Re: [TCLUG:6617] netscape bus error when open messenger / preferences

[Michael Hicks <hick0088@tc.umn.edu>]

Ben Luey wrote:
> 
> I upgraded my computer from redhat 5.2 to mandrake 6.0 (after loosing my
> /usr) and ran netscape-communicator-4.60-4mdk without any problems. I
> recompiled my kernel but didn't run make modules_install nor did I edit
> lilo and had my computer shut off. When I booted it agin (still from the
> stock kernel) netscape died with a "Bus error" ehenever I opened messenger
> or went to edit prefferences. Web browsing seems find, but I'd want
> messenger and preferences. I then ran make modules_install and edited lilo
> and reboot with my kernel (2.2.9 stock and mine) and I'm still getting the
> same problem. But netscape was working fine after my mandrake install
> initially. How can I fix this? What is a Bus error?

Netscape has a long history of producing Bus Errors.  So long, in fact, that
everyone has forgotten what causes them.  ;-)

I know I've had problems on 'weird' computers.  I had an AMD x5-133 (basically a
486 running at 133 MHz -- works out to about a P75).  My best guess was that
Netscape was doing things that the processor couldn't understand, as problems
went away when I got an actual Pentium..

you may want to run a 'rpm -qa|grep netscape' to see if there is a package of
stuff laying around from an old version of netscape.  Also, you may want to try
moving your ~/.netscape directory somewhere else (rename it to ~/.netscape.bak
or something), and see if netscape is merely having trouble understanding the
layout of your preferences.  (You'll have to re-enter your e-mail address and
some other stuff, but you'd still have the backup to get information from.

HTH..
-- 
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[ Mike Hicks | http://umn.edu/~hick0088 | mailto:hick0088@tc.umn.edu ]