"core dumps" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_dump) are what are
provided by the operating system when a program dies due to a signal
instead of by invoking the "exit" function.
> do not work like
> that, and I've never seen glob2 do a full memory dump, with or without SDL
> "parachutes". I'm not sure how to do it. I've never seen my own programs make
> full memory dumps without some internal mechanism, and I know glob2 has no such
> internal mechanism. If you know of a way, feel free to persue it youself.
I'm not sure why you say you've never seen it. I've put a number of
bugs into the bug tracker that include core dump files.
All of the major operating systems (all UNIX variants (including MacOS
X), Windows, etc.) have a core dump facility. There is no need for
the program to provide such a mechanism, because the operating system
does all the work.
(However, Microsoft Windows makes things difficult. You have to run
"Autodump Plus" to get "application crash dumps" (Windows does not use
the name "core dump") automatically when programs crash. And if you
don't configure things correctly you may get incomplete dumps.)
> Secondly, as the developer who will actually be fixing the bug, *I* get to say
> what would make it easier for me. And I know from personal experience that gdb
> costs nothing, you could have used it in less time then writing that email, it
> gives me a backtrace and if nesseccarry values of variables i need.
This is simply not true in this case. gdb would not have been able to
give me a backtrace following the procedure you recommended, for the
simple reason that libSDL intercepts the SIGSEGV signal and then
_EXITS NORMALLY_! gdb does not give backtraces following a normal
exit.
> It will be
> allot easier than trying to work arround and get an obfuscated memory dump for
> what is likely a simple error.
Why would you think a core dump file would be "obfuscated"?
--
Joe
Lets not argue about this. Gdb will work properly, it has worked properly because I have done it, even with SDL parachutes. Let me tell you why: The program doesn't even recieve the signall. SDL can't intercept if it doesn't recieve a signall in the first place. This is because gdb intercepts the signal before it reaches the program. Simple?
Secondly, yes, for every combination of options I've used on my own programs during compiling, they have never given me a dump of anything for any signall that has been provided to them. They all exit without any result. I don't expect a result, I've never seen it, i've never heard anyone mention it when I first learned how to debug. My personal preference is for gdb in any case, a backtrace from gdb usually gets the problem solved within minutes, so it does work in practice. I've never used a core dump, it would only complicate things for me.