microsoft / microsoft/vscode-cpptools

[Debugger] vscode-cpptools should not launch a new terminal when using attach mode

Open
#14,118 1 comment 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

Nobody has claimed this yet.

bug debugger help wanted
Dominant language
TypeScript
Stars
6.2k
Forks
1.7k
Avg merge
14h 46m
Merged PRs (30d)
61

Description

Environment
  • OS and version: Windows 10
  • VS Code: 1.107.1
  • C/C++ extension: 1.29.3
  • OS and version of remote machine (if applicable): RHEL 8
  • GDB / LLDB version: 16.3
Bug Summary and Steps to Reproduce

Bug Summary:
When using attach mode, vscode-cpptools should not start a new terminal. The terminal is always empty and useless.

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Install C/C++ extension and Tasks Shell Input extension.

  2. launch.json:

    {
        "version": "0.2.0",
        "configurations": [
            {
                "name": "(gdb) Attach",
                "type": "cppdbg",
                "request": "attach",
                "program": "${workspaceFolder}/main",
                "processId": "${input:processID}",
                "MIMode": "gdb"
            }
        ],
        "inputs": [
            {
                "id": "processID",
                "type": "command",
                "command": "shellCommand.execute",
                "args": {
                    "command": "cat ${workspaceFolder}/main.pid",
                    "useFirstResult": true
                }
            }
        ]
    }
    
  3. main.c:

    #include <stdio.h>
    #include <stdlib.h>
    #include <unistd.h>
    
    int main() {
        FILE *fp = fopen("main.pid", "w");
        if (!fp) {
            return EXIT_FAILURE;
        }
        fprintf(fp, "%ld\n", (long) getpid());
        fclose(fp);
    
        while (1) {
            puts("Hello");
            sleep(3);
        }
        return EXIT_SUCCESS;
    }
    
  4. Compile and run:

    gcc -g main.c -o main
    
    ./main
    
  5. Run - Start Debugging


We need the "attach" mode because the actual program need a special way to launch.

But in "attach" mode, the terminal "cppdbg: main" is useless (and distracting). It will always be empty, because the program prints and reads at its own terminal.

Maybe vscode-cpptools should not launch a terminal when using attach mode, or we need an option at launch.json to make vscode-cpptools not to launch a terminal.

Debugger Configurations
{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "(gdb) Attach",
            "type": "cppdbg",
            "request": "attach",
            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/main",
            "processId": "${input:processID}",
            "MIMode": "gdb"
        }
    ],
    "inputs": [
        {
            "id": "processID",
            "type": "command",
            "command": "shellCommand.execute",
            "args": {
                "command": "cat ${workspaceFolder}/main.pid",
                "useFirstResult": true
            }
        }
    ]
}
Debugger Logs
N/A
Other Extensions

Tasks Shell Input (augustocdias.tasks-shell-input)

Additional Information

No response

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Reproduce the issue using the provided launch.json, main.c, attach configuration, and GDB setup on Windows 10 with the remote RHEL environment if available. Start by tracing the attach-mode debugging flow and terminal creation; done means attaching to the process without opening the empty cppdbg terminal, with existing debugging behavior preserved.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp, typescript, vscode
Domain
devtools
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

Get new issues in your inbox

A short digest of beginner-friendly GitHub issues.