In GNOME, multiple programs such as "Applications", "Preferences" and "System Settings", all under the "Start Here" group on the desktop crash when clicked with the following error message: "Error: Application "nautilus" (process <pid>) has crashed due to a fatal error. (Segmentation fault)." This issue has been reproduced on the following OS images: 1) RHEL 3 Gold x86 2) RHEL 3 U2 x86 3) RHEL 3 U2 EM64T 4) RHEL 3 U3 Public Beta EM64T ***NOTE*** This issue is more readily reproducable when you have > 1 processors with HT enabled and running the SMP kernel. fhirtz says: In my testing, this isn't terribly hard to replicate on either ia32 or EM64T. It just invloves opening "start here" and randomly opening folders. Periodically the segfault pops under the active window.
Created attachment 102598 [details] Stack trace from a crash on an x86_64 box
I've been able to duplicate the problem several times. It looks like memory corruption, possibly caused by lack of synchronization between threads, because every time I get a segfault in GDB, it's for different reasons. Often it's within memmove, asked to copy a negative byte count; sometimes it's in g_main_context_check. I've been able to duplicate the problem without the `Start Here' icon: entering say `applications://' or `preferences://' in the location bar is enough.
Sounds like this is a problem in the vfolder code in gnome-vfs2. (this is what handles things like applications:// and preferences://)
*** Bug 126986 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Was able to reproduce the crash in gdb and got a backtrace that pointed to FAM as the culprit. Thought it might be related to bug#140317 so I updated gnome-vfs to the one I had already built as a U5 errata. After clicking on the folders in start here from some time I have no been able to reproduce the crash. Adding this bug to errata.
An advisory has been issued which should help the problem described in this bug report. This report is therefore being closed with a resolution of ERRATA. For more information on the solution and/or where to find the updated files, please follow the link below. You may reopen this bug report if the solution does not work for you. http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2005-148.html
Can we get this on the CANFIX list since Dell says it was never fixed in U5...
I can't reproduce this on my fresh RHEL3 U5 dual Xeon running with the smp kernel. I've been trying all day and it just won't crash. I know before the U5 update I could get it to crash within 20 or so clicks. Can we get a confirmation from DELL on the exact conditions they are seeing this under? How long does it take them to reproduce the crash and is it less frequent with U5 than with older releases? QA is working on porting their dogtail testing framework to RHEL 3 and writting a script that can automate the task of clicking on the start here buttons. It may be able to get this bug unearthed better than I can do clicking manually.
This bug is filed against RHEL 3, which is in maintenance phase. During the maintenance phase, only security errata and select mission critical bug fixes will be released for enterprise products. Since this bug does not meet that criteria, it is now being closed. For more information of the RHEL errata support policy, please visit: http://www.redhat.com/security/updates/errata/ If you feel this bug is indeed mission critical, please contact your support representative. You may be asked to provide detailed information on how this bug is affecting you.