[ic] Threaded perl (re: debian bug #203579)

[Mike Heins]

Quoting Karl Schmidt (karl at xtronics.com):
> OK - random-ish segfaults,  hard to track down.
> 
> What points to a problem in DBD::MySQL?
> 
> Any idea what is happening when it segfaults - a sql write? Read?
> 
> Did you see these on just pages or only when placing an order?
> 
> (A "don't know" is always a fair answer - if your doctor knows everything 
> you are in trouble. If instead he tells you he doesn't know once in a while 
> you probably have a good one.)
> 
> How long ago were these problems seen?
> 
> Has anyone seen them in the last 3 months?

Someone else will answer these, perhaps. I will repeat that I personally
have seen no problems other than the one someone found and I fixed with
the MV_GETPPID_BROKEN workaround. Then again, I have never run IC on a
threaded Perl.

> 
> Please, Any test script I can use?

Besides putting up that demo at art.perusion.com, which I will keep up
for a week or so, I have committed to CVS the following:

    1. Query on installation with a threaded Perl. If you answer
    "yes" it will create the file _allow_threads and then build
    and test.

    2. Added an os hint that inserts the MV_GETPPID_BROKEN
    fix if on Linux and running threads.

    3. Once you have installed with threads, and the _allow_threads
    file is in the IC root, you don't need to set the environment
    variable anymore. You will get a warning.

    4. Put in a check for Perl 5.8.5 to be allowed to run with
    threads. There were several ithreads bugs fixed in that version.

This should allow people to install and run on the stock Debian
and Fedora systems. They can then take the consequences on their
own heads.

Beyond this, I am done until someone has a cogent problem report
that I have a realistic chance of dealing with.

-- 
Mike Heins
Perusion -- Expert Interchange Consulting    http://www.perusion.com/
phone +1.765.647.1295  tollfree 800-949-1889 <mike at perusion.com>

People who want to share their religious views with you
almost never want you to share yours with them. -- Dave Barry