Re: Memory Leaks

Re: Memory Leaks

[Philip Brown]

On Mon, 22 Nov 1999 22:31:07 +0200, jhm@cistron.nl wrote:
>Fred Wan <a.wan@cable.A2000.nl> wrote:
>>Does anyone know if there are possibilities of tracing memory leaks with
>>gdb (xxgdb)?
>
>There are numerous tools that can be used with gcc + gdb; see
> http://www.cs.colorado.edu/homes/zorn/public_html/MallocDebug.html . There's
>even a gcc modified for leak tracking called "Checker" (I think it has a
>homepage on www.gnu.org), but I don't know how mature it is.

fairly UNmature.
For example, you can't even use it on X executables.



-- 
[Trim the no-bots from my address to reply to me by email!]
[ Do NOT email-CC me on posts. Pick one or the other.]
       http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d105:SN01618:@@@D
The word of the day is mispergitude

Re: Memory Leaks

[Philip Brown]

On Mon, 22 Nov 1999 22:31:07 +0200, jhm@cistron.nl wrote:
>Fred Wan <a.wan@cable.A2000.nl> wrote:
>>Does anyone know if there are possibilities of tracing memory leaks with
>>gdb (xxgdb)?
>
>There are numerous tools that can be used with gcc + gdb; see
> http://www.cs.colorado.edu/homes/zorn/public_html/MallocDebug.html . There's
>even a gcc modified for leak tracking called "Checker" (I think it has a
>homepage on www.gnu.org), but I don't know how mature it is.

fairly UNmature.
For example, you can't even use it on X executables.



-- 
[Trim the no-bots from my address to reply to me by email!]
[ Do NOT email-CC me on posts. Pick one or the other.]
       http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d105:SN01618:@@@D
The word of the day is mispergitude

Re: Memory Leaks

[Paul Scott]

Philip Brown wrote:
>On Mon, 22 Nov 1999 22:31:07 +0200, jhm@cistron.nl wrote:
>>Fred Wan <a.wan@cable.A2000.nl> wrote:
>>>Does anyone know if there are possibilities of tracing memory leaks with
>>>gdb (xxgdb)?
>>
>>There are numerous tools that can be used with gcc + gdb; see
>> http://www.cs.colorado.edu/homes/zorn/public_html/MallocDebug.html . There's
>>even a gcc modified for leak tracking called "Checker" (I think it has a
>>homepage on www.gnu.org), but I don't know how mature it is.
>
>fairly UNmature.
>For example, you can't even use it on X executables.
>

You can also use insure++ (a commercial package). Quite pricey for Sun's and
the like, but I believe a free 'lite' version is available when you buy the
official RedHat Linux CD set (it's on the Applications CD).

-- 
Paul Scott

Re: Memory Leaks

[Paul Scott]

Philip Brown wrote:
>On Mon, 22 Nov 1999 22:31:07 +0200, jhm@cistron.nl wrote:
>>Fred Wan <a.wan@cable.A2000.nl> wrote:
>>>Does anyone know if there are possibilities of tracing memory leaks with
>>>gdb (xxgdb)?
>>
>>There are numerous tools that can be used with gcc + gdb; see
>> http://www.cs.colorado.edu/homes/zorn/public_html/MallocDebug.html . There's
>>even a gcc modified for leak tracking called "Checker" (I think it has a
>>homepage on www.gnu.org), but I don't know how mature it is.
>
>fairly UNmature.
>For example, you can't even use it on X executables.
>

You can also use insure++ (a commercial package). Quite pricey for Sun's and
the like, but I believe a free 'lite' version is available when you buy the
official RedHat Linux CD set (it's on the Applications CD).

-- 
Paul Scott

Re: Memory Leaks

[Greg Newby]

There's a great commercial tool called Purify, made by
Rational (www.rational.com).  It's quite pricey ($2400 license),
but you can download a free demo.

It searches for all memory leaks, potential memory leaks, etc.
and tells you where in your code they happen.  Very handy...

I wish I could afford it (we might get an educational version
here at UNC soon).  Meanwhile, I periodically download the 
demo version when I'm having trouble that debuggers can't find.

This doesn't answer your question, but it's a good tool to know
about I think.  It interoperates fine with gdb (that's how I 
use it).  I have not had much luck looking for memory leaks with
gdb - although you can spot a variable that points to unassigned
memory easily enough (e.g., if *p == NULL [0x0]), it doesn't do this
automatically.  Furthermore, it doesn't enforce any kind of 
coding practice, like making sure stuff you 'new' or 'malloc' is
later free'd. 

  -- Greg

In gnu.g++ J.H.M. Dassen (Ray) <jhm@cistron.nl> wrote:
> Fred Wan <a.wan@cable.A2000.nl> wrote:
>>Does anyone know if there are possibilities of tracing memory leaks with
>>gdb (xxgdb)?

// Gregory B. Newby, Assistant Professor in the School of Information
// and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
// CB# 3360 Manning Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3360  E: gbnewby@ils.unc.edu
// V: 919-962-8064 F: 919-962-8071  W: http://www.ils.unc.edu/~gbnewby/

Re: Memory Leaks

[Greg Newby]

There's a great commercial tool called Purify, made by
Rational (www.rational.com).  It's quite pricey ($2400 license),
but you can download a free demo.

It searches for all memory leaks, potential memory leaks, etc.
and tells you where in your code they happen.  Very handy...

I wish I could afford it (we might get an educational version
here at UNC soon).  Meanwhile, I periodically download the 
demo version when I'm having trouble that debuggers can't find.

This doesn't answer your question, but it's a good tool to know
about I think.  It interoperates fine with gdb (that's how I 
use it).  I have not had much luck looking for memory leaks with
gdb - although you can spot a variable that points to unassigned
memory easily enough (e.g., if *p == NULL [0x0]), it doesn't do this
automatically.  Furthermore, it doesn't enforce any kind of 
coding practice, like making sure stuff you 'new' or 'malloc' is
later free'd. 

  -- Greg

In gnu.g++ J.H.M. Dassen (Ray) <jhm@cistron.nl> wrote:
> Fred Wan <a.wan@cable.A2000.nl> wrote:
>>Does anyone know if there are possibilities of tracing memory leaks with
>>gdb (xxgdb)?

// Gregory B. Newby, Assistant Professor in the School of Information
// and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
// CB# 3360 Manning Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3360  E: gbnewby@ils.unc.edu
// V: 919-962-8064 F: 919-962-8071  W: http://www.ils.unc.edu/~gbnewby/

Memory Leaks

[Fred Wan]

Hi,

Does anyone know if there are possibilities of tracing memory leaks with

gdb (xxxgdb)? The only thing I now have at my disposal is Visual C++,
and
its routines for tracing those kinds of errors are insufficient and
inaccurate (but what can you expect from microsoft?). I was used to the
commercial C++ compiler package from IBM on a RISC\6000 AIX machine,
that includes a heap debugger, an excellent program. I now have Solaris
7 (on intel) with just g++ and gdb and I haven't found any specialized
ways of tracking memory leaks.

Thanks,

Fred Wan,
a.wan@cable.a2000.nl

Re: Memory Leaks

[Erik de Castro Lopo]

Fred Wan wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Does anyone know if there are possibilities of tracing memory leaks with
> 
> gdb (xxxgdb)? The only thing I now have at my disposal is Visual C++,
> and
> its routines for tracing those kinds of errors are insufficient and
> inaccurate (but what can you expect from microsoft?). I was used to the
> commercial C++ compiler package from IBM on a RISC\6000 AIX machine,
> that includes a heap debugger, an excellent program. I now have Solaris
> 7 (on intel) with just g++ and gdb and I haven't found any specialized
> ways of tracking memory leaks.

Have a look at this page:

http://www.cs.colorado.edu/homes/zorn/public_html/MallocDebug.html

Erik
-- 
+-------------------------------------------------+
     Erik de Castro Lopo     erikd@zip.com.au
+-------------------------------------------------+
Spook bait:
heroin Albright terrify extradite packages uranium 
airport terminal Yeltsin code kill blast president 
train station Clinton opium nitro money sneak hash 
keep secret DEA smuggle FBI get caught execute LSD 
assassinate NSA terrorize bombed encrypt plutonium

Re: Memory Leaks

[Erik de Castro Lopo]

Fred Wan wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Does anyone know if there are possibilities of tracing memory leaks with
> 
> gdb (xxxgdb)? The only thing I now have at my disposal is Visual C++,
> and
> its routines for tracing those kinds of errors are insufficient and
> inaccurate (but what can you expect from microsoft?). I was used to the
> commercial C++ compiler package from IBM on a RISC\6000 AIX machine,
> that includes a heap debugger, an excellent program. I now have Solaris
> 7 (on intel) with just g++ and gdb and I haven't found any specialized
> ways of tracking memory leaks.

Have a look at this page:

http://www.cs.colorado.edu/homes/zorn/public_html/MallocDebug.html

Erik
-- 
+-------------------------------------------------+
     Erik de Castro Lopo     erikd@zip.com.au
+-------------------------------------------------+
Spook bait:
heroin Albright terrify extradite packages uranium 
airport terminal Yeltsin code kill blast president 
train station Clinton opium nitro money sneak hash 
keep secret DEA smuggle FBI get caught execute LSD 
assassinate NSA terrorize bombed encrypt plutonium

Memory Leaks

[Fred Wan]

Hi,

Does anyone know if there are possibilities of tracing memory leaks with

gdb (xxxgdb)? The only thing I now have at my disposal is Visual C++,
and
its routines for tracing those kinds of errors are insufficient and
inaccurate (but what can you expect from microsoft?). I was used to the
commercial C++ compiler package from IBM on a RISC\6000 AIX machine,
that includes a heap debugger, an excellent program. I now have Solaris
7 (on intel) with just g++ and gdb and I haven't found any specialized
ways of tracking memory leaks.

Thanks,

Fred Wan,
a.wan@cable.a2000.nl