[R] Mysterious seg fault.

[Rolf Turner]

I am getting a seg fault from a package that I am working on, and I am 
totally flummoxed by it.  The fault presumably arises from dynamically
loaded Fortran code, but I'm damned if I can see where the error lies.

In an effort to diagnose the problem I created a "non-package" version 
of the code.  That is, I copied all the *.R files and *.f file into a
new directory.  In that directory I created a *.so file using
R CMD SHLIB.

In the R code I removed all the "PACKAGE=" lines from the calls to
.Fortran() and put in appropriate dyn.load() calls.

I then started R in this new "clean" directory and sourced all of the
*.R files.

I then issued the command that produces the seg fault when run under the 
aegis of the package.  The command ran without a murmur of complaint.
WTF?

Can anyone suggest a reason why a seg fault might arise when the code is 
run in the context of a package, but not when it is run in "standalone 
mode"?

I have checked and rechecked my init.c file --- which is the only thing 
that I can think of that might create a difference --- and cannot find 
any discrepancy between the declarations in the init.c file and the 
Fortran code.

The package is a bit complicated, so giving more detail would be 
cumbersome.  Also I have no idea what aspects of detail would be 
relevant.  If anyone would like more info, feel free to ask.

I would really appreciate it if someone could give me some suggestions
before I go *completely* mad!

cheers,

Rolf Turner

-- 
Technical Editor ANZJS
Department of Statistics
University of Auckland
Phone: +64-9-373-7599 ext. 88276