr icks don't help), you could try enabling core-dumps (see the **Core files** sect ion). That would allow you to get a backtrace and see some local variables, tho ugh you won't be able to step through the running program.
107
108 Note: If you're interested in debugging LinuxSandboxIPC process, you can attach to 694 in the above diagram. The LinuxSandboxIPC process has the same command li ne flag as the browser process so that it's easy to identify it if you run `pstr ee -pa`.
109
110 #### Getting GPU subprocesses into gdb
111 Use `--gpu-launcher` flag instead of `--renderer-cmd-prefix` in the instructions for renderer above.
112
113 #### Getting browser\_tests launched browsers into gdb
114 Use environment variable `BROWSER_WRAPPER` instead of `--renderer-cmd-prefix` sw itch in the instructions above.
115
116 Example:
117 $ BROWSER\_WRAPPER='xterm -title renderer -e gdb --eval-command=run --eval-comma nd=quit --args' out/Debug/browser\_tests --gtest\_filter=Print
118
119 #### Plugin Processes
120 Same strategies as renderers above, but the flag is called `--plugin-launcher`:
121 ```
122 chrome --plugin-launcher='xterm -e gdb --args'
123 ```
124
125 _Note: For now, this does not currently apply to PPAPI plugins because they curr ently run in the renderer process._
126
127 #### Single-Process mode
128 Depending on whether it's relevant to the problem, it's often easier to just run in "single process" mode where the renderer threads are in-process. Then you c an just run gdb on the main process.
129 ```
130 gdb --args chrome --single-process
131 ```
132
133 Currently, the --disable-gpu flag is also required, as there are known crashes t hat occur under TextureImageTransportSurface without it. The crash described in http://crbug.com/361689 can also sometimes occur, but that crash can be continu ed from without harm.
134
135 Note that for technical reasons plugins cannot be in-process, so `--single-proce ss` only puts the renderers in the browser process. The flag is still useful fo r debugging plugins (since it's only two processes instead of three) but you'll still need to use `--plugin-launcher` or another approach.
136
137 ### Printing Chromium types
138 gdb 7 lets us use Python to write pretty-printers for Chromium types. The direc tory `tools/gdb/` contains a Python gdb scripts useful for Chromium code. There are similar scripts [in WebKit](http://trac.webkit.org/wiki/GDB) (in fact, the Chromium script relies on using it with the WebKit one).
139
140 To include these pretty-printers with your gdb, put the following into `~/.gdbin it`:
141 ```
142 python
143 import sys
144 sys.path.insert(0, "<path/to/chromium/src>/third_party/WebKit/Tools/gdb/")
145 import webkit
146 sys.path.insert(0, "<path/to/chromium/src>/tools/gdb/")
147 import gdb_chrome
148 ```
149
150 Pretty printers for std types shouldn't be necessary in gdb 7, but they're provi ded here in case you're using an older gdb. Put the following into `~/.gdbinit` :
151 ```
152 # Print a C++ string.
153 define ps
154 print $arg0.c_str()
155 end
156
157 # Print a C++ wstring or wchar_t*.
158 define pws
159 printf "\""
160 set $c = (wchar_t*)$arg0
161 while ( *$c )
162 if ( *$c > 0x7f )
163 printf "[%x]", *$c
164 else
165 printf "%c", *$c
166 end
167 set $c++
168 end
169 printf "\"\n"
170 end
171 ```
172
173 [More STL GDB macros](http://www.yolinux.com/TUTORIALS/src/dbinit_stl_views-1.01 .txt)
174
175 ### Graphical Debugging Aid for Chromium Views
176
177 The following link describes a tool that can be used on Linux, Windows and Mac u nder GDB.
178
179 http://code.google.com/p/chromium/wiki/GraphicalDebuggingAidChromiumViews
180
181 ### Faster startup
182
183 Use the gdb-add-index script (e.g. build/gdb-add-index out/Debug/browser\_tests)
184
185 Only makes sense if you run the binary multiple times or maybe if you use the co mponent build since most .so files won't require reindexing on a rebuild.
186
187 See https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/forum/#!searchin/chromium-dev/gdb-a dd-index/chromium-dev/ELRuj1BDCL4/5Ki4LGx41CcJ for more info.
188
189 Alternatively, specify:
190 ```
191 linux_use_debug_fission=0
192 ```
193
194 in GYP\_DEFINES. This improves load time of gdb significantly at the cost of lin k time.
195
196 ## Core files
197 `ulimit -c unlimited` should cause all Chrome processes (run from that shell) to dump cores, with the possible exception of some sandboxed processes.
198
199 Some sandboxed subprocesses might not dump cores unless you pass the `--allow-sa ndbox-debugging` flag.
200
201 If the problem is a freeze rather than a crash, you may be able to trigger a cor e-dump by sending SIGABRT to the relevant process:
202 ```
203 kill -6 [process id]
204 ```
205
206 ## Breakpad minidump files
207
208 See LinuxMinidumpToCore
209
210 ## Running Tests
211 Many of our tests bring up windows on screen. This can be annoying (they steal your focus) and hard to debug (they receive extra events as you mouse over them) . Instead, use `Xvfb` or `Xephyr` to run a nested X session to debug them, as o utlined on LayoutTestsLinux.
212
213 ### Browser tests
214 By default the browser\_tests forks a new browser for each test. To debug the b rowser side of a single test, use a command like
215 ```
216 gdb --args out/Debug/browser_tests --single_process --gtest_filter=MyTestName
217 ```
218 **note the underscore in single\_process** -- this makes the test harness and br owser process share the outermost process.
219
220
221 To debug a renderer process in this case, use the tips above about renderers.
222
223 ### Layout tests
224 See LayoutTestsLinux for some tips. In particular, note that it's possible to d ebug a layout test via `ssh`ing to a Linux box; you don't need anything on scree n if you use `Xvfb`.
225
226 ### UI tests
227 UI tests are run in forked browsers. Unlike browser tests, you cannot do any sin gle process tricks here to debug the browser. See below about `BROWSER_WRAPPER` .
228
229 To pass flags to the browser, use a command line like `--extra-chrome-flags="--f oo --bar"`.
230
231 ### Timeouts
232 UI tests have a confusing array of timeouts in place. (Pawel is working on redu cing the number of timeouts.) To disable them while you debug, set the timeout flags to a large value:
233 * `--test-timeout=100000000`
234 * `--ui-test-action-timeout=100000000`
235 * `--ui-test-terminate-timeout=100000000`
236
237 ### To replicate Window Manager setup on the bots
238 Chromium try bots and main waterfall's bots run tests under Xvfb&openbox combina tion. Xvfb is an X11 server that redirects the graphical output to the memeory, and openbox is a simple window manager that is running on top of Xvfb. The behav ior of openbox is markedly different when it comes to focus management and other window tasks, so test that runs fine locally may fail or be flaky on try bots. To run the tests on a local machine as on a bot, follow these steps:
239
240 Make sure you have openbox:
241 ```
242 apt-get install openbox
243 ```
244 Start Xvfb and openbox on a particular display:
245 ```
246 Xvfb :6.0 -screen 0 1280x1024x24 & DISPLAY=:6.0 openbox &
247 ```
248 Run your tests with graphics output redirected to that display:
249 ```
250 DISPLAY=:6.0 out/Debug/browser_tests --gtest_filter="MyBrowserTest.MyActivateWin dowTest"
251 ```
252 You can look at a snapshot of the output by:
253 ```
254 xwd -display :6.0 -root | xwud
255 ```
256
257 Alternatively, you can use testing/xvfb.py to set up your environment for you:
258 ```
259 testing/xvfb.py out/Debug out/Debug/browser_tests --gtest_filter="MyBrowserTest. MyActivateWindowTest"
260 ```
261
262 ### BROWSER\_WRAPPER
263 You can also get the browser under a debugger by setting the `BROWSER_WRAPPER` e nvironment variable. (You can use this for `browser_tests` too, but see above f or discussion of a simpler way.)
264
265 ```
266 BROWSER_WRAPPER='xterm -e gdb --args' out/Debug/browser_tests
267 ```
268
269 ### Replicating Trybot Slowness
270
271 Trybots are pretty stressed, and can sometimes expose timing issues you can't no rmally reproduce locally.
272
273 You can simulate this by shutting down all but one of the CPUs (http://www.cyber citi.biz/faq/debian-rhel-centos-redhat-suse-hotplug-cpu/) and running a CPU load ing tool (e.g., http://www.devin.com/lookbusy/). Now run your test. It will run slowly, but any flakiness found by the trybot should replicate locally now - and often nearly 100% of the time.
274
275 ## Logging
276 ### Seeing all LOG(foo) messages
277 Default log level hides `LOG(INFO)`. Run with `--log-level=0` and `--enable-log ging=stderr` flags.
278
279 Newer versions of chromium with VLOG may need --v=1 too. For more VLOG tips, see the chromium-dev thread: http://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/group/chromium -dev/browse_thread/thread/dcd0cd7752b35de6?pli=1
280
281 ### Seeing IPC debug messages
282 Run with CHROME\_IPC\_LOGGING=1 eg.
283 ```
284 CHROME_IPC_LOGGING=1 out/Debug/chrome
285 ```
286 or within gdb:
287 ```
288 set environment CHROME_IPC_LOGGING 1
289 ```
290
291 If some messages show as unknown, check if the list of IPC message headers in ch rome/common/logging\_chrome.cc is up-to-date. In case this file reference goes o ut of date, try looking for usage of macros like IPC\_MESSAGE\_LOG\_ENABLED or I PC\_MESSAGE\_MACROS\_LOG\_ENABLED.
292
293 ## Using valgrind
294
295 To run valgrind on the browser and renderer processes, with our suppression file and flags:
296 ```
297 $ cd $CHROMIUM_ROOT/src
298 $ tools/valgrind/valgrind.sh out/Debug/chrome
299 ```
300
301 You can use valgrind on chrome and/or on the renderers e.g
302 `valgrind --smc-check=all ../sconsbuild/Debug/chrome`
303 or by passing valgrind as the argument to `--render-cmd-prefix`.
304
305 Beware that there are several valgrind "false positives" e.g. pickle, sqlite and some instances in webkit that are ignorable. On systems with prelink and addres s space randomization (e.g. Fedora), you may also see valgrind errors in libstdc ++ on startup and in gnome-breakpad.
306
307 Valgrind doesn't seem to play nice with tcmalloc. To disable tcmalloc run GYP
308 ```
309 $ cd $CHROMIUM_ROOT/src
310 $ build/gyp_chromium -Duse_allocator=none
311 ```
312 and rebuild.
313
314 ## Profiling
315 See https://sites.google.com/a/chromium.org/dev/developers/profiling-chromium-an d-webkit and http://code.google.com/p/chromium/wiki/LinuxProfiling
316
317 ## i18n
318 We obey your system locale. Try something like:
319 ```
320 LANG=ja_JP.UTF-8 out/Debug/chrome
321 ```
322 If this doesn't work, make sure that the LANGUAGE, LC\_ALL and LC\_MESSAGE envir onment variables aren't set -- they have higher priority than LANG in the order listed. Alternatively, just do this:
323
324 ```
325 LANGUAGE=fr out/Debug/chrome
326 ```
327
328 Note that because we use GTK, some locale data comes from the system -- for exam ple, file save boxes and whether the current language is considered RTL. Withou t all the language data available, Chrome will use a mixture of your system lang uage and the language you run Chrome in.
329
330 Here's how to install the Arabic (ar) and Hebrew (he) language packs:
331 ```
332 sudo apt-get install language-pack-ar language-pack-he language-pack-gnome-ar la nguage-pack-gnome-he
333 ```
334 Note that the `--lang` flag does **not** work properly for this.
335
336 On non-Debian systems, you need the `gtk20.mo` files. (Please update these docs with the appropriate instructions if you know what they are.)
337
338 ## Breakpad
339 See the last section of LinuxCrashDumping; you need to set a gyp variable and an environment variable for the crash dump tests to work.
340
341 ## Drag and Drop
342 If you break in a debugger during a drag, Chrome will have grabbed your mouse an d keyboard so you won't be able to interact with the debugger! To work around t his, run via `Xephyr`. Instructions for how to use `Xephyr` are on the LayoutTes tsLinux page.
343
344 ## Tracking Down Bugs
345
346 ### Isolating Regressions
347 Old builds are archived here: http://build.chromium.org/buildbot/snapshots/chrom ium-rel-linux/
348
349 `tools/bisect-builds.py` in the tree automates bisecting through the archived bu ilds. Despite a computer science education, I am still amazed how quickly binar y search will find its target.
350
351 ### Screen recording for bug reports
352 `sudo apt-get install gtk-recordmydesktop`
353
354 ## Version-specific issues
355
356 ### Google Chrome
357 Google Chrome binaries don't include symbols. Googlers can read where to get sy mbols from [the Google-internal wiki](http://wiki/Main/ChromeOfficialBuildLinux# The_Build_Archive).
358
359 ### Ubuntu Chromium
360 Since we don't build the Ubuntu packages (Ubuntu does) we can't get useful backt races from them. Direct users to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Chromium/Debugging .
361
362 ### Fedora's Chromium
363 Like Ubuntu, but direct users to https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/TomCallaway/Chro mium_Debug .
364
365 ### Xlib
366 If you're trying to track down X errors like:
367 ```
368 The program 'chrome' received an X Window System error.
369 This probably reflects a bug in the program.
370 The error was 'BadDrawable (invalid Pixmap or Window parameter)'.
371 ```
372 Some strategies are:
373 * pass `--sync` on the command line to make all X calls synchronous
374 * run chrome via [xtrace](http://xtrace.alioth.debian.org/)
375 * turn on IPC debugging (see above section)
376
377 ### Window Managers
378 To test on various window managers, you can use a nested X server like `Xephyr`. Instructions for how to use `Xephyr` are on the LayoutTestsLinux page.
379
380 If you need to test something with hardware accelerated compositing (e.g., compi z), you can use `Xgl` (`sudo apt-get install xserver-xgl`). E.g.:
381 ```
382 Xgl :1 -ac -accel glx:pbuffer -accel xv:pbuffer -screen 1024x768
383 ```
384 ## Mozilla Tips
385 https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Debugging_Mozilla_on_Linux_FAQ
OLDNEW
« no previous file with comments | « docs/linux_crash_dumping.md ('k') | docs/linux_debugging_gtk.md » ('j') | no next file with comments »

Powered by Google App Engine
This is Rietveld 408576698