This is how I finally ran gdb: GDK_SYNCHRONIZE=1 gdb -batch -ex "set breakpoint pending on" -ex "break gdk_x_error" -ex "run far.pdf" -ex "bt full" evince
Output: Function "gdk_x_error" not defined. Breakpoint 1 (gdk_x_error) pending. [Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled] Using host libthread_db library "/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libthread_db.so.1". [New Thread 0x7fffee0aa700 (LWP 1895)] [New Thread 0x7fffed8a9700 (LWP 1896)] [New Thread 0x7fffed062700 (LWP 1900)] [New Thread 0x7fffdffff700 (LWP 1901)] [New Thread 0x7fffdf77e700 (LWP 1902)] [New Thread 0x7fffdcee7700 (LWP 1903)] [Thread 0x7fffed8a9700 (LWP 1896) exited] Breakpoint 1, gdk_x_error (xdisplay=0x6a1340, error=0x7fffffffdb80) at /tmp/buildd/gtk+3.0-3.14.5/./gdk/x11/gdkmain-x11.c:268 268 /tmp/buildd/gtk+3.0-3.14.5/./gdk/x11/gdkmain-x11.c: No such file or directory. #0 gdk_x_error (xdisplay=0x6a1340, error=0x7fffffffdb80) at /tmp/buildd/gtk+3.0-3.14.5/./gdk/x11/gdkmain-x11.c:268 No locals. #1 0x00007ffff3b7045d in _XError () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libX11.so.6 No symbol table info available. #2 0x00007ffff3b6d3c7 in ?? () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libX11.so.6 No symbol table info available. #3 0x00007ffff3b6d485 in ?? () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libX11.so.6 No symbol table info available. #4 0x00007ffff3b6e430 in _XReply () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libX11.so.6 No symbol table info available. #5 0x00007ffff3b69ced in XSync () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libX11.so.6 No symbol table info available. #6 0x00007ffff3b69d8b in ?? () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libX11.so.6 No symbol table info available. #7 0x00007ffff6ac04b3 in gdk_window_cache_new (screen=<optimized out>) at /tmp/buildd/gtk+3.0-3.14.5/./gdk/x11/gdkdnd-x11.c:567 root_window = 0x6c0000 nchildren = 84 i = 1050 cow = 8 xwa = {x = 0, y = 0, width = 2960, height = 1050, border_width = 0, depth = 24, visual = 0x6a32d0, root = 855, class = 1, bit_gravity = 0, win_gravity = 1, backing_store = 0, backing_planes = 4294967295, backing_pixel = 0, save_under = 0, colormap = 32, map_installed = 1, map_state = 2, all_event_masks = 16416783, your_event_mask = 131072, do_not_propagate_mask = 0, override_redirect = 0, screen = 0x67e2c0} children = 0xd3bb10 #8 gdk_window_cache_get (screen=<optimized out>) at /tmp/buildd/gtk+3.0-3.14.5/./gdk/x11/gdkdnd-x11.c:633 list = 0x0 #9 drag_context_find_window_cache (screen=<optimized out>, context_x11=<optimized out>) at /tmp/buildd/gtk+3.0-3.14.5/./gdk/x11/gdkdnd-x11.c:2013 cache = 0xd31760 #10 gdk_x11_drag_context_find_window (context=0x7fffd0008390, drag_window=0x0, screen=0x6b80d0, x_root=0, y_root=14291872, protocol=0x0) at /tmp/buildd/gtk+3.0-3.14.5/./gdk/x11/gdkdnd-x11.c:2036 dest_window = 0xd31760 #11 0x00007ffff6a9a516 in gdk_drag_find_window_for_screen (context=0x7fffd0008390, drag_window=0x0, screen=0x6b80d0, x_root=708, y_root=<optimized out>, dest_window=0x7fffffffdf70, protocol=0x7fffffffdf64) at /tmp/buildd/gtk+3.0-3.14.5/./gdk/gdkdnd.c:276 __FUNCTION__ = "gdk_drag_find_window_for_screen" #12 0x00007ffff7072908 in gtk_drag_update_idle (data=0x708840) at /tmp/buildd/gtk+3.0-3.14.5/./gtk/gtkdnd.c:4064 dest_window = 0x6e0c90 protocol = GDK_DRAG_PROTO_NONE selection = <optimized out> action = GDK_ACTION_COPY possible_actions = GDK_ACTION_COPY time = 959973 #13 0x00007ffff6a91e78 in gdk_threads_dispatch (data=0x808da0) at /tmp/buildd/gtk+3.0-3.14.5/./gdk/gdk.c:654 dispatch = 0x808da0 ret = 0 #14 0x00007ffff4dc2b6d in g_main_context_dispatch () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libglib-2.0.so.0 No symbol table info available. #15 0x00007ffff4dc2f48 in ?? () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libglib-2.0.so.0 No symbol table info available. #16 0x00007ffff4dc2ffc in g_main_context_iteration () from /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libglib-2.0.so.0 No symbol table info available. #17 0x00007ffff538020c in g_application_run () from /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgio-2.0.so.0 No symbol table info available. #18 0x000000000041c512 in main (argc=1, argv=0x7fffffffe2a8) at /build/evince-3.14.1/./shell/main.c:316 context = 0x0 error = 0x0 status = 0