OS X Build Failures

[DomT4]

==> Downloading https://github.com/fontforge/fontforge/releases/download/20141014/fontforge-20141014.tar.gz

==> ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/fontforge/20141014 --with-x --without-giflib --without-libspiro
configure: error: cannot find install-sh, install.sh, or shtool in config "."/config
/usr/local/Library/Homebrew/debrew.rb:10:in `raise'
BuildError: Failed executing: ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/fontforge/20141014 --with-x --without-giflib --without-libspiro

So, we go into the config folder, and there is indeed a install.sh but it is a symlink, and trying to follow that symlink gets:

The operation can’t be completed because the original item for “install-sh” can’t be found.

So that looks to be the issue? On OS X that symlink isn't there in the green-github-tar.gz release. The automatically generated tarball still works, but you have to jump through the hoop of building the ./bootstrap stage first.

Any ideas?

[davelab6]

cc @frank-trampe @monkeyiq

[DomT4]

As far as I can see, there's no way to fix this without either treating the build like a git build, ie by using ./bootstrap.sh or by issuing a new source code release without the symlinking issues. I'm kinda stuck here. I want to move forwards with this in Homebrew but I can't with the current source code package provided without some guidance as to whether ./bootstrap.sh is the way to go for now or if this is an issue that can be fixed upstream here?

[frank-trampe]

@DomT4, we do expect any build to start with a call to bootstrap. I can't think of any other way for it to work presently, as the build depends upon the location-specific symbolic links that bootstrap provides.

[DomT4]

@frank-trampe Thanks for the reply. I'll try and nudge Homebrew into accepting this as a necessary step for now then. I'll probably be asked to punt upstream a request to not have to bootstrap in future, so consider this reply that request in advance 😉

[frank-trampe]

@DomT4, what are Homebrew's reasons for disliking boostrap/gnulib?

Note that we currently ship source tarballs that have all network fetching (from bootstrap and otherwise) complete such that bootstrap just makes configuration files and symlinks.

[DomT4]

@frank-trampe Homebrew doesn't like forcing extra dependencies onto everyone for every build, especially when it comes to the autotools. Generally, unless for some very special reason, Homebrew likes to keep the autotools largely confined to HEAD (ie from Git) builds.

[davelab6]

@DomT4 Its not clear to me what action needs to be taken here.... please clarify :)

[DomT4]

Ideally, move to a point where you don't need to bootstrap to get a package that you can just ./configure && make install on. The necessity of bootstrap forces Homebrew to force automake, autoconf & libtool onto users using Fontforge and generally we don't love forcing the autotools onto folks for non-HEAD builds. But it's not super-urgent, and it isn't a block on moving forwards right now so I'll close this out.