[leafnode-list] Re: 2.0.0.alpha20081120a (and earlier) texpire -r segmentation fault

[clemens fischer]

clemens fischer wrote:

>> Bulgrien, Kevin:
>
>> I could use the debug info to figure out what is borked up with my
>> spool and/or configuration files.  When I run texpire -r without
>> debug, it gives me some error that I cannot discern the meaning ...
>
> Maybe we can even help with those error message, so please post this
> as well.

This is getting more interesting, because I couldn't reproduce this
segfault.  Now we really need the error messages you mentioned.

Note, though, that I am using the git version, which has some small
differences to 2.0.0.alpha20081120a.

>> I did try the default as shown in the config.example:
>>
>>   debugmode = 1001
>>
>> I also tried:
>>
>>   debugmode = 1 17 4095
>
> This is good to know, because I'll use "debugmode = 17" in the hope
> the segmentation fault turns up.

As I had a fresh build checked out, I did this:

  /src/localcode/leafnode2/leafnode-2.git
  $ gdb texpire
  GNU gdb 6.1.1 [FreeBSD]
  Copyright 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
  GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and you are
  welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under certain conditions.
  Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
  There is absolutely no warranty for GDB.  Type "show warranty" for details.
  This GDB was configured as "i386-marcel-freebsd"...No symbol table is loaded.  Use the "file" command.
  Reading symbols from texpire...location expression too complex...done.

  (gdb) run -r local.reject
  Starting program: /home/src/localcode/leafnode2/leafnode-2.git/texpire -r local.reject
  Reading symbols from /usr/local/lib/libpcre.so.0...done.
  Reading symbols from /lib/libcrypt.so.4...done.
  Reading symbols from /usr/local/lib/liblua-5.1.so.1...done.
  Reading symbols from /lib/libm.so.5...done.
  Reading symbols from /lib/libc.so.7...done.
  Reading symbols from /libexec/ld-elf.so.1...done.

  Program exited normally.
  (gdb) q

I had hoped to run into the segfault and get a verbose backtrace, but
this version resisted.

This points to an error within your news spool, but it is too soon to be
sure.  Please provide the error messages you talked about.

Regarding the git version:  for an end user doing no development, you
could get away by following the instructions on the leafnode page[1].

Go to some suitable directory (lets call it /src/leafnode) and do:

  git clone http://home.pages.de/~mandree/leafnode/leafnode-2.git/
  cd leafnode-2.git
  autoreconf
  ./configure --enable-spooldir=/var/spool/news
  make && make install

This assumes "/var/spool/news" to be the location of your (broken?) news
spool.  It might be a good idea to copy the entire news spool over to
a place where you can poke around in without damaging the original.  I'd
propose using "rsync -HaSvux <broken spool> <backup-copy>"[2].

BTW, what's the output of "uname -a"?  If you live in the free BSD
world, substitute "gmake" for "make", the GNU-make works better on the
autotooled source configuration system.

Now whenever you want to update your sources, do:

  cd leafnode-2.git
  git pull
  autoreconf
  ./configure --enable-spooldir=/var/spool/news
  make && make install

[1] http://www.dt.e-technik.uni-dortmund.de/~ma/leafnode/leafnode-2.git/
[2] "HaSvux" sounds like "rabbit fox" in german  8-)

-c