How do I prepend a directory the library path when loading a core file in gdb on Linux

Question

I have a core file generated on a remote system that I don't have direct access to. I also have local copies of the library files from the remote system, and the executable file for the crashing program.

I'd like to analyse this core dump in gdb.

For example:

gdb path/to/executable path/to/corefile 

My libraries are in the current directory.

In the past I've seen debuggers implement this by supplying the option "-p ." or "-p /=."; so my question is:

How can I specify that libraries be loaded first from paths relative to my current directory when analysing a corefile in gdb?

Answer 1

Start gdb without specifying the executable or core file, then type the following commands:

set solib-absolute-prefix ./usr file path/to/executable core-file path/to/corefile 

You will need to make sure to mirror your library path exactly from the target system. The above is meant for debugging targets that don't match your host, that is why it's important to replicate your root filesystem structure containing your libraries.

If you are remote debugging a server that is the same architecture and Linux/glibc version as your host, then you can do as fd suggested:

set solib-search-path <path> 

If you are trying to override some of the libraries, but not all then you can copy the target library directory structure into a temporary place and use the solib-absolute-prefix solution described above.