[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: kdvi is broken by glibc2.1.1,  and maybe orphaned?
From:       Duncan Haldane <f.d.m.haldane () mciworld ! com>
Date:       1999-07-30 14:53:09
[Download RAW message or body]


On 30-Jul-99 Peter Putzer wrote:
> On Fri, 30 Jul 1999, Alex Zepeda wrote:
> 
>> On Fri, 30 Jul 1999, Peter Putzer wrote:
>> 
>> > On Fri, 30 Jul 1999, Alex Zepeda wrote:
>> > 
>> > > > >   ** can this be done for kde-1.1.2 ? kdvi has become **UNUSABLE**
>> > > > >     with RedHat 6.0 ..... (and maybe other glibc-2.1.1 systems (?) )
>> > > 
>> > > It seems to me someone should unbreak glibc instead.  What exactly needs
>> > > fixing? 
>> > 
>> > Well, it looks like a fix for kdvi is more practical, doesn't it?
>> 
>> What? And perpetuate broken software on the masses?
>> 
>> Hmm.  Damn this calls for a snyde comment about RMS and the FSF, but I'm
>> too tired to make one. 
> 
> We don't KNOW what exactly is broken, maybe the autoconf-tests are wrong?
> I wouldn't be so quick to put the blame on glibc (but of course it may
> indeed be at fault...)
> 
> Peter

kdvi uses a kpathsea routine xputenv() for writing environment variables many times.

When it was compiled, xputenv() needed to know whether the system's putenv() call
is "smart" enought to use malloc() or not.  A (kpathsea) autoconf test is run to see
whether putenv() is "smart".  

On redhat-5.2 (glibc-2.0) the test says "yes",
xputenv.c is compiled with SMART_PUTENV defined, and the kdvi binary works 
(on both RedHat 5.2 and 6.0)
 
On redhat-6.0, (glibc-2.1.1) the test says "no", and xputenv.c is compiled with 
SMART_PUTENV not defined, and kdvi is broken.    Overriding the autoconf test with
a #define SMART_PUTENV 1 patched into xputenv.c *seems* to fix the problem.....




Its hard to believe that the upgrade of glibc from 2.0 to 2.1.1 would involve
putenv() becoming "not smart", so I would guess that some change in glibc may have
invalidated the test that kpathsea's autoconf script uses (?)   

duncan






----------------------------------
E-Mail: Duncan  Haldane <f.d.m.haldane@mciworld.com>
Date: 30-Jul-99
Time: 10:39:28

This message was sent by XFMail
----------------------------------

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]