newlib-2.18: Problem with 'free' in __call_atexit.c

[Jeff Kuskin <jk500500 at yahoo dot com>]

Hi,

I'm trying to upgrade from version of newlib-1.16 to 1.18.  The problem described below does not occur with newlib-1.16.

I'm using binutils-2.20.1 and GCC 4.5.1.

When I try to compile this program:

  #include <stdio.h>
  #include <stdlib.h>
  int main() {
    FILE *f = fopen("qqq", "r");
    return (f == 0);
  }


I get this error at link time:
  [...]/lib/libc.a(lib_a-__call_atexit.o):
      In function `__call_exitprocs':
          [...]/newlib/libc/stdlib/__call_atexit.c:97: undefined reference to `free'
  collect2: ld returned 1 exit status


However, if I add a 'free(f);' statement into the main() code (which is of course a bug, but ignore that), the link error goes away.  It's as if the weak reference to 'free' in __call_atexit.c is not being bound to free() by the linker unless there is also a non-weak reference to free() present.

Any suggestions?