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Debugging Firefox with LLDB
===========================
Mozilla-specific lldb settings
------------------------------
There's an
in the Mozilla source tree, which applies recommended settings and
includes a few type summaries and Mozilla-specific debugging commands
via the lldbutils module (see
`python/lldbutils/README.txt <https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/source/python/lldbutils/README.txt>`__).
For information about available features see the links above and the `Using
post.
The in-tree ``.lldbinit`` should be loaded automatically in most cases
when running lldb from the command line (e.g. using
:ref:`mach`), but **not**
when using Xcode. See :ref:`Debugging on macOS` for information on setting up
Xcode.
.. warning::
LLDB warning: Xcode 5 only comes with lldb (gdb is gone). The
introduction and use of UNIFIED_SOURCES in the source starting around
November 2013 has broken the default LLDB configuration so that it
will not manage to resolve breakpoints in files that are build using
UNIFIED_SOURCES (the breakpoints will be listed as "pending", and
lldb will not stop at them). To fix this add the following to your
$HOME/.lldbinit file:
.. code::
# Mozilla's use of UNIFIED_SOURCES to include multiple source files into a
# single compiled file breaks lldb breakpoint setting. This works around that.
settings set target.inline-breakpoint-strategy always
Restart Xcode/lldb and restart your debugging session. If that still
doesn't fix things then try closing Xcode/lldb, doing a clobber
build, reopening Xcode/lldb, and restarting your debugging session.
Starting a debugging session
----------------------------
Attaching to an existing process
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can attach to Firefox with following command:
.. code::
(lldb) process attach --name firefox
Some versions of lldb causes crashes after attaching to Firefox.
Running a new process
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To start Firefox under the debugger, run ``lldb`` followed by "--",
followed by the command line you'd like to run, like this:
.. code:: bash
$ lldb -- obj-ff-dbg/dist/Nightly.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox -no-remote -profile /path/to/profile
Then set breakpoints you need and start the process:
.. code::
(lldb) breakpoint set --name nsInProcessTabChildGlobal::InitTabChildGlobal
Breakpoint created: 1: name = 'nsInProcessTabChildGlobal::InitTabChildGlobal', locations = 0 (pending)
WARNING: Unable to resolve breakpoint to any actual locations.
(lldb) r
Process 7602 launched: '/.../obj-ff-opt/dist/Nightly.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox' (x86_64)
1 location added to breakpoint 1