[GNC] GnuCash 2.6.12 aborts (core dump) on Ubuntu 16 "hash table assertion failed"

[John Ralls]

The XML file is (optionally, see Preferences>General) compressed with gzip.

You might try reopening the database and see if it still takes 20 minutes. ISTR that there was a database upgrade somewhere around 2.6.12 and if so it would take a while to create the new tables, copy all of the records over, and clean up.

On Windows you can either run GnuCash from a shell window (CMD or Powershell both work) with the path and any options, e.g.
  "C:\Program Files (x86)\gnucash\bin\gnucash.exe" --debug --nofile
or if you want those options more permanently you can edit the command in the shortcut.

Regards,
John Ralls


> On Sep 13, 2019, at 8:11 PM, GWB <gwb at 2realms.com> wrote:
> 
> OK, will do.  This is interesting.  I moved the file to a Windows 7
> machine, and opened it with GnuCash 2.6.21.  It did read the sqlite3
> file, but it took a long time, probably 20 minutes or so.  After it
> opened, I saved it as an xml file.  GnuCash does open the .xml file
> more quickly, so perhaps I should stick with that format.  My
> assumption is that Windows GnuCash reads and writes to sql formats
> without installing those dependencies directly.
> 
> So how do I start GnuCash in Windows using the --nofile --debug
> options?  It appears to always try to open the last opened file.
> 
> I also notice the xml file is much, much smaller than the sqlite3
> file.  The xml is 4.6 Megs, and the sqlite3 file is 65 megs.  This is
> a file with many years, going back to 2009, but the data all appears
> to be there.  That's not a bad feature, if it still has all the data.
> And if xml it allows transaction "replays" or rollbacks, then great.
> I'll stick with it.  I'm a fan of data in db formats, but not when the
> older xml format functions without errors.
> 
> GnuCash 3 it is.  I'll install the latest on Ubuntu and Windows and
> see how it does with this xml file.
> 
> Is there a file parser or checker that can correct errors in an
> account file?  I should give that a whirl and see what it finds.
> 
> Thanks again, you guys rock,
> 
> Gordon
> 
> On Fri, Sep 13, 2019 at 9:59 PM John Ralls <jralls at ceridwen.us> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Sep 13, 2019, at 11:53 AM, GWB <gwb at 2realms.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hello, GnuCash Users,
>>> 
>>> Gnucash will begin to start, then abort (crash) when launched, using
>>> normal startup or gnucash --nofile --debug.  Output from terminal is:
>>> 
>>> $ gnucash --nofile --debug
>>> Found Finance::Quote version 1.38
>>> **
>>> GLib:ERROR:/build/glib2.0-pjKWYQ/glib2.0-2.48.2/./glib/ghash.c:373:g_hash_table_lookup_node:
>>> assertion failed: (hash_table->ref_count > 0)
>>> Aborted (core dumped)
>>> 
>>> So this is some kind of hash table assertion failure?  I have the
>>> gnucash.trace and apport bug reports as well, but before I send them I
>>> thought I would ask if someone else has seen this.  I can rollback to
>>> an earlier version of the file, but I would like to get this
>>> particular version working now.
>>> 
>>> I might also copy the file to a Windows machine, and install GnuCash
>>> there.  Or, possible, copy and upgrade to GnuCash 3, and then try to
>>> figure out how to move my reports.
>>> 
>>> Any help is greatly appreciated!
>>> 
>> 
>> It's basically a use-after-free situation.
>> 
>> We're not maintaining the 2.6 branch anymore, so your best bet is to upgrade to GnuCash 3.7, the latest release. It's certainly buildable on Ubuntu 16.04, our 3.x CI uses Ubuntu 14.04, but the user-prepared .deb will probably not find the right dependencies.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> John Ralls
>> 
>>