[Numpy-discussion] Installing numpy/scipy on CentOS 4

[Robert Kern]

On Mon, May 12, 2008 at 3:44 PM, Chris Miller <centos at scratchspace.com> wrote:
> Robert,
>         I looked in the build directory from Atlas and it is indeed
>  generating the additional libraries. I copied them over to /usr/lib
>  and rebuilt the numpy RPM. Indeed the behavior is different, and
>  numpy sees the libraries. Of course some new oddities have entered
>  the equation. Specifically this :
>
>  *********************************************************************
>      Lapack library (from ATLAS) is probably incomplete:
>        size of /usr/lib/liblapack.so is 3742k (expected >4000k)
>
>      Follow the instructions in the KNOWN PROBLEMS section of the file
>      numpy/INSTALL.txt.
>  *********************************************************************
>
>  The INSTALL file is missing :-( I wonder if this is really a problem
>  or just the result of stripping the binary (assuming RPM stripped
>  it). I rebuilt lapack3 but the binary is still under 4MB. Let me
>  know what you think.

Hmm. That text got copied over from scipy without thinking way back in
the day. Anyways, see this:

  http://svn.scipy.org/svn/scipy/trunk/INSTALL.txt

Basically, ATLAS only provides a few optimized LAPACK functions. To
get a complete LAPACK, you need a FORTRAN LAPACK built first, then
replace the relevant object files with the ATLAS-optimized versions.
But you're probably correct that it's just symbol stripping.

-- 
Robert Kern

"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless
enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as
though it had an underlying truth."
 -- Umberto Eco