[PROJ] PROJ 6.0.0 cs2cs: cannot instantiate source coordinate system - program abnormally terminated

[Sebastiaan Couwenberg]

The cs2cs tests in the proj-rdnap package [0] fail with PROJ 6.0.0:

 Rel. 6.0.0, March 1st, 2019
 <cs2cs>:
 cannot initialize transformation
 cause: (null)
 program abnormally terminated

The problem seems to be the minimal epsg file in PROJ_LIB, removing is
works around the issue.

Should cs2cs really terminate abnormally when an problematic init file
is present in PROJ_LIB?

Details follow:

A command like the following works with PROJ <= 5.2:

 $ echo "53.160753042 4.824761912 42.8614" | \
 PROJ_LIB="$(pwd)" PROJ_DEBUG=3 \
 cs2cs -r +init=epsg:4258 +to +init=rdnap:rdnap -f %.4f

The current working directory has the rdnap init file and its datum
grids, and a minimal epsg init file:

 $ cat rdnap
 # RDNAP with NTv2 and VDatum
 <rdnap> +proj=sterea +lat_0=52.15616055555555 +lon_0=5.38763888888889
+k=0.9999079 +x_0=155000 +y_0=463000 +ellps=bessel
+nadgrids=rdtrans2008.gsb +geoidgrids=naptrans2008.gtx +units=m +no_defs <>

 # RD with NTv2 only
 <rd> +proj=sterea +lat_0=52.15616055555555 +lon_0=5.38763888888889
+k=0.9999079 +x_0=155000 +y_0=463000 +ellps=bessel
+nadgrids=rdtrans2008.gsb +units=m +no_defs <>

 $ cat epsg
 # ETRS89
 <4258> +proj=longlat +ellps=GRS80 +towgs84=0,0,0,0,0,0,0 +no_defs  <>

Debug output for the same command with PROJ 6.0.0 shows:

 $ echo "53.160753042 4.824761912 42.8614" | \
 PROJ_LIB="/usr/share/proj:$(pwd)" PROJ_DEBUG=3 \
 cs2cs -r +init=epsg:4258 +to +init=rdnap:rdnap -f %.4f
 pj_open_lib(proj.db): call fopen(/usr/share/proj/proj.db) - succeeded
 pj_open_lib(epsg): call fopen(/tmp/buildd/proj-rdnap/epsg) - succeeded
 get_init: searching cache for key: [epsg:4258]
 pj_open_lib(epsg): call fopen(/tmp/buildd/proj-rdnap/epsg) - succeeded
 get_init: searching on in init files for [epsg:4258]
 get_init_string: searching for section [4258] in init file [epsg]
 pj_open_lib(epsg): call fopen(/tmp/buildd/proj-rdnap/epsg) - succeeded
 key=epsg:4258, value: [proj=longlat ellps=GRS80 towgs84=0,0,0,0,0,0,0
no_defs]
 get_init: got [proj=longlat ellps=GRS80 towgs84=0,0,0,0,0,0,0 no_defs],
paralist[0,1]: [proj=longlat,ellps=GRS80]
 get_init: searching cache for key: [rdnap:rdnap]
 get_init: searching on in init files for [rdnap:rdnap]
 get_init_string: searching for section [rdnap] in init file [rdnap]
 pj_open_lib(rdnap): call fopen(/tmp/buildd/proj-rdnap/rdnap) - succeeded
 key=rdnap:rdnap, value: [proj=sterea lat_0=52.15616055555555
lon_0=5.38763888888889 k=0.9999079 x_0=155000 y_0=463000 ellps=bessel
nadgrids=rdtrans2008.gsb geoidgrids=naptrans2008.gtx units=m no_defs]
 get_init: got [proj=sterea lat_0=52.15616055555555
lon_0=5.38763888888889 k=0.9999079 x_0=155000 y_0=463000 ellps=bessel
nadgrids=rdtrans2008.gsb geoidgrids=naptrans2008.gtx units=m no_defs],
paralist[0,1]: [proj=sterea,lat_0=52.15616055555555]
 pj_open_lib(epsg): call fopen(/tmp/buildd/proj-rdnap/epsg) - succeeded
 get_init: searching cache for key: [epsg:4258]
 get_init: searching cache for key: [rdnap:rdnap]
 No operation found matching criteria
 Rel. 6.0.0, March 1st, 2019
 <cs2cs>:
 cannot initialize transformation
 cause: (null)
 program abnormally terminated
 $ echo $?
 3

The minimal epsg file is not required any more, since multiple paths can
be used in PROJ_LIB since 6.0.0. Doing that seems to work around the issue:

 $ echo "53.160753042 4.824761912 42.8614" | \
 PROJ_LIB="/usr/share/proj:$(pwd)" PROJ_DEBUG=3 \
 cs2cs -r +init=epsg:4258 +to +init=rdnap:rdnap -f %.4f
 pj_open_lib(proj.db): call fopen(/usr/share/proj/proj.db) - succeeded
 pj_open_lib(epsg): call fopen(/tmp/buildd/proj-rdnap/epsg) - failed
 get_init: searching cache for key: [rdnap:rdnap]
 get_init: searching on in init files for [rdnap:rdnap]
 get_init_string: searching for section [rdnap] in init file [rdnap]
 pj_open_lib(rdnap): call fopen(/tmp/buildd/proj-rdnap/rdnap) - succeeded
 key=rdnap:rdnap, value: [proj=sterea lat_0=52.15616055555555
lon_0=5.38763888888889 k=0.9999079 x_0=155000 y_0=463000 ellps=bessel
nadgrids=rdtrans2008.gsb geoidgrids=naptrans2008.gtx units=m no_defs]
get_init: got [proj=sterea lat_0=52.15616055555555
lon_0=5.38763888888889 k=0.9999079 x_0=155000 y_0=463000 ellps=bessel
nadgrids=rdtrans2008.gsb geoidgrids=naptrans2008.gtx units=m no_defs],
paralist[0,1]: [proj=sterea,lat_0=52.15616055555555]
 pj_open_lib(epsg): call fopen(/tmp/buildd/proj-rdnap/epsg) - failed
 get_init: searching cache for key: [rdnap:rdnap]
 pj_ellipsoid - final: a=6377397.155 f=1/299.153, errno=0
 pj_ellipsoid - final:    ellps=bessel
 pj_ellipsoid - final: a=6377397.155 f=1/299.153, errno=0
 pj_ellipsoid - final:
 Pipeline: Building arg list for step no. 0
 Pipeline: init - proj=unitconvert, 3
     xy_in=deg
     xy_out=rad
 pj_ellipsoid - final: a=6378137.000 f=1/298.257, errno=0
 pj_ellipsoid - final:    ellps=GRS80
 xy_in unit: Degree
 xy_out unit: Radian
 Pipeline: Step 0 (proj=unitconvert) at 0x55a438eb9170
 Pipeline at [0x55a438eb8c20]:    step at [0x55a438eb9170]
(proj=unitconvert) done
 Pipeline: Building arg list for step no. 1
 Pipeline: init - proj=sterea, 7
     lat_0=52.1561605555556
     lon_0=5.38763888888889
     k=0.9999079
     x_0=155000
     y_0=463000
     ellps=bessel
 pj_ellipsoid - final: a=6377397.155 f=1/299.153, errno=0
 pj_ellipsoid - final:    ellps=bessel
 Pipeline: Step 1 (proj=sterea) at 0x55a438ea6c60
 Pipeline at [0x55a438eb8c20]:    step at [0x55a438ea6c60] (proj=sterea)
done
 Pipeline: 2 steps built. Determining i/o characteristics
 117355.9718     574917.6038 42.8614

[0] https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/proj-rdnap

Kind Regards,

Bas

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