[Numpy-discussion] Current SVN segfaults under VC7

[Tim Hochberg]

Travis Oliphant wrote:

> Tim Hochberg wrote:
>
>>
>> I just updated from CVS and compiled using VC7. The resulting numpy 
>> segfaults immediately on import. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. 
>> It's been a couple of weeks probably since I updated from CVS, so I'm 
>> not sure where to start looking. I suppose I could start going back 
>> in time until it works again and then see what checkins broke it, but 
>> if anyone has any better ideas, let me know.
>>
>
> You definitely need to remove your build directory.   It is a build 
> dependency issue (some needed generated code is not getting rebuilt 
> when it should be).  I'm not sure how to fix it, so I remove the build 
> directory.
>
> It shows up when the C-API changes more significantly then just 
> appending new C-API calls.  It changed significantly recently as I 
> moved the version checking C-API to the very front (so it won't move 
> around in the future -- no matter what is done to the C-API), and I 
> added the fixed Boolean array scalar True and False objects.
>
> The segfaults in scipy should disappear upon rebuild of numpy because 
> the C-API now has the version checking at the very start and will 
> gracefully exit with an error rather than rudely segfault. 

This did fix things...eventually. I removed the build directory and 
rebuilt. Numpy still bombed the interpreter, although in a new and less 
exciting way. I then did a clean checkout from svn and rebuilt. Same 
thing. Then I manally removed numpy from site-packages and reinstalled 
at which points things worked and all tests passed.

So in addition to needing to remove the build directory, it appears that 
something was hanging out in the destination directory that did not get 
overwritten and caused problems.

Perhaps this description will help the next person who runs into this, 
but probably not.

-tim