.\" memdb.1
.\" $Id: //info.geodesic.com/change/50147/src/GCDocs/Lite/man/man1/memdb.1#1$
.\" Copyright 1998 Geodesic Systems.  All rights reserved.
.nr X
.TH memdb 1 "1998-08-19"
.SH NAME
memdb \- Memory Debugger. Run Workshop Memory Monitor on an Executable
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B memdb
[
.B \-d
] [
.B \-g
] [
.B \-b
] [
.B \-v
] [
.B \-w
.I web-browser
] [
.B \-p
.I port
] [
.B \-m
.I monfilepath
]
command
.SH DESCRIPTION
.BR memdb,
the Memory Debugger, runs the WorkShop Memory Monitor
on an executable program without the need of explicitly linking with
the gc debugging library (libgc_dbg.so).
Besides executing \f2command\f1, memdb starts the
.BR gcmonitor (1)
and a web-browser that automatically connects to
the running gcmonitor (by default, the web-browser is set to netscape).
The paths of gcmonitor and \f2web-browser\f1 should be in PATH.
The WorkShop Memory Monitor will also run on the children processes that
\f2command\f1 forks.

After the browser appears on the screen, click on the "Select Program"
tab to select the process that you want to analyze. Once you select
the process, you can click on any of the other tabs. The "Help" tab
gives more information about the functionality of the WorkShop Memory
Monitor.

To communicate between the programs an the gcmonitor, the
Memory Debugger creates a monitor file (gcXXXX.mon)
for every process. These files
are by default created in the directory ~/.gcmonfiles. All the
monitor files that correspond to the processes created by
\f2command\f1 are stored in a single subdirectory. When \f2command\f1
and the \f2web-browser\f1 exit, the subdirectory and the monitor files
are removed.

Since the communication between the program and the gcmonitor
takes place using shared memory, it is recommended to put the
monitor files in a local disk. Using a networked file
system may slow down the program starting time by a factor of 10.
Use the -m option if the ~/.gcmonfiles directory is not in a local
disk.
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
.B \-d 
Tells the Memory Debugger not to delete the monitor files after the command
and the \f2web-browser\f1 exit.
.TP
.B \-g
Tells the Memory Debugger not to automatically run the gcmonitor
and the \f2web-browser\f1.
.TP
.B \-b
Tells the Memory Debugger not to automatically run the \f2web-browser\f1.
.TP
.B \-v
Set the Memory Debugger in verbose mode.
.TP
.BI \-w " web-browser"
Sets the \f2web-browser\f1 to be used. The \f2web-browser\f1 should be able
to handle in the first argument an initial URL.
By default \f2web-browser\f1 is "netscape".
.TP
.B \-p " port"
Sets the gcmonitor port. By default a random unused port is chosen.
.TP
.B \-m " monfilepath"
Sets the directory where the gc monitor files are stored. It is recommended
to create this directory in a local disc to decrease the communication overhead
between the program and the gcmonitor.

.SH TROUBLESHOOTING
.SS Problem
My program shows an error:
.TP
.B !!! **** Could not reopen gcmonitor file.
.SS Solution
Some children processes that your program created are still running,
and you may have exited the \f2web-browser\f1. Do not exit the \f2web-browser\f1
until your are sure the children have finished executing. Alternatively,
use the "-d" flag to preserve the gcmonfiles, and manually
delete the gcmonfiles when you are done.
.SS Problem
The \f2web-browser\f1 is not able to connect to the gcmonitor.
.SS Solution
Check 
.BR gcmonitor (1)
for more troubleshooting.

.SH SEE ALSO
.BR gcmonitor (1),
.LP
.I WorkShop Memory Monitor User's Manual