How to debug a forked child process using CLion

Question

I was debugging a Linux C program with CLion's internal debugger (which is gdb on Linux). The program forked a child process that was supposed to get suspended at the break point I set. But the debugger didn't stop there even if I had entered set follow-fork-mode child inside the gdb panel. So how can I make that happen with CLion?

Solution 1

I followed answer posted by @MarkusParker, but instead of set auto-load safe-path / I used set detach-on-fork off to prevent disconnect from child process. This instruction works for me:

1. Set a break point at the beginning of your program (ie. the parent program, not the child program).

2. Start the program in the debugger.

3. Go to the debugger console (tab with the label gdb) in clion and enter set follow-fork-mode child and set detach-on-fork off.

4. Continue debugging.

Solution 2

Use the GDB tab of the debugger:

enter set follow-fork-mode child and set detach-on-fork off

Comments

[Yoav Feuerstein]

Possible duplicate of How set follow-fork-mode as child in debuger using CMake

[DYS]

I confirmed this approach before and it didn't work. One can only debug through command line interface in this way instead of inside CLion.

[Jaime Hablutzel]

I'm experiencing that CLion disconnects remote debugging sessions when GDB follows the child process.

[user7610]

@JaimeHablutzel In that case you also need to set detach-on-fork off.