ptrace
ptrace is a system call in Unix-like operating systems that allows one process to observe and control the execution of another process. It is primarily used for debugging, enabling tools like debuggers to attach to a running process, set breakpoints, and inspect memory and registers. The name stands for 'process trace', reflecting its core functionality of tracing process execution.
Developers should learn ptrace when building debugging tools, security applications, or system monitoring software on Linux or Unix-based systems. It is essential for creating custom debuggers, implementing sandboxing mechanisms, or analyzing malware behavior through process introspection. Use cases include developing debuggers like GDB, building strace-like system call tracers, or creating security tools that monitor process activity.