ABSTRACT
A great many computational scientists and engineers, myself included, have made their way through graduate school and beyond without the aid of a debugger. This is unfortunate, as once I finally spent a few hours learning the basics of gdb, I realized just how much time I might have saved. Yes, it’s true, one can use print statements, mind-bending macros, and endless recompiles to achieve the same results. And while one can also use a rock to successfully hammer a nail, I personally prefer to use a nail gun. There are good tools available. Take the hit and learn to use a debugger.
