Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!watmath!uunet!shelby!apple!ames!rex!uflorida!unf7!comhex!sysop
From: sysop@comhex.UUCP (Joe E. Powell)
Newsgroups: unix-pc.general
Subject: Re: Large programs core dumping upon execution
Summary: More information
Message-ID: <214@comhex.UUCP>
Date: 28 Jul 89 14:35:42 GMT
References: <211@comhex.UUCP> <929@icus.islp.ny.us>
Distribution: unix-pc
Organization: Communications Hex of Jax, FL
Lines: 49

In article <929@icus.islp.ny.us>, lenny@icus.islp.ny.us (Lenny Tropiano) writes:
> In article <211@comhex.UUCP> sysop@comhex.UUCP (Joe E. Powell) writes:
> |>Has anyone else ever noticed that very large (over 300K) files
> |>sometimes tend to core dump when they are invoked?  They usually
> |>work fine, but every now and again, the program will just refuse
> |>to start up.  Is it just me or have other people had this happen?
> |>
> |>I've noticed this occasionally on nethack and moria, but more
> |>often with gcc (esp gcc 1.35).
> |>
> |>I'm running 3.51a, with a 40 MB drive and 2.5 MB of RAM.
> 
> I would check the output (if any) in your /usr/adm/unix.log file.  It 

I mail myself a copy of the unix.log file every night, so I know I'm
not having anything like that show up.

> is possible you are getting NMI Parity errors (if your program core dumps
> with a "Memory Fault" this kinda sounds like the symptoms)   This usually

Hmmm...but doesn't it say "Memory Fault" every time a program dumps core?
No matter what?

> signifies bad memory (sorry to say) ... Run memory diagnostics, although
> that doesn't always find the problem.   I'd also suggest pulling the .5MB
> of RAM out, and see if it goes away ... (possibly the bad memory is on
> the expansion board).

This happens on two different machines.  One with 1MB on the motherboard
w/1.5MB combo card, and another with 2MB on the motherboard w/.5MB ram 
card.

Let me clarity what happens:

$ nethack
Memory fault - core dumped
$ nethack
Memory fault - core dumped
$ nethack
Memory fault - core dumped
$ nethack

the nethack screen starts up.

Do you still think I'm having memory problems?

--
Joe E. Powell
unf7!comhex!sysop@bikini.cis.ufl.edu