A 'make clean' run AFTER changing the environment does not remove all the object files. I was trying to rebuild Mozilla after adding the environment variable USE_PTHREADS=1 and I got compilation errors (undefined symbols and such) on object files used by the internal threads (the previous build was using internal threads). I'm quite sure I run 'make clean' after setting the new environment. [I just find out there is a target 'realclean' - that hopefully removes ALL the object files, so maybe this is not a real problem, if documented]

A 'make realclean' of the previous build left the following object files and libraries: ./nsprpub/lib/msgc/src/Linux2.0.31_arm_DBG.OBJ/prgcapi.o ./nsprpub/lib/msgc/src/Linux2.0.31_arm_DBG.OBJ/prmsgc.o ./nsprpub/lib/msgc/src/Linux2.0.31_arm_DBG.OBJ/unixgc.o ./nsprpub/lib/msgc/tests/Linux2.0.31_arm_DBG.OBJ/gc1.o ./nsprpub/lib/msgc/tests/Linux2.0.31_arm_DBG.OBJ/thrashgc.o ./nsprpub/lib/msgc/src/Linux2.0.31_arm_DBG.OBJ/libmsgc21.a ./nsprpub/lib/msgc/src/Linux2.0.31_arm_DBG.OBJ/libmsgc21.so

This is due to a recent change to mozilla/nsprpub/lib/Makefile. The directory 'msgc' was removed from the 'DIRS' list. What happened was that you built with the old makefile (hence mozilla/nsprpub/lib/msgc got built), cvs-updated your tree, and then the new makefile does not know about the 'msgc' directory, hence 'gmake realclean does not delete the .o files in the 'msgc' directory. The NSPR build system is documented at http://www.mozilla.org/docs/refList/refNSPR/platforms.html.

Sorry, I didn't see the part about changing the environement variable. If that is really the case, it is a serious problem. I followed what you did (first the emulated thread build, then set USE_PTHREADS to 1, did a 'gmake clean', and then rebuilt) and I did not have any problem. So I don't know what is wrong. You might want to remove your mozilla/nsprpub tree, re-check out mozilla/nsprpub, and repeat the process again, and see if you have some undeleted .o files from the non-pthread build.

old code base marking verified

NSPR now has its own Bugzilla product. Moving this bug to the NSPR product.