Check with gdb what's the Illegal instruction:
$ gdb /path/to/bad/ldconfig.real
> run -V [ I assume even ldconfig.real -V fails ]
Starting program: /path/to/bad/ldconfig.real -V
Program received signal SIGILL, Illegal instruction.
0x0806a7ae in ?? ()
> info reg eip
eip 0x806a7ae 0x806a7ae [example output]
> x/4b 0x806a7ae [ view the memory at address where eip is at obtained above ]
0x806a7ae: 0x0f 0x45 0xc2 0xc3 [example output]
In this example, the illegal instruction is 0f 45 : cmovne.
This is a real case: that's what I see on my Xcore86 (x586) CPU, on upgrade to libc-bin_2.12.1-0ubuntu8_i386 (attempted but failed upgrade from Ubuntu 10.04 to 10.10). Apparently, very sadly, Maverick dropped support for x586 ( https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MaverickMeerkat/ReleaseNotes#Linux%20kernel%202.6.35 ).
Check with gdb what's the Illegal instruction: bad/ldconfig. real bad/ldconfig. real -V
$ gdb /path/to/
> run -V [ I assume even ldconfig.real -V fails ]
Starting program: /path/to/
Program received signal SIGILL, Illegal instruction.
0x0806a7ae in ?? ()
> info reg eip
eip 0x806a7ae 0x806a7ae [example output]
> x/4b 0x806a7ae [ view the memory at address where eip is at obtained above ]
0x806a7ae: 0x0f 0x45 0xc2 0xc3 [example output]
In this example, the illegal instruction is 0f 45 : cmovne. 2.12.1- 0ubuntu8_ i386 (attempted but failed upgrade from Ubuntu 10.04 to 10.10). Apparently, very sadly, Maverick dropped support for x586 ( https:/ /wiki.ubuntu. com/MaverickMee rkat/ReleaseNot es#Linux% 20kernel% 202.6.35 ).
This is a real case: that's what I see on my Xcore86 (x586) CPU, on upgrade to libc-bin_
Hope somebody someday might find this useful.