ECO NUMBER: VMS721_ACRTL-V0200
PRODUCT: OpenVMS Alpha OPERATING SYSTEM 7.2-1, 72-1H1
UPDATE PRODUCT: OpenVMS Alpha OPERATING SYSTEM 7.2-1, 72-1H1
COVER LETTER
1 KIT NAME:
VMS721_ACRTL-V0200
2 KITS SUPERSEDED BY THIS KIT:
VMS721_ACRTL-V0100
3 KIT DEPENDENCIES:
3.1 The following remedial kit(s) must be installed BEFORE
installation of this, or any required kit:
o VSM721_UPDATE-V0100
o VSM721_PCSI-V0100
3.2 In order to receive all the corrections listed in this kit,
the following remedial kits should also be installed:
None.
4 KIT DESCRIPTION:
4.1 Version(s) of OpenVMS to which this kit may be applied:
OpenVMS Alpha V7.2-1, V7.2-1H1
4.2 Files patched or replaced:
o [SYSLIB]DECC$SHR.EXE (new image)
o [SYSLIB]CRTL.OBJ (new file - used to update STARLET.OBJ)
o [SYSLIB]CRTLMSGDEF.OBJ (new file - used to update STARLET.OBJ)
5 PROBLEMS ADDRESSED IN KIT VMS721_ACRTL-V0200
o The Compaq C RTL functions which make calls to RMS have been
modified to better support ODS-5 disks. This is an extensive
set of changes throughout the RTL to support case preservation,
long file names, and non-standard file name characters. The
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11 August 2000
default behavior of the RTL has not changed.
The Compaq C RTL supports case preservation in file names on
ODS level 5 disks. This applies when creating or reporting
file names. By default, this feature is disabled. To enable
this feature define the logical name DECC$EFS_CASE_PRESERVE to
"ENABLE". If file names are all in upper case, define
DECC$EFS_CASE_SPECIAL to "ENABLE" to convert the names into
lower case when reporting the name in UNIX style. If file
names are not all in upper case, then the case is preserved.
Most C RTL functions now accept long OpenVMS-style file names
as arguments. For OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.2, some basic Compaq
C RTL I/O functions (creat, stat, and the functions from the
open family of functions) were enhanced to accept long
OpenVMS-style file names for an ODS-5 device.
In this ECO kit, all other Compaq C RTL functions, except chdir
and the functions from the exec family of functions, were also
enhanced to accept long OpenVMS-style file names for an ODS-5
device.
All C RTL functions that accept or report full file
specifications will process file specifications up to 4095
bytes long, subject to the rules defined for the media format.
For file specifications in OpenVMS format, there are no special
restrictions. In situations where a full file specification
cannot be reported because the buffer is too short, the
function attempts to report the abbreviated name.
There are restrictions with UNIX file names. Names containing
special characters, such as multiple periods, caret, or
multinational characters, may be rejected. A function call may
report failure if the output buffer is not large enough to
receive the full name. For OpenVMS-style names, the reported
name would contain a FID-abbreviated name. There is no
representation of FID-abbreviated names defined for UNIX.
o The Compaq C RTL was enhanced to allow interpreting the leading
part of a UNIX-style file specification as either a
subdirectory name or a device name.
The translation of the UNIX-style file name "foo/bar" to the
OpenVMS-style file name "foo:bar" was the only translation in
previous versions OpenVMS. It remains the default.
To request translation of the UNIX-style name "foo/bar" to the
OpenVMS-style name "[.foo]bar", DEFINE the following logical
name to any value:
$ DEFINE DECC$DISABLE_TO_VMS_LOGNAME_TRANSLATION ENABLE
To return to the default file-name translation, DEASSIGN the
logical name. The logical name is checked only once per image
activation, not on a file-by-file basis.
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11 August 2000
o The file creation functions (fopen, open, creat) have been
corrected to not inherit file attributes if a directory by the
same name exists for the file being created. For example,
creating a file named "foo." in a directory which contained a
"foo.dir" would incorrectly inherit file attributes from this
directory file.
o The stat function no longer puts the wrong values into st_?time
members of the stat structure. More precisely, during daylight
savings time the values of st_?time are no longer one hour
ahead from file creation/modification time reported by the
$DIRECTORY command.
o Nonquoted command-line arguments passed to C and C++ programs
(argv arguments) can now optionally have their case preserved,
rather than being lowercased as in previous versions. By
default, this feature is disabled.
To enable this case preservation feature, define the logical
name DECC$ARGV_PARSE_STYLE to "ENABLE" and set the
process-level DCL parse style flag to "EXTENDED" in the process
running the program. Enabling this feature also ensures that
the image name returned in argv[0] is also case-preserved.
o The time functions time, ftime, gettimeofday and getclock would
fail for a TDF (time differential factor) of -13 hours, the
value required in New Zealand. According to the U.S. Naval
Observatory information the valid range for the TDF is -13.75
to +13, inclusive. The C RTL now allows this full range.
o The _malloc64 function was corrected to allow initialization of
this function in a threadsafe manner. Prior to this change, if
the first call occurs after the program has created multiple
threads and more than one thread calls the _malloc64 routine,
an access violation may occur.
o In the previous ECO kit, a change was introduced to the
function strptime() for XPG5-compatibility to handle
expressions for the 2-digit year format %y when the century was
not specified. The requirement is for 2-digit years in the
range 0-68 to be treated as 21st century and years in the range
69-99 as 20th century. The 2-digit years in the range 69-99
were incorrectly being treated as 21st century.
o The execlp and execvp functions were unconditionally prefixing
the file specification of the image to be run in the child
process with "VAXC$PATH:" string. When passed a fully
qualified file specification, this would result in an invalid
file specification.
o The behavior of lseek() and fseek() at positions beyond the end
of data in a file were not conforming to the POSIX/ANSI
standard. The file was being physically null padded on disk
even though the standard only requires this null padding if
data is actually written at this point. In the case reported
by the user, seeking to the end of a file by using a large
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11 August 2000
offset would take a long time and may exhaust available disk
space. To get the POSIX behavior, you must define
DECC$POSIX_SEEK_STREAM_FILE as "ENABLE". The default behavior
is unchanged.
o The Compaq C RTL was enhanced to open all files for shared
access as if the "shr=del,get,put,upd" option was specified in
the open* or creat call. To enable this feature, define the
logical name DECC$FILE_SHARING to the value "ENABLE". The
value is case-insensitive and is checked only once per image
activation, not on a file-by-file basis.
o The Compaq C RTL was failing when the amount of data written to
a pipe exceeded the buffer size of that pipe. The RTL now
breaks the large write into a sequence of writes whose size is
the size of the underlying mailbox used to implement pipes.
o The opendir function now accepts ".." to be equivalent to both
"../" and "[-]".
o A problem was reported that the RTL could hang if exit were
called while threads were continuing to do I/O. Analysis
showed that the hang was caused by a thread holding the lock
necessary to close the file and the exit handler blocking on
this lock. The change implemented was to not attempt to close
files whose locks were currently in use.
o When a stream file is extended using ftruncate() it is
documented that the extended area will be filled with zeroes.
This is now done correctly. Prior to this change, the file was
not extended.
o The documentation of the select function states that it returns
either when a socket is ready to be read or written, when the
timeout period expires, or when exceptions occur. It was not
properly terminating when an exception occurred. This problem
was corrected by dynamically linking to and calling an abort
function in the socket library. A complete correction to
interrupting the select function will also require an eco kit
from the Compaq TCP/IP product which includes this new abort
function.
o The fstat function was corrected to not access violate when
called with stdin, stdout, stderr, or a directory
specification.
o The chdir function was not well behaved when the calling
program passed an argument which was a search list logical.
The chdir function was unconditionally changing the logical
sys$disk to the first member of the search list was effectively
dropping the remaining members. The change in behavior is seen
as a step in the right direction, but there are plans for more
work in this area.
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11 August 2000
o The stat functions were not correctly handling files which were
not directories but did use a .dir extension. This problem was
discovered when porting a unix application which used a .dir
extension to store application specific information.
o The RTL functions which process file specifications were not
correctly processing files which contained a hyphen character.
The RTL was incorrectly assuming that hyphens were only allowed
to specify a relative directory path.
6 PROBLEMS ADDRESSED IN KIT VMS721_ACRT-V0100
o The getenv() function has been corrected to check for a CLI
symbol only when called in user access mode. While DEC C RTL
is a user-mode run time library, we decided to correct getenv()
in order to make the library more robust. This is because
calling CLI from within exec or kernel mode may result in an
access violation.
With this fix, when called from inner access mode, the getenv()
function will search only the C environment list and VMS
logical names.
This fix does not mean, however, that the user-mode only
restriction was lifted. It is still unsupported to call the
DEC C RTL functions, including getenv(), in any access mode
other than in user-mode.
o The strptime() function has been modified to comply with X/Open
CAE Specification System Interfaces and Headers Issue 5
(commonly known as XPG5). In XPG5, it was changed how the
strptime() function processes the "%y" directive for a
two-digit year within the century if no century is specified.
According to XPG5, for the "%y" directive when a century is not
otherwise specified, values in the range 69-99 refer to years
in the twentieth century (1969 to 1999 inclusive) while values
in the range 00-68 refer to years in the twenty-first century
(2000 to 2068 inclusive). Essentially, for the "%y" directive,
strptime() became a "pivoting" function with 69 being a
pivoting year.
Before this change, the strptime() function was always
interpreting two-digit year with no century as a year within
the twentieth century.
With the current ECO kit, XPG5-compliant strptime() becomes a
default strptime() function in the DEC C RTL. However, for
compatibility reasons, the previous "non-pivoting"
XPG4-compliant strptime() function was retained.
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11 August 2000
The "pivoting" is controlled by the DECC$XPG4_STRPTIME logical
name. Defining this logical name prior to invoking the
application (any equivalence string) will cause the DEC C RTL
to use the "non-pivoting" flavor of strptime(). Also
"non-pivoting" strptime() can be called directly as
decc$strptime_xpg4() function.
While there is an easy way to disable "pivoting" by just
defining a logical name, you should be aware that if the
application ceases to work correctly due to the change in the
strptime() function, it almost certainly means, that there is a
Y2K problem in the application. Y2K-safe applications should
not be affected by the change in strptime().
o The stat() function has been corrected to process file
specifications such as "foo:[000000]" where foo is defined as a
concealed device like the following:
$ define/trans=(conc) foo device:[bar.]
Prior to this fix, the stat() function would fail for such a
file specification with errno set to ENOENT (No such file or
directory).
o Both flavors of system() function were corrected to ensure that
the function always returns the correct status.
The POSIX-compliant system() function has been corrected to
always return status corresponding to the signal which
terminated the child process if the child process was
terminated due to receiving a signal.
Prior to this fix, there was a small timing window when the
function could return the status corresponding to the child
process completion code even in the case when the child process
was terminated by a signal.
The Non-POSIX system() function has been corrected to always
return the VMS completion code of the child process.
Prior to this fix, there was a small timing window when the
function could return the status from LIB$SPAWN() instead of
the completion code of the child process.
None of these problems were ever reported by a customer.
o opendir() and readdir() functions have been corrected to
process directories on a remote node specified using the
following DECnet file specification:
nodename"username password"::device:[directory]
Prior to this fix, opendir() could fail with errno set to
ENOTDIR (Not a directory). In the case when opendir() could
successfully open the directory, readdir() function could
return incorrect file names.
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11 August 2000
o times() and clock() functions have been modified to be both
thread-safe and AST-reentrant.
Prior to this change, these functions belonged to the class of
functions which are thread safe, but not AST-reentrant (see
section 1.7.2 Multithread Restrictions in the DEC C RTL
Reference Manual).
The change in the reentrancy status of the times() and clock()
functions will be reflected in the next release of the Manual.
o The stat() function no longer fails due to the failure of the
mktime() function.
It was reported that the stat() function fails for a file
created on April 4th 1999 at 2:04 a.m. EST which is the
"missing hour" in the transition from standard to daylight
saving time in Eastern time zone.
The failure was due to the failure of the mktime() function to
process the "missing hour" (stat() calls mktime() to fill
st_?time members of the stat structure with UTC time).
While the mktime() function was not fixed, the stat() function
was corrected to handle the failure of mktime() and set
st_?time fields correctly even if mktime() fails.
Note, that, strictly speaking, "missing hour" is an invalid
input for mktime(): there is no such time as "April 4th 1999
2:04 a.m.", for example, in Eastern time zone. Given the
possibility of calling mktime() with invalid time, the stat()
function, probably, should not have used mktime() in the first
place or at least should have been prepared for mktime()
failure.
o The CRTL I/O subsystem was enhanced to lift eight nested
directory levels restriction for an ODS-5 device. It affects
such DEC C RTL functions as access, mkdir, opendir, rmdir, and
stat.
The following program example shows different VMS and
Unix-style deep directory specifications.
#include <dirent.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <stat.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#define DIM(_s) (sizeof(_s) / sizeof(_s[0]))
/*
** we assume presence of root$ concieled device:
**
** define/NoLog/Tran=(Conceal,Terminal) root$ node$dka0:[000000.]
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11 August 2000
**
*/
static char *filename[] = {
"node$dka0:[w.x.y.z.a.b.c.d.e.f.g.h.i.j]", /* (1) */
"node$dka0:[w.x.y.z.a.b.c.d.e.f.g.h.i]j.dir", /* (2) */
"root$/w/x/y/z/a/b/c/d/e/f/g/h/i/j", /* (3) */
};
main()
{
struct stat s;
int i;
char *name;
for(i=0; i < DIM(filename); ++i) {
name = filename[i];
if ( mkdir(name,0) == -1 )
printf("%d? mkdir(): %s\n", i+1, strerror(errno));
if ( stat(name,&s) )
printf("%d? stat(): %s\n", i+1, strerror(errno));
else if ( !S_ISDIR(s.st_mode) )
printf("%d? stat(): %s\n", i+1, "not a directory???");
if ( !opendir(name) )
printf("%d? opendir(): %s\n", i+1, strerror(errno));
if ( access(name,F_OK) == -1 )
printf("%d? access(): %s\n", i+1, strerror(errno));
if ( rmdir(name) == -1 )
printf("%d? rmdir(): %s\n", i+1, strerror(errno));
}
}
Please note, that the DEC C RTL still does not support mixed
Unix/VMS-style file names coded using extended ODS-5 syntax
like "doc/foo.bar.bar", "~foo^.bar" and "./tmp/foo.bar.b^_ar".
o The select() function has been corrected to return failure
status if either invalid file descriptor or file descriptor not
associated with a socket is found in one of the specified file
descriptor sets. In case of invalid file descriptor, the
select() function sets errno to EBADF. In case of a file
descriptor not associated with a socket, the function sets
errno to ENOTSOCK.
Failure with errno set to EBADF is the standard requirement for
the select() function. Failure with errno set to ENOTSOCK is
because currently the select() function can operate only on
sockets.
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11 August 2000
Prior to this fix, the function was setting errno as described
above, but otherwise was ignoring invalid file descriptors and
file descriptors not associated with sockets.
The old behavior can be requested by defining the logical name
DECC$SELECT_IGNORES_INVALID_FD prior to invoking the
application (any equivalence string).
o The bug in printf() "engine" introduced in ALPACRT07_071 kit
has been fixed. The bug was that when minimal field width or
precision specified in the format directive was greater than
1024, the "engine" could write beyond the end of allocated
internal conversion buffer. It could happen only in X_FLOAT
floating point mode (/L_DOUBLE_SIZE=128, which is the default
on Alpha). The bug affected all functions from the printf()
family of functions.
o The problem commonly known as the "Y2038 bug" has been fixed.
The C run-time library time functions which access the current
time using the VMS time functions have been corrected to handle
times after 19-Jan-2038 3:14:07. Data type time_t is defined
on VMS as an unsigned 32-bit integer. However, some of the
functions which retrieve current time from the system and
convert it to time_t format were using signed arithmetic.
This fix affects the functions:
o decc$fix_time()
o time()
o ftime()
o gettimeofday()
o getclock()
With this fix, DEC C RTL time functions will handle times
successfully until 07-Feb-2106 06:28:15.
o The printf() family of functions have been enhanced to perform
better when the calling application has exhausted available
memory.
o The file access functions have been corrected to process file
names on UNIX systems over DECnet. The file name for a file on
a UNIX system accessed over DECnet was being converted to
uppercase, even when the name was enclosed in double quotes.
This problem was introduced on OpenVMS V7.2 and also affects
OpenVMS V7.1-2 and OpenVMS V7.2-1. File names of the form
node::"dir/name" are now processed correctly.
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7 KIT INSTALLATION RATING:
The following kit installation rating, based upon current CLD
information, is provided to serve as a guide to which customers
should apply this remedial kit. (Reference attached Disclaimer of
Warranty and Limitation of Liability Statement)
INSTALLATION RATING:
3 : To be installed by customers experiencing the problems
corrected.
8 INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Install this kit with the POLYCENTER Software Installation Utility
by logging into the SYSTEM account, and typing the following at the
DCL prompt:
PRODUCT INSTALL VMS721_ACRTL /SOURCE=[kit location]
The kit location may be a tape drive, CD, or a disk directory that
contains the kit. If /SOURCE is not specified, the utility
searches in the location defined by the logical name PCSI$SOURCE.
If PCSI$SOURCE is not defined, and the /SOURCE qualifier is not
specified, the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility searches
the current default directory.
Since the images in this kit will not take effect until the system
is rebooted, you must reboot the system after installing this kit.
If you have other nodes in your OpenVMS cluster, they must also be
rebooted in order to make use of the new image(s). If it is not
possible or convenient to reboot the entire cluster at this time, a
rolling re-boot may be performed.
During installation you may see the following message:
%INSTALL-E-NODELSHRADR, unable to delete image with shareable address data
-INSTALL-I-PLSREBOOT, please reboot to install a new version of this image
This is not a cause for concern. It simply means that DECC$SHR.EXE
was installed as a resident image, which is the standard
configuration for OpenVMS Alpha systems. The new image will not
take effect until the system is rebooted.
Copyright (c) Compaq Computer Corporation, 2000 All Rights
Reserved. Unpublished rights reserved under the copyright laws of
the United States.
The software contained on this media is proprietary to and embodies
the confidential technology of Compaq Computer Corporation.
Possession, use, or dissemination of the software and media is
authorized only pursuant to a valid written license from Compaq
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11 August 2000
Computer Corporation.
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
THIS PATCH IS PROVIDED AS IS, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. ALL
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES,
INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR
PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT, ARE HEREBY EXCLUDED TO THE
EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. IN NO EVENT WILL COMPAQ BE
LIABLE FOR ANY LOST REVENUE OR PROFIT, OR FOR SPECIAL, INDIRECT,
CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, HOWEVER CAUSED AND
REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY, WITH RESPECT TO ANY PATCH
MADE AVAILABLE HERE OR TO THE USE OF SUCH PATCH.