[Rd] [R] Segfault in pure R code

[Göran Broström]

I tried once more under the debugger, and

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
gb at kasparov:~/R/BEMANNING/Doc$ R -d gdb
GNU gdb 6.5-debian
Copyright (C) 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and you are
welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under certain conditions.
Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
There is absolutely no warranty for GDB.  Type "show warranty" for details.
This GDB was configured as "i486-linux-gnu"...Using host libthread_db
library "/lib/tls/i686/cmov/libthread_db.so.1".

(gdb) run
Starting program: /usr/local/lib/R/bin/exec/R
Failed to read a valid object file image from memory.

R version 2.4.0 Patched (2006-10-29 r39744)
Copyright (C) 2006 The R Foundation for Statistical Computing
ISBN 3-900051-07-0

R is free software and comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
You are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions.
Type 'license()' or 'licence()' for distribution details.

  Natural language support but running in an English locale

R is a collaborative project with many contributors.
Type 'contributors()' for more information and
'citation()' on how to cite R or R packages in publications.

Type 'demo()' for some demos, 'help()' for on-line help, or
'help.start()' for an HTML browser interface to help.
Type 'q()' to quit R.

[Previously saved workspace restored]

> library(xtable)
> ?xtable)
Error: syntax error in "?xtable)"
> ?xtable
> help.start()
Making links in per-session dir ...
If '/usr/bin/firefox' is already running, it is *not* restarted, and
    you must switch to its window.
Otherwise, be patient ...
> library(bemanning)
> load("bemanning07-32.rda")
> courses("Ingrid")

Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
0x080f5026 in R_gc_internal (size_needed=17588127) at memory.c:1313
1313        PROCESS_NODES();
(gdb)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

How do I continue?

Göran

On 12/12/06, Göran Broström <goran.brostrom at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 12/12/06, Peter Dalgaard <p.dalgaard at biostat.ku.dk> wrote:
> > Göran Broström wrote:
> > > I just caught a segfault:
> > >
> > >
> > >> courses("Ingrid")
> > >>
> > >
> > >  *** caught segfault ***
> > > address 0x99b279c, cause 'memory not mapped'
> > >
> > > Traceback:
> > >  1: structure(y, class = oldClass(x), row.names = attr(x, "row.names"))
> > >  2: `[.data.frame`(gudata, -(1:5))
> > >  3: gudata[-(1:5)]
> > >  4: names(gudata[-(1:5)])
> > >  5: inherits(x, "factor")
> > >  6: is.factor(table)
> > >  7: match(x, table, nomatch = 0)
> > >  8: who %in% names(gudata[-(1:5)])
> > >  9: courses("Ingrid")
> > >
> > > when running a function 'courses' in an R package without compiled
> > > code. Is this "possible"? I have got many segfaults when testing my
> > > own packages, but it has always been caused by stupidities in C or
> > > Fortran code, never with pure R code.
> > >
> > > So, before I start debugging, I'd like to know if a segfault in pure R
> > > code indicates  a bug in R itself, or if it can be in my function?
> > >
> > >
> > By definition, reproducible segfaults in R code are bugs in R, unless
> > caused by abuse of .C calls or similar. (Irreproducible ones are often
> > hardware faults.)
> >
> > However, at least presently, you are the only one with a handle on the
> > bug. So either you get to do the debugging or you have to provide
> > something that others can reproduce.
> >
> > Astarting point could be to run R under the debugger (R -d gdb)  and
> > generate a C backtrace, then look at the variables involved.
>
> Thanks, Peter,
>
> the error is reproducible. The full session is
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> gb at kasparov:~/R/BEMANNING/Doc$ R
>
> R version 2.4.0 Patched (2006-10-29 r39744)
> Copyright (C) 2006 The R Foundation for Statistical Computing
> ISBN 3-900051-07-0
>
> R is free software and comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
> You are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions.
> Type 'license()' or 'licence()' for distribution details.
>
>   Natural language support but running in an English locale
>
> R is a collaborative project with many contributors.
> Type 'contributors()' for more information and
> 'citation()' on how to cite R or R packages in publications.
>
> Type 'demo()' for some demos, 'help()' for on-line help, or
> 'help.start()' for an HTML browser interface to help.
> Type 'q()' to quit R.
>
> [Previously saved workspace restored]
>
> > library(xtable)
> > ?xtable)
> Error: syntax error in "?xtable)"
> > ?xtable
> > help.start()
> Making links in per-session dir ...
> If '/usr/bin/firefox' is already running, it is *not* restarted, and
>     you must switch to its window.
> Otherwise, be patient ...
> > library(bemanning)
> > load("bemanning07-32.rda")
> > courses("Ingrid")
>
>  *** caught segfault ***
> address 0x99b279c, cause 'memory not mapped'
>
> Traceback:
>  1: structure(y, class = oldClass(x), row.names = attr(x, "row.names"))
>  2: `[.data.frame`(gudata, -(1:5))
>  3: gudata[-(1:5)]
>  4: names(gudata[-(1:5)])
>  5: inherits(x, "factor")
>  6: is.factor(table)
>  7: match(x, table, nomatch = 0)
>  8: who %in% names(gudata[-(1:5)])
>  9: courses("Ingrid")
>
> Possible actions:
> 1: abort (with core dump)
> 2: normal R exit
> 3: exit R without saving workspace
> 4: exit R saving workspace
> Selection:
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
> Notes:
>
> 1. Tried to remove one line at a time, but then no error.
> 2. R -d gdb: No errors
> 3. Starting with 'R --vanilla': No errors.
>
> i.e., it seems as if my previously saved workspace '.RData' is part of
> the error.
> Could it be corrupt and cause a segfault in a bug free R?
>
> I'll try to build a newer version of R and check (but not tonight).
>
> Göran
>
> > (Further discussion should probably go on r-devel instead of r-help).
> >
> > -p
> >
> > > I have used 'courses' many times before without problems.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > Göran
> > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> > >
> > >> sessionInfo()
> > >>
> > > R version 2.4.0 Patched (2006-10-29 r39744)
> > > i686-pc-linux-gnu
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Göran Broström
>


-- 
Göran Broström