# Segmentation fault while importing dolfin in python

**URL:** <https://fenicsproject.discourse.group/t/segmentation-fault-while-importing-dolfin-in-python/6840>\
**Category:** installation\
**Created:** [October 18, 2021, 8:52pm UTC](https://fenicsproject.discourse.group/t/segmentation-fault-while-importing-dolfin-in-python/6840 "2021-10-18T20:52:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![teja781](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@teja781](https://fenicsproject.discourse.group/u/teja781)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 8:52pm UTC](https://fenicsproject.discourse.group/t/segmentation-fault-while-importing-dolfin-in-python/6840/1 "2021-10-18T20:52:19Z")

</div>

Hello,

I am trying to install fenics on a redhat-7.7 machine. I was able to successfully install dolfin c++ version from source and the poisson\_demo code runs successfully.

I am trying to install the python module for dolfin, so following the instructions on the doflin python directory, I installed pybind11, defined the PYBIND11\_DIR environment variable, and ran “pip install .” to install the module to the local site-packages directory. The installation went through successfully without any error messages. But when I try to import the dolfin module, I get a segmentation fault message. Here is the full error message being printed out.

# Caught signal 11 (Segmentation fault: address not mapped to object at address 0x440000e9) ==== backtrace (tid: 6171) ==== 0 0x0000000000050b35 ucs\_debug\_print\_backtrace() ???:0 1 0x000000000006d113 PMPI\_Comm\_set\_errhandler() ???:0 2 0x000000000007fd00 \_\_pyx\_f\_6mpi4py\_3MPI\_initialize() MPI.c:0 3 0x000000000002ecb3 \_\_pyx\_pymod\_exec\_MPI() MPI.c:0 4 0x00000000001fb0ea PyModule\_ExecDef() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/moduleobject.c:414 5 0x00000000001fb158 exec\_builtin\_or\_dynamic() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/import.c:2115 6 0x00000000001fb158 \_imp\_exec\_builtin\_impl() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/import.c:2208 7 0x00000000001fb158 \_imp\_exec\_builtin() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/clinic/import.c.h:347 8 0x00000000001356da \_PyMethodDef\_RawFastCallDict() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:497 9 0x00000000001357c1 \_PyCFunction\_FastCallDict() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:586 10 0x00000000001d1007 do\_call\_core() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:4641 11 0x00000000001d1007 \_PyEval\_EvalFrameDefault() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:3191 12 0x0000000000114539 \_PyEval\_EvalCodeWithName() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:3930 13 0x0000000000163f57 \_PyFunction\_FastCallKeywords() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:433 14 0x00000000001cff29 call\_function() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:4616 15 0x00000000001cff29 \_PyEval\_EvalFrameDefault() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:3093 16 0x0000000000163ccb function\_code\_fastcall() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:283 17 0x0000000000163ccb \_PyFunction\_FastCallKeywords() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:408 18 0x00000000001cba93 call\_function() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:4616 19 0x00000000001cba93 \_PyEval\_EvalFrameDefault() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:3110 20 0x0000000000163ccb function\_code\_fastcall() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:283 21 0x0000000000163ccb \_PyFunction\_FastCallKeywords() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:408 22 0x00000000001cb806 call\_function() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:4616 23 0x00000000001cb806 \_PyEval\_EvalFrameDefault() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:3124 24 0x0000000000163ccb function\_code\_fastcall() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:283 25 0x0000000000163ccb \_PyFunction\_FastCallKeywords() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:408 26 0x00000000001cb806 call\_function() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:4616 27 0x00000000001cb806 \_PyEval\_EvalFrameDefault() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:3124 28 0x000000000011556b function\_code\_fastcall() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:283 29 0x000000000011556b _PyFunction\_FastCallDict() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:322 30 0x000000000013414e object\_vacall() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:1202 31 0x000000000018f68d PyObject\_CallMethodIdObjArgs() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:1252 32 0x000000000011decc import\_find\_and\_load() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/import.c:1645 33 0x000000000011decc PyImport\_ImportModuleLevelObject() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/import.c:1757 34 0x00000000001a2fba builtin\_\_\_import_() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/bltinmodule.c:312 35 0x000000000013563d \_PyMethodDef\_RawFastCallDict() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:515 36 0x00000000001357c1 \_PyCFunction\_FastCallDict() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:586 37 0x000000000012d3dd \_PyObject\_CallFunctionVa() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:961 38 0x000000000012d3dd PyObject\_CallFunction() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:981 39 0x000000000011e58e PyImport\_Import() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/import.c:1945 40 0x000000000011e7e1 PyImport\_ImportModule() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/import.c:1389 41 0x0000000000212f81 std::set\<std::\_\_cxx11::basic\_string\<char, std::char\_traits, std::allocator \>, std::less\<std::\_\_cxx11::basic\_string\<char, std::char\_traits, std::allocator \> \>, std::allocator\<std::\_\_cxx11::basic\_string\<char, std::char\_traits, std::allocator \> \> \>::set() ???:0 42 0x000000000020af2a std::set\<std::\_\_cxx11::basic\_string\<char, std::char\_traits, std::allocator \>, std::less\<std::\_\_cxx11::basic\_string\<char, std::char\_traits, std::allocator \> \>, std::allocator\<std::\_\_cxx11::basic\_string\<char, std::char\_traits, std::allocator \> \> \>::set() ???:0 43 0x000000000023c950 PyInit\_cpp() ???:0 44 0x0000000000135845 cfunction\_call\_varargs() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:757 45 0x0000000000135845 PyCFunction\_Call() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:788 46 0x0000000000178ed2 property\_descr\_get() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/descrobject.c:1349 47 0x0000000000129249 type\_getattro() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/typeobject.c:3221 48 0x00000000001cbcda \_PyEval\_EvalFrameDefault() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:2573 49 0x0000000000114539 \_PyEval\_EvalCodeWithName() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:3930 50 0x0000000000115424 PyEval\_EvalCodeEx() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:3959 51 0x000000000011544c PyEval\_EvalCode() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:524 52 0x00000000001dae81 builtin\_exec\_impl.isra.12() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/bltinmodule.c:1079 53 0x00000000001dae81 builtin\_exec() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/clinic/bltinmodule.c.h:283 54 0x00000000001356a2 \_PyMethodDef\_RawFastCallDict() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:530 55 0x00000000001357c1 \_PyCFunction\_FastCallDict() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Objects/call.c:586 56 0x00000000001d1007 do\_call\_core() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:4641 57 0x00000000001d1007 \_PyEval\_EvalFrameDefault() /tmp/build/80754af9/python\_1565725737370/work/Python/ceval.c:3191

[alto-v1:06171] \*\*\* Process received signal \*\*\*  
[alto-v1:06171] Signal: Segmentation fault (11)  
[alto-v1:06171] Signal code: (-6)  
[alto-v1:06171] Failing at address: 0x4310000181b  
[alto-v1:06171] [0] /lib64/libpthread.so.0(+0xf630)[0x2b0ac9275630]  
[alto-v1:06171] [1] /app/openmpi/platform/x86-64/4.0.6/lib/libmpi.so.40(PMPI\_Comm\_set\_errhandler+0x43)[0x2b0ad5010113]  
[alto-v1:06171] [2] /app/python/platform/x86-64/3.7/lib/python3.7/site-packages/mpi4py/MPI.cpython-37m-x86\_64-linux-gnu.so(+0x7fd00)[0x2b0af257dd00]  
[alto-v1:06171] [3] /app/python/platform/x86-64/3.7/lib/python3.7/site-packages/mpi4py/MPI.cpython-37m-x86\_64-linux-gnu.so(+0x2ecb3)[0x2b0af252ccb3]  
[alto-v1:06171] [4] python(PyModule\_ExecDef+0x7a)[0x556de79a50ea]  
[alto-v1:06171] [5] python(+0x1fb158)[0x556de79a5158]  
[alto-v1:06171] [6] python(\_PyMethodDef\_RawFastCallDict+0x2ea)[0x556de78df6da]  
[alto-v1:06171] [7] python(\_PyCFunction\_FastCallDict+0x21)[0x556de78df7c1]  
[alto-v1:06171] [8] python(\_PyEval\_EvalFrameDefault+0x5c17)[0x556de797b007]  
[alto-v1:06171] [9] python(\_PyEval\_EvalCodeWithName+0x2f9)[0x556de78be539]  
[alto-v1:06171] [10] python(\_PyFunction\_FastCallKeywords+0x387)[0x556de790df57]  
[alto-v1:06171] [11] python(\_PyEval\_EvalFrameDefault+0x4b39)[0x556de7979f29]  
[alto-v1:06171] [12] python(\_PyFunction\_FastCallKeywords+0xfb)[0x556de790dccb]  
[alto-v1:06171] [13] python(\_PyEval\_EvalFrameDefault+0x6a3)[0x556de7975a93]  
[alto-v1:06171] [14] python(\_PyFunction\_FastCallKeywords+0xfb)[0x556de790dccb]  
[alto-v1:06171] [15] python(\_PyEval\_EvalFrameDefault+0x416)[0x556de7975806]  
[alto-v1:06171] [16] python(\_PyFunction\_FastCallKeywords+0xfb)[0x556de790dccb]  
[alto-v1:06171] [17] python(\_PyEval\_EvalFrameDefault+0x416)[0x556de7975806]  
[alto-v1:06171] [18] python(\_PyFunction\_FastCallDict+0x10b)[0x556de78bf56b]  
[alto-v1:06171] [19] python(+0x13414e)[0x556de78de14e]  
[alto-v1:06171] [20] python(\_PyObject\_CallMethodIdObjArgs+0xbd)[0x556de793968d]  
[alto-v1:06171] [21] python(PyImport\_ImportModuleLevelObject+0x29c)[0x556de78c7ecc]  
[alto-v1:06171] [22] python(+0x1a2fba)[0x556de794cfba]  
[alto-v1:06171] [23] python(\_PyMethodDef\_RawFastCallDict+0x24d)[0x556de78df63d]  
[alto-v1:06171] [24] python(\_PyCFunction\_FastCallDict+0x21)[0x556de78df7c1]  
[alto-v1:06171] [25] python(PyObject\_CallFunction+0x10d)[0x556de78d73dd]  
[alto-v1:06171] [26] python(PyImport\_Import+0x9e)[0x556de78c858e]  
[alto-v1:06171] [27] python(PyImport\_ImportModule+0x21)[0x556de78c87e1]  
[alto-v1:06171] [28] /home/teja/.local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/dolfin/cpp.cpython-37m-x86\_64-linux-gnu.so(+0x212f81)[0x2b0ad0bf1f81]  
[alto-v1:06171] [29] /home/teja/.local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/dolfin/cpp.cpython-37m-x86\_64-linux-gnu.so(+0x20af2a)[0x2b0ad0be9f2a]

Can anyone please point out what’s going wrong and how I can fix it.

Thank you for all the help!