Bitcoind crashes when -datadir directory doesn't exist

[tucenaber]

Version 0.7.99 (#16eec89) on Linux

$ ./bitcoind -datadir=/blabla getinfo
Error: Specified directory does not exist
Segmentation fault

Edit to include gdb log;

$ gdb --args ./bitcoind -datadir="/non-existent" getinfo
GNU gdb (GDB) 7.4.1
Copyright (C) 2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. Type "show copying"
and "show warranty" for details.
This GDB was configured as "x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu".
For bug reporting instructions, please see:
http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/...
Reading symbols from /home/tucenaber/src/git/bitcoin/src/bitcoind...done.
(gdb) run
Starting program: /home/tucenaber/src/git/bitcoin/src/bitcoind -datadir=/non-existent getinfo
warning: Could not load shared library symbols for linux-vdso.so.1.
Do you need "set solib-search-path" or "set sysroot"?
[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]
Using host libthread_db library "/lib/libthread_db.so.1".
Error: Specified directory does not exist

Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
CCoinsViewCache::Flush (this=0x0) at main.cpp:246
246 bool fOk = base->BatchWrite(cacheCoins, pindexTip);
(gdb) backtrace
#0 CCoinsViewCache::Flush (this=0x0) at main.cpp:246
#1 0x0000000000446cf1 in Shutdown (parg=parg@entry=0x0) at init.cpp:81
#2 0x0000000000451006 in AppInit (argc=argc@entry=3, argv=argv@entry=0x7fffffffe8d8) at init.cpp:141
#3 0x000000000041bc1a in main (argc=3, argv=0x7fffffffe8d8) at init.cpp:192

[qubez]

Note: The command line for launching bitcoind should not have RPC commands such as getinfo included, those should be issued by a second instance of bitcoind to issue rpcconnect commands. e.g.:
console 1: bitcoind -datadir=/home/foo/bar
console 2 (after bitcoind has started): bitcoind getinfo

Behavior with Bitcoin 0.7.0 PPA on Kubuntu 12.04 (with no extra "getinfo"; can't test with "getinfo" right now) and Bitcoin 0.7.1 on Win7 x64 (with or without extra "getinfo"): no crash, just the directory does not exist error.

[laanwj]

Fyi: Providing -datadir with rpc commands is fine if you have multiple
instances of bitcoind running on different RPC ports and want your command
to go to the right one.

[tucenaber]

About the RPC command: yes it's unnecessary for reproducing the bug, but I just happened to run it that way ;-)

[Diapolo]

@tucenaber Can you please try current master again, there was a fix merged related to the Shutdown() function.

[tucenaber]

It works as expected. Close it.