ArchLinux, How to get debug symbols

Contrary to other distributions Arch and Manjaro do not provide debug packages with symbols.

Get PKGBUILD

Note: the asp package is not available for Manjaro you have to clone manually.

• Clone the repository containing the package you want.
  • core and extra or community
• If this is a manjaro package this is the repo
  • Contrary to Arch each package has its own repo (like the AUR)
• git checkout to the version you want (likely the one in pacman -Qii)

Build package tarball

• Add options options=(debug strip) to the PKGBUILD
  • this will create 2 packages with the stripped binaries and the debug symbols separate.
• Run makepkg (add --skippgpcheck if signature verification fails)

If signature verification fails because of unknown public key. Try the following :

• Check this returns nothing pacman-key --list-keys | grep <key_id>
• Validate yourself by installing the key to a temp keyring
  • gpg --homedir /tmp/gpg_test --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com <key_id>
  • gpg --homedir /tmp/gpg_test --verify <sign_file> <pkg_tar>

Note: Even validating manually may return gpg: BAD signature from no clue why. At least validate the hash against the upstream repo …

Install and remove after use

Note: pacman -Qem can help to identify packages installed manually from tarballs.

• pacman -U <pkg> <pkg-debug>
• Once the debug package is not needed you can revert back to the official distribution version
  • pacman -Rn <pkg-debug>
  • pacman -S <pkg>