Debug::DumpCore - Generate a SegFault

  use Debug::DumpCore;
  Debug::DumpCore::segv();

This module implements a buggy C function which tries to dereference a NULL pointer, which generates a SEGFAULT. It is used to test the Debug::FaultAutoBT module that attempts to automatically generate a backtrace when some fatal signal is delivered, without needing the core file.

Notice that you could use Perl's CORE::dump to achieve the same goal, but dump()'s backtrace is not very useful for teaching purposes. Debug::DumpCore::segv() calls another proper C function which finally calls a buggy C function, which causes a SEGFAULT. So you get a long trace. For example this is the backtrace generated on my machine:

  #0  0x402b979b in crash_now_for_real (
      suicide_message=0x402ba040 "Cannot stand this life anymore")
      at DumpCore.xs:246
  #1  0x402b97bd in crash_now (
      suicide_message=0x402ba040 "Cannot stand this life anymore",
      attempt_num=42) at FaultAutoBT.xs:253
  #2  0x402b983e in XS_Debug__DumpCore_segv (cv=0x81751e4)
      at FaultAutoBT.xs:262
  #3  0x400851ec in Perl_pp_entersub ()
     from /usr/lib/perl5/5.6.1/i386-linux/CORE/libperl.so

And the corresponding C code around line 246 is:

   7:  crash_now_for_real(char *suicide_message)
   8:  {
   9:      int *p = NULL;
  10:      printf("%d", *p); /* cause a segfault */

None.

Stas Bekman <stas@stason.org>

perl(3), Debug::FaultAutoBT(3).