A check for tools is performed when connecting to the build machine. Missing tools will show in a popup: ‘Missing tools: gdb,ninja would you like to install them?’ Depending on configuration it will later attempt to run socat and fail if not installed. Can socat be checked/installed with the other tools?
The socat will actually no longer be required in the upcoming VisualGDB 5.5 as it is switching to the more advanced CMake file API. Once it is released, please simply build/install our latest CMake fork on the target machine (the regular CMake will do as well, although it will not support stepping through the CMake statements) and VisualGDB will use the new API, eliminating the need for socat.