2.9BSD/usr/man/cat5/core.5
CORE(5) UNIX Programmer's Manual CORE(5)
NAME
core - format of core image file
DESCRIPTION
UNIX writes out a core image of a terminated process when
any of various errors occur. See _s_i_g_n_a_l(2) for the list of
reasons; the most common are memory violations, illegal
instructions, bus errors, and user-generated quit signals.
The core image is called _c_o_r_e and is written in the
process's working directory (provided it can be; normal
access controls apply).
The first 1024 bytes of the core image are a copy of the
system's per-user data for the process, including the regis-
ters as they were at the time of the fault; see the system
listings for the format of this area. The remainder
represents the actual contents of the user's core area when
the core image was written. If the text segment is write-
protected and shared, it is not dumped; otherwise the entire
address space is dumped.
In general the debugger _a_d_b(1) is sufficient to deal with
core images.
SEE ALSO
adb(1), pstat(1), signal(2)
Printed 5/17/83 1