---
name: "panic"
section: "9freebsd"
platform: "linux"
package: "freebsd-manpages"
version: "12.2-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/panic/9freebsd"
---

# panic(9freebsd)

bring down system on fatal error

## NAME

**panic** – bring down system on fatal error

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<sys/types.h\>**

**#include \<sys/systm.h\>**

*void*\

**panic**(*const char \*fmt*, *...*);

*void*\

**vpanic**(*const char \*fmt*, *va\_list ap*);

## DESCRIPTION

The **panic**() and **vpanic**() functions terminate the running system. The message *fmt* is a [printf(3)](/printf/3.md) style format string. The message is printed to the console and the location *panicstr* is set to the address of the message text for retrieval from the OS core dump.

If the kernel debugger is installed control is passed to it, otherwise an attempt to save a core dump of the OS to a configured dump device is made.

If **panic**() is called twice (from the disk sync routines, for example) the system is rebooted without syncing the disks.

## RETURN VALUES

The **panic**() function does not return.