macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install dmallocprovider-native install command
brew / rank 12496
Install dmalloc with Homebrew
Debug versions of system memory management routines. Version 5.6.5 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Debug versions of system memory management routines
Project links
Commands and aliases
- dmalloc
history
Project history and usage
Dmalloc is Gray Watson's debug memory allocation library, designed as a drop-in replacement for malloc, realloc, calloc, free, and related routines while adding runtime-configurable memory debugging.
Project history
The manual carries copyright years from 1992 to 2020 and identifies version 5.6.5 as a December 2020 release. Its feature set reflects a long-lived C debugging niche: leak tracking, fence-post write detection, file and line reporting, statistics logging, and threaded-program support.
Adoption history
Dmalloc's official documentation lists successful use across a wide range of Unix and non-Unix systems, including AIX, the BSDs, GNU/Hurd, HP-UX, IRIX, Linux, macOS, NeXT, OSF/DUX, SCO, Solaris, Ultrix, UnixWare, Windows, and Unicos on a Cray T3E.
How it is used
Typical use links the dmalloc library into a C or C++ program, optionally includes dmalloc.h for file and line reporting, and uses the dmalloc utility plus the DMALLOC_OPTIONS environment variable to enable checks such as leak logging, heap verification, and abort-on-error behavior.
Why package nerds care
Dmalloc is historically interesting because it predates many modern sanitizers yet remains a compact, portable package-manager answer for C heap debugging. Its shell integration, runtime token model, and static-library workflow make it feel like classic Unix debugging infrastructure.
Timeline
- 1992: Earliest copyright year in the official manual.
- 2020-12: Dmalloc manual identifies version 5.6.5.
Related projects
- Dmalloc sits in the same practical debugging space as allocator wrappers, leak checkers, and compiler/runtime sanitizers, but its official documentation focuses on replacing the standard allocation routines directly.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
dmalloc | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version5.6.5
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:dmalloc |
|---|---|
| Version | 5.6.5 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://dmalloc.com/ |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation