Re: 20030721:netCDF C - RedHat Linux 9.0 _ctype_b error fix/workaround for RedH (fwd)

>To: address@hidden
>From: "Timothy E. Dowling" <address@hidden>
>Subject: netCDF C - RedHat Linux 9.0 - Waiting for __ctype_b error 
>fix/workaround for RedHat 9
>Organization: Comparative Planetology Laboratory
>Keywords: 200307211429.h6LET8RI001842

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Date:    Tue, 22 Jul 2003 10:56:47 -0400
From:    "Timothy E. Dowling" <address@hidden>
To:      Russ Rew <address@hidden>
cc:      address@hidden
Subject: Re: 20030721:netCDF C - RedHat Linux 9.0 _ctype_b error fix/workaround 
for RedHat 9

Russ,

I have a partial understanding of this __ctype_b error. It has
to do with properly installing the new libnetcdf.a into netcdf/lib
before linking to it.

My context is the EPIC atmospheric model, which makes netcdf first as
part of its build.  I just discovered I get different behavior
depending on what is residing in $EPIC_PATH/netcdf/lib.

A. If I first copy an old, pre Red Hat 9 libnetcdf.a into 
$EPIC_PATH/netcdf/lib, then
a from-scratch EPIC-model make generates the error

/home/dowling/epic/netcdf/lib/libnetcdf.a(string.o)(.text+0x37): In function 
`NC_check_name':
: undefined reference to `__ctype_b'

which is the original problem.

B. If I first 'rm $EPIC_PATH/netcdf/lib/*' then a from-scratch EPIC-model
make generates the error

/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lnetcdf

I notice that netcdf's 'make distclean' does not empty the
contents of netcdf/lib.  I think this may be a contributing factor
to the obscurity of the problem, because
the __ctype_b error would be a different error if netcdf/lib got emptied
by 'make distclean,' potentially one that is less of a red herring.
For me, it would have been the 'cannot find -lnetcdf' error above.

C. If I create a fresh netcdf/lib/libnetcdf.a by doing the following sequence 
by hand

  cd $EPIC_PATH/netcdf/src     (which is 
/home/dowling/epic/netcdf/netcdf-3.5.0/src)
  make distclean
  configure
  make install

which is the sequence I thought the EPIC make was doing,
followed by a from-scratch EPIC make, I get no errors, and a new libnetcdf.a
is installed into netcdf/lib, newer than the one I just made by hand.

So, it seems my EPIC makefile is linking to the netcdf library
in netcdf/lib before the new one is installed. I'm not sure why yet, but
I'll send you this email and then try to figure it out.

Sincerely,

Tim Dowling




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