In current sources, try the following: while true; do psql -c "checkpoint" yourdb done (any SQL command will do, it needn't be a checkpoint) Press control-C while it's cycling. A fair fraction of the time I get a SEGV coredump from psql. I've been able to replicate this on both HPUX and LinuxPPC, but I can't get a useful traceback from either; apparently the stack is trashed. For example HPUX just gives me Core was generated by `psql'. Program terminated with signal 11, Segmentation fault. #0 0xc0149e14 in ?? () from /usr/lib/libc.1 (gdb) bt #0 0xc0149e14 in ?? () from /usr/lib/libc.1 Cannot access memory at address 0xffffffac (gdb) Anyone else see this? Can anyone else get a more helpful stack trace? regards, tom lane ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 4: Don't 'kill -9' the postmaster