LinuxCommandLibrary

coredumpctl

Examine and manage core dumps

TLDR

List all captured core dumps

$ coredumpctl
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List captured core dumps for a program
$ coredumpctl list [program]
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Show information about the core dumps matching a program with PID
$ coredumpctl info [PID]
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Invoke debugger using the last core dump
$ coredumpctl debug
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Invoke debugger using the last core dump of a program
$ coredumpctl debug [program]
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Extract the last core dump of a program to a file
$ coredumpctl --output [path/to/file] dump [program]
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Skip debuginfod and pagination prompts and then print the backtrace when using gdb
$ coredumpctl debug --debugger-arguments "-iex 'set debuginfod enabled on' -iex 'set pagination off' -ex bt"
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SYNOPSIS

coredumpctl [OPTIONS] [PID|COMMAND]

PARAMETERS

--since=time
    Show only core dumps newer than the specified time.

--until=time
    Show only core dumps older than the specified time.

--pid=PID
    Show only core dumps matching the specified process ID.

--user=USER
    Show only core dumps for processes owned by the specified user.

--group=GROUP
    Show only core dumps for processes owned by the specified group.

--comm=COMM
    Show only core dumps for processes matching the specified command name.

--executable=PATH
    Show only core dumps for processes with the specified executable path.

--signal=SIGNAL
    Show only core dumps caused by the specified signal.

--tids=BOOL
    List thread IDs related to crash.

--all
    Show all core dumps (overrides other filters).

dump
    Dumps the core.

info
    Shows details about the coredump.

gdb
    Starts gdb with the coredump.

--quiet
    Suppresses output.

-h, --help
    Show help options.

DESCRIPTION

The `coredumpctl` command allows users to list, examine, and manage core dumps generated by systemd's coredump service. Core dumps are snapshots of a process's memory at the time of a crash, providing valuable information for debugging. This tool enables filtering core dumps by various criteria such as PID, executable path, signal, and more. It facilitates debugging by allowing inspection of the crashed process's state.

With `coredumpctl`, you can view information about the coredump (e.g., timestamp, user ID, process ID, signal that caused the crash). Furthermore, you can directly open the coredump in gdb(1) for interactive debugging or extract the contents of the coredump to a file for later analysis.

The tool provides a user-friendly interface for accessing and working with core dumps, making it easier to diagnose and resolve application crashes.

CAVEATS

Requires systemd to be properly configured to capture core dumps. The coredump service must be running and properly configured in `/etc/systemd/coredump.conf`.

EXIT CODES

0 on success, non-zero on failure.

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

No specific environment variables affect the execution of this command.

PERMISSIONS

User needs appropriate permissions to access coredump files.

HISTORY

Introduced as part of systemd to provide a centralized and efficient way to manage core dumps. It superseded traditional methods of capturing core dumps, offering improved filtering and organization.

SEE ALSO

systemd-coredump.service(8), gdb(1)

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