--- name: "lldb" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "lldb" version: "23.1.4-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux", "freebsd"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/lldb" --- # lldb(1) LLDB Documentation ## NAME lldb - LLDB Documentation ## SYNOPSIS ``` lldb [options] executable ``` ## DESCRIPTION **lldb** is a next generation, high-performance debugger. It is built as a set of reusable components which highly leverage existing libraries in the larger LLVM Project, such as the Clang expression parser and LLVM disassembler. **lldb** is the default debugger in Xcode on macOS and supports debugging C, Objective-C and C++ on the desktop and iOS devices and simulator. All of the code in the LLDB project is available under the Apache 2.0 License with LLVM exceptions. ## ATTACHING - **--attach-name \** Tells the debugger to attach to a process with the given name. - **--attach-pid \** Tells the debugger to attach to a process with the given pid. - **-n \** Alias for --attach-name - **-p \** Alias for --attach-pid - **--wait-for** Tells the debugger to wait for a process with the given pid or name to launch before attaching. - **-w** Alias for --wait-for ## COMMANDS - **--batch** Tells the debugger to run the commands from -s, -S, -o & -O, and then quit. - **-b** Alias for --batch - **-K \** Alias for --source-on-crash - **-k \** Alias for --one-line-on-crash - **--local-lldbinit** Allow the debugger to parse the .lldbinit files in the current working directory, unless --no-lldbinit is passed. - **--no-lldbinit** Do not automatically parse any '.lldbinit' files. - **--one-line-before-file \** Tells the debugger to execute this one-line lldb command before any file provided on the command line has been loaded. - **--one-line-on-crash \** When in batch mode, tells the debugger to run this one-line lldb command if the target crashes. - **--one-line \** Tells the debugger to execute this one-line lldb command after any file provided on the command line has been loaded. - **-O \** Alias for --one-line-before-file - **-o \** Alias for --one-line - **-Q** Alias for --source-quietly - **--source-before-file \** Tells the debugger to read in and execute the lldb commands in the given file, before any file has been loaded. - **--source-on-crash \** When in batch mode, tells the debugger to source this file of lldb commands if the target crashes. - **--source-quietly** Tells the debugger not to echo commands while sourcing files or one-line commands provided on the command line. - **--source \** Tells the debugger to read in and execute the lldb commands in the given file, after any file has been loaded. - **-S \** Alias for --source-before-file - **-s \** Alias for --source - **-x** Alias for --no-lldbinit ## OPTIONS - **--arch \** Tells the debugger to use the specified architecture when starting and running the program. - **-a \** Alias for --arch - **--capture-path \** Tells the debugger to use the given filename for the reproducer. - **--capture** Tells the debugger to capture a reproducer. - **--core \** Tells the debugger to use the full path to \ as the core file. - **-c \** Alias for --core - **--debug** Tells the debugger to print out extra information for debugging itself. - **-d** Alias for --debug - **--editor** Tells the debugger to open source files using the host's "external editor" mechanism. - **-e** Alias for --editor - **--file \** Tells the debugger to use the file \ as the program to be debugged. - **-f \** Alias for --file - **--help** Prints out the usage information for the LLDB debugger. - **-h** Alias for --help - **--no-use-colors** Do not use colors. - **--replay \** Tells the debugger to replay a reproducer from \. - **--version** Prints out the current version number of the LLDB debugger. - **-v** Alias for --version - **-X** Alias for --no-use-color ## REPL - **-r=\** Alias for --repl=\ - **--repl-language \** Chooses the language for the REPL. - **--repl=\** Runs lldb in REPL mode with a stub process with the given flags. - **-R \** Alias for --repl-language ## SCRIPTING - **-l \** Alias for --script-language - **--print-script-interpreter-info** Prints out a json dictionary with information about the scripting language interpreter. - **--python-path** Prints out the path to the lldb.py file for this version of lldb. - **-P** Alias for --python-path - **--script-language \** Tells the debugger to use the specified scripting language for user-defined scripts. ## EXAMPLES The debugger can be started in several modes. Passing an executable as a positional argument prepares lldb to debug the given executable. To disambiguate between arguments passed to lldb and arguments passed to the debugged executable, arguments starting with a - must be passed after --. lldb --arch x86\_64 /path/to/program program argument -- --arch armv7 For convenience, passing the executable after -- is also supported. lldb --arch x86\_64 -- /path/to/program program argument --arch armv7 Passing one of the attach options causes **lldb** to immediately attach to the given process. lldb -p \ lldb -n \ Passing --repl starts **lldb** in REPL mode. lldb -r Passing --core causes **lldb** to debug the core file. lldb -c /path/to/core Command options can be combined with these modes and cause **lldb** to run the specified commands before or after events, like loading the file or crashing, in the order provided on the command line. lldb -O 'settings set stop-disassembly-count 20' -o 'run' -o 'bt' lldb -S /source/before/file -s /source/after/file lldb -K /source/before/crash -k /source/after/crash Note: In REPL mode no file is loaded, so commands specified to run after loading the file (via -o or -s) will be ignored. ## USING LLDB In **lldb** there is a help command which can be used to find descriptions and examples of all **lldb** commands. To get help on "breakpoint set" you would type "help breakpoint set". There is also an apropos command which will search the help text of all commands for a given term ‐‐ this is useful for locating a command by topic. For instance, "apropos breakpoint" will list any command that has the word "breakpoint" in its help text. ## CONFIGURATION FILES **lldb** reads things like settings, aliases and commands from the .lldbinit file. First, **lldb** will try to read the application specific init file whose name is ~/.lldbinit followed by a "-" and the name of the current program. This would be ~/.lldbinit-lldb for the command line **lldb** and ~/.lldbinit-Xcode for Xcode. If there is no application specific init file, **lldb** will look for an init file in the home directory. If launched with a REPL option, it will first look for a REPL configuration file, specific to the REPL language. The init file should be named as follow: **.lldbinit-\-repl** (i.e. **.lldbinit-swift-repl**). If this file doesn't exist, or **lldb** wasn't launch with REPL, meaning there is neither a REPL init file nor an application specific init file, **lldb** will fallback to the global ~/.lldbinit. Secondly, it will look for an .lldbinit file in the current working directory. For security reasons, **lldb** will print a warning and not source this file by default. This behavior can be changed by changing the target.load-cwd-lldbinit setting. To always load the .lldbinit file in the current working directory, add the following command to ~/.lldbinit: settings set target.load-cwd-lldbinit true To never load the .lldbinit file in the current working directory and silence the warning, add the following command to ~/.lldbinit: settings set target.load-cwd-lldbinit false ## SEE ALSO The LLDB project page \ has many different resources for **lldb** users ‐‐ the gdb/lldb command equivalence page \ can be especially helpful for users coming from gdb. ## Author LLVM project ## Copyright 2007-2026, The LLDB Team