950516: 64 bit netcdf

Rich,

>From: address@hidden (Rich Fischer)
>Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
>Subject: Re: 950516: 64 bit netcdf 
>Keywords: 199505171804.AA12879

In the above message you wrote:

>       I feel that it is important that you know that I am not an enduser
> of netcdf.  I only administer the network.   If I knew the exact distinction
> of what the "old-fill-value usage" issue is about maybe then  the decision to
> use it or not could be resolved.  I have interpreted the "old fill-value"
> requirement based on the last few lines of the CUSTOMIZE file:
> 
>  # Whether to use the old floating-point fill values for backward
>  # compatibility (see INSTALL).  Uncomment to obtain the pre-2.3 default,
>  # floating-point fill values.
>  OLD_FILLVALUES=yes

There's a discussion on OLD_FILLVALUES in the INSTALL file.  It sounds
like you should use the new fill values.
 
> We have been using netcdf version 2.3.2 on SUNS running 4.1.3 and SGI's
> running IRIX 4.0.5x and IRIX 5.x.  My desire to use netcdf 2.3.3 was only
> based on the fact that we received a Power Indigo2 R8K upgrade and that I
> found the tarfile "irix64-alpha.tar.Z" at unidata.  My assumption is that
> netcdf 2.3.2 would not compile/run on IRIX 6.0.1

It won't.

> so I just thought the
> irix64... tar file looked like the most promising solution.

Right now, it's the only solution.
 
> If setting  "OLD_FILLVALUES=yes" in the CUSTOMIZE file equates to  using
> netcdf files generated prior to netcdf version 2.3 then I believe that I can
> turn this off.  I will have to check with some of the users to find out if
> this is the case.  IF the OLD_FILLVALUES setting has another meaning than what
> I just stated then maybe you can clarify it for me. 

The pre-2.3 fill values weren't portable between platforms.  Since it
sounds like you're going to be sharing files between platforms.  I
recommend turning off OLD_FILLVALUES.  But, check with your users.

If you do turn off OLD_FILLVALUES, then you'll have to reconfigure the
installation by re-executing the configure script.  Then, execute a
`make clean' (just to be safe) followed by a `make all'.

--------
Steve Emmerson   <address@hidden>