Oliver Graf <ograf(a)rhein-zeitung.de&gt; writes in xemacs-beta(a)xemacs.org: Things are fucked up here. Both of the binaries I just crashed for the backtraces below were compiled and linked with -g and full XEmacs debugging/error-checking. Maybe I need a new gdb. I don't know. I haven't upgraded from the gdb/egcs pair that Martin installed which worked great in March, but don't seem to work now. This backtrace is with the current 21.2 CVS revision (almost-almost-21.2.15). #1 0x3ff8019ca74 in tis_lock_global () from /usr/shlib/libc.so #2 0x3ff8011451c in tis_raise () from /usr/shlib/libc.so #3 0x3ff8015eaac in raise () from /usr/shlib/libc.so #4 0x3ff801752a4 in abort () from /usr/shlib/libc.so #5 0x1200ca0a8 in assert_failed ( file=0x7 <Error reading address 0x7: Invalid argument>, line=1084176448, expr=0x0) at emacs.c:2663 #6 0x1201d66b0 in bytecount_to_charcount ( ptr=0x5d76 <Error reading address 0x5d76: Invalid argument>, len=6) at insdel.c:364 #7 0x12006e900 in make_string (contents=0x0, length=536858720) at alloc.c:2111 #8 0x1202a3100 in x_cde_transfer_callback (widget=0x5d76, clientData=0x5d76, callData=0x11fffd060) at frame-x.c:1268 #9 0x3ff8116e788 in _DtDndCallCallbackList () from /usr/dt/lib/libDtSvc.so #10 0x3ff81170c9c in DtDndDropUnregister () from /usr/dt/lib/libDtSvc.so warning: Hit beginning of text section without finding warning: enclosing function for address 0x11fffd148 This warning occurs if you are debugging a function without any symbols (for example, in a stripped executable). In that case, you may wish to increase the size of the search with the `set heuristic-fence-post' command. Otherwise, you told GDB there was a function where there isn't one, or (more likely) you have encountered a bug in GDB. This is with 21.1.2. Fatal error: assertion failed, file insdel.c, line 364, VALID_CHARPTR_P (ptr) Program received signal SIGABRT, Aborted. 0x3ff800ec508 in kill () from /usr/shlib/libc.so (gdb) where #0 0x3ff800ec508 in kill () from /usr/shlib/libc.so #1 0x3ff8019ca74 in tis_lock_global () from /usr/shlib/libc.so #2 0x3ff8011451c in tis_raise () from /usr/shlib/libc.so #3 0x3ff8015eaac in raise () from /usr/shlib/libc.so #4 0x3ff801752a4 in abort () from /usr/shlib/libc.so #5 0x1200c95ec in assert_failed (file=0x3ff8116e788 "", line=1080495104, expr=0x11fffdd68 "\003") at emacs.c:2609 warning: Hit heuristic-fence-post without finding warning: enclosing function for address 0x1409691c8 This warning occurs if you are debugging a function without any symbols (for example, in a stripped executable). In that case, you may wish to increase the size of the search with the `set heuristic-fence-post' command. Otherwise, you told GDB there was a function where there isn't one, or (more likely) you have encountered a bug in GDB. (gdb) I suspect you are correct. Um, for 21.1 you are permitted to put mojibake into the buffer, but you are not permitted to crash. We need either a fix or to disable it as a default. 21.2 is allowed to crash until we get a real fix. I have no idea. If you need it, I suspect I can get you login access if I ask nicely enough. -- I protest the NATO war in Yugoslavia.