--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 2000-03-24  John W. Eaton  <jwe@bevo.che.wisc.edu>
 
+	* sighandlers.cc (my_friendly_exit): Prefix failure messages with
+	panic instead of error.
+
 	* c-file-ptr-stream.cc (c_file_ptr_buf::~c_file_ptr_buf):
 	Avoid dereferencing NULL pointer.
 

--- a/src/c-file-ptr-stream.cc
+++ b/src/c-file-ptr-stream.cc
@@ -53,13 +53,19 @@
 int
 c_file_ptr_buf::overflow (int c)
 {
-  return (c != EOF) ? fputc (c, f) : fflush (f);
+  if (f)
+    return (c != EOF) ? fputc (c, f) : fflush (f);
+  else
+    return EOF;
 }
 
 int
 c_file_ptr_buf::underflow (void)
 {
-  return fgetc (f);
+  if (f)
+    return fgetc (f);
+  else
+    return EOF;
 }
 
 int
@@ -71,19 +77,25 @@
 int
 c_file_ptr_buf::pbackfail (int c)
 {
-  return (c != EOF) ? ungetc (c, f) : EOF;
+  return (c != EOF && f) ? ungetc (c, f) : EOF;
 }
 
 std::streamsize
 c_file_ptr_buf::xsputn (const char* s, std::streamsize n)
 {
-  return fwrite (s, 1, n, f);
+  if (f)
+    return fwrite (s, 1, n, f);
+  else
+    return 0;
 }
 
 std::streamsize
 c_file_ptr_buf::xsgetn (char *s, std::streamsize n)
 {
-  return fread (s, 1, n, f);
+  if (f)
+    return fread (s, 1, n, f);
+  else
+    return 0;
 }
 
 static inline int
@@ -101,9 +113,14 @@
 {
   // XXX FIXME XXX -- is this the right thing to do?
 
-  fseek (f, offset, seekdir_to_whence (dir));
+  if (f)
+    {
+      fseek (f, offset, seekdir_to_whence (dir));
 
-  return ftell (f);
+      return ftell (f);
+    }
+  else
+    return 0;
 }
 
 std::streampos
@@ -111,9 +128,14 @@
 {
   // XXX FIXME XXX -- is this the right thing to do?
 
-  fseek (f, offset, SEEK_SET);
+  if (f)
+    {
+      fseek (f, offset, SEEK_SET);
 
-  return ftell (f);
+      return ftell (f);
+    }
+  else
+    return 0;
 }
 
 int

--- a/src/c-file-ptr-stream.h
+++ b/src/c-file-ptr-stream.h
@@ -33,10 +33,6 @@
 class
 c_file_ptr_buf : public std::streambuf
 {
-protected:
-
-  FILE *f;
-
 public:
 
   FILE* stdiofile (void) const { return f; }
@@ -64,36 +60,44 @@
 			  std::ios::openmode = std::ios::in | std::ios::out);
 
   int sync (void);
+
+protected:
+
+  FILE *f;
 };
 
 class
 i_c_file_ptr_stream : public std::istream
 {
+public:
+
+  i_c_file_ptr_stream (FILE* f)
+    : std::istream (), buf (new c_file_ptr_buf (f)) { init (buf); }
+
+  ~i_c_file_ptr_stream (void) { delete buf; buf = 0; }
+
+  c_file_ptr_buf *rdbuf (void) { return buf; }
+
 private:
 
-  c_file_ptr_buf f;
-
-public:
-
-  i_c_file_ptr_stream (FILE* f_arg)
-    : std::istream (), f (f_arg) { init (&f); }
-
-  c_file_ptr_buf *rdbuf (void) { return &f; }
+  c_file_ptr_buf *buf;
 };
 
 class
 o_c_file_ptr_stream : public std::ostream
 {
+public:
+
+  o_c_file_ptr_stream (FILE* f)
+    : std::ostream (), buf (new c_file_ptr_buf (f)) { init (buf); }
+
+  ~o_c_file_ptr_stream (void) { delete buf; buf = 0; }
+
+  c_file_ptr_buf *rdbuf (void) { return buf; }
+
 private:
 
-  c_file_ptr_buf f;
-
-public:
-
-  o_c_file_ptr_stream (FILE* f_arg)
-    : std::ostream (), f (f_arg) { init (&f); }
-
-  c_file_ptr_buf *rdbuf (void) { return &f; }
+  c_file_ptr_buf *buf;
 };
 
 #endif

--- a/src/oct-procbuf.cc
+++ b/src/oct-procbuf.cc
@@ -99,7 +99,14 @@
 
       while (octave_procbuf_list)
 	{
-	  ::fclose (octave_procbuf_list->f);
+	  FILE *fp = octave_procbuf_list->f;
+
+	  if (fp)
+	    {
+	      ::fclose (fp);
+	      fp = 0;
+	    }
+
 	  octave_procbuf_list = octave_procbuf_list->next;
 	}
 
@@ -140,31 +147,36 @@
 {
 #if defined (HAVE_SYS_WAIT_H)
 
-  pid_t wait_pid;
-
-  int status = -1;
+  if (f)
+    {
+      pid_t wait_pid;
 
-  for (octave_procbuf **ptr = &octave_procbuf_list;
-       *ptr != 0;
-       ptr = &(*ptr)->next)
-    {
-      if (*ptr == this)
+      int status = -1;
+
+      for (octave_procbuf **ptr = &octave_procbuf_list;
+	   *ptr != 0;
+	   ptr = &(*ptr)->next)
 	{
-	  *ptr = (*ptr)->next;
-	  status = 0;
-	  break;
+	  if (*ptr == this)
+	    {
+	      *ptr = (*ptr)->next;
+	      status = 0;
+	      break;
+	    }
 	}
-    }
 
-  if (status == 0 && ::fclose (f) == 0)
-    {
-      using namespace std;
+      if (status == 0 && ::fclose (f) == 0)
+	{
+	  using namespace std;
 
-      do
-	{
-	  wait_pid = ::waitpid (proc_pid, &wstatus, 0);
+	  do
+	    {
+	      wait_pid = ::waitpid (proc_pid, &wstatus, 0);
+	    }
+	  while (wait_pid == -1 && errno == EINTR);
 	}
-      while (wait_pid == -1 && errno == EINTR);
+
+      f = 0;
     }
 
   open_p = false;

--- a/src/sighandlers.cc
+++ b/src/sighandlers.cc
@@ -122,15 +122,14 @@
       octave_set_signal_handler (SIGABRT, SIG_DFL);
 #endif
 
-      std::cerr << "error: attempted clean up apparently failed -- aborting...\n";
-
+      std::cerr << "panic: attempted clean up apparently failed -- aborting...\n";
       abort ();
     }
   else
     {
       been_there_done_that = true;
 
-      std::cerr << "error: " << sig_name << " -- stopping myself...\n";
+      std::cerr << "panic: " << sig_name << " -- stopping myself...\n";
 
       save_user_variables ();