From Newsgroup: comp.lang.cobol

I'm currently on Ubuntu 12.04 running version: "cobc (OpenCOBOL) 1.0.0".
I'm starting to hit problems that I can't diagnose, like a segfault in the compiler (below). I don't expect anyone is going to support this old version, so I'm thinking of installing Gnu COBOL. However I have a couple of questions maybe someone here can answer:
1. At sourceforge.net/projects/open-cobol/ it says "GnuCOBOL 2.0 is on rc-2 close to release". Does this mean I should wait for release, or install rc-2? 2. Is the package name still open-cobol or gnu-cobol? If the latter, will apt-get simply install new executables and libraries without checking for existing files of the same name? Should I uninstall open-cobol first?
In case anyone's interested in seeing if the segfault still exists in Gnu COBOL, here's a minimal source program that triggers it for me:
--
id division.
program-id. cobcbug.
author. Hugh Sweeney.
environment division.
input-output section.
file-control.
select listing assign to "uin"
organization is line sequential.
data division.
file section.
fd listing.
01 inrec pic x(80).
working-storage section.
77 linenumber pic 99999 value 0 comp.
77 sub1 pic 9 comp.
01 value all "X".
10 pic x.
88 looks-like-statement-start value "T" False is "F".
01 grp6.
05 sgrp6 pic x(6). *> Extra lines I inserted...
05 filler redefines sgrp6. *> ...to work around segfault.
10 num6 pic 9 occurs 6.
procedure division.
if inrec(sub1:sub1) is numeric
move inrec(sub1:sub1) to num6(sub1)
else
if inrec(sub1:sub1) = space
if grp6(1:sub1) = linenumber + 1 *> Segfault.
* if sgrp6(1:sub1) = linenumber + 1 *> Compiles ok.
set looks-like-statement-start to true
end-if
end-if
end-if
.
--
and here's what I see when I try to compile it:

cobc -Ox cobcbug.cbl

Segmentation fault (core dumped)

Uncommenting the commented line in the proc div and commenting the prior line results in a clean compile. Knowing this user, the prior line is probably a user error, but the segfault is beyond my ability to fix.
Hugh
--

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From Newsgroup: comp.lang.cobol

Hello Hugh!

Monday June 12 2017 19:50, Hugh Sweeney wrote to All:

I have been using v2.0 for 6 or more years.

It is used to build my ACAS accounting system that consists of over 200
modules and programs and these have run solidly since with the only
problems being my code changes that have introduced bugs (in my code).

It now is used to to migrate ACAS into Mysql. I have also used it to run
tests on Oracle and DB2 with success.

A large numerb of commercial shops have been using it in excess for two
years and I am saying that because I do not know the actual timeframe for
them but I do know that is is used in thousands of sites / systems.

Is that good enough?

This is not to say that there is no bugs, of course there is with the
reported open bug count of 83, with a total of 177. Note too bad for seven years of using and testing.

Vince

I'm currently on Ubuntu 12.04 running version: "cobc (OpenCOBOL)
1.0.0".

I'm starting to hit problems that I can't diagnose, like a segfault in
the compiler (below). I don't expect anyone is going to support this
old version, so I'm thinking of installing Gnu COBOL. However I have a couple of questions maybe someone here can answer:

1. At sourceforge.net/projects/open-cobol/ it says "GnuCOBOL 2.0 is on
rc-2 close to release". Does this mean I should wait for release, or
install rc-2?

2. Is the package name still open-cobol or gnu-cobol? If the latter,
will apt-get simply install new executables and libraries without
checking for existing files of the same name? Should I uninstall
open-cobol first?

In case anyone's interested in seeing if the segfault still exists in
Gnu COBOL, here's a minimal source program that triggers it for me: --
id division.
program-id. cobcbug.
author. Hugh Sweeney.
environment division.
input-output section.
file-control.
select listing assign to "uin"
organization is line sequential.
data division.
file section.
fd listing.
01 inrec pic x(80).
working-storage section.
77 linenumber pic 99999 value 0 comp.
77 sub1 pic 9 comp.
01 value all "X".
10 pic x.
88 looks-like-statement-start value "T" False is "F".
01 grp6.
05 sgrp6 pic x(6). *> Extra lines I inserted...
05 filler redefines sgrp6. *> ...to work around segfault.
10 num6 pic 9 occurs 6.
procedure division.
if inrec(sub1:sub1) is numeric
move inrec(sub1:sub1) to num6(sub1)
else
if inrec(sub1:sub1) = space
if grp6(1:sub1) = linenumber + 1 *> Segfault.
* if sgrp6(1:sub1) = linenumber + 1 *> Compiles ok.
set looks-like-statement-start to true
end-if
end-if
end-if
.
--
and here's what I see when I try to compile it:

cobc -Ox cobcbug.cbl

Segmentation fault (core dumped)

Uncommenting the commented line in the proc div and commenting the
prior line results in a clean compile. Knowing this user, the prior
line is probably a user error, but the segfault is beyond my ability
to fix.

Hugh
--

Vince

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From Newsgroup: comp.lang.cobol

On Tuesday, 13 June 2017 00:25:57 UTC+1, Vince Coen wrote:

Hello Hugh!

Monday June 12 2017 19:50, Hugh Sweeney wrote to All:

I have been using v2.0 for 6 or more years.

It is used to build my ACAS accounting system that consists of over 200 modules and programs and these have run solidly since with the only
problems being my code changes that have introduced bugs (in my code).

It now is used to to migrate ACAS into Mysql. I have also used it to run tests on Oracle and DB2 with success.

A large numerb of commercial shops have been using it in excess for two
years and I am saying that because I do not know the actual timeframe for them but I do know that is is used in thousands of sites / systems.

Is that good enough?

Thanks Vince. That's good enough evidence for me.

So I issued
apt-get remove open-cobol (completed ok)
apt-get install gnu-cobol
but the second command generated message "E: Unable to locate package gnu-cobol"
so it looks like I was wrong to assume that Gnu COBOL can be installed by this method. Can anyone tell me what method to use on Ubuntu 12.04 please.

tia
Hugh
--

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From Newsgroup: comp.lang.cobol

On 6/15/2017 5:03 AM, Hugh Sweeney wrote:

On Tuesday, 13 June 2017 00:25:57 UTC+1, Vince Coen wrote:

Hello Hugh!

Monday June 12 2017 19:50, Hugh Sweeney wrote to All:

I have been using v2.0 for 6 or more years.
(snip)

Thanks Vince. That's good enough evidence for me.

So I issued
apt-get remove open-cobol (completed ok)
apt-get install gnu-cobol
but the second command generated message "E: Unable to locate package

gnu-cobol"

so it looks like I was wrong to assume that Gnu COBOL can be installed by

this method. Can anyone tell me what method to use on Ubuntu 12.04 please.

tia
Hugh
--

If you don't get an answer here, you can get a quicker answer from the compiler authors on the SourceForge project:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/open-cobol/

https://sourceforge.net/p/open-cobol/discussion/

You don't have to register to ask questions in the discussion forum, but
it's free to register, and your post won't be delayed for review by a moderator.

I use GnuCOBOL 2.0 RC2 in Windows/MinGW, but I don't know the exact
procedure for installing in Linux. But they will know in the forum,
because I have seen that question come up before.

Kind regards,


--
http://www.arnoldtrembley.com/

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From Newsgroup: comp.lang.cobol

Hello Hugh!

Thursday June 15 2017 11:03, Hugh Sweeney wrote to All:

On Tuesday, 13 June 2017 00:25:57 UTC+1, Vince Coen wrote:

Hello Hugh!

Monday June 12 2017 19:50, Hugh Sweeney wrote to All:

I have been using v2.0 for 6 or more years.

It is used to build my ACAS accounting system that consists of over
200 modules and programs and these have run solidly since with the
only problems being my code changes that have introduced bugs (in my
code).

It now is used to to migrate ACAS into Mysql. I have also used it to
run tests on Oracle and DB2 with success.

A large numerb of commercial shops have been using it in excess for
two years and I am saying that because I do not know the actual
timeframe for them but I do know that is is used in thousands of
sites / systems.

Is that good enough?

Thanks Vince. That's good enough evidence for me.

So I issued
apt-get remove open-cobol (completed ok)
apt-get install gnu-cobol
but the second command generated message "E: Unable to locate package gnu-cobol" so it looks like I was wrong to assume that Gnu COBOL can
be installed by this method. Can anyone tell me what method to use on
Ubuntu 12.04 please.

Having removed the old version and using a terminal create a directory for
the compilers, e.g,

mkdir cobolcompilers

Then issue

svn checkout https://svn.code.sf.net/p/open-cobol/code/trunk
open-cobol-code

Now in dir, open-cobol-code will be the sources for the compiler now follow
and install if required the needed packages using your package manager then enter the new directory and run:

/configure
make checkall

if worked with no errors run sudo make install

You are now ready to work so move out of the compiler directories into the
one used for your Cobol sources.




Vince

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From Newsgroup: comp.lang.cobol

Hello Hugh!

Thursday June 15 2017 11:03, Hugh Sweeney wrote to All:

On Tuesday, 13 June 2017 00:25:57 UTC+1, Vince Coen wrote:

Hello Hugh!

Monday June 12 2017 19:50, Hugh Sweeney wrote to All:

I have been using v2.0 for 6 or more years.

It is used to build my ACAS accounting system that consists of over
200 modules and programs and these have run solidly since with the
only problems being my code changes that have introduced bugs (in my
code).

It now is used to to migrate ACAS into Mysql. I have also used it to
run tests on Oracle and DB2 with success.

A large numerb of commercial shops have been using it in excess for
two years and I am saying that because I do not know the actual
timeframe for them but I do know that is is used in thousands of
sites / systems.

Is that good enough?

Thanks Vince. That's good enough evidence for me.

So I issued
apt-get remove open-cobol (completed ok)
apt-get install gnu-cobol
but the second command generated message "E: Unable to locate package gnu-cobol" so it looks like I was wrong to assume that Gnu COBOL can
be installed by this method. Can anyone tell me what method to use on
Ubuntu 12.04 please.

Preious post I gave a process that results in the wrong version (1.1) being provided so use this process instead:

with browser select : https://sourceforge.net/p/open-cobol/code/HEAD/tree/branches/gnu-cobol-2.0/

Now select Download snapshot and you will get a zipped archive of the
current compiler sources.




Vince

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