user4948: I compiled v0.5.3 of the core client from source, in order to compare IDB (Initial Blockchain Download) performance between versions.
I created a fresh Ubuntu Xenial 16.04 machine on Amazon EC2. I then ran the following commands:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade -y
sudo apt-get install build-essential autoconf libboost-all-dev \
                     libssl-dev libtool pkg-config libevent-dev \
                     libdb++-dev libminiupnpc-dev

I then checked out the source:
git clone https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin.git
cd bitcoin
git checkout v0.5.3
cd src

In order to deal with Strict DER issue, I replaced the function bool Verify in src/key.h with this. 
I then compile:
make -f makefile.unix

To deal with the database issue introduced in 0.8, I added a file ~/.bitcoin/DB_CONFIG as per these instructions:
set_lg_dir database
set_lk_max_locks 50000

I then start bitcoind:
./bitcoind -dbcache=8000 -daemon
It happily syncs up to block 274,011, where it remained stuck for at least a day. I only tried this once, so I'm not sure if it's reproducible.
Here's a sample of the logs around that point; I can provide more if needed:
received block 00000000000000032b4e
SetBestChain: new best=00000000000000032b4e  height=274011  work=29398500860863841218972
ProcessBlock: ACCEPTED
askfor tx 2b909ba77c89c324a669   1499456128000000
sending getdata: tx b187cf6896ac46ef99b7
sending getdata: tx ecc1cef110e97830171d
sending getdata: tx f2cf74028a74602e8197
sending getdata: tx 4ed765e52248503c18a8
sending getdata: tx cf9cd92853c50e156366
sending getdata: tx 10e5e68f221e4451df73
sending getdata: tx 585900b4e015ed2ac1ef
askfor tx 221fbf80861ce7a6d584   0
sending getdata: tx 144e4167f4bef1b7ed42
sending getdata: tx 0ff657e09ac2bec18ffe
sending getdata: tx 6fdd97713fcb14c7521f
sending getdata: tx fdf5d59441c5b8a0c60d
sending getdata: tx 28d85b339859cb995328
sending getdata: tx 4df8f62f7328bca3b940
sending getdata: tx 15bf18055f55320481e5
sending getdata: tx 9a0a74186e9787b65cfe
sending getdata: tx 221fbf80861ce7a6d584
askfor tx e92fff32bc853b9aaa74   0
askfor tx 894d1cbfb82b61160bec   1499455908000000
askfor tx 48f22fcab4174c22ca0b   1499455909000000
askfor tx db4145ed6b4d366e429e   0
askfor tx 221fbf80861ce7a6d584   1499455912000000
askfor tx eb604d6581ab29aac596   0
sending getdata: tx aba92ed0b3ad91cff821
sending getdata: tx d0175f40dc118a5c8aef
sending getdata: tx 8dcc57d538a3391a40a6
sending getdata: tx 699d9a01db321519373c
sending getdata: tx 6dec27e77519e9968909
sending getdata: tx aab87f6f03f9e9a13c8c
sending getdata: tx d415b3535065b0f7f45a
sending getdata: tx 389e7c4af3b8c6eb7a23
sending getdata: tx 224f97a4e9dc09976302
sending getdata: tx da54c3bd141b537e2a32
sending getdata: tx 5c7b7bae2d3fccdc61e9
sending getdata: tx e92fff32bc853b9aaa74
...
ERROR: nonstandard txout: OP_HASH160 432a41db83cc1f7e5cc9c48a0808b00ff2992a3a OP_EQUAL
ERROR: AcceptToMemoryPool() : nonstandard transaction type
ERROR: ConnectInputs() : cf9cd92853 mapTransactions prev not found 4c77e274a8
ERROR: AcceptToMemoryPool() : ConnectInputs failed cf9cd92853
ERROR: ConnectInputs() : 10e5e68f22 mapTransactions prev not found d5d9ba282e
ERROR: AcceptToMemoryPool() : ConnectInputs failed 10e5e68f22
ERROR: ConnectInputs() : aba92ed0b3 mapTransactions prev not found b5646cc672
ERROR: AcceptToMemoryPool() : ConnectInputs failed aba92ed0b3
ERROR: nonstandard txin: 0 3044022075066e21b2d705e77bfed0d4fbdd235c8993b91cae47daeac7438881e35e83dd022059b4e62df6e4dafc1ccf01b7f8dedf82be3c5fc1e804e0885a885274905fc65801 3044022024c5b0cfdf748245a4ad8654710412ae5430b052ebb693e941131786a3fd369b02203f53c18e76676f3280e5b3198466f9348d26769166e43de27f997da4dac9299401 52210204f0cf6188b88806fa626dec13a8969d7d157fbe8963d08cf7046e07ef4900d02102a3d1066654c906f66f4778ef70aa3b97ee31518325a97b2bb571e2fc57c6fb6e52ae
ERROR: AcceptToMemoryPool() : nonstandard transaction type
ERROR: ConnectInputs() : 8dcc57d538 mapTransactions prev not found f055f633bf
...
askfor block 000000000000000000d1   0
askfor tx cb7c501051cb8a14797d   0
sending getdata: block 000000000000000000d1
sending getdata: tx cb7c501051cb8a14797d
received block 000000000000000000d1
ProcessBlock: ORPHAN BLOCK, prev=0000000000000000008f
ERROR: ConnectInputs() : cb7c501051 mapTransactions prev not found b1fd3405d1
ERROR: AcceptToMemoryPool() : ConnectInputs failed cb7c501051
sending getdata: tx eff6ce1819d75352b6a4
...


user4948: Increase set_lk_max_locks from 50000 to 537000 as per these instructions. Thanks Pieter Wuille for pointing that out.

4948: <p>I compiled v0.5.3 of the core client from source, in order to compare IDB (Initial Blockchain Download) performance between versions.</p>

<p>I created a fresh Ubuntu Xenial 16.04 machine on Amazon EC2. I then ran the following commands:</p>

<pre><code>sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade -y
sudo apt-get install build-essential autoconf libboost-all-dev \
                     libssl-dev libtool pkg-config libevent-dev \
                     libdb++-dev libminiupnpc-dev
</code></pre>

<p>I then checked out the source:</p>

<pre><code>git clone https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin.git
cd bitcoin
git checkout v0.5.3
cd src
</code></pre>

<p>In order to deal with <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/55269/how-do-i-compile-core-0-8-6-on-ubuntu-ec2#comment64263_55269">Strict DER issue</a>, I replaced the function <code>bool Verify</code> in <code>src/key.h</code> with <a href="https://github.com/theuni/bitcoin/blob/8dccba6a45db0466370726ed462b9da2eae43bce/src/ecwrapper.cpp#L120-L136" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a>. </p>

<p>I then compile:</p>

<pre><code>make -f makefile.unix
</code></pre>

<p>To deal with the database issue introduced in 0.8, I added a file <code>~/.bitcoin/DB_CONFIG</code> as per <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=154425.0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">these instructions</a>:</p>

<pre><code>set_lg_dir database
set_lk_max_locks 50000
</code></pre>

<p>I then start bitcoind:</p>

<p><code>./bitcoind -dbcache=8000 -daemon</code></p>

<p>It happily syncs up to block 274,011, where it remained stuck for at least a day. I only tried this once, so I'm not sure if it's reproducible.</p>

<p>Here's a sample of the logs around that point; I can provide more if needed:</p>

<pre><code>received block 00000000000000032b4e
SetBestChain: new best=00000000000000032b4e  height=274011  work=29398500860863841218972
ProcessBlock: ACCEPTED
askfor tx 2b909ba77c89c324a669   1499456128000000
sending getdata: tx b187cf6896ac46ef99b7
sending getdata: tx ecc1cef110e97830171d
sending getdata: tx f2cf74028a74602e8197
sending getdata: tx 4ed765e52248503c18a8
sending getdata: tx cf9cd92853c50e156366
sending getdata: tx 10e5e68f221e4451df73
sending getdata: tx 585900b4e015ed2ac1ef
askfor tx 221fbf80861ce7a6d584   0
sending getdata: tx 144e4167f4bef1b7ed42
sending getdata: tx 0ff657e09ac2bec18ffe
sending getdata: tx 6fdd97713fcb14c7521f
sending getdata: tx fdf5d59441c5b8a0c60d
sending getdata: tx 28d85b339859cb995328
sending getdata: tx 4df8f62f7328bca3b940
sending getdata: tx 15bf18055f55320481e5
sending getdata: tx 9a0a74186e9787b65cfe
sending getdata: tx 221fbf80861ce7a6d584
askfor tx e92fff32bc853b9aaa74   0
askfor tx 894d1cbfb82b61160bec   1499455908000000
askfor tx 48f22fcab4174c22ca0b   1499455909000000
askfor tx db4145ed6b4d366e429e   0
askfor tx 221fbf80861ce7a6d584   1499455912000000
askfor tx eb604d6581ab29aac596   0
sending getdata: tx aba92ed0b3ad91cff821
sending getdata: tx d0175f40dc118a5c8aef
sending getdata: tx 8dcc57d538a3391a40a6
sending getdata: tx 699d9a01db321519373c
sending getdata: tx 6dec27e77519e9968909
sending getdata: tx aab87f6f03f9e9a13c8c
sending getdata: tx d415b3535065b0f7f45a
sending getdata: tx 389e7c4af3b8c6eb7a23
sending getdata: tx 224f97a4e9dc09976302
sending getdata: tx da54c3bd141b537e2a32
sending getdata: tx 5c7b7bae2d3fccdc61e9
sending getdata: tx e92fff32bc853b9aaa74
...
ERROR: nonstandard txout: OP_HASH160 432a41db83cc1f7e5cc9c48a0808b00ff2992a3a OP_EQUAL
ERROR: AcceptToMemoryPool() : nonstandard transaction type
ERROR: ConnectInputs() : cf9cd92853 mapTransactions prev not found 4c77e274a8
ERROR: AcceptToMemoryPool() : ConnectInputs failed cf9cd92853
ERROR: ConnectInputs() : 10e5e68f22 mapTransactions prev not found d5d9ba282e
ERROR: AcceptToMemoryPool() : ConnectInputs failed 10e5e68f22
ERROR: ConnectInputs() : aba92ed0b3 mapTransactions prev not found b5646cc672
ERROR: AcceptToMemoryPool() : ConnectInputs failed aba92ed0b3
ERROR: nonstandard txin: 0 3044022075066e21b2d705e77bfed0d4fbdd235c8993b91cae47daeac7438881e35e83dd022059b4e62df6e4dafc1ccf01b7f8dedf82be3c5fc1e804e0885a885274905fc65801 3044022024c5b0cfdf748245a4ad8654710412ae5430b052ebb693e941131786a3fd369b02203f53c18e76676f3280e5b3198466f9348d26769166e43de27f997da4dac9299401 52210204f0cf6188b88806fa626dec13a8969d7d157fbe8963d08cf7046e07ef4900d02102a3d1066654c906f66f4778ef70aa3b97ee31518325a97b2bb571e2fc57c6fb6e52ae
ERROR: AcceptToMemoryPool() : nonstandard transaction type
ERROR: ConnectInputs() : 8dcc57d538 mapTransactions prev not found f055f633bf
...
askfor block 000000000000000000d1   0
askfor tx cb7c501051cb8a14797d   0
sending getdata: block 000000000000000000d1
sending getdata: tx cb7c501051cb8a14797d
received block 000000000000000000d1
ProcessBlock: ORPHAN BLOCK, prev=0000000000000000008f
ERROR: ConnectInputs() : cb7c501051 mapTransactions prev not found b1fd3405d1
ERROR: AcceptToMemoryPool() : ConnectInputs failed cb7c501051
sending getdata: tx eff6ce1819d75352b6a4
...
</code></pre>
 4948: <p>Increase <code>set_lk_max_locks</code> from <code>50000</code> to <code>537000</code> as per <a href="https://bitcoin.org/en/alert/2013-03-15-upgrade-deadline" rel="nofollow noreferrer">these instructions</a>. Thanks Pieter Wuille for pointing that out.</p>
