> [...]  The reason for this lies in gcc/ld not handling external
> references correctly in our case when we pull in a "char a[]" by
> using "extern char *a"; [...]

This is not a bug in gcc or ld; writing "extern char *a" to refer to
"char a[]" is a program bug and always has been, just as much as
writing "extern int a" to refer to "double a" is and has been.

					der Mouse

			       mouse@rodents.montreal.qc.ca
		     7D C8 61 52 5D E7 2D 39  4E F1 31 3E E8 B3 27 4B