The VM crashes with -Xss flag on linux-ia64.
It is reproduciable with promoted b16 also.

To reproduce the crash:

java -Xss512k -version

---Crash Log-----
/home/madhava( 8 )% /import/java/jdk1.4.2/linux-ia64/bin/java -Xint -Xss512k -version

An unexpected exception has been detected in native code outside the VM.
Unexpected Signal : 11 occurred at PC=0x200000000020D000
Function=getpwuid+0x1C0
Library=/lib/libc.so.6.1

Current Java thread:
        at java.lang.System.initProperties(Native Method)
        at java.lang.System.initializeSystemClass(System.java:872)

Dynamic libraries:
2000000000000000-2000000000030000 r-xp 0000000000000000 08:06 371732 /lib/ld-2.2.4.so
2000000000030000-200000000003c000 rw-p 0000000000000000 00:00 0
200000000003c000-2000000000044000 rw-p 000000000002c000 08:06 371732 /lib/ld-2.2.4.so
2000000000044000-2000000000058000 rw-p 0000000000000000 00:00 0
2000000000060000-200000000007c000 r-xp 0000000000000000 08:06 371763 /lib/libpthread-0.9.so
200000000007c000-2000000000080000 ---p 000000000001c000 08:06 371763 /lib/libpthread-0.9.so
2000000000080000-2000000000098000 rw-p 0000000000010000 08:06 371763 /lib/libpthread-0.9.so
2000000000098000-20000000000a0000 r-xp 0000000000000000 08:06 371743 /lib/libdl-2.2.4.so
20000000000a0000-20000000000a8000 ---p 0000000000008000 08:06 371743 /lib/libdl-2.2.4.so
20000000000a8000-20000000000b0000 rw-p 0000000000000000 08:06 371743 /lib/libdl-2.2.4.so
20000000000b0000-20000000002f8000 r-xp 0000000000000000 08:06 371739 /lib/libc-2.2.4.so
20000000002f8000-2000000000300000 ---p 0000000000248000 08:06 371739 /lib/libc-2.2.4.so
2000000000300000-2000000000314000 rw-p 0000000000240000 08:06 371739 /lib/libc-2.2.4.so
2000000000314000-2000000000320000 rw-p 0000000000000000 00:00 0
2000000000320000-2000000001120000 r-xp 0000000000000000 00:69 14741 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/ia64/server/libjvm.so
2000000001120000-20000000011e0000 rw-p 0000000000df0000 00:69 14741 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/ia64/server/libjvm.so
20000000011e0000-20000000011f0000 rw-p 0000000000000000 00:00 0
20000000011f0000-2000000001218000 r-xp 0000000000000000 08:06 371748 /lib/libnsl-2.2.4.so
2000000001218000-2000000001220000 ---p 0000000000028000 08:06 371748 /lib/libnsl-2.2.4.so
2000000001220000-200000000122c000 rw-p 0000000000020000 08:06 371748 /lib/libnsl-2.2.4.so
200000000122c000-20000000012b4000 r-xp 0000000000000000 08:06 371745 /lib/libm-2.2.4.so
20000000012b4000-20000000012bc000 ---p 0000000000088000 08:06 371745 /lib/libm-2.2.4.so
20000000012bc000-20000000012c8000 rw-p 0000000000080000 08:06 371745 /lib/libm-2.2.4.so
20000000012c8000-2000000001330000 rw-p 0000000000000000 00:00 0
2000000001330000-200000000134c000 r-xp 0000000000000000 00:69 14738 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/ia64/native_threads/libhpi.so
200000000134c000-2000000001350000 ---p 000000000001c000 00:69 14738 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/ia64/native_threads/libhpi.so
2000000001350000-200000000135c000 rw-p 0000000000010000 00:69 14738 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/ia64/native_threads/libhpi.so
200000000135c000-2000000001374000 rwxp 0000000000000000 00:00 0
2000000001378000-2000000001390000 r-xp 0000000000000000 08:06 371754 /lib/libnss_files-2.2.4.so
2000000001390000-2000000001398000 ---p 0000000000018000 08:06 371754 /lib/libnss_files-2.2.4.so
2000000001398000-20000000013a0000 rw-p 0000000000010000 08:06 371754 /lib/libnss_files-2.2.4.so
20000000013a0000-20000000013b4000 r-xp 0000000000000000 08:06 371758 /lib/libnss_nis-2.2.4.so
20000000013b4000-20000000013c0000 ---p 0000000000014000 08:06 371758 /lib/libnss_nis-2.2.4.so
20000000013c0000-20000000013c4000 rw-p 0000000000010000 08:06 371758 /lib/libnss_nis-2.2.4.so
20000000013c4000-20000000013c8000 rw-p 0000000000000000 00:00 0
20000000013c8000-20000000013ec000 rwxp 0000000000000000 00:00 0
20000000013ec000-20000000013fc000 rw-p 0000000000000000 00:00 0
2000000001400000-2000000001404000 rw-s 0000000000000000 08:06 342139 /tmp/hsperfdata_madhava/15095
2000000001404000-2000000001448000 r-xp 0000000000000000 00:69 14748 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/ia64/libverify.so
2000000001448000-2000000001454000 ---p 0000000000044000 00:69 14748 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/ia64/libverify.so
2000000001454000-2000000001458000 rw-p 0000000000040000 00:69 14748 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/ia64/libverify.so
2000000001458000-20000000014cc000 r-xp 0000000000000000 00:69 14749 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/ia64/libjava.so
20000000014cc000-20000000014d8000 ---p 0000000000074000 00:69 14749 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/ia64/libjava.so
20000000014d8000-20000000014e0000 rw-p 0000000000070000 00:69 14749 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/ia64/libjava.so
20000000014e0000-2000000001534000 r-xp 0000000000000000 00:69 14751 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/ia64/libzip.so
2000000001534000-2000000001540000 ---p 0000000000054000 00:69 14751 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/ia64/libzip.so
2000000001540000-2000000001548000 rw-p 0000000000050000 00:69 14751 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/ia64/libzip.so
2000000001548000-20000000015e4000 rw-p 0000000000000000 00:00 0
2000000001600000-2000000002f7c000 r--s 0000000000000000 00:69 15283 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/rt.jar
2000000002f7c000-2000000002fc0000 rwxp 0000000000000000 00:00 0
2000000002fc0000-2000000002fec000 r--p 0000000000000000 08:06 97058 /usr/lib/locale/en_US/LC_CTYPE
2000000003000000-2000000003018000 r--s 0000000000000000 00:69 14800 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/sunrsasign.jar
2000000003018000-2000000003058000 rwxp 0000000000000000 00:00 0
2000000003058000-2000000003060000 ---p 0000000000040000 00:00 0
2000000003060000-20000000030a0000 rwxp 0000000000048000 00:00 0
2000000003100000-20000000031dc000 r--s 0000000000000000 00:69 14808 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/jsse.jar
2000000003200000-2000000003214000 r--s 0000000000000000 00:69 14801 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/jce.jar
2000000003214000-2000000003254000 rwxp 0000000000000000 00:00 0
2000000003254000-200000000325c000 ---p 0000000000040000 00:00 0
200000000325c000-2000000003284000 rwxp 0000000000048000 00:00 0
2000000003284000-200000000328c000 ---p 0000000000070000 00:00 0
200000000328c000-200000000329c000 rwxp 0000000000078000 00:00 0
2000000003300000-200000000385c000 r--s 0000000000000000 00:69 15279 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/jre/lib/charsets.jar
200000000385c000-200000004485c000 rwxp 0000000000000000 00:00 0
2000000044860000-200000004c8a0000 rwxp 0000000000000000 00:00 0
200000004c8a0000-200000004c8a8000 ---p 0000000008040000 00:00 0
200000004c8a8000-200000004c8d0000 rwxp 0000000008048000 00:00 0
200000004c8d0000-200000004c8d8000 ---p 0000000008070000 00:00 0
200000004c8d8000-200000004c8e8000 rwxp 0000000008078000 00:00 0
4000000000000000-4000000000014000 r-xp 0000000000000000 00:69 15295 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/bin/java
6000000000000000-6000000000004000 rw-p 0000000000010000 00:69 15295 /.automount/koori.sfbay/root/p/jdk01/jdk/1.4.2/beta/b16/binaries/linux-ia64/bin/java
6000000000004000-6000000000058000 rwxp 0000000000000000 00:00 0
80000fff80000000-80000fff80004000 rw-p 0000000000000000 00:00 0
80000ffffffc8000-80000ffffffe8000 rwxp 0000000000000000 00:00 0
80000ffffffe8000-80000ffffffec000 ---p 0000000000000000 00:00 0
80000ffffffec000-80000fffffff0000 rwxp 0000000000004000 00:00 0
80000fffffff0000-80000fffffffc000 rwxp ffffffffffff8000 00:00 0

Heap at VM Abort:
Heap
 def new generation total 1984K, used 16K [0x2000000044860000, 0x2000000044a80000, 0x2000000045db0000)
  eden space 1792K, 0% used [0x2000000044860000, 0x2000000044864000, 0x2000000044a20000)
  from space 192K, 0% used [0x2000000044a20000, 0x2000000044a20000, 0x2000000044a50000)
  to space 192K, 0% used [0x2000000044a50000, 0x2000000044a50000, 0x2000000044a80000)
 tenured generation total 1408K, used 0K [0x2000000045db0000, 0x2000000045f10000, 0x2000000048860000)
   the space 1408K, 0% used [0x2000000045db0000, 0x2000000045db0000, 0x2000000045db0200, 0x2000000045f10000)
 compacting perm gen total 16384K, used 603K [0x2000000048860000, 0x2000000049860000, 0x200000004c860000)
   the space 16384K, 3% used [0x2000000048860000, 0x20000000488f6dd0, 0x20000000488f6e00, 0x2000000049860000)

Local Time = Fri Feb 21 14:28:57 2003
Elapsed Time = 0
#
# The exception above was detected in native code outside the VM
#
# Java VM: Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (1.4.2-beta-b16 interpreted mode)
#
# An error report file has been saved as hs_err_pid15095.log.
# Please refer to the file for further information.
#
Abort (core dumped)