Segmentation fault when running headless under Apache+PHP

[Søren Løvborg]

I'm trying to automate convertion of SVG files to PNG files on a webserver. However, Inkscape 0.46 segfaults when started under Apache+PHP, possible because the "www-data" user doesn't have a home directory, or some similar restriction.

Reproduction:
- Untar the attached files into a web accessible directory
- Request error.php

(Note that the included SVG file is just a blank image created by Inkscape.)

The problem does not occur when I execute the same command line as the www-data user (using "su"), so the lack of shell may be a factor. This also made it difficult to obtain a GDB backtrace, but that was solved by piping commands to GDB.

And yes, I'm aware this is a somewhat obscure use case. :-)

Backtrace:

GNU gdb 6.8-debian
...
This GDB was configured as "x86_64-linux-gnu"...
(no debugging symbols found)
(gdb) Starting program: /usr/bin/inkscape --export-png delme.png delme.svg
(no debugging symbols found)
...
(no debugging symbols found)
[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]
(no debugging symbols found)
...
(no debugging symbols found)
[New Thread 0x7f4bafd73790 (LWP 16557)]
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)

** (inkscape:16557): WARNING **: Cannot create directory /var/www/.inkscape.
Although Inkscape will run, it will use default settings,
and any changes made in preferences will not be saved.

(inkscape:16557): libgnomevfs-WARNING **: Unable to create ~/.gnome2 directory: Permission denied

Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
[Switching to Thread 0x7f4bafd73790 (LWP 16557)]
0x00007f4ba84cd6a2 in strcmp () from /lib/libc.so.6
(gdb) #0 0x00007f4ba84cd6a2 in strcmp () from /lib/libc.so.6
#1 0x00007f4bab61f2d9 in g_str_equal () from /usr/lib/libglib-2.0.so.0
#2 0x00007f4baad3f8de in gnome_vfs_get_home_dir ()
   from /usr/lib/libgnomevfs-2.so.0
#3 0x00007f4baad338ed in gnome_vfs_init () from /usr/lib/libgnomevfs-2.so.0
#4 0x00000000008d5f03 in ?? ()
#5 0x00000000004502e8 in ?? ()
#6 0x000000000044fb95 in ?? ()
#7 0x00007f4ba846b5a6 in __libc_start_main () from /lib/libc.so.6
#8 0x000000000044ecc9 in ?? ()
#9 0x00007fffb7da3ae8 in ?? ()
#10 0x000000000000001c in ?? ()
#11 0x0000000000000004 in ?? ()
#12 0x00007fffb7da3eef in ?? ()
#13 0x00007fffb7da3f01 in ?? ()
#14 0x00007fffb7da3f0e in ?? ()
#15 0x00007fffb7da3f18 in ?? ()
#16 0x0000000000000000 in ?? ()

[Clive Darra (osde8info)]

also getting

(process:26878): libgnomevfs-WARNING **: Unable to create ~/.gnome2 directory: Permission denied
(process:26868): libgnomevfs-WARNING **: Unable to create ~/.gnome2 directory: Permission denied

when just running apache httpd & php (so may not be inkscape specific)

[Clive Darra (osde8info)]

ps these errors appeared in /var/log/httpd/error_log

[su_v (suv-lp)]

AFAICT a duplicate of earlier report
- Bug #376866 “crash when run non-interactively and .gnome2 directory unable to be created”
  <https://bugs.launchpad.net/inkscape/+bug/376866>
(script runs as the www-data user, and therefore cannot create new directories in /var/www)

[su_v (suv-lp)]

Linking as duplicate to bug #376866 - please add a comment here (bug #420636) and revert the duplicate status if you disagree.

[Srinivas Gajavada (srinivasg)]

When will this issue be fixed?