# dwarf-debug-format

A skill that walks the agent through DWARF debug info: ELF sections, split DWARF, debuginfod, plus how LTO and stripping change it.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 471 installs · ★ 267
- Author: mohitmishra786
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/debuggers/dwarf-debug-format/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-06-27
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/dwarf-debug-format

## What it does

The skill covers debug information in binaries: which sections show up in ELF, how `.debug_info`, `.debug_line` and `.debug_str` differ, and how DIE trees work with `DW_TAG_*` tags and `DW_AT_*` attributes. It ships ready commands for `readelf`, `dwarfdump` and `llvm-dwarfdump`, including `llvm-dwarfdump --statistics` to see how much DWARF adds to file size.

Two sections stand apart. Split DWARF explains building with `-gsplit-dwarf`, the `.dwo` sidecar files, and packing them into a `.dwp` with `dwp` or `llvm-dwp`. The debuginfod part shows `DEBUGINFOD_URLS`, `debuginfod-find`, and running your own server on a local port. There is also a walkthrough of LTO and `strip` effects, and how to keep debug info in a separate file with `objcopy --only-keep-debug`.

The skill triggers on its own when a query mentions DWARF, `.dwo`, `dwarfdump`, `debuginfod` or the classic no debugging symbols found message. You need `dwarfdump` from the `libdwarf` package and `readelf` from elfutils installed — without them the inspection commands in the skill will not run.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill dwarf-debug-format -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/dwarf-debug-format/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/dwarf-debug-format/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill dwarf-debug-format -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/dwarf-debug-format/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill dwarf-debug-format -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/dwarf-debug-format/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills dwarf-debug-format
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/dwarf-debug-format/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill dwarf-debug-format -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --path skills/debuggers/dwarf-debug-format
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/dwarf-debug-format/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill dwarf-debug-format -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/debuggers/dwarf-debug-format/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- see which DWARF sections an ELF binary carries
- locate a function or variable in the DIE tree with dwarfdump
- build with split DWARF and pack .dwo files into a .dwp
- set up debuginfod so GDB fetches symbols on its own
- figure out why LTO or strip removed debug info

## Example prompts
- Show the DWARF sections in prog and explain what lives in .debug_line
- GDB says no debugging symbols found — check the binary and walk me through debuginfod setup
- Compile main.c with split DWARF and pack the .dwo files into prog.dwp

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 25851eb5a63d6f6c.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 25851eb5a63d6f6c
````text
---
name: dwarf-debug-format
description: DWARF debug format skill for understanding debug information. Use when inspecting DWARF sections with dwarfdump, working with split DWARF (.dwo files), setting up debuginfod for remote symbol resolution, or understanding how DWARF interacts with LTO and symbol stripping. Activates on queries about DWARF, .debug_info, .debug_line, dwarfdump, split DWARF, .dwo files, debuginfod, or debug info stripping.
---

# DWARF Debug Format

## Purpose

Guide agents through understanding and working with DWARF debug information: the key DWARF sections, using `dwarfdump` and `readelf` for inspection, split DWARF (`.dwo` files), `debuginfod` for remote symbol servers, and how LTO and stripping affect debug info.

## Triggers

- "What are the DWARF sections in an ELF binary?"
- "How do I inspect DWARF debug info in a binary?"
- "How does split DWARF work?"
- "How do I set up debuginfod for automatic debug symbols?"
- "Why does GDB say 'no debugging symbols found'?"
- "How does LTO affect DWARF debug information?"

## Workflow

### 1. DWARF sections overview

```bash
# Show all sections in a binary (including DWARF)
readelf -S prog | grep "\.debug"

# Common DWARF sections:
# .debug_info      — types, variables, functions (DIEs — Debug Info Entries)
# .debug_abbrev    — abbreviation table for .debug_info encoding
# .debug_line      — line number table (source line → address mapping)
# .debug_str       — string table for identifiers
# .debug_loc       — location expressions (where variables live)
# .debug_ranges    — non-contiguous address ranges for CUs
# .debug_aranges   — fast lookup: address → compilation unit
# .debug_pubnames  — global variable and function names
# .debug_frame     — call frame information (for unwinding)
# .debug_types     — type unit entries (DWARF 4+)
# .debug_rnglists  — range lists (DWARF 5)
# .debug_loclists  — location lists (DWARF 5)
# .debug_addr      — address table (DWARF 5)
# .debug_line_str  — line number string table (DWARF 5)
```

### 2. Inspecting DWARF with dwarfdump

```bash
# Install dwarfdump
apt-get install dwarfdump    # Ubuntu (part of libdwarf)
brew install libdwarf        # macOS

# Dump all DWARF info
dwarfdump prog

# Dump specific sections
dwarfdump --debug-info prog        # types, variables, functions
dwarfdump --debug-line prog        # line number table
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 25851eb5a63d6f6c

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