Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Show HN: ChatGDB – GPT-Powered GDB Assistant

github.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 57 posts

Show HN: ChatGDB – GPT-Powered GDB Assistant

#1

Post by pgosar0514 »

ChatGDB is a tool designed to superpower your debugging experience with GDB, a debugger for compiled languages. Use it to accelerate your debugging workflow by leveraging the power of ChatGPT to assist you while using GDB!

It allows you to explain in natural language what you want to do, and then automatically execute the relevant command. Optionally, you can ask ChatGPT to explain the command it just ran or even pass in any question for it to answer. Focus on what's important - figuring out that nasty bug instead of chasing down GDB commands at the tip of your tongue.

See it here: https://github.com/pgosar/ChatGDB

Show HN: ChatGDB – GPT-Powered GDB Assistant
github.com

Re: Show HN: ChatGDB – GPT-Powered GDB Assistant

#6

Post by pgosar0514 »

amelius wrote: post #3

Also give me ChatAPT, the tool that helps you when your Debian package manager is in a broken state. And similar tools ChatPIP and ChatConda. Hell, just give me ChatAdmin.

Actually, that might be a future project! I am a bit worried about how much data I'd be sending on each request and how that may eat into tokens though, especially for more troublesome issues.

Re: Show HN: ChatGDB – GPT-Powered GDB Assistant

#7

Post by pgosar0514 »

rgovostes wrote: post #5

Seems like it would be very useful to feed it context about the state of the program and ask it to decompile disassembly, explain what kind of fault happened based on clues left in the register state, etc.

Right, I was heavily considering adding that in, but at least for now I elected not to since it would be rather unwieldy to send enough information to output useful information. Not to mention GPT-3 isn't the best at giving you correct information on why your code is broken in most cases.

Re: Show HN: ChatGDB – GPT-Powered GDB Assistant

#8

Post by great_psy »

Did anyone use this for an actual project. I am wondering how those chatX applications actually help.

When I had to use a dissasembler the issue was not commands, because those become muscle memory after a few hours of use. (LLM solutions are anti muscle memory because for the same prompt you can get diff results)

The issue I had was wrapping my brain around what is actually going on, keeping track of pointers, addresses and so on.

Maybe this chat solution can help with some of that, but I often am not sure what I actually am looking for so I can’t ask for it. Until I gets to “fix the bug/ find the overflow” I just don’t see the extra value.

Post reply on HN