In May I reported to debian-bugs a bug in make 3.73-1 that makes it
impossible to build Debian's Smail package with Debian's make.
This bug still exists in 3.74-1 (and the debian-bugs logs don't
contain any messages about the problem being passed on to the FSF).
Surely we and the FSF can do better than this ? In the meantime I'll
keep using my own private binary of GNU make 3.70.
Ian.
------- start of digest (3 messages) (RFC 934 encapsulation) -------
To: Debian bugs submission address <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: make gets MAKEFLAGS wrong
Package: make
Version: 3.73-1
When trying to build smail (3.1.29.1-11, source code will be on
ftp.cps soon) I get:
make: option `--w' is ambiguous
numerous times, with usage messages.
I seem to remember this being due to an incompatible and broken change
in the semantics of MAKEFLAGS.
Please can this change be reversed, or the old `make' restored.
In the meantime I'll have to build Smail with my old installation's
make.
Ian.
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (J.H.M.Dassen)
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: smail-3.1.29-1: ambiguous switch for 'make'
Date: Tue, 13 Jun 1995 13:38:10 +0200 (MET DST)
Message-Id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Ian,
it looks like one of the options given to make while building smail-3.1.29-1
is ambiguous when using make-3.73, resulting in a failing build.
While making the dependencies, make is called with '--wn'; make --help
shows no option matching this.
Options starting with '--w' are: '--what-if=FILE' and
'--warn-undefined-variables'.
Could you disambiguate this for the next release?
Regards,
Ray
- -- begin shortened 'debian.rules binary' log --
[...]
chmod -w Makefile
Make dependencies under conf ...
make[2]: Entering directory `/exp/build/farm4/smail-3.1.29.1/conf'
Make dependencies under conf/arch ...
make: option `--w' is ambiguous
Usage: make [options] [target] ...
Options:
-b, -m Ignored for compatibility.
-C DIRECTORY, --directory=DIRECTORY
Change to DIRECTORY before doing anything.
-d, --debug Print lots of debugging information.
-e, --environment-overrides
Environment variables override makefiles.
-f FILE, --file=FILE, --makefile=FILE
Read FILE as a makefile.
-h, --help Print this message and exit.
-i, --ignore-errors Ignore errors from commands.
-I DIRECTORY, --include-dir=DIRECTORY
Search DIRECTORY for included makefiles.
-j [N], --jobs[=N] Allow N jobs at once; infinite jobs with no arg.
-k, --keep-going Keep going when some targets can't be made.
-l [N], --load-average[=N], --max-load[=N]
Don't start multiple jobs unless load is below N.
-n, --just-print, --dry-run, --recon
Don't actually run any commands; just print them.
-o FILE, --old-file=FILE, --assume-old=FILE
Consider FILE to be very old and don't remake it.
-p, --print-data-base Print make's internal database.
-q, --question Run no commands; exit status says if up to date.
-r, --no-builtin-rules Disable the built-in implicit rules.
-s, --silent, --quiet Don't echo commands.
-S, --no-keep-going, --stop
Turns off -k.
-t, --touch Touch targets instead of remaking them.
-v, --version Print the version number of make and exit.
-w, --print-directory Print the current directory.
--no-print-directory Turn off -w, even if it was turned on implicitly.
-W FILE, --what-if=FILE, --new-file=FILE, --assume-new=FILE
Consider FILE to be infinitely new.
--warn-undefined-variables Warn when an undefined variable is referenced.
Make dependencies under conf/driver ...
make: option `--w' is ambiguous
[...]
Make dependencies under conf/os ...
make: option `--w' is ambiguous
[...]
Make dependencies under conf/lib ...
make: option `--w' is ambiguous
[...]
make[2]: *** [depend] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory `/exp/build/farm4/smail-3.1.29.1/conf'
[etc...]
- -- end --
- --
UNFAIR Term applied to advantages enjoyed by other people which we tried
to cheat them out of and didn't manage. See also DISHONESTY, SNEAKY,
UNDERHAND and JUST LUCKY I GUESS.
- - The Hipcrime Vocab by Chad C. Mulligan
------------------------------
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (J.H.M.Dassen),
Debian bugs submission address <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Bug#864: Re: smail-3.1.29-1: ambiguous switch for 'make'
J. H. M. Dassen writes ("smail-3.1.29-1: ambiguous switch for 'make'"):
> it looks like one of the options given to make while building smail-3.1.29-1
> is ambiguous when using make-3.73, resulting in a failing build.
>
> While making the dependencies, make is called with '--wn'; make --help
> shows no option matching this.
> Options starting with '--w' are: '--what-if=FILE' and
> '--warn-undefined-variables'.
>
> Could you disambiguate this for the next release?
This is a bug (Debian #864) in GNU make's handling of MAKEFLAGS. The
option should have been -wn with only a single hyphen.
I'm using my own copy of make 3.70 in /usr/local/bin.
This should be fixed urgently, as currently a Debian user can't
(re)compile the Smail package.
Ian.
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