Re: [PORTS] Linux/Alpha Regression tests....

> The biggest trouble in finding this bug is how "complex" the
> datetime code is... Actually after hacking at it for a few hours (with 
> no success) I have other words to describe it, but I will refrain.

I'll assume it would be a compliment :) I was happy with how simple I
was able to make the code. Date/time stuff ain't easy.

I'm guessing that the problem is in one of two areas:

1) the configure/build process is confused as to what kind of time
support you have on your system. There are two styles of local time
conversion interfaces on Unix systems: one which uses global variables
to return info on time zones, and one which returns that info as part of
the tz structure. The third type, which is pretty much no timezone
support, is probably not relevant, though if your system is really
confused you should eliminate that as a possibility. The second type is
reentrant, the first is not. It doesn't really matter which kind your
system uses because each backend is essentially single-threaded, but if
it guesses wrong on what kind of system you have then the results will
be garbage.

2) the Postgres code stomps on the global variables used for timezone
info. I think I got that resolved, but I figured I should mention it
just in case.

It is most likely that (1) is the problem. Try compiling with
"-DDATEDEBUG" specified, and see if that helps you track through the
code. Though it seems like you already know where the problem is
located, so I'd just pound on an example until you get it figured out.

Good luck.
                      - Tom