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1 @include macros.texi
2 @include pkgvers.texi
3
4 @ifclear plain
5 @node Installation, Maintenance, Library Summary, Top
6 @end ifclear
7
8 @c %MENU% How to install the GNU C Library
9 @appendix Installing @theglibc{}
10
11 Before you do anything else, you should read the FAQ at
12 @url{http://sourceware.org/glibc/wiki/FAQ}. It answers common
13 questions and describes problems you may experience with compilation
14 and installation.
15
16 Features can be added to @theglibc{} via @dfn{add-on} bundles. These are
17 separate tar files, which you unpack into the top level of the source
18 tree. Then you give @code{configure} the @samp{--enable-add-ons} option
19 to activate them, and they will be compiled into the library.
20
21 You will need recent versions of several GNU tools: definitely GCC and
22 GNU Make, and possibly others. @xref{Tools for Compilation}, below.
23
24 @ifclear plain
25 @menu
26 * Configuring and compiling:: How to compile and test GNU libc.
27 * Running make install:: How to install it once you've got it
28 compiled.
29 * Tools for Compilation:: You'll need these first.
30 * Linux:: Specific advice for GNU/Linux systems.
31 * Reporting Bugs:: So they'll get fixed.
32 @end menu
33 @end ifclear
34
35 @node Configuring and compiling
36 @appendixsec Configuring and compiling @theglibc{}
37 @cindex configuring
38 @cindex compiling
39
40 @Theglibc{} cannot be compiled in the source directory. You must build
41 it in a separate build directory. For example, if you have unpacked
42 the @glibcadj{} sources in @file{/src/gnu/glibc-@var{version}},
43 create a directory
44 @file{/src/gnu/glibc-build} to put the object files in. This allows
45 removing the whole build directory in case an error occurs, which is
46 the safest way to get a fresh start and should always be done.
47
48 From your object directory, run the shell script @file{configure} located
49 at the top level of the source tree. In the scenario above, you'd type
50
51 @smallexample
52 $ ../glibc-@var{version}/configure @var{args@dots{}}
53 @end smallexample
54
55 Please note that even though you're building in a separate build
56 directory, the compilation may need to create or modify files and
57 directories in the source directory.
58
59 @noindent
60 @code{configure} takes many options, but the only one that is usually
61 mandatory is @samp{--prefix}. This option tells @code{configure}
62 where you want @theglibc{} installed. This defaults to @file{/usr/local},
63 but the normal setting to install as the standard system library is
64 @samp{--prefix=/usr} for @gnulinuxsystems{} and @samp{--prefix=} (an
65 empty prefix) for @gnuhurdsystems{}.
66
67 It may also be useful to set the @var{CC} and @var{CFLAGS} variables in
68 the environment when running @code{configure}. @var{CC} selects the C
69 compiler that will be used, and @var{CFLAGS} sets optimization options
70 for the compiler.
71
72 The following list describes all of the available options for
73 @code{configure}:
74
75 @table @samp
76 @item --prefix=@var{directory}
77 Install machine-independent data files in subdirectories of
78 @file{@var{directory}}. The default is to install in @file{/usr/local}.
79
80 @item --exec-prefix=@var{directory}
81 Install the library and other machine-dependent files in subdirectories
82 of @file{@var{directory}}. The default is to the @samp{--prefix}
83 directory if that option is specified, or @file{/usr/local} otherwise.
84
85 @item --with-headers=@var{directory}
86 Look for kernel header files in @var{directory}, not
87 @file{/usr/include}. @Theglibc{} needs information from the kernel's header
88 files describing the interface to the kernel. @Theglibc{} will normally
89 look in @file{/usr/include} for them,
90 but if you specify this option, it will look in @var{DIRECTORY} instead.
91
92 This option is primarily of use on a system where the headers in
93 @file{/usr/include} come from an older version of @theglibc{}. Conflicts can
94 occasionally happen in this case. You can also use this option if you want to
95 compile @theglibc{} with a newer set of kernel headers than the ones found in
96 @file{/usr/include}.
97
98 @item --enable-add-ons[=@var{list}]
99 Specify add-on packages to include in the build. If this option is
100 specified with no list, it enables all the add-on packages it finds in
101 the main source directory; this is the default behavior. You may
102 specify an explicit list of add-ons to use in @var{list}, separated by
103 spaces or commas (if you use spaces, remember to quote them from the
104 shell). Each add-on in @var{list} can be an absolute directory name
105 or can be a directory name relative to the main source directory, or
106 relative to the build directory (that is, the current working directory).
107 For example, @samp{--enable-add-ons=nptl,../glibc-libidn-@var{version}}.
108
109 @item --enable-kernel=@var{version}
110 This option is currently only useful on @gnulinuxsystems{}. The
111 @var{version} parameter should have the form X.Y.Z and describes the
112 smallest version of the Linux kernel the generated library is expected
113 to support. The higher the @var{version} number is, the less
114 compatibility code is added, and the faster the code gets.
115
116 @item --with-binutils=@var{directory}
117 Use the binutils (assembler and linker) in @file{@var{directory}}, not
118 the ones the C compiler would default to. You can use this option if
119 the default binutils on your system cannot deal with all the constructs
120 in @theglibc{}. In that case, @code{configure} will detect the
121 problem and suppress these constructs, so that the library will still be
122 usable, but functionality may be lost---for example, you can't build a
123 shared libc with old binutils.
124
125 @item --without-fp
126 Use this option if your computer lacks hardware floating-point support
127 and your operating system does not emulate an FPU.
128
129 @c disable static doesn't work currently
130 @c @item --disable-static
131 @c Don't build static libraries. Static libraries aren't that useful these
132 @c days, but we recommend you build them in case you need them.
133
134 @item --disable-shared
135 Don't build shared libraries even if it is possible. Not all systems
136 support shared libraries; you need ELF support and (currently) the GNU
137 linker.
138
139 @item --disable-profile
140 Don't build libraries with profiling information. You may want to use
141 this option if you don't plan to do profiling.
142
143 @item --enable-static-nss
144 Compile static versions of the NSS (Name Service Switch) libraries.
145 This is not recommended because it defeats the purpose of NSS; a program
146 linked statically with the NSS libraries cannot be dynamically
147 reconfigured to use a different name database.
148
149 @item --enable-hardcoded-path-in-tests
150 By default, dynamic tests are linked to run with the installed C library.
151 This option hardcodes the newly built C library path in dynamic tests
152 so that they can be invoked directly.
153
154 @item --disable-timezone-tools
155 By default, timezone related utilities (@command{zic}, @command{zdump},
156 and @command{tzselect}) are installed with @theglibc{}. If you are building
157 these independently (e.g. by using the @samp{tzcode} package), then this
158 option will allow disabling the install of these.
159
160 Note that you need to make sure the external tools are kept in sync with
161 the versions that @theglibc{} expects as the data formats may change over
162 time. Consult the @file{timezone} subdirectory for more details.
163
164 @item --enable-lock-elision=yes
165 Enable lock elision for pthread mutexes by default.
166
167 @pindex pt_chown
168 @findex grantpt
169 @item --enable-pt_chown
170 The file @file{pt_chown} is a helper binary for @code{grantpt}
171 (@pxref{Allocation, Pseudo-Terminals}) that is installed setuid root to
172 fix up pseudo-terminal ownership. It is not built by default because
173 systems using the Linux kernel are commonly built with the @code{devpts}
174 filesystem enabled and mounted at @file{/dev/pts}, which manages
175 pseudo-terminal ownership automatically. By using
176 @samp{--enable-pt_chown}, you may build @file{pt_chown} and install it
177 setuid and owned by @code{root}. The use of @file{pt_chown} introduces
178 additional security risks to the system and you should enable it only if
179 you understand and accept those risks.
180
181 @item --disable-werror
182 By default, @theglibc{} is built with @option{-Werror}. If you wish
183 to build without this option (for example, if building with a newer
184 version of GCC than this version of @theglibc{} was tested with, so
185 new warnings cause the build with @option{-Werror} to fail), you can
186 configure with @option{--disable-werror}.
187
188 @item --disable-mathvec
189 By default for x86_64, @theglibc{} is built with the vector math library.
190 Use this option to disable the vector math library.
191
192 @item --build=@var{build-system}
193 @itemx --host=@var{host-system}
194 These options are for cross-compiling. If you specify both options and
195 @var{build-system} is different from @var{host-system}, @code{configure}
196 will prepare to cross-compile @theglibc{} from @var{build-system} to be used
197 on @var{host-system}. You'll probably need the @samp{--with-headers}
198 option too, and you may have to override @var{configure}'s selection of
199 the compiler and/or binutils.
200
201 If you only specify @samp{--host}, @code{configure} will prepare for a
202 native compile but use what you specify instead of guessing what your
203 system is. This is most useful to change the CPU submodel. For example,
204 if @code{configure} guesses your machine as @code{i686-pc-linux-gnu} but
205 you want to compile a library for 586es, give
206 @samp{--host=i586-pc-linux-gnu} or just @samp{--host=i586-linux} and add
207 the appropriate compiler flags (@samp{-mcpu=i586} will do the trick) to
208 @var{CFLAGS}.
209
210 If you specify just @samp{--build}, @code{configure} will get confused.
211
212 @item --with-pkgversion=@var{version}
213 Specify a description, possibly including a build number or build
214 date, of the binaries being built, to be included in
215 @option{--version} output from programs installed with @theglibc{}.
216 For example, @option{--with-pkgversion='FooBar GNU/Linux glibc build
217 123'}. The default value is @samp{GNU libc}.
218
219 @item --with-bugurl=@var{url}
220 Specify the URL that users should visit if they wish to report a bug,
221 to be included in @option{--help} output from programs installed with
222 @theglibc{}. The default value refers to the main bug-reporting
223 information for @theglibc{}.
224 @end table
225
226 To build the library and related programs, type @code{make}. This will
227 produce a lot of output, some of which may look like errors from
228 @code{make} but aren't. Look for error messages from @code{make}
229 containing @samp{***}. Those indicate that something is seriously wrong.
230
231 The compilation process can take a long time, depending on the
232 configuration and the speed of your machine. Some complex modules may
233 take a very long time to compile, as much as several minutes on slower
234 machines. Do not panic if the compiler appears to hang.
235
236 If you want to run a parallel make, simply pass the @samp{-j} option
237 with an appropriate numeric parameter to @code{make}. You need a recent
238 GNU @code{make} version, though.
239
240 To build and run test programs which exercise some of the library
241 facilities, type @code{make check}. If it does not complete
242 successfully, do not use the built library, and report a bug after
243 verifying that the problem is not already known. @xref{Reporting Bugs},
244 for instructions on reporting bugs. Note that some of the tests assume
245 they are not being run by @code{root}. We recommend you compile and
246 test @theglibc{} as an unprivileged user.
247
248 Before reporting bugs make sure there is no problem with your system.
249 The tests (and later installation) use some pre-existing files of the
250 system such as @file{/etc/passwd}, @file{/etc/nsswitch.conf} and others.
251 These files must all contain correct and sensible content.
252
253 Normally, @code{make check} will run all the tests before reporting
254 all problems found and exiting with error status if any problems
255 occurred. You can specify @samp{stop-on-test-failure=y} when running
256 @code{make check} to make the test run stop and exit with an error
257 status immediately when a failure occurs.
258
259 The @glibcadj{} pretty printers come with their own set of scripts for testing,
260 which run together with the rest of the testsuite through @code{make check}.
261 These scripts require the following tools to run successfully:
262
263 @itemize @bullet
264 @item
265 Python 2.7.6/3.4.3 or later
266
267 Python is required for running the printers' test scripts.
268
269 @item PExpect 4.0
270
271 The printer tests drive GDB through test programs and compare its output
272 to the printers'. PExpect is used to capture the output of GDB, and should be
273 compatible with the Python version in your system.
274
275 @item
276 GDB 7.8 or later with support for Python 2.7.6/3.4.3 or later
277
278 GDB itself needs to be configured with Python support in order to use the
279 pretty printers. Notice that your system having Python available doesn't imply
280 that GDB supports it, nor that your system's Python and GDB's have the same
281 version.
282 @end itemize
283
284 @noindent
285 If these tools are absent, the printer tests will report themselves as
286 @code{UNSUPPORTED}. Notice that some of the printer tests require @theglibc{}
287 to be compiled with debugging symbols.
288
289 To format the @cite{GNU C Library Reference Manual} for printing, type
290 @w{@code{make dvi}}. You need a working @TeX{} installation to do
291 this. The distribution builds the on-line formatted version of the
292 manual, as Info files, as part of the build process. You can build
293 them manually with @w{@code{make info}}.
294
295 The library has a number of special-purpose configuration parameters
296 which you can find in @file{Makeconfig}. These can be overwritten with
297 the file @file{configparms}. To change them, create a
298 @file{configparms} in your build directory and add values as appropriate
299 for your system. The file is included and parsed by @code{make} and has
300 to follow the conventions for makefiles.
301
302 It is easy to configure @theglibc{} for cross-compilation by
303 setting a few variables in @file{configparms}. Set @code{CC} to the
304 cross-compiler for the target you configured the library for; it is
305 important to use this same @code{CC} value when running
306 @code{configure}, like this: @samp{CC=@var{target}-gcc configure
307 @var{target}}. Set @code{BUILD_CC} to the compiler to use for programs
308 run on the build system as part of compiling the library. You may need to
309 set @code{AR} to cross-compiling versions of @code{ar}
310 if the native tools are not configured to work with
311 object files for the target you configured for. When cross-compiling
312 @theglibc{}, it may be tested using @samp{make check
313 test-wrapper="@var{srcdir}/scripts/cross-test-ssh.sh @var{hostname}"},
314 where @var{srcdir} is the absolute directory name for the main source
315 directory and @var{hostname} is the host name of a system that can run
316 the newly built binaries of @theglibc{}. The source and build
317 directories must be visible at the same locations on both the build
318 system and @var{hostname}.
319
320 In general, when testing @theglibc{}, @samp{test-wrapper} may be set
321 to the name and arguments of any program to run newly built binaries.
322 This program must preserve the arguments to the binary being run, its
323 working directory and the standard input, output and error file
324 descriptors. If @samp{@var{test-wrapper} env} will not work to run a
325 program with environment variables set, then @samp{test-wrapper-env}
326 must be set to a program that runs a newly built program with
327 environment variable assignments in effect, those assignments being
328 specified as @samp{@var{var}=@var{value}} before the name of the
329 program to be run. If multiple assignments to the same variable are
330 specified, the last assignment specified must take precedence.
331 Similarly, if @samp{@var{test-wrapper} env -i} will not work to run a
332 program with an environment completely empty of variables except those
333 directly assigned, then @samp{test-wrapper-env-only} must be set; its
334 use has the same syntax as @samp{test-wrapper-env}, the only
335 difference in its semantics being starting with an empty set of
336 environment variables rather than the ambient set.
337
338
339 @node Running make install
340 @appendixsec Installing the C Library
341 @cindex installing
342
343 To install the library and its header files, and the Info files of the
344 manual, type @code{make install}. This will
345 build things, if necessary, before installing them; however, you should
346 still compile everything first. If you are installing @theglibc{} as your
347 primary C library, we recommend that you shut the system down to
348 single-user mode first, and reboot afterward. This minimizes the risk
349 of breaking things when the library changes out from underneath.
350
351 @samp{make install} will do the entire job of upgrading from a
352 previous installation of @theglibc{} version 2.x. There may sometimes
353 be headers
354 left behind from the previous installation, but those are generally
355 harmless. If you want to avoid leaving headers behind you can do
356 things in the following order.
357
358 You must first build the library (@samp{make}), optionally check it
359 (@samp{make check}), switch the include directories and then install
360 (@samp{make install}). The steps must be done in this order. Not moving
361 the directory before install will result in an unusable mixture of header
362 files from both libraries, but configuring, building, and checking the
363 library requires the ability to compile and run programs against the old
364 library. The new @file{/usr/include}, after switching the include
365 directories and before installing the library should contain the Linux
366 headers, but nothing else. If you do this, you will need to restore
367 any headers from libraries other than @theglibc{} yourself after installing the
368 library.
369
370 You can install @theglibc{} somewhere other than where you configured
371 it to go by setting the @code{DESTDIR} GNU standard make variable on
372 the command line for @samp{make install}. The value of this variable
373 is prepended to all the paths for installation. This is useful when
374 setting up a chroot environment or preparing a binary distribution.
375 The directory should be specified with an absolute file name. Installing
376 with the @code{prefix} and @code{exec_prefix} GNU standard make variables
377 set is not supported.
378
379 @Theglibc{} includes a daemon called @code{nscd}, which you
380 may or may not want to run. @code{nscd} caches name service lookups; it
381 can dramatically improve performance with NIS+, and may help with DNS as
382 well.
383
384 One auxiliary program, @file{/usr/libexec/pt_chown}, is installed setuid
385 @code{root} if the @samp{--enable-pt_chown} configuration option is used.
386 This program is invoked by the @code{grantpt} function; it sets the
387 permissions on a pseudoterminal so it can be used by the calling process.
388 If you are using a Linux kernel with the @code{devpts} filesystem enabled
389 and mounted at @file{/dev/pts}, you don't need this program.
390
391 After installation you might want to configure the timezone and locale
392 installation of your system. @Theglibc{} comes with a locale
393 database which gets configured with @code{localedef}. For example, to
394 set up a German locale with name @code{de_DE}, simply issue the command
395 @samp{localedef -i de_DE -f ISO-8859-1 de_DE}. To configure all locales
396 that are supported by @theglibc{}, you can issue from your build directory the
397 command @samp{make localedata/install-locales}.
398
399 To configure the locally used timezone, set the @code{TZ} environment
400 variable. The script @code{tzselect} helps you to select the right value.
401 As an example, for Germany, @code{tzselect} would tell you to use
402 @samp{TZ='Europe/Berlin'}. For a system wide installation (the given
403 paths are for an installation with @samp{--prefix=/usr}), link the
404 timezone file which is in @file{/usr/share/zoneinfo} to the file
405 @file{/etc/localtime}. For Germany, you might execute @samp{ln -s
406 /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Berlin /etc/localtime}.
407
408 @node Tools for Compilation
409 @appendixsec Recommended Tools for Compilation
410 @cindex installation tools
411 @cindex tools, for installing library
412
413 We recommend installing the following GNU tools before attempting to
414 build @theglibc{}:
415
416 @itemize @bullet
417 @item
418 GNU @code{make} 3.79 or newer
419
420 You need the latest version of GNU @code{make}. Modifying @theglibc{}
421 to work with other @code{make} programs would be so difficult that
422 we recommend you port GNU @code{make} instead. @strong{Really.} We
423 recommend GNU @code{make} version 3.79. All earlier versions have severe
424 bugs or lack features.
425
426 @item
427 GCC 4.7 or newer
428
429 GCC 4.7 or higher is required. In general it is recommended to use
430 the newest version of the compiler that is known to work for building
431 @theglibc{}, as newer compilers usually produce better code. As of
432 release time, GCC 5.3 is the newest compiler verified to work to build
433 @theglibc{}.
434
435 For multi-arch support it is recommended to use a GCC which has been built with
436 support for GNU indirect functions. This ensures that correct debugging
437 information is generated for functions selected by IFUNC resolvers. This
438 support can either be enabled by configuring GCC with
439 @samp{--enable-gnu-indirect-function}, or by enabling it by default by setting
440 @samp{default_gnu_indirect_function} variable for a particular architecture in
441 the GCC source file @file{gcc/config.gcc}.
442
443 You can use whatever compiler you like to compile programs that use
444 @theglibc{}.
445
446 Check the FAQ for any special compiler issues on particular platforms.
447
448 @item
449 GNU @code{binutils} 2.22 or later
450
451 You must use GNU @code{binutils} (as and ld) to build @theglibc{}.
452 No other assembler or linker has the necessary functionality at the
453 moment. As of release time, GNU @code{binutils} 2.25 is the newest
454 verified to work to build @theglibc{}.
455
456 @item
457 GNU @code{texinfo} 4.7 or later
458
459 To correctly translate and install the Texinfo documentation you need
460 this version of the @code{texinfo} package. Earlier versions do not
461 understand all the tags used in the document, and the installation
462 mechanism for the info files is not present or works differently.
463 As of release time, @code{texinfo} 6.0 is the newest verified to work
464 to build @theglibc{}.
465
466 @item
467 GNU @code{awk} 3.1.2, or higher
468
469 @code{awk} is used in several places to generate files.
470 Some @code{gawk} extensions are used, including the @code{asorti}
471 function, which was introduced in version 3.1.2 of @code{gawk}.
472 As of release time, @code{gawk} version 4.1.3 is the newest verified
473 to work to build @theglibc{}.
474
475 @item
476 Perl 5
477
478 Perl is not required, but it is used if present to test the
479 installation. We may decide to use it elsewhere in the future.
480
481 @item
482 GNU @code{sed} 3.02 or newer
483
484 @code{Sed} is used in several places to generate files. Most scripts work
485 with any version of @code{sed}. As of release time, @code{sed} version
486 4.2.2 is the newest verified to work to build @theglibc{}.
487
488 @end itemize
489
490 @noindent
491 If you change any of the @file{configure.ac} files you will also need
492
493 @itemize @bullet
494 @item
495 GNU @code{autoconf} 2.69 (exactly)
496 @end itemize
497
498 @noindent
499 and if you change any of the message translation files you will need
500
501 @itemize @bullet
502 @item
503 GNU @code{gettext} 0.10.36 or later
504 @end itemize
505
506 @noindent
507 If you wish to regenerate the @code{yacc} parser code in the @file{intl}
508 subdirectory you will need
509
510 @itemize @bullet
511 @item
512 GNU @code{bison} 2.7 or later
513 @end itemize
514
515 @noindent
516 You may also need these packages if you upgrade your source tree using
517 patches, although we try to avoid this.
518
519 @node Linux
520 @appendixsec Specific advice for @gnulinuxsystems{}
521 @cindex kernel header files
522
523 If you are installing @theglibc{} on @gnulinuxsystems{}, you need to have
524 the header files from a 3.2 or newer kernel around for reference.
525 These headers must be installed using @samp{make headers_install}; the
526 headers present in the kernel source directory are not suitable for
527 direct use by @theglibc{}. You do not need to use that kernel, just have
528 its headers installed where @theglibc{} can access them, referred to here as
529 @var{install-directory}. The easiest way to do this is to unpack it
530 in a directory such as @file{/usr/src/linux-@var{version}}. In that
531 directory, run @samp{make headers_install
532 INSTALL_HDR_PATH=@var{install-directory}}. Finally, configure @theglibc{}
533 with the option @samp{--with-headers=@var{install-directory}/include}.
534 Use the most recent kernel you can get your hands on. (If you are
535 cross-compiling @theglibc{}, you need to specify
536 @samp{ARCH=@var{architecture}} in the @samp{make headers_install}
537 command, where @var{architecture} is the architecture name used by the
538 Linux kernel, such as @samp{x86} or @samp{powerpc}.)
539
540 After installing @theglibc{}, you may need to remove or rename
541 directories such as @file{/usr/include/linux} and
542 @file{/usr/include/asm}, and replace them with copies of directories
543 such as @file{linux} and @file{asm} from
544 @file{@var{install-directory}/include}. All directories present in
545 @file{@var{install-directory}/include} should be copied, except that
546 @theglibc{} provides its own version of @file{/usr/include/scsi}; the
547 files provided by the kernel should be copied without replacing those
548 provided by @theglibc{}. The @file{linux}, @file{asm} and
549 @file{asm-generic} directories are required to compile programs using
550 @theglibc{}; the other directories describe interfaces to the kernel but
551 are not required if not compiling programs using those interfaces.
552 You do not need to copy kernel headers if you did not specify an
553 alternate kernel header source using @samp{--with-headers}.
554
555 The Filesystem Hierarchy Standard for @gnulinuxsystems{} expects some
556 components of the @glibcadj{} installation to be in
557 @file{/lib} and some in @file{/usr/lib}. This is handled automatically
558 if you configure @theglibc{} with @samp{--prefix=/usr}. If you set some other
559 prefix or allow it to default to @file{/usr/local}, then all the
560 components are installed there.
561
562 @node Reporting Bugs
563 @appendixsec Reporting Bugs
564 @cindex reporting bugs
565 @cindex bugs, reporting
566
567 There are probably bugs in @theglibc{}. There are certainly
568 errors and omissions in this manual. If you report them, they will get
569 fixed. If you don't, no one will ever know about them and they will
570 remain unfixed for all eternity, if not longer.
571
572 It is a good idea to verify that the problem has not already been
573 reported. Bugs are documented in two places: The file @file{BUGS}
574 describes a number of well known bugs and the central @glibcadj{}
575 bug tracking system has a
576 WWW interface at
577 @url{http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/}. The WWW
578 interface gives you access to open and closed reports. A closed report
579 normally includes a patch or a hint on solving the problem.
580
581 To report a bug, first you must find it. With any luck, this will be the
582 hard part. Once you've found a bug, make sure it's really a bug. A
583 good way to do this is to see if @theglibc{} behaves the same way
584 some other C library does. If so, probably you are wrong and the
585 libraries are right (but not necessarily). If not, one of the libraries
586 is probably wrong. It might not be @theglibc{}. Many historical
587 Unix C libraries permit things that we don't, such as closing a file
588 twice.
589
590 If you think you have found some way in which @theglibc{} does not
591 conform to the ISO and POSIX standards (@pxref{Standards and
592 Portability}), that is definitely a bug. Report it!
593
594 Once you're sure you've found a bug, try to narrow it down to the
595 smallest test case that reproduces the problem. In the case of a C
596 library, you really only need to narrow it down to one library
597 function call, if possible. This should not be too difficult.
598
599 The final step when you have a simple test case is to report the bug.
600 Do this at @value{REPORT_BUGS_TO}.
601
602 If you are not sure how a function should behave, and this manual
603 doesn't tell you, that's a bug in the manual. Report that too! If the
604 function's behavior disagrees with the manual, then either the library
605 or the manual has a bug, so report the disagreement. If you find any
606 errors or omissions in this manual, please report them to the
607 bug database. If you refer to specific
608 sections of the manual, please include the section names for easier
609 identification.