Malloc error with Livescribe Echo

[ire-and-curses]

I can run LibreScribe successfully without a pen attached, but on plugging in my Livescribe Echo, the code identifies the pen, prints out a load of XML, then crashes. The last portion of the output, after the XML, reads:

attempting to retrieve named object "ppdata?key=pp0000"...
Setting up page hierarchy...
attempting to retrieve named object "ppdata?key=pp8011"...
retrieved:

device name (hex): 5468757273746f6e436c796465
From HEX: ThurstonClyde
Attempting to start background thread to refresh lists...
Done refreshing device state.
background thread started successfully.
attempting to retrieve named object "penletlist"...
Parsing application list...

[lots of XML here]

strlen of s: 52276
LibreScribe: malloc.c:3096: sYSMALLOc: Assertion `(old_top == (((mbinptr) (((char *) &((av)->bins[((1) - 1) * 2])) - __builtin_offsetof (struct malloc_chunk, fd)))) && old_size == 0) || ((unsigned long) (old_size) >= (unsigned long)((((__builtin_offsetof (struct malloc_chunk, fd_nextsize))+((2 * (sizeof(size_t))) - 1)) & ~((2 * (sizeof(size_t))) - 1))) && ((old_top)->size & 0x1) && ((unsigned long)old_end & pagemask) == 0)' failed.
Aborted

I am a programmer, but not in C++! I have no idea how to go about debugging this one, but I'm happy to provide more details/rerun stuff as necessary. Thanks for your work on this project. Also, it would be awesome if you included a list of dependencies in a README to save almost-clueless users like myself from finding the C dev libraries by trial and error...

[krisjans]

I got similar problem(s) while trying to build and run Librescribe on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS. I was able to build, and even run the application (with Echo pen connected), but it randomly crashed at different places - most often in malloc or free functions.
Sometimes I run as far as to display list of all used notebooks. But then it crashed as soon as I clicked any notebook. This crash was in GUIFrame.cc. Reason for crash - illegal instruction. I checked with disassembler and discovered that indeed there was illegal instruction in generated machine code - in function that was called when selecting notebook from list. That gave me idea that i don't have proper compiler and/or some library versions.

Then I upgraded my PC to Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and it works - I can connect my Echo pen, sync it and convert notes to images.

[krisjans]

Since I don't like Ubuntu 12.04 LTS user interface I reverted back to Ubuntu 10.04 LTS and resolved build issues there.

Ubuntu 10.04 have GCC version 4.4.3. If it is upgraded to GCC version 4.7.0 (or later) then LibreScribe builds and runs stable - I was able connect my Echo 2Gb pen and download my notes from it and view them (as images).
List of packages (and required version) that needs to be upgraded in Ubuntu 10.04:
gcc-4.7.0
mpfr-3.1.0
gmp-5.0.5
mpc-0.9
codeblocks-10.05
It may be possible that even older versions would do - I just listed versions that worked for me.