PLCrashReporter
PLCrashReporter is an open-source, in-process library for detecting application crashes and generating diagnostic reports.
What PLCrashReporter is
PLCrashReporter is an open-source, in-process library for detecting application crashes and generating diagnostic reports. Reports contain application, system, process, thread, and stack trace information, including backtraces for all active threads and the full register state of the crashed thread. Stack unwinding uses DWARF and Apple Compact Unwind frame data. The project says the library does not interfere with debugging in lldb or gdb. Reports are encoded as Protocol Buffers and can be decoded with the CrashReporter library or a Google Protocol Buffers decoder. Developers can add it through CocoaPods, Carthage, Swift Package Manager, or by manually adding binaries; its README describes App Center as the easiest way to use it. Listed prerequisites include Xcode 11 or above, with minimum versions of iOS 12, macOS 11.5, tvOS 12, and Mac Catalyst 13.0. Release 1.12.0 made report size configurable; release 1.11.2 increased the maximum report size to 1MB and added a privacy manifest. The project dates to 2008 and its open-source plan costs nothing.
Good
- Reports include backtraces for all active threads
- Supports CocoaPods, Carthage, and Swift Package Manager
- Does not interfere with lldb or gdb debugging
- Open-source plan costs nothing
Watch out
- Requires Xcode 11 or above
- Minimum listed macOS version is 11.5
- Crash reports use Protocol Buffers encoding
Who it suits
PLCrashReporter is for developers building iOS or macOS applications who need crash reports with thread and stack information. It may also suit projects using the listed Apple platforms and Xcode prerequisite.
Verdict
PLCrashReporter focuses on in-process crash detection and detailed diagnostic reports for Apple-platform applications. Developers should check the listed Xcode and platform requirements and choose a supported integration route.
Plans and prices
From PLCrashReporter's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2001.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | Free | iOS · macOS · tvOS · Mac Catalyst |
The facts
Each one read from PLCrashReporter's own pages, with the date it was checked.
Where it runs
- App Center
- The README describes App Center as the easiest way to use PLCrashReporter.checked 4 Oct 2001
What it does
- Debugging
- The project says PLCrashReporter does not interfere with debugging in lldb or gdb.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Download
- The README directs users to the GitHub releases page to get the latest release.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Integrations
- The README describes adding PLCrashReporter through CocoaPods, Carthage, Swift Package Manager, or by manually adding binaries.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Privacy manifest
- Release 1.11.2 says PLCrashReporter was updated to include a privacy manifest.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Purpose
- PLCrashReporter is an in-process crash reporting library that detects crashes and generates reports with application, system, process, thread, and stack trace information.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Report format
- Crash reports are protobuf-encoded and can be decoded with the CrashReporter library or a Google Protocol Buffers decoder.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Report size
- Release 1.12.0 says crash report size was made configurable; release 1.11.2 says the maximum report size was increased to 1MB.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Requirements
- The listed prerequisites are Xcode 11 or above, with minimum supported platforms of iOS 12, macOS 11.5, tvOS 12, and Mac Catalyst 13.0.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Security reporting
- The security policy asks users not to report vulnerabilities in public GitHub issues and directs them to MSRC or [email protected].checked 4 Oct 2001
- Security response
- The security policy says reporters should receive a response within 24 hours.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Stack traces
- It provides backtraces for all active threads and full register state for the crashed thread.checked 4 Oct 2001
- Unwinding
- Its stack unwinding uses DWARF and Apple Compact Unwind frame data.checked 4 Oct 2001
The company
- Founded
- 2008checked 4 Oct 2001
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