Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
56 lines (35 loc) · 2.73 KB

Rules.md

File metadata and controls

56 lines (35 loc) · 2.73 KB

RULES

To ensure your executable (EXE or DLL) is clean from debugging information, including the PDB (Program Database) path, you need to adjust the build configuration in Visual Studio. Here's how you can remove these artifacts:

1. Switch to Release Build Configuration

The Release configuration is optimized for production and typically strips out unnecessary debugging information. Here's how to switch to it:

  1. Open your project in Visual Studio.
  2. In the Toolbar, find the Solution Configurations dropdown (next to the start button).
  3. Select Release from the dropdown.

Alternatively, you can switch the configuration from the Build menu:

  • Go to Build → Configuration Manager.
  • In the Active Solution Configuration column, select Release for all the projects.

2. Disable Debugging Information in Linker Configuration

To prevent Visual Studio from embedding any debugging symbols (including the PDB path) in the binary, you need to modify the linker settings.

Steps:

  1. Right-click on your project in Solution Explorer and select Properties.
  2. Under Configuration Properties, navigate to Linker → Debugging.
  3. Set the following options:
    • Generate Debug Info: Set this to No.
    • This option will ensure that the binary does not contain debugging symbols or PDB information.

3. Remove PDB Generation

By default, Visual Studio generates PDB files when building a project. To avoid this, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Project Properties window (right-click on the project in Solution Explorer and select Properties).
  2. Navigate to Configuration Properties → C/C++ → General.
  3. Set the Debug Information Format to None. This disables the generation of debugging information (PDB files) during compilation.

4. Verify the Executable

Once you've applied these changes, you should verify that the debugging information and PDB path are indeed removed from your final executable.

  • You can use a tool like strings or a hex editor to check the binary for any residual debugging information or paths.

  • Alternatively, you can use the dumpbin tool (part of Visual Studio) to inspect the contents of the executable:

    dumpbin /headers yourApp.exe

Look for any debugging sections or PDB paths within the output. If there are none, your executable is clean.

Summary of Key Changes:

  • Switch to Release Configuration: In Visual Studio, choose Release as the build configuration.
  • Disable Debug Info Generation: In Project Properties → Linker → Debugging, set Generate Debug Info to No.
  • Remove PDB Files: Ensure no .pdb files exist in the output directory.