How to Configure a Device for Remote Debugging

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You can remotely debug native and managed applications on a Windows XP Embedded-based device from a development system. While there are a number of applications you can use for remote debugging, this how-to will discuss remote debugging using Visual Studio .NET 2003.

Remote debugging requires that the development system and the target device are both on the network and are both configured to work with a TCP/IP-based debugging application, such as Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003.

To track your progress in the following table, select the check box next to each step.

  Step Topic
1. Add remote debugging support components to your configuration. Adding Remote Debugging Support to a Configuration
2. If you are remotely debugging managed applications, add additional components to your configuration. Adding Remote Debugging Support for Managed Applications
3. After building and deploying the run-time image to the device:
  • Verify communications between the device and the development system.
  • If you are debugging native code, copy the Visual C++ native remote debugging client tools onto the device.
 Verifying Communications Between the Device and the Development System
4. Create a share on the device's system drive and connect to it from the development system. Configuring a Shared Drive on a Run-Time Image
5. Install the Visual Studio Remote Debugging applications to the device. Installing Visual Studio Remote Debugger for Managed Applications

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Installing Visual Studio Remote Debugger for Native Applications
6. Configure the firewall settings to enable remote debugging. Configure the Firewall to Enable Remote Debugging
7. Verify the remote debugging permission settings on your device. Verify the Permission Settings for Remote Debugging
8. For native applications, you must start the remote debugging monitor on the device.

Note For managed applications, the remote debugging service should already be running.

 Starting the Remote Debugging Monitor
9. After the remote debugging session begins:
  • Create a project on the device in Visual Studio Project from which to execute your managed application.
  • Configure the project with the proper settings for remote debugging operations.

Update the firewall settings on the development system and the device as needed. For more information, go to this Microsoft Web site.

 Configuring a Visual Studio Project for Remote Debugging
10. Debug the application as it executes on the device. Debugging the Application on the Device

Note   After you have deployed the run-time image to the device, you can optionally:

  • Use the Registry Editor on the development system to remotely access and modify the device's registry.

    You can remotely access and modify the device's registry after you have deployed the run-time image to the device.

    For more information, see Accessing and Modifying the Device's Registry Remotely.

  • Configure your run-time image to support kernel-mode debugging.

    You can enable kernel-mode debugging on a device by setting the /DEBUG switch in the boot.ini file. Kernel mode debugging allows you to debug device drivers and services.

    For more information, see Configuring a Run-time Image for Kernel-Mode Debugging.

See Also

Remote Debugging

Last updated on Wednesday, October 18, 2006

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