Visualize mach-o dependencies

In the spirit of Vizualize dependencies in MacPorts and Vizualize KEXTs dependencies, this page describes a way to track mach-o file dependencies and related satellite information (e.g: blockers).

Prerequisites

Graphviz is an opensource graph visualization software from AT&T Laboratories and Bell Laboratories (Lucent Technologies).

port install graphviz +the_variants_you_need

or grab and compile the source from graphviz.org. Note: On Mac OS X, Pixelglow is a nice a front-end, you can even see the graph being built in real-time.

Using pd_machviz to generate a graph

The pd_machviz tool is available in the svn/hg trunk.

A simple example across otool dependencies

A hierarchical view:

The corresponding script output:

./pd_machviz /usr/bin/otool

Generate dependencies graphs of /usr/bin/otool

 Legend:

 1 + foo

 2 |`- bar                                             No more dependency

 2 |`+ baz impure! /Blocker_1 -> file_involved_1       Impurity detected

 2 |`+ baz impure! /Blocker_. -> file_involved_.       Impurity detected

 2 |`+ baz impure! /Blocker_n -> file_involved_n       Impurity detected

 2 |`+ baz                                             Dependency found

 3 | |`. qux                                           Cached file (Already processed)

Now generating dependencies tree, please wait…

 1 + /usr/bin/otool

 2 |`+ /usr/lib/libgcc_s.1.dylib

 3 | |`+ /usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib

 4 | | |`- /usr/lib/system/libmathCommon.A.dylib

 2 |`. /usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib

Generation of otool.dot complete.

Now drawing graphs from otool.dot, please wait…

Generation of otool.dot_directed.png complete.

Generation of otool.dot_circular.png complete.

Generation of otool.dot_radial.png complete.

Generation of otool.dot_undirected.png complete.

Generation of otool.dot_undirectedBIS.png complete.

A circular view of xterm dependencies

Checking for purity in passwd

Resources

http://www.graphviz.org the otool page