# cgdb/cgdb

Console front-end to the GNU debugger

Repository: https://github.com/cgdb/cgdb
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/cgdb
Language: C
License: GPL-2.0
License Family: copyleft
Last push: 2026-02-27T02:56:11+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 63/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 69, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5234, "days_push": 187, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1839, forks 192 (observed 2026-08-28T04:05:42.910731+00:00)

## What it is
CGDB is a lightweight console front-end to the GNU debugger (GDB) with a split-screen interface showing the GDB session and source code. Its keybindings are modeled after vim, making it familiar to vim users.

## Use cases
- debug C/C++ programs from the terminal
- view source code while stepping through GDB
- use vim-style keybindings in a debugger
- replace plain GDB with a nicer console UI
- debug over SSH without a GUI

## When to choose
- you debug in a terminal or over SSH
- you know vim and want familiar navigation
- you want a lightweight alternative to GUI debuggers

## When to avoid
- you prefer a graphical debugger like IDE-integrated ones
- you debug languages other than those supported by GDB

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: developer-tools, terminal-ui
- domain: developer-tools
- platform: cli
- tags: gdb, debugger, curses, vim-like, c, command-line, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- cgdb/cgdb (main) score 63

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:42.910731+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T03:18:14.450961+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/cgdb/cgdb (fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:42.910731+00:00, sha 43b0cd0f6830)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.