Informix Error -1280: Library API incompatibility found in libgen.so.

Cause and resolution

Library API incompatibility found in libgen.so.

The libgen.so shared library compiled with your client application is incompatible with the version in the $INFORMIXDIR/lib directory. Recompile your application with INFORMIXDIR set to the path of the new libgen.so shared library.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-1280 fires when the libgen.so shared library the client application was compiled against is incompatible with the version present in $INFORMIXDIR/lib — per the official guidance, this is a build/link-time version mismatch.

The application compiled against a different libgen.so version than the one currently installed under $INFORMIXDIR/lib, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

Recompile the application with INFORMIXDIR set to the path of the new libgen.so shared library, per the official guidance — this is the documented, specific fix.

Examples

Recompiling against the correct library

$ export INFORMIXDIR=/opt/informix
$ make clean && make

Diagnostic Checks

Check which libgen.so version the application was originally compiled against, versus the version currently under $INFORMIXDIR/lib, and recompile if they differ.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-1281 — "Library API incompatibility found in libos.so." Same class of library-version mismatch, for libos.so.
-1282 — "Library API incompatibility found in libsql.so." Same class of library-version mismatch, for libsql.so.
-1283 — "Library API incompatibility found in libgls.so." Same class of library-version mismatch, for libgls.so.

The application's libgen.so doesn't match the version under $INFORMIXDIR/lib — recompile against the correct INFORMIXDIR.