Fatal error (6).Aborted

[Satyaki Das]

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Please describe exactly what actions triggered the bug
and the precise symptoms of the bug:

To cause emacs to die I did the following:

1. Start emacs -q --no-site-file

2. Use C-x C-f to get a prompt

3. Then I used the left arrow key to take the cursor into the
   "Find file" string.

4. Then I pressed TAB and emacs dies with the error message:
     Fatal error (6).Aborted

I have run emacs in gdb and get the following backtrace:

Breakpoint 1, abort () at emacs.c:412
412       kill (getpid (), SIGABRT);
(gdb) bt
#0  abort () at emacs.c:412
#1  0x0811a3a4 in init_float () at alloc.c:1872
#2  0x0812766f in make_buffer_string_both (start=12, start_byte=-6, end=6, 
    end_byte=6, props=1) at editfns.c:2241
#3  0x08127618 in make_buffer_string (start=12, end=6, props=1)
    at editfns.c:2212
#4  0x080f8083 in minibuffer_completion_contents () at minibuf.c:402
#5  0x080f9f63 in do_completion () at minibuf.c:1709
#6  0x080fa3a5 in Fminibuffer_complete () at minibuf.c:1874
#7  0x0812f781 in Ffuncall (nargs=1, args=0xbfffe9d4) at eval.c:2737
#8  0x0812b4c1 in Fcall_interactively (function=405473380, 
    record_flag=405473380, keys=1210839544) at callint.c:819
#9  0x080e1906 in Fcommand_execute (cmd=405663436, record_flag=405473380, 
    keys=405473380, special=405473380) at keyboard.c:9546
#10 0x080d7188 in command_loop_1 () at keyboard.c:1699
#11 0x0812dc7e in internal_condition_case (bfun=0x80d6e54 <command_loop_1>, 
    handlers=405569988, hfun=0x80d6a50 <cmd_error>) at eval.c:1351
#12 0x080d6d3a in command_loop_2 () at keyboard.c:1274
#13 0x0812d821 in internal_catch (tag=-6, func=0x80d6d1c <command_loop_2>, 
    arg=405473380) at eval.c:1112
#14 0x080d6ca6 in command_loop () at keyboard.c:1245
#15 0x080d682f in recursive_edit_1 () at keyboard.c:969
#16 0x080f84cb in read_minibuf (map=1479393972, initial=944478844, 
    prompt=1211072496, backup_n=0, expflag=0, histvar=405642228, histpos=0, 
    defalt=944478844, allow_props=0, inherit_input_method=0) at minibuf.c:650
#17 0x080f9bfd in Fcompleting_read (prompt=941360900, table=405644100, 
    predicate=944478844, require_match=405473380, initial_input=944478844, 
    hist=405642228, def=944478844, inherit_input_method=405473380)
    at minibuf.c:1604
#18 0x081024d2 in Fread_file_name (prompt=941360900, dir=944478844, 
    default_filename=944478844, mustmatch=405473380, initial=405473380, 
    predicate=405473380) at fileio.c:6136
#19 0x0812f7da in Ffuncall (nargs=5, args=0xbffff080) at eval.c:2756
#20 0x08157324 in Fbyte_code (bytestr=405892300, vector=4, maxdepth=-1073745664)
    at bytecode.c:709
#21 0x0812fa87 in funcall_lambda (fun=1209795992, nargs=2, 
    arg_vector=0xbffff1c0) at eval.c:2927
#22 0x0812f956 in apply_lambda (fun=1209795992, args=405473380, eval_flag=1)
    at eval.c:2849
#23 0x0812ec44 in Feval (form=1209795992) at eval.c:2153
#24 0x0812bf52 in Fcall_interactively (function=405577788, 
    record_flag=405473380, keys=1210839544) at callint.c:309
#25 0x080e1906 in Fcommand_execute (cmd=405577788, record_flag=405473380, 
    keys=405473380, special=405473380) at keyboard.c:9546
#26 0x080d7188 in command_loop_1 () at keyboard.c:1699
#27 0x0812dc7e in internal_condition_case (bfun=0x80d6e54 <command_loop_1>, 
    handlers=405569988, hfun=0x80d6a50 <cmd_error>) at eval.c:1351
#28 0x080d6d3a in command_loop_2 () at keyboard.c:1274
#29 0x0812d821 in internal_catch (tag=-6, func=0x80d6d1c <command_loop_2>, 
    arg=405473380) at eval.c:1112
#30 0x080d6cf0 in command_loop () at keyboard.c:1253
#31 0x080d682f in recursive_edit_1 () at keyboard.c:969
#32 0x080d693c in Frecursive_edit () at keyboard.c:1025
#33 0x080d5297 in main (argc=3, argv=0xbffffaa4) at emacs.c:1659
#34 0x420158d4 in __libc_start_main () from /lib/i686/libc.so.6

I think the error is because in stack frame #3
make_buffer_string is called with with start>end. This causes
emacs to try to allocate a negative number of bytes.

I also compared the CVS source with that of emacs-21.2 (which
doesn't have this problem). The point where they differ is
that do_completion calls Ffield_string in 21.2 while it calls
minibuffer_completion_contents in CVS. I think the latter
function should check if it got bogus arguments.

Hope this helps,
Satyaki


In GNU Emacs 21.3.50.11 (i686-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw3d scroll bars)
 of 2003-01-10 on troodon
Important settings:
  value of $LC_ALL: nil
  value of $LC_COLLATE: nil
  value of $LC_CTYPE: nil
  value of $LC_MESSAGES: nil
  value of $LC_MONETARY: nil
  value of $LC_NUMERIC: nil
  value of $LC_TIME: nil
  value of $LANG: en_US
  locale-coding-system: iso-latin-1
  default-enable-multibyte-characters: t

Recent input:
<left> <left> <left> <left> <left> <left> <left> <left> 
<left> <left> <left> <left> <left> <left> <left> <left> 
<left> C V S S-SPC C-e t h a t SPC I S-SPC c h e c 
k SPC <backspace> e d SPC i n <backspace> <backspace> 
o u t SPC e a r l i e r SPC t o d a y . SPC <switch-frame> 
q i SPC n <switch-frame> M-x b u g <tab> <backspace> 
<backspace> <backspace> e m a <tab> b u <tab> <backspace> 
<backspace> <backspace> <backspace> <backspace> <backspace> 
<backspace> <backspace> r e p l <backspace> o r <tab> 
<return>

Recent messages:
Invalid face text property value: mh-folder-msg-number-face
Invalid face text property value: mh-folder-date-face
Invalid face text property value: mh-folder-followup-face
Invalid face text property value: mh-folder-body-face
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