autoconf and epel-5

Richard W.M. Jones rjones at redhat.com
Thu Feb 26 11:39:36 UTC 2009


On Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 10:47:07AM +0100, Michael Schwendt wrote:
> Patches? ... Patches created by regenerating modified autotools
> input files?
> 
> That won't be different from running autotools at build-time. With one
> exception: you get a chance to examine the patch and verify it and the
> results it produces -- you can't do that with unattended rebuilds in a
> build system where the autotools versions may change any time and cause
> unexpected side-effects.

In some theoretical world perhaps.

In reality though - the patches are full of unintended changes (eg.
if there is a change of autoconf), and even if you get a minimal
patch, it's still a patch to some giant shell script which is very
hard to verify.  Also in the real world, builds don't tend to break
because of autotools changes, and if they do, they're much simpler to
fix.

Don't believe me?  Let's try it:

I ran autoreconf then made a tiny change to a configure file, then
ran autoreconf again to compare configure before and afterwards.

  diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
  index 7fe1ebe..e77a230 100644
  --- a/configure.ac
  +++ b/configure.ac
  @@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ AC_PROG_CC
   gl_EARLY
   
   AM_PROG_CC_C_O
  +AC_PROG_CPP
   
   AC_PROG_INSTALL
   AC_PROG_LIBTOOL

Here's the patch to configure which we are proposing from now on to
add to Fedora CVS because the change is "easier to understand" or
something.

--- configure.orig	2009-02-26 11:32:27.000000000 +0000
+++ configure	2009-02-26 11:37:52.000000000 +0000
@@ -808,7 +808,6 @@
 ac_ct_CXX
 CXXFLAGS
 CXX
-CPP
 NMEDIT
 DSYMUTIL
 RANLIB
@@ -818,6 +817,7 @@
 EGREP
 GREP
 SED
+CPP
 am__fastdepCC_FALSE
 am__fastdepCC_TRUE
 CCDEPMODE
@@ -3858,6 +3858,242 @@
 fi
 
 
+ac_ext=c
+ac_cpp='$CPP $CPPFLAGS'
+ac_compile='$CC -c $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext >&5'
+ac_link='$CC -o conftest$ac_exeext $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS $LDFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext $LIBS >&5'
+ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking how to run the C preprocessor" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking how to run the C preprocessor... " >&6; }
+# On Suns, sometimes $CPP names a directory.
+if test -n "$CPP" && test -d "$CPP"; then
+  CPP=
+fi
+if test -z "$CPP"; then
+  if test "${ac_cv_prog_CPP+set}" = set; then
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+      # Double quotes because CPP needs to be expanded
+    for CPP in "$CC -E" "$CC -E -traditional-cpp" "/lib/cpp"
+    do
+      ac_preproc_ok=false
+for ac_c_preproc_warn_flag in '' yes
+do
+  # Use a header file that comes with gcc, so configuring glibc
+  # with a fresh cross-compiler works.
+  # Prefer <limits.h> to <assert.h> if __STDC__ is defined, since
+  # <limits.h> exists even on freestanding compilers.
+  # On the NeXT, cc -E runs the code through the compiler's parser,
+  # not just through cpp. "Syntax error" is here to catch this case.
+  cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+#ifdef __STDC__
+# include <limits.h>
+#else
+# include <assert.h>
+#endif
+		     Syntax error
+_ACEOF
+if { (ac_try="$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext"
+case "(($ac_try" in
+  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
+  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
+esac
+eval ac_try_echo="\"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\""
+$as_echo "$ac_try_echo") >&5
+  (eval "$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext") 2>conftest.er1
+  ac_status=$?
+  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
+  rm -f conftest.er1
+  cat conftest.err >&5
+  $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); } >/dev/null && {
+	 test -z "$ac_c_preproc_warn_flag$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
+	 test ! -s conftest.err
+       }; then
+  :
+else
+  $as_echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+  # Broken: fails on valid input.
+continue
+fi
+
+rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
+
+  # OK, works on sane cases.  Now check whether nonexistent headers
+  # can be detected and how.
+  cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+#include <ac_nonexistent.h>
+_ACEOF
+if { (ac_try="$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext"
+case "(($ac_try" in
+  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
+  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
+esac
+eval ac_try_echo="\"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\""
+$as_echo "$ac_try_echo") >&5
+  (eval "$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext") 2>conftest.er1
+  ac_status=$?
+  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
+  rm -f conftest.er1
+  cat conftest.err >&5
+  $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); } >/dev/null && {
+	 test -z "$ac_c_preproc_warn_flag$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
+	 test ! -s conftest.err
+       }; then
+  # Broken: success on invalid input.
+continue
+else
+  $as_echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+  # Passes both tests.
+ac_preproc_ok=:
+break
+fi
+
+rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
+
+done
+# Because of `break', _AC_PREPROC_IFELSE's cleaning code was skipped.
+rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
+if $ac_preproc_ok; then
+  break
+fi
+
+    done
+    ac_cv_prog_CPP=$CPP
+
+fi
+  CPP=$ac_cv_prog_CPP
+else
+  ac_cv_prog_CPP=$CPP
+fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $CPP" >&5
+$as_echo "$CPP" >&6; }
+ac_preproc_ok=false
+for ac_c_preproc_warn_flag in '' yes
+do
+  # Use a header file that comes with gcc, so configuring glibc
+  # with a fresh cross-compiler works.
+  # Prefer <limits.h> to <assert.h> if __STDC__ is defined, since
+  # <limits.h> exists even on freestanding compilers.
+  # On the NeXT, cc -E runs the code through the compiler's parser,
+  # not just through cpp. "Syntax error" is here to catch this case.
+  cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+#ifdef __STDC__
+# include <limits.h>
+#else
+# include <assert.h>
+#endif
+		     Syntax error
+_ACEOF
+if { (ac_try="$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext"
+case "(($ac_try" in
+  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
+  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
+esac
+eval ac_try_echo="\"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\""
+$as_echo "$ac_try_echo") >&5
+  (eval "$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext") 2>conftest.er1
+  ac_status=$?
+  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
+  rm -f conftest.er1
+  cat conftest.err >&5
+  $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); } >/dev/null && {
+	 test -z "$ac_c_preproc_warn_flag$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
+	 test ! -s conftest.err
+       }; then
+  :
+else
+  $as_echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+  # Broken: fails on valid input.
+continue
+fi
+
+rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
+
+  # OK, works on sane cases.  Now check whether nonexistent headers
+  # can be detected and how.
+  cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+#include <ac_nonexistent.h>
+_ACEOF
+if { (ac_try="$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext"
+case "(($ac_try" in
+  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
+  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
+esac
+eval ac_try_echo="\"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\""
+$as_echo "$ac_try_echo") >&5
+  (eval "$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext") 2>conftest.er1
+  ac_status=$?
+  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
+  rm -f conftest.er1
+  cat conftest.err >&5
+  $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); } >/dev/null && {
+	 test -z "$ac_c_preproc_warn_flag$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
+	 test ! -s conftest.err
+       }; then
+  # Broken: success on invalid input.
+continue
+else
+  $as_echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+  # Passes both tests.
+ac_preproc_ok=:
+break
+fi
+
+rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
+
+done
+# Because of `break', _AC_PREPROC_IFELSE's cleaning code was skipped.
+rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
+if $ac_preproc_ok; then
+  :
+else
+  { { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: in \`$ac_pwd':" >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: error: in \`$ac_pwd':" >&2;}
+{ { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: C preprocessor \"$CPP\" fails sanity check
+See \`config.log' for more details." >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: error: C preprocessor \"$CPP\" fails sanity check
+See \`config.log' for more details." >&2;}
+   { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }; }
+fi
+
+ac_ext=c
+ac_cpp='$CPP $CPPFLAGS'
+ac_compile='$CC -c $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext >&5'
+ac_link='$CC -o conftest$ac_exeext $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS $LDFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext $LIBS >&5'
+ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu
+
 
 # Find a good install program.  We prefer a C program (faster),
 # so one script is as good as another.  But avoid the broken or
@@ -4649,7 +4885,7 @@
   ;;
 *-*-irix6*)
   # Find out which ABI we are using.
-  echo '#line 4652 "configure"' > conftest.$ac_ext
+  echo '#line 4888 "configure"' > conftest.$ac_ext
   if { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_compile\"") >&5
   (eval $ac_compile) 2>&5
   ac_status=$?
@@ -4844,242 +5080,6 @@
 need_locks="$enable_libtool_lock"
 
 
-ac_ext=c
-ac_cpp='$CPP $CPPFLAGS'
-ac_compile='$CC -c $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext >&5'
-ac_link='$CC -o conftest$ac_exeext $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS $LDFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext $LIBS >&5'
-ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking how to run the C preprocessor" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking how to run the C preprocessor... " >&6; }
-# On Suns, sometimes $CPP names a directory.
-if test -n "$CPP" && test -d "$CPP"; then
-  CPP=
-fi
-if test -z "$CPP"; then
-  if test "${ac_cv_prog_CPP+set}" = set; then
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-      # Double quotes because CPP needs to be expanded
-    for CPP in "$CC -E" "$CC -E -traditional-cpp" "/lib/cpp"
-    do
-      ac_preproc_ok=false
-for ac_c_preproc_warn_flag in '' yes
-do
-  # Use a header file that comes with gcc, so configuring glibc
-  # with a fresh cross-compiler works.
-  # Prefer <limits.h> to <assert.h> if __STDC__ is defined, since
-  # <limits.h> exists even on freestanding compilers.
-  # On the NeXT, cc -E runs the code through the compiler's parser,
-  # not just through cpp. "Syntax error" is here to catch this case.
-  cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* confdefs.h.  */
-_ACEOF
-cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
-cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-#ifdef __STDC__
-# include <limits.h>
-#else
-# include <assert.h>
-#endif
-		     Syntax error
-_ACEOF
-if { (ac_try="$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext"
-case "(($ac_try" in
-  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
-  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
-esac
-eval ac_try_echo="\"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\""
-$as_echo "$ac_try_echo") >&5
-  (eval "$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext") 2>conftest.er1
-  ac_status=$?
-  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
-  rm -f conftest.er1
-  cat conftest.err >&5
-  $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
-  (exit $ac_status); } >/dev/null && {
-	 test -z "$ac_c_preproc_warn_flag$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
-	 test ! -s conftest.err
-       }; then
-  :
-else
-  $as_echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
-sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
-
-  # Broken: fails on valid input.
-continue
-fi
-
-rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
-
-  # OK, works on sane cases.  Now check whether nonexistent headers
-  # can be detected and how.
-  cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* confdefs.h.  */
-_ACEOF
-cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
-cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-#include <ac_nonexistent.h>
-_ACEOF
-if { (ac_try="$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext"
-case "(($ac_try" in
-  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
-  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
-esac
-eval ac_try_echo="\"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\""
-$as_echo "$ac_try_echo") >&5
-  (eval "$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext") 2>conftest.er1
-  ac_status=$?
-  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
-  rm -f conftest.er1
-  cat conftest.err >&5
-  $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
-  (exit $ac_status); } >/dev/null && {
-	 test -z "$ac_c_preproc_warn_flag$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
-	 test ! -s conftest.err
-       }; then
-  # Broken: success on invalid input.
-continue
-else
-  $as_echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
-sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
-
-  # Passes both tests.
-ac_preproc_ok=:
-break
-fi
-
-rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
-
-done
-# Because of `break', _AC_PREPROC_IFELSE's cleaning code was skipped.
-rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
-if $ac_preproc_ok; then
-  break
-fi
-
-    done
-    ac_cv_prog_CPP=$CPP
-
-fi
-  CPP=$ac_cv_prog_CPP
-else
-  ac_cv_prog_CPP=$CPP
-fi
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $CPP" >&5
-$as_echo "$CPP" >&6; }
-ac_preproc_ok=false
-for ac_c_preproc_warn_flag in '' yes
-do
-  # Use a header file that comes with gcc, so configuring glibc
-  # with a fresh cross-compiler works.
-  # Prefer <limits.h> to <assert.h> if __STDC__ is defined, since
-  # <limits.h> exists even on freestanding compilers.
-  # On the NeXT, cc -E runs the code through the compiler's parser,
-  # not just through cpp. "Syntax error" is here to catch this case.
-  cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* confdefs.h.  */
-_ACEOF
-cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
-cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-#ifdef __STDC__
-# include <limits.h>
-#else
-# include <assert.h>
-#endif
-		     Syntax error
-_ACEOF
-if { (ac_try="$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext"
-case "(($ac_try" in
-  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
-  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
-esac
-eval ac_try_echo="\"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\""
-$as_echo "$ac_try_echo") >&5
-  (eval "$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext") 2>conftest.er1
-  ac_status=$?
-  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
-  rm -f conftest.er1
-  cat conftest.err >&5
-  $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
-  (exit $ac_status); } >/dev/null && {
-	 test -z "$ac_c_preproc_warn_flag$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
-	 test ! -s conftest.err
-       }; then
-  :
-else
-  $as_echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
-sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
-
-  # Broken: fails on valid input.
-continue
-fi
-
-rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
-
-  # OK, works on sane cases.  Now check whether nonexistent headers
-  # can be detected and how.
-  cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* confdefs.h.  */
-_ACEOF
-cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
-cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-#include <ac_nonexistent.h>
-_ACEOF
-if { (ac_try="$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext"
-case "(($ac_try" in
-  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
-  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
-esac
-eval ac_try_echo="\"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\""
-$as_echo "$ac_try_echo") >&5
-  (eval "$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext") 2>conftest.er1
-  ac_status=$?
-  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
-  rm -f conftest.er1
-  cat conftest.err >&5
-  $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
-  (exit $ac_status); } >/dev/null && {
-	 test -z "$ac_c_preproc_warn_flag$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
-	 test ! -s conftest.err
-       }; then
-  # Broken: success on invalid input.
-continue
-else
-  $as_echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
-sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
-
-  # Passes both tests.
-ac_preproc_ok=:
-break
-fi
-
-rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
-
-done
-# Because of `break', _AC_PREPROC_IFELSE's cleaning code was skipped.
-rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
-if $ac_preproc_ok; then
-  :
-else
-  { { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: in \`$ac_pwd':" >&5
-$as_echo "$as_me: error: in \`$ac_pwd':" >&2;}
-{ { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: C preprocessor \"$CPP\" fails sanity check
-See \`config.log' for more details." >&5
-$as_echo "$as_me: error: C preprocessor \"$CPP\" fails sanity check
-See \`config.log' for more details." >&2;}
-   { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }; }
-fi
-
-ac_ext=c
-ac_cpp='$CPP $CPPFLAGS'
-ac_compile='$CC -c $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext >&5'
-ac_link='$CC -o conftest$ac_exeext $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS $LDFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext $LIBS >&5'
-ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu
-
 
 { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for ANSI C header files" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for ANSI C header files... " >&6; }

Rich.

-- 
Richard Jones, Emerging Technologies, Red Hat  http://et.redhat.com/~rjones
virt-top is 'top' for virtual machines.  Tiny program with many
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