GDB MCP Server

GDB becomes available to MCP clients through the gdb mcp server. A GDB/MI protocol server based on the MCP protocol, providing remote application debugging capabilities with AI assistants.

What GDB does

A GDB/MI protocol server based on the MCP protocol, providing remote application debugging capabilities with AI assistants.

Key capabilities

• Create and manage GDB debug sessions
• Set and manage breakpoints
• View stack information and variables
• Control program execution (run, pause, step, etc.)
• Support concurrent multi-session debugging
• A built-in TUI to inspect agent behaviors so that you can improve your prompt (WIP)

Tools it exposes

Once connected, the assistant can call this tool directly:

• SSE — Server-Sent Events transport, default at http://127.0.0.1:8080

Installing the gdb mcp server

Setup follows the standard MCP pattern: clone or install the server, then register it in your client's configuration file and restart the client. The configuration snippets on this page cover Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor.

Where it fits

Developer-tool servers are usually the first ones people connect, because they turn "help me with this code" into an assistant that can actually read the repo and act on it. GDB sits in that group, and the shape of its toolset — SSE — tells you what it is really for. Worth comparing against the other developer tools servers in this directory before you commit to one, since several overlap in scope but differ sharply in setup cost and permissions.

Practical notes

• This server runs locally, so it operates with whatever access your machine and its credentials already have. Scope that deliberately rather than by default.
• MCP clients ask for confirmation before each tool call by default. Keep that on while you learn what the gdb mcp server actually does with your data.
• Every entry in this directory is reviewed by hand before it goes live, and details are checked against the project's own documentation.