[Bug libc/10631] New: clarify malloc error message to avoid confusion

[Bug libc/10631] New: clarify malloc error message to avoid confusion

[kees at outflux dot net]

The current malloc error message template is "*** glibc detected *** [argv0]:
[error]: [addr] ***".  Due to the second "***", the whole message is frequently
parsed as two statements, leading to confusion for some people. The phrase
"glibc detected" is misleading, since it was not glibc that was detected but
rather the error itself.  glibc did the detecting.  ("[I have] detected glibc"
vs "glibc detected [an error]".)

I would suggest one of:
 - dropping the middle ***'s
 - changing the "glibc detected" string to "malloc error"
 - dropping the middle ***'s and changing the "glibc detected" string to "glibc
has detected"

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           Summary: clarify malloc error message to avoid confusion
           Product: glibc
           Version: 2.11
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: libc
        AssignedTo: drepper at redhat dot com
        ReportedBy: kees at outflux dot net
                CC: glibc-bugs at sources dot redhat dot com


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[Bug libc/10631] clarify malloc error message to avoid confusion

[kees at outflux dot net]

------- Additional Comments From kees at outflux dot net  2009-09-11 20:09 -------
Created an attachment (id=4189)
 --> (http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/attachment.cgi?id=4189&action=view)
replaces "glibc detected" with "malloc error"


-- 


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[Bug libc/10631] clarify malloc error message to avoid confusion

[drepper at redhat dot com]

------- Additional Comments From drepper at redhat dot com  2009-09-11 23:12 -------
Nonsense, the message is clear.

-- 
           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Status|NEW                         |RESOLVED
         Resolution|                            |WONTFIX


http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=10631

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[Bug libc/10631] clarify malloc error message to avoid confusion

[pasky at suse dot cz]

------- Additional Comments From pasky at suse dot cz  2009-09-13 08:51 -------
Can you please reconsider? I'm getting quite a few false bugrepors against glibc
about "glibc bug" with this message; people are indeed getting confused by
thinking this is some kind of internal error, IMHO. Changing to "malloc error"
would help a lot.

-- 
           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Status|RESOLVED                    |REOPENED
         Resolution|WONTFIX                     |


http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=10631

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[Bug libc/10631] clarify malloc error message to avoid confusion

[jakub at redhat dot com]

------- Additional Comments From jakub at redhat dot com  2009-09-13 10:12 -------
malloc error would be far more confusing, people would think this is an error in
the malloc implementation.

-- 


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[Bug libc/10631] clarify malloc error message to avoid confusion

[kees at outflux dot net]

------- Additional Comments From kees at outflux dot net  2009-09-13 16:04 -------
Created an attachment (id=4194)
 --> (http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/attachment.cgi?id=4194&action=view)
more detailed sentence to replace just "glibc detected"

In this case, how about this patch, which leaves no run for misunderstanding:
*** glibc has detected an error in %s: %s: 0x%s ***

-- 
           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attachment #4189 is|0                           |1
           obsolete|                            |


http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=10631

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[Bug libc/10631] clarify malloc error message to avoid confusion

[drepper at redhat dot com]

------- Additional Comments From drepper at redhat dot com  2009-09-13 18:14 -------
Perhaps you should educate your users.  There is no problem.

-- 
           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Status|REOPENED                    |RESOLVED
         Resolution|                            |WONTFIX


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[Bug libc/10631] clarify malloc error message to avoid confusion

[kees at outflux dot net]

------- Additional Comments From kees at outflux dot net  2009-09-14 02:33 -------
Well, some people will make it as far as opening bugs against glibc:
http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=1483

I agree that education would be helpful -- making it clear in the error message
itself that the problem is not with glibc.  I think it would keep bugs like the
above URL out of the tracker here, or in distro bug trackers.


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