gcore

generates process core dumps

TLDR

Generate core dump

$ gcore [pid]

Specify output file

$ gcore -o [corefile] [pid]

Generate for all threads

$ gcore -a [pid]

gcore generates a core dump of a running process without terminating it. It captures the process memory state for debugging or analysis while the process continues running.The tool attaches to the target process temporarily to create the dump. The resulting core file can be analyzed with debuggers like GDB to examine program state.gcore is useful for debugging production systems without causing downtime.

PARAMETERS

PID

Process ID to dump.

-o FILE

Output filename prefix.

-a

Dump all threads.

--help

Display help information.

INSTALL

sudo apt install gdb

sudo dnf install gdb

sudo pacman -S gdb

sudo apk add gdb

sudo zypper install gdb

brew install gdb

nix profile install nixpkgs#gdb

CAVEATS

Requires ptrace permissions. Large processes create large dumps. May briefly pause target process.

HISTORY

gcore is part of GDB (GNU Debugger), providing non-destructive core dump generation for debugging running processes without interrupting service.