Re: make distcheck and the /etc dir
Hello, and sorry for chiming in so late, * Noah Slater wrote on Mon, Jun 04, 2007 at 06:57:43PM CEST: # Makefile.am for installing configuration data etcdir=/etc/lx2005 etc_DATA = serlog.conf This is seriously broken. What if my /etc directory is read-only, for example. Exactly. This breaks any hope of getting a VPATH build. You're confusing build tree (which has to do with VPATH) and install tree (which doesn't) here. When I run 'make distcheck' it fails as it cannot install the files to '/etc/lx2005'. Indeed, because distcheck makes sure the build uses VPATH. But that's not cause of the failure: distcheck makes sure files can be installed at all by the current user (to somewhere below `pwd` or TMPDIR). I think Stepan and others corrected most other things in this thread already. Cheers, Ralf
Re: make distcheck and the /etc dir
Hello, * Daniel Leidert wrote on Mon, Jun 04, 2007 at 07:38:18PM CEST: Am Montag, den 04.06.2007, 15:56 +0200 schrieb Jason Curl: # Makefile.am for installing configuration data etcdir=/etc/lx2005 This line misses a $(DESTDIR) to not break package builds and distcheck. No, it doesn't. etc_DATA = serlog.conf [snip] The configuration that gets copied depends on the 'configure' script setting the variable $(MACHINE). When I run 'make distcheck' it fails as it cannot install the files to '/etc/lx2005'. I would very much like the location of the configuration files to be independent of $(prefix) as the locations my project searches are independent of where it was installed. No problem: But you should add the DESTDIR variable to hardcoded paths. Only in rules. Cheers, Ralf -- apologies for brevity -- typing one-handed ATM
Re: make distcheck and the /etc dir
Am Sonntag, den 10.06.2007, 09:01 +0200 schrieb Ralf Wildenhues: * Daniel Leidert wrote on Mon, Jun 04, 2007 at 07:38:18PM CEST: Am Montag, den 04.06.2007, 15:56 +0200 schrieb Jason Curl: # Makefile.am for installing configuration data etcdir=/etc/lx2005 This line misses a $(DESTDIR) to not break package builds and distcheck. No, it doesn't. etc_DATA = serlog.conf [snip] The configuration that gets copied depends on the 'configure' script setting the variable $(MACHINE). When I run 'make distcheck' it fails as it cannot install the files to '/etc/lx2005'. I would very much like the location of the configuration files to be independent of $(prefix) as the locations my project searches are independent of where it was installed. No problem: But you should add the DESTDIR variable to hardcoded paths. Only in rules. You are right. I already found my mistake. Regards, Daniel
Re: make distcheck and the /etc dir
Am Montag, den 04.06.2007, 22:15 +0100 schrieb Noah Slater: Sounds like my best solution would be to use the sysconf_DATA option. Any ideas how to take 'sysconfdir' and somehow import it into my program so it knows where the default configuration files are? Well, I use Python and I have a file called 'lib/foo/__init__.py.in' that is has the following lines: [snip] Now, when ./configure is run this file is generated and placed at 'lib/foo/__init__.py' and hence is available to me a run-time with all the user configured paths. If you are using C I believe the recommended way is to use a header file with a bunch of defines that gets customised at ./configure time. Well, that has some limitations. It's possible, that you need to evaluate a variable with eval more than just once (e.g. $datadir needs at least two eval calls). People often use a loop to do this. IMHO it's easier to use DEFS instead here: DEFS += -DSYSCONFDIR=\$(sysconfdir)\ -DPKGDATADIR=\$(pkgdatadir)\ and don't use config.h for this. Regards, Daniel
Re: make distcheck and the /etc dir
Hello Jason, On Mon, Jun 04, 2007 at 07:25:16PM +0200, Jason Curl wrote: Sounds like my best solution would be to use the sysconf_DATA option. this was also the fist solution which came to my mind. Any ideas how to take 'sysconfdir' and somehow import it into my program so it knows where the default configuration files are? See `info Autoconf FAQ defining' for general instructions. A correction, though: I'd use AM_CPPFLAGS = -DDATADIR='$(datadir)' instead of modifying CPPFLAGS. I think it is OK to use the default value of sysconfdir and let the user configure with --sysconfdir=/etc if that is what they want. (GNU/Linux distributions often set that in their build scripts.) It is possible to do some hacks in configure.ac so that the default is /etc. (And you can then use DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS to revert that change for distcheck, so that it passes.) I'm also concerned about overwriting a users old configuration file. So any ideas how I can operate on any existing files before they're overwritten? For example, I might try a merge, or just copy the files as a backup before overwriting them. I guess that in that case it might be best to foget about sysconf_DATA, and use install-exec-local for the installation of the config file. (You would use EXTRA_DIST to distribute your default config file, of course.) This thread got quite a big quickly; if a particular question remained unansewered, feel free to post it again, under a new subject. Have a nice day, Stepan Kasal
make distcheck and the /etc dir
Hello, I have a project where the program expects the configuration files to be stored in '/etc/lx2005'. Appropriately, I've got such a Makefile.am: # Makefile.am for installing configuration data etcdir=/etc/lx2005 etc_DATA = serlog.conf CLEANFILES = serlog.conf EXTRA_DIST = serlog.conf.generic \ serlog.conf.busybox \ serlog.conf.cygwin \ serlog.conf.linux \ serlog.conf.solaris \ serlog.conf.freebsd \ serlog.conf.interix \ serlog.conf.darwin # When we 'make' we create a copy of the configuration file that was # determined during 'configure' time. serlog.conf: @top_srcdir@/serlog/etc/serlog.conf.$(MACHINE) cp -f @top_srcdir@/serlog/etc/serlog.conf.$(MACHINE) serlog.conf The configuration that gets copied depends on the 'configure' script setting the variable $(MACHINE). When I run 'make distcheck' it fails as it cannot install the files to '/etc/lx2005'. I would very much like the location of the configuration files to be independent of $(prefix) as the locations my project searches are independent of where it was installed. Installing to my remote file system is easy enough and it works: make DESTDIR=/mnt/remotefs install How can I get 'make distcheck' to work with this configuration? Alternatively, I'm open for other ideas of implementation. Thanks Best Regards, Jason.
Re: make distcheck and the /etc dir
# Makefile.am for installing configuration data etcdir=/etc/lx2005 etc_DATA = serlog.conf This is seriously broken. What if my /etc directory is read-only, for example. This breaks any hope of getting a VPATH build. When I run 'make distcheck' it fails as it cannot install the files to '/etc/lx2005'. Indeed, because distcheck makes sure the build uses VPATH. I would very much like the location of the configuration files to be independent of $(prefix) as the locations my project searches are independent of where it was installed. This is a Bad Thing IMO. You should alter your program to look in multiple places for it's configuration. If you are certain that the configuration file should live here despite the wishes of the installer your program should by default it will check for '/etc/lx2005' and failing back to '$(prefix)/lx2005' - though this is still broken. How can I get 'make distcheck' to work with this configuration? You cannot. Alternatively, I'm open for other ideas of implementation. Why is it so important for configuration files to live at /etc?
Re: make distcheck and the /etc dir
On 6/4/07, Jason Curl [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello, I have a project where the program expects the configuration files to be stored in '/etc/lx2005'. Appropriately, I've got such a Makefile.am: # Makefile.am for installing configuration data etcdir=/etc/lx2005 I often struggle with this, and have to refer to this FAQ: http://sources.redhat.com/automake/automake.html#Hard_002dCoded-Install-Paths
Re: make distcheck and the /etc dir
http://sources.redhat.com/automake/automake.html#Hard_002dCoded-Install-Paths Informative. Though I still maintain that it's a Bad Thing. Heh.
Re: make distcheck and the /etc dir
deckrider wrote: On 6/4/07, Jason Curl [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello, I have a project where the program expects the configuration files to be stored in '/etc/lx2005'. Appropriately, I've got such a Makefile.am: # Makefile.am for installing configuration data etcdir=/etc/lx2005 I often struggle with this, and have to refer to this FAQ: http://sources.redhat.com/automake/automake.html#Hard_002dCoded-Install-Paths Very useful, thankyou Sir. Sounds like my best solution would be to use the sysconf_DATA option. Any ideas how to take 'sysconfdir' and somehow import it into my program so it knows where the default configuration files are? I might have to change my policy to not bother looking in various directories for configuration files (see my post reply to Noah), which depends on an answer to above. Or does somebody else have an algorithm to calculate where the configuration files are based on the location of the executable (relatively system portable). I'm also concerned about overwriting a users old configuration file. So any ideas how I can operate on any existing files before they're overwritten? For example, I might try a merge, or just copy the files as a backup before overwriting them. Thanks, Jason.
Re: make distcheck and the /etc dir
Am Montag, den 04.06.2007, 15:56 +0200 schrieb Jason Curl:
Hello,
I have a project where the program expects the configuration files to be
stored in '/etc/lx2005'. Appropriately, I've got such a Makefile.am:
# Makefile.am for installing configuration data
etcdir=/etc/lx2005
This line misses a $(DESTDIR) to not break package builds and distcheck.
etc_DATA = serlog.conf
[snip]
The configuration that gets copied depends on the 'configure' script
setting the variable $(MACHINE).
When I run 'make distcheck' it fails as it cannot install the files to
'/etc/lx2005'. I would very much like the location of the configuration
files to be independent of $(prefix) as the locations my project
searches are independent of where it was installed.
No problem: But you should add the DESTDIR variable to hardcoded paths.
If you use sysconfdir etc.pp, you don't need to add the DESTDIR variable
explicitly.
Installing to my remote file system is easy enough and it works:
make DESTDIR=/mnt/remotefs install
And the configuration file then is inside /etc and not /mnt/remotefs?
Why? And BTW: That should be done using --prefix=/mnt/remotefs
--sysconfdir=/etc and not DESTDIR (IMHO). DESTDIR is used e.g. for
creating packages (e.g. Debian packages). With your usage of this
variable, you break the possibility to package your software, because it
will try to write to /etc in every case.
How can I get 'make distcheck' to work with this configuration?
Alternatively, I'm open for other ideas of implementation.
BTW: If you use
etcdir=${sysconfdir}
you can set
DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS = --sysconfdir=/etc
And if you want to make this the default, set it in your configure
script:
AC_SUBST([sysconfdir],[/etc])
However, you should carefully think about this. I personally would leave
it up to the user to choose a directory.
Regards, Daniel
Re: make distcheck and the /etc dir
On 6/4/07, deckrider [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
On 6/4/07, Jason Curl [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Daniel Leidert wrote:
BTW: If you use
etcdir=${sysconfdir}
you can set
DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS = --sysconfdir=/etc
And if you want to make this the default, set it in your configure
script:
AC_SUBST([sysconfdir],[/etc])
However, you should carefully think about this. I personally would leave
it up to the user to choose a directory.
After comments from previous posts I'm thinking how I can then take the
prefix the user provided and put that in config.h that the program can
then read to know where the configuration files are. I'll now have to
learn how to extend the installation to make backups of any old
configurations that might be there.
Doing AC_SUBST([sysconfdir],[/etc]) brings back the original problem and
doesn't help.
When you use automake, you get all these nice user-controlled things
like --prefix and --sysconfdir (even if you don't want them). I
generally advise to use them instead of working to not use them,
thereby confusing the user who might be running './configure --help'
and seeing that they exist and finding later that your packages is
working to ignore them.
You may find some additional interesting information here (automake
uses autoconf):
http://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf/manual/autoconf.html#Installation-Directory-Variables
In short, assuming that the configure.ac/Makefile.am you are working
on controls the installation of the c/c++ compiled software that wants
to look for this configuration file, I would recommend against any
configure.ac stuff and instead do something like this in your
Makefile.am:
AM_CPPFLAGS = -DSYSCONFDIR=\$(sysconfdir)\
oopsI mean this:
AM_CPPFLAGS = -DSYSCONFDIR=\$(sysconfdir)\
This works because automake will supply you with a sysconfdir value
(either a default one, or one provided by the user).
Re: make distcheck and the /etc dir
Sounds like my best solution would be to use the sysconf_DATA option.
Any ideas how to take 'sysconfdir' and somehow import it into my program
so it knows where the default configuration files are?
Well, I use Python and I have a file called 'lib/foo/__init__.py.in'
that is has the following lines:
def _expand_variable(composite_value, **kwargs):
composite_value = re.sub('\{|\}', '', composite_value)
value_template = string.Template(composite_value)
value = value_template.substitute(**kwargs)
return value
_GNU_PREFIX = @prefix@
_GNU_PACKAGE_TARNAME = @PACKAGE_TARNAME@
_GNU_DATAROOTDIR = _expand_variable(@datarootdir@, prefix=_GNU_PREFIX)
DEFAULT_CONFIGURATION_DIRECTORY = _expand_variable(
@pkgconfdir@, prefix=_GNU_PREFIX)
DEFAULT_DOCUMENTATION_DIRECTORY = _expand_variable(@docdir@,
datarootdir=_GNU_DATAROOTDIR, PACKAGE_TARNAME=_GNU_PACKAGE_TARNAME)
DEFAULT_LOCALE_DIRECTORY = _expand_variable(
@localedir@, datarootdir=_GNU_DATAROOTDIR)
DEFAULT_LOG_DIRECTORY = _expand_variable(@pkglogdir@, prefix=_GNU_PREFIX)
Now, when ./configure is run this file is generated and placed at
'lib/foo/__init__.py' and hence is available to me a run-time with all
the user configured paths.
If you are using C I believe the recommended way is to use a header
file with a bunch of defines that gets customised at ./configure time.
Or does somebody else have an algorithm
to calculate where the configuration files are based on the location of
the executable (relatively system portable).
Once your program has baked in configuration like above you can use
any method (like environment variables) to override the defaults.
Hope this helps.
Noah
--
Creativity can be a social contribution, but only in so
far as society is free to use the results. - R. Stallman
