CUDA Debugger API

Type: Technology Tags: NVIDIA, CUDA, debugger API, GPU debugging, tools Related: NVIDIA-CUDA, CUDA-GDB, Compute-Sanitizer, CUDA-Driver-API, Nsight-Compute Sources: https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/debugger-api/index.html Last Updated: 2026-04-29

Summary

The CUDA Debugger API is NVIDIA’s low-level API surface for debugger integrations that inspect and control CUDA applications. It underpins debugger behavior around devices, contexts, events, loaded GPU code, and suspended GPU execution state.

Detail

Purpose

Most developers use CUDA-GDB, Nsight tools, or IDE integrations directly. The Debugger API is the lower-level interface for tools that need to observe CUDA execution and coordinate debugging actions against GPU code.

Key capabilities

• Represent debugger events such as context creation, context destruction, function loading, and device suspension.
• Support debugger integrations around CUDA contexts and loaded ELF/GPU images.
• Provide a formal API boundary for tool vendors and advanced internal tooling.

NVIDIA context

The Debugger API complements CUDA-GDB and Compute-Sanitizer: CUDA-GDB exposes interactive debugging, Compute Sanitizer catches correctness classes, and the Debugger API provides lower-level debugger plumbing.

Connections

• CUDA-GDB - user-facing GNU GDB based CUDA debugger.
• Compute-Sanitizer - adjacent correctness/debugging tool.
• CUDA-Driver-API - context and module concepts overlap with debugger-observed state.
• Nsight-Compute - profiler/debugger workflows often share GPU execution context concepts.
• NVIDIA-CUDA - debugger API is part of CUDA tooling documentation.

Source Excerpts

• NVIDIA’s Debugger API reference documents CUDA debugger event structures and low-level debugger integration APIs.