NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · error · RuntimeError

Not connected

Error message

Not connected

What it means

Thrown by State.require_client() when the client (connection to the Ghidra trace server) is None — no active connection exists. The dbgeng agent must connect to a Ghidra trace connector before issuing any commands that communicate with Ghidra. This RuntimeError is the guard for all commands requiring an active trace-bridge connection.

Source

Thrown at Ghidra/Debug/Debugger-agent-dbgeng/src/main/py/src/ghidradbg/commands.py:121

    def require_mm(self) -> arch.DefaultMemoryMapper:
        if self.memory_mapper is None:
            raise RuntimeError("No memory mapper")
        return self.memory_mapper

    def require_rm(self) -> arch.DefaultRegisterMapper:
        if self.register_mapper is None:
            raise RuntimeError("No register mapper")
        return self.register_mapper


class State(object):

    def __init__(self) -> None:
        self.reset_client()

    def require_client(self) -> Client:
        if self.client is None:
            raise RuntimeError("Not connected")
        return self.client

    def require_no_client(self) -> None:
        if self.client != None:
            raise RuntimeError("Already connected")

    def reset_client(self) -> None:
        self.client: Optional[Client] = None
        self.reset_trace()

    def require_trace(self) -> Trace[Extra]:
        if self.trace is None:
            raise RuntimeError("No trace active")
        return self.trace

    def require_no_trace(self) -> None:
        if self.trace != None:
            raise RuntimeError("Trace already started")

View on GitHub (pinned to d5f144c24d)

Solutions

1. Call ghidra_trace_connect(address) with the correct host:port before any trace commands.
2. Verify the Ghidra trace connector plugin is running and listening on the expected port.
3. Check for a dropped connection — reconnect if network issues occurred.
4. Ensure scripts call connect before any other trace operations.

Example fix

# Before: issuing commands without connecting
# ghidra_trace_putmem(...)
#
# After: connect first
# ghidra_trace_connect('127.0.0.1:12345')
# ghidra_trace_putmem(...)

# Before commands requiring a client, check connection state:
if STATE.client is not None:
    # proceed with command
else:
    ghidra_trace_connect('127.0.0.1:12345')

def is_connected(state) -> bool:
    return state.client is not None

try:
    client = STATE.require_client()
except RuntimeError as e:
    if str(e) == 'Not connected':
        ghidra_trace_connect(address)
        client = STATE.require_client()
    else:
        raise

When it happens

Trigger: STATE.require_client() is called by any command needing the trace connector, but STATE.client is None (from reset_client or initial state). Happens when commands like ghidra_trace_putmem, ghidra_trace_start are issued before ghidra_trace_connect has been called.

Common situations: The user forgot to call ghidra_trace_connect('host:port') before issuing trace commands. The connection was dropped or reset and not re-established. The script execution order doesn't connect first.

Related errors

• Already connected
• No memory mapper
• No register mapper
• No trace active
• Address {address} is not in process {proc}

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/da849535b95fe5e1. Report an issue: GitHub.