960314: problems installing new netCDF on VMS

Mike,

> From: address@hidden
> Organization: NOAA/FSL
> Subject: problems installing new netCDF on VMS
> Keywords: 199603142352.AA00600 netCDF VMS

In the above message you wrote:

> Even though I've followed the instructions, I'm having problems
> getting the new netCDF installed on my VMS system.  I've been using a
> very old (1989) version, and would like to upgrade.
> 
> Here's what I've done so far, along with a description of the problems I've
> encountered.
> 
> 1.  Downloaded the distribution to a Unix machine.  Uncompressed and untarred.
> 
> 2.  FTP'ed (ASCII) everything to my VMS machine (MicroVAX III series, VMS
>     version up-to-date -- I don't know the version number, but can get it if
>     needed).

There are some binary files in the distribution.  These files might be
corrupted by an ASCII mode FTP transfer.  The binary files are

    fortran/fills.nc
    libsrc/test_cdf.sav
    xdr/test_xdr.sav

> 3.  Followed the VMS instructions in INSTALL.  To wit, ran makevms.com for the
>     following source directories, in order:
> 
>     [.xdr],[.libsrc],[.nctest],[.fortran.vms],[.ncdump],[.ncgen]
> 
>     The only errors encountered were in [.fortran.vms]ftest.exe, which worked
>     fine except for errors in testing fill data (initial error FILLS.NC not a
>     netCDF file, then more after that).

The file fills.nc contains fill-values that we generated here.  If the
file was corrupted as mentioned above, then this could explain the
fill-value testing errors.

>     NCTEST worked as expected.

This is good.
 
> 4.  Tried to run ncgen -- it blew up.  Then looked in the ncgen directory and
>     found test.com, ran it, and it blew up on the first test:
> 
>     ncgen -o test0.nc test0.cdl     here's the resulting output:
> 
> %SYSTEM-F-ACCVIO, access violation, reason mask=00, virtual address=00000004, 
> PC=00018113, PSL=03C00021

As I recall, reason mask=00 means that the process tried to access
memory outside of its virtual address space (e.g. dereferencing a NULL
pointer).  I'll have to investigate this one and will get back to you as
soon as I can.

>   Improperly handled condition, image exit forced.
> 
>       Signal arguments              Stack contents
> 
>       Number = 00000005                00000000
>       Name   = 0000000C                08000020
>                00000000                0000A060
>                00000004                7FE4D540
>                00018113                00018145
>                03C00021                0000A0B0
>                                        00000000
>                                        08000020
>                                        7FE4D580
>                                        7FE4D558
> 
>       Register dump
> 
>       R0 = 00000001  R1 = 0000005D  R2 = 00000001  R3 = 0000A30C
>       R4 = 00000001  R5 = 0007DC77  R6 = 0000A1EC  R7 = 0000A1FC
>       R8 = 0000A208  R9 = 0000A1CC  R10= 0000A158  R11= 0000A098
>       AP = 7FE4D4EC  FP = 7FE4D4AC  SP = 7FE4D528  PC = 00018113
>       PSL= 03C00021
> 
>     I also noted that README in ncgen refers to compiling [.util]getopt.  
>     However, there's no indication that this is used in ncgen's makevms,
>     and there's no locating the string getopt in any of the makevms files.
>     Perhaps this means something?

The DECC runtime library now supplies a getopt() function, so the 
utilities use that instead of the one in the [.util] directory.  The
README needs to be updated to reflect this.

> 5.  Tried to run ncdump on a valid netCDF file (the netCDF file's not part
>     of your distribution.  Got the following output:
> 
> %SYSTEM-F-ACCVIO, access violation, reason mask=00, virtual address=00000002, 
> PC=0000C437, PSL=03C00021
> 
>   Improperly handled condition, image exit forced.
> 
>       Signal arguments              Stack contents
> 
>       Number = 00000005                00000000
>       Name   = 0000000C                08000020
>                00000000                00001D80
>                00000002                7FE4D53C
>                0000C437                0000C469
>                03C00021                00001DD0
>                                        00000000
>                                        08000020
>                                        7FE4D57C
>                                        7FE4D554
> 
>       Register dump
> 
>       R0 = 00000001  R1 = 000001F8  R2 = 00000001  R3 = 00001F80
>       R4 = 00000001  R5 = 00000460  R6 = 00001E78  R7 = 00000001
>       R8 = 00000050  R9 = 7FFECC54  R10= 0006F434  R11= 00001DB8
>       AP = 7FE4D4E8  FP = 7FE4D4A8  SP = 7FE4D524  PC = 0000C437
>       PSL= 03C00021
> 
> 
> Please let me know where I went wrong.  I'd like to get the utilities working
> before I start messing with my applications.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> - - - Mike Barth
>   address@hidden
>   497-6589

I'll investigate and let you know what I find.

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