Troubles with shared libraries!

[Mike Muuss]

I have been continuing to have problems moving binaries between diffrent
SGI platforms when they are compiled with shared libraries.  I consider
being able to share binaries to be a highly desirable feature, and I
intend to continue to "flog" this topic until something is decided.

I have modified the Cakefile so that all programs in the BRL-CAD Package
are compiled (linked) with -lgl_s (when using LIBFB), -lm, and -lc_s.
I still have problems when calling the routine ps_open_PostScript().

In this particular test, I compiled the code on a 4D/70GT, and then
ran it on a 120/GTX, with this result:

54 voyage> ./pix-fb /n/spark/m/cad/pix/star.pix
Bus error (core dumped)

55 voyage> dbx ./pix-fb
dbx version 1.31
Copyright 1987 Silicon Graphics Inc.
Copyright 1987 MIPS Computer Systems Inc.
Type 'help' for help.
Reading symbolic information of `./pix-fb' . . .
Process name from core dump: pix-fb
Process died at pc 0xf02db00 of signal : bus error
[using memory image in core]                       
(dbx) where
>  0 ps_open_PostScript(0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0) [0xf02dafc]
   1 sgi_dopen(0x90, 0x100030c0, 0x200, 0x200, 0x0, 0x0) ["../libfb/if_4d.c":720, 0x402c90]
   2 fb_open(0x2, 0x200, 0x200, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0) ["../libfb/fb_generic.c":180, 0x400f78]
   3 main(0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0) ["../util/pix-fb.c":159, 0x400674]
(dbx)

More startlingly, when I run the same binary on a Personal Iris,
it *leaps* to location 0, and traps, giving a worthless core dump
(the stack frame is no good, DBX is lost).

Compiling the code on the GTX and then running on a GT also dumps core.
Same for GTX code run on a non-GT (eg 4D/70).

A test program to demonstrate looks like this:

main()
{
	int	g_status, f;
	/*
	 *  Now that the mode has been determined,
	 *  ensure that the graphics system is running.
	 */
	if( !(g_status = ps_open_PostScript()) )  {
		char * grcond = "/etc/gl/grcond";
		char * newshome = "/usr/brlcad/etc";		/* XXX */

		f = fork();
		if( f < 0 )  {
			perror("fork");
			return(-1);		/* error */
		}
		if( f == 0 )  {
			/* Child */
			chdir( newshome );
			execl( grcond, (char *) 0 );
			perror( grcond );
			_exit(1);
			/* NOTREACHED */
		}
		/* Parent */
		while( !(g_status = ps_open_PostScript()) )  {
			sleep(1);
		}
	}
}

This code is compiled by:

cc foo.c -lgl_s -lc_s -o foo

Run it on the machine that compiled it, no problem.
Run the exact same binary on any other kind of 4D: Pffft -- core dumped.

THE INTENT.

The intent of this code fragment is to permit applications to produce
graphics display even if nobody is logged in on the console (eg, the
window manager is not running).  This happens often at BRL because
(a) we don't like using the SGI-provided keyboard, and (b) we produce
a lot of our graphics elsewhere on the network, and just wish to display
the result on an SGI.  We don't necessarily want to have to log in
on the SGI just to see pictures. If the window manager is not running,
it has to be started first, with a somewhat restricted set of PostScript
code (to avoid offering menus that might allow somebody to open a shell
window).

I believe that the HotLine told us to do things this way.
It seems to work fine when used on the machine that compiled it, but
not other types of SGI machines.

Did I forget a compiler option?  Not invoke the shared libraries right?
Find a bug?  Or what?

So, several questions arise:

1)  Is calling ps_open_PostScript() the only way to accomplish this test?

2)  Is ps_open_PostScript() the best way?

3)  Where is it documented, anyways?  I can't find any mention online.
    ("pcat *.z|grep ps_open" is a poor substitute for "man -k").

4)  Can anyone suggest a workaround, so that I can make this stuff work, NOW?

Any help you can provide will be most appreciated!
	Thanks,
	 -Mike