C: Bus Error between function returns and execution goes back to parent function - c

Question

To simplify the problem as much as possible, I have two functions, a parent that calls the child. Everything executes okay till it gets to the return of the child function. After that I get a Bus Error.
int main () {
game();
// this doesn't get executed and program fails with bus error
printf("Execute 2");
return 1;
}
int game () {
game_t GameInfo = {.level = 1, .score = 0, .playerCh = 0, .playerX = 1, .playerY = 1};
gameLevel(&GameInfo);
mvprintw(1,1, "Executed");
// code works up to here and get's executed properly
return 1;
};
void gameLevel (game_t *GameInfo) {
// determine the size of the game field
int cellCols = COLS / 3;
int cellRows = (LINES / 3) - 2;
GameInfo -> playerX = 1;
GameInfo -> playerY = 1;
generateMaze(0);
int solved = 0;
int level = GameInfo -> level;
// default player position
getPlayerDefault(GameInfo);
pthread_t enemies_th;
pthread_create(&enemies_th, NULL, enemies, (void *)GameInfo);
// enemies(&level);
while (solved == 0 && GameInfo -> collision != 1) {
printGameInfo(GameInfo);
noecho();
char move = getch();
echo();
if (GameInfo -> collision != 1) {
if (checkMoveValidity(move, GameInfo) == 1) {
solved = movePlayer(move, GameInfo);
if (solved == 1) {
break;
}
}
} else {
break;
}
}
if (solved == 1) {
pthread_cancel(enemies_th);
GameInfo->level++;
gameLevel(GameInfo);
} else {
// game over
pthread_cancel(enemies_th);
return;
}
}
Now, the code is much more complicated than here, but I think that shouldn't have any influence on this (?) as it executes properly, until the return statement. There is also ncurses and multithreading, quite complex custom structures, but it all works, up until that point. Any ideas ?
Tried putting print statements after each segment of code, everything worked up until this.

Answer 1

pthread_cancel() doesn't terminate the requested thread immediately. The only way to know that a cancelled thread has terminated is to call pthread_join(). If the thread is left running, it will interfere with use of the GameInfo variable in the next level of the game if the current level is solved, or may use the GameInfo variable beyond its lifetime if the current level was not solved and the main thread returns back to the main() function.
To make sure the old enemies thread has terminated, add calls to pthread_join() to the gameLevel() function as shown below:
if (solved == 1) {
pthread_cancel(enemies_th);
pthread_join(enemies_th);
GameInfo->level++;
gameLevel(GameInfo);
} else {
// game over
pthread_cancel(enemies_th);
pthread_join(enemies_th);
return;
}
The use of tail recursion in gameLevel() seems unnecessary. I recommend returning the solved value and letting the game() function start the next level:
In game():
while (gameLevel(&GameInfo)) {
GameInfo.level++;
}
In gameLevel():
int gameLevel(game_t *GameInfo) {
/* ... */
pthread_cancel(enemies_th);
pthread_join(enemies_th);
return solved;
}