"ghc.exe: panic!" occurs in cabal-install 1.18.0.2

[znd-milktea]

Some packages fail to install by cabal-install 1.18.0.2
(in Windows 7 64bit, GHC 7.6.3)

The following is installation of the GLFW-b package.

Configuring GLFW-b-1.4.1...
Building GLFW-b-1.4.1...
Preprocessing library GLFW-b-1.4.1...
[1 of 3] Compiling Graphics.UI.GLFW.Types ( Graphics\UI\GLFW\Types.hs, dist\buil
d\Graphics\UI\GLFW\Types.o )
Loading package ghc-prim ... linking ... done.
Loading package integer-gmp ... linking ... done.
Loading package base ... linking ... done.
Loading package bindings-DSL-1.0.20 ... linking ... done.
Loading package bindings-GLFW-3.0.3.1 ... ghc.exe: Unknown PEi386 section name `
.drectve' (while processing: C:\Users\Fujiyan\AppData\Roaming\cabal\i386-windows
-ghc-7.6.3\bindings-GLFW-3.0.3.1\libHSbindings-GLFW-3.0.3.1.a)
ghc.exe: panic! (the 'impossible' happened)
(GHC version 7.6.3 for i386-unknown-mingw32):
loadArchive "C:\Users\Fujiyan\AppData\Roaming\cabal\i386-windows-g
hc-7.6.3\bindings-GLFW-3.0.3.1\libHSbindings-GLFW-3.0.3.1.a": failed

Please report this as a GHC bug: http://www.haskell.org/ghc/reportabug

Failed to install GLFW-b-1.4.1
cabal: Error: some packages failed to install:
GLFW-b-1.4.1 failed during the building phase. The exception was:
ExitFailure 1

But, with cabal-install 1.16.0.2, it is successful.

Configuring GLFW-b-1.4.1...
Building GLFW-b-1.4.1...
Preprocessing library GLFW-b-1.4.1...
[1 of 3] Compiling Graphics.UI.GLFW.Types ( Graphics\UI\GLFW\Types.hs, dist\buil
d\Graphics\UI\GLFW\Types.o )
Loading package ghc-prim ... linking ... done.
Loading package integer-gmp ... linking ... done.
Loading package base ... linking ... done.
Loading package bindings-DSL-1.0.20 ... linking ... done.
Loading package bindings-GLFW-3.0.3.1 ... linking ... done.
[2 of 3] Compiling Graphics.UI.GLFW.C ( Graphics\UI\GLFW\C.hs, dist\build\Graphi
cs\UI\GLFW\C.o )
[3 of 3] Compiling Graphics.UI.GLFW ( Graphics\UI\GLFW.hs, dist\build\Graphics\U
I\GLFW.o )
In-place registering GLFW-b-1.4.1...
Installing library in
C:\Users\Fujiyan\AppData\Roaming\cabal\GLFW-b-1.4.1\ghc-7.6.3
Registering GLFW-b-1.4.1...
Installed GLFW-b-1.4.1

This problem is reported as bug of GHC 7.6.3 and will fix in 7.8.1
https://ghc.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/7056

However, If it is possible with cabal-install, I hope to be fixed this problem before release of Haskell Platform 2013.4.0.0
Because Haskell Platform 2013.4.0.0 will include GHC 7.6.3 and cabal-install 1.18.0.2

[23Skidoo]

Do you know if there's some specific GHC option that causes this?

[23Skidoo]

Are you using a version of gcc different from the one that comes with GHC perhaps?

[23Skidoo]

Since this happens when loading bindings-GLFW, it'd be nice if you could show us the output of cabal install bindings-GLFW -v3 in both cases.

[znd-milktea]

Thank you for your reply.

I'm trying to find the difference in the -v3 output between 1.16 and 1.18
But, meaningful differences haven't been found yet.

If it is found, I will report more later.

Do you know if there's some specific GHC option that causes this?

I don't know.
I couldn't find it from the -v3 output.

Are you using a version of gcc different from the one that comes with GHC perhaps?

I haven't installed gcc other than GHC.

[23Skidoo]

@Fujiyan

I'm trying to find the difference in the -v3 output between 1.16 and 1.18
But, meaningful differences haven't been found yet.

If it is found, I will report more later.

Please do. This should be easy to fix once the offending option is found.

[znd-milktea]

In the case of 1.16, there was the following output in -v3 output.

("C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Haskell Platform\\2013.2.0.0\\mingw\\bin\\ld.exe",["-
x","--hash-size=31","--reduce-memory-overheads","-r","-o","dist\\build\\HSbindin
gs-GLFW-3.0.3.1.o","dist\\build\\Bindings\\GLFW.o","dist\\build\\glfw/src/win32_
clipboard.o", ...

And the following two files were created in cabal\bindings-GLFW-3.0.3.1\ghc-7.6.3

• libHSbindings-GLFW-3.0.3.1.a
• HSbindings-GLFW-3.0.3.1.o

In the case of 1.18, there was no above output.
And only the following one file was created in cabal\i386-windows-ghc-7.6.3\bindings-GLFW-3.0.3.1

• libHSbindings-GLFW-3.0.3.1.a

With 1.16, i attempted to delete HSbindings-GLFW-3.0.3.1.o and to install GLFW-b.
"ghc.exe: panic!" occurred like the case of 1.18.

With 1.18, i attempted to put HSbindings-GLFW-3.0.3.1.o and to install GLFW-b.
The installation was successful like the case of 1.16.

From the above things,
i think that "ghc.exe: panic!" will not occur if HSbindings-GLFW-3.0.3.1.o is created by ld.exe.

Would it be possible to execute ld.exe like 1.16, until GHC's bug is fixed?

[23Skidoo]

Thanks for investigating. Will look into this.

[23Skidoo]

Seems to be caused by 48efd4b . Workaround: uncomment the line library-for-ghci: True in %APPDATA%\cabal\config.

[23Skidoo]

With regards to the next Platform release, I think I'll just ship a patched Cabal.

[znd-milktea]

With uncommenting the line, It has installed successfully.

Thank you very much for your prompt response.