Open Source Summit + Embedded Linux Conference North America 2026

Embedded Linux debugging has always required difficult trade-offs. Flash storage constraints on target devices force teams to strip debug symbols from most binaries, leaving developers unable to debug critical applications without finding symbols elsewhere.

This presentation examines our transition from limited, on-target debug symbols to comprehensive debuggability across all binaries and build types. The key insight: while flash is expensive on embedded targets, centralized storage is cost-effective and scalable.

We adopted elfutils debuginfod to build enterprise-scale debug infrastructure integrated with our CI/CD pipeline. This has allowed us to host debug artifacts for every binary produced by continuous integration, enabling engineers to debug any component from any build, using standard tools like GDB, without manual symbol management.

This talk covers our journey towards using debuginfod, the architectural decisions we made that allowed debuginfod to scale, integration strategies with the Yocto build system, and the impact on engineering productivity. Attendees will gain practical insights for implementing similar solutions in their organizations.