## 25 GDB Text User Interface

The GDB Text User Interface (TUI) is a terminal interface which uses the `curses` library to show the source file, the assembly output, the program registers and GDB commands in separate text windows. The TUI mode is supported only on platforms where a suitable version of the `curses` library is available.

The TUI mode is enabled by default when you invoke GDB as ‘`gdb -tui`’. You can also switch in and out of TUI mode while GDB runs by using various TUI commands and key bindings, such as `tui enable` or `C-x C-a`. See TUI Commands, and TUI Key Bindings.