Fixed obsolete behaviour with 8 bit images (would suppose 8 bit integers are signed by default).

Pushed version number to 2.16.3.

configure

 #! /bin/sh
 # Guess values for system-dependent variables and create Makefiles.
-# Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.68 for sextractor 2.16.2.
+# Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.68 for sextractor 2.16.3.
 #
 # Report bugs to <bertin@iap.fr>.
 #
@@ -714,8 +714,8 @@ MAKEFLAGS=
 # Identity of this package.
 PACKAGE_NAME='sextractor'
 PACKAGE_TARNAME='sextractor'
-PACKAGE_VERSION='2.16.2'
-PACKAGE_STRING='sextractor 2.16.2'
+PACKAGE_VERSION='2.16.3'
+PACKAGE_STRING='sextractor 2.16.3'
 PACKAGE_BUGREPORT='bertin@iap.fr'
 PACKAGE_URL=''
@@ -1465,7 +1465,7 @@ if test "$ac_init_help" = "long"; then
   # Omit some internal or obsolete options to make the list less imposing.
   # This message is too long to be a string in the A/UX 3.1 sh.
   cat <<_ACEOF
-\`configure' configures sextractor 2.16.2 to adapt to many kinds of systems.
+\`configure' configures sextractor 2.16.3 to adapt to many kinds of systems.
 Usage: $0 [OPTION]... [VAR=VALUE]...
@@ -1535,7 +1535,7 @@ fi
 if test -n "$ac_init_help"; then
   case $ac_init_help in
-     short | recursive ) echo "Configuration of sextractor 2.16.2:";;
+     short | recursive ) echo "Configuration of sextractor 2.16.3:";;
    esac
   cat <<\_ACEOF
@@ -1668,7 +1668,7 @@ fi
 test -n "$ac_init_help" && exit $ac_status
 if $ac_init_version; then
   cat <<\_ACEOF
-sextractor configure 2.16.2
+sextractor configure 2.16.3
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.68
 Copyright (C) 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@@ -2296,7 +2296,7 @@ cat >config.log <<_ACEOF
 This file contains any messages produced by compilers while
 running configure, to aid debugging if configure makes a mistake.
-It was created by sextractor $as_me 2.16.2, which was
+It was created by sextractor $as_me 2.16.3, which was
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.68.  Invocation command line was
   $ $0 $@
@@ -2972,7 +2972,7 @@ fi
 # Define the identity of the package.
  PACKAGE='sextractor'
- VERSION='2.16.2'
+ VERSION='2.16.3'
 cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
@@ -23325,7 +23325,7 @@ cat >>$CONFIG_STATUS <<\_ACEOF || ac_write_fail=1
 # report actual input values of CONFIG_FILES etc. instead of their
 # values after options handling.
 ac_log="
-This file was extended by sextractor $as_me 2.16.2, which was
+This file was extended by sextractor $as_me 2.16.3, which was
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.68.  Invocation command line was
   CONFIG_FILES    = $CONFIG_FILES
@@ -23391,7 +23391,7 @@ _ACEOF
 cat >>$CONFIG_STATUS <<_ACEOF || ac_write_fail=1
 ac_cs_config="`$as_echo "$ac_configure_args" | sed 's/^ //; s/[\\""\`\$]/\\\\&/g'`"
 ac_cs_version="\\
-sextractor config.status 2.16.2
+sextractor config.status 2.16.3
 configured by $0, generated by GNU Autoconf 2.68,
   with options \\"\$ac_cs_config\\"

configure.ac

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 #	You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 #	along with SExtractor. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
-#	Last modified:		01/06/2012
+#	Last modified:		03/06/2012
 #
 #%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ define([AC_CACHE_LOAD],)
 define([AC_CACHE_SAVE],)
 
 # This is your standard Bertin source code...
-AC_INIT(sextractor, 2.16.2, [bertin@iap.fr])
+AC_INIT(sextractor, 2.16.3, [bertin@iap.fr])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR(src/makeit.c)
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR(autoconf)
 AM_CONFIG_HEADER(config.h)

man/sex.1

-.TH SEXTRACTOR "1" "June 2012" "SExtractor 2.16.2" "User Commands"
+.TH SEXTRACTOR "1" "June 2012" "SExtractor 2.16.3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
 sex \- extract a source catalogue from an astronomical FITS image
 .SH SYNOPSIS

src/fits/fitshead.c

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 *
 *	This file part of:	AstrOmatic FITS/LDAC library
 *
-*	Copyright:		(C) 1995-2011 Emmanuel Bertin -- IAP/CNRS/UPMC
+*	Copyright:		(C) 1995-2012 Emmanuel Bertin -- IAP/CNRS/UPMC
 *
 *	License:		GNU General Public License
 *
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 *	along with AstrOmatic software.
 *	If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 *
-*	Last modified:		30/08/2011
+*	Last modified:		03/06/2012
 *
 *%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%*/
 
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ INPUT	pointer to catstruct.
 OUTPUT	-.
 NOTES	-.
 AUTHOR	E. Bertin (IAP)
-VERSION	25/09/2004
+VERSION	03/06/2012
  ***/
 void	readbasic_head(tabstruct *tab)
 
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ void	readbasic_head(tabstruct *tab)
 	1 : 0;
 
 /* Custom basic FITS parameters */
-  tab->bitsgn = 1;
+  tab->bitsgn = (tab->bitpix==BP_BYTE) ? 0 : 1;
   fitsread(tab->headbuf, "BITSGN  ", &tab->bitsgn, H_INT, T_LONG);
 
   if (fitsread(tab->headbuf, "IMAGECOD", str, H_STRING, T_STRING)==RETURN_OK)