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

Final resolution of the problem ...

------- Forwarded Message

Date:    Tue, 22 Jul 2003 12:25:37 -0400
From:    "Timothy E. Dowling" <address@hidden>
To:      Russ Rew <address@hidden>
Subject: Re: 20030721:netCDF C - RedHat Linux 9.0 _ctype_b error fix/workaround 
for RedHat 9

Russ,

I fixed my linking-before-installing problem with netcdf, which
caused the __ctype_b error when switching from Red Hat 8 to 9
(it was linking to the old netcdf/lib/libnetcdf.a), by changing
the target "all:" in my model's top makefile to have for the netcdf part
         ... \
        make;  \
        make install
  instead of just
         ... \
         make

I left the target "install:" to have "make install" for the netcdf part, which
might be redundant but seems harmless.

I understand your reasons why "make distclean" shouldn't clear out
netcdf/lib in general. For my case, I've added this clear-out to my makefile to
avoid obscure "__ctype_b" type errors in the future; instead, I'll
now get an "cannot find -lnetcdf" error, which will hopefully be less
mysterious.

Sincerely,

Tim Dowling




> Tim,
> 
> Thanks for the update on the problem.
> 
>  ...
> 
>>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.
> 
> 
> Although it might have made the problem you are seeing easier to
> diagnose, I don't think 'make distclean' should empty the netcdf/lib/
> directory, because:
> 
>  - As distributed, there is no netcdf/lib directory.  It may be
>    created as the result of 'make install', or it may be created
>    somewhere else as the result of the value of the --prefix argument
>    to the configure script when 'make install' later runs.
> 
>  - If 'make distclean' removes a working older library but the
>    subsequent build fails to create an updated library for some
>    reason, the attempt to update would have broken the environment for
>    existing applications linking to the older library.
> 
> Ultimately, we want to convert netCDF to use the new
> autoconf/automake/libtool suite, which will create Makefiles that 'do
> the right thing'.
> 
> --Russ
> 


-- 
Prof. Timothy E. Dowling, Director   office: (502) 852-3927
Comparative Planetology Laboratory      fax: (502) 852-6053
200 Sackett Hall                      email: address@hidden
University of Louisville                URL: www.louisville.edu/research/cpl
Louisville, KY 40292

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