In C, can't change a struct attribute except using #define val - c++

Question

In Minix 3.1.2a I've a struct "struct proc" where the PCB of any process stored,
but I've a problem when adding new attribute "p_currenthash" in the code below to this struct. I can't change its value except using a constant defined by #define directive; otherwise, the system stops responding. For clarity here is the structure:
struct proc {
struct stackframe_s p_reg; /* process' registers saved in stack frame */
#if (CHIP == INTEL)
reg_t p_ldt_sel; /* selector in gdt with ldt base and limit */
struct segdesc_s p_ldt[2+NR_REMOTE_SEGS]; /* CS, DS and remote segments */
#endif
#if (CHIP == M68000)
/* M68000 specific registers and FPU details go here. */
#endif
proc_nr_t p_nr; /* number of this process (for fast access) */
struct priv *p_priv; /* system privileges structure */
short p_rts_flags; /* process is runnable only if zero */
short p_misc_flags; /* flags that do suspend the process */
char p_priority; /* current scheduling priority */
char p_max_priority; /* maximum scheduling priority */
char p_ticks_left; /* number of scheduling ticks left */
char p_quantum_size; /* quantum size in ticks */
struct mem_map p_memmap[NR_LOCAL_SEGS]; /* memory map (T, D, S) */
clock_t p_user_time; /* user time in ticks */
clock_t p_sys_time; /* sys time in ticks */
struct proc *p_nextready; /* pointer to next ready process */
struct proc *p_caller_q; /* head of list of procs wishing to send */
struct proc *p_q_link; /* link to next proc wishing to send */
message *p_messbuf; /* pointer to passed message buffer */
int p_getfrom_e; /* from whom does process want to receive? */
int p_sendto_e; /* to whom does process want to send? */
sigset_t p_pending; /* bit map for pending kernel signals */
char p_name[P_NAME_LEN]; /* name of the process, including \0 */
int p_endpoint; /* endpoint number, generation-aware */
#if DEBUG_SCHED_CHECK
int p_ready, p_found;
#endif
char p_currenthash; /* hash */
};
Now, suppose I want to set its value. Initially I use the constant defined below.
#define NONE -1
register struct proc *rp;
rp->p_currenthash=NONE;
That works fine, but this: rp->p_currenthash=0 ; will cause the program to stop responding.
Any suggestions will be appreciated
Here's the main initialization in main():
/* Start the ball rolling. */
struct boot_image *ip; /* boot image pointer */
register struct proc *rp; /* process pointer */
register struct priv *sp; /* privilege structure pointer */
register int i, s;
int hdrindex; /* index to array of a.out headers */
phys_clicks text_base;
vir_clicks text_clicks, data_clicks;
reg_t ktsb; /* kernel task stack base */
struct exec e_hdr; /* for a copy of an a.out header */
/* Initialize the interrupt controller. */
intr_init(1);
/* Clear the process table. Anounce each slot as empty and set up mappings
* for proc_addr() and proc_nr() macros. Do the same for the table with
* privilege structures for the system processes.
*/
for (rp = BEG_PROC_ADDR, i = -NR_TASKS; rp < END_PROC_ADDR; ++rp, ++i) {
rp->p_rts_flags = SLOT_FREE; /* initialize free slot */
rp->p_nr = i; /* proc number from ptr */
rp->p_currenthash=NONE;
rp->p_endpoint = _ENDPOINT(0, rp->p_nr); /* generation no. 0 */
(pproc_addr + NR_TASKS)[i] = rp; /* proc ptr from number */
}
for (sp = BEG_PRIV_ADDR, i = 0; sp < END_PRIV_ADDR; ++sp, ++i) {
sp->s_proc_nr = NONE; /* initialize as free */
sp->s_id = i; /* priv structure index */
ppriv_addr[i] = sp; /* priv ptr from number */
}
/* Set up proc table entries for processes in boot image. The stacks of the
* kernel tasks are initialized to an array in data space. The stacks
* of the servers have been added to the data segment by the monitor, so
* the stack pointer is set to the end of the data segment. All the
* processes are in low memory on the 8086. On the 386 only the kernel
* is in low memory, the rest is loaded in extended memory.
*/
/* Task stacks. */
ktsb = (reg_t) t_stack;
for (i=0; i < NR_BOOT_PROCS; ++i) {
ip = &image[i]; /* process' attributes */
rp = proc_addr(ip->proc_nr); /* get process pointer */
ip->endpoint = rp->p_endpoint; /* ipc endpoint */
rp->p_max_priority = ip->priority; /* max scheduling priority */
rp->p_priority = ip->priority; /* current priority */
rp->p_quantum_size = ip->quantum; /* quantum size in ticks */
rp->p_ticks_left = ip->quantum; /* current credit */
strncpy(rp->p_name, ip->proc_name, P_NAME_LEN); /* set process name */
(void) get_priv(rp, (ip->flags & SYS_PROC)); /* assign structure */
priv(rp)->s_flags = ip->flags; /* process flags */
priv(rp)->s_trap_mask = ip->trap_mask; /* allowed traps */
priv(rp)->s_call_mask = ip->call_mask; /* kernel call mask */
priv(rp)->s_ipc_to.chunk[0] = ip->ipc_to; /* restrict targets */
if (iskerneln(proc_nr(rp))) { /* part of the kernel? */
if (ip->stksize > 0) { /* HARDWARE stack size is 0 */
rp->p_priv->s_stack_guard = (reg_t *) ktsb;
*rp->p_priv->s_stack_guard = STACK_GUARD;
}
ktsb += ip->stksize; /* point to high end of stack */
rp->p_reg.sp = ktsb; /* this task's initial stack ptr */
text_base = kinfo.code_base >> CLICK_SHIFT;
/* processes that are in the kernel */
hdrindex = 0; /* all use the first a.out header */
} else {
hdrindex = 1 + i-NR_TASKS; /* servers, drivers, INIT */
}
/* The bootstrap loader created an array of the a.out headers at
* absolute address 'aout'. Get one element to e_hdr.
*/
phys_copy(aout + hdrindex * A_MINHDR, vir2phys(&e_hdr),
(phys_bytes) A_MINHDR);
/* Convert addresses to clicks and build process memory map */
text_base = e_hdr.a_syms >> CLICK_SHIFT;
text_clicks = (e_hdr.a_text + CLICK_SIZE-1) >> CLICK_SHIFT;
if (!(e_hdr.a_flags & A_SEP)) text_clicks = 0; /* common I&D */
data_clicks = (e_hdr.a_total + CLICK_SIZE-1) >> CLICK_SHIFT;
rp->p_memmap[T].mem_phys = text_base;
rp->p_memmap[T].mem_len = text_clicks;
rp->p_memmap[D].mem_phys = text_base + text_clicks;
rp->p_memmap[D].mem_len = data_clicks;
rp->p_memmap[S].mem_phys = text_base + text_clicks + data_clicks;
rp->p_memmap[S].mem_vir = data_clicks; /* empty - stack is in data */
/* Set initial register values. The processor status word for tasks
* is different from that of other processes because tasks can
* access I/O; this is not allowed to less-privileged processes
*/
rp->p_reg.pc = (reg_t) ip->initial_pc;
rp->p_reg.psw = (iskernelp(rp)) ? INIT_TASK_PSW : INIT_PSW;
/* Initialize the server stack pointer. Take it down one word
* to give crtso.s something to use as "argc".
*/
if (isusern(proc_nr(rp))) { /* user-space process? */
rp->p_reg.sp = (rp->p_memmap[S].mem_vir +
rp->p_memmap[S].mem_len) << CLICK_SHIFT;
rp->p_reg.sp -= sizeof(reg_t);
}
/* Set ready. The HARDWARE task is never ready. */
if (rp->p_nr != HARDWARE) {
rp->p_rts_flags = 0; /* runnable if no flags */
lock_enqueue(rp); /* add to scheduling queues */
} else {
rp->p_rts_flags = NO_MAP; /* prevent from running */
}
/* Code and data segments must be allocated in protected mode. */
alloc_segments(rp);
}

Answer 1

register struct proc *rp;
rp->p_currenthash=NONE;
rp is an uninitialized pointer; it isn't pointing to a valid struct proc object, and so dereferencing it leads to undefined behavior. The fact that this didn't crash when assigning -1 was pure luck. (bad luck, because it misled you to believe you were doing something meaningful)

Answer 2

acutually the problem not solved ,first the "p_currenthash" initialized in the main as shown above ,later in a function called pic_proc ,i've this code :
register struct proc **xpp; /* iterate over queue */
register struct proc *rp; /* process to run */
int q;
for (q=0; q < NR_SCHED_QUEUES; q++)
{
if ( (rp = rdy_head[q]) != NIL_PROC)
{
for (xpp = &rdy_head[q]; *xpp != NIL_PROC; xpp = &(*xpp)->p_nextready)
{
if ((*xpp)->p_currenthash==NONE)
{
pick_val++;
}
}
}
}
that code works fine ,no inside the if if i changed the attribute "p_currenthash" the problem ocuured as bellow:
register struct proc **xpp; /* iterate over queue */
register struct proc *rp; /* process to run */
int q;
for (q=0; q < NR_SCHED_QUEUES; q++)
{
if ( (rp = rdy_head[q]) != NIL_PROC)
{
for (xpp = &rdy_head[q]; *xpp != NIL_PROC; xpp = &(*xpp)->p_nextready)
{
if ((*xpp)->p_currenthash==NONE)
{
pick_val++;
(*xpp)->p_currenthash=1;
}
}
}
}
i really can't realize the problem.