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Merge pull request #6211 from electron/debugging-main-process-docs
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Update debugging main process docs
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zcbenz committed Jun 24, 2016
2 parents fa02384 + adc8c54 commit eb55fba
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27 changes: 15 additions & 12 deletions docs/tutorial/debugging-main-process.md
Expand Up @@ -11,37 +11,39 @@ Use the following command line switches to debug Electron's main process:
### `--debug=[port]`

When this switch is used Electron will listen for V8 debugger protocol
messages on `port`. The default `port` is `5858`.
messages on the `port`. The default `port` is `5858`.

### `--debug-brk=[port]`

Like `--debug` but pauses the script on the first line.

## Use node-inspector for Debugging

**Note:** Electron doesn't currently work very well
with node-inspector, and the main process will crash if you inspect the
`process` object under node-inspector's console.
**Note:** Electron doesn't currently work very well with node-inspector, and the
main process will crash if you inspect the `process` object under
node-inspector's console.

### 1. Make sure you have [node-gyp required tools][node-gyp-required-tools] installed
### 1. Install the [node-gyp required tools][node-gyp-required-tools]

### 2. Install [node-inspector][node-inspector]

```bash
$ npm install node-inspector
```

### 3. Install a patched version of `node-pre-gyp`
### 3. Install [node-pre-gyp][node-pre-gyp]

```bash
$ npm install git+https://git@github.com/enlight/node-pre-gyp.git#detect-electron-runtime-in-find
$ npm install node-pre-gyp
```

### 4. Recompile the `node-inspector` `v8` modules for electron (change the target to your electron version number)
### 4. Recompile the `node-inspector` `v8` modules for Electron

**Note:** Update the target argument to be your Electron version number

```bash
$ node_modules/.bin/node-pre-gyp --target=0.36.11 --runtime=electron --fallback-to-build --directory node_modules/v8-debug/ --dist-url=https://atom.io/download/atom-shell reinstall
$ node_modules/.bin/node-pre-gyp --target=0.36.11 --runtime=electron --fallback-to-build --directory node_modules/v8-profiler/ --dist-url=https://atom.io/download/atom-shell reinstall
$ node_modules/.bin/node-pre-gyp --target=1.2.5 --runtime=electron --fallback-to-build --directory node_modules/v8-debug/ --dist-url=https://atom.io/download/atom-shell reinstall
$ node_modules/.bin/node-pre-gyp --target=1.2.5 --runtime=electron --fallback-to-build --directory node_modules/v8-profiler/ --dist-url=https://atom.io/download/atom-shell reinstall
```

See also [How to install native modules][how-to-install-native-modules].
Expand All @@ -60,7 +62,7 @@ or, to pause your script on the first line:
$ electron --debug-brk=5858 your/app
```

### 6. Start the [node-inspector][node-inspector] server using electron
### 6. Start the [node-inspector][node-inspector] server using Electron

```bash
$ ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE=true path/to/electron.exe node_modules/node-inspector/bin/inspector.js
Expand All @@ -69,9 +71,10 @@ $ ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE=true path/to/electron.exe node_modules/node-inspector/bin
### 7. Load the debugger UI

Open http://127.0.0.1:8080/debug?ws=127.0.0.1:8080&port=5858 in the Chrome
browser. You may have to click pause if starting with debug-brk to see the
browser. You may have to click pause if starting with `debug-brk` to see the
entry line.

[node-inspector]: https://github.com/node-inspector/node-inspector
[node-pre-gyp]: https://github.com/mapbox/node-pre-gyp
[node-gyp-required-tools]: https://github.com/nodejs/node-gyp#installation
[how-to-install-native-modules]: using-native-node-modules.md#how-to-install-native-modules

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