executing SELECT xmlelement(name foo); causes "server closed the connection unexpectedly" Error

Hi,

I am trying to exploit XML features of PostgreSQL 8.3.0 DB.

I tried executing following query:

SELECT xmlelement(name foo);

from psql prompt.

I received Following error on screen:

server closed the connection unexpectedly
        This probably means the server terminated abnormally
        before or while processing the request.
The connection to the server was lost. Attempting reset: Failed.
!>

Environment details are:

OS: CentOS release 5 (Final)
DB: PostgreSQL 8.3.0

Following is DB server log when the query was submitted:

DEBUG:  forked new backend, pid=4411 socket=8
LOG:  connection received: host=[local]
LOG:  connection authorized: user=postgres database=testdb
DEBUG:  postmaster child[4411]: starting with (
DEBUG:          postgres
DEBUG:          -v196608
DEBUG:          -y
DEBUG:          testdb
DEBUG:  )
DEBUG:  InitPostgres
DEBUG:  StartTransaction
DEBUG:  name: unnamed; blockState:       DEFAULT; state: INPROGR, xid/subid/cid: 0/1/0, nestlvl: 1, children: <>
DEBUG:  CommitTransaction
DEBUG:  name: unnamed; blockState:       STARTED; state: INPROGR, xid/subid/cid: 0/1/0, nestlvl: 1, children: <>
DEBUG:  StartTransactionCommand
DEBUG:  StartTransaction
DEBUG:  name: unnamed; blockState:       DEFAULT; state: INPROGR, xid/subid/cid: 0/1/0, nestlvl: 1, children: <>
LOG:  statement: SELECT xmlelement(name foo);
DEBUG:  parse tree:
DETAIL:  {QUERY :commandType 1 :querySource 0 :canSetTag true :utilityStmt <>
        :resultRelation 0 :intoClause <> :hasAggs false :hasSubLinks false :rtable <>
        :jointree {FROMEXPR :fromlist <> :quals <>} :targetList ({TARGETENTRY :expr
        {XMLEXPR :op 1 :name foo :named_args <> :arg_names <> :args <> :xmloption 0
        :type 0 :typmod 0} :resno 1 :resname xmlelement :ressortgroupref 0 :resorigtbl
        0 :resorigcol 0 :resjunk false}) :returningList <> :groupClause <> :havingQual
        <> :distinctClause <> :sortClause <> :limitOffset <> :limitCount <> :rowMarks
        <> :setOperations <>}

DEBUG:  rewritten parse tree:
DETAIL:  ({QUERY :commandType 1 :querySource 0 :canSetTag true :utilityStmt <>
        :resultRelation 0 :intoClause <> :hasAggs false :hasSubLinks false :rtable <>
        :jointree {FROMEXPR :fromlist <> :quals <>} :targetList ({TARGETENTRY :expr
        {XMLEXPR :op 1 :name foo :named_args <> :arg_names <> :args <> :xmloption 0
        :type 0 :typmod 0} :resno 1 :resname xmlelement :ressortgroupref 0 :resorigtbl
        0 :resorigcol 0 :resjunk false}) :returningList <> :groupClause <> :havingQual
        <> :distinctClause <> :sortClause <> :limitOffset <> :limitCount <> :rowMarks
        <> :setOperations <>})

DEBUG:  plan:
DETAIL:  {PLANNEDSTMT :commandType 1 :canSetTag true :planTree {RESULT :startup_cost
        0.00 :total_cost 0.01 :plan_rows 1 :plan_width 0 :targetlist ({TARGETENTRY
        :expr {XMLEXPR :op 1 :name foo :named_args <> :arg_names <> :args <>
        :xmloption 0 :type 0 :typmod 0} :resno 1 :resname xmlelement :ressortgroupref
        0 :resorigtbl 0 :resorigcol 0 :resjunk false}) :qual <> :lefttree <>
        :righttree <> :initPlan <> :extParam (b) :allParam (b) :resconstantqual <>}
        :rtable <> :resultRelations <> :utilityStmt <> :intoClause <> :subplans <>
        :rewindPlanIDs (b) :returningLists <> :rowMarks <> :relationOids <>
        :nParamExec 0}

postgres: postgres testdb [local] SELECT: symbol lookup error: postgres: postgres testdb [local] SELECT: undefined symbol: xmlNewTextWriterMemory
DEBUG:  reaping dead processes
DEBUG:  server process (PID 4411) exited with exit code 127
LOG:  server process (PID 4411) exited with exit code 127
LOG:  terminating any other active server processes
DEBUG:  sending SIGQUIT to process 4401
DEBUG:  sending SIGQUIT to process 4402
DEBUG:  sending SIGQUIT to process 4403
DEBUG:  sending SIGQUIT to process 4404
LOG:  all server processes terminated; reinitializing
DEBUG:  shmem_exit(0)
DEBUG:  invoking IpcMemoryCreate(size=39288832)
DEBUG:  reaping dead processes
LOG:  database system was interrupted; last known up at 2008-11-20 03:48:07 EST
LOG:  connection received: host=[local]
FATAL:  the database system is in recovery mode
DEBUG:  checkpoint record is at 0/367B0468
DEBUG:  redo record is at 0/367B0468; shutdown TRUE
DEBUG:  next transaction ID: 0/682118; next OID: 81920
DEBUG:  next MultiXactId: 1; next MultiXactOffset: 0
LOG:  database system was not properly shut down; automatic recovery in progress
DEBUG:  proc_exit(1)
DEBUG:  shmem_exit(1)
DEBUG:  forked new backend, pid=4413 socket=8
DEBUG:  exit(1)
DEBUG:  reaping dead processes
DEBUG:  server process (PID 4413) exited with exit code 1
LOG:  record with zero length at 0/367B04B0
LOG:  redo is not required
DEBUG:  transaction ID wrap limit is 2147484025, limited by database "template1"
DEBUG:  proc_exit(0)
DEBUG:  shmem_exit(0)
DEBUG:  exit(0)
DEBUG:  reaping dead processes
LOG:  autovacuum launcher started
LOG:  database system is ready to accept connections

The server appeared as crashed and got restarted.

Seek your help to have this issue fixed.

Thanks,
Sushil

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