Comment 15 for bug 277294

if it is a miscompilation, the miscompiled file needs to be determined. if a freetype compiled with -O0 works, but not with -O2, build the library with half of the files built with -O0, the other half with -O2, and so on ... If you know the miscompiled file, add the -f options which are turned on for -O1/-O2 separately and find out which option triggers the miscompilation (or a coding error).

Trying to build with newer compiler versions (gcc-4.3, gcc-snapshot) and optimization turned on helps as well to diagnose the bug, if it is one.