diff --git a/myisam/sort.c b/myisam/sort.c
index c5686a8e22c..fe9459e572b 100644
--- a/myisam/sort.c
+++ b/myisam/sort.c
@@ -315,6 +315,7 @@ pthread_handler_decl(thr_find_all_keys,arg)
   uint memavl,old_memavl,keys,sort_length;
   uint idx, maxbuffer;
   uchar **sort_keys=0;
+  DBUG_ENTER("thr_find_all_keys");              /* FIXME why no matching DBUG_RETURN ? */
 
   LINT_INIT(keys);
 
@@ -322,8 +323,9 @@ pthread_handler_decl(thr_find_all_keys,arg)
 
   if (my_thread_init())
     goto err;
-  DBUG_ENTER("thr_find_all_keys");
+
   DBUG_PRINT("enter", ("master: %d", sort_param->master));
+
   if (sort_param->sort_info->got_error)
     goto err;
 
diff --git a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
index 5aba3ccfe68..36006d1f156 100755
--- a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
+++ b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ sub initial_setup () {
 
   $glob_hostname=  mtr_short_hostname();
 
-  # 'basedir' is always parent of "mysql-test" directory
+  # 'basedir' is always above "mysql-test" directory ...
   $glob_mysql_test_dir=  cwd();
   if ( $glob_cygwin_perl )
   {
@@ -475,11 +475,19 @@ sub initial_setup () {
     $glob_mysql_test_dir= `cygpath -m "$glob_mysql_test_dir"`;
     chomp($glob_mysql_test_dir);
   }
+  # ... direct parent for "tar.gz" installations, ...
   $glob_basedir=         dirname($glob_mysql_test_dir);
+  # ... or one more level up, for RPM installations.
+  if ( ! -d "$glob_basedir/bin" )
+  {
+    $glob_basedir=       dirname($glob_basedir);
+  }
 
   # Expect mysql-bench to be located adjacent to the source tree, by default
   $glob_mysql_bench_dir= "$glob_basedir/../mysql-bench"
     unless defined $glob_mysql_bench_dir;
+  $glob_mysql_bench_dir= undef
+    unless -d $glob_mysql_bench_dir;
 
   $path_my_basedir=
     $opt_source_dist ? $glob_mysql_test_dir : $glob_basedir;
@@ -509,6 +517,7 @@ sub initial_setup () {
 				       "$path_client_bindir/mysqld-max",
 				       "$glob_basedir/libexec/mysqld",
 				       "$glob_basedir/bin/mysqld",
+                                       "$glob_basedir/sbin/mysqld",
 				       "$glob_basedir/sql/release/mysqld",
 				       "$glob_basedir/sql/debug/mysqld");
 
@@ -812,6 +821,13 @@ sub command_line_setup () {
     $opt_vardir= "$glob_mysql_test_dir/$opt_vardir";
   }
 
+  # Ensure a proper error message 
+  mkpath("$opt_vardir");
+  unless ( -d $opt_vardir and -w $opt_vardir )
+  {
+    mtr_error("Writable 'var' directory is needed, use the '--vardir' option");
+  }
+
   # --------------------------------------------------------------------------
   # Set tmpdir
   # --------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1333,7 +1349,9 @@ sub executable_setup_im () {
   $exe_im=
     mtr_exe_maybe_exists(
       "$glob_basedir/server-tools/instance-manager/mysqlmanager",
-      "$glob_basedir/libexec/mysqlmanager");
+      "$glob_basedir/libexec/mysqlmanager",
+      "$glob_basedir/bin/mysqlmanager",
+      "$glob_basedir/sbin/mysqlmanager");
 
   return ($exe_im eq "");
 }
diff --git a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.sh b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.sh
index 57c3a422828..544721cf40d 100644
--- a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.sh
+++ b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.sh
@@ -158,18 +158,29 @@ fi
 # Misc. Definitions
 #--
 
-if [ -d ../sql ] ; then
+# BASEDIR is always above mysql-test directory ...
+MYSQL_TEST_DIR=`pwd`
+cd ..
+
+if [ -d ./sql ] ; then
    SOURCE_DIST=1
 else
    BINARY_DIST=1
 fi
 
-#BASEDIR is always one above mysql-test directory
-CWD=`pwd`
-cd ..
-BASEDIR=`pwd`
-cd $CWD
-MYSQL_TEST_DIR=$BASEDIR/mysql-test
+# ... one level for tar.gz, two levels for a RPM installation
+if [ -d ./bin ] ; then
+   # this is not perfect: we have 
+   #   /usr/share/mysql/   # mysql-test-run  is here, so this is "$MYSQL_TEST_DIR"
+   #   /usr/bin/           # with MySQL client programs
+   # so the existence of "/usr/share/bin/" would make this test fail.
+   BASEDIR=`pwd`
+else
+   cd ..
+   BASEDIR=`pwd`
+fi
+
+cd $MYSQL_TEST_DIR
 MYSQL_TEST_WINDIR=$MYSQL_TEST_DIR
 MYSQLTEST_VARDIR=$MYSQL_TEST_DIR/var
 export MYSQL_TEST_DIR MYSQL_TEST_WINDIR MYSQLTEST_VARDIR
@@ -648,8 +659,15 @@ else
  if test -x "$BASEDIR/libexec/mysqld"
  then
    MYSQLD="$VALGRIND $BASEDIR/libexec/mysqld"
- else
+ elif test -x "$BASEDIR/bin/mysqld"
+ then
    MYSQLD="$VALGRIND $BASEDIR/bin/mysqld"
+ elif test -x "$BASEDIR/sbin/mysqld"
+ then
+   MYSQLD="$VALGRIND $BASEDIR/sbin/mysqld"
+ else
+   $ECHO "Fatal error: Cannot find program mysqld in $BASEDIR/{libexec,bin,sbin}" 1>&2
+   exit 1
  fi
  CLIENT_BINDIR="$BASEDIR/bin"
  if test -d "$BASEDIR/tests"
@@ -1261,7 +1279,7 @@ start_master()
     then
       $ECHO "set args $master_args" > $GDB_MASTER_INIT$1
       $ECHO "To start gdb for the master , type in another window:"
-      $ECHO "cd $CWD ; gdb -x $GDB_MASTER_INIT$1 $MASTER_MYSQLD"
+      $ECHO "cd $MYSQL_TEST_DIR ; gdb -x $GDB_MASTER_INIT$1 $MASTER_MYSQLD"
       wait_for_master=1500
     else
       ( $ECHO set args $master_args;
@@ -1377,7 +1395,7 @@ start_slave()
     then
       $ECHO "set args $slave_args" > $GDB_SLAVE_INIT
       echo "To start gdb for the slave, type in another window:"
-      echo "cd $CWD ; gdb -x $GDB_SLAVE_INIT $SLAVE_MYSQLD"
+      echo "cd $MYSQL_TEST_DIR ; gdb -x $GDB_SLAVE_INIT $SLAVE_MYSQLD"
       wait_for_slave=1500
     else
       ( $ECHO set args $slave_args;
diff --git a/ndb/src/common/portlib/gcc.cpp b/ndb/src/common/portlib/gcc.cpp
index 66aa4812dc6..557c1ac3717 100644
--- a/ndb/src/common/portlib/gcc.cpp
+++ b/ndb/src/common/portlib/gcc.cpp
@@ -4,4 +4,7 @@
  */
 #ifdef DEFINE_CXA_PURE_VIRTUAL
 extern "C" { int __cxa_pure_virtual() { return 0;} }
+#else
+/* Some compiler/linker combinations fail on files without exported symbols. */
+extern "C" { int dummy_export_symbol() { return 0;} }
 #endif