:-/ I actually tried to use gcc, gnu make, et al., but I get the following insanity:

I've tried to compile and run the following simple program:

#include <stdio.h>
int main() { printf("Ok\n"); exit(0); }

I used the command:

        gcc -O -D_HPUX_SOURCE -Aa -L/lib/pa1.1 -DUINT32_MAX_BROKEN -fn
+o-strict-a
liasing -I/usr/local/include -o try -L/usr/local/lib try.c -lnsl -lnm 
+-lndbm -lm
alloc -ldld -lm -lc -lndir -lcrypt -lsec
        ./try

and I got the following output:

*Initialization*:1: missing token-sequence in `#assert'
I can't compile the test program.
(The supplied flags or libraries might be incorrect.)

You have a BIG problem.  Shall I abort Configure [y]
Ok.  Stopping Configure.
[download]

The make versions on the two machines appear identical, same for cc et al.; possible that more serious magic was required to compile on the other box, but no one seems to be able to find who did that build.

Addition:

GNU gdb does give a backtrace where the default debugger would not. tye was right (in CB): it's miniperl dying:

(gdb) bt
#0  0x2af1c in Perl_malloc () from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/./mi
+niperl
#1  0x9848c in Perl_pregcomp () from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/./
+miniperl
#2  0x1aa38 in Perl_pmruntime () from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/.
+/miniperl
#3  0x93c24 in ?? () from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/./miniperl
#4  0x2618c in ?? () from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/./miniperl
#5  0x255bc in perl_parse () from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/./min
+iperl
#6  0x1492c in main () from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/./miniperl
[download]

So, I'll try building without perl's malloc and see if that helps.

More amends...

(gdb) bt
#0  0xc0180598 in _sigfillset () from /usr/lib/libc.2
#1  0xc017e048 in _memset () from /usr/lib/libc.2
#2  0xc0183750 in malloc () from /usr/lib/libc.2
#3  0x46f80 in Perl_safesysmalloc ()
   from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/./miniperl
#4  0x1ab74 in Perl_newSVOP () from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/./m
+iniperl
#5  0x31814 in ?? () from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/./miniperl
#6  0x33000 in Perl_yylex () from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/./min
+iperl
#7  0x908d4 in Perl_yyparse () from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/./m
+iniperl
#8  0x260dc in ?? () from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/./miniperl
#9  0x25544 in perl_parse () from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/./min
+iperl
#10 0x1490c in main () from /usr/perltest/build/perl-5.6.0/./miniperl
[download]

Perl_malloc doesn't seem to be the problem, then.

baku writes:

        gcc -O -D_HPUX_SOURCE -Aa
[download]

... the -Aa option, which the HP-UX cc switches on to turn on ANSI C, doesn't mean the same thing to gcc. From a glance of the man page for gcc, -A is a switch dealing with assertions. You may want to see if you can get rid of "-Aa" and retry compiling.

--
Me spell chucker work grate. Need grandma chicken.

Woo-hoo!

OK, I feel pretty stupid for not thinking of comparing the two manuals... (I did, however, scan the gcc manual in a moment of desparation) but that seems to have done the trick.

A couple (lit. "2") failed tests, but I think that we're good to go. Thanks, yakko!!!