Hello, my XEmacs disappeared in the air leaving a message prompting me to report, and the following line (which may not come from XEmacs however):
 
Fatal error: assertion failed, file eval.c, line 1877, abort()
Here is the installation description:


uname -a: OSF1 vijay.xko.dec.com X5.1 1133 alpha
 
./configure  'alpha-dec-osf5.1' '--prefix=/usr/lib/xemacs-21.1.11' '--lispdir=/usr/lib/xemacs-21.1.11/lisp' '--etcdir=/usr/lib/xemacs-21.1.11/etc' '--infodir=/usr/lib/xemacs-21.1.11/info' '--archlibdir=/usr/lib/xemacs-21.1.11/alpha-dec-osf5.1' '--lockdir=/usr/lib/xemacs-21.1.11/lock' '--with-xpm' '--with-offix=no'
 

XEmacs 21.1.11 "Carlsbad Caverns" configured for `alpha-dec-osf5.1'.
 
  Where should the build process find the source code?    /usr/users/Xemacs/xemacs-21.1.11/xemacs-21.1.11
  What installation prefix should install use?    /usr/lib/xemacs-21.1.11
  What operating system and machine description files should XEmacs use?
        `s/decosf4-0.h' and `m/alpha.h'
  What compiler should XEmacs be built with?              cc -O3
  Should XEmacs use the GNU version of malloc?            yes
  Should XEmacs use the relocating allocator for buffers? yes
  What window system should XEmacs use?                   x11
  Where do we find X Windows header files?               
  Where do we find X Windows libraries?                  
  Compiling in support for XAUTH.
  Compiling in support for XPM images.
  --------------------------------------------------------------------
  WARNING: Compiling without PNG image support.
  WARNING: You should strongly consider installing the PNG libraries.
  WARNING: Otherwise certain images and glyphs may not display.
  WARNING: (a copy may be found in
ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/aux)
  --------------------------------------------------------------------
  Compiling in support for (builtin) GIF image handling.
  Compiling in support for DBM.
  Compiling in support for proper session-management.
  Using Lucid menubars.
  Using Lucid scrollbars.
  Using Motif dialog boxes.
  Compiling in DLL support.
  movemail will use "flock" for locking mail spool files.
 

And there's the backtrace obtained with dbx:

  0 __kill(0x120056df4, 0x70000001406fc680, 0x120089cd0, 0x6, 0x120089d18) [0x3ff800e8a78]
   1 fatal_error_signal(0x120089d18, 0x0, 0x3ff800d5124, 0xa000000140188928, 0x4000000140a39c98) [0x120089d90]
   2 __kill(0x100000003, 0x1, 0x0, 0x11fff69b0, 0x20202e4200000008) [0x3ff800e8a78]
   3 (unknown)() [0x3ff802061e8]
   4 __tis_raise(0x20202e4200000008, 0x616c696d69732041, 0x3ff8013aae8, 0x4059000000000006, 0x3ff8019ea94) [0x3ff8013aae4]
   5 raise(0x3ff8013aae8, 0x4059000000000006, 0x3ff8019ea94, 0x3ff0000000000000, 0x3ff801c1d24) [0x3ff8019ea90]
   6 abort(0x12008d6a4, 0x14003cea8, 0x120089c90, 0x0, 0x600000000) [0x3ff801c1d20]
   7 assert_failed(0x120089c90, 0x0, 0x600000000, 0x0, 0x1200910c4) [0x12008d6a0]
   8 (unknown)() [0x1200910c0]
   9 Fsignal(0x11fff6b10, 0x100000001, 0x4000000140a39c98, 0xa000000140188928, 0x120053cac) [0x120091680]
  10 signal_error(0x120053cac, 0x3000000140635e00, 0x120071c58, 0x3000000140635e00, 0x140635e00) [0x1200916d8]
  11 dead_wrong_type_argument(0x120071c58, 0x3000000140635e00, 0x140635e00, 0x4000000140a39ca8, 0x12012ff38) [0x120071c54]
  12 (unknown)() [0x12012ff34]
  13 kill_buffer_processes(0x140009430, 0x1403b9b70, 0x1000000000000000, 0xfffffffffffffff, 0x100000003) [0x120130d10]
  14 (unknown)() [0x12008cec8]
  15 fatal_error_signal(0xa000000140188808, 0x0, 0x3ff800d5124, 0x2000000100000003, 0x0) [0x120089d44]
  16 (unknown)() [0x120056e00]
  17 garbage_collect_1(0x11fff6f90, 0x1, 0x20000001405d5200, 0x1201528c8, 0x756f6d2f00000028) [0x12005917c]
  18 funcall_recording_as(0x0, 0x0, 0x1200db2f4, 0x140048d74, 0x1200dc034) [0x1200941bc]
  19 call3(0xa0000001401b3808, 0x600000014075f488, 0xa000000140188808, 0x11fff7208, 0x11fff7078) [0x120096474]
  20 Fexpand_file_name(0x11fff7208, 0x11fff7120, 0x100000001, 0xa000000140188808, 0x600000014075f488) [0x1200dc060]
  21 Ffile_symlink_p(0x1400491d8, 0x11fff7208, 0x1200e190c, 0x1409f16a8, 0x11fff73b0) [0x1200df11c]
  22 Fwrite_region_internal(0x8, 0x8, 0x1200942c4, 0x11fff8510, 0x0) [0x1200e1b8c]
  23 funcall_recording_as(0x1, 0x0, 0x39, 0x0, 0x39) [0x120094810]
  24 Fbyte_code(0xa000000100000028, 0x1400ec168, 0x11fff8510, 0x100000026, 0x11fff8678) [0x120062798]
  25 (unknown)() [0x1200959ac]
  26 funcall_recording_as(0xa0000001401b3808, 0x600000014075f488, 0xa000000140188808, 0x600000014017e898, 0x120094400) [0x12009489c]
  27 Fapply(0x11fff89a8, 0x100000002, 0x11fff89b8, 0x2, 0x20000001400ec1a8) [0x120095310]
More (n if no)?
  28 funcall_recording_as(0x4000000140a39c58, 0x1405bf300, 0x120063484, 0x8, 0xa0000001407ea668) [0x1200943fc]
  29 Fbyte_code(0x400000010000001f, 0x140889908, 0x11fff8910, 0x100000022, 0xa0000001402371e8) [0x120062798]
  30 (unknown)() [0x1200959ac]
  31 funcall_recording_as(0xa000000100000046, 0x11fff8b10, 0x0, 0x0, 0x14017af78) [0x12009489c]
  32 call8(0x600000014075f488, 0xa000000140188808, 0xa000000140188838, 0x600000014075f290, 0xa000000140188808) [0x120096714]
  33 Fwrite_region_internal(0x48, 0x140696b68, 0x1200942c4, 0x600000014075f488, 0xfffffffffffffffc) [0x1200e0f90]
  34 funcall_recording_as(0x11fffa0e0, 0x11fffa1e8, 0x11fffa1f0, 0x1500000001, 0x120160000) [0x120094810]
  35 Fbyte_code(0xa00000010000001d, 0x1400ec168, 0x11fff9fc0, 0x26, 0x140049130) [0x120062798]
  36 (unknown)() [0x1200959ac]
  37 funcall_recording_as(0xa000000140188808, 0x1405bf1f8, 0x1, 0x1, 0x1200981e0) [0x12009489c]
  38 Fbyte_code(0x6000000100000014, 0x1400f5ff0, 0x11fffa230, 0x26, 0x1200db2f4) [0x120062798]
  39 (unknown)() [0x1200959ac]
  40 funcall_recording_as(0x140bbf400, 0x1402bed00, 0x120062644, 0xa0000001401e9da8, 0x2) [0x12009489c]
  41 Fbyte_code(0x10000000f, 0x1400f6880, 0x11fffa500, 0x22, 0x0) [0x120062798]
  42 (unknown)() [0x1200959ac]
  43 funcall_recording_as(0xa000000140188808, 0x1405bf150, 0x120063ed0, 0x8b, 0x1405bf120) [0x12009489c]
  44 Fbyte_code(0x8000000000000006, 0x1400f6348, 0x11fffaa80, 0x100000020, 0x120062ffc) [0x120062798]
  45 (unknown)() [0x1200959ac]
  46 funcall_recording_as(0x140049130, 0xfffffffffffffff, 0x73, 0x11fffb210, 0x11fffb0f0) [0x12009489c]
  47 Fbyte_code(0x3, 0x1400f5c30, 0x11fffb0f0, 0x100000020, 0x11fffb668) [0x120062798]
  48 (unknown)() [0x1200959ac]
  49 funcall_recording_as(0xa000000140188808, 0x1405bf018, 0x100000001, 0xa000000140188808, 0x100000000) [0x12009489c]
  50 Fcall_interactively(0x140293978, 0x140049130, 0x120092a54, 0x140049130, 0xfffffffffffffff) [0x120066480]
  51 Fcommand_execute(0xa000000140293958, 0xa000000140188808, 0xa000000140188808, 0xa000000140188808, 0x1200c66f0) [0x120092c1c]
  52 (unknown)() [0x1200c6734]
  53 Fdispatch_event(0x140049578, 0x140049580, 0x1403bb100, 0x100000001, 0xa000000140188808) [0x1200c6f08]
  54 Fcommand_loop_1(0x11fffb7f8, 0x100000001, 0xa000000140188808, 0x20000001407511d8, 0x100000000) [0x12006cc3c]
  55 condition_case_1(0x1200c5cd8, 0x1400497c8, 0x140049130, 0x0, 0x0) [0x120090c8c]
  56 (unknown)() [0x12006c148]
  57 internal_catch(0x1, 0x60000001401aad30, 0x120055400, 0x0, 0x0) [0x1200907ac]
  58 initial_command_loop(0xa000000140188808, 0x1, 0x11fffc018, 0x2, 0x1) [0x12006c444]
  59 (unknown)() [0x12008be4c]
  60 main(0x11fffbe90, 0x100000000, 0x12005255c, 0x200000000, 0x11fffc030) [0x12008cb48]

Hope this helps in any manner,

--
Alexis Nikichine

Student,
Signalling Protocol Platform,
HP Technical Center, Valbonne, France

Phone: +33 (0)4 92 95 52 61  --  Fax: +33 (0)4 92 95 63 63