rpdb

What it is and what it does

rpdb is a minimal wrapper around Python's built-in pdb debugger that redirects stdin and stdout through a TCP socket instead of the console. When you call `rpdb.set_trace()` in your code, execution pauses and waits for a remote client (telnet, netcat, or similar) to connect on a specified port (default 4444). Once connected, you interact with the debugger over the network as if you were using pdb locally.

The package was originally designed to debug Jython applications running in Tomcat, where direct console access is impractical, but it works on CPython 3.8 and later. It has no runtime dependencies and installs as a pure Python wheel. The package is dormant—last released 596 days ago—and carries known limitations: the socket may not close cleanly on exit, and there are documented issues with Jython 2.5. Use it when you need to attach a debugger to a long-running or remote process without modifying its startup or deployment.

Use it for:

• Debug a Python application running in a containerized or remote environment where console access is unavailable.
• Attach a debugger to a long-running server or background process without stopping and restarting it.
• Debug Jython applications deployed in Tomcat or other Java application servers.
• Trigger interactive debugging on demand by sending a SIGTRAP signal to a running process.
• Diagnose issues in production-like environments where direct IDE debugging is not feasible.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

rpdb is a remote debugger that wraps Python's pdb and routes debugging sessions over a TCP socket, allowing you to debug a running process by connecting via telnet or netcat.

Yes, if you specifically need remote debugging over a socket and accept the dormant maintenance status. The package is lightweight, has no dependencies, and works on modern Python (3.8–3.12). However, verify the license before use in proprietary code, test thoroughly in your environment given the inactive maintenance, and be aware of the known socket-closure bug. Not recommended as a primary debugger for active development; better suited for ad-hoc remote troubleshooting.

Install

rpdb on PyPI

pip install rpdb

uv add rpdb

poetry add rpdb

Installing rpdb

Before you install

Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies. The package is dormant (596 days since last release) but supports current Python versions (3.8–3.12); use it only if you accept that maintenance is inactive.

License in practice

License status is unclear—no SPDX identifier or raw license text is available in the package metadata. Verify the actual license before use in proprietary or restricted contexts.

Quickstart

pip install rpdb

import rpdb
rpdb.set_trace()

# Then connect from another terminal:
# nc 127.0.0.1 4444

The debugger blocks execution until a remote client connects; ensure your deployment environment permits inbound TCP connections on the chosen port (default 4444).

Verify before relying

• Whether the unclear license is documented elsewhere (e.g., in the repository or source distribution).
• Current stability and compatibility with Python 3.10–3.12 in production environments, given the dormant maintenance status.
• Whether the known socket-closure bug and Jython-specific issues remain unfixed.

Package facts

Evidence: rpdb-0.2.0-py3-none-any.whl

Tags

More Software Development packages