How to Download and Set Up Remote Debugging with Visual Studio Code on Linux

As a developer working on C++ projects, you know how crucial it is to be able to debug your code efficiently. One of the biggest challenges when working on remote machines is setting up a reliable debugging environment. In this post, we'll explore the process of enabling remote debugging of C++ code on Linux using Visual Studio Code.

To start, you'll need to trigger breakpoints and step through your source code once you have everything set up. This isn't much additional work beyond getting an SSH connection properly configured. You'll be working with your source files in Visual Studio, but they will be compiled on the remote Linux machine.

One important thing to note is that this approach is not a cross-compile solution. Instead, it's a good example of why we're open sourcing the GDB implementation itself. The limitations come from adapting the implementation designed specifically for Android, but it shows the potential for this capability.

In this post, I'll walk you through the steps I took to enable remote debugging of C++ code on Linux and Raspberry Pi. One of the interesting aspects of this capability is that it uses GDB, which makes it possible to adapt the implementation to debug other targets that support GDB debugging as well (e.g., Android).

With Visual Studio Code and its extensions, you can easily set up remote debugging for your C++ projects on Linux machines. By following these steps, you'll be able to take advantage of this powerful feature and streamline your development process.

To get started with downloading Visual Studio Code on Linux, follow these simple steps:

1. Open a terminal on your Linux machine.

2. Use the command `curl` or `wget` to download the installation package for Visual Studio Code.

3. Follow the installation instructions to install Visual Studio Code.

4. Once installed, open Visual Studio Code and create a new project.

That's it! With these steps, you'll be able to start exploring the features of Visual Studio Code on your Linux machine. For more information on remote debugging with Visual Studio Code, check out the official documentation or other resources available online.

Remember to also explore the GDB implementation for Android development in Visual Studio 2015. This feature is a great example of how you can adapt this capability to debug other targets that support GDB debugging as well.

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