> There is code in OpenBSD's XF4 to handle the creation of _pic.a libs
> for libraries that are otherwise static only. It will probably go into
> the next XFree86 release. Let me know if you want the patch.
>
> For now Linux handles this by putting pic objects into the .a libs.

What, pray tell, is the point of this stupid perversion, when creating
shared libraries works, and is what several vendors already do?  (Even
some Linux systems do on non-x86 platforms.)

This lossage has been screwing people for YEARS.