FVWM: A problem in FVWM quit abnormally.

[source liu]

I've come to an issue that when i start iceweasel ( debian with kernel
3.1.0-1 amd64),  my FVWM quit abnormally , and come to kdm login
session ( I use kdm to switch KDE and FVWM).  (not always, but more
often than sometimes), though i can login easily after that crash
happened.
ocassionly some other application would cause this problem, too, but
iceweasel does it more frequently.


I knew it's better for me to past additional information such as  log
or error message, but be mercy on me for i just don't know where to
start.

Any suggestion on it?


sorry for the message again, for i forgot to change the subject. -,-b

best regards,

you are always helpful.

Source Liu

[Markus Hutmacher]

Post by source liu
I've come to an issue that when i start iceweasel ( debian with kernel
3.1.0-1 amd64), my FVWM quit abnormally , and come to kdm login
session ( I use kdm to switch KDE and FVWM). (not always, but more
often than sometimes), though i can login easily after that crash
happened.
ocassionly some other application would cause this problem, too, but
iceweasel does it more frequently.
I knew it's better for me to past additional information such as log
or error message, but be mercy on me for i just don't know where to
start.
Any suggestion on it?
sorry for the message again, for i forgot to change the subject. -,-b
best regards,
you are always helpful.
Source Liu

When you end up in KDM again, it means that the X-server crashed.
You should take a look at the logfile Xorg.0.log. It normally resides in
the /var/log directory.

Regards

Markus

[source liu]

Post by Markus Hutmacher
When you end up in KDM again, it means that the X-server crashed.
You should take a look at the logfile Xorg.0.log. It normally resides in the
/var/log directory.

I'll take a look at it , thanks.

[Thomas Adam]

Post by source liu
I've come to an issue that when i start iceweasel ( debian with kernel
3.1.0-1 amd64),  my FVWM quit abnormally , and come to kdm login
session ( I use kdm to switch KDE and FVWM).  (not always, but more
often than sometimes), though i can login easily after that crash
happened.
ocassionly some other application would cause this problem, too, but
iceweasel does it more frequently.

Compile FVWM with debug symbols:

make CFLAGS="-g -ggdb"

Run that version of fvwm, make it crash. Look in your CWD or your home
directory for a corefile, which you must have appropriate ulimit settings
for (setting "ulimit -c unlimited" before you start FVWM), and using gdb get
a stack trace:

gdb fvwm /path/to/core

Then type:

bt

And send me the output.

-- Thomas Adam

[source liu]

The Teddy is so cute. :)

Post by Thomas Adam

 I've come to an issue that when i start iceweasel ( debian with kernel
 3.1.0-1 amd64),  my FVWM quit abnormally , and come to kdm login
 session ( I use kdm to switch KDE and FVWM).  (not always, but more
 often than sometimes), though i can login easily after that crash
 happened.
 ocassionly some other application would cause this problem, too, but
 iceweasel does it more frequently.

make CFLAGS="-g -ggdb"

I got my fvwm through apt, should i recompile it from source code?

Post by Thomas Adam
Run that version of fvwm, make it crash. Look in your CWD or your home
directory for a corefile, which you must have appropriate ulimit settings
for (setting "ulimit -c unlimited" before you start FVWM), and using gdb get
gdb fvwm /path/to/core
bt

Fine, you do point me a way to gdb, don't you?

great thanks.

Post by Thomas Adam
And send me the output.
-- Thomas Adam

[Thomas Adam]

Post by source liu
The Teddy is so cute. :)

Post by Thomas Adam

 I've come to an issue that when i start iceweasel ( debian with kernel
 3.1.0-1 amd64),  my FVWM quit abnormally , and come to kdm login
 session ( I use kdm to switch KDE and FVWM).  (not always, but more
 often than sometimes), though i can login easily after that crash
 happened.
 ocassionly some other application would cause this problem, too, but
 iceweasel does it more frequently.

make CFLAGS="-g -ggdb"

I got my fvwm through apt, should i recompile it from source code?

If you're not using 2.6.3, then yes. Of course you should. And you'd need
to be compiling from source for the above advice to be of any use to you,
yes.

Post by source liu

Post by Thomas Adam
Run that version of fvwm, make it crash. Look in your CWD or your home
directory for a corefile, which you must have appropriate ulimit settings
for (setting "ulimit -c unlimited" before you start FVWM), and using gdb get
gdb fvwm /path/to/core
bt

Fine, you do point me a way to gdb, don't you?

I do not understand this sentence. You'll need to install gdb, and if you
have a corefile (called "core", by the way), then you can issue the
instructions above.

Do not just send me the corefile itself, because oftentimes corefiles can
contain information outside from the crash itself which might be sensitive.

I wouldn't bother with the Xorg logs myself either -- just concentrate on
getting a corefile if FVWM really is crashing, which from your description,
suggests it is.

-- Thomas Adam

[source liu]

Post by source liu
Fine, you do point me a way to gdb, don't you?

It was long time since i last time use gdb, and i'm a little
surprised by your suggestion that
gdb can perform such a use in Fvwn.

I do not understand this sentence.  You'll need to install gdb, and if you
have a corefile (called "core", by the way), then you can issue the
instructions above.

Yes, It remind me something when emacs+gdb play their trick on me last time.
I see, corefile is the very binary file i get, of course it has
system dependence.

Do not just send me the corefile itself, because oftentimes corefiles can
contain information outside from the crash itself which might be sensitive.
I wouldn't bother with the Xorg logs myself either -- just concentrate on
getting a corefile if FVWM really is crashing, which from your description,
suggests it is.
-- Thomas Adam

Fine, but i'm afraid in most case it was i who blow it rather than FVWM. :)
I'll see if i can work with it through on my own as you described.

It's Interesting to hear gdb here.

Have a nice day, you are always so kind.

[Thomas Adam]

Post by source liu

Post by source liu
Fine, you do point me a way to gdb, don't you?

It was long time since i last time use gdb, and i'm a little
surprised by your suggestion that
gdb can perform such a use in Fvwn.

gdb is a debugger, which operates on debug information; typically a
corefile. A binary for unix systems compiled with debug symbols helps gdb
detect problems -- but that is all. There is no dependencies between gdb
and FVWM, and one does not integrate the other. Gdb is just a tool.

-- Thomas Adam

[d***@verizon.net]

Post by Thomas Adam
I wouldn't bother with the Xorg logs myself either -- just concentrate on
getting a corefile if FVWM really is crashing, which from your description,
suggests it is.

I'm curious Tom, what makes you think it's Fvwm and not X?
Doesn't KDM gain control with either type of crash?

Personally, I don't use any kind of DM and use Xlogout to hold the
session so I can easily tell what crashed.

[Thomas Adam]

Post by d***@verizon.net

Post by Thomas Adam
I wouldn't bother with the Xorg logs myself either -- just concentrate on
getting a corefile if FVWM really is crashing, which from your description,
suggests it is.

I'm curious Tom, what makes you think it's Fvwm and not X?
Doesn't KDM gain control with either type of crash?

Maybe -- I think it depends how the window manager is started, but I took
the description of the problem to be FVWM's fault rather than X, and I've
seen the same symptoms before where FVWM was involved but couldn't track the
problem down so I'm hoping it is FVWM and not X.

Post by d***@verizon.net
Personally, I don't use any kind of DM and use Xlogout to hold the
session so I can easily tell what crashed.

Yes, which is why I still find xconsole invaluable. :)

-- Thomas Adam

[source liu]

Yes, which is why I still find xconsole invaluable.  :)

could you explain this sentence a little bit? :), i mean, how invaluable.


when with gdb, is that mean i should start fvwm with a console rather
than kdm.
and for expecting the crash, should i start fvwm with gdb every time
as you metioned above?

-- Thomas Adam

[Thomas Adam]

Post by source liu

Yes, which is why I still find xconsole invaluable.  :)

could you explain this sentence a little bit? :), i mean, how invaluable.

"man xconsole".

Post by source liu
when with gdb, is that mean i should start fvwm with a console rather
than kdm.
and for expecting the crash, should i start fvwm with gdb every time
as you metioned above?

No -- I do not mean this. Do not worry about it, and re-read my original
reply to you on this since I don't want to repeat myself, and don't have
another way of expressing it.

Either FVWM crashes or it doesn't -- if it does, and you get a corefile,
great. If you don't get a corefile, then either your ulimit settings
prevented the corefile creation, or it wasn't FVWM which crashed.

But this is all moot until you're able to see for yourself, based on the
advice you've previously been given.

-- Thomas Adam

[d***@verizon.net]

Post by source liu

Yes, which is why I still find xconsole invaluable.  :)

could you explain this sentence a little bit? :), i mean, how invaluable.

In most set ups, it's not easy to tell whether X has crashed or
the window manager has crashed. You can use an application like
xconsole to hold the session instead of the window manager so that you
can tell the difference.

It's not something for a beginning user through.

To figure out whether X has crashed, take a look at
/var/log/Xorg.0.log. See if you can find anything that indicates
that it crashed.