Re: (2.8) build ports: ld dumps core

["Chris K. Young" <cky@pobox.com>]

Quoted from Mustafa C. Kuscu [06 Dec 2000]:
> Description:
> /usr/ports is on a different partition of 3GB size. When building a
> problematic port, the filesystem on that partition gets full. Then I look at
> the work folder and see that there is a file "ld.core" of ~2.8GB size.

I've seen this problem before, after upgrading to 2.8 from 2.7 from
source. If your problem is anything like mine, feel free to try the
procedure below (but remember that I'm not an OpenBSD crew member, so
take everything with a grain of salt):

1. Check your GCC version (``cc -v''). If it's 2.95.3, skip to step 4.

2. Get libc.so.25.0 from OpenBSD 2.7, and put in some directory. List
   this directory in LIBRARY_PATH.

3. Go to /usr/src/gnu/egcs/gcc, and run:

	make -f Makefile.bsd-wrapper obj
	make -f Makefile.bsd-wrapper cleandir
	make -f Makefile.bsd-wrapper depend
	make -f Makefile.bsd-wrapper
	sudo make -f Makefile.bsd-wrapper install

4. Go to /usr/src/lib/libc, and run:

	rm obj/libc.so.25.2	# if you have already built libc

	make obj		# } if you have not
	make depend		# } already buit libc

	make			# } do this in
	sudo make install	# } both cases

Things ``should'' work again. If not, consider downloading libc.so.25.2
from your OpenBSD mirror and installing it.

My speculation (and it's _only_ a speculation) on why this is happening:

1. OpenBSD 2.7's ``cc -shared'' links in -lc; OpenBSD 2.8's doesn't.

2. ``make build'' builds libc ahead of the new gcc.

3. When building libc, it uses ``cc -shared'' (since bsd.lib.mk is
   already updated). This creates a dependency on libc.so.25, under
   the OpenBSD 2.7 cc.

4. User installs libc.so.25.2.

5. Next time some program is linked with a dependency on -lc, the
   linker sees a dependency on libc.so.25 (=> libc.so.25.2). Linker
   recurses infinitely, and crashes horribly when it runs out of
   stack.

Part 5 is not a speculation: I've traced the linker under a debugger
for a few hours to learn about this.

	---Chris K.
-- 
 Chris, the Young One |_ If you can't afford a backup system, you can't 
  Auckland, New Zealand |_ afford to have important data on your computer. 
 GnuPG: CCC6114E/706A6AAD |_ ---Tracy R. Reed