gdbforge – Vim-Inspired Terminal UI for GDB

Overview

gdbforge is an open-source terminal debugger front-end for GDB (and optionally Delve for Go).
It adds a Vim-inspired multi-pane workspace — source, GDB console, IO, threads, call stack, and breakpoints — in one keyboard-driven session, without replacing your IDE.

The project includes a Lua script catalog that automates common bring-up steps: spawn J-Link or OpenOCD, deploy to a board over scp, start gdbserver, or break into kgdb over UART. Each workflow is a small, editable script — not a monolithic IDE.

Responsibilities

• Designed and implemented a keyboard-first TUI with normal / insert / command modes, pane splits, and layout presets.
• Built GDB and Delve integration behind a single UI (-g gdb / -g dlv).
• Developed Lua automation scripts for four platform families: embedded Linux, Zynq MPSoC, STM32, and kernel kgdb.
• Implemented program I/O routing — internal :b io pane vs external terminal for full TUI / curses apps.
• Organized scripts under lua/ with per-platform READMEs and MkDocs guides for copy-paste recipes.
• Added background probe spawning (J-Link, OpenOCD) so the Code pane stays responsive during attach.

Achievements

• Delivered a working cgdb-like alternative with richer structure for threads, breakpoints, and automation.
• Shipped one-command board debug via :lua remotegdb — deploy, gdbserver, and attach in a single step.
• Published platform guides for MPSoC (A53/R5), STM32F405, embedded Linux I/O modes, and kernel kgdb.
• Kept workflows user-editable — each Lua script is ~100 lines with env defaults at the top.
• Same UI covers local apps, remote gdbserver, bare-metal probes, and kernel debug.

Tech Stack

• Language: Go (application), Lua (workflows)
• Debuggers: GDB, Delve
• Probes: J-Link GDB Server, ST-Link, OpenOCD, Digilent HS2
• Targets: Embedded Linux (gdbserver), Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC, STM32F405, Linux kernel (kgdb)
• Docs: MkDocs, GitHub Pages
• Build: go build ./cmd/gdbforge

Documentation & Source Code

👉 GitHub – gdbforge