Limit number of stack levels shown

In Python pdb, can I limit number of stack levels shown by "where", around my current position in the stack?

In my specific use case, I want to investigate an maximum recursion problem, where the original problem is maybe on stack level 20, but the stack trace shows all 500 levels.

I know I can set the recursion limit to a lower value, but it would be nicer if I could simply show the surrounding n levels around the current level.

look at traceback

• for instance traceback.print_stack() where you can specify a limit and that one can be positive (in that case you will be 'polluted' by the pdb calls, so add like 10 on the expected number in case of a breakpoint()) or negative to refer from the top or the bottom of the stack.
• or use traceback.format_stack() whose return the stack as a list, pdb limit commands on one line but you can print all or the expected part of the list doing for instance {print(_, end='') for _ in traceback.format_stack()[-30:-10]} to print the top 20 calls without the 'pollution' of the 10 internal calls of pdb I have when I put a breakpoint() in a function.
  I use {...} to just get the short value {None} whose do not perturb nor hide the print lines.

Notice when you are in (Pdb) you are allowed to do import traceback.

Having

bruno@raspberrypi:~ $ python
Python 3.11.2 (main, Apr 28 2025, 14:11:48) [GCC 12.2.0] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import pdb
>>> 
>>> def a():
...   b()
... 
>>> def b():
...   c()
... 
>>> def c():
...   d()
... 
>>> def d():
...   e(5)
... 
>>> def e(n):
...   if n == 0:
...     breakpoint()
..   else:
...     e(n-1)
... 
>>> a()
--Return--
> <stdin>(3)e()->None
(Pdb) import traceback

Examples with traceback.format_stack() :

(Pdb) {print(_, end='') for _ in traceback.format_stack()[-19:-10]}
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in a
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in b
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in c
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in d
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  [Previous line repeated 2 more times]
  File "<stdin>", line 3, in e
{None}
(Pdb) {print(_, end='') for _ in traceback.format_stack()[-17:-10]}
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in c
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in d
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  [Previous line repeated 2 more times]
  File "<stdin>", line 3, in e
{None}
(Pdb) 

Examples with traceback.print_stack():

(Pdb) traceback.print_stack()
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in a
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in b
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in c
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in d
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  [Previous line repeated 2 more times]
  File "<stdin>", line 3, in e
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/bdb.py", line 94, in trace_dispatch
    return self.dispatch_return(frame, arg)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/bdb.py", line 153, in dispatch_return
    self.user_return(frame, arg)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/pdb.py", line 372, in user_return
    self.interaction(frame, None)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/pdb.py", line 435, in interaction
    self._cmdloop()
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/pdb.py", line 400, in _cmdloop
    self.cmdloop()
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/cmd.py", line 138, in cmdloop
    stop = self.onecmd(line)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/pdb.py", line 500, in onecmd
    return cmd.Cmd.onecmd(self, line)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/cmd.py", line 216, in onecmd
    return self.default(line)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/pdb.py", line 459, in default
    exec(code, globals, locals)
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
(Pdb) traceback.print_stack(None, 15)
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  [Previous line repeated 1 more time]
  File "<stdin>", line 3, in e
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/bdb.py", line 94, in trace_dispatch
    return self.dispatch_return(frame, arg)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/bdb.py", line 153, in dispatch_return
    self.user_return(frame, arg)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/pdb.py", line 372, in user_return
    self.interaction(frame, None)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/pdb.py", line 435, in interaction
    self._cmdloop()
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/pdb.py", line 400, in _cmdloop
    self.cmdloop()
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/cmd.py", line 138, in cmdloop
    stop = self.onecmd(line)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/pdb.py", line 500, in onecmd
    return cmd.Cmd.onecmd(self, line)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/cmd.py", line 216, in onecmd
    return self.default(line)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/pdb.py", line 459, in default
    exec(code, globals, locals)
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
(Pdb) traceback.print_stack(None, -15)
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in a
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in b
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in c
  File "<stdin>", line 2, in d
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  File "<stdin>", line 5, in e
  [Previous line repeated 2 more times]
  File "<stdin>", line 3, in e
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/bdb.py", line 94, in trace_dispatch
    return self.dispatch_return(frame, arg)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/bdb.py", line 153, in dispatch_return
    self.user_return(frame, arg)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/pdb.py", line 372, in user_return
    self.interaction(frame, None)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.11/pdb.py", line 435, in interaction
    self._cmdloop()