Re: freeware purify like memory checker ?

["Gary Hennigan" <glhenni@sandia.gov>]

"Johann Spies" <jspies@sun.ac.za> writes:
> On Wed, Feb 06, 2002 at 04:02:55PM +0100, Leif Thuresson wrote:
> > Does anybody know a of freeware memory checker
> > they can recommend ?
> 
> apt-get install memtest86

No. memtest86 tests viability of the RAM in your system. It's purpose
is to try and detect hardware problems with your systems memory. 

What Johan wants is a package to do things like bounds checking of
dynamically allocated arrays and uninitialized memory read/write
checking, on code that he develops himself, or compiles himself
anyway.

I don't think any of the free ones come close to the functionality of
purify, but it's been a couple of years since I checked into it so the
situation may have changed. Johan, try one of these:

        % apt-cache search malloc|grep -i debug
        ccmalloc - A memory profiler/debugger
        debauch - A malloc debugger
        electric-fence - A malloc(3) debugger
        fda - C malloc debug library
        gccchecker - Memory access debugger for C language development
        njamd - Not Just Another Malloc Debugger
        dmalloc - Debuging memory allocation library

from a system running Debian "testing".

Also, if a commercial solution isn't totally out of the question you
can look into Insure++ (http://www.parasoft.com). I've run it on my
Debian "testing" system with moderate success.

Gary