argv_traverser::handle_mismatch() appears to barf when parsing argv[1] with leading (or only) spaces. The examples boost/libs/test/example/external_main_example_1.cpp gets a SEGV in include/boost/test/utils/runtime/cla/argv_traverser.ipp at m_remainder[m_remainder_size++] = p_separator gdb says p m_remainder_size $1 = 116625 bt: #0 0x000000000043f99b in boost::runtime::cla::argv_traverser::handle_mismatch (this=0x6dea00) at /home/eric/checkouts/libboost-1.55.inst/include/boost/test/utils/runtime/cla/argv_traverser.ipp:193 #1 0x000000000044059b in boost::runtime::cla::parser::parse (this=0x6dea00, argc=@0x7fffffffe164: 2, argv=0x7fffffffe3a8) at /home/eric/checkouts/libboost-1.55.inst/include/boost/test/utils/runtime/cla/parser.ipp:132 #2 0x00000000004265d5 in boost::unit_test::runtime_config::init (argc=@0x7fffffffe164: 2, argv=0x7fffffffe3a8) at /home/eric/checkouts/libboost-1.55.inst/include/boost/test/impl/unit_test_parameters.ipp:316 #3 0x000000000041630f in boost::unit_test::framework::init (init_func=0x4299b0 , argc=2, argv=0x7fffffffe3a8) at /home/eric/checkouts/libboost-1.55.inst/include/boost/test/impl/framework.ipp:238 #4 0x0000000000423639 in boost::unit_test::unit_test_main (init_func=0x4299b0 , argc=2, argv=0x7fffffffe3a8) at /home/eric/checkouts/libboost-1.55.inst/include/boost/test/impl/unit_test_main.ipp:177 #5 0x000000000042391c in main (argc=2, argv=0x7fffffffe3a8) at /home/eric/checkouts/libboost-1.55.inst/include/boost/test/impl/unit_test_main.ipp:237 $ LD_LIBRARY_PATH=../libboost-1.55.inst/lib/ ./external_main_example_1 ' ' Segmentation fault (core dumped) $ LD_LIBRARY_PATH=../libboost-1.55.inst/lib/ ./external_main_example_1 ' a' Segmentation fault (core dumped) $ LD_LIBRARY_PATH=../libboost-1.55.inst/lib/ ./external_main_example_1 'a ' Running 3 test cases... $ LD_LIBRARY_PATH=../libboost-1.55.inst/lib/ ./external_main_example_1 'a' ' ' Running 3 test cases... I tried with test_case_template_example.cpp but got linker errors consistent with a missing main. That example's include didn't include the path segment "included/" so I thought it should compile with a -DOOST_TEST_DYN_LINK -lboost_unit_test_framework . Anyways, the first example should be enough to track down the bug. -- -ericP office: +1.617.599.3509 mobile: +33.6.80.80.35.59 (eric@w3.org) Feel free to forward this message to any list for any purpose other than email address distribution. There are subtle nuances encoded in font variation and clever layout which can only be seen by printing this message on high-clay paper.