Core dump

在c语言编程时，core文件可以帮助我们查找内存原因引起的程序故障。
我们先看看如下英文并翻译：
[quote]In computing, a core dump consists of the recorded state of the working memory of a computer program at a specific time, generally when the program has terminated abnormally (crashed).[1] In practice, other key pieces of program state are usually dumped at the same time, including the processor registers, which may include the program counter and stack pointer, memory management information, and other processor and operating system flags and information. The name comes from the [b]once-standard core memory technology[/b]. Core dumps are often used to diagnose or debug errors in computer programs.

On many operating systems, a fatal error in a program automatically triggers a core dump, and by extension the phrase "to dump core" has come to mean, in many cases, any fatal error, regardless of whether a record of the program memory results.

The term "core dump" has become jargon to indicate any deposition of a large amount of unedited data for further examination.

翻译：在（程序的）运行中，一个“内核转储”包含了计算机程序的内存运行在一个明确的时间的状态记录，通常在程序非正常中止的时候（坠毁）。实际上，程序状态的其它关键件经常同时产生转储，包括处理器的寄存器，寄存器还可能包括程序计数器（PC）和堆栈指针（SP），内存管理信息，和其它处理器和操作系统标志位和信息。它的名字来自[b]一旦标准的核心存储技术[/b]。内核转存经常用于诊断或者调试计算机程序当中的错误。
在很多操作系统中，一个程序中的一个致命错误自动地出发一个内核转储，并且扩展地词组"to dump core"已经意味着在很多情况下，任意致命错误，无论是否是一个程序内存结果记录。
术语"core dump"已经成为用来指示任意大量未编辑的数据的沉积以用于将来检查的行业术语。
——翻译得非常不好，希望专业人士给予指正！谢谢！
[/quote]

转载一段较好的描述：[url]http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_621ae12b0100ekgz.html[/url]
core dump，翻译过来讲，就是核心转储。大致上就是指，如果由于应用错误，如浮点异常、指令异常等，操作系统将会转入内核的异常处理，向对应的进程发送特定的信号（SIGNAL），如果进程中没有对这些信号进行处理，就会转入默认的处理，core dump就是其中的一种。如果进程core dump，系统将会终止该进程，同时系统会产生core文件，以供调试使用。这个core文件其实就是内存的映像，即进程执行的时候内存的内容，也就是所谓的core dump。平常大家说某某进程core dump了，其实主要的意思就是说：某某进程因为错误而被系统自动终止了。

我当前使用的linux是Ubuntu9.04,gdb是6.8,gcc是4.3.3：
[quote]canlynet@canlynet-desktop:~$ uname -a
Linux canlynet-desktop 2.6.28-11-generic #42-Ubuntu SMP Fri Apr 17 01:57:59 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux

canlynet@canlynet-desktop:~$ gdb --version
GNU gdb 6.8-debian
Copyright (C) 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. Type "show copying"
and "show warranty" for details.
This GDB was configured as "i486-linux-gnu".

canlynet@canlynet-desktop:~$ gcc --version
gcc (Ubuntu 4.3.3-5ubuntu4) 4.3.3
Copyright © 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
本程序是自由软件；请参看源代码的版权gpl.2
[/quote]

查看core file size的默认值（未修改过）man ulimit: ulimit - get and set user limits，关于ulimit请参考：[url]http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/cn/linux/l-cn-ulimit/[/url]

[quote]
canlynet@canlynet-desktop:~$ ulimit -a
core file size (blocks, -c) 0
data seg size (kbytes, -d) unlimited
scheduling priority (-e) 20
file size (blocks, -f) unlimited
pending signals (-i) 16382
max locked memory (kbytes, -l) 64
max memory size (kbytes, -m) unlimited
open files (-n) 1024
pipe size (512 bytes, -p) 8
POSIX message queues (bytes, -q) 819200
real-time priority (-r) 0
stack size (kbytes, -s) 8192
cpu time (seconds, -t) unlimited
max user processes (-u) unlimited
virtual memory (kbytes, -v) unlimited
file locks (-x) unlimited
[/quote]

其中core file size表示生成core文件最大的大小，注意单位是blocks，-c参数用于设置。

我们写如下代码实验：

#include <stdio.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
	int *p;

	*p = 21;
	printf("*p = %d", *p);

	return 0;
}

[quote]canlynet@canlynet-desktop:~$ gcc -o test_core test_core.c -g
canlynet@canlynet-desktop:~$ ./test_core
段错误
canlynet@canlynet-desktop:~$ ls core*
ls: 无法访问 core*: 没有该文件或目录
[/quote]

我们看到，core file size为0的时候是不会生成core文件的。
我们设置一下：
[quote]
canlynet@canlynet-desktop:~$ ulimit -c 1024
canlynet@canlynet-desktop:~$ ulimit -a
core file size (blocks, -c) 1024
data seg size (kbytes, -d) unlimited
scheduling priority (-e) 20
file size (blocks, -f) unlimited
pending signals (-i) 16382
max locked memory (kbytes, -l) 64
max memory size (kbytes, -m) unlimited
open files (-n) 1024
pipe size (512 bytes, -p) 8
POSIX message queues (bytes, -q) 819200
real-time priority (-r) 0
stack size (kbytes, -s) 8192
cpu time (seconds, -t) unlimited
max user processes (-u) unlimited
virtual memory (kbytes, -v) unlimited
file locks (-x) unlimited
canlynet@canlynet-desktop:~$ ./test_core
段错误 (core dumped)
canlynet@canlynet-desktop:~$ ls -l core*
-rw------- 1 canlynet canlynet 147456 2010-03-12 22:14 core

[/quote]

设置过core file size后，运行出错会产生core dumped。我们看到一个core文件。
我们用GDB调试工具来查看这个core。
[quote]
canlynet@canlynet-desktop:~$ gdb --core=core
GNU gdb 6.8-debian
Copyright (C) 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. Type "show copying"
and "show warranty" for details.
This GDB was configured as "i486-linux-gnu".
(no debugging symbols found)
Core was generated by `./test_core'.
Program terminated with signal 11, Segmentation fault.
[New process 8970]
#0 0x080483d8 in ?? ()
(gdb)
[/quote]
[New process 8970]中的8970是本次运行该程序产生进程的PID。

我们在gdb中运行bt（backtrace）命令：
[quote]
(gdb) bt
#0 0x080483d8 in ?? ()
#1 0xb7e29775 in ?? ()
#2 0x08048331 in ?? ()

[/quote]

此时看不到出错具体在代码的哪一行，我们再将文件信息传递给gdb：

[quote]
(gdb) file ./test_core
Reading symbols from /home/canlynet/test_core...done.
(gdb) bt
#0 0x080483d8 in main () at test_core.c:7
(gdb) l
1 #include <stdio.h>
2
3 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
4 {
5 int *p;
6
7 *p = 21;
8 printf("*p = %d", *p);
9
10 return 0;
(gdb)
[/quote]

这次我们就能查找出出错位置具体在main函数中第7行代码处了。

——备注：程序错误是c里野指针的典型解释。

——另外，对于段错误，我们不分析core文件也可以查错误产生的位置（gdb中run就可以了）：
[quote]
(gdb) r
Starting program: /home/canlynet/test_core

Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
0x080483d8 in main () at test_core.c:7
7 *p = 21;
(gdb) l
2
3 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
4 {
5 int *p;
6
7 *p = 21;
8 printf("*p = %d", *p);
9
10 return 0;
11 }
(gdb)

[/quote]