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1.6 Configuring Solaris OS to Generate Core Files

Core files are generated when a process or application terminates abnormally. Core files are managed with the coreadm command. This section describes how to use the coreadm command to configure a system so that all process core files are placed in a single system directory. This means it is easier to track problems by examining the core files in a specific directory whenever a Solaris OS process or daemon terminates abnormally.

Before configuring your system for core files, make sure that the /var file system has sufficient space. Once you configure Solaris OS to generate core files, from now on all processes that crash will write a core file to the /var/cores directory.

ProcedureTo Configure Solaris OS to Generate Core Files

  1. Run the following commands as root.

    mkdir -p /var/cores
    coreadm -g /var/cores/%f.%n.%p.%t.core -e global -e global-setid \
    -e log -d process -d proc-setid

    In this command:


    Specifies the global core file name pattern. Unless a per-process pattern or setting overrides it, core files are stored in the specified directory with a name such as program.node.pid.time.core, for example: mytest.myhost.1234.1102010309.core.


    Specifies options to enable. The preceding command enables:

    • Use of the global (that is, system-wide) core file name pattern (and thereby location)

    • Capability of setuid programs to also dump core as per the same pattern

    • Generation of a syslog message by any attempt to dump core (successful or not)


    Specifies options to disable. The preceding command disables:

    • Core dumps per the per-process core file pattern

    • Per-process core dumps of setuid programs

    The preceding command stores all core dumps in a central location with names identifying what process dumped core and when. These changes only impact processes started after you run the coreadm command. Use the coreadm -u command after the preceding command to apply the settings to all existing processes.

  2. Display the core configuration.

    # coreadmglobal core file pattern: /var/cores/%f.%n.%p.%t.core
          init core file pattern: core
               global core dumps: enabled
          per-process core dumps: disabled
         global setid core dumps: enabled
    per-process setid core dumps: disabled
        global core dump logging: enabled 

    See the coreadm man page for further information.

  3. Set the size of the core dumps to unlimited.

    # ulimit -c unlimited
    # ulimit -a
            coredump(blocks) unlimited

    See the ulimit man page for further information.

  4. Verify core file creation.

    # cd /var/cores
    # sleep 100000 &
    [1] PID
    # kill -8 PID
    # ls