> > One example of this is /usr/bin/pr: it defines a global FILE * named
> > 'err'.  That gets confused with the libc (function) definition of
> > 'err'.  SEGV.
> 
> So you need _every_ libc function that is in the programmer's name space
> to have a name outside that space and a weak alias back to the original
> name?

Right.

I'm not really sure, but i'd guess that if you want to support a 'gcc
-traditional' programming model, i.e. where ANSI's notion of user- and
standard-namespace symbols doesn't apply, you'd have to do it for
_every_ function that you might reasonably expect the user to use..


> And the modified libc code has to work on ports where no weak alias
> support exists and/or with a K & R compiler?!! (rhetorical 8-).
> 
> Does this mean you need a macro like HIDENAME() and code things like:
> 
> int
> HIDENAME(sigpause)(mask)
>     int mask;
> {
>     return (HIDENAME(sigsuspend)((sigset_t *)&mask));
> }

I don't really know; J.T.'s the guy doing this work, and i'm not
really capable of describing what he's done.


> Now I see a problem... if I had done such a thing to libc it would
> suit both your ELF requirements and mine, but I would end up with the
> ELF shared library problem occurring in libpthread. libpthread would
> need non-weak symbols to override the weak ones in libc - then
> libpthread wouldn't work shared under ELF. There are no degress of
> "weakness". Hmmm. Any suggestions?

I don't know how that sort of thing works, unfortunately.  All i
really know is why (i'm told 8-) i need weak references, and why i
get a SEGV from some programs if i don't have them...  8-)


chris