How to resolve malloc_error_break? - ios

Question

I'm encountering this error with the iOS 3.0 simulator, but not on the 3.1.3 and 3.2 simulators.
After creating a symbolic breakpoint on malloc_error_break, I'm seeing this in the log:
[Session started at 2010-02-13 19:15:22 +0700.]
2010-02-13 19:15:24.405 iPortals[21656:207] bool for 1
iPortals(21656,0xa0089500) malloc: *** error for object 0x285e000: pointer being freed was not allocated
*** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug
iPortals(21656,0xa0089500) malloc: *** error for object 0x2850000: pointer being freed was not allocated
*** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug
iPortals(21656,0xa0089500) malloc: *** error for object 0x286c000: pointer being freed was not allocated
*** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug
iPortals(21656,0xa0089500) malloc: *** error for object 0x287c000: pointer being freed was not allocated
*** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug
here is my code
#implementation WebViewController
#synthesize myWebView;
#synthesize AppDelegate;
#synthesize mybanner;
#synthesize request;
- (void)dealloc
{
//NSLog(#"WebViewController has been dealloc");
myWebView.delegate = nil;
self.myWebView = nil;
[self.myWebView release];
[super setView:nil];
[myWebView release];
myWebView = nil;
request = nil;
[mybanner release];
[super dealloc];
}
- (void)setView:(UIView *)aView
{
//NSLog(#"setView:(UIView *)aView");
if (aView == nil) {
self.myWebView = nil;
}
[super setView:aView];
}
- (void)action {
AppDelegate = nil;
AppDelegate = [[UIApplication sharedApplication] delegate];
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:[NSURL URLWithString:AppDelegate.PushLink]];
}
- (void)didReceiveMemoryWarning {
//NSLog(#"didReceiveMemoryWarning: view = %#, superview = %#", [self valueForKey:#"_view"], [[self valueForKey:#"_view"] superview]);
[super didReceiveMemoryWarning]; // Releases the view if it doesn't have a superview
// Release anything that's not essential, such as cached data
[[NSURLCache sharedURLCache] removeAllCachedResponses];
}
- (void)viewDidLoad
{
[super viewDidLoad];
//NSLog(#"viewDidLoad: view = %#", self.view);
self.title = NSLocalizedString(#"iPortals", #"");
//UIBarButtonItem *customItem = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:#"Item" style:UIBarButtonItemStyleBordered target:self action:#selector(action];
//self.navigationController.toolbar setItems: = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:#"[...]" style:UIBarButtonItemStyleBordered target:self action:#selector(action)];
/*
UIBarButtonItem *emailButton = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc]
initWithImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"icon.png"]
style:UIBarButtonItemStylePlain target:self
action:#selector(action)];
self.toolbarItems = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:emailButton, nil];
[emailButton release];
//*/
AppDelegate = nil;
AppDelegate = [[UIApplication sharedApplication] delegate];
//NSLog(#"777777777 %#",AppDelegate.PushLink);
/*
CGRect webFrame = [[UIScreen mainScreen] applicationFrame];
webFrame.origin.y += kTopMargin + 5.0; // leave from the URL input field and its label
webFrame.size.height = 400;
//webFrame.size.height -= 40.0;
self.myWebView = nil;
//*/
//self.myWebView = [[[UIWebView alloc] initWithFrame:webFrame] autorelease];
self.myWebView.backgroundColor = [UIColor grayColor];
self.myWebView.scalesPageToFit = YES;
self.myWebView.autoresizingMask = (UIViewAutoresizingFlexibleWidth | UIViewAutoresizingFlexibleHeight);
self.myWebView.delegate = self;
[self.view addSubview: self.myWebView];
self.mybanner.backgroundColor = [UIColor clearColor];
[self.view addSubview: self.mybanner];
/*
CGRect textFieldFrame = CGRectMake(kLeftMargin, kTweenMargin,
self.view.bounds.size.width - (kLeftMargin * 2.0), kTextFieldHeight);
UITextField *urlField = [[UITextField alloc] initWithFrame:textFieldFrame];
urlField.borderStyle = UITextBorderStyleBezel;
urlField.textColor = [UIColor blackColor];
urlField.delegate = self;
urlField.placeholder = #"<enter a URL>";
urlField.text = AppDelegate.PushLink;
urlField.backgroundColor = [UIColor whiteColor];
urlField.autoresizingMask = UIViewAutoresizingFlexibleWidth;
urlField.returnKeyType = UIReturnKeyGo;
urlField.keyboardType = UIKeyboardTypeURL; // this makes the keyboard more friendly for typing URLs
urlField.autocapitalizationType = UITextAutocapitalizationTypeNone; // don't capitalize
urlField.autocorrectionType = UITextAutocorrectionTypeNo; // we don't like autocompletion while typing
urlField.clearButtonMode = UITextFieldViewModeAlways;
[urlField setAccessibilityLabel:NSLocalizedString(#"URLTextField", #"")];
[self.view addSubview:urlField];
[urlField release];
*/
request = nil;
request = [NSURLRequest requestWithURL:[NSURL URLWithString:AppDelegate.PushLink]
cachePolicy:NSURLRequestUseProtocolCachePolicy
timeoutInterval:60.0];
[self.myWebView loadRequest:request];
}
// called after the view controller's view is released and set to nil.
// For example, a memory warning which causes the view to be purged. Not invoked as a result of -dealloc.
// So release any properties that are loaded in viewDidLoad or can be recreated lazily.
//
- (void)viewDidUnload
{
[super viewDidUnload];
// release and set to nil
[self.myWebView release];
self.myWebView = nil;
}
-(BOOL)canBecomeFirstResponder {
//NSLog(#"canBecomeFirstResponder ");
return YES;
}
-(void)viewDidAppear:(BOOL)animated {
//NSLog(#"viewDidAppear ");
[self becomeFirstResponder];
}
- (void)motionBegan:(UIEventSubtype)motion withEvent:(UIEvent *)event {
//NSLog(#"overrideoverrideoverrideoverrideoverrideoverrideoverrideoverride ");
if ( event.subtype == UIEventSubtypeMotionShake )
{
// Put in code here to handle shake
AppDelegate = nil;
AppDelegate = [[UIApplication sharedApplication] delegate];
[AppDelegate ToggleNavigationBar];
[AppDelegate playsound:1];
[self setAdHide:AppDelegate.toggle];
}
}
- (void)setAdHide:(BOOL)hide {
[UIView beginAnimations:nil context:NULL];
[UIView setAnimationDuration:0.6];
if (!hide) {
if (current == UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeLeft || current == UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeRight) {
[mybanner setFrame:CGRectMake(0, 272, mybanner.frame.size.width, mybanner.frame.size.height)];
}
else {
[mybanner setFrame:CGRectMake(0, 432, mybanner.frame.size.width, mybanner.frame.size.height)];
}
}
else {
[self restoreAd];
}
[UIView commitAnimations];
}
- (void)restoreAd {
[UIView beginAnimations:nil context:NULL];
[UIView setAnimationDuration:0.6];
[mybanner setFrame:CGRectMake(0, 0, mybanner.frame.size.width, mybanner.frame.size.height)];
[UIView commitAnimations];
}
#pragma mark -
#pragma mark UIViewController delegate methods
- (void)viewWillAppear:(BOOL)animated
{
self.myWebView.delegate = nil;
self.myWebView.delegate = self; // setup the delegate as the web view is shown
}
- (void)viewWillDisappear:(BOOL)animated
{
//[self.myWebView removeFromSuperview];
[self.myWebView stopLoading]; // in case the web view is still loading its content
self.myWebView.delegate = nil; // disconnect the delegate as the webview is hidden
[UIApplication sharedApplication].networkActivityIndicatorVisible = NO;
}
- (BOOL)shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation
{
current = interfaceOrientation;
[self restoreAd];
return ((interfaceOrientation == UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeLeft) || (interfaceOrientation == UIDeviceOrientationPortrait) ||
(interfaceOrientation == UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeRight));
}
// this helps dismiss the keyboard when the "Done" button is clicked
- (BOOL)textFieldShouldReturn:(UITextField *)textField
{
[textField resignFirstResponder];
[self.myWebView loadRequest:[NSURLRequest requestWithURL:[NSURL URLWithString:[textField text]]]];
return YES;
}
#pragma mark -
#pragma mark UIWebViewDelegate
- (void)webViewDidStartLoad:(UIWebView *)webView
{
// starting the load, show the activity indicator in the status bar
[UIApplication sharedApplication].networkActivityIndicatorVisible = YES;
}
- (void)webViewDidFinishLoad:(UIWebView *)webView
{
// finished loading, hide the activity indicator in the status bar
[UIApplication sharedApplication].networkActivityIndicatorVisible = NO;
}
- (void)webView:(UIWebView *)webView didFailLoadWithError:(NSError *)error
{
// load error, hide the activity indicator in the status bar
[UIApplication sharedApplication].networkActivityIndicatorVisible = NO;
// report the error inside the webview
//NSString* errorString = [NSString stringWithFormat:
// #"<html><center><font size=+5 color='red'>An error occurred:<br>%#</font></center></html>",
// error.localizedDescription];
//[self.myWebView loadHTMLString:errorString baseURL:nil];
//URLCacheAlertWithError(error);
}
#end

Answer 1

Follow the recommendation in the log message: set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break. When the breakpoint fires, look at the backtrace in Xcode (or use the bt command on the gdb command-line) and see where you're calling free, or API that uses free.
Memory use issues are sometimes discoverable using the Xcode static analyzer - choose "Build and Analyze" from the Xcode build menu.

Answer 2

You seem to be repeatedly trying to dealloc your pointers. In the dealloc method ONLY call [blah release]; and in the viewDidUnload method assign your pointers a nil value. Do not do BOTH in both methods.
- (void)dealloc
{
[self.myWebView release];
[mybanner release];
[super dealloc];
}
- (void)viewDidUnload
{
[super viewDidUnload];
self.myWebView = nil;
}
You seem to be missing a few variables as well.

Answer 3

This may seem completely unrelated, but with a similar error, what worked for me was to repair the disk permissions.
Open Disk Utility app -> Repair Disk Permissions
Restart the computer
I got this suggestion from Mac Terminal - 'pointer being freed was not allocated' error when opening terminal
Also, I realize that the question is 6 years old, so it's unlikely to be useful to the original asker. I hope this answer helps other people with similar errors.

Answer 4

Amazingly, what solved it for me was to shut down and turn back on the debug device. Oh, Apple...