[R-sig-Debian] Taking determinant of a matrix of NAs results in intermittent memory corruption

[Klint Gore]

-----Original Message-----
From: Dirk Eddelbuettel [mailto:dirk.eddelbuettel at gmail.com] On Behalf Of Dirk Eddelbuettel
Sent: Thursday, 19 January 2017 12:41 PM
To: Klint Gore
Cc: Dirk Eddelbuettel; r-sig-debian at r-project.org
Subject: RE: [R-sig-Debian] Taking determinant of a matrix of NAs results in intermittent memory corruption


On 19 January 2017 at 01:26, Klint Gore wrote:
| >So this converges towards 'old versions bad, new versions fine' ?
| 
| Probably.  Old version of what, I don't know.  Openblas is 0.2.8-6ubuntu1 on 14.04 lts which is current.

> Sorry, what part of '14.04' is current?
>
> Ubuntu is at 16.10. And release 16.04, which as a LTS replaces the LTS 14.04 you use, also passes.  Can you upgrade?

That version of the openblas package is the latest currently available for 14.04 LTS from the official ubuntu repository.  14.04 LTS is "supported" by Canonical until 2019.  

Also, I'm just confirming that I can repeat it.  It's not an issue for me as it's never happened other than the contrived example.  If someone brought it to my attention, I'd probably follow your original though and ask them if they really wanted the determinant of an unassigned matrix as it sounds like not a useful thing to do.  Using rnorm to initialise the matrix works fine.

I'd suggest the OP pursue it with the linux mint people as it's directly affecting him and it occurs in their "supported" version.

Klint.