'#' in the alt-F2 box crashes nautilus

[Tom Womack]

Steps to reproduce:

* Press alt-f2
* Type a single '#' character in the box that appears
* Press enter
* The application Nautilus will quit unexpectedly

Version: Dapper with current updates applied

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thanks for your bug report. Please try to obtain a backtrace http://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingProgramCrash and attach the file to the bug report. This will greatly help us in tracking down your problem.

[C de-Avillez (hggdh2)]

Maybe this will help. I tried it here, and

(1) Evolution did not die;
(2) Nautilus is running on what seems to be a loop, eating up 98% of CPU.

So I ran gdb against the Nautilus pid, and I got this backtrace:

(gdb) backtrace
#0 0x00002b39d63ae643 in strlen () from /lib/libc.so.6
#1 0x00002b39d6397e1e in fputs () from /lib/libc.so.6
#2 0x00000000004a9db1 in write_string (filename=0x1362d20 "/home/hggdh/nautilus-debug-log.txt", file=0x1363800,
    str=0x12ef3e0 "0x75fe50 2007/04/17 09:07:07.8602 (USER): debug log dumped due to signal 11",
    error=0x3035656635377830) at nautilus-debug-log.c:446
#3 0x00000000004a9ea7 in nautilus_debug_log_dump (filename=0x1362d20 "/home/hggdh/nautilus-debug-log.txt",
    error=0x0) at nautilus-debug-log.c:508
#4 0x0000000000452d54 in dump_debug_log () at nautilus-main.c:209
#5 0x0000000000452d80 in sigfatal_handler (sig=11) at nautilus-main.c:254
#6 <signal handler called>
#7 compare_by_display_name (file_1=0x120c4a0, file_2=0x120c660) at nautilus-file.c:1829
#8 0x00000000004c8dbe in nautilus_file_compare_for_sort (file_1=0x120c4a0, file_2=0x120c660,
    sort_type=NAUTILUS_FILE_SORT_BY_DISPLAY_NAME, directories_first=<value optimized out>, reversed=0)
    at nautilus-file.c:2182
#9 0x00002b39d54e93d3 in g_list_sort_real (list=<value optimized out>,
    compare_func=0x479640 <compare_files_cover>, user_data=0xe19a40) at glist.c:583
#10 0x00002b39d54e939d in g_list_sort_real (list=0x1219200, compare_func=0x479640 <compare_files_cover>,
    user_data=0xe19a40) at glist.c:629
#11 0x00002b39d54e939d in g_list_sort_real (list=0x12190e0, compare_func=0x479640 <compare_files_cover>,
    user_data=0xe19a40) at glist.c:629
#12 0x00002b39d54e939d in g_list_sort_real (list=0x1219f60, compare_func=0x479640 <compare_files_cover>,
    user_data=0xe19a40) at glist.c:629
#13 0x0000000000475996 in sort_files (view=0x31, list=0xe2d8c8) at fm-directory-view.c:2689
#14 0x000000000047990e in process_new_files (view=0xe19a40) at fm-directory-view.c:2767
#15 0x00000000004799ff in done_loading_callback (directory=<value optimized out>,
    callback_data=<value optimized out>) at fm-directory-view.c:3175
#16 0x00002b39d52857da in IA__g_closure_invoke (closure=0x11f0930, return_value=0x0, n_param_values=1,
    param_values=0x7fffd98c5900, invocation_hint=0x7fffd98c57d0) at gclosure.c:490
#17 0x00002b39d5295408 in signal_emit_unlocked_R (node=0xb25bc0, detail=0, instance=0xb373b0, emission_return=0x0,
    instance_and_params=0x7fffd98c5900) at gsignal.c:2440
#18 0x00002b39d5296843 in IA__g_signal_emit_valist (instance=0xb373b0, signal_id=<value optimized out>, detail=0,
    var_args=0x7fffd98c5b80) at gsignal.c:2199
#19 0x00002b39d5296a13 in IA__g_signal_emit (instance=0x2b39d6684960, signal_id=18979328, detail=49)
    at gsignal.c:2243
#20 0x00000000004b14e8 in dequeue_pending_idle_callback (callback_data=0x0) at nautilus-directory-async.c:914
#21 0x00000000004b166a in directory_load_callback (handle=0x19, result=GNOME_VFS_ERROR_EOF, list=0xe58ee0,
    entries_read=<value optimized out>, callback_data=0x0) at nautilus-directory-async.c:1041
#22 0x00002b39d475354e in dispatch_job_callback (data=<value optimized o...

[C de-Avillez (hggdh2)]

Interesting. Nautilis seems to be looping on signal 11s.

[C de-Avillez (hggdh2)]

feisty, up-to-date, nautilus versions follows

$ dpkg -l nautilus\*
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Installed/Config-files/Unpacked/Failed-config/Half-installed
|/ Err?=(none)/Hold/Reinst-required/X=both-problems (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version Description
+++-=======================-=======================-==============================================================
ii nautilus 2.18.1-0ubuntu1 file manager and graphical shell for GNOME
ii nautilus-actions 1.2-3ubuntu1 nautilus extension to configure programs to launch
ii nautilus-actions-dbgsym 1.2-3ubuntu1 debug symbols for package nautilus-actions
ii nautilus-cd-burner 2.18.1-0ubuntu1 CD Burning front-end for Nautilus
ii nautilus-data 2.18.1-0ubuntu1 data files for nautilus
un nautilus-dbg <none> (no description available)
ii nautilus-dbgsym 2.18.1-0ubuntu1 debug symbols for package nautilus
ii nautilus-gksu 2.0.0-1ubuntu3 privilege granting extension for nautilus using gksu
ii nautilus-gksu-dbgsym 2.0.0-1ubuntu3 debug symbols for package nautilus-gksu
un nautilus-image-converte <none> (no description available)
un nautilus-open-terminal <none> (no description available)
un nautilus-script-audio-c <none> (no description available)
un nautilus-script-collect <none> (no description available)
un nautilus-script-debug <none> (no description available)
un nautilus-script-manager <none> (no description available)
ii nautilus-sendto 0.10-0ubuntu1 integrates Evolution and Gaim into the Nautilus file manager
ii nautilus-sendto-dbgsym 0.10-0ubuntu1 debug symbols for package nautilus-sendto
un nautilus-share <none> (no description available)

[Tom Womack (tom-womack)]

I've tried installing nautilus-dbg, but get an unresolvable dependency, presumably because what's on :

crick% sudo apt-get update
Get: 1 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com dapper Release.gpg [189B]
Get: 2 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com dapper-updates Release.gpg [191B]
Get: 3 http://security.ubuntu.com dapper-security Release.gpg [191B]
Get: 4 http://archive.ubuntu.com dapper Release.gpg [189B]
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com dapper Release
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com dapper Release
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com dapper-security Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com dapper-updates Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com dapper/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com dapper/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com dapper/universe Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com dapper/multiverse Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com dapper/universe Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com dapper-security/main Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com dapper/multiverse Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com dapper/main Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com dapper/restricted Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com dapper-updates/main Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com dapper-security/restricted Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com dapper-security/main Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com dapper-security/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com dapper-updates/restricted Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com dapper-updates/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com dapper-updates/restricted Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com dapper-security/universe Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com dapper-security/universe Sources
Fetched 4B in 0s (21B/s)
Reading package lists... Done

crick% sudo apt-get install nautilus-dbg
Password:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.

Since you only requested a single operation it is extremely likely that
the package is simply not installable and a bug report against
that package should be filed.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies.
  nautilus-dbg: Depends: nautilus (= 2.14.1-0ubuntu9) but 2.14.3-0ubuntu1 is to be installed
E: Broken packages

[C de-Avillez (hggdh2)]

@Tom: please have a look at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/evolution/+bug/107253/comments/1 -- the dbgsym packages are what you need.

[Tom Womack (tom-womack)]

OK, I've installed the dbgsym packages on my feisty machine (I was wanting to install them on the dapper one at work), and there I get exactly the same kind of behaviour as hggdh has: an endless loop writing to nautilus-debug-log.txt, where that file begins

0x7601b0 2007/04/17 19:57:38.9127 (GLog): g_filename_display_basename: assertion `filename != NULL' failed
0x7601b0 2007/04/17 19:57:38.9132 (GLog): g_filename_display_basename: assertion `filename != NULL' failed
0x7601b0 2007/04/17 19:57:38.9165 (GLog): nautilus_information_panel_set_uri: assertion `initial_title != NULL' failed
0x7601b0 2007/04/17 19:57:39.0228 (GLog): g_filename_display_basename: assertion `filename != NULL' failed
0x7601b0 2007/04/17 19:57:39.0287 (GLog): g_filename_display_basename: assertion `filename != NULL' failed
0x7601b0 2007/04/17 19:57:39.0289 (GLog): g_filename_display_basename: assertion `filename != NULL' failed
0x7601b0 2007/04/17 19:57:39.0290 (USER): debug log dumped due to signal 11
[repeated endlessly]

Attaching gdb to an already-wedged nautilus said

0x00002b17527abc2f in _IO_file_xsputn () from /lib/libc.so.6
(gdb) continue
Continuing.

Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
[Switching to Thread 47379268483952 (LWP 32272)]
compare_by_display_name (file_1=0x12a2b30, file_2=0x12a2c10) at nautilus-file.c:1829
1829 nautilus-file.c: No such file or directory.
        in nautilus-file.c
(gdb) bt
#0 compare_by_display_name (file_1=0x12a2b30, file_2=0x12a2c10) at nautilus-file.c:1829
#1 0x00000000004c8dbe in nautilus_file_compare_for_sort (file_1=0x12a2b30, file_2=0x12a2c10, sort_type=NAUTILUS_FILE_SORT_BY_DISPLAY_NAME, directories_first=<value optimized out>, reversed=0) at nautilus-file.c:2182

I'm wondering whether I should trace this through from the other direction: what's the name of the tool that appears when you press alt-f2, and which package provides it?

[C de-Avillez (hggdh2)]

it is on gnome-panel, Tom.

There is at least one issue I can think of here: Nautilus loops on the segv. This loop is triggered by a comparison of a NULL variable. I will research upstream if this has already been reported.

[C de-Avillez (hggdh2)]

OK. a Q&A with Sebastien helped me fill a bit of my knowledge gap. Alt-F2 (Run Application) can either run an application _or_ open a location. Since '#' is not an application, we end up with a call to nautilus: "nautilus --no-desktop file:///#".

And... this is enough to trigger the bug...

I will open a bug upstream for that, or link to an existing one.

gdb run :

hggdh@xango:~$ gdb --args nautilus --no-desktop file:///#
GNU gdb 6.6-debian
Copyright (C) 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and you are
welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under certain conditions.
Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty" for details.
This GDB was configured as "x86_64-linux-gnu"...
Using host libthread_db library "/lib/libthread_db.so.1".
(gdb) run
Starting program: /usr/bin/nautilus --no-desktop file:///\#
[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]
[New Thread 47899527502704 (LWP 19678)]
Initializing gnome-mount extension
seahorse nautilus module initialized
[New Thread 1082132800 (LWP 19699)]
[New Thread 1090525504 (LWP 19700)]
[New Thread 1098918208 (LWP 19701)]
[New Thread 1107310912 (LWP 19702)]
[New Thread 1115703616 (LWP 19703)]
[New Thread 1124096320 (LWP 19704)]
[New Thread 1132489024 (LWP 19705)]
[New Thread 1140881728 (LWP 19709)]
[New Thread 1149274432 (LWP 19710)]
[New Thread 1157667136 (LWP 19711)]
sys:1: Warning: g_filename_display_basename: assertion `filename != NULL' failed

** (nautilus:19678): CRITICAL **: nautilus_information_panel_set_uri: assertion `initial_title != NULL' failed
[Thread 1140881728 (LWP 19709) exited]
[Thread 1082132800 (LWP 19699) exited]
[Thread 1090525504 (LWP 19700) exited]
[Thread 1124096320 (LWP 19704) exited]
[Thread 1132489024 (LWP 19705) exited]
[Thread 1107310912 (LWP 19702) exited]
[Thread 1115703616 (LWP 19703) exited]
[Thread 1098918208 (LWP 19701) exited]
[Thread 1157667136 (LWP 19711) exited]
[Thread 1149274432 (LWP 19710) exited]
[New Thread 1149274432 (LWP 19715)]
[New Thread 1107310912 (LWP 19716)]
[New Thread 1124096320 (LWP 19717)]
[New Thread 1157667136 (LWP 19718)]

Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
[Switching to Thread 47899527502704 (LWP 19678)]
compare_by_display_name (file_1=0x1219de0, file_2=0x1223820) at nautilus-file.c:1829
1829 nautilus-file.c: No such file or directory.
        in nautilus-file.c
(gdb) backtrace
#0 compare_by_display_name (file_1=0x1219de0, file_2=0x1223820) at nautilus-file.c:1829
#1 0x00000000004c8dbe in nautilus_file_compare_for_sort (file_1=0x1219de0, file_2=0x1223820,
    sort_type=NAUTILUS_FILE_SORT_BY_DISPLAY_NAME, directories_first=<value optimized out>, reversed=0) at nautilus-file.c:2182
#2 0x00002b907369c3d3 in g_list_sort_real (list=<value optimized out>, compare_func=0x479640 <compare_files_cover>,
    user_data=0xe1c240) at glist.c:583
#3 0x00002b907369c39d in g_list_sort_real (list=0x1224800, compare_func=0x479640 <compare_files_cover>, user_data=0xe1c240)
    at glist.c:629
#4 0x00002b907369c39d in g_list_sort_real (list=0x1224920, compare_func=0x479640 <compare_files_cover>, user_da...

[C de-Avillez (hggdh2)]

running Nautilus, then going to Go/Location (or Crtl-L) and entering '#' will produce the same SIGSEGV loop.

[Nenad Radulovic (blueskyniss)]

In Ubuntu 7.10 - released October 2007 doesn't crash, but it does behave unexpected. Picture attached.

[C de-Avillez (hggdh2)]

@BlueSky -- if I understand you correctly, icons start to pile up on the desktop -- am I correct?

[Nenad Radulovic (blueskyniss)]

It doesn't affect desktop or other windows, but new Nautilus window opens and every file or folder is shown as "/".You can't browse through all those files and folders. Then I right clicked properties on an item and properties window showed some weird data (pic attached). After 20-30 seconds you can hardly move mouse and system stops responding after a minute or so...

[C de-Avillez (hggdh2)]

From upstream: "This does not happen anymore with 2.22, (you get an error dialog saying "Couldn't display "#".". It might have been fixed in the transition from GnomeVFS to GIO during the 2.21 development cycle. Closing this report as OBSOLETE, please reopen it if you still find this bug with Nautilus >= 2.22,
thanks!"

I confirm this behaviour on Nautilus 2.22.0, so closing as fix released.