Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/petscversion.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/petscversion.m	(revision 11020)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/petscversion.m	(revision 11021)
@@ -13,5 +13,7 @@
 %go through the file, and recover the line we want
 fid=fopen(configfile,'r');
-while(1),
+if(fid==-1), error(['could not open file: ' configfile]); end
+
+while(true),
 	tline=fgets(fid);
 	if ~ischar(tline), break, end