Dosbox Debugger Stuck: Troubleshooting and Workarounds

When attempting to use the DOSBox debugger, users may encounter issues with breakpoints not functioning as expected. This problem can be particularly frustrating when trying to debug applications on older systems or platforms. In this article, we will explore some common causes of the Dosbox debugger getting stuck and provide effective workarounds to get you back up and running.

Known Issues and Workarounds

One common issue with breakpoints is that they may not function correctly at certain locations in the program. Fortunately, there are a few strategies you can employ to bypass this problem. For instance, you can use IDA's 'Suspend on debugging start' option to break into the debugger as soon as the process starts. This will allow you to set breakpoints at other locations that may not be affected by the known bug.

Another potential solution is to manually rebase the program before starting the debugger or even recreate the database at the correct offset. The DOSBox debugger plugin is designed to rebase the program to match the memory location in DOSBox, but this feature has been known to cause issues with older versions of IDA.

Compatibility and Testing

The Dosbox debugger plugin has not been thoroughly tested on all platforms, but it has been reported to work successfully with 32-bit IDA 6.9 Starter on 32-bit Windows using MSYS2, as well as 64-bit Linux and Mac OS X systems.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Using the Debugger

To use the DOSBox debugger, follow these steps:

1. In IDA, start the debugger by selecting the 'Remote DOSBox' option.

2. In DOSBox, run the binary you want to debug prefixed with 'debug'.

3. Load the executable into IDA in the usual manner.

4. Build the plugin and DOSBox as described in the BUILD.md file.

5. Download the patched DOSBox source from the 'idados' branch of 'repository URL'.

By following these steps and troubleshooting common issues, you should be able to successfully use the Dosbox debugger even when it gets stuck. Remember to always refer to the documentation for any specific instructions or guidelines that may vary depending on your platform or setup.

Dosbox debugger stuck