Re: How to debug autoconf issues?

[Ralf Wildenhues]

Hi Matt,

* m h wrote on Wed, Jan 11, 2006 at 08:26:02PM CET:
> 
> I'm working with a few of the alt-gentoo developers who are trying to
> get portage (the gentoo linux build framework) to work on non-gentoo
> systems.

(I hope they understand that their libtool patches need to go on other
systems.. oh sorry, you're not the one to rant to.  I was thinking out
loud.)

> The idea being you install portage in a "prefixed"
> environment.  This environment is sort of a sandboxed filesystem. 
> (Fink and openpkg are existing examples of this).  Then the user can
> install whatever software portage supports easily into the sandboxed
> environment.

OK.  Fine idea.

> I'm running into configure issues that I can't seem to resolve.  (I
> wouldn't call myself a C programmer.  I'm much more comfy in python. 
> But I can get around a linux system).  My issue is that when portage
> runs the "./configure" I get errors like the following:

OK.  Much more interesting are config.log contents (and much more
detailed, so if you really need to post it all, please pack it).
Some hints:

> checking for i686-pc-linux-gnu-gcc... i686-pc-linux-gnu-gcc

So you used --host or the like, to announce cross-compilation.  In that
case a $host_alias-prefixed compiler will be preferred.  And is found
here.

> checking for C compiler default output... a.out
> checking whether the C compiler works... yes
> checking whether we are cross compiling... no

(i.e., $host = $build).

> checking for suffix of executables...
> checking for suffix of object files...

This is suspicious.  config.log should be able to tell more.

> checking for a BSD-compatible install... 
> /data1/portage/jan6/prefix/toolsbox-4-p
> atchespre.20060106/i686-pc-linux-gnu//bin/ginstall -c

This is weird, too.  How exactly do you call configure?

> checking whether make sets $(MAKE)... no

Very weird.

> checking for ANSI C header files... no

Your compiler does not find its default headers for some reason.

> Disconcerting is the mention that there is no GNU C compiler (which is
> sitting in $PREFIX/bin/gcc) and the "WARNING"s.
> When the same configure command from the command line (using the same
> env variables, since PATH is adjusted for the prefixed environment),
> it works.

So maybe you did not want i686-pc-linux-gnu-gcc, but plain gcc?
If you have to specify cross-compilation, then set CC=gcc, too.

Hope those tips help a bit.

Cheers,
Ralf