Skill Profile

Debugging Tools

This skill defines expectations across roles and levels.

Embedded & IoT Embedded Tools

Roles

where this skill appears

Levels

structured growth path

Mandatory requirements

the other 5 optional

Embedded & IoT

Embedded Tools

2/22/2026

Choose your current level and compare expectations. The items below show what to cover to advance to the next level.

What is Expected at Each Level

The table shows how skill depth grows from Junior to Principal. Click a row to see details.

Role	Required	Description
Systems Programmer (C/C++)		Gets familiar with debugging tools: GDB for user-space programs, dmesg for kernel messages, strace for system calls. Debugs simple bugs under mentor guidance.

Role	Required	Description
Systems Programmer (C/C++)		Confidently uses debugging tools: GDB remote debugging, KGDB for kernel, JTAG for bare-metal. Applies Valgrind, AddressSanitizer for memory corruption detection.

Role	Required	Description
Systems Programmer (C/C++)		Debugs complex system issues: kernel oops/panic analysis, crash dump via kdump, hardware watchpoints via JTAG. Applies eBPF for dynamic kernel tracing without stopping.

Role	Required	Description
Systems Programmer (C/C++)		Defines debugging strategy for the systems team. Establishes kernel problem diagnostic runbooks, introduces crash dump infrastructure, trains the team on advanced debugging.

Role	Required	Description
Systems Programmer (C/C++)		Shapes enterprise debugging infrastructure for system software. Defines crash analysis, tracing, and monitoring standards for all system products, mentors leads.

Junior 1 requirements

Systems Programmer (C/C++)

Gets familiar with debugging tools: GDB for user-space programs, dmesg for kernel messages, strace for system calls. Debugs simple bugs under mentor guidance.

Middle 1 requirements

Systems Programmer (C/C++)

Confidently uses debugging tools: GDB remote debugging, KGDB for kernel, JTAG for bare-metal. Applies Valgrind, AddressSanitizer for memory corruption detection.

Senior 1 requirements

Systems Programmer (C/C++)

Debugs complex system issues: kernel oops/panic analysis, crash dump via kdump, hardware watchpoints via JTAG. Applies eBPF for dynamic kernel tracing without stopping.

Lead / Staff 1 requirements

Systems Programmer (C/C++)

Defines debugging strategy for the systems team. Establishes kernel problem diagnostic runbooks, introduces crash dump infrastructure, trains the team on advanced debugging.

Principal 1 requirements

Systems Programmer (C/C++)

Shapes enterprise debugging infrastructure for system software. Defines crash analysis, tracing, and monitoring standards for all system products, mentors leads.

Loading comments...