SDB is a symbolic

debugger A debugger or debugging tool is a computer program used to test and debug other programs (the "target" program). The main use of a debugger is to run the target program under controlled conditions that permit the programmer to track its execut ...

for C programs. It may be used to examine their files and to provide a controlled environment for their execution. SDB was first introduced in

UNIX/32V UNIX/32V is an early version of the Unix operating system from Bell Laboratories, released in June 1979. 32V was a direct port of the Seventh Edition Unix to the DEC VAX architecture. Overview Before 32V, Unix had primarily run on DEC P ...

. The authors(s) of the original version are unknown, but a second version was created from scratch in 1988 by Brian Russell and David Weatherford.

Technical details

SDB is a minimal debugger, that can only debug C programs compiled in

COFF The Common Object File Format (COFF) is a format for executable, object code, and shared library computer files used on Unix systems. It was introduced in Unix System V, replaced the previously used a.out format, and formed the basis for ext ...

format with debug options. The later version (1988) was capable of reading DWARF debugging information.

Tutorials

''SCO OpenServer(TM) Programming Tools Guide - SDB''
{{unix-stub Debuggers