Re: GC crash (compact_small_strings)

[Kim F. Storm]

Steven Augart <saugart@yahoo.com> writes:

> In GNU Emacs 21.4.1 (i686-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw3d scroll bars)
>  of 2005-04-26 on ucentric03_HD
> configured using `configure  --with-x'

Could you try to run the development version (emacs 22.x) and see if
the problem still exists in that version.

> I've been running an Emacs 21.4 that I built myself on an x86 PC
> running the Fedora Core variant of GNU/Linux.  In the course of
> running a recursive Ediff,

Can you give a precise description of how you get the crash, including
the files you compare with ediff? 

If you don't want to post the files here, perhaps you can just send
them to me in a private mail.

> #4  compact_small_strings ()

We suspect there is a memory corruption somewhere -- but we have been
unable to find the culprit.  Any input you can provide to narrow down
the cause would be a help.

Also report the output from the following gdb commmand when emacs crashes
(provided that you run `gdb emacs' in the src directory):

(gdb) xbacktrace

> I expect that I could easily re-trigger the bug if I'd be able to grab
> additional helpful information from doing so.

Please read etc/DEBUG for info on debugging emacs crashes.

> I have defined GC_CHECK_STRING_BYTES in lisp.h and am recompiling
> Emacs.  If someone wants to take this bug on, please let me know, and
> I'll be glad to help work on it however I can.

In 22.x, you can enable more GC_ checks to try to catch the error.

-- 
Kim F. Storm <storm@cua.dk> http://www.cua.dk