System crashes

[Chris Brown]

Reference: Kevin Kelleher's query in v7n173

>  diff:
>  trap address 0x8, pid 29905, pc = f027448, sr = 2004, stkfmt b, context 1

>  syslogd:
>  trap address 0x8, pid 96, pc = f031e4a, sr = 2004, stkfmt b, context 1

We saw similar messages whilst we were debugging a device driver.  The
problem was a bus error occurring during an interrupt service routine,
caused by a device interrupting when it wasn't expected to, so that when
it tried to use some pointers into what had been (once upon a time) a
user's data area, it found garbage addresses.

I think the program name (`diff' and `syslogd' in the report given) refers
to the process which was executing at the time of the error.  If the error
is really in an interrupt routine, the name of the current process is a
complete red herring. The fact that it's different in these two cases is
what makes me think your error is an interrupt problem. Have you installed
a new device or device driver recently?

Sorry this isn't very explicit, but it's the best I can do!  Hope it
helps.

Chris Brown, A.I. Vision Research Unit, Sheffield University 
(chris at aivru.sheffield.ac.uk)