V2.11.2 and “String_File” errors

Mike Fitzpatrick wrote on Sep 15, 1999

	Several sites have noticed that since upgrading to the V2.11.2 patch
various tasks may suddenly start crashing with the message:

	ERROR: No write permission on file (String_File)

In general terms this is a corrupted string buffer error which can occur
with the V2.11.2 patch because of a mismatch between the size of a buffer
in the iraf shared image and the executable.  The most common cause is a
change to the size of a time structure used in the system iraf$lib/time.h
include file.  External packages compiled before the V2.11.2 patch which
relied on this file have binaries using the old size, but when the task is
executed and maps the iraf shared library using the new size the string
buffer can be corrupted leading to the above error.  Another possible
cause is that the upgrade itself was not done properly (e.g. the binaries
weren't reinstalled, were unpacked in the wrong directory, or only one of
the IB/NB binaries were updated).  There may be other causes unrelated to
the patch but these are relatively rare.  When this error does occur users
should note whether it is in a core system task or and external package.

	The solution is to first be sure that after upgrading to V2.11.2
all external packages are relinked against the new system.  In some cases
however, (e.g. the EUV package, the TABLES.TPRINT task, and FITPARAMS in
DIGIPHOT.PHOTCAL) the mkpkg file used to build the binaries does not list
the <time.h> dependency for a particular file and so the relinking will
not update the file file as it should and the error persists.  If you
relink a package and still see the error, try recompiling entirely from
source to avoid this latter problem.  If you then *still* have a problem
feel free to write iraf@noao.edu for assistance.

Mike Fitzpatrick

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Last post on Sep 15, 1999