MCP GDB Server

MCP Server GDB provides remote debugging capabilities for MCP-enabled applications using the GDB/MI protocol. It lets you manage multiple debugging sessions, set breakpoints, inspect stacks and variables, and control program execution, all through a flexible transport layer.

How to use

You run the MCP Server GDB locally and connect to it from your MCP client to start debugging sessions. You can operate in two transport modes: stdio for local in-process debugging via standard input/output, or SSE for a web-friendly transport accessible at a local URL.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before installing:

• A Rust toolchain (cargo) to build from source
• Optional: Nix for alternative run methods
• A terminal or shell with access to the necessary commands Follow the steps below to install and run the server.

# Install from source
Clone the project repository and build it in release mode:

# Example commands (adjust path as needed)
# git clone <repository-url>
# cd mcp_server_gdb
cargo build --release
cargo run

# Run with Nix (local build)
# nix run .

# Run remotely from a Nix-enabled environment
# nix run "git+https://github.com/pansila/mcp_server_gdb.git" -- --help

# Development shell (optional)
# nix develop

# Run an already built binary directly (stdio transport by default)
./mcp-server-gdb

Configuration

Configure the server you run to suit your environment. You can adjust settings via environment variables or by editing the source configuration, including network address, port, and GDB command timeout.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp_gdb": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "./mcp-server-gdb",
      "args": []
    },
    "mcp_gdb_http": {
      "type": "http",
      "name": "gdb_sse",
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:8080",
      "args": []
    }
  },
  "envVars": []
}

Tools and endpoints

You can manage and control debugging sessions using the following MCP tools. Each tool corresponds to an action you can perform in a session to debug your application.

License

MIT License.

Available tools

create_session

Create a new GDB debugging session

get_session

Get specific session information

get_all_sessions

Get all sessions

close_session

Close a debugging session

start_debugging

Start debugging a session

stop_debugging

Stop debugging a session

continue_execution

Continue program execution

step_execution

Step into the next line of code

next_execution

Step over the next line of code

get_breakpoints

Retrieve the list of breakpoints for a session

set_breakpoint

Set a breakpoint in source or memory

delete_breakpoint

Remove a breakpoint from the session

get_stack_frames

Fetch stack frame information for the current thread

get_local_variables

Inspect local variables in the current frame

get_registers

Read processor register values

read_memory

Read memory contents from the target process