This code ICEs. This isn't preprocessed but is trivial and the preprocessor lines highlight a change that switches the ICE on and off so I've left it in to help. ***************************************** template struct pair; template struct pairs; template struct pairs...> { #ifndef NO_ICE struct mismatched_packs {}; #endif }; template class pairs< pair, pair >; ***************************************** Using built-in specs. Target: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu Configured with: ./configure --enable-languages=c++ Thread model: posix gcc version 4.4.0 20080712 (experimental) (GCC) COLLECT_GCC_OPTIONS='-v' '-save-temps' '-O3' '-c' '-std=c++0x' '-shared-libgcc' '-mtune=generic' /usr/local/libexec/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.0/cc1plus -E -quiet -v -D_GNU_SOURCE fail.cc -mtune=generic -std=c++0x -O3 -fpch-preprocess -o fail.ii ignoring nonexistent directory "/usr/local/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.0/../../../../x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/include" #include "..." search starts here: #include <...> search starts here: /usr/local/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.0/../../../../include/c++/4.4.0 /usr/local/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.0/../../../../include/c++/4.4.0/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu /usr/local/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.0/../../../../include/c++/4.4.0/backward /usr/local/include /usr/local/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.0/include /usr/local/lib/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.0/include-fixed /usr/include End of search list. COLLECT_GCC_OPTIONS='-v' '-save-temps' '-O3' '-c' '-std=c++0x' '-shared-libgcc' '-mtune=generic' /usr/local/libexec/gcc/x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/4.4.0/cc1plus -fpreprocessed fail.ii -quiet -dumpbase fail.cc -mtune=generic -auxbase fail -O3 -std=c++0x -version -o fail.s GNU C++ (GCC) version 4.4.0 20080712 (experimental) (x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu) compiled by GNU C version 4.4.0 20080712 (experimental), GMP version 4.2.2, MPFR version 2.3.1. GGC heuristics: --param ggc-min-expand=30 --param ggc-min-heapsize=4096 Compiler executable checksum: f6a0a74a0d4d0fcd1077c2c18ac6908a fail.cc: In instantiation of ‘pairs, pair >’: fail.cc:14: instantiated from here fail.cc:10: error: mismatched argument pack lengths while expanding ‘pair’ fail.cc: In instantiation of ‘pairs, pair >::mismatched_packs’: fail.cc:14: instantiated from here fail.cc:10: internal compiler error: tree check: expected class ‘type’, have ‘exceptional’ (error_mark) in instantiate_class_template, at cp/pt.c:6945 Please submit a full bug report, with preprocessed source if appropriate. See for instructions. -- Summary: ICE with variadic templates partial specialisation Product: gcc Version: 4.4.0 Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: normal Priority: P3 Component: ada AssignedTo: unassigned at gcc dot gnu dot org ReportedBy: tristan at wibberley dot org GCC build triplet: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu GCC host triplet: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu GCC target triplet: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=36846