When make fails, so does port with "unknown command ::ui_int"

[stephen@…]

MacPorts 1.700 (SVN updated 2008-08-01)
Mac OS X 10.4.11
iBook G4

In port -d upgrade ghc, as below. (ghc bus error reported elsewhere). Shouldn't the catch in macports::ui_init catch this?

------------------------------------------------------------------------
== make all -r;
 in /opt/local/var/macports/build/_Users_steve_Software_MacPorts_dports_lang_ghc/
work/ghc-6.8.3/rts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
../compiler/ghc-inplace -optc-O -optc-I/opt/local/include -optc-Wall -optc-W -opt
c-Wstrict-prototypes -optc-Wmissing-prototypes -optc-Wmissing-declarations -optc-
Winline -optc-Waggregate-return -optc-I../includes -optc-I. -optc-Iparallel -optc
-Ism -optc-DCOMPILING_RTS -optc-fomit-frame-pointer -optc-I/opt/local/include -op
tc-I../gmp/gmpbuild -optc-fno-strict-aliasing -H16m -O -I/opt/local/include -L/op
t/local/lib -optc-O2 -package-name rts -static -I/opt/local/include -I../gmp/gmpb
uild -I. -#include HCIncludes.h -dcmm-lint     -c Adjustor.c -o Adjustor.o
make[1]: *** [Adjustor.o] Bus error
make: *** [stage1] Error 1

Warning: the following items did not execute (for ghc): org.macports.archive org.
macports.build org.macports.destroot
DEBUG: invalid command name "::ui_init"
    while executing
"::ui_init $priority $prefix $channels $message"
    ("uplevel" body line 2)
    invoked from within
"uplevel 1 $body"
Error: Unable to upgrade port: 1

[blb@…]

Yup, it should. Looks like the catch in proc try in base/src/macports1.0/macports_util.tcl is failing to catch...