@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
-@c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+@c Copyright (C) 1985,86,87,93,94,95,1997,2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@iftex
@chapter Dealing with Common Problems
@section Dealing with Emacs Trouble
This section describes various conditions in which Emacs fails to work
-normally, and how to recognize them and correct them.
+normally, and how to recognize them and correct them. For a list of
+additional problems you might encounter, see @ref{Bugs and problems, ,
+Bugs and problems, efaq, GNU Emacs FAQ}, and the file @file{etc/PROBLEMS}
+in the Emacs distribution. Type @kbd{C-h F} to read the FAQ; type
+@kbd{C-h P} to read the @file{PROBLEMS} file.
@menu
-* DEL Gets Help:: What to do if @key{DEL} doesn't delete.
-* Stuck Recursive:: `[...]' in mode line around the parentheses.
-* Screen Garbled:: Garbage on the screen.
-* Text Garbled:: Garbage in the text.
-* Unasked-for Search:: Spontaneous entry to incremental search.
-* Memory Full:: How to cope when you run out of memory.
-* After a Crash:: Recovering editing in an Emacs session that crashed.
-* Emergency Escape:: Emergency escape---
- What to do if Emacs stops responding.
-* Total Frustration:: When you are at your wits' end.
+* DEL Does Not Delete:: What to do if @key{DEL} doesn't delete.
+* Stuck Recursive:: `[...]' in mode line around the parentheses.
+* Screen Garbled:: Garbage on the screen.
+* Text Garbled:: Garbage in the text.
+* Unasked-for Search:: Spontaneous entry to incremental search.
+* Memory Full:: How to cope when you run out of memory.
+* After a Crash:: Recovering editing in an Emacs session that crashed.
+* Emergency Escape:: Emergency escape---
+ What to do if Emacs stops responding.
+* Total Frustration:: When you are at your wits' end.
@end menu
-@node DEL Gets Help
+@node DEL Does Not Delete
@subsection If @key{DEL} Fails to Delete
@cindex @key{DEL} vs @key{BACKSPACE}
@cindex @key{BACKSPACE} vs @key{DEL}
available, in case you run out of memory another time.
Do not use @kbd{M-x buffer-menu} to save or kill buffers when you run
-out of memory, because the buffer menu needs a fair amount memory
+out of memory, because the buffer menu needs a fair amount of memory
itself, and the reserve supply may not be enough.
@node After a Crash
To make it possible for us to fix a bug, you must report it. In order
to do so effectively, you must know when and how to do it.
+ Before reporting a bug, it is a good idea to see if it is already
+known. You can find the list of known problems in the file
+@file{etc/PROBLEMS} in the Emacs distribution; type @kbd{C-h P} to read
+it. Some additional user-level problems can be found in @ref{Bugs and
+problems, , Bugs and problems, efaq, GNU Emacs FAQ}. Looking up your
+problem in these two documents might provide you with a solution or a
+work-around, or give you additional information about related issues.
+
@menu
* Criteria: Bug Criteria. Have you really found a bug?
* Understanding Bug Reporting:: How to report a bug effectively.
spectator you should not criticize anything about what you see there.
The purpose of bug reports is to give information to the Emacs
maintainers. Spectators are welcome only as long as they do not
-interfere with this. In particular, some bug reports contain large
-amounts of data; spectators should not complain about this.
+interfere with this. In particular, some bug reports contain fairly
+large amounts of data; spectators should not complain about this.
Please do not post bug reports using netnews; mail is more reliable
-than netnews about reporting your correct address, which we may need in
-order to ask you for more information.
+than netnews about reporting your correct address, which we may need
+in order to ask you for more information. If your data is more than
+500,000 bytes, please don't include it directly in the bug report;
+instead, offer to send it on request, or make it available by ftp and
+say where.
If you can't send electronic mail, then mail the bug report on paper
or machine-readable media to this address:
@item
If non-ASCII text or internationalization is relevant, the locale that
was current when you started Emacs. On GNU/Linux and Unix systems, or
-if you use a Unix-style shell such as Bash, you can use this shell
+if you use a Posix-style shell such as Bash, you can use this shell
command to view the relevant values:
@smallexample
-echo LC_ALL=$LC_ALL LC_COLLATE=$LC_COLLATE LC_TYPE=$LC_TYPE \
+echo LC_ALL=$LC_ALL LC_COLLATE=$LC_COLLATE LC_CTYPE=$LC_CTYPE \
LC_MESSAGES=$LC_MESSAGES LC_TIME=$LC_TIME LANG=$LANG
@end smallexample
You can use the @kbd{M-!} command to execute these commands from
Emacs, and then copy the output from the @samp{*Messages*} buffer into
the bug report. Alternatively, @kbd{M-x getenv @key{RET} LC_ALL
-@key{RET}} will print the value of @code{LC_ALL} in the echo area, and
+@key{RET}} will display the value of @code{LC_ALL} in the echo area, and
you can copy its output from the @samp{*Messages*} buffer.
@item
@code{Fsignal}.
For a short listing of Lisp functions running, type the GDB
-command @code{xbacktrace}.
+command @code{xbacktrace}.
The file @file{.gdbinit} defines several other commands that are useful
for examining the data types and contents of Lisp objects. Their names
whereby Emacs stops responding (many people assume that Emacs is
``hung,'' whereas in fact it might be in an infinite loop).
-In an installed Emacs, the file @file{etc/DEBUG} is in the same
-directory where the Emacs on-line documentation file @file{DOC},
-typically in the @file{/usr/local/share/emacs/@var{version}/etc/}
-directory. The directory for your installation is stored in the
-variable @code{data-directory}.
+To find the file @file{etc/DEBUG} in your Emacs installation, use the
+directory name stored in the variable @code{data-directory}.
@end itemize
Here are some things that are not necessary in a bug report:
changes will not affect it.
This is often time-consuming and not very useful, because the way we
-will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger with
-breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples. You might
-as well save time by not searching for additional examples.
+will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
+with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
+You might as well save time by not searching for additional examples.
+It is better to send the bug report right away, go back to editing,
+and find another bug to report.
Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead} of
the original one, that is a convenience. Errors in the output will be
However, simplification is not vital; if you can't do this or don't have
time to try, please report the bug with your original test case.
+@item
+A core dump file.
+
+Debugging the core dump might be useful, but it can only be done on
+your machine, with your Emacs executable. Therefore, sending the core
+dump file to the Emacs maintainers won't be useful. Above all, don't
+include the core file in an email bug report! Such a large message
+can be extremely inconvenient.
+
@item
A system-call trace of Emacs execution.
HCoop / bpt / emacs.git / blobdiff