Zed Editor Debugging & Performance Optimization Guide

Executive Summary

Zed's built-in debugger (shipped June 2025) eliminates VS Code extension dependencies while providing superior performance through native Rust implementation and GPU acceleration. Memory usage remains stable at 800MB during 8-hour sessions vs VS Code's 12GB memory leaks.

Debugging Capabilities

Supported Languages & Protocols

• Rust: rust-analyzer + CodeLLDB adapter
• Go: gopls + Delve debugger
• Python: pyright + debugpy adapter
• JavaScript/TypeScript: Built-in V8 debugging
• C/C++: clangd + CodeLLDB/GDB

Core Debugging Features

• Breakpoints with conditional logic
• Variable inspection and modification
• Call stack navigation
• Step-through debugging (into, over, out)
• Watch expressions
• Multi-threaded debugging
• Remote debugging via SSH
• Multi-language simultaneous sessions

Performance Advantages

• Immediate breakpoint hits (no "preparing debugger" delays)
• Non-blocking variable inspection (UI stays responsive)
• Consistent stepping performance during long sessions
• GPU-accelerated rendering prevents UI lag with complex debugging

Critical Configuration Requirements

Essential Performance Settings

{
  "file_scan_exclusions": [
    "**/node_modules", "**/target", "**/__pycache__",
    "**/dist", "**/build", "**/.git"
  ],
  "git": {
    "git_gutter": "tracked_files"
  }
}

Language Server Memory Optimization

{
  "lsp": {
    "rust-analyzer": {
      "settings": {
        "rust-analyzer": {
          "cargo": {
            "features": "none"
          },
          "procMacro": {
            "enable": false
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Monorepo Configuration (85,000+ files)

{
  "file_scan_exclusions": [
    "**/node_modules",
    "**/packages/*/dist",
    "**/packages/*/build",
    "**/.next",
    "**/coverage"
  ],
  "languages": {
    "TypeScript": {
      "code_actions_on_format": {
        "source.organizeImports": false
      }
    }
  }
}

Results: Project load time reduced from 45s to 12s, memory usage from 12GB to 4GB.

Hardware Requirements & Compatibility

Minimum Viable Setup

• RAM: 16GB (32GB for large TypeScript projects)
• GPU: 4GB+ VRAM, post-2018 drivers
• Storage: SSD (NVMe preferred for large projects)
• Graphics: Modern drivers supporting Vulkan/Metal

Platform-Specific Issues

macOS:

• ✅ LLDB integration handles code signing automatically
• ✅ Metal GPU acceleration stable

Linux:

• ✅ GDB/LLDB integration stable
• ⚠️ Pre-2016 Intel graphics cause Vulkan crashes
• 🔧 Requires updated Mesa drivers on Ubuntu 20.04+

Windows:

• ⚠️ Alpha status, expect STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors
• 🔧 Must run as administrator for debugging permissions
• ❌ Frequent crashes (3+ times per simple Node.js debugging session)

Critical Failure Modes & Solutions

GPU Memory Issues

Symptom: vulkan: Out of device memory errors
Solution: Update to Zed 0.142.0+, restart GPU drivers
Impact: Loses all breakpoints and watch expressions during crash

Language Server Memory Leaks

Trigger: Language servers exceeding 8GB RAM
Monitoring: Check Activity Monitor/nvidia-smi
Recovery: Restart language server via Cmd+Shift+P → "zed: restart language server"

Rust Macro Debugging Failures

Issue: rust-analyzer 0.3.1743+ generates incompatible debugging info
Symptom: signal SIGTRAP errors in LLDB
Workaround: Set breakpoints in actual macro code, not generated code
Alternative: Use dbg!() macros for macro debugging

TypeScript Performance Degradation

Cause: source.organizeImports and source.addMissingImports on large codebases
Solution: Disable these features via language server config
Alternative: Use JavaScript debugging for Next.js/React apps

SSH Remote Development Optimization

Required SSH Configuration

# Add to ~/.ssh/config
Host *
    ControlMaster auto
    ControlPath ~/.ssh/sockets/%r@%h-%p
    ControlPersist 600
    Compression yes

Network Performance Settings

{
  "terminal": {
    "env": {
      "TERM": "xterm-256color"
    }
  },
  "collaboration_panel": {
    "button": false
  }
}

Debugging Limitations

Missing Features

• No embedded debugging: Cannot debug ARM microcontrollers
• Basic debugging panels: Missing memory viewers, register inspectors, disassembly
• No database debugging: Cannot debug stored procedures
• Limited Windows support: Alpha status with frequent crashes

Performance Thresholds

• File watching: Struggles with 100,000+ files
• Language server restart: Required when memory exceeds 8GB
• GPU acceleration: Requires Vulkan/Metal support
• Network latency: 100ms+ compounds during step-through debugging

Recovery Procedures

GPU Driver Reset

1. Delete ~/.local/share/zed/gpui directory
2. Restart Zed
3. Check system logs for driver resets

Complete Reset (Nuclear Option)

1. Delete ~/.local/share/zed directory
2. Restart Zed
3. Reconfigure settings (5 minutes to 2 hours depending on complexity)

Docker Debugging Setup

• Method: SSH remoting with port forwarding
• Configuration: Expose debugging ports (e.g., 5678 for Python debugpy)
• No special extensions required (unlike VS Code Dev Containers)

Performance Monitoring Metrics

GPU Performance Indicators

• Frame rate: Maintain 60fps minimum
• Memory usage: Monitor via system tools
• Driver crashes: Check system logs for resets

Language Server Health Checks

• Memory growth: Restart if exceeding 8GB
• Response latency: Should be <100ms for code completion
• CPU spikes: Monitor during file saves

File System Performance

• Project scan: Complete within 30 seconds
• Git operations: Status, blame, diff responsiveness
• Search latency: Across entire codebase

Editor Comparison Matrix

Aspect	Zed	VS Code	JetBrains
Debugger Setup	Built-in (immediate)	Extension-dependent (5+ min)	Pre-configured
Memory Usage	500MB-1GB	1.5GB+ (leaks to 12GB)	3GB+ baseline
GPU Acceleration	Native GPUI	None (Electron limitation)	Minimal
Remote Debugging	SSH built-in	Extensions required	Built-in
Large File Performance	Smooth (GPU-accelerated)	Lags significantly	Generally stable
Project Load Time	2-15 seconds	10-45+ seconds	30-60 seconds

Resource Links

Essential Documentation

• Zed Debugger Documentation
• Configuration Guide
• Remote Development Setup

Language-Specific Debugging

• Rust Debugging with rust-analyzer
• Go Debugging with Delve
• Python Debugging with debugpy

Community Support

• Zed GitHub Issues
• Zed Discord Community

Performance Tools

• GPU Driver Updates (NVIDIA)
• Mesa Graphics Drivers (Linux)
• Performance Benchmarking (Hyperfine)