Seg Fault at Start of Function

[bhenderson]

Hi All,
The following abstract of code compiles with no warnings using gcc (C90). 'printf' reveals that it refuses to enter the function without a seg fault being produced. I can't get my head around it. Surely it must enter the function?!

Any hints would be appreciated.

List * makelist( char* *wrd, List* *lst ) {         /*seg fault here*/
   List* dest = NULL ;
   List* temp_lst = NULL ;
   
   /*malloc for lst, plus other stuff here*/

return *lst
}

int main() {
   char* wrd ;	
   List* lst = NULL ;	

   /*wrd becomes a pointer to a string. wrd can be NULL.*/

   lst = makelist( &wrd, &lst ) ;

return 0;
}

[tabstop]

It's probably in the /*other stuff here*/ part, probably when you try to follow a NULL pointer, probably when you pretend that wrd or lst can be used.

[Maz]

Tabstop is often right

Getting /* Seg fault here */ does not mean that the actual error ocurred in that spot. It means that OS detected it there. You may have corrupted some places of the memory which were used at that spot. It's not at all rare to get segfaults in places that do not seem to have anything in common with the actual error.

[dwks]

Post your actual code. And if you can, perhaps try to run your program in GDB. Once it segfaults, use "print" to look at the values of variables to try and see what went wrong . . . .

[Maz]

Oh, and printf is not really reliable way of seeing where segfault occurs. Printf does not immediately display prints since it is buffering text due to performance issues. It becomes a bit more reliable when you fflush(stdout) after prints.

[iMalc]

That may as well have just been:

/*somestuff here*/

int main()
{
    /*other stuff here*/
}

The thing about being unable to solve the problem yourself is that the problem is inevitably not what or where you are looking at. If it were then you would probably have solved it already.
You need to post a "minimal complete example" that compiles and that you have confirmed definitely produces the problem, before posting it.