Dape - Debug Adapter Protocol for Emacs

Use dape-configs to set up your debug adapter configurations. To initiate debugging sessions, use the command dape.

For complete functionality, activate eldoc-mode in your source buffers and enable repeat-mode for ergonomics.

Features

• Log breakpoints
• Conditional breakpoints
• Variable explorer
• Variable watch
• Variable hover with eldoc
• REPL
• gdb-mi like interface
• Memory viewer with hexl
• compile integration
• Debug adapter configuration ergonomics
• No dependencies (except for jsonrpc which is part of emacs but needed version is not part of latest stable emacs release 29.1-1 but available on elpa)

And with (setq dape-buffer-window-arrangement 'gud) + corfu as completion-in-region-function. Screenshots taken with modus-operandi-tinted.

Configuration

Currently Dape does not come with any debug adapter configuration.

(use-package dape
  ;; To use window configuration like gud (gdb-mi)
  ;; :init
  ;; (setq dape-buffer-window-arrangement 'gud)

  :config
  ;; Info buffers to the right
  ;; (setq dape-buffer-window-arrangement 'right)

  ;; To not display info and/or buffers on startup
  ;; (remove-hook 'dape-on-start-hooks 'dape-info)
  ;; (remove-hook 'dape-on-start-hooks 'dape-repl)

  ;; To display info and/or repl buffers on stopped
  ;; (add-hook 'dape-on-stopped-hooks 'dape-info)
  ;; (add-hook 'dape-on-stopped-hooks 'dape-repl)

  ;; By default dape uses gdb keybinding prefix
  ;; If you do not want to use any prefix, set it to nil.
  ;; (setq dape-key-prefix "\C-x\C-a")

  ;; Kill compile buffer on build success
  ;; (add-hook 'dape-compile-compile-hooks 'kill-buffer)

  ;; Save buffers on startup, useful for interpreted languages
  ;; (add-hook 'dape-on-start-hooks
  ;;           (defun dape--save-on-start ()
  ;;             (save-some-buffers t t)))

  ;; Projectile users
  ;; (setq dape-cwd-fn 'projectile-project-root)
  )

Differences with dap-mode

dap-mode is the most popular alternative and is of course much more mature and probably more feature rich (have not used dap-mode extensively).

Dape has no dependencies outside of packages included in emacs, and tries to use get as much out of them possible.

Dape takes a slightly different approach to configuration.

• Dape does not support launch.json files, if per project configuration is needed use dir-locals.
• Tries to simplify configuration, by having just a plist.
• Dape tries to improve config ergonomics in dape completing-read by using options to change/add plist entries in an already existing config, example: adapter-config :program ＂/home/user/b.out＂ compile ＂gcc -g -o b.out main.c＂.
• No magic, no special variables. Instead, functions and variables are resolved before starting a new session.
• Tries to be envision to how debug adapter configuration would be implemented in emacs if vscode never existed.

Supported debug adapters

In theory all debug adapters should be compatible with Dape.

Javascript - vscode-js-*

1. Install `node`
2. Visit https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-js-debug/releases/ and download the asset `js-debug-dap-<version>.tar.gz`
3. Unpack `mkdir -p ~/.emacs.d/debug-adapters && tar -xvzf js-debug-dap-<version>.tar.gz -C ~/.emacs.d/debug-adapters`

For more information see OPTIONS.md.

Go - dlv

See delve installation. For more information see documentation.

C, C++ and Rust - codelldb

1. Download latest vsix release for your platform `codelldb-<platform>-<os>.vsix`
2. Unpack `mkdir -p ~/.emacs.d/debug-adapters && unzip codelldb-<platform>-<os>.vsix -d ~/.emacs.d/debug-adapters/codelldb`

See manual for more information.

C and C++ - cpptools

Download latesnd unpack vsix file with your favorite unzipper.

1. Download latest vsix release for your platform `cpptools-<platform>-<os>.vsix`
2. Unpack `mkdir -p ~/.emacs.d/debug-adapters && unzip cpptools-<os>-<platform>.vsix -d ~/.emacs.d/debug-adapters/cpptools`
3. Then `chmod +x ~/.emacs.d/debug-adapters/cpptools/extension/debugAdapters/bin/OpenDebugAD7`
4. And `chmod +x ~/.emacs.d/debug-adapters/cpptools/extension/debugAdapters/lldb-mi/bin/lldb-mi`

See options.

Python - debugpy

Install debugpy with pip `pip install debugpy`

See options.

Godot

Configure debug adapter port under “Editor” -> “Editor Settings” -> “Debug Adapter”.

Dart - flutter

See for installation https://docs.flutter.dev/get-started/install

C# - netcoredbg

See https://github.com/Samsung/netcoredbg for installation

Ruby - rdbg

Install with gem install debug.

See https://github.com/ruby/debug for more information

Java - JDTLS with Java Debug Server plugin

See https://github.com/eclipse-jdtls/eclipse.jdt.ls for installation of JDTLS. See https://github.com/microsoft/java-debug for installation of the Java Debug Server plugin. The Java config depends on Eglot running JDTLS with the plugin prior to starting Dape. Extend eglot-server-programs as follows to have JDTLS load the plugin:

(add-to-list 'eglot-server-programs
             `((java-mode java-ts-mode) .
               ("jdtls"
                :initializationOptions
                (:bundles ["/PATH/TO/java-debug/com.microsoft.java.debug.plugin/target/com.microsoft.java.debug.plugin-VERSION.jar"]))))

Other untested adapters

If you find a working configuration for any other debug adapter please submit a PR.

See microsofts list for other adapters, your mileage will vary.

Bugs and issues

Before reporting any issues take a look at *dape-repl* buffer. Master is used is for all case and purposes a development branch still and releases on elpa should be more stable so in the mean time use elpa if the bug is a breaking you workflow.

Acknowledgements

Big thanks to João Távora for the input and jsonrpc; the project wouldn’t be where it is without João.