In this particular case the kernel binary loader was dropping half the binary on the floor, so code would sometimes work and sometimes not in a way which depend

In this particular case the kernel binary loader was dropping half the binary on the floor, so code would sometimes work and sometimes not in a way which depended on both the environment and the layout of the compiled binary. I'm not surprised the author ended up randomly futzing with things to see if they could find a reliable cause! (This error could have come straight out of the logout; essay that was linked on HN a week or two ago: "I have no tools because I broke my tools with my tools!") Personally I think the reason she was emphasising that changing these things made a difference was because it was so surprising. Now in your infinite and sagacious wisdom you've told us all how she should obviously have been able to debug this problem in a trice using your superior methods. Me, I'm happy to cut her some slack, and recognise that systems development can be a complete nightmare!