Document Title: errata.txt Subject: Known Problems in SPEC CPU2000 Last updated: 20 Dec 2000 3:30pm (To check for possible updates to this document, please see http://www.spec.org/cpu2000/docs ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This document describes known problems in SPEC CPU2000 V1.1, and solutions for problems previously documented for V1.0. Note: When updating this document, please do not ever re-use problem numbers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OPEN PROBLEM REPORTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Problem number: 10 Problem summary: Linux mount command should have -o exec Details: The file install_guide_unix.txt recommends mounting the CD with the following command on Linux systems: mount -t iso9660 -o ro /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom This mount command is probably either too much or too little. On some Linux systems, you may not need any mount command at all - the system will automatically mount it. But if your Linux system does require a mount command, then you will probably do better with mount -t iso9660 -o ro,exec /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom If you do not use "exec", you might not be able to run the install script (permission denied), or the script may run but fail to find a set of SPEC tools for your architecture. Workaround: Please add "exec", as described above. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Problem number: 9 Problem summary: The installation procedure on Unix is more quiet than the installation guide claims. Details: The file install_guide_unix.txt says: 6) You will see thousands of filenames mentioned as they are created This is incorrect. As of V1.1, the files are created, but they are not mentioned. Please see section III of $SPEC/docs/changes_in_V1.1.txt Workaround: If you prefer to see all the filenames, set VERBOSE=1 in your environment before installing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Problem number: 8 Problem summary: "perfect.in - tree removal aborted" Details: On Windows/NT or Windows 2000, when building the benchmark 253.perlbmk, the following message will sometimes be seen: Couldn't unlink [...]CINT2000/253.perlbmk/run/00000001/perfect.in - tree removal aborted This message comes from the CPU2000 tools (specifically, benchmark.pm line 965) and indicates that a file could not be removed. Workaround: None; the warning may safely be ignored. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Problem number: 7 Problem summary: --output_format limitation on NT Details: On Unix systems, a list of formats can be requested by typing (for example): runspec --output_format=asc,ps rawformat -o ps,pdf,html On NT systems, only one format may be selected. Workaround: Either select the desired formats in your config file, or run rawformat multiple times (once for each format). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Problem number: 6 Problem summary: PDFlib warning on NT Details: When pdf output is selected on Windows/NT (or Windows 2000), a warning is printed: PDFlib warning: Symbol font Symbol doesn't use builtin encoding This message indicates that when the pdf output was produced, the copyright symbol was not printed. Although the symbol is missing, the word "Copyright" still appears. Workaround: None; the warning may safely be ignored. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CLOSED PROBLEM REPORTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Problem number: 5 Problem summary: --max_active_compares cannot exceed --users Details: If you issue a runspec command with --max_active_compares set to a value larger than the number of users being tested, the tools may incorrectly report that a benchmark got the wrong answer (miscompared). Resolution: Fixed for SPEC CPU2000 V1.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Problem number: 4 Problem summary: runspec crashes quickly on Alpha/NT, trying to find PDF Details: On Alpha/NT, the runspec command crashes soon after starting up. The command window shows: Identifying output formats...asc...html... and then a dialog box is raised that says specperl.exe - Application Error The instruction at "0x011a8e04" referenced memory at "0x00000628". The memory could not be "read". Resolution: This problem is believed fixed for SPEC CPU2000 V1.1; if it should recur, please apply the workaround below. Workaround: Disable PDF and Postscript output by doing: cd %SPEC%\bin rename PSPDF.pm hideme_PSPDF.pm Runspec will then be able to initialize correctly (and other forms of output will work). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Problem number: 3 Problem summary: runspec -V does not find specmake etc. on NT Details: The command "runspec -V" provides detailed information about versions of tools in the SPEC CPU2000 suite. However, when used on NT, it does not correctly find specinvoke, specmake, specgzip, and specperl. Workaround: You can find out the versions of these tools by hand. Try saying: shrc specinvoke -v specmake -v specgzip -h specperl -v Resolution: Fixed for SPEC CPU2000 V1.1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Problem number: 2 Problem summary: --username does not work as documented Details: The CPU2000 suite provides limited support for multiple users, as described in runspec.txt. It is also documented there that the switch "--username" can be used to change the value that would otherwise be defaulted from the current process. Nevertheless, at this time the value is always taken from the process. That is, if a user is logged in as "michael", but says runspec --username=paula, the run directories will still be tagged as michael's. Resolution: Fixed for V1.1. Support is still limited (e.g. users still share certain directories), but the features described in runspec.txt now appear to work. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Problem number: 1 Problem summary: Rate from speed sometimes loses reportable attribute. Details: The CPU2000 run rules specify that it is legal to generate a single-user rate result from a single-user speed run. See runrules.txt 4.3.2 and the section on rawformat in utility.txt. However, when the instructions in utility.txt are followed, the output files sometimes do not preserve the reportable attribute. That is, reports say "INVALID RUN". The problem has been seen only when attempting to format base-only runs; no problems are known for rawfiles that contain both base and peak metrics. Resolution: Fixed for SPEC CPU2000 V1.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------