Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install dmalloc with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix

Debug versions of system memory management routines. Version 5.6.5 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install dmalloc

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install dmalloc

MacPorts ports tree · devel/dmalloc/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install libdmalloc-dev

Debian stable package indexes · libdmalloc-dev · source: deb.debian.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#dmalloc

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/dm/dmalloc/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Debug versions of system memory management routines

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.

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 post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 platform targets.

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

CommandKindExposureNote
dmalloccliglobal executable

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 generated2026-07-08
manager version5.6.5
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://dmalloc.com/

  • infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
  • infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://dmalloc.com/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:dmalloc
Version5.6.5
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/dmalloc
Homepagehttps://dmalloc.com/
Repositoryhttps://github.com/j256/dmalloc
Upstream docshttps://dmalloc.com/docs/dmalloc.html
LicenseISC
Source archivehttps://dmalloc.com/releases/dmalloc-5.6.5.tgz
Bottleavailable (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namedmalloc
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

libdmalloc-dev 5.5.2-14+b3

debug memory allocation library (development files and doc)

http://dmalloc.com/

sudo apt install libdmalloc-dev
  • Section: libdevel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: dmalloc
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Dmalloc
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libdmalloc-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Debian apt95%

libdmalloc5 5.5.2-14+b3

debug memory allocation library

http://dmalloc.com/

sudo apt install libdmalloc5
  • Section: libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: dmalloc
  • 1 dependencies
  • 2 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Dmalloc
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libdmalloc5 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

dmalloc

nix profile install nixpkgs#dmalloc
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Dmalloc
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/dm/dmalloc/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

libdmalloc-dev 5.5.2-14build2

debug memory allocation library (development files and doc)

http://dmalloc.com/

sudo apt install libdmalloc-dev
  • Section: universe/libdevel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: dmalloc
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Dmalloc
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libdmalloc-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

libdmalloc5 5.5.2-14build2

debug memory allocation library

http://dmalloc.com/

sudo apt install libdmalloc5
  • Section: universe/libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: dmalloc
  • 1 dependencies
  • 2 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Dmalloc
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libdmalloc5 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
MacPorts95%

dmalloc

sudo port install dmalloc
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Dmalloc
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/dmalloc/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Same workflow

  • valgrindShares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, debugging, developer-tools, memory-debugging.
  • cargo-carefulShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, debugging, developer-tools.
  • cdebugShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, debugging, developer-tools.
  • chdigShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, debugging, developer-tools.
  • crashShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, debugging, developer-tools.
  • dddShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, debugging, developer-tools.

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.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • Nucleus package database
  • av.db category and tag curation
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment