# OpenImageDebugger MCP **Category:** 💻 Developer Tools **Repository:** https://github.com/OpenImageDebugger/OpenImageDebugger **Views:** 0 **Installs:** 0 **Upvotes:** 0 **Directory Page:** https://allmcps.com/mcp/openimagedebugger-mcp ## Description MCP server giving AI agents eyes on OpenImageDebugger buffers in live gdb/lldb sessions ## Claude Desktop Quick Installation Heuristic fallback — verify the package name and runner against the repository README before running it. Uses `npx` (confidence: low): ```json "mcpServers": { "openimagedebugger-mcp": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y","openimagedebugger-mcp"] } } ``` ## Documentation & README # Open Image Debugger: Enabling visualization of in-memory buffers on GDB/LLDB [![VS Code Marketplace Downloads](https://vsmarketplacebadges.dev/downloads-short/OpenImageDebugger.openimagedebugger-vscode.svg?label=VS%20Code%20Marketplace%20Downloads&color=007ACC)](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=OpenImageDebugger.openimagedebugger-vscode) [![Open VSX Downloads](https://img.shields.io/open-vsx/dt/openimagedebugger/openimagedebugger-vscode?label=Open%20VSX%20Downloads&color=a60ee5)](https://open-vsx.org/extension/openimagedebugger/openimagedebugger-vscode) Open Image Debugger is a tool for visualizing in-memory buffers during debug sessions, compatible with both GDB and LLDB. It works out of the box with instances of the OpenCV `Mat` class and `Eigen` matrices, but can also be customized to work with any arbitrary data structure. ![Sample window](doc/sample_window.png) > **Prefer VS Code or a fork (Cursor, VSCodium, Windsurf, …)?** Skip the manual > build — install the extension from the > [VS Code Marketplace](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=OpenImageDebugger.openimagedebugger-vscode) > or [Open VSX](https://open-vsx.org/extension/openimagedebugger/openimagedebugger-vscode). > See [Installation](#vs-code-and-forks) below. > **New — declarative custom types.** You can now describe your own buffer types > in a `.oid/types.json` file instead of writing Python; the same file works in > gdb, lldb, and the VS Code extension. See > [doc/declarative-types.md](doc/declarative-types.md). # Download (experimental) [![OID Eternal Download Count](https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/openimagedebugger/openimagedebugger/total.svg)](https://tooomm.github.io/github-release-stats/?username=OpenImageDebugger&repository=OpenImageDebugger&search=0) ## A bit experimental, better to compile manually ## Features * GUI interactivity: * Scroll to zoom, left click+drag to move the buffer around; * Rotate buffers 90° clockwise or counterclockwise; * Go-to widget that quickly takes you to any arbitrary pixel location; * Buffer values: Zoom in close enough to inspect the numerical contents of any pixel. * Auto update: Whenever a breakpoint is hit, the buffer view is automatically updated. * Auto contrast: The entire range of values present in the buffer can be automatically mapped to the visualization range `[0, 1]`, where `0` represents black and `1` represents white. * The contrast range can be manually adjusted, which is useful for inspecting buffers with extreme values (e.g. infinity, nan and other outliers). * Link views together, moving all watched buffers simultaneously when any single buffer is moved on the screen * Supported buffer types: uint8_t, int16_t, uint16_t, int32_t, uint32_t, float and double * Supported buffer channels: Up to four channels (Grayscale, two-channels, RGB and RGBA) * GPU accelerated * Supports large buffers whose dimensions exceed GL_MAX_TEXTURE_SIZE. * Supports data structures that map to a ROI of a larger buffer. * Exports buffers as png images (with auto contrast) or octave/matlab matrix files (unprocessed). * Auto-load buffers being visualized in the previous debug session * Designed to scale well for HighDPI displays * Works on Linux, macOS X and Windows (experimental) ## Supported OSes * OID is developed with Ubuntu as the main target. The goal is to support the two latest LTS versions at a given time. * Ubuntu is also used as a basis for the minimum versions of the dependencies: we try to support the default versions of the packages you get via `apt install` * There are currently no plans to support other Linux distros. OID may or may not compile on your favorite distro, your mileage may vary. * Support for MacOS and Windows are somewhat experimental now - the code should be able to compile (see ), but the binaries are not actively tested - in fact we currently have no automated tests at all for any OS - help is more than welcome in this regard. Also, we haven't come up with a simple installation/usage guides for these OSes yet. ## Requirements * A C++20 compliant compiler * GDB **15.0.50+** or LLDB **18.1.3+** * CMake **3.28.3+** * Python **3.12.3+** development packages * OpenGL **2.1+** support * Linux only: Wayland and X11 development packages (needed to build the bundled GLFW) and GTK 3 development packages (needed by the native file-open dialog); see the `apt install` command below. Alternatively, configure with `-DNFD_PORTAL=ON` to use the xdg-desktop-portal (D-Bus) dialog backend instead of GTK. All other third-party libraries are bundled as git submodules and built from source, so they don't need to be installed: * [Dear ImGui](https://github.com/ocornut/imgui) — viewer UI * [GLFW](https://github.com/glfw/glfw) — window and OpenGL context management * [Eigen](https://gitlab.com/libeigen/eigen) — linear algebra for the visualization layer * [Asio](https://github.com/chriskohlhoff/asio) (standalone) — IPC between the debugger bridge and the viewer * [nlohmann/json](https://github.com/nlohmann/json) — settings persistence * [stb](https://github.com/nothings/stb) — image decoding for opening files, plus PNG export and text rendering (`stb_image`, `stb_image_write`, `stb_truetype`) * [nanosvg](https://github.com/memononen/nanosvg) — toolbar icon rasterization * [nativefiledialog-extended](https://github.com/btzy/nativefiledialog-extended) — native OS dialog for File → Open (native builds only) * [GoogleTest](https://github.com/google/googletest) — unit tests Note: this list might get out-of-date by accident. For a more accurate list of requirements, please check what is used in and in the CI container images defined in . ## Installation ### VS Code and forks The quickest way to get started is the Open Image Debugger extension, available for VS Code and compatible forks (Cursor, VSCodium, Windsurf, and others): * [VS Code Marketplace](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=OpenImageDebugger.openimagedebugger-vscode) * [Open VSX](https://open-vsx.org/extension/openimagedebugger/openimagedebugger-vscode) If you'd rather build and integrate the desktop version manually, follow the steps below. ### Ubuntu Linux dependencies On Ubuntu, you can install most of the dependencies with the following command: ```bash sudo apt install build-essential cmake libgl1-mesa-dev libgtk-3-dev libpython3-dev \ python3-dev libwayland-dev libxcursor-dev libxi-dev libxinerama-dev \ libxkbcommon-dev libxrandr-dev pkg-config ``` ### Building the Open Image Debugger Clone the source code to any folder you prefer and initialize the submodules: ```bash git clone https://github.com/OpenImageDebugger/OpenImageDebugger.git --recurse-submodules ``` Now run the following commands to build it: ```bash cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/path/to/installation/folder cmake --build build --config Release --target install -j 4 ``` **GDB integration:** Edit the file `~/.gdbinit` (create it if it doesn't exist) and append the following line: ```bash source /path/to/OpenImageDebugger/oid.py ``` **LLDB integration:** Edit the file `~/.lldbinit` (create it if it doesn't exist) and append the following line: ```bash command script import /path/to/OpenImageDebugger/oid.py ``` ### MacOS Installation At the moment, the MacOS build is only known to work with `python3` and `lldb` installed from [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) (the system-provided LLDB from the Xcode Command Line Tools is not supported). Install them with: ```bash brew install python3 llvm ``` Make sure `python3` resolves to the Homebrew one — run `which python3` and confirm it points under the Homebrew prefix (`/opt/homebrew` on Apple Silicon, `/usr/local` on Intel; `brew --prefix` prints it), rather than a pyenv, conda or system Python. The standard Homebrew install puts that prefix's `bin` on your `PATH`. Then debug your program using the Homebrew LLDB, for example: ```bash BREW_PREFIX=$(brew --prefix) "$BREW_PREFIX"/opt/llvm/bin/lldb /path/to/your/executable ``` ### Testing your installation After compiling the plugin, you can test it by running the following command (use the same Python 3 interpreter CMake found when building): ```bash python3 /path/to/OpenImageDebugger/oid.py --test ``` On MacOS, invoke the test with the full path to the Homebrew `python3`, for example: ```bash BREW_PREFIX=$(brew --prefix) "$BREW_PREFIX"/bin/python3 /path/to/OpenImageDebugger/oid.py --test ``` If the installation was succesful, you should see the Open Image Debugger window with the buffers `sample_buffer_1` and `sample_buffer_2`. ## Using plugin When the debugger hits a breakpoint, the Open Image Debugger window will be opened. You only need to type the name of the buffer to be watched in the "add symbols" input, and press ``. ### Opening image files directly You can also open an image or NumPy array in the viewer without a debugger session at all, either from the **File → Open** menu (shortcut `Ctrl+O`) or from the command line. From the command line, pass one or more files with the repeatable `-o` / `--open` flag: ```bash oidwindow --open path/to/image.png --open path/to/array.npy ``` Supported formats: | Category | Extensions | | --- | --- | | Images (via stb_image) | `png`, `jpg`/`jpeg`, `bmp`, `tga`, `gif`, `psd`, `hdr`, `ppm`/`pgm`/`pnm` | | NumPy arrays | `npy` (little-endian `uint8`/`uint16`/`int16`/`int32`/`float32`/`float64`; 2-D grayscale or 3-D with 1–4 channels) | Files opened this way are shown alongside any debugger buffers, but they are never reported back to a debugger and are not saved as session state. > **Linux build note:** the native file dialog requires GTK 3 > (`libgtk-3-dev`) at build time, or configure with `-DNFD_PORTAL=ON` to use > the xdg-desktop-portal (D-Bus) backend instead. MacOS and Windows need no > extra packages. Open Image Debugger does not register itself as a system handler for these file types; use the **File → Open** menu or the `--open` flag to load them. ### Auto-contrast and manual contrast The (min) and (max) fields on top of the buffer view can be changed to control autocontrast settings. By default, Open Image Debugger will automatically fill these fields with the mininum and maximum values inside the entire buffer, and the channel values will be normalized from these values to the range [0, 1] inside the renderer. Sometimes, your buffer may contain trash, uninitialized values that are either too large or too small, making the entire image look flat because of this normalization. If you know the expected range for your image, you can manually change the (min) and (max) values to focus on the range that you are interested. ### Locking buffers Sometimes you want to compare two buffers being visualized, and need to zoom in different places of these buffers. If they are large enough, this can become a very hard task, especially if you are comparing pixel values. This task is made easier by the `lock buffers` tool (which is toggled by the button with a chain icon). When it is activated, all buffers are moved/zoomed simultaneously by the same amount. This means you only need to align the buffers being compared once; after activating the `lock buffers` mode, you can zoom in anywhere you wish in one buffer that all other buffers will be zoomed in the same location. ### Quickly moving to arbitrary coordinates If you need to quickly move to any pixel location, then the *go to* functionality is what you are looking for. Press *Ctrl+L* and two input fields corresponding to the target destination in format `` will appear at the bottom right corner of the buffer screen. Type the desired location, then press enter to quickly zoom into that location. ### Exporting bufers Sometimes you may want to export your buffers to be able to process them in an external tool. In order to do that, right click the thumbnail corresponding to the buffer you wish to export on the left pane and select "export buffer". Open Image Debugger supports two export modes. You can save your buffer as a PNG (which may result in loss of data if your buffer type is not `uint8_t`) or as a binary file that can be opened with any tool. ### Loading exported buffers on Octave/Matlab Buffers exported in the `Octave matrix` format can be loaded with the function `oid_load.m`, which is available in the `matlab` folder. To use it, add this folder to Octave/Matlab `path` variable and call `oid_load('/path/to/buffer.dump')`. ### AI agent access (MCP, experimental) Open Image Debugger ships an experimental **MCP server** (`oid-mcp`) that lets AI coding agents inspect your buffers in a live gdb/lldb session — list observable symbols at a breakpoint, view renderings, read exact values, dump lossless `.npy` copies, and mirror buffers into the viewer. Agents can also control and read back a running viewer's view — pan, zoom, rotate, channel, and auto-contrast — including one opened standalone with no debugger attached. It is opt-in (launch the debugger with `OID_AGENT=1`) and exposes debuggee memory to local processes, so enable it only in trusted, local development. See [`resources/oidmcp/README.md`](resources/oidmcp/README.md) for deployment and usage instructions. ## Configuration By default, the plugin works with several data types, including OpenCV's `Mat`, `CvMat` and `IplImage` and Eigen's `Matrix` and `Map`. Supported library versions: OpenCV 2–5 and Eigen 3.x. The OpenCV `Mat`/`CvMat` channel count is read from the type-flag bit packing in a version-adaptive way, so both the pre-5 and the OpenCV 5 layouts resolve correctly; `CvMat` and `IplImage` are the legacy C API and therefore apply only to OpenCV builds that still expose it (4.x and earlier). ### Custom types (recommended): declarative JSON To support a different buffer type, describe it in a `.oid/types.json` file at your workspace root — no Python required. The common case is five fields: ```json { "version": 1, "types": [ { "match": "^MyImage$", "pointer": "{sym}.data", "width": "{sym}.w", "height": "{sym}.h", "dtype": "float32" } ] } ``` The same file is read by gdb, lldb, and the VS Code extension. You can also point OID at files outside the workspace with the `OID_TYPES_PATH` environment variable. The full format — every field, the expression grammar, dtype names, discovery and precedence, and a walkthrough migrating an existing Python inspector — is documented in [doc/declarative-types.md](doc/declarative-types.md), and the built-in types in `resources/oidscripts/oidtypes/builtin_types.json` double as a worked-example gallery. ### Custom types (legacy): Python inspectors The original Python path is still supported for cases the declarative format cannot express, but it is no longer the preferred approach for new types. Implement a `TypeInspectorInterface` subclass from `resources/oidscripts/oidtypes/interface.py`; see [doc/python-inspectors.md](doc/python-inspectors.md) for the full instructions — the interface methods, the buffer-metadata dictionary contract, and the debug decorators. ### Resetting the UI Open Image Debugger remembers its window size and position, the width of the symbol list pane, the auto-contrast and link-views toggles, the buffers you viewed last, and the directory you last exported to. The application writes this state itself — it is not a preferences file meant to be edited by hand — and keeps it in `OpenImageDebugger/imgui_settings.json` under: | OS | Directory | | --- | --- | | Linux | `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME`, or `$HOME/.config` when that is unset | | macOS | `$HOME/Library/Application Support` | | Windows | `%APPDATA%` | Delete that file while the viewer is not running to restore the defaults — a running viewer rewrites it shortly after any change to that state, and again when it exits. This is the fix if the viewer reopens at a window position that is off-screen.