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symbolicate-crash-dump

Symbolicate native VS Code crash dumps into readable backtraces using electron-minidump.

Updated Apr 14, 2026
Search Tags:#vscode#debugging#symbolication#backtrace#crash dump#breakpad#electron-minidump
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/jimeh/hucode --skill symbolicate-crash-dump-jimeh
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: symbolicate-crash-dump
Source: https://github.com/jimeh/hucode/tree/main/.github/skills/symbolicate-crash-dump
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/jimeh/hucode --skill symbolicate-crash-dump-jimeh

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires electron-minidump.

What problem does it solve? Native VS Code crash dumps (.dmp files) contain raw memory addresses instead of method names, making it nearly impossible to identify which module or process caused a crash without the correct Breakpad symbol files. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Symbolication Workflow: Runs electron-minidump against a crash dump, identifies modules missing symbols, and guides downloading matching symbol zips from microsoft/vscode-electron-prebuilt or electron/electron releases. - Cache Management: Explains how to copy .sym files into the electron-minidump breakpad_symbols cache keyed by exact debug-id, with retry logic for transient symbol download failures. - Crash Attribution: Provides techniques to identify the crashing module (VS Code vs third-party DLL) and process type (main, renderer, GPU, or extension host via node.mojom.NodeService) using strings analysis. - Use Case: A VS Code team member receives a Stable Windows x64 crash dump, downloads the matching stable-symbols zip for the correct Electron version, copies hash-matched .sym files into the cache, and produces a backtrace showing the crash originated in an injected antivirus DLL. ## Quick Start Symbolicate the attached crash dump file and tell me which module and process caused the crash.

Frequently Asked Questions about symbolicate-crash-dump

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I symbolicate a VS Code crash dump file?▼

Install electron-minidump globally with npm, then run electron-minidump crash-file.dmp to generate a backtrace. Download matching symbol zips for the crashed build's Electron version and copy the .sym files into the breakpad_symbols cache before re-running.

Where do I download Electron symbol files for VS Code crashes?▼

Insiders and Stable symbols come from the private microsoft/vscode-electron-prebuilt releases, downloaded with an authenticated GitHub CLI. Code-OSS symbols are publicly available from electron/electron releases, tagged by Electron version.

Can I symbolicate crash dumps on Windows?▼

No, electron-minidump does not run on Windows; a macOS or Linux device is required. You can still symbolicate dumps produced by Windows builds, as long as the symbolication itself runs on macOS or Linux.

Why are method names still missing after adding symbols?▼

Breakpad matches symbols by exact debug-id, not version name, so the .sym file's hash must match what the cache directory expects. Modules like runtime.node and third-party DLLs often have no public symbols at all.

How do I identify which process crashed from a dump file?▼

Run strings on the dump and grep for markers like node.mojom.NodeService (extension host), --type=renderer (workbench window), or --type=gpu-process. No --type marker indicates the main process crashed.

How do I analyze a remote extension host crash on Linux?▼

Remote server crashes use core dumps and gdb instead of electron-minidump. Enable core dumps with ulimit -c unlimited, retrieve the core via coredumpctl, then load it with gdb against the server's node binary and run bt full.

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