Please backport gcc-3.3

[Stefano Rivera]

The gcc-3.3 package provides libstdc++5, required by some 3rd party binary-only proprietary software. It was removed from Debian and Ubuntu when packages no longer depended on it, but that broke 3rd party software. (LP: #431091 et al.)

Recently, a new gcc-3.3 package has been accepted into Debian and Ubuntu to provide support for such software: libstdc++5.

Please backport it for Karmic and Lucid users.

It builds fine without modification. It failed to build from source on powerpc for Maverick, but I doubt many users need this on powerpc https://edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gcc-3.3/1:3.3.6ds1-20/+build/1844327

[Steve Stalcup (vorian)]

Stefano, can you please give some examples of these proprietary binaries for us to test?

[Stefano Rivera (stefanor)]

> can you please give some examples of these proprietary binaries

See LP: #431091. Subscribing Graham, who can possibly give some more concrete examples...

[Graham Inggs (ginggs)]

I'm struggling to find a binary suitable for you to test, most belong to big, expensive applications that require some kind of license server.

Below is a list of some of the 64-bit applications we use that require libstdc++.so.5:
Accelrys Materials Studio http://accelrys.com/products/materials-studio/
Ansys Fluent / Workbench http://www.ansys.com/products/fluid-dynamics/default.asp
Simulia Abaqus http://www.simulia.com/products/abaqus_fea.html
Feko http://www.feko.info/feko-product-info

Ansys Workbench 12.0 required libstdc++.so.5 but 12.1 now uses libstdc++.so.6.
However the amd64 version of 12.1 still requires an i386 libstdc++.so.5 for the geometry import function in ICEM CFD.
I think LP: #431091 is specifically for applications that require an i386 libstdc++.so.5, which won't be solved on amd64 even if gcc-3.3 is backported. Some other applications are mentioned in LP: #436886.

[Steve Stalcup (vorian)]

Hello, we still need test results. Anyone can test this out and report on the results. We'll need it for lucid and karmic.

Thanks

[Stefano Rivera (stefanor)]

Found a reasonable test with mplayer's proprietory codecs tarball:

Run /usr/share/mplayer/binary_codecs.sh install

Then mplayer -vc rv3040 http://samples.mplayerhq.hu/real/VC-RV30/Tom%26Jerry-Cat%20Napping.rm

Bad output:
Forced video codec: rv3040
Opening video decoder: [realvid] RealVideo decoder
Error: libstdc++.so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

Good output:
Plays video

I've verified that the backport of this in ppa:stefanor/tsl works on lucid i386 and a rebuild done on karmic works on karmic 386

[Scott Kitterman (kitterman)]

Ack. Approved by ubuntu-backporters for both lucid and karmic.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

I: Extracting gcc-3.3_3.3.6ds1-20.dsc ... done.
I: Building backport of gcc-3.3 as 1:3.3.6ds1-20~karmic1 ... done.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

I: Extracting gcc-3.3_3.3.6ds1-20.dsc ... done.
I: Building backport of gcc-3.3 as 1:3.3.6ds1-20~lucid1 ... done.