4BSD/usr/man/man5/core.5

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.TH CORE 5 
.UC 4
.SH NAME
core \- format of memory image file
.SH DESCRIPTION
UNIX
writes out a memory image of a terminated
process when any of various errors occur.
See
.IR signal (2)
for the list of reasons;
the most common are memory violations, illegal
instructions, bus errors, and user-generated
quit signals.
The memory image is called `core' and is written in the process's
working directory (provided it can be; normal
access controls apply).
.PP
The maximum size of a
.I core
file is limited by
.IR vlimit (2) .
Files which would be larger than the limit are not created.
.PP
The core file consists of the \fIu.\fR area, which currently consists
of 6 pages, beginning with a \fIuser\fR structure as given in
/usr/include/sys/user.h.
The kernel stack grows from the end of this 6 page region.
The remainder of the core file consists first of the data pages and then
the stack pages of the process image.
.PP
In general the debugger
.IR adb (1)
is sufficient to deal with core images.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
adb(1), signal(2), vlimit(2)