comp.lang.c FAQ list · Question 18.2

Q: How can I track down these pesky malloc problems?

A: A number of debugging packages exist to help track down malloc problems; one popular one is Conor P. Cahill's ``dbmalloc'', posted to comp.sources.misc in 1992, volume 32. Others are ``leak'', available in volume 27 of the comp.sources.unix archives; JMalloc.c and JMalloc.h in the ``Snippets'' collection; MEMDEBUG from ftp.crpht.lu in pub/sources/memdebug ; and Electric Fence. See also question 18.16.

A number of commercial debugging tools exist, and can be invaluable in tracking down malloc-related and other stubborn problems:

• CodeCenter (formerly Saber-C) from Centerline Software.
• Insight (now Insure?), from ParaSoft Corporation.
• Purify, from Rational Software (formerly Pure Software, now part of IBM).
• ZeroFault, from The ZeroFault Group.

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