[PATCH MIPS] Work around Bash 4.2 bug

Nick Clifton nickc@redhat.com
Tue Oct 4 14:52:00 GMT 2016


Hi Maciej,

>>> The patch below works around the Bash 4.2 bug described at
>>> <http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/bash/bash-4.2-patches/bash42-007>.
>>
>>> 	* emulparams/elf32bmipn32-defs.sh: Shift quote of
>>> 	"x$EMULATION_NAME" to the left to work around
>>> 	<http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/bash/bash-4.2-patches/bash42-007>.
>>>
>>
>>>
>>> -case x"$EMULATION_NAME" in
>>> +case "x$EMULATION_NAME" in
>>>  xelf32*n32*) ELFSIZE=32 ;;
>>
>> Random comment from the sideline: pretty please add a comment
>> regarding the bug workaround *on top of the actual changed code*
>> (remember: the "why" goes in the code, not in the changelog), so
>> it has a better chance of not being inadvertently reverted but
>> instead propagating elsewhere.
> 
>  CC-ing <gcc@gcc.gnu.org> as this might affect them too.
> 
>  Hmm, the shell construct is so common that I think rather than auditing 
> all the scripts throughout our tree I'd rather made a `configure' check 
> for the buggy shell feature and reject any shell affected at the top level 
> and across subdirectories.  This way we won't have to keep an eye too for 
> future script changes which might reintroduce the construct elsewhere.
> 
>  Nick, WDYT?

Hmm - well it has been 5 years since bug was fixed, but if we are receiving
error reports connected to it today then buggy versions must still be in use.

A quick grep shows that there are quite a few places in the gcc and binutils
configure scripts that use the problematic form, so I agree that fixing them
all, and stopping the problem from recurring in the future, would be hard to
do.

All in all, I think that your idea is the best way forwards, so yes, I would
support it.

Cheers
  Nick





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