- Qt Creator Documentation
- Start and debug an external application
- Qt Creator 15.0.1

How To

# Start and debug an external application

To debug any executable on your local or on a remote machine without using a project, specify a build and run kit that identifies the device to debug the application on.

While the start external debugger mode does not strictly require a project to be open in Qt Creator, opening it makes setting breakpoints and stepping through the code easier.

To start and debug an external application:

1. Go to Debug > Start Debugging > Start and Debug External Application.

2. In Kit, select the build and run kit to use for building the project.
3. In Local executable, specify the path to the application executable on the local machine.
4. In Command line arguments, specify command line arguments to be passed to the executable.
5. In Working directory, specify the working directory. It defaults to the directory of the build result.
6. Select Run in terminal for console applications.
7. Select Break at "main" to stop the debugger at the main function.
8. Select Use target extended-remote to connect to create the connection in the `target extended-remote mode`. In this mode, when the debugged application exits or you detach from it, the debugger remains connected to the target. You can rerun the application, attach to a running application, or use monitor commands specific to the target. For example, GDB does not exit unless it was invoked using the `--once` option, but you can make it exit by using the `monitor exit` command.
9. In Override SysRoot, specify the path to the `sysroot` to use instead of the default `sysroot`.
10. In Debug information, specify the location for storing debug information. You cannot use an empty path.
11. In Recent, you can select a recent configuration to use.

See also Activate kits for a project, How To: Debug, Debugging, Debuggers, and Debugger.