epicgamesext/raddebugger

★ 6,931CAudience · developerComplexity · 4/5Setup · hard

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((raddebugger))
    What it does
      Debug Windows apps
      Visualize code state
      Fast linking
    Tools Included
      RAD Debugger
      RAD Linker
      RAD Debug Info
    Tech Stack
      C language
      MSVC
      Clang
      Windows
    Roadmap
      Linux support
      DWARF format

mindmap root((raddebugger)) What it does Debug Windows apps Visualize code state Fast linking Tools Included RAD Debugger RAD Linker RAD Debug Info Tech Stack C language MSVC Clang Windows Roadmap Linux support DWARF format

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Debug a native 64-bit Windows C or C++ application with a graphical interface instead of command-line tools

USE CASE 2

Speed up link times on a large Windows C++ project using the RAD Linker

USE CASE 3

Convert existing debug info from other toolchains into the RAD Debug Info format for use with the debugger

Tech stack

CMSVCClangWindows

Getting it running

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1h+

Requires Microsoft C++ Build Tools or Clang on Windows and must be built from source using a batch script from a developer command prompt.

In plain English

The RAD Debugger is a graphical debugging tool for Windows, published by Epic Games. A debugger is a program that lets software developers pause a running application, inspect its internal state, step through code line by line, and find the source of bugs. The RAD Debugger is designed to work with native Windows programs and currently supports 64-bit Windows targets. It is in alpha, meaning it is functional but still being tested and refined. Alongside the debugger itself, the project includes two related tools. The first is the RAD Debug Info format, a custom way of storing debug information that the debugger uses internally. Existing debug formats from other toolchains can be converted into this format automatically. The second is the RAD Linker, a tool for combining compiled code files into a finished executable. The linker is designed for very large projects where the standard linker is slow, and the project claims roughly 50% faster link times on their internal test cases involving multiple gigabytes of debug data. All three tools are written in C and built from source on Windows using Microsoft's C/C++ build tools or Clang. The build process is a single batch script run from a developer command prompt, and the output is a standalone executable with no separate installer. The README in this repository is a technical overview for developers who want to build from source or contribute. Usage instructions for the debugger itself are packaged with each release download. Pre-built release binaries are available from the GitHub releases page if you just want to try the debugger without building it. The project roadmap notes plans to expand support to Linux and to the DWARF debug format used on Linux and macOS. The team is currently focused on making the Windows alpha reliable across the wide range of compilers, languages, and build settings that exist in practice, and they ask users to file issues with reproduction steps when they find problems.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

I want to try the RAD Debugger from Epic Games on my 64-bit Windows C++ project. Walk me through building it from source using the batch script and then attaching it to my running process.

Prompt 2

How do I use the RAD Linker to reduce link times in a large Windows C++ game project? What do I need to change in my build setup?

Prompt 3

I cloned epicgamesext/raddebugger and opened a Visual Studio developer command prompt. What exact commands do I run to build the debugger executable?

Prompt 4

How do I convert my existing PDB debug symbols into the RAD Debug Info format so the RAD Debugger can use them?

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