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