Q: Does protobuf-inspector support protobuf version 3, or is it only for version 2?

Yes, it supports both Protocol Buffers versions 2 and 3, as stated in the README. It parses the wire format common to both versions without needing schema files.

Q: What's better for analyzing protobuf data: protobuf-inspector or the official protoc tool?

Use protobuf-inspector when you lack .proto definitions for reverse-engineering, as it guesses structures. For known schemas, protoc is more accurate and efficient since it uses the definitions directly.

Q: Can protobuf-inspector handle nested messages and repeated fields in unknown data?

Yes, it attempts to guess nested structures and repeated fields based on the wire format. However, without definitions, it might misinterpret packed vs. unpacked formats, so manual field definition can help.

Q: How can I define custom fields in protobuf-inspector to improve parsing accuracy?

After initial parsing, you can create a configuration file to define field types incrementally. Refer to the CONFIG.md documentation for syntax, which allows specifying types like 'varint' or 'message' to guide the parser.

Q: What should I do if protobuf-inspector shows parsing errors or weird output?

Check for field type mismatches; use the 'bytes' type to see raw data or 'dump' to extract chunks. The error resilience feature shows hexdumps to pinpoint issues, and you can adjust definitions iteratively.

Q: Is protobuf-inspector fast enough for large protobuf files or real-time analysis?

As a Python tool, it may be slower for very large files; it's best for offline analysis. For real-time needs, consider compiled libraries or tools optimized for performance, though protobuf-inspector excels in exploratory debugging.

Question 1

How do I use protobuf-inspector to parse a binary file from the command line?

Accepted Answer

Install it via pip, then run 'protobuf_inspector < my-protobuf-blob' to parse the file from stdin. For more control, you can specify a message type as an argument, like 'protobuf_inspector request < blob'.

Question 2

Does protobuf-inspector support protobuf version 3, or is it only for version 2?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it supports both Protocol Buffers versions 2 and 3, as stated in the README. It parses the wire format common to both versions without needing schema files.

Question 3

What's better for analyzing protobuf data: protobuf-inspector or the official protoc tool?

Accepted Answer

Use protobuf-inspector when you lack .proto definitions for reverse-engineering, as it guesses structures. For known schemas, protoc is more accurate and efficient since it uses the definitions directly.

Question 4

Can protobuf-inspector handle nested messages and repeated fields in unknown data?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it attempts to guess nested structures and repeated fields based on the wire format. However, without definitions, it might misinterpret packed vs. unpacked formats, so manual field definition can help.

Question 5

How can I define custom fields in protobuf-inspector to improve parsing accuracy?

Accepted Answer

After initial parsing, you can create a configuration file to define field types incrementally. Refer to the CONFIG.md documentation for syntax, which allows specifying types like 'varint' or 'message' to guide the parser.

Question 6

What should I do if protobuf-inspector shows parsing errors or weird output?

Accepted Answer

Check for field type mismatches; use the 'bytes' type to see raw data or 'dump' to extract chunks. The error resilience feature shows hexdumps to pinpoint issues, and you can adjust definitions iteratively.

Question 7

Is protobuf-inspector fast enough for large protobuf files or real-time analysis?

Accepted Answer

As a Python tool, it may be slower for very large files; it's best for offline analysis. For real-time needs, consider compiled libraries or tools optimized for performance, though protobuf-inspector excels in exploratory debugging.

Protobuf inspector

What is Protobuf inspector?

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