drgn is a programmable debugger that puts scripting at the centre of the debugging workflow.
It exposes program types and variables directly to Python, which makes it well suited to exploring complex state in large programs. The project was developed for Linux kernel debugging, can also debug userspace C programs, and can be used both as a debugger and as a library for building debugging and introspection tools.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Exposes program types, variables, and memory to Python for expressive debugging scripts.
- Can debug the running Linux kernel, live processes, and kernel or userspace core dumps.
- Includes predefined helpers for common Linux inspection tasks.
- Can be used as a library for building custom debugging and introspection tools.
- Available through several Linux distribution package managers as well as pip.
Website: github.com/osandov/drgn
Support:
Developer: Omar Sandoval
License: GNU Lesser General Public License v2.1

drgn is written in Python and C. Learn Python with our recommended free books and free tutorials. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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Read our verdict in the software roundup.
Explore our comprehensive directory of recommended free and open source software. Our carefully curated collection spans every major software category.This directory is part of our ongoing series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. It features hundreds of detailed reviews, along with open source alternatives to proprietary solutions from major corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. You’ll also find interesting projects to try, hardware coverage, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. Discovered a useful open source Linux program that we haven’t covered yet? Let us know by completing this form. |

