57 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown
57 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown
# Setting Up Symbol Server in Debugger
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Debug symbols allow you to have better debugging sessions. They have information
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about the functions contained in executables and dynamic libraries and provide
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you with information to get clean call stacks. A Symbol Server allows the
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debugger to load the correct symbols, binaries and sources automatically without
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forcing users to download large debugging files. The server functions like
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[Microsoft's symbol server](https://support.microsoft.com/kb/311503) so the
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documentation there can be useful.
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Note that because released Electron builds are heavily optimized, debugging is
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not always easy. The debugger will not be able to show you the content of all
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variables and the execution path can seem strange because of inlining, tail
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calls, and other compiler optimizations. The only workaround is to build an
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unoptimized local build.
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The official symbol server URL for Electron is
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https://symbols.electronjs.org.
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You cannot visit this URL directly, you must add it to the symbol path of your
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debugging tool. In the examples below, a local cache directory is used to avoid
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repeatedly fetching the PDB from the server. Replace `c:\code\symbols` with an
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appropriate cache directory on your machine.
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## Using the Symbol Server in Windbg
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The Windbg symbol path is configured with a string value delimited with asterisk
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characters. To use only the Electron symbol server, add the following entry to
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your symbol path (**Note:** you can replace `c:\code\symbols` with any writable
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directory on your computer, if you'd prefer a different location for downloaded
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symbols):
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```powershell
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SRV*c:\code\symbols\*https://symbols.electronjs.org
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```
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Set this string as `_NT_SYMBOL_PATH` in the environment, using the Windbg menus,
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or by typing the `.sympath` command. If you would like to get symbols from
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Microsoft's symbol server as well, you should list that first:
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```powershell
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SRV*c:\code\symbols\*https://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols;SRV*c:\code\symbols\*https://symbols.electronjs.org
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```
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## Using the symbol server in Visual Studio
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## Troubleshooting: Symbols will not load
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Type the following commands in Windbg to print why symbols are not loading:
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```powershell
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> !sym noisy
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> .reload /f electron.exe
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```
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