Linux-kernel mailing list archive 1998-42,: Re: wtmp problems (with "last")

# Re: wtmp problems (with "last")

Miquel van Smoorenburg (miquels@cistron.nl)
22 Oct 1998 15:19:21 +0200

- Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]
- Next message: Majauskas Jonas IF 5/6: "Re: Problem with sound card after rebooting from NT"
- Previous message: Uwe Bonnes: "Re: NEW HyperTerminal Private Edition Release!"

In article <cistron.Pine.LNX.3.96.981022115257.22930H-100000@ps.cus.umist.ac.uk>,
Riley Williams <rhw@bigfoot.com> wrote:
>Hi Andreas.
>
> > glibc2 which is used with RedHat 5.1 uses a different (larger) utmp
> > format than libc5. If you've got program that expect the libc5 utmp
> > format, you'll notice this corruption. Just upgrade those binaries.
> > When upgrading from a libc5 distribution to a glibc2 one, you
> > should also `rm wtmp' since the format has changed.
>
>This presumably explains the instabilities I noted in an earlier
>email, which appeared to be caused by a conflict between libc5 and
>glibc. At least I know what the problem was now - and that I was right
>to advise either not switching or switching completely...

This is all very dependant on whether your Distribution Maintainer
did a good job providing backwards compatibility. I've heard that
RedHat isn't very good in this respect, and that's what you are
talking about.

With for example Debian the backwards compatibility is very good,
libc5 programs using the library utmp functions can even read and
write the new libc6 UTMP format transparently. And there is a
complete libc5 development system.

So, before you make any generalizations ..

Mike.

    --
      "Did I ever tell you about the illusion of free will?"
        -- Sheriff Lucas Buck, ultimate BOFH.

    -
    To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
    the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu
    Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/

- Next message: Majauskas Jonas IF 5/6: "Re: Problem with sound card after rebooting from NT"
- Previous message: Uwe Bonnes: "Re: NEW HyperTerminal Private Edition Release!"