bug#8157: emacs 23.1 hung on windows 7

bug#8157: emacs 23.1 hung on windows 7

[Tony An]

Emacs version: GNU Emacs 23.1.1 (i386-mingw-nt6.1.7600) of 2009-07-29 on SOFT-MJASON

When I was editing a .tex file, it contantly hung at me on windows 7:

Description:
  A problem caused this program to stop interacting with Windows.

Problem signature:
  Problem Event Name:	AppHangB1
  Application Name:	emacs.exe
  Application Version:	23.1.0.0
  Application Timestamp:	4a71276f
  Hang Signature:	89ef
  Hang Type:	6144
  OS Version:	6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.4
  Locale ID:	1033
  Additional Hang Signature 1:	89efb76b03c95ee690061483225efa8f
  Additional Hang Signature 2:	dd94
  Additional Hang Signature 3:	dd944310c3239a2fb4f3c2800c14dcd5
  Additional Hang Signature 4:	89ef
  Additional Hang Signature 5:	89efb76b03c95ee690061483225efa8f
  Additional Hang Signature 6:	dd94
  Additional Hang Signature 7:	dd944310c3239a2fb4f3c2800c14dcd5

bug#8157: mode related?

[Tony An]

My instinct tells me that this hanging might be due to the LaTex mode is not doing well with other minor mode, but of course I might be totally wrong. Just in case, this is the mode I was in when the hung happened, repeatedly. 

Enabled minor modes: Auto-Composition Auto-Compression Auto-Encryption
Column-Number Display-Time File-Name-Shadow Flyspell Font-Lock
Global-Auto-Composition Global-Font-Lock Line-Number Menu-Bar
Mouse-Wheel Shell-Dirtrack Show-Paren Tool-Bar Tooltip Transient-Mark

(Information about these minor modes follows the major mode info.)

LaTeX mode:
Major mode for editing files of input for LaTeX.
Makes $ and } display the characters they match.
Makes " insert `` when it seems to be the beginning of a quotation,
and '' when it appears to be the end; it inserts " only after a \.

Use C-c C-r to run LaTeX on the current region, plus the preamble
copied from the top of the file (containing \documentstyle, etc.),
running LaTeX under a special subshell.  C-c C-b does the whole buffer.
C-c C-f saves the buffer and then processes the file.
C-c C-p prints the .dvi file made by any of these.
C-c C-v previews the .dvi file made by any of these.
C-c TAB runs bibtex on the file of the current buffer.

Use M-x tex-validate-buffer to check buffer for paragraphs containing
mismatched $'s or braces.

Special commands:
key             binding
---             -------

C-c		Prefix Command
C-j		tex-terminate-paragraph
ESC		Prefix Command
"		tex-insert-quote
$		skeleton-pair-insert-maybe
(		skeleton-pair-insert-maybe
[		skeleton-pair-insert-maybe
{		skeleton-pair-insert-maybe
<C-return>	tex-feed-input

C-c C-b		tex-buffer
C-c C-c		tex-compile
C-c C-e		latex-close-block
C-c C-f		tex-file
C-c TAB		tex-bibtex-file
C-c C-k		tex-kill-job
C-c C-l		tex-recenter-output-buffer
C-c RET		tex-feed-input
C-c C-o		latex-insert-block
C-c C-p		tex-print
C-c C-q		tex-show-print-queue
C-c C-r		tex-region
C-c C-s		latex-split-block
C-c C-u		tex-goto-last-unclosed-latex-block
C-c C-v		tex-view
C-c {		tex-insert-braces
C-c }		up-list

M-TAB		ispell-complete-word
  (that binding is currently shadowed by another mode)
M-RET		latex-insert-item



Mode variables:
latex-run-command
	Command string used by C-c C-r or C-c C-b.
tex-directory
	Directory in which to create temporary files for LaTeX jobs
	run by C-c C-r or C-c C-b.
tex-dvi-print-command
	Command string used by C-c C-p to print a .dvi file.
tex-alt-dvi-print-command
	Alternative command string used by C-c C-p (when given a prefix
	argument) to print a .dvi file.
tex-dvi-view-command
	Command string used by C-c C-v to preview a .dvi file.
tex-show-queue-command
	Command string used by C-c C-q to show the print
	queue that C-c C-p put your job on.

Entering Latex mode runs the hook `text-mode-hook', then
`tex-mode-hook', and finally `latex-mode-hook'.  When the special
subshell is initiated, `tex-shell-hook' is run.


Auto-Composition minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle Auto Composition mode.
With ARG, turn Auto Composition mode off if and only if ARG is a non-positive
number; if ARG is nil, toggle Auto Composition mode; anything else turns Auto
Composition on.

When Auto Composition is enabled, text characters are automatically composed
by functions registered in `composition-function-table' (which see).

You can use `global-auto-composition-mode' to turn on
Auto Composition mode in all buffers (this is the default).

(fn &optional ARG)


Auto-Compression minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle automatic file compression and uncompression.
With prefix argument ARG, turn auto compression on if positive, else off.
Return the new status of auto compression (non-nil means on).


Auto-Encryption minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle automatic file encryption and decryption.
With prefix argument ARG, turn auto encryption on if positive, else off.
Return the new status of auto encryption (non-nil means on).


Column-Number minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle Column Number mode.
With ARG, turn Column Number mode on if ARG is positive,
otherwise turn it off.  When Column Number mode is enabled, the
column number appears in the mode line.


Display-Time minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle display of time, load level, and mail flag in mode lines.
With a numeric arg, enable this display if arg is positive.

When this display is enabled, it updates automatically every minute.
If `display-time-day-and-date' is non-nil, the current day and date
are displayed as well.
This runs the normal hook `display-time-hook' after each update.


File-Name-Shadow minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle File-Name Shadow mode.
When active, any part of a filename being read in the minibuffer
that would be ignored (because the result is passed through
`substitute-in-file-name') is given the properties in
`file-name-shadow-properties', which can be used to make
that portion dim, invisible, or otherwise less visually noticeable.

With prefix argument ARG, turn on if positive, otherwise off.
Returns non-nil if the new state is enabled.


Flyspell minor mode (indicator Fly):
Minor mode performing on-the-fly spelling checking.
Ispell is automatically spawned on background for each entered words.
The default flyspell behavior is to highlight incorrect words.
With no argument, this command toggles Flyspell mode.
With a prefix argument ARG, turn Flyspell minor mode on iff ARG is positive.
  
Bindings:
M-$: correct words (using Ispell).
M-x flyspell-auto-correct-word: automatically correct word.
M-x flyspell-auto-correct-previous-word: automatically correct the last misspelled word.
M-x flyspell-correct-word (or down-mouse-2): popup correct words.

Hooks:
This runs `flyspell-mode-hook' after flyspell is entered.

Remark:
`flyspell-mode' uses `ispell-mode'.  Thus all Ispell options are
valid.  For instance, a personal dictionary can be used by
invoking `ispell-change-dictionary'.

Consider using the `ispell-parser' to check your text.  For instance
consider adding:
(add-hook 'tex-mode-hook (function (lambda () (setq ispell-parser 'tex))))
in your .emacs file.

M-x flyspell-region checks all words inside a region.
M-x flyspell-buffer checks the whole buffer.


Font-Lock minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle Font Lock mode.
With arg, turn Font Lock mode off if and only if arg is a non-positive
number; if arg is nil, toggle Font Lock mode; anything else turns Font
Lock on.
(Font Lock is also known as "syntax highlighting".)

When Font Lock mode is enabled, text is fontified as you type it:

 - Comments are displayed in `font-lock-comment-face';
 - Strings are displayed in `font-lock-string-face';
 - Certain other expressions are displayed in other faces according to the
   value of the variable `font-lock-keywords'.

To customize the faces (colors, fonts, etc.) used by Font Lock for
fontifying different parts of buffer text, use M-x customize-face.

You can enable Font Lock mode in any major mode automatically by turning on in
the major mode's hook.  For example, put in your ~/.emacs:

 (add-hook 'c-mode-hook 'turn-on-font-lock)

Alternatively, you can use Global Font Lock mode to automagically turn on Font
Lock mode in buffers whose major mode supports it and whose major mode is one
of `font-lock-global-modes'.  For example, put in your ~/.emacs:

 (global-font-lock-mode t)

Where major modes support different levels of fontification, you can use
the variable `font-lock-maximum-decoration' to specify which level you
generally prefer.  When you turn Font Lock mode on/off the buffer is
fontified/defontified, though fontification occurs only if the buffer is
less than `font-lock-maximum-size'.

To add your own highlighting for some major mode, and modify the highlighting
selected automatically via the variable `font-lock-maximum-decoration', you can
use `font-lock-add-keywords'.

To fontify a buffer, without turning on Font Lock mode and regardless of buffer
size, you can use M-x font-lock-fontify-buffer.

To fontify a block (the function or paragraph containing point, or a number of
lines around point), perhaps because modification on the current line caused
syntactic change on other lines, you can use M-o M-o.

See the variable `font-lock-defaults-alist' for the Font Lock mode default
settings.  You can set your own default settings for some mode, by setting a
buffer local value for `font-lock-defaults', via its mode hook.

The above is the default behavior of `font-lock-mode'; you may specify
your own function which is called when `font-lock-mode' is toggled via
`font-lock-function'. 


Global-Auto-Composition minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle Auto-Composition mode in every possible buffer.
With prefix ARG, turn Global-Auto-Composition mode on if and only if ARG is positive.
Auto-Composition mode is enabled in all buffers where `turn-on-auto-composition-if-enabled' would do it.
See `auto-composition-mode' for more information on Auto-Composition mode.

(fn &optional ARG DUMMY)


Global-Font-Lock minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle Font-Lock mode in every possible buffer.
With prefix ARG, turn Global-Font-Lock mode on if and only if ARG is positive.
Font-Lock mode is enabled in all buffers where `turn-on-font-lock-if-desired' would do it.
See `font-lock-mode' for more information on Font-Lock mode.


Line-Number minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle Line Number mode.
With ARG, turn Line Number mode on if ARG is positive, otherwise
turn it off.  When Line Number mode is enabled, the line number
appears in the mode line.

Line numbers do not appear for very large buffers and buffers
with very long lines; see variables `line-number-display-limit'
and `line-number-display-limit-width'.


Menu-Bar minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle display of a menu bar on each frame.
This command applies to all frames that exist and frames to be
created in the future.
With a numeric argument, if the argument is positive,
turn on menu bars; otherwise, turn off menu bars.


Mouse-Wheel minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle mouse wheel support.
With prefix argument ARG, turn on if positive, otherwise off.
Return non-nil if the new state is enabled.


Shell-Dirtrack minor mode (no indicator):
Turn directory tracking on and off in a shell buffer.
The `dirtrack' package provides an alternative implementation of this
feature - see the function `dirtrack-mode'.


Show-Paren minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle Show Paren mode.
With prefix ARG, turn Show Paren mode on if and only if ARG is positive.
Returns the new status of Show Paren mode (non-nil means on).

When Show Paren mode is enabled, any matching parenthesis is highlighted
in `show-paren-style' after `show-paren-delay' seconds of Emacs idle time.


Tool-Bar minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle use of the tool bar.
With numeric ARG, display the tool bar if and only if ARG is positive.

See `tool-bar-add-item' and `tool-bar-add-item-from-menu' for
conveniently adding tool bar items.


Tooltip minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle Tooltip mode.
With ARG, turn Tooltip mode on if and only if ARG is positive.
When this minor mode is enabled, Emacs displays help text
in a pop-up window for buttons and menu items that you put the mouse on.
(However, if `tooltip-use-echo-area' is non-nil, this and
all pop-up help appears in the echo area.)

When Tooltip mode is disabled, Emacs displays one line of
the help text in the echo area, and does not make a pop-up window.


Transient-Mark minor mode (no indicator):
Toggle Transient Mark mode.
With ARG, turn Transient Mark mode on if ARG is positive, off otherwise.

In Transient Mark mode, when the mark is active, the region is highlighted.
Changing the buffer "deactivates" the mark.
So do certain other operations that set the mark
but whose main purpose is something else--for example,
incremental search, <, and >.

You can also deactivate the mark by typing C-g or
M-ESC ESC.

Many commands change their behavior when Transient Mark mode is in effect
and the mark is active, by acting on the region instead of their usual
default part of the buffer's text.  Examples of such commands include
M-;, M-x flush-lines, M-x keep-lines, M-%, C-M-%, M-x ispell, and C-_.
Invoke C-h d and type "transient" or
"mark.*active" at the prompt, to see the documentation of
commands which are sensitive to the Transient Mark mode.

bug#8157: mode related?

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Tony An <Anthony.An@sas.com>
> Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2011 18:27:00 +0000
> Cc: 
> 
> My instinct tells me that this hanging might be due to the LaTex mode is not doing well with other minor mode, but of course I might be totally wrong. Just in case, this is the mode I was in when the hung happened, repeatedly. 

Can you run Emacs under GDB?  If so, we could instruct you how to find
out where it hangs (or you could read about that yourself in
etc/DEBUG).

Also, are you sure it hangs, and not just does something very
prolonged?  How much time did you wait for it to become responsive
again?  Was Emacs consuming CPU during that time?

bug#8157: mode related?

[Tony An]

Now, I can no longer reproduce the hung, unlike yesterday, almost every time I open that file to edit, it just froze there: I cannot type in anything in Emacs, it simply stops interact with me, and I had to bring up the Task Manager to kill Emacs. It's not like a prolonged delay, I waited for more than 5 minutes one point working on other things, then came back to Emacs, it was still frozen there. That's why I decided to enter the bug report, since it happened at least 4 times yesterday. 

But today, that hung disappears, so I am not sure if this can be marked as "no reproducible" bug. 

I can run Emacs under GDB, although I am not sure what I am supposed to look at under it. 

I wasn't sure this will helps even it was hanging like yesterday because I was unable to do anything at all in Emacs when it was hung.  Now, it's not hanging, would this GDB helps to identify something unusual? 

Oh, I forgot to look at the cpu consumption yesterday when it was hung. I was able to working in other application normally when that happens, so I guess it's not that my machine is too busy at the moment...

Based on my description, if you want me to debug more with editing in the same file, I will be happy to. Otherwise, I am okay if you mark it as "no rep" since I cannot longer observe the hanging (with nothing changed, didn't even reboot my machine). 

Thanks. 


-----Original Message-----
From: Eli Zaretskii [mailto:eliz@gnu.org] 
Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2011 10:54 AM
To: Tony An
Cc: 8157@debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#8157: mode related?

> From: Tony An <Anthony.An@sas.com>
> Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2011 18:27:00 +0000
> Cc: 
> 
> My instinct tells me that this hanging might be due to the LaTex mode is not doing well with other minor mode, but of course I might be totally wrong. Just in case, this is the mode I was in when the hung happened, repeatedly. 

Can you run Emacs under GDB?  If so, we could instruct you how to find out where it hangs (or you could read about that yourself in etc/DEBUG).

Also, are you sure it hangs, and not just does something very prolonged?  How much time did you wait for it to become responsive again?  Was Emacs consuming CPU during that time?

bug#8157: mode related?

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Tony An <Anthony.An@sas.com>
> CC: "8157@debbugs.gnu.org" <8157@debbugs.gnu.org>
> Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2011 19:24:08 +0000
> Accept-Language: en-US
> 
> I can run Emacs under GDB, although I am not sure what I am supposed to look at under it. 

See below.

> I wasn't sure this will helps even it was hanging like yesterday because I was unable to do anything at all in Emacs when it was hung.  Now, it's not hanging, would this GDB helps to identify something unusual? 

No, not really.  You need to wait until it appears to hang again.
When it does, try attaching GDB to the Emacs process.  If that works
and you get the GDB prompt, type "bt" to see where Emacs hangs.

If you don't get the GDB prompt, try typing "kill -TSTP <pid>" from
the shell prompt, where <pid> is the Emacs process ID.  You should be
able to get Emacs interrupted, GDB should gain control, and you can
type "bt".

There's more advice and tricks under "If the symptom of the bug is
that Emacs fails to respond" in the file etc/DEBUG that you should be
able to find in your Emacs tree.

bug#8157: mode related?

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Tony An <Anthony.An@sas.com>
> Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2011 21:42:05 +0000
> 
> Okay. Thanks. I will keep this handy and if it happens again, I will try this. But I doubt that I will be able attach GDB to it because as I mentioned in my previous email, it is frozen in emacs and I cannot do anything to it, except to kill from the task manager, so "M-x gdb" won't be possible to be issued... 

If you can kill it, there's a chance GDB will be able to attach to it,
because attaching a debugger to a program delivers a signal to that
program, not unlike what happens when killing it.

Note that I didn't mean "M-x gdb", I meant to invoke GDB from a shell
prompt outside Emacs.  I take it that the rest of your system is not
frozen, only Emacs is.