Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault (program runs out of stack.)

Question

I get this error message when i run the program with gdb. The error is shown at this line:

long a = thread_fake(); //in file1.c

I was getting the problem with other function that was defined in a separate file, so i simplified it to a simple function that just returns 0. The function has been defined as:

long thread_fake(){ //defined in file2.c
    return 0;
}

As @EmployedRussian pointed out, it seems the program runs out of stack. The valgrind shows the following error:

==14711== 144 bytes in 1 blocks are possibly lost in loss record 17 of 32
==14711==    at 0x4025315: calloc (vg_replace_malloc.c:467)
==14711==    by 0x4010CD7: allocate_dtv (dl-tls.c:300)
==14711==    by 0x401146B: _dl_allocate_tls (dl-tls.c:464)
==14711==    by 0x40475C6: pthread_create@@GLIBC_2.1 (allocatestack.c:570)
==14711==    by 0x8050583: tm_main_startup 
==14711==    by 0x8048F6B: main (genome.c:201)
==14711== 144 bytes in 1 blocks are possibly lost in loss record 18 of 32
==14711==    at 0x4025315: calloc (vg_replace_malloc.c:467)
==14711==    by 0x4010CD7: allocate_dtv (dl-tls.c:300)
==14711==    by 0x401146B: _dl_allocate_tls (dl-tls.c:464)
==14711==    by 0x40475C6: pthread_create@@GLIBC_2.1 (allocatestack.c:570)
==14711==    by 0x804DFE3: thread_startup (thread.c:151)
==14711==    by 0x8048F73: main (genome.c:203)

All the threads created are joined a corresponding pthread_join call. Also i tried the sgcheck tool but it doesn't work on the platform'x86-linux'. Please help.

The complete output of bt command:

Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
[Switching to Thread 0x406e8b70 (LWP 19416)]
sequencer_run (argPtr=0x89fce00) at sequencer.c:251
251 a = thread_fake();
(gdb) bt
#0  sequencer_run (argPtr=0x89fce00) at sequencer.c:251
#1  0x0804e306 in threadWait (argPtr=0x89dc1f4) at ../lib/thread.c:105
#2  0x4003be99 in start_thread (arg=0x406e8b70) at pthread_create.c:304
#3  0x40253cbe in clone () at ../sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/i386/clone.S:130

Have you declared the function in file1.c or in a header file included by it? — n. m. could be an AI
– n. m. could be an AI, Commented Sep 11, 2013 at 21:27
You write that you get this error when running the program with gdb. Does it occur when you're running it outside of gdb? — us2012
– us2012, Commented Sep 11, 2013 at 21:42
Post the shortest, complete, compilable example that you can which reproduces the error. — Crowman
– Crowman, Commented Sep 11, 2013 at 21:46

Employed Russian · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-14 02:29:25Z

2

The error is shown at this line:

long a = thread_fake(); //in file1.c

The likely way this could case a SIGSEGV is if your program has run out of stack.

Examine actual crashing instruction in GDB with x/i $pc.

If the instruction is a PUSH, or a CALL, then my guess is confirmed.

Another possibility: you've compiled your code with optimization, and the actual faulting instruction has little to do with the source line it is attributed to.

Update:

Yes it gives a call call 0x804e580 <thread_fake>. What could be the solution?

The solution is to not run out of stack. Execute a GDB where command, then, in each frame leading to the crash, execute info frame and look for frames that are excessively large.

Don't allocate too much data on stack, or increase your stack size (ulimit -s).

valgrind shows the following error:

That is

not an error
has nothing to do with your problem

Update2:

How do I check the size of each frame?

Given this:

Stack level 0, frame at 0xffffc248:
...
Stack level 1, frame at 0xffffc250:
...
Stack level 2, frame at 0xffffc2a0:

the size of frame #1 is 8 (0xffffc250 - 0xffffc248), frame #2 is 80, etc.

Final Update:

It turned out that my procedure above failed to measure the size of frame#0, which turned out to be ... 61MB! due to presence of humongous local arrays (just as Grady Player correctly guessed).

edited Sep 14, 2013 at 2:29

answered Sep 12, 2013 at 2:05

Employed Russian

217k36 gold badges324 silver badges396 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

9 Comments

Grady Player Over a year ago

that is a good possibility... the op should look for something like int huge[23456678899]; and not do that anymore.

ceedee Over a year ago

@EmployedRussian Yes it gives a call "call 0x804e580 <thread_fake>" What could be the solution?

ceedee Over a year ago

@EmployedRussian Also one more thing i would like to mention is that the program runs fine with single thread, but ends up with SIGSEGV on 2 or more threads..

ceedee Over a year ago

@EmployedRussian i also checked with the commands where and info frame. But how do i check the size of each frame. It just mentions like- Stack level 0, frame at 0x406e8370: eip = 0x8049a3c in sequencer_run (sequencer.c:251); saved eip 0x804e476 called by frame at 0x406e8390 source language c. Arglist at 0x406e8368, args: argPtr=0x89fde00 Locals at 0x406e8368, Previous frame's sp is 0x406e8370 Saved registers: ebx at 0x406e835c, ebp at 0x406e8368, esi at 0x406e8360, edi at 0x406e8364, eip at 0x406e836c

Employed Russian Over a year ago

@ceedee So you are running out of stack almost immediately, without having consumed hardly any stack space. How exactly do you create this thread?

|

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault (program runs out of stack.)

1 Answer 1

9 Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

9 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related