Valgrind Debug
This is a fork of the abandoned valgrind-task-integration extension by 1nVitr0, rewritten from the ground up with a new single-launch-config debugger experience.
Debug C/C++ programs under Valgrind with a single launch configuration. Press F5 and the extension handles everything: starting Valgrind, capturing the process ID, and attaching the C++ debugger with vgdb — no manual wiring of tasks, commands, or setup scripts.
Features
- One launch config — add a
"type": "valgrind" entry to launch.json and press F5
- No build system dependency — point
program at any executable (CMake, Meson, Make, manual builds)
- Automatic debugger orchestration — Valgrind starts first, then the C++ debugger attaches via
vgdb
- Lifecycle management — stopping the debugger kills Valgrind; Valgrind exiting stops the debugger
- Problem matchers — Valgrind errors (invalid reads, leaks, etc.) appear in the Problems panel
- Supports cppdbg and CodeLLDB — choose your preferred debugger backend
- Standalone Valgrind task — run Valgrind without a debugger for quick memory checks
- Dependency validation — on launch, the extension checks that
valgrind and the debugger extension are available and offers to help install them if missing
Prerequisites
The extension checks these automatically on each launch and shows actionable error messages with install buttons if anything is missing.
Valgrind (system binary)
Valgrind must be installed and available on your $PATH (or configured via valgrind.binary).
| OS |
Install command |
| Debian / Ubuntu |
sudo apt install valgrind |
| Fedora / RHEL |
sudo dnf install valgrind |
| Arch |
sudo pacman -S valgrind |
| macOS (experimental) |
brew install valgrind |
If Valgrind is not found, the extension shows an error with a link to the Valgrind downloads page.
C++ Debugger Extension
One of the following VS Code extensions must be installed:
| Debugger setting |
Extension |
Install |
cppdbg (default) |
C/C++ |
ext install ms-vscode.cpptools |
codelldb |
CodeLLDB |
ext install vadimcn.vscode-lldb |
If the required debugger extension is not installed, the extension offers a one-click "Install Extension" button.
Quick Start
Add this to your .vscode/launch.json:
{
"name": "Debug with Valgrind",
"type": "valgrind",
"request": "launch",
"program": "${workspaceFolder}/build/myapp",
"valgrindArgs": ["--leak-check=full"]
}
Press F5. That's it.
Launch Configuration Reference
All properties for "type": "valgrind" launch configs:
| Property |
Type |
Default |
Description |
program |
string |
(required) |
Path to the executable to debug |
args |
string[] |
[] |
Arguments passed to the target program |
cwd |
string |
workspace folder |
Working directory |
valgrindArgs |
string[] |
[] |
Extra Valgrind flags (e.g. --leak-check=full, --track-origins=yes) |
valgrindBinary |
string |
valgrind |
Path to the Valgrind binary (overrides setting) |
debugger |
"cppdbg" \| "codelldb" |
cppdbg |
Which C++ debugger backend to use |
stopAtEntry |
boolean |
false |
Stop at the program entry point |
setupCommands |
object[] |
[] |
Additional GDB setup commands (cppdbg only) |
Extension Settings
Configure defaults in your VS Code settings.json:
| Setting |
Type |
Default |
Description |
valgrind.binary |
string |
"valgrind" |
Path to the Valgrind binary |
valgrind.defaultArgs |
string[] |
["--fullpath-after="] |
Default Valgrind arguments for all configs |
valgrind.debugger |
"cppdbg" \| "codelldb" |
"cppdbg" |
Default C++ debugger backend |
valgrind.pidTimeout |
number |
30000 |
Timeout (ms) to wait for Valgrind to report its PID |
Standalone Valgrind Task
For quick memory-check runs without a debugger, use the valgrind task type in tasks.json:
{
"label": "Valgrind memcheck",
"type": "valgrind",
"target": "${workspaceFolder}/build/myapp",
"args": ["--input", "test.txt"],
"valgrindArgs": ["--leak-check=full", "--show-leak-kinds=all"]
}
Run via Terminal > Run Task or bind to a keyboard shortcut. Valgrind errors appear in the Problems panel.
Problem Matchers
| Matcher |
Description |
$valgrind |
Matches standard Valgrind output (invalid reads, leaks, etc.) |
$valgrind-debug |
Matches Valgrind debug-mode output (stops at "TO DEBUG THIS PROCESS") |
Examples
Minimal config
{
"name": "Valgrind",
"type": "valgrind",
"request": "launch",
"program": "${workspaceFolder}/build/myapp"
}
Full-featured config
{
"name": "Valgrind (full)",
"type": "valgrind",
"request": "launch",
"program": "${workspaceFolder}/build/myapp",
"args": ["--verbose"],
"cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
"valgrindArgs": ["--leak-check=full", "--track-origins=yes", "--show-leak-kinds=all"],
"debugger": "cppdbg",
"stopAtEntry": false,
"setupCommands": [
{ "text": "-break-insert main", "description": "Break at main" }
]
}
{
"name": "Valgrind + CMake",
"type": "valgrind",
"request": "launch",
"program": "${command:cmake.launchTargetPath}",
"valgrindArgs": ["--leak-check=full"]
}
Using CodeLLDB
{
"name": "Valgrind (CodeLLDB)",
"type": "valgrind",
"request": "launch",
"program": "${workspaceFolder}/build/myapp",
"debugger": "codelldb"
}
Known Issues
- The problem matcher may not resolve file paths correctly when the first stack frame is in a system library outside your source tree.
- Valgrind is Linux-only in practice. macOS support via Homebrew is experimental and incomplete.
