BashDB - Build & Install

1. Introduction

Bashdb is a debugger for Bash scripts, allowing interactive debugging with features like breakpoints, step execution, variable inspection, and stack tracing. It’s ideal for troubleshooting and analyzing complex scripts.

2. Build

2.1. Docker Container

We will create a docker container that will be used to build bashdb.

Create Dockerfile.

  
FROM fedora:24

RUN dnf -y install rpm-build rpm-devel rpmlint make rpmdevtools
RUN dnf -y install autoconf automake texinfo
RUN dnf -y install wget

Build docker image.

  
$ docker build --progress=plain -t fedora.24 .

Create docker container.

  
$ docker run -it -v /root:/root fedora.24 bash

2.2. Build

We will download bashdb source code and build in the docker container.

Create rpmbuild directory.

  
$ rpmdev-setuptree

Download source code.

  
$ cd /root/rpmbuild/SOURCES

$ wget --no-check-certificate https://sourceforge.net/projects/bashdb/files/bashdb/4.3-0.91/bashdb-4.3-0.91.tar.gz

Create rpm spec file /root/rpmbuild/SPECS/bashdb.spec.

  
Name:           bashdb
Version:        4.3
Release:        0
Summary:        bashdb debugger
License:        GPLv2+

BuildArch:      noarch
Source0:        bashdb-4.3-0.91.tar.gz


%description
debugger for bash script


%prep
tar xf /root/rpmbuild/SOURCES/bashdb-4.3-0.91.tar.gz


%build
mkdir -p /opt/bashdb
cd bashdb-4.3-0.91
./configure --prefix=/opt/bashdb
make


%install
cd bashdb-4.3-0.91
make install
mkdir -p %{buildroot}/opt/bashdb
cp -r /opt/bashdb/bin %{buildroot}/opt/bashdb
cp -r /opt/bashdb/share %{buildroot}/opt/bashdb


%files
/opt/bashdb

Build rpm package.

  
$ rpmbuild -bb /root/rpmbuild/SPECS/bashdb.spec

2.3. Install

Copy rpm to shared folder.

  
$ cp /root/rpmbuild/RPMS/noarch/bashdb-4.3-0.noarch.rpm /root

Install rpm.

  
$ rpm -ivh --nodeps bashdb-4.3-0.noarch.rpm

Run bashdb.

  
$ /opt/bashdb/bin/bashdb --help

3. Manual

3.1. Start

Start a script under bashdb control.

  
$ bashdb /usr/bin/ldd

3.2. Redirect Output

Redirect output to another terminal.

Get path of terminal 1.

  
term1$ tty
/dev/pts/1

From terminal 0, redirect output to terminal 1.

  
term0$ bashdb /usr/bin/ldd > /dev/pts/1

3.3. Set Breakpoint In Code

Hardcode a breakpoint at a line of code.

Add the below code to the bash script.

  
source /opt/bashdb/share/bashdb/bashdb-trace -L /opt/bashdb/share/bashdb
_Dbg_debugger

4. Issues

4.1. Could not found /usr/bin/bash

Problem.

  
bashdb: /usr/bin/bash: bad interpreter: No such file or directory

Solution.

  
$ ln -s /bin/bash /usr/bin/bash

4.2. Argument $0 is bashdb, but the expected $0 is the target script.

Solution: Invoke bashdb from the script.

  
# add the below line to the script
source /opt/bashdb/share/bashdb/bashdb-trace -L /opt/bashdb/share/bashdb
_Dbg_debugger