bug#543: Random "Regular expression too big"

bug#543: Random "Regular expression too big"

[Rob Emanuele]

Randomly on startup Emacs will exit with the error "Invalid regex:
Regular expression too big".  Sometime this error will popup on a
save, set fontset, or some other task.  I can't put any rhyme or
reason to it.

Others are reporting it too:
http://fcp.surfsite.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=58509&forum=10&post_id=273136


In GNU Emacs 22.1.1 (x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 2.12.5)
 of 2008-05-23 on xenbuilder2.fedora.redhat.com
Windowing system distributor `The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.10300000
configured using `configure  '--build=x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu'
'--host=x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu' '--target=x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu'
'--program-prefix=' '--prefix=/usr' '--exec-prefix=/usr'
'--bindir=/usr/bin' '--sbindir=/usr/sbin' '--sysconfdir=/etc'
'--datadir=/usr/share' '--includedir=/usr/include'
'--libdir=/usr/lib64' '--libexecdir=/usr/libexec'
'--localstatedir=/var' '--sharedstatedir=/usr/com'
'--mandir=/usr/share/man' '--infodir=/usr/share/info'
'--with-x-toolkit=gtk' '--with-sound' '--with-toolkit-scroll-bars'
'build_alias=x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu'
'host_alias=x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu'
'target_alias=x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu' 'CFLAGS=-DMAIL_USE_LOCKF -O2 -g
-pipe -Wall -Wp,-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -fexceptions -fstack-protector
--param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -m64 -mtune=generic''

Important settings:
  value of $LC_ALL: nil
  value of $LC_COLLATE: nil
  value of $LC_CTYPE: nil
  value of $LC_MESSAGES: nil
  value of $LC_MONETARY: nil
  value of $LC_NUMERIC: nil
  value of $LC_TIME: nil
  value of $LANG: en_US.UTF-8
  locale-coding-system: utf-8
  default-enable-multibyte-characters: t

Major mode: Emacs-Lisp

Minor modes in effect:
  tooltip-mode: t
  tool-bar-mode: t
  mouse-wheel-mode: t
  menu-bar-mode: t
  file-name-shadow-mode: t
  global-font-lock-mode: t
  font-lock-mode: t
  blink-cursor-mode: t
  unify-8859-on-encoding-mode: t
  utf-translate-cjk-mode: t
  auto-compression-mode: t
  line-number-mode: t

Recent input:
<down> <help-echo> <help-echo> <down-mouse-5> <mouse-5>
<down-mouse-4> <mouse-4> <double-down-mouse-4> <double-mouse-4>
<help-echo> M-x b u <tab> <help-echo> <backspace> <backspace>
r e p o <tab> r t <tab> <return>

Recent messages:
Loading /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/site-start.d/rpm-spec-mode-init.el
(source)...done
For information about the GNU Project and its goals, type C-h C-p. [2 times]
byte-code: Beginning of buffer
Making completion list...
Loading help-mode...done
Making completion list...
Loading emacsbug...
Loading regexp-opt...done
Loading emacsbug...done
Undo!

bug#543: Random "Regular expression too big"

[Stefan Monnier]

> Randomly on startup Emacs will exit with the error "Invalid regex:
> Regular expression too big".  Sometime this error will popup on a
> save, set fontset, or some other task.  I can't put any rhyme or
> reason to it.

Please set "Options => Enter Debugger on Error" and when the error is
signalled you should get a backtrace, which will catch the offended.


        Stefan

bug#543: Random "Regular expression too big"

[Glenn Morris]

Thanks for the report. Your report was against an old version of Emacs,
and lacks the information necessary for us to investigate it.
The latest version is 23.3. Please open new reports for any issues you
have with the new version.