Re: better support for AIX 5.1

[jedwards]

address@hidden wrote:

> > From: "Jim Edwards" <address@hidden>
> > address@hidden writes: 
> >
> >    
> >
> > > > From: jedwards <address@hidden> 
> > > >
> > > > It builds both AIX style and SYSV style libraries by default.
> > > >        
> > > I haven't looked at the patches real close yet, but this part
> > > sounds a bit dangerous.  AIX style libraries can cause crashes if they
> > > contain unresolved symbols, as my comments around the use of the
> > > -berok flag indicated. 
> > >
> > >      
> > The erok flag is not used to build AIX libraries, only SYSV. 
> >    
>
> I couldn't tell that in my quick glance at your patch.
> So what will happen when you try to build the AIX style library,
> and it has unresolved symbols?
>
>  
Nothing when you build the library.  You get a link time error when you 
try to build the executable.  If you use the -berok flag when you link 
the executable you can get a run time core dump.  I believe that the 
only time the erok flag is used is with the -brtl flag which means that 
the SYSV library is used.   I had a hard time tracking when the erok vs 
ernotok flags got invoked and I'm pretty sure this is related to why the 
tagdemo-make test still fails.  If you want, we can look at that in 
detail. 

> > > > You should be able to test all the changes except the 64-bit support on 
> > > > an AIX4.3.3 system.  
> > > >        
> > > Do you know what the problem is with 64-bit on aix 4.3.3? 
> > >      
> > 64-bit format on AIX changed from AIX4 to AIX5.  I don't have an AIX4 system 
> > to test.  I'm also not sure if the OBJECT_MODE environment variable was 
> > defined before AIX 5. 
> >    
>
> 64-bit binaries are not compatible between AIX 4.3 and AIX 5, that is due mostly
> to changes in data structures.  Otherwise, there should be no problem as
> OBJECT_MODE was first supported in AIX 4.3.0.
>
> Dan
>  
I have no objection to adding support for aix 4.3 here. 

--
Jim Edwards             address@hidden
IBM Applications Analyst
NCAR SCD
BOULDER CO  303-497-1842