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VMware interview question

Explain how debugger works. APIs used by it to debug a process, etc.

Interview Answer

Anonymous

May 27, 2012

Debugger support is part of the operating system kernel. This allow reading memory belonging to another process. Debugger has the ability to identigy itslef as a debugger and its intent to debug other process. It has the ability to query and set values of debugger and debuggie's registers. To start debugger must be attaching to a certain process. Debugging allows Breakpoints which work on assembler level useing the INT 3 instruction. Debuggers mostly operate on CPU instruction level.