Remote debugging on Windows RT

This topic describes the basic procedure for performing remote debugging on a Windows RT PC. There may be additional or alternate steps required for a particular PC.

To perform remote debugging on an Advanced RISC Machine (ARM)-based PC running Windows RT, you will also need a computer with Microsoft Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows 8 installed. You can perform remote debugging with a Windows RT PC using either the built-in wireless network adapter or through a direct Ethernet connection.

To perform remote debugging using a direct Ethernet connection, you will also need the following items:

• USB 2.0 hub, externally powered
• USB to Ethernet NIC
• Ethernet cable

Follow these steps to establish the direct connection:

1. Connect the USB hub to the Windows RT PC.
2. Connect the USB to Ethernet NIC to the USB hub.
3. Connect the USB to Ethernet NIC to the debugging computer with the Ethernet cable.

Install the remote debugger

The Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows 8 remote debugger and Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows 8 will already be installed on the development ARM-based PC.

Note  The build of Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows 8 must match the build of the remote debugger installed on the ARM-based PC. Both of these tools must also be matched with the version and build of Windows 8 installed on the Windows RT PC.

In the setup dialog box, accept the license terms, and then click Install.

By default, the remote debugging components are installed on the Windows RT PC in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\Remote Debugger folder.

For more information, see the 'Installing the remote debugger' section of Running Windows Store apps on a remote machine .

Configure the remote debugger

When you install the remote debugger, a tile is placed on the Start screen. The first time you run the remote debugger on the Windows RT PC, you will be presented with a dialog box similar to the following to configure the remote debugger.

Change the options as required and then click Configure remote debugging.

You can turn the remote debugger on and off and set various options, such as setting a time-out interval and setting permissions for access.

You control the remote debugger from the classic desktop on the Windows RT PC. The Remote Debugging Monitor window displays the current status and activity of the debugger and allows you to change debugger options. When the remote debugger is running, you can open the Remote Debugging Monitor and perform other tasks by using the remote debugger icon in the system tray on the classic desktop.

• Double-click the remote debugger icon in the system tray to open the Remote Debugging Monitor.
• Press and hold on the remote debugger icon to bring up the context menu, and then choose an option to configure.

This is what the Remote Debugging Monitor window looks like when it is running.

For more information, see the 'Configuring the remote debugger' section of Running Windows Store apps on a remote machine.

Connect a project to the remote Windows RT PC

From the debugging computer, run Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows 8. Next, specify the remote device to connect to in the properties of the Microsoft Visual Studio project. The procedure differs, depending on the type of project.

To choose the remote device in a C# or Visual Basic project, follow these steps:

Choosing the remote device for C# and Visual Basic projects

1. Right-click the project name in Solution Explorer and choose Properties.
2. Click Debug.
3. From the Target Device list, choose Remote Machine.
4. In the Remote machine box, enter the network name of the Windows RT PC or click Find to choose the Windows RT PC with the Select Remote Debugger Connection dialog box.

To choose the remote device in a JavaScript or C++ project, follow these steps:

Choosing the remote device for JavaScript and C++ projects

1. Right-click the project name in Solution Explorer and click Properties.
2. Expand the Configuration Properties node and then click Debugging.
3. From the Debugger to launch list, select Remote Debugger.
4. In the Machine Name box, enter the network name of the Windows RT PC or click the down arrow to choose the Windows RT PC with the Select Remote Debugger Connection dialog box.

The Select Remote Debugging Connection dialog box lists only those devices that are on the local subnet of the Visual Studio computer and that are running the remote debugger.

The remote debugger broadcasts its identity on the local subnet of the network, which allows a computer running Visual Studio on the same subnet to see that the Windows RT PC is available as a remote debugging target. Visual Studio will similarly be able to detect any device connected directly using an Ethernet cable. If you are using a wireless connection, Visual Studio may not display the Windows RT PC as a debugging target. In this case, enter the target PC's IP address manually. You can obtain the target PC's IP address by running the ipconfig command from a command prompt on the target Windows RT PC. The IP address is contained in the IPv4 Address field.

After connecting, you may be asked to enter credentials for a user on the Windows RT PC if the debugging computer is running under different credentials than the target Windows RT PC.

If this is the first time you have run an application on the Windows RT PC through the remote debugger, or if your developer license on the Windows RT PC has expired, you will be required to obtain a developer license for the Windows RT PC. When prompted, enter your credentials for your developer license. After the developer license is obtained, the application will be deployed and then launched.

If the debugging computer is joined to a domain, you will need to set the remote debugging options on the target Windows RT PC to specify no authentication and allow any user to debug on this PC. To do this, in the Remote Debugging Monitor window, select Tools > Options. In the Options dialog box, select No Authentication and Allow any user to debug as shown in the following image.

Note  You should only set these options if you are on a secure network that will not have any hostile traffic.

For more information, see the 'Configuring a project for remote debugging' section of Running Windows Store apps on a remote machine.

Running a remote debugging session

You start, stop, and navigate a remote debug session the same way you do a local session. To start debugging, choose Start Debugging on the Debug menu (or press F5 on the keyboard). The project is built, if necessary, then deployed to and started on the remote Windows RT PC. The debugger suspends execution at breakpoints, and you can step into, over, and out of your code. Choose Stop Debugging to end your debug session and close the remote app.