When you invoke the debugger from a command line you can bring a program or core file under debugger control, or you can attach to a running process.
The following is the command line syntax to invoke the debugger using the idb command:
idb [gdb_options ] [ executable_file [ core_file ] ]
Note that the set of recognized options depends on the mode. For example, -V option is valid in DBX mode, but not in GDB mode.
: -args file
| -batch
| -cd dir
| -clomp launcher launcher_args
| -command file
| -c[ore] file
| -dbx
| -d[irectory] dir
| -e[xec] file
| -f[ullname]
| -gdb [ gdb_options ]
| -help
| -interpreter name
| -n[x]
| -nowindows
| -nw
| -p[id] pid
| -parallel launcher launcher_args
| -parallelattach launcher
| -q[uiet]
| -silent
| -tty device
| -version
| -ui name
| -x file
[ -args file ]
[ -batch ]
[ -c file ]
[ -cd directory ]
[ -clomp launcher launcher_args ]
[ -command file ]
[ -core file ]
[ -dbx ]
[ -echo ]
[ -emacs ]
[ -fullname ]
[ -gdb [ gdb_options ] ]
[ -gui ]
[ -help ]
[ - i file ]
[ -I dir ]
[ -interactive ]
[ -interpreter mode]
[ -maxruntime minutes ]
[ -nosharedobjs ]
[ -parallel launcher launcher_args ]
[ -parallelattach launcher ]
[ -p[id] process_id ]
[ -prompt string ]
[ -quiet ]
[ -remote [[protocol:]address:]port ]
[ -tty terminal_device ]
[ -V ]
[ -version ]
DBX mode refers to the debugger's command input mode that is "dbx like" in its command syntax. It is not fully dbx compatible.
Options can be prefixed by a dash (-) or double dash (--). Option names may be abbreviated as long as the abbreviations are unambiguous. An option and its argument are separated with one or more spaces or equal sign (=).
For example, to invoke the debugger on an executable file named a.out:
% idb a.out
To invoke the Debugger on a core file:
% idb a.out core
To invoke the debugger and attach to a running process when you do not know what file it is executing:
% idb -pid 8492