GDB on VS-Code with Lima

[GiacomoPaltrinieri]

Hello everyone, my university requires the use of GDB as a debugger for C++. However, I am unable to install it on my MacBook M1, either natively or through emulation. As a workaround, I have installed Lima and installed GDB on the virtual machine. Does anyone know how to configure VS-Code to integrate Lima and GDB? Thank you.

Please let me know if you have any further requirements.

[afbjorklund]

I think you would use something like https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/cpp/pipe-transport, to do remote debugging...

Assuming that you have already configured the compiler, so that it would either run with lima or cross-compile to Linux ?

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It could be useful to have a whole example for Lima, like WSL:

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/remote/remote-overview

You can set up ssh config to the Lima VM, using limactl show-ssh

Then VS Code will install the VS Code Server, on the lima instance.

[GiacomoPaltrinieri]

page not found :(

[afbjorklund]

No, it needs to be written first... There are some hints at the bottom of that page, how to contribute to their documentation.

Could be something, for later. Similar for the dev containers below, they do mention it - but only Rancher Desktop and colima.

[GiacomoPaltrinieri]

I haven't really documented anything yet, but i could try to describe the steps i used if needed.

[afbjorklund]

I am trying to compile some more extensive documentation, as part of the "Lima Manual" project...

https://github.com/afbjorklund/lima-man (an empty placeholder, from afbjorklund/lima-gui#7)

[GiacomoPaltrinieri]

oh, it would be very helpful.
If i can help somehow let me know, I will do my best!

[afbjorklund]

If you don't want to install everything on the VM, you can use Dev Containers:

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/devcontainers/containers

But it requires that you use template://docker rather than the default nerdctl*

https://code.visualstudio.com/remote/advancedcontainers/docker-options

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* There is an open feature request, to make it (nerdctl) available as an option:

• [Containers] Support using nerdctl to connect to a containerd backend microsoft/vscode-remote-release#6014

[afbjorklund]

Possibly one could make it limp along, by teaching nerdctld some new tricks.

Like in the https://github.com/afbjorklund/nerdctld/tree/main/lima examples

[afbjorklund]

Hmm, seems like it is only using the Docker CLI anyway - not the Docker API ?

Then it should be enough with setting nerdctl.lima as the path to "Docker"....

[afbjorklund]

Nope, that did not go very far... Needs to be bug-compatible with Docker, anyway.

[105406 ms] Start: Run: nerdctl.lima version --format {{.Server.APIVersion}}
[105542 ms] time="2023-03-21T22:11:20Z" level=fatal msg="template: :1:9: executing \"\" at <.Server.APIVersion>: can't evaluate field APIVersion in type *dockercompat.ServerVersion"