olapw@olgb1.oliv.co.uk (Tony Walton) (09/27/89)
I have recently found a problem with the AT&T Starlan DOS Server program
when "long format" TZ strings are used. The TZ string in question was
"GMT-1BST;85/02,302/03" (the setting for 1989 in the UK). When the DOS
server (/usr/net/servers/msnet/msnetfs) was started, it immediately dumped
core and dropped the network connection - the server reported a NET805 error
(network has gone down).
The TZ strings "GMT" and "GMT0BST" did not cause ths problem, which is
seen with Release 3.1 and Release 3.2a of the DOS server.
I presume somebody, somewhere, has only reserved a 9-byte buffer for TZ
(for a string such as "ZZZ-11DDD") and something is being over-written.
The correct people at AT&T are already aware of the problem, but I'm posting
this to warn anybody else out there who's using "long format" TZ.
--
Tony Walton, AT&T Division, British Olivetti Ltd., Wellington House,
154-160 Upper Richmond Road, London, England SW15 2FN
LONDON, SW15 2FN. Tel: (+44) 1 789 6699 Telefax: (+44) 1 785 6670 Telex:27258
Uucp : { ukc | mc[whatever]!olnl1 | ihnp4!cuuxb | iconet | olhqma } !olgb1!olapwolapw@olgb1.oliv.co.uk (Tony Walton) (09/27/89)
<sigh> I just found another Starlan package that hates "long format" TZ.
The Starlan X.25 Router package also refuses to work if a "long format"
TZ is used; some module (possibly the shell itself; I still don't know
details) complains with
";85/02,302/03 is not an identifier"
when an attempt is made to start the router when TZ was set to
"GMT-1BST;85/02,302/03".
This one is even more fun than the DOS Server problem I mentioned earlier;
the TZ string is squirrelled away in an obscure *binary database* file when
the package is *installed*. (I'm afraid I have no details of the name of this
file - email me if you need it and I'll find out).
I wonder if AT&T ever tested anything using "long format" TZ strings, or
did they assume that everywhere in the world uses the US algorithm for
Daylight Saving Time (in which case why give the option of the "long format"
string in the first place....).
--
Tony Walton, AT&T Division, British Olivetti Ltd., Wellington House,
154-160 Upper Richmond Road, London, England SW15 2FN
LONDON, SW15 2FN. Tel: (+44) 1 789 6699 Telefax: (+44) 1 785 6670 Telex:27258
Uucp : { ukc | mc[whatever]!olnl1 | ihnp4!cuuxb | iconet | olhqma } !olgb1!olapw