--- hdf-4.2.9/hdf/util/writehdf.c.orig	2013-02-08 05:44:54.000000000 +0100
+++ hdf-4.2.9/hdf/util/writehdf.c	2013-03-02 21:21:51.253874517 +0100
@@ -75,15 +75,13 @@
 	/*Start HDF file*/
 	file_id = Hopen(HDFName, DFACC_CREATE, 0);
 	if(file_id == -1) {
-		printf("Unable to create HDF file");
 		status = HEvalue(1);
-		printf(HEstring(status));
+		printf("Unable to create HDF file: %s", HEstring(status));
 		exit(0);
 	}
 
 	if ((status = Vstart(file_id)) == -1) {
-		printf("Could not start VGroup interface\n");
-		printf(HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
+		printf("Could not start VGroup interface\n%s", HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
 		exit(-1);
 	}
 
@@ -98,8 +96,7 @@
 	if (gifHead.PackedField & 0x80) {
 		status = Vsetattr (vgroup_id, "Global Palette" , DFNT_UINT8, 3 * gifHead.TableSize , (VOIDP)gifHead.HDFPalette);
 		if (status) {
-			printf("Could not add global palette.\n");
-			printf(HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
+			printf("Could not add global palette.\n%s", HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
 		}
 	}
 	for (i = 0 ; i < CommentCount ; i++) {
@@ -143,15 +140,13 @@
 
 		/* GRSetCompress */
 		if ((status = GRsetcompress(ri_id, comp_type, &c_info)) == -1) {
-			printf("Error occured while setting compression\n");
-			printf(HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
+			printf("Error occured while setting compression\n%s", HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
 			exit(-1);
 		}
 
 		/* Write the GR Image */
 		if ((status = GRwriteimage(ri_id, start, NULL, edges, (VOIDP)gifImageDesc.Image)) == -1) {
-			printf("Error occured while trying to write GR image\n");
-			printf(HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
+			printf("Error occured while trying to write GR image\n%s", HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
 			exit(-1);
 		}
 
@@ -159,8 +154,7 @@
 		pal_id = GRgetlutid (ri_id , 0);
 
 		if ((status = GRwritelut (pal_id , 3, DFNT_UINT8, interlace_mode, 256, (VOIDP)gifImageDesc.HDFPalette)) == -1) {
-			printf("Could not write palette\n");
-			printf(HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
+			printf("Could not write palette\n%s", HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
 			exit(-1);
 		}
 		
@@ -168,8 +162,7 @@
 		gr_ref = GRidtoref(ri_id);
 		
 		if ((status = GRendaccess(ri_id)) == -1) {
-			printf("Could not terminate GR access\n");
-			printf(HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
+			printf("Could not terminate GR access\n%s", HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
 			exit(-1);
 		}
 
@@ -177,8 +170,7 @@
 		
 		/* Adding GR to vgroup */
 		if((status = Vaddtagref(vgroup_id,(int32)1965,gr_ref))==-1) {
-			printf("Could not add tag to Vgroup");
-			printf(HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
+			printf("Could not add tag to Vgroup: %s", HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
 		}
 
 		
@@ -186,29 +178,25 @@
 
 	/* Terminate GR access */
 	if ((status = GRend (gr_id))==-1) {
-		printf("Could not end GR access\n");
-		printf(HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
+		printf("Could not end GR access\n%s", HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
 		printf("Trying to continue (file may be corrupt)...\n");
 	}
 	
 	/* Terminate access to the VGroup */
 	if ((status = Vdetach(vgroup_id))==-1) {
-		printf("Could not detach Vgroup\n");
-		printf(HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
+		printf("Could not detach Vgroup\n%s", HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
 		printf("Trying to continure (file may be corrupt)...\n");
 	}
 
 	/* Terminate access to the V interface */
 	if ((status = Vend(file_id))==-1) {
-		printf("Could not end VGroup access\n");
-		printf(HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
+		printf("Could not end VGroup access\n%s", HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
 		printf("Trying to continure (file may be corrupt)... \n");
 	}
 
 	/* Close the HDF file */
 	if ((status = Hclose (file_id))==-1) {
-		printf("Could not close HDF file. Fatal Error");
-		printf(HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
+		printf("Could not close HDF file. Fatal Error: %s", HEstring(HEvalue(1)));
 		return(-1);
 	}
 	return(0);
--- hdf-4.2.9/hdf/util/hdf2gif.c.orig	2013-02-08 05:44:54.000000000 +0100
+++ hdf-4.2.9/hdf/util/hdf2gif.c	2013-03-02 21:23:06.247339787 +0100
@@ -141,9 +141,8 @@
 	/*Start HDF file*/
 	file_id = Hopen(HDFName, DFACC_READ, 0);
 	if(file_id == -1) {
-		printf("Unable to open HDF file");
 		status = HEvalue(1);
-		printf(HEstring(status));
+		printf("Unable to open HDF file: %s", HEstring(status));
 		exit(0);
 	}
 	
@@ -162,7 +161,7 @@
 	
 	if ((status = GRfileinfo(gr_id , &n_images , &n_fileattributes)) == -1) {
 		status = HEvalue(1);
-		printf(HEstring(status));
+		fputs(HEstring(status), stdout);
 		exit(0);
 	}