[issue7997] http://www.python.org/dev/faq/ doesn't seem to explain how to regenerate "configure"

[Dave Malcolm]

New submission from Dave Malcolm :

http://www.python.org/dev/faq/ doesn't seem to explain how to regenerate 
"configure"
Here's an attempt at answering that question; I hope the following is 
appropriate and factually correct:

How to regenerate the "configure" script (e.g. to add a new configuration 
parameter)

Python's "configure" script is generated from "configure.in" from autoconf.  Do 
not edit "configure"; instead, edit "configure.in" and run "autoreconf".  You 
should run "./configure --help" to verify that your changes are documented as 
expected.

Python's "configure.in" script typically requires a specific version of 
autoconf.  At the moment, this reads:
version_required(2.61)

If the system copy of autoconf does not match this version, you will need to 
install your own copy of autoconf and use this.
1. Go to http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/autoconf/ and download the version of autoconf 
matching the one in configure.in
   For example:
   $ wget http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/autoconf/autoconf-2.61.tar.bz2
2. Unpack the tarball:
   $ tar -jxf autoconf-2.61.tar.bz2 
3. Build the specified version of autoconf and install it to a writable 
location (e.g. within your home directory):
$ pushd autoconf-2.61.tar.bz2
$ ./configure --prefix=$HOME/autoconf-2.6.1
$ make ; make install

This drops a copy of the appropriate version of autoconf into ~/autoconf-2.6.1

4. Go back to the python source and rerun autoconf, pointing PATH at the 
specific copy of autoconf:
   $ popd
   $ PATH=~/autoconf-2.6.1/bin:$PATH autoreconf

5. "autoconf" should now have updated your local copy of "configure" to reflect 
your changes.

6. Run "./configure --help" to verify that your changes have been applied

--
assignee: georg.brandl
components: Documentation
messages: 99882
nosy: dmalcolm, georg.brandl
severity: normal
status: open
title: http://www.python.org/dev/faq/ doesn't seem to explain how to regenerate 
"configure"

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[issue7997] http://www.python.org/dev/faq/ doesn't seem to explain how to regenerate "configure"

[Mark Dickinson]

Mark Dickinson  added the comment:

This looks good!  Is it worth mentioning that autoreconf updates pyconfig.h.in 
as well as configure?

There's also an OS X oddity to be aware of, though I'm not sure whether it's 
worth mentioning in the FAQ.  On OS X 10.6, the system autoconf 
(/usr/bin/autoconf) *appears* at first sight to be autoconf 2.61 (e.g., using 
autoconf --version), but has actually been modified slightly by Apple:  it 
produces a whole bunch of

-rm -f conftest*
+rm -f -r conftest*

differences in the generated configure file.  I don't know how much this really 
matters---it can make checkins look a bit confusing at times but seems 
otherwise harmless.  But I've been sticking to GNU autoconf 2.61 and avoiding 
the Apple version for this reason.

Nitpick: Various occurrences of 2.6.1 in the above should probably be 2.61.

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nosy: +mark.dickinson

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[issue7997] http://www.python.org/dev/faq/ doesn't seem to explain how to regenerate "configure"

[Eric Smith]

Eric Smith  added the comment:

Isn't it true that after regenerating configure that you need to check it back 
in? Or is that so obvious to everyone except me that it's not worth mentioning?

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nosy: +eric.smith

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[issue7997] http://www.python.org/dev/faq/ doesn't seem to explain how to regenerate "configure"

[Dave Malcolm]

Dave Malcolm  added the comment:

Eric Smith:
> Isn't it true that after regenerating configure that you need to check 
> it back in? Or is that so obvious to everyone except me that it's not 
> worth mentioning?
FWIW the above point wasn't obvious to me; if that's the case, then it needs to 
be spelled out.

My perspective here is as a developer without commit rights to svn; I'm 
developing patches to be attached to the issue tracker, and occasionally they 
require changing configure.in

BTW, should the changes to the generated "configure" be excluded from such 
patches, or should they be included? (to what extent do they contain meaningful 
information during review?)

Mark Dickinson:
> Eric:  interesting point.  Without having thought about it, I was 
> assuming this was about regenerating configure and pyconfig.h.in in 
> your own working copy (e.g., because you want to test locally some 
> configure script changes) rather than regenerating the configure 
> script in the central repository.

That's roughly what I was doing, yes; sorry for any confusion.

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[issue7997] http://www.python.org/dev/faq/ doesn't seem to explain how to regenerate "configure"

[Mark Dickinson]

Mark Dickinson  added the comment:

> BTW, should the changes to the generated "configure" be excluded
> from such patches, or should they be included? (to what extent do
> they contain meaningful information during review?)

Not sure.  I think it's fine to leave the configure changes out of a posted 
patch, especially if you also add a tracker comment reminding potential 
reviewers to regenerate configure.   If the generated configure changes are 
small, I don't see a problem with leaving them in the patch either.

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[issue7997] http://www.python.org/dev/faq/ doesn't seem to explain how to regenerate "configure"

[Dave Malcolm]

Dave Malcolm  added the comment:

> Nitpick: Various occurrences of 2.6.1 in the above should probably be 2.61.
Good catch - I think my brain or fingers are too used to Python's versioning 
scheme, rather than autoconf's.


Here's a revised set of commands, hopefully fixing that:

$ wget http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/autoconf/autoconf-2.61.tar.bz2
$ tar -jxf autoconf-2.61.tar.bz2
$ pushd autoconf-2.61
$ ./configure --prefix=$HOME/autoconf-2.61
$ make ; make install
$ popd
$ PATH=~/autoconf-2.61/bin:$PATH autoreconf

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[issue7997] http://www.python.org/dev/faq/ doesn't seem to explain how to regenerate "configure"

[Brett Cannon]

Changes by Brett Cannon :


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assignee: georg.brandl -> brett.cannon

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[issue7997] http://www.python.org/dev/faq/ doesn't seem to explain how to regenerate "configure"

[Brett Cannon]

Changes by Brett Cannon :


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priority:  -> normal

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[issue7997] http://www.python.org/dev/faq/ doesn't seem to explain how to regenerate "configure"

[Roundup Robot]

Roundup Robot  added the comment:

New changeset 5432be4d4e1a by Ross Lagerwall in branch 'default':
Issue 7997: Explain how to regenerate configure using Autoconf.
http://hg.python.org/devguide/rev/5432be4d4e1a

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nosy: +python-dev

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[issue7997] http://www.python.org/dev/faq/ doesn't seem to explain how to regenerate "configure"

[Ross Lagerwall]

Changes by Ross Lagerwall :


--
assignee:  -> rosslagerwall
nosy: +rosslagerwall
resolution:  -> fixed
stage:  -> committed/rejected
status: open -> closed
type:  -> enhancement

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[issue7997] http://www.python.org/dev/faq/ doesn't seem to explain how to regenerate "configure"

[Brett Cannon]

Changes by Brett Cannon :


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[issue7997] http://www.python.org/dev/faq/ doesn't seem to explain how to regenerate "configure"

[Antoine Pitrou]

Antoine Pitrou  added the comment:

> Python's "configure.in" script typically requires a specific version of > 
> autoconf.  At the moment, this reads:
> version_required(2.61)

This is a bit outdated. Right now we only have:
AC_PREREQ(2.65)

which IIUC means 2.65 or higher.

> Do not edit "configure"; instead, edit "configure.in" and run
> "autoreconf"

"autoreconf" fails for me, but "autoconf" works. I'm not sure what's the 
difference.

By the way, the dev FAQ is now maintained at http://hg.python.org/devguide/ 
although this still needs putting in www.python.org.

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nosy: +pitrou

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