doug@seismo.gps.caltech.edu (10/08/90)
WARNING: f77 1.3.1 INCOMPATIBLE with f77 1.2 (and earlier) object code. Sun advised (on page 11 of their RTF) that you should not mix LIBRARIES for FORTRAN 1.2 and FORTRAN 1.3. However, Sun has discovered that there is an incompatibility between the OBJECT CODE created by the 1.2 compiler and the libraries associated with 1.3.1. What this means is that .o files or .a files created with the 1.2 (or earlier) compiler will not work correctly with new code generated by the 1.3.1 compiler. Sun changed the interfaces between their I/O routines, so that the datatype descriptor values are different between the two compiler revisions. This means that, for example, old objects doing I/O using the new I/O libraries will be signalling the wrong descriptor codes. The end result is that object code (.o files or .a files composed of .o files) created with the 1.2 compiler SHOULD NOT BE LINKED WITH f77 1.3.1 AND ITS LIBRARIES. The resulting program may APPEAR to execute correctly, but may compute or output INCORRECT RESULTS. Due to this incompatiblity, Sun is now recommending that users recompile ALL ROUTINES before linking them with the f77 1.3.1 compiler and libraries. Sun says they will now emphasize to its customers the need to recompile FORTRAN programs for use with the current compiler, as the RTF did not bring mention this. In addition, they should be making this information available to its customer base, sales force, and third-party software vendors as soon as possible. So, the warning (when changing to f77 1.3.1) is: 1. RECOMPILE ALL LOCAL FORTRAN-based libraries. 2. Inform users to RECOMPILE ALL FORTRAN source code (including those in private libraries) before using them with the new compiler. 3. Contact ALL suppliers of third-party software that supply you with object code libraries and inform them you need new versions compiled with the current 1.3.1 compiler. Doug Neuhauser Div. of Geological and Planetary Sciences doug@seismo.gps.caltech.edu California Institute of Technology 818-356-3993 MS 252-21, Pasadena, CA 91125