core Files

Occasionally, you may find that a process or application fails, leaving a file named "core" in the directory from which you began the process. A core file can take up a lot of disk space, so it is a good idea to provide information to your system administrator regarding the failed program and the location of the core file for analysis, and, once it is analyzed, delete it.

If you are not certain what process or application failed, open a shell window, and do the following at your system prompt, substituting your directory name for core.directory:

example% cd core.directory  
     (Change directory to the location of the core file.)
example% file core

You will receive a message in that shell that tells you the origin of the core file. Provide this information to your system administrator.

Those with knowledge of the operating system software may want to analyze the core file on their own. Information regarding two basic debugging tools is available in the man pages for adb and dbx.