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Conference hydra::amiga_v1

Title:	AMIGA NOTES
Notice:	Join us in the NEW conference - HYDRA::AMIGA_V2
Moderator:	HYDRA::MOORE

Created:	Sat Apr 26 1986
Last Modified:	Wed Feb 05 1992
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	5378
Total number of notes:	38326

2790.0. "Debugging Tools Anyone?" by KYOA::MIANO (O.K. so who cares about the METS?) Tue Aug 01 1989 11:53

I would like to know if there are any decent debugging tools out
there.  I am trying to port a program I wrote on a VAX to the 
Amiga and I am having a very tough time.

1) Are there any tools that hook into the Amiga's exception vectors
to provide better error handling?  A divide by zero in a program
crashes the system unless the program is run in the debugger.
This re-boot the system for any little thing is for the birds.

2) Are there any tools like lib$show_vm that can help detect
memory leaks?

3) Are there any tools that can use the MMU to provide some sort of
protection against renegade programs.

4) Are there any memory allocation/deallocation tools that can help with
debugging possibly by using the MMU?

I am learning that debugging on the AMiga is much tougher than on the
VAX.  On of the interesting things I have found through running in the
debugger is that on different runs of the program the system crashes
in different places.

John

T.R Title User Personal
Name Date Lines

2790.1 Amiga Debugging TLE::RMEYERS Randy Meyers Tue Aug 01 1989 22:14 47

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
2790.1	Amiga Debugging	TLE::RMEYERS	Randy Meyers	`Tue Aug 01 1989 22:14`	47
	Re: .0 >1) Are there any tools that hook into the Amiga's exception vectors >to provide better error handling? There is a commercial program called "GOMF!" (for Get Out of My Face) that does just that. It links into all for exception vectors to give you a chance to recover from problems. Recommended. >2) Are there any tools like lib$show_vm that can help detect >memory leaks? >4) Are there any memory allocation/deallocation tools that can help with >debugging possibly by using the MMU? I've seen various PD programs that do various things: From Fish disk 27 SafeMalloc Ever have a program that corrupts it's own memory? Well, this little gem can help you find the problem in a hurry. Acts as an interface between your program and the real malloc, checking for overrun, underrun, and duplicate freeing of malloc'd space. Author: Bjorn Benson, modifications by Fred Fish 3) Are there any tools that can use the MMU to provide some sort of protection against renegade programs. Amiga Unix. More seriously, I don't know of any such use of the MMU. However, there are a few pure software solutions: From Fish 87: MemWatch Memwatch is a program intended to sit in the background and watch for random trashing of low memory by an application under development. If it detects a write to low memory, it repairs it to what used to be there, then puts up a requester indicating what damage had been done. Very useful! Author: John Toebes MemWatch is shipped on the Lattice C disk as an example program. GOMF! will also do this checking for you.

Re: .0

>1) Are there any tools that hook into the Amiga's exception vectors
>to provide better error handling?

There is a commercial program called "GOMF!" (for Get Out of My Face)
that does just that.  It links into all for exception vectors to
give you a chance to recover from problems.  Recommended.

>2) Are there any tools like lib$show_vm that can help detect
>memory leaks?
>4) Are there any memory allocation/deallocation tools that can help with
>debugging possibly by using the MMU?

I've seen various PD programs that do various things:

From Fish disk 27

SafeMalloc	Ever have a program that corrupts it's own memory?  Well,
		this little gem can help you find the problem in a hurry.
		Acts as an interface between your program and the real
		malloc, checking for overrun, underrun, and duplicate
		freeing of malloc'd space.
		Author: Bjorn Benson, modifications by Fred Fish

3) Are there any tools that can use the MMU to provide some sort of
protection against renegade programs.

Amiga Unix.

More seriously, I don't know of any such use of the MMU.  However,
there are a few pure software solutions:

From Fish 87:

MemWatch	Memwatch is a program intended to sit in the background
		and watch for random trashing of low memory by an
		application under development.  If it detects a write
		to low memory, it repairs it to what used to be there,
		then puts up a requester indicating what damage had been
		done.  Very useful!
		Author:  John Toebes

MemWatch is shipped on the Lattice C disk as an example program.

GOMF! will also do this checking for you.