A Segmentation Fault occurs when a program tries to access memory that it doesn’t have permission for or is not allocated. Debugging such an issue involves several steps:
Start by compiling the program with debugging symbols using the -g flag in gcc/g++. This allows you to trace back the exact line where the fault occurred.
Next, run the program under a debugger like gdb or lldb. When the segmentation fault happens, the debugger will stop and show you exactly where the problem happened.
Examine the stack trace to see what function calls led up to the error. Use the ‘backtrace’ command in gdb/lldb for this.
Inspect variables and memory at the point of crash. The ‘print’ command can be used to display variable values. If pointers are involved, check if they’re pointing to valid locations.
If necessary, use breakpoints to pause execution before the fault occurs, then step through code one line at a time.
Remember, common causes include dereferencing null pointers, accessing out-of-bounds array elements, or incorrect usage of system calls.
