[netcdfgroup] Name collision: libncdap3 vs. libncurses

• To: netcdfgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: [netcdfgroup] Name collision: libncdap3 vs. libncurses
• From: "David Pierce" <dpierce@xxxxxxxx>
• Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 10:05:22 -0800

Hello,

A user of one of my netcdf software packages (R-ncdf4) reported that it
was generating segfaults, which he ultimately traced to a name collision
between libncdap3 and libncurses.  Apparently they both have a routine
named "attrset". The R software package (www.r-project.org), at least,
links in the readline library (which I guess invokes ncurses), so linking
with netcdf version 4 as well causes a call to the wrong version of
attrset and ultiamtely a segdump.

This seems like it could be a general problem for software that uses both
readline and the netcdf version 4 library.  I assume the ncurses version
of "attrset" is quite old, so maybe it would be sensible to rename the
ncdap3 version of the subroutine?  I'm not sure who maintains that, but
hopefully they read this list.

Regards,

--Dave

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David W. Pierce
Division of Climate, Atmospheric Science, and Physical Oceanography
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
(858) 534-8276 (voice)  /  (858) 534-8561 (fax)    dpierce@xxxxxxxx
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