[Originally posted to comp.os.linux.misc]


I'm trying to find a way out of the following problem, and would
appreciate suggestions:

[root@hugin]~ # /sbin/ldconfig
/sbin/ldconfig: warning: /usr/lib/libhistory.so.2.0 has inconsistent 
    soname (lib readline.so.2), skipping
/sbin/ldconfig: warning: /usr/lib/libform.so.1.9.9e has inconsistent 
    soname (lib form.so.3.0), skipping
/sbin/ldconfig: warning: /usr/lib/libmenu.so.1.9.9e has inconsistent 
    soname (lib menu.so.3.0), skipping
/sbin/ldconfig: warning: /usr/lib/libncurses.so.1.9.9e has inconsistent 
    soname (libncurses.so.3.0), skipping
/sbin/ldconfig: warning: /usr/lib/libpanel.so.1.9.9e has inconsistent 
    soname (libpanel.so.3.0), skipping

-- ldconfig needs to operate in order to upgrade ld.so.
-- ld.so must be upgraded to compile new clibs.

Recent history:

The system started with Red Hat 3.0.3.[1]  I did RPM upgrades to
run kernel 2.0.0, and kept it unaltered until Red Hat 4.0 emerged.
Installed 4.0 ("Official" Red Hat, naturally) from CD using the 
Adaptec 1740 boot image.  Specified to upgrade all packages.

   "Package installation of iBCS failed."  No big deal.
   "Package installation of rdate failed." Curious. Fix that later.
   "Package installation of zip failed."  Eh?  Also to revisit later.

Boot the new system:

   "Finding module dependencies...
   Unresolved symbols in module /lib/modules/2.0.18/net/ibmtr.o
   Delaying eth0 initialization
   httpd: cannot determine local hostname
   use ServerName to set it manually..."

Arggh.  Trouble -- but I _did_ figure out the fix (22 lines down).

Messages say I'm running gpm, quota, and AppleTalk, among other
things.  Odd, I didn't specify those.  No big deal, though.
Recompile kernel 2.0.18, using modules for the first time, sparingly.
(Also, among other things, enable IP aliasing in the menuconfig step.)

make mrproper
make menuconfig
make dep; make clean 
make zlilo > makelog 2>&1 &
make modules; make modules_install

Reboot:

   Unresolved symbols in module /lib/modules/2.0.18/net/ibmtr.o
   Unresolved symbols in module /lib/modules/2.0.18/ipv4/ip_alias.o

The second one I understand, but as to the first: _token ring_?  Not
in these parts.  Nothing but my trusty 3c509, here.

Investigate, find that gcc's putting vmlinuz in /, whereas lilo.conf
says to load the kernel from /boot.  Aha!  Edit lilo.conf.  "lilo -v".
Reboot.  Much better.  

I decide to get the 2.0.27 kernel sources.  Compile, reboot:
 
   Unresolved symbols in module /lib/modules/default/misc/iBCS
   [...]
   modprobe: Can't locate module net-pf-4
   modprobe: Can't locate module net-pf-5

Blow away iBCS using "rpm -e iBCS".  Easy.  Then, take care of 
the other two (IPX?  AppleTalk?  I didn't say to use those!) by 
creating an /etc/conf.modules file:
    alias net-pf-4 off
    alias net-pf-5 off
Reboot.  No more startup nastygrams.

OK, get some sleep.  Think things over.  Hmm, Red Hat has elected
to use the 5.3.12 clibs.  Uh-oh.  Have heard they're Not A Good
Thing.  Why not replace them with 5.4.7 from source code I have
available nearby?  Further, I think I'll specify the GNU malloc
during the 5.4.7 compile, as Netscape doesn't crash when that
slower but more conservative malloc is in place.

The compile takes a long time (no surprise) but halts on a error
#2 (which I'm told is "file not found").  Double-checking the 5.4.7
system requirements, I find that one needs ld.so (dynamic loader)
version 1.8.2 or better, whereas Red Hat 4.0 installs ld.so 1.7.14.
OK, I go retrieve ld.so 1.8.5 from an ftp archive:  Ah, finally
something I don't have to compile!  Installs via shell script, which
among other things runs ldconfig.  _That_ gives me the error
I cited at the beginning.

My system _looks_ stable, but I have to wonder.  Obviously,
I need to fix the "inconsistent soname" errors, but don't
yet know how.  Also, is this a common problem, or am I just
lucky?

[1] Previously Red Hat 2.1, but I nuked that for 3.0.3.  The
point being that I'm not an utter newbie, nor inclined to
bizarre mods that would wreck ld.so, etc.

-- 
Cheers,                        My pid is Inigo Montoya.  You kill -9    
Rick Moen                      my parent process.  Prepare to vi.
rick@hugin.imat.com