JHSDB(1)

📦 version 25.0.5.0.3.u1, in arch rolling

🌸 JHSDB(1) — the JDK Commands era, bestie edition 🌸

okay so this is the jhsdb page from the JDK Commands manual, and it's genuinely one of the most "handle with care" tools in the whole JDK. Let's get into it 💅

✨ NAME ✨

jhsdb — attach to a Java process, or launch a postmortem debugger to analyze the content of a core dump from a crashed Java Virtual Machine (JVM). that's the whole vibe. 🔥

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

WARNING: The debugd subcommand and --connect options are deprecated. They will be removed in a future release. ngl bestie, don't build your whole personality on these 😭
jhsdb clhsdb [--pid pid | --exe executable --core coredump]

jhsdb hsdb [--pid pid | --exe executable --core coredump]

jhsdb debugd (--pid pid | --exe executable --core coredump) [options]

jhsdb jstack (--pid pid | --exe executable --core coredump | --connect
[server-id@]debugd-host) [options]

jhsdb jmap (--pid pid | --exe executable --core coredump | --connect
[server-id@]debugd-host) [options]

jhsdb jinfo (--pid pid | --exe executable --core coredump | --connect
[server-id@]debugd-host) [options]

jhsdb jsnap (--pid pid | --exe executable --core coredump | --connect
[server-id@]debugd-host) [options]

and here's what all those little placeholders mean 👇

  • pid — the process ID to which the jhsdb tool should attach. The process must be a Java process. To get a list of Java processes running on a machine, use the ps command or, if the JVM processes are not running in a separate docker instance, the jps command. 🫶
  • executable — the Java executable file from which the core dump was produced.
  • coredump — the core file to which the jhsdb tool should attach.
  • [server-id@]debugd-host — an optional server ID and the address of the remote debug server (debugd).
  • options — the command-line options for a jhsdb mode. See Options for the debugd Mode, Options for the jstack Mode, Options for the jmap Mode, Options for the jinfo Mode, and Options for the jsnap Mode. (they're all below, don't stress 💖)
Note: Either the pid or the pair of executable and core files or the [server-id@]debugd-host must be provided for debugd, jstack, jmap, jinfo and jsnap modes. pick one, bestie, you can't just show up with nothing ✋

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

You can use the jhsdb tool to attach to a Java process or to launch a postmortem debugger to analyze the content of a core-dump from a crashed Java Virtual Machine (JVM). This command is experimental and unsupported. yes, that's real, that's the actual disclaimer, we're living on the edge today 💀

Note: Attaching the jhsdb tool to a live process will cause the process to hang and the process will probably crash when the debugger detaches. that is not a drill. do not do this to anything you love 😭

The jhsdb tool can be launched in any one of the following modes:

  • jhsdb clhsdb — starts the interactive command-line debugger.
  • jhsdb hsdb — starts the interactive GUI debugger.
  • jhsdb debugd — starts the remote debug server.
  • jhsdb jstack — prints stack and locks information.
  • jhsdb jmap — prints heap information.
  • jhsdb jinfo — prints basic JVM information.
  • jhsdb jsnap — prints performance counter information.
  • jhsdb command --help — displays the options available for the command. when in doubt, ask for help, it's giving self-care 🎀

✨ OPTIONS FOR THE DEBUGD MODE ✨

  • --serverid server-id — an optional unique ID for this debug server. This is required if multiple debug servers are run on the same machine. (yes, they'll fight otherwise 🥴)
  • --rmiport port — sets the port number to which the RMI connector is bound. If not specified a random available port is used.
  • --registryport port — sets the RMI registry port. This option overrides the system property 'sun.jvm.hotspot.rmi.port'. If not specified, the system property is used. If the system property is not set, the default port 1099 is used. 👑
  • --hostname hostname — sets the hostname the RMI connector is bound. The value could be a hostname or an IPv4/IPv6 address. This option overrides the system property 'java.rmi.server.hostname'. If not specified, the system property is used. If the system property is not set, a system hostname is used. it's giving layers of fallbacks, she's thorough 💅

✨ OPTIONS FOR THE JINFO MODE ✨

  • --flags — prints the VM flags.
  • --sysprops — prints the Java system properties.
  • no option — prints the VM flags and the Java system properties. no thoughts, just everything at once ✨

✨ OPTIONS FOR THE JMAP MODE ✨

  • no option — prints the same information as Solaris pmap.
  • --heap — prints the java heap summary.
  • --binaryheap — dumps the java heap in hprof binary format.
  • --dumpfile name — the name of the dumpfile.
  • --histo — prints the histogram of java object heap.
  • --clstats — prints the class loader statistics.
  • --finalizerinfo — prints the information on objects awaiting finalization. they're just waiting, bestie, be nice 🥺

✨ OPTIONS FOR THE JSTACK MODE ✨

  • --locks — prints the java.util.concurrent locks information.
  • --mixed — attempts to print both java and native frames if the platform allows it. key words: attempts and if 🙈

✨ OPTIONS FOR THE JSNAP MODE ✨

  • --all — prints all performance counters. all of them. every single one. slay 🔥

and that's the whole page, bestie! 🦋 stay safe, don't attach to live processes, and remember she's experimental and unsupported 💖

this gorgeous little manual page is from the JDK Commands manual, version JDK 25.0.5.0.3, dated 2026 — mwah, kiss kiss, see you in the next release 🎀

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