Codesign gdb on OSX

codesign_gdb.md

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Note: these instructions are for pre-Sierra MacOS. Sierra (10.12) and newer users see https://gist.github.com/gravitylow/fb595186ce6068537a6e9da6d8b5b96d by @gravitylow

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If you are getting this in gdb on OSX while trying to run a program:

Unable to find Mach task port for process-id 57573: (os/kern) failure (0x5).
 (please check gdb is codesigned - see taskgated(8))

1. Open Keychain Access
2. In the menu, open Keychain Access > Certificate Assistant > Create a certificate
3. Give it a name (e.g. gdbc)
   • Identity type: Self Signed Root
   • Certificate type: Code Signing
   • Check: let me override defaults
4. Continue until it prompts you for: "specify a location for..."
5. Set Keychain location to System
6. Create a certificate and close assistant.
7. Find the certificate in System keychains, right click it > get info (or just double click it)
8. Expand Trust, set Code signing to always trust
9. Restart taskgated in terminal: killall taskgated
10. Enable root account:
    1. Open System Preferences
    2. Go to User & Groups > Unlock
    3. Login Options > "Join" (next to Network Account Server)
    4. Click "Open Directory Utility"
    5. Go up to Edit > Enable Root User
11. Run codesign -fs gdbc /usr/local/bin/gdb in terminal: this asks for the root password
12. Disable root account (see #10)

Done!

I'm following these instructions step by step. After step 6, the certification fails stating "the specified item could not be found in the keychain". I'm using High Sierra 10.13.3. Can anyone help me?

I followed all these steps but when I make the certificate it gives me a message saying "An error occurred" "error code: -2,147,414,007"

same here = I followed all these steps but when I make the certificate it gives me a message saying "An error occurred" "error code: -2,147,414,007"

I see -2,147,414,007 error too. This is most likely due to that you have cert created already in either login or system. Remove them all (gdb cert you created earlier), and recreate a new one. You should be good then.

It could also be that there's some other item with the same name gdbc (in my case it is public-private key). You can use a different name (I had the same error and used gdbcert instead and was able to create the certificate).

Hi, I was trying to install gdb on the Mac, and found your post. I followed your instructions, but now have an additional problem. Do you know why:
gdb can start, but it's showing:

start
Temporary breakpoint 1 at 0x100000f04
Starting program: /Users/user/Documents/codecompre_tooltest/a.out 
[New Thread 0x1703 of process 1645]
[New Thread 0x1903 of process 1645]
[New Thread 0x1a03 of process 1645]

[3]+  Stopped                 gdb a.out

Three cheers for hlissner!

I see -2,147,414,007 error too and I don't have a cert already installed... what to do?

@DanijelDomazet Perhaps this could help:

For those getting unknown error = -2,147,414,007 when creating the cert. The System folder needs to be unlocked before starting the certificate creation process.

From https://gist.github.com/gravitylow/fb595186ce6068537a6e9da6d8b5b96d#gistcomment-2402870

this is didn't work for macosx 10.15.1, does any one have met this?

@idevz have you managed how to run it on macosx 10.15? For me run with sudo made work.

this is didn't work for macosx 10.15.1, does any one have met this?

same problem, my eclipse-cdt hangs at 96% when debugging using gdb, even if I signed following this post

@idevz @Infernion same with me, I must run with sudo on macosx 10.15.1

@idevz @Infernion same with me, I must run with sudo on macosx 10.15.1

And it is much slower than lldb, It spent too much time during Reading symbols from xxx...

What an annoyance! Well, it works from the administrator's account, but it does absolutely nothing elsewhere, I did everything from every level and it still won't go... Why Apply has to be so difficult!!!

I won't be surprised if Apple completely disables the root account next.

No error occurs during the signing. But it does not work. Gdb still requires to be code signed when debugging.

Executed thoroughly in 10.15.5. Didn't work properly, unfortunately. Error message persists.

In case anyone misses the giant text at the top of the gist:

Note: these instructions are for pre-Sierra MacOS. Sierra (10.12) and newer users see https://gist.github.com/gravitylow/fb595186ce6068537a6e9da6d8b5b96d by @gravitylow

Though, admittedly, I don't even know if the linked guide works. I haven't been on macOS in nearly 8 years. Good luck!

offical information: https://sourceware.org/gdb/wiki/PermissionsDarwin

I needed to run sudo killall taskgated rather than just killall taskgated, which reported No matching processes belonging to you were found.

Thanks for clarification. Using sudo helped for my machine.

Love it thankyou man it worked.

Sorry, I do the instruction that you told, but the problem still happen. when i type codesign -fs gdbc /usr/local/bin/gdb the response is /usr/local/bin/gdb: replacing existing signature over and over again, please help

@idevz @Infernion same with me, I must run with sudo on macosx 10.15.1

2024 - this is still the solution for me.