Secondary damage


When a fatal error occurs (especially a segfault) the immediate cause may be that a pointer has been trashed due to a previous fandango on core. However, this fandango may have been due to an *earlier* fandango, so no amount of analysis will reveal (directly) how the damage occurred. “The data structure was clobbered, but it was secondary damage.”
By extension, the corruption resulting from N cascaded fandangoes on core is “Nth-level damage”. There is at least one case on record in which 17 hours of grovelling with “adb” actually dug up the underlying bug behind an instance of seventh-level damage! The hacker who accomplished this near-superhuman feat was presented with an award by his fellows.
[Jargon File]

Read Also:

  • Secondary degeneration

    secondary degeneration n. See wallerian degeneration.

  • Secondary dentin

    secondary dentin n. Dentin that forms normally after a root end has formed completely.

  • Secondary dentition

    secondary dentition n. The set of 32 permanent teeth whose eruptions begin from the fifth to the seventh year, lasting until the 17th to the 23rd year, when the last of the wisdom teeth appear. The eruption of the permanent teeth. Also called permanent dentition.

  • Secondary-deviance

    noun, Sociology. 1. deviant behavior that results from being publicly labeled as deviant and treated as an outsider.

  • Secondary deviation

    secondary deviation n. The deviation of the healthy eye when an eye with a paralyzed muscle focuses on an object.


Disclaimer: Secondary damage definition / meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.