Detect Rust memory leaks by running your code with the nightly toolchain and the leak sanitizer enabled via RUSTFLAGS.
Use the cargo tool with the --release flag and the leak sanitizer to detect memory leaks and ownership issues in Rust. Run the following command to compile and execute your binary with leak detection enabled:
RUSTFLAGS="-Z sanitizer=leak" cargo +nightly run --release
This command uses the nightly toolchain to enable the leak sanitizer, which reports any memory that was not freed when the program exits.
Debugging memory issues in Rust helps you find code that accidentally holds onto memory it no longer needs, like a program that forgets to return borrowed items. Think of it as a safety net that catches you before you accidentally leave a door open in a building, ensuring every piece of data is properly cleaned up when you are done.