Creating a Core File

This document addresses how to create a complete core file and the core files format.

NOTE: AIX Supportline does not analyze core files from anything except cores created by AIX native commands, daemons, or utilities. If this is needed, a Consultline engagement may be in order to satisfy customer needs.

Configuring system parameters
Command to create the core
Related information



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Configuring system parameters
Before creating the core file, make sure the system is configured to create a full core file, and that the filesystem has sufficient space to create the core file. Core files are usually created in the home directory of the user that owns the process.

Core file requirements of a multi-threaded program
By default, processes do not generate a full core file. Before AIX 4.3.0, only the stack for the thread causing the core dump was written to the core file. Before AIX 4.3.2, the part of the process address space made up of shared memory region was not written to the core file. If an application needs to debug data in shared memory regions, particularly thread stacks, it will be necessary to generate a full core dump. To generate full core file information, the following command must be run as root:

     chdev -l sys0 -a fullcore=true
Search for "Developing Multi-Threaded Programs" documentation at the following URL:

http://inetsd01.boulder.ibm.com/pseries/


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Command to create the core
The following command will create a core file, but also kill the process:

     kill -6 PID#